Chevrolet Volt Headed to China as a Buick in 2011

Buick's Chinese division will be adding another member to its lineup next year: a rebadged Chevrolet Volt.

Destined to share sheetmetal with the European-market Opel Ampera, according to GM-filed Chinese patent images, going the Buick route in China is likely GM's safest bet. The tri-shield marque performs especially well in the Middle Kingdom and a Buick-badged Volt/Ampera would supplement the already-available Excelle and Regal sedans, also known as the Opel Astra and Insignia, respectively, in other parts of the world.

The currently unnamed Buick-branded Volt will be assembled at GM's Hamtramck plant, imported to China in the first half of 2011, and is then scheduled to debut in the latter half of the year.

The Buick rebadge would be the fifth for the Volt EREV, joining fellow GM brands Holden, Opel, Vauxhall, and, of course, Chevrolet. The Chevy model is expected to be ready by the end of this year while Opel is targeting late 2011. Holden and Vauxhall have been assigned a 2012 release year.

 source by automobi

Read more »

Rent A Racer: Audi Race Experience Program Puts You in Race-Spec R8

Forget the fantasy baseball camp -- if you've got a good chunk of change at hand, we'd recommend signing up for Audi's Race Experience program, which will ultimately put you behind the wheel of a race-prepped R8 LMS on the famed Nürburgring.

The program, crafted in partnership with Team Joest, essentially allows participants to play race car driver for a day. After a series of driving lessons (including earning a current racing license), participants will field one of two Joest-owned R8 LMS cars in a VLN race on the 'Ring. Joest and Audi Sport will provide everything else needed to go racing, including tires, fuel, a pit crew, telemetry -- and, if so desired, a professional co-driver.

"For the first time, customers have the opportunity to participate in a race with a professional Audi 'factory' team without having to enter a long-term commitment, or making a high financial investment," said Klaus Demel, head of Audi's Driving Experience programs.

Demel's last point may be true -- this will be less expensive than sponsoring and running an entire race team on your own -- but we don't expect the Race Experience program to come cheap. Audi hasn't talked pricing, but seeing as there are more costs to amortize than the company's Sportscar Experience (which runs roughly $3500 for a two-day program), we know this experience will carry a lengthy bill.

If cost is no object to you, add this to your bucket list -- and quickly. Team Joest is only running these cars in six VLN races at the Nürburgring, so despite the high prices, expect openings to disappear quickly.

Source: Audi

Read more »

Ford’s Sync 911 Assist feature, incorporated within its Sync connectivity system, works to automatically contact emergency services should the driver become involved in an accident. A new revision may make it even easier for first responders to quickly locate the vehicle.

As it had in the past, Sync 911 Assist ties into the Bluetooth phone connection incorporated with the Sync system. In the event of an airbag deployment or if the fuel pump shutoff is triggered, Sync 911 uses the phone’s service, automatically places an emergency call, and bypasses intermediary call centers to directly connect the driver to an emergency responder.

Previously, the 911 Assist feature used cell phone signal triangulation to provide emergency responders with the driver’s whereabouts. Ford has vastly improved the system to use the vehicle’s global positioning system (GPS) to provide precise coordinates of the vehicle’s location, helping reduce response time.

“Integrated GPS is a logical next step for 911 Assist, leveraging the GPS hardware that is now included with Sync,” said Gary Jablonski, manager of Ford’s infotainment product development team. “That’s the beauty of the Sync platform -- it can quickly adapt to and accommodate new technologies, features, and services that provide great value to customers without great additional costs.”

The improved Sync 911 Assist is only one of the many updated features available on most 2011 Ford vehicles. The updated 911 Assist feature is included free of charge on all vehicles equipped with MyFord and MyLincoln Touch (i.e. 2011 Ford Edge and Linlcoln MKX), and is available on most 2011 vehicles equipped with Sync. As was previously the case, the system will remain a complimentary service to all owners. Look for the revised system to be demonstrated at the National Emergency Number Association conference in Indianapolis June 5-10.

Source: Ford

Read more »

etro Repeat: BMW 328 Coupe Wins 2010 Mille Miglia

Seventy years after a BMW 328 first won the event, a 328 Touring Coupe managed to win this year's 1000-mile Mille Miglia race in Italy.

Despite the car's age (it rolled off the line back in 1940), drivers Giuliano Cané and Lucia Galliani suffered no technical issues, although arriving at the event was itself a feat. As was the case back in 1940, the BMW wasn't trucked to the starting line, but driven nearly 300 miles from the company's museum in Munich, Germany, to the checkpoint in Brescia, Italy. Such was the case for the 328 piloted by Enzo Ciravolo and Maria Lietner that ultimately finished third.

Although the cars proved reliable, the race was still quite a challenge. The 1000-mile route takes teams throughout Italy, providing them with both 80-degree heat near the Adriatic Sea and frigid temperatures in the Alps. In a brilliant marketing move, BMW provided drivers -- especially those who fielded the roofless 328 Roadster -- with insulated clothing from its motorcycle accessory range.

"Victory by Cané and Galliani, along with the third place finish of Ciravolo and Leitner, is a marvelous example of teamwork," said Karl Baumer, the director of BMW Classic. "Both the blind understanding between the crews inside the cars and the cooperation with the mechanics along the way worked out perfectly. For that, I would like to say 'thank you' to all those involved."

Source: BMW

Read more »