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Cadillac confirms CT8/CT9 flagship, ELR successor

Cadillac has certainly been a hot topic as of late, what with Johan de Nysschen now running the joint, moving its headquarters to New York, and overhauling the company's naming structure (only to later publicly defend all of these drastic decisions). Now, looking ahead, de Nysschen is already revealing some details about what's in store for the future, including a raft of new products that include a large, long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class rival positioned above the recently announced CT6, along with a successor to the slow-selling ELR coupe.
In an interview with Reuters, de Nysschen says his company has "just signed off on" a new flagship tipped to be called CT8 or CT9. It will compete with the long-wheelbase versions of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series, and should come to market by the end of this decade.
Among other news, the South African executive said a followup to the ELR plug-in hybrid is in development, though it may not be a two-door coupe like the current car. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since the ELR has garnered nothing but slow sales and poor reviews since its launch.

Aficionauto sits down with The Hoff and KITT

The latest video from The Aficionauto is the perfect palate cleanser for Knight Rider fans after finding out that Justin Bieber is the voice of KITT in an upcoming film. Host Christopher Rutkowski says that the Knight Industries Two Thousand is one of the most requested vehicles to appear on the series and for good reason - Michael Knight's Pontiac Trans-Am is among the most famous cars to ever appear on television.
While the video isn't able to showcase one of the original KITTs from the series, it does get star David Hasselhoff to drive his personal replica and talk about the lasting legacy of the show. The highlight here might be seeing The Hoff back behind the wheel in the open desert basically recreating Knight Rider's opening sequence.
With all of its flashing lights and gizmos, you can probably make the argument that KITT is pretty cheesy, and the show itself was never exactly a pillar of high-quality drama on television. Despite that, the series still provides a ton of good-natured fun, and The Hoff's continued enthusiasm for it is pretty infectious. Check out The Aficionauto video to take another ride with Knight Rider.

2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II [w/video]

Rolls-Royce Director of Global Communications Richard Carter tells me that his storied employer is "a company that does not chase volume." In a perfect world, mused Carter, the carmaker would sell "one less" of its ultra-luxury vehicles than the fast-expanding world market demands.
And, thanks in no small part to the unprecedented success of the Series I Rolls-Royce Ghost that launched in 2010, the Brit brand seems well positioned to strike that perfect balance between exclusivity and record profits. In 2003 (the year in which the first BMW-backed Rolls rolled off the line in West Sussex), the company managed to sell around 500 cars. This year, with the first run of already-back-ordered Ghost Series II models still weeks away from delivery, the marque will top 4,000 units for the first time in its history.
Considering that each one of those "units" - a somewhat unsatisfying term for motor car this special ­- will gross Rolls-Royce $300,000 if we're being very conservative, you'll quickly see that creating a very desirable product for one of the best brands in the world negates the need to chase volume. The rich and free-spending are chasing this Ghost, instead.

Ferrari F60 America is a powerful, exclusive US special

Ferrari is observing its 60th anniversary in North America this year, and to celebrate, it's given us this: the F60 America, an incredibly exclusive supercar based on the already outrageous F12 Berlinetta. Want one? Too bad. Production has been limited to just 10 examples, and according to Ferrari, "the wonderfully elegant and unique F60 America has entranced US collectors and all 10 examples are already spoken for."
Entranced, indeed