Filed under: Sedan, Nissan

Nissan has released a passel of official photosd of the 2013 Nissan Altima, the sedan it "would like to make #1 if customers agree." While the new styling might take getting used to, the other changes are all welcomed: it's lighter, has a revised transmission, will return 38 miles per gallon if equipped with the four-cylinder, and starts at $21,500 before the $760 destination charge.

Now that the Altima and Toyota Camry are known quantities, the pending reveal of the Honda Accord will fill out the field and then we'll have a better idea of the fight to come. Until then, have a closer look at the new Altima in the photo gallery above.

New pics show 2013 Nissan Altima from all the angles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 May 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, BMW, Motorcycle, Racing

It takes a fast and agile car to keep pace with MotoGP racing bikes. Fortunately the BMW M division is up to the task, providing safety cars (or what we'd call pace cars on this side of the Atlantic) to the race organizers of the top-level motorcycle racing series.

The most recent vehicles to perform the duties have been the 1 Series M Coupe and the X6 M crossover, but now BMW is introducing a the new M6 coupe to the mix. It'll debut in safety car guise as pictured above at the Nürburgring this weekend.

While it's unclear whether any modifications have been made to the 552-horsepower twin-turbo V8, the M6 MotoGP safety car has been upgraded with new spoilers front and rear, special lighting equipment and BMW's traditional blue, blue and red striping on a white body. And if we were betting men, we'd put our money on some upgrades to the brakes, suspension and tires, too.

BMW rolls out new M6 safety car for MotoGP originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For those of you unpersuaded away from the Honda S600 by Michael Lamm’s experiences with the one he owned, may we present this 1966 Honda S600 for sale on Hemmings.com, dormant for nearly 30 years and thus in need of some TLC. From the seller’s description:

This Honda S600 roadster was driven into storage in 1984 and hasn’t moved since. The frame and body are in good shape, the flooring is really good; please see pictures as reference. This car will be sold with lots of extra parts: engine, Transmission, Carburator, 2 doors with windos and mecanism, front and rear bumper, hood, trunk, suspension, New mufflers, in the boxes, Gas tank kit of pedals, Break lines, 4 wheels, Radiator, Alternator and more.

Price: $13,000
Location: Quebec,
Status: Available

See more Hondas for sale on Hemmings.com.

* It might be a stretch to call the Shelby-ized Dodge Lancer a BMW fighter and to claim that Carroll Shelby and Dodge created the front-wheel-drive tuner car phenomenon, but we’re at least glad that Dodge this week recognized Shelby’s contribution to that brand’s performance products during the 1980s. (via)

* Another cars-of-the-future story from a vintage magazine, this time it’s ol’ Tom McCahill himself prognosticating, but he at least interviewed some folks to come away with a more realistic idea of what to expect from future cars, circa 1947.

* Discovery recently profiled some students at Roanoke College who are currently converting a 1939 Pontiac into an electric vehicle.

* The Old Motor this week brought us some photos and memorabilia from the 1949 grand opening of the Larz Anderson Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts.

* Finally, Retronaut compiled several Jeep ads from 1946 showing a) how Willys worked hard to synonymize themselves with the Jeep brand, and b) how Willys positioned the Jeep for civilian duties.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — This morning’s scheduled launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was scrubbed with less than a second remaining on the countdown clock due to unusually high pressure in one of the engines.

In the pre-dawn darkness at Cape Canaveral in Florida, everything was looking good for a 4:55 a.m. EDT liftoff with all eyes focused on SpaceX’s Launch Complex 40. About 15 minutes before launch, SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced via Twitter the software used for liftoff had “initiated master countdown script ‘Auto Sequence: Yoda.’”

Excitement was building as the countdown made its classic downward progression from 10 seconds and veteran NASA announcer George Diller made it all the way to “T-0 seconds.” With a flash of light emanating from the bottom of the rocket Diller continued with “liftoahhh….” before his voice trailed off as it was clear the rocket was going nowhere.

