Here is everything you need for a comfortable life on the road. The truth is, I hardly imagine how such a thing is worth.

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Trucks/Pickups, Ford

Since a redesigned Ford F-150 was introduced to the world last year, that must mean this year will bring another limited-run Harley-Davidson edition. As with other recent examples of the co-branded truck, the new 2010 F-150 Harley-Davidson Edition is largely an appearance package, but certainly a striking one. This is the 14th time that Ford has created a Harley edition pickup with the current series running back to 2000. Over the past decade, some 74,000 customers have opted for the bike-badged trucks. Aside from the unique Harley-Davidson visual elements, this model features most of the goodies you can find on the top-end Platinum edition F-150.

This latest edition brings the custom Harley design ethos, such as it is, to Ford's latest full-size truck. Starting at the front, yet another grille appearance shows up in the F-150 line with a six-bar billet-style setup. The body work can be ordered in either a deep maroon called Lava or the same Tuxedo Black available on the Lincoln MKS. The latter color features tiny glass balls in the paint that give it even more luster in the sunshine than a conventional metallic paint. Along the flanks, a red sweep adorns the rocker panels and chrome Harley badging stretches just below the top edge of the bed. There's more about the Harley F-150 after the jump.


[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Chicago 2009: Ford F-150 Harley Davidson-Edition returns for Round 14

Chicago 2009: Ford F-150 Harley Davidson-Edition returns for Round 14 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports

It's been a month since the initial onslaught of new F1 car debuts, and Red Bull Racing is running in the back of the pack with the unveiling of its new contender. Called the RB5, the latest Red Bull was revealed at the Jerez circuit in Spain, where Sebastian Vettel, newly promoted from the Toro Rosso B-squad, drove a few test laps before a gearbox problem sidelined him for the rest of the day. He'll be joining Mark Weber, who limped without crutches to the debut, fresh out of surgery to remove a titanium rod from his leg following his bike injury in Tasmania.

Like its engine supplier Renault, Red Bull has signed a new partnership with French oil company Total, which will supply fuel and lubricants to both teams this season. You can check out images of the new RB5, designed under the same new regs as the rest of the field - meaning a smaller rear wing, a bigger front one, regenerative braking system and slick tires at each corner - in the gallery below. But don't expect to see any rear shots, as Red Bull was careful to keep the rear diffuser, which has been a source of controversy for the Toyota and Williams teams - hidden from sight pending the FIA's ruling on the design. With Honda's fate still undecided, only Toro Rosso and Force India have yet to reveal their cars as we approach the season opener in Melbourne late next month.

Red Bull gives you wings, slicks...heck, a whole new car at Jerez originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Time Warp, Etc.

Art created by a car brings to mind painted tire tracks and Pollock-esque droplets in hues of 10W-30, ATF, and grime. Thinking past such direct markings, artist Tim Knowles has taken a fixed-head Jaguar E-Type and turned it into the fastest moving Etch-A-Sketch in existence. In the cargo area of the sporting coupe is a rig with an elastic mounted pen which slides on rails. Turn the vehicle in one direction, the pen goes the other way - it slides forward when braking and accelerating makes it slide rearward.

A similar system was dropped into a Volvo V70 and driven across the Alps to an art gallery, generating the drawing for exhibition along the way. Traversing mountains is all well and good, but this Jag goes racing! Brands Hatch and Monaco have created two works of art that fascinating in their combination of gestural and linear qualities. The drawings are both abstract and loose, while also being symmetrical and controlled. Hey, it's at least as cool as that stuff done by wildlife. Thanks for the tip, Alex!

[Source: Tim Knowles]

Cat Scratch Fever: UK's Tim Knowles uses Jaguar E-Type to make art originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Trends, Tuners, SUVs, Land Rover

Land Rover has been threatening to build a sport-oriented three-door model for some time now. The British offroaders first whet our appetites with the Vesuvius orange Range Stormer, a 2004 show vehicle that eventually evolved into the production five-door Range Rover Sport. More recently, Land Rover has shown off the LRX, also a three-door concept, but word is that it, too, could grow an extra set of doors by the time it reaches showrooms.

Thus, the aftermarket has taken up the slack, with companies like LSE taking up the slack and building shortened, "coupified" versions of the Range Rover Sport. Now, a new UK firm called ARK ReDesign is taking up the torch, and it plans on offering its own three-door variant shortly. Official details remain slim, but ARK says they will offer to perform the door-ectomy on either a new Sport or a customer's pre-existing vehicles, whether stock or modified. Official press release after the jump.

[Source: ART ReDesign]

Continue reading ARK ReDesign unveils three-door Range Rover Sport conversion

ARK ReDesign unveils three-door Range Rover Sport conversion originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc., Hatchbacks, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Humor, Special/Limited Editions

Call us crazy, but we love coming across odd limo conversions. The whole Lincoln Town Car/Cadillac DTS/Hummer H2 meme has been done to death, so we can't help but smile whenever someone has a bold new approach -- or in the case of this oddly reshnozzed Volkswagen Rabbit -- a bold old approach.

At some point back in the Eighties, an enterprising chap (or group of chaps) got busy with a welder and some spare VW and Mercedes-Benz parts, only to emerge from the depths of an unknown garage with this 1981 Rabbit limo. Today, that same German novelty can be yours thanks to the wonders of eBay Motors. As you might expect, it will need a bit of work.

