Friday, June 17, 2011

Automotive Addicts

Automotive Addicts

Dodge Fans: Look For A Caliber Replacement at 2012 NAIAS

Posted: 17 Jun 2011 05:52 AM PDT


The 2011 Dodge Caliber R/T. Image: Chrysler Group LLC

If you're partial to all things Dodge, here's another reason to attend the 2012 Detroit Auto Show (or at least keep a close eye on the news feeds): Dodge is said to be unveiling a replacement for the less-than-well-received Caliber. The Caliber ended production in 2010, and it's quite possible that no one even noticed. When a noted auto journalist complained about the handling and braking of the Caliber in SRT trim, a Chrysler engineer said something along the lines of, "It's a Caliber, and we did the best we could."

Those days at Chrysler, thankfully, are gone, and with Ralph Gilles at the helm of the SRT division, good things are coming. In fact when I spoke with Gilles in Miami last February, he hinted at an upcoming small performance car from Dodge. Whatever the replacement for the Caliber turns out to be, that makes me think there's an SRT version on the drawing board as well. Thanks to their partnership with Fiat, Chrysler has quite a few more platforms available to them, so don't be surprised if the new compact entry from Dodge is based on a Fiat design.

Source: Autoblog

Lap The Nürburgring In A Race-Prepped Lexus LFA

Posted: 16 Jun 2011 07:48 AM PDT


Let's face it, aside from being seriously over-priced for the market, the Lexus LFA is also fast. Really, really fast, the kind of which that no sane driver would test the limits of on the street (no matter how many lawyers they have on retainer). What better place to flog an LFA than on a racetrack, and what better racetrack than Germany's famed "Green Hell," the Nürburgring. Ride along with Hiroaki Ishiura of Gazoo Racing as they compete in a recent VLN event (where they finished fifth overall). If the time of 8:24.4 seems disappointing, remember that this is a race, not a time attack, and that passing competitors on the 'Ring is difficult under the best of circumstances. The LFA's best time on the 'Ring is 7:38, so the car in the video could obviously do quite a bit better on an open track.

Source: YouTube

Buick Ups The Horsepower On The Regal GS

Posted: 16 Jun 2011 07:23 AM PDT


The 2012 Buick Regal GS. Image: © GM Corp.

The Buick Regal Turbo is a reasonably good car, and one worth shopping if you're in the market for a sporty mid-size sedan. It's difficult for me to throw "sporty" and "Buick" out in the same sentence, but in the case of the Regal, it fits. I'd stop short of calling it a "sport sedan", since the above average chassis was let down by a less-than-thrilling engine. The Regal Turbo makes do with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, good for 220 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque. In a small car, that could be fun; in the Buick Regal, it's merely adequate.

The 2012 Buick Regal GS. Image: © GM Corp.

Enter the 2012 Buick Regal GS, which we thought would come with a 255 horsepower turbo four-banger. It turns out that Buick was sandbagging the numbers, and the car will actually come with a 270 horsepower four-cylinder. If math is your thing, that works out to be 135 horsepower per liter, or the highest amount of horsepower per liter ever tested by the SAE. The GS will also crank out 295 foot-pounds of torque, which should be enough to get the Regal GS off the line with some enthusiasm. Buick says it'll do zero to sixty in 6.7 seconds, which shaves 1.7 seconds off the time of the Regal Turbo.

Clearly, Buick hopes to draw in a younger crowd with the Regal GS. Pricing hasn't been announced just yet, but look for inventory to begin trickling into dealer showrooms this fall.

Source: GM
Posted by Didik Rg at 6:05 AM

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