Ryan Anderson is the son of monster truck legend and Grave Digger owner/driver Dennis Anderson, which makes him monster truck royalty.
Despite his privileged place among the elites in the high court of methanol and fairgrounds, the young Anderson doesn’t spend much time riding his father’s coattails.
While Ryan may have used his father’s success as a launch pad, the Grave Digger heir apparent is eager to prove himself worthy of the crown. Anderson showed this at Monster Jam 2011 in Las Vegas, executing an awesome monster truck backflip. read more »
Posted on April 2, 2011 in:
Bugatti
Always wanted Veyron levels of power but needed room for the kids? Bugatti is ready to make your dream a reality because the Galibier has reportedly been given the green light. According to some in-the-know folks, Volkswagen has given a jewel-encrusted thumbs up that will allow Bugatti to build the four-door super sedan.
The Galibier is expected to be priced around $1.4 million, and according to Bloomberg, the W16 will arrive under-hood in 1,000-horsepower form. Other reports speculate that Bugatti will trim the turbocharger count back from four to two, causing horsepower to dip to a more pedestrian 800 hp.
Bugatti, the maker of the world’s fastest production car, has won backing from parent Volkswagen AG (VOW) to build the 16C Galibier sedan, adding a four-door model to its lineup, two people familiar with the matter said. read more »
Posted on April 2, 2011 in:
Jeep
If you’re a Jeep fan, than it’s time to get excited ,because Easter is almost here. Why Easter? Eggs and candy! Because it signals the return of Jeep’s Moab Easter Safari. This event is often a showcase for new products and concept vehicles from Chrysler’s off-road brand.
In the past, Jeep has used the Moab Easter Safari to show off concept vehicles like the Lower Forty, Wrangler J7 and Trail Boss, Patriot Extreme and even the “Moparized” Ram Power Wagon.
This time around, for the 45th annual Safari event, Jeep is feature two new vehicles that invoke visions of an older period in Jeep’s history: the Jeep Renegade and the Jeep “Porkchop.”
These are just two of the six vehicles that Jeep is bringing to Moab. The Easter Safari runs from April 16 through the 24.
Posted on April 2, 2011 in:
Audi
Jeff Kuhlman, head of Audi USA’s communications department, recently confirmed to Inside Line that the 2012 A6 will be available with a four-cylinder engine when it goes on sale this summer. This will be the first time a U.S.-spec A6 will be offered with four-cylinder power.
The engine, Audi’s familiar (and lovely) 2.0-liter turbocharged four, will be paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. No power numbers are available as of this writing, but Inside Line reports that the A6 2.0T should be able to hit 28 miles per gallon on the highway.
Kuhlman also tells IL that the automaker has no plans to offer the next-generation RS4 in our market. A shame, too, since the black RS4 Avant we recently spied would look oh-so-good in the Autoblog Towers parking lot.
Audi is already planning to launch the TT RS in the third quarter of 2011, followed by the RS5 in the summer of 2012. Kuhlman says that Audi does not want to over-extend the RS range here in the U.S., though if we had our choice, at least a few of us would gladly scrap the RS5 in favor of the new RS4. We think.
The Caparo T1 is the devil on four wheels. There are widespread tales of the T1 attempting to harm anyone who tries to tame it. Autocar must’ve heard these stories and decided to leave the driving to two-time Formula One World Champion Mika Hakkinen.
The T1′s unusual layout allows for a passenger to ride slightly behind the driver. That’s the vantage point from which Autocar magazine’s Mark Tisshaw took in the action.
His narrative is a bit dry, but we’re assuming that’s because Hakkinen and the Caparo fried his senses. Click past the jump to watch footage of a Caparo T1 not harming anyone. Thanks for the tip, Tim! read more »
Posted on April 2, 2011 in:
Ford
Ford hasn’t said much about its supply situation in the wake of the earthquake in Japan, but now the automaker has no choice but to spill the beans. The Detroit News reports that Ford will shut down its Louisville, Kentucky plant next week due to a parts shortage.
The facility produces the Ford Expedition, Ford Super Duty trucks, and the Lincoln Navigator. Ford sales analyst George Pipas did not identify the part that was in short supply, though he did add that high gas prices have helped slow sales of these vehicles anyway.
Ford will also shut down its Flat Rock, Michigan plant, where the Mustang is produced, because the automaker already has a 116-day supply of the pony car. In Europe, Ford will idle the Genk, Belgium plant that produces the Mondeo, S Max and Galaxy minivan to help prevent future shortages.
Ford announced that events in Japan could further affect future production, but at this point it isn’t interested in divulging the extent of its supply issues. Ford is actively searching for other parts sources wherever possible.
The re-imagined Baldwin Motion Chevrolet Camaro has broken cover, packing 800 horsepower from a supercharged LS7 V8. The first car will go to Joel Rosen, the originator of the Baldwin Motion cars.
Rosen’s personal car has the top-of-the-line Phase III 427 SC package, and will be shown to the public for the first time April 8-10 at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Florida.
As pictured, the car isn’t quite ready for delivery. Before Rosen takes possession, it’ll get wheel center caps, a front spoiler, exhaust extensions and Motion graphics. If 800 horsepower is too much Camaro for you, Motion has slightly less powerful options.
Posted on April 2, 2011 in:
Audi
Audi is backing up its goal of dominating the premium electric vehicle segment by 2020 with a new e-tron prototype. This plug-in hybrid, based on the A5 Coupe, is packed with all the technological wizardry you would expect of a premium-segment prototype, and even has some features you might not expect, like the ‘through-the-road’ drivetrain setup that takes advantage of the large plug-in battery to power all four wheels.
At the front axle, the drivetrain has a conventional power-split hybrid setup, consisting of a compact 33 kilowatt (45 hp) electric motor and 2.0-liter TFSI turbocharged gas engine. The engine alone packs 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Moving to the back of the car is where things get interesting. Ditching a conventionally heavy all-wheel-drive setup, the A5 e-tron’s rear wheels are powered by a 60 kW (81 hp) electric motor, and there is nothing physically linking the front and rear axles.
As other companies, like Peugeot, know, a through-the-road setup helps to reduce weight, and with the generous use of carbon fiber and aluminum, the prototype tips the scales at no more than a production A5 Quattro that uses the same gas engine. With a 40-mile electric only range and the ability to cruise in EV mode at speeds up to 62 miles per hour, we think Audi may have a winner here. The company just needs to bring the car into production
Posted on February 23, 2011 in:
General
The weather is finally beginning to turn warm in parts of our great nation, and with spring looming, plenty of people have an eye on scratching their road trip itch.
Before you take to any wide-open expanse of tarmac, it might be worth taking some time to note some of the worst speed traps in the country.
Yahoo Autos has gone through the trouble of ranking the top 10 cities with the worst speed traps in the U.S., and while no one should be surprised to see that Los Angeles, California has claimed the number 10 spot, there are a few surprises on the list.
Colorado Springs, Colorado managed to break into the top five with a number four ranking. The locality boasts a heady 186 speed traps, and local law enforcement says that they’re happy to write citations for drivers who exceed the limit by 1-4 mph. read more »
Posted on February 23, 2011 in:
MINI
Mini’s latest production car – the Countryman – may be the automaker’s largest offering to date, but now the brand known for its pint-sized fighters is returning to its roots with its latest concept.
But this isn’t a preview of the next-generation Cooper – oh no, no, no – it’s the Rocketman (cue Elton John). At just over 11 feet long, the bug-eyed little hatch is slightly shorter than a base Cooper hardtop and uses a unique three-plus-one interior seating arrangement.
It isn’t gonna be a long, long time before we see the Rocketman in person, either – the concept makes its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week.
In creating the Rocketman, Mini’s main focus was to keep its petite body as light as possible. A carbon spaceframe makes up the main construction, and things like weight-saving wheels with an enclosed surface structure reduce drag to improve fuel economy. read more »