According to the seller, zonk4re, the Cincinnati-based stretch uses a stock gasoline engine(!) and a good amount of recent work has been done to make it roadworthy, including new struts, half shafts, brakes, gas tank, and a "Lambogini (sic) type exhaust." Heck, even the paint is only two years old, and there are a pair of period-correct pop-up sunroofs and a suitably dark tint job.

Still, the few provided shots of the interior indicate that there is much work to be done before it's prom-worthy, including the need to install new carpet, headliner, door cards, and various other interior bits. Either way, with a starting bid of $5,999, we recon you could be the toast of next year's Waterfest or your local car show. Who knows... if you swapped in a TDI drivetrain, converted to straight vegetable oil, and got some hemp seat covers, you could start up your very own hippy-approved limousine service. Lookout, Toyota Prius chauffeurs!


[Source: eBay Motors]

Mein Gott: The only VW Rabbit limo with a Mercedes grille you'll see on eBay today originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: China

There seems to be little doubt that Chinese cars will hit the U.S. market some soon - the big question is when. At least one automaker is suggesting that Chinese cars will enter America by way of Mexico, with production starting in 2010 and sales in the United States by 2015 after first making the rounds in Latin America and Canada. That date may have been sooner had we not hit such a nasty global economic crisis.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this scenario would be the distribution chain. Instead of using franchised dealerships, Mexican-built Chinese cars could be sold at large retail chains like CostCo and Walmart. GS Motors, the Mexican distributor for China's FAW brand, is already trialing this strategy in Mexico and would likely do the same in the States, assuming the program proves successful in smaller markets.

[Source: Gasgoo]

REPORT: Chinese expect to build cars in Mexico in 2010, may sell cars at big-box retailers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM

Bob Lutz has published a post on General Motors' Fast Lane blog in the wake of this morning's announcement that he will step down as Vice Chairman - Global Product Development on April 1. Lutz will be replaced by Tom Stephens and spend the remainder of the year facilitating that transition and acting as senior advisor to CEO Rick Wagoner. When the sun sets on 2009, however, Lutz will be off the payroll and probably get a pension check just like every other GM retiree.

In his post, Lutz praises his colleagues at GM and confirms that he will not be around to see development of the Volt series hybrid through to fruition, but that by the time he leaves it will be "well on its way to launch" and in capable hands.

The real question that Lutz' retirement raises is what effect his absence will have on his former employer. That question is even more difficult to answer considering the jury is still out on what effect he's had since joining GM back in 2002. No one can argue that GM's product line today is, for the most part, vastly superior to what the automaker offered before his arrival, with vehicles like the Cadillac CTS, Chevy Malibu, Buick Enclave and others being critical, if not sales, successes. Other products during the Lutz era like the importation of the Holden Monaro as the Pontiac GTO and the Commodore as the G8, and the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky, haven't worked as well to improve their brands' image as they were supposed to. Regardless, GM will surely miss Maximum Bob as a publicly visible executive who was always willing to wave his pom poms for the company, though might not miss his habit of creating sensational sound bites when speaking with the media.

[Source: GM Fast Lane Blog | Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty]

Bob Lutz speaks on retirement, Volt development originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, Marketing/Advertising, Toys

When playing car racing video games, do you find yourself choosing vehicles or brands that you've owned in the past? We are definitely guilty as charged on this count, but it seems that this sort of logic works the other way too. People that play popular games like Gran Turismo and Project Gotham Racing have shown an affinity towards real-life vehicles that they used in the gaming realm. Subaru WRX or Mitsubishi Evolution anyone?

Financial Post researchers recently conducted a brief study that put people in front of gaming consoles running car racing simulators. Other people were placed in separate rooms where the games were being broadcast, but not played. Afterward, both groups were surveyed, and the results were eye opening. Those that played the video games responded that they were 50% more likely to purchase vehicles that they used in the video games than those that just watched.

Sure, these results don't necessarily prove anything, but automakers and advertisers have certainly taken notice. Current estimates put the in-game advertising market at $1.8 billion within the next few years.


[Source: Financial Post]

Study suggests driving cars in video games could lead to more purchases in real-life originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Coupes, Scion

Another Chicago Auto Show, another mildly refreshed Scion tC Release Series. For those keeping track, this is Release Series 5.0, but unlike previous limited-edition models, the modifications aren't limited to a new hue and set of rims. The best bits are found beneath the gloss black paint and matte black 18-inch wheels, where Scion seems to have thrown the entire TRD parts catalog at the tC RS 5.0. The tC benefits from lowering springs, a rear sway bar, sport muffler and badging, along with an optional rear lip spoiler. Inside, the blacked-out TRD theme continues with a leather-covered steering wheel, black seats and TRD-badged floor mats. The monochromatic scheme is broken up with red stitching inside and red stripes on the multi-spoke rims.

A total of 2,000 R.S. 5.0's are slated for production, and sales will begin in March. Pricing seems reasonable, with the TRD-infused package adding $2,300 to the base price of the standard tC. It's a decent car to be sure, but considering the tC is entering its fifth year on the market with very few updates, Scion needs to do more with its coupe. Stay tuned for live shots from Chicago.

Continue reading Scion prices tC Release Series 5.0

Scion prices tC Release Series 5.0 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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