The ignition sequence for the nine Merlin rocket engines had started, but the pressure in engine five was trending high. Once the limit was hit, launch software took over and aborted the liftoff. In a post abort press conference, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the problem looked like an actual issue with the engine and was not one of the sensor or software issues that had led to delays in the schedule earlier this year during simulations.

“We can not blame the software guys for this one” Shotwell noted.

The abort actually happened at T-0.5 seconds after all engines had “started nominally” and only engine five was trending high. The problematic engine is located in the center of the engine layout pictured above in the hangar before the launch attempt.

One of launch procedures SpaceX uses is to hold the rocket on the launch pad for a few seconds after ignition to make sure everything is working properly. Shotwell said today’s abort is a perfect example of why the procedure is used. She said it is analogous to an airline pilot lining up on the runway and holding the brakes as the power levers are pushed forward, “we were revving the engines, we were looking at the gauges, we decided not to fly.”

Aborts are nothing new to the rocket launching world. The decision not to launch is considered critical to the safety and capabilities of any launch vehicle. Shotwell emphasized the upstart space company did not suffer a setback other than a few days on the schedule. She says the cause of the problem is not known other than it was likely due to a lack of sufficient fuel in the combustion chamber.

“This is not a failure, we aborted, with purpose”  Shotwell told reporters. “It would be a failure if we had lifted off with an engine trending in this direction.”

Because of orbital mechanics and the path of the International Space Station, the next opportunity for a liftoff will be on Tuesday at 3:44 a.m. EDT. The SpaceX team must wait until ISS is in a proper orbital path to minimize the amount of propellant needed to chase down and get in phase with the station. The team wants to preserve as much fuel as possible for the complex maneuvering that will be needed for the demonstrations required by NASA.

This isn’t the first time engine five on a Falcon 9 has caused a problem. On the first launch of the Falcon 9 in June 2010, engine five experienced a higher pressure as well leading to an initial abort.

Shotwell said initial inspection of the engine this morning showed the necessary valves appeared to be working properly and technicians must now make a more detailed inspection of the engine before determining the root cause of the high pressure.

SpaceX makes its own rocket engines at its Hawthorne, California factory. The company is investigating the possibility of fixing the engine on the rocket, or if needed, swapping out engine five from the Falcon 9 rocket in the adjacent hangar that is slated for the next flight later this year.

Particularly in terms of Ford’s overall hybrid effort

The upcoming Ford C-Max hybrid is easily Ford’s best hybrid offering, and I believe, one of the best overall new vehicles coming on the market. Akin to the Toyota Prius V, the C-Max utility hybrid promises a better and more powerful driving experience, better fuel economy and a lower price compared to V. Perfect, right? Yes.

But the V isn’t driving Toyota’s stellar hybrid sales, the conventional Prius still is, and the conventional Prius — or at least the Prius family — is the metric, the benchmark, the standard. Thus, this ‘we’re better than Toyota’ angle, unfortunately, feels a little contrived and begs a few questions.

For instance, if Ford’s new lithium-powered hybrid powertrain, set to power the C-Max is so much more cost-effective than Toyota’s, why isn’t Ford taking on the entire Prius family, or at least the Prius that offers the most sales? Consequently, is Ford subsidizing the costs of the C-Max a bit to ensure some advertising buzz? Because, ultimately, Ford’s hybrid goals — at least for now — appear to be more about buzz than sales.

Regardless, the C-Max is an impressive offering, and at $500 less than the Prius V, the C-Max is a great buy. Aside from superior fuel economy and horsepower compared to the V, the C-Max also offers more interior volume, and lots of hot Ford technologies, such as SYNC® with MyFord Touch®, SmartGauge® with EcoGuide, and a cool new hands-free liftgate. By every measure the C-Max isn’t just a great offering compared to the Prius V, but compared to all vehicles in the compact utility segment.

Ultimately, Ford’s hybrid goals might be too conservative and perhaps even a contrived effort to create a halo product, at the expense of profits, but that’s not an issue for C-Max buyers. Instead, C-Max buyers should focus on the fact that this is a great product at a great price. If you are in the market for a crossover or small SUV, the C-Max could be a ride above the competition.

LUMMA has developed the CLR 558 GT this past year based on the current Porsche Cayenne. Now the vehicle is complemented by a beautifully designed trailer manufactured in-house for hobby and leisure use.

The trailer is manufactured in lightweight aluminum with carbon fiber or plastic construction and can be used for different applications according to trailer type. This allows jet skis or quads and winter Ski-Doos to be transported easily. With options like integrated electric winches, retractable ramps and the fully customized exterior design, the LUMMA CLR 558 GT and the trailer are an elegant system. Based on the design of the LUMMA CLR 558 GT, the trailer’s exceptional performance makes it an ideal addition. All trailers are developed exclusively for the towing vehicle, according to the customer’s wishes, and manufactured in small series.

The towing vehicle, based on the Porsche Cayenne, impresses with its solid body kit including front spoiler, rear bumper, side sills, sport-style hood and rear spoiler. The kit is made of high-strength, ultra-light materials and numerous real carbon fiber components have been incorporated.

The exhaust system, customized to the trailer, offers sonorous sound and consists of four tailpipes with a diameter of 90 millimeters each. The wheel houses nestle 10 x 22 and 12 x 22 inch LUMMA sport wheels and the interior features fine materials such as leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber. Individually color-coordinated to the customer’s specifications, the premium quality is characterized by contrasting seams and diamond-shaped seat stitching as well as carbon fiber, exotic woods and aluminum.

With this stylish combination, LUMMA offers an individualized solution for almost any recreational activity.

And she doesn’t give one crap about plug-in technologies

I can still remember the debut of the original Chevy Volt concept. The long front end, like the Camaro and the Corvette. I had mixed feelings about that design, but in terms of a concept that form worked well I think. It drove the right kind of buzz. Nevertheless, it was the powertrain that I was focused upon. The design was largely irrelevant.

That sporty Volt design; however, meant a lot to many early fans of the Volt, and when GM reshaped the Volt to its current self after wind tunnel testing proved a real drag, many howled. For me, it was still all about the powertrain.

In hindsight though, I think the current Volt is exactly right, because my wife just fell in love with the Chevy Volt.

My wife isn’t much of a car person, nor does she really care about foreign oil dependence. She likes cars for one reason. Looks.

For Mother’s Day I tried talking my wife into dinner at one of our normal Old Town Pasadena favorites. Since I try to drive as little as possible, Old Town works well because it’s only a few stops away on the Metro Goldline, my preferred mode of transportation. But my wife wasn’t going for it. So I offered up Little Tokyo or downtown — both only a few more stops in the opposite direction.

Still, no. She wanted to go somewhere we rarely go. Somewhere different. Somewhere the train doesn’t go, at least not yet. So we ended up in Santa Monica.

Since it was Mother’s Day, I drove both ways. Now my wife believes she’s in the market for a new car — she’s not. Thus, whenever she sees a car she really likes, she points it out. “I think that’s the car I want.” Thus, it wasn’t surprising when we were driving down the 10 towards Santa Monica and she pointed out a car she liked. However, I was surprised when that car turned out to be the Nissan Leaf.

Of course, my wife is interested in a small car. Parking is a nightmare where she works, so a small car would make the job easier and provide more options. Nevertheless, since my wife doesn’t like the styling of the Toyota Prius all that much, I was a little surprised that she was impressed with the looks of the Leaf.

But what really shocked me was when she came home last night. “I know which car I want,” she said.”A Chevy Volt was parked next me. What a great looking car. Isn’t that the plug-in car you always talk about?”

For about 5 years now I’ve been telling her about the Volt, even going to Detroit a few times to follow the development of the Volt from concept to reality. I don’t know if she ever heard a word I said — and it hasn’t always been a good story. None of it would have mattered anyway. All it took was one look, a full visual inspection, and my wife fell in love with the Chevy Volt.

In terms of visual appeal, I have to conclude that both Nissan and GM did good. My wife’s stamp of approval is fashion gold in my opinion.

Unfortunately, I can see it now. If we trade our hybrid in for a plug-in, she’ll soon start telling me, maybe we could drive a little more and not have to take the subway everywhere since we’ll be using electricity rather than gas. If only GM had left the Volt looking more like a Camaro — my wife hates sport’s cars — I might have converted her into full subway submission. Now she has new tools to work me over. Ohhh, the irony.

Designed to challenge conventions and redefine ideals – Afzal Kahn’s latest release has a richness befitting an exclusive nature. One must not also forget that the new BMW X5 5S 3.OD auto by A. Kahn Design is not only a powerful ‘machine’ – it is practical, luxurious and makes a formidable family car.

You cannot really comprehend or understand the feel of this irresistible vehicle until you actually get behind the wheel yourself. Complete with a very special interior package consisting of stunning quilted perforated leather interior seats and a Kahn glove box complete with carbon effect inserts - the principal British designer states he has designed this BMW X5 5S 3.OD for a BMW owners club.

In addition, the entire Kahn package on any X5, (2007 onwards including all parts) is available for £2,150.
The company will be also releasing a revolutionary state of the art interior package in the coming weeks ahead.

KAHN SPECIFICATION
Brake Calipers Finished in Liquid Red
Exterior - Kahn Enamel Tailgate Logo
Exterior - Kahn Enamel Wing Shields
Front And Rear Bumpers and Wide Wheel Arches
Privacy Tinted Glass
Sports Lowered Suspension
22" Kahn RSL Alloy wheels in Silver Palladium Finish
Black Alcantara Steering Wheel
Sport Style Multi Function Steering Wheel
Floor Mats (Toughened Rubber)
Kahn Silver Rev Counter
Kahn Speedo in Red
Quilted perforated leather interior seats (with carbon effect inserts)
Kahn glove box (with carbon effect inserts)
Steering wheel & dials

Kelleners Sport now offers a comprehensive range of accessories for the current BMW 5 Series Touring (F11). The elegant aerodynamic parts provide the 5 Series Touring with an even sportier look and serve to remind us of the origin of the blue-and-white brand. A wide range of performance kits is available for both petrol and diesel engines providing a performance increase of approx. 20 percent. So for the 535d, think 376 hp instead of 313 hp, with the maximum torque reaching a lofty 756 Nm instead of the regular 630 Nm. The 550i reaches an impressive 490 hp (standard 407 hp), and after installation of the performance kit the car reaches 720 Nm instead of 600 Nm.

The front receives a welcome upgrade with the three-part grill insert made of polished stainless steel, and the dynamic shape of the F11 is emphasised by the front spoiler lip MS, side skirts and rear diffuser which completes the aerodynamic package for the 5 Series Touring. The Kelleners Sport exhaust system with its four round 90 millimetre stainless steel tail pipes produces just the right kind of growling sound, and also makes for a much sportier appearance.

BMW enthusiasts already discovered Kelleners Sport as the perfect choice when it comes to replacing their standard wheels. For the new 5 series Touring Kelleners designs Hamburg and Berlin are available in dimensions 8,5x19 and 9,5x19 inch as well as 9x20 and 10x20 inch. Colour options for both designs include polished graphite silver, polished platinum silver and matt black.

To complete this offer, Kelleners Sport provides a set of sport springs which lower the vehicle by 30 mm. These springs has been specially adapted for the 5 Series Touring and optimizes the handling significantly, especially reducing the body roll around fast corners.

Kelleners Sport’s range of accessories for the 5 Series Touring includes pedal sets and footrests crafted from polished aluminium, and a sophisticated interior leather trim with contrasting seams and stitched seat cushions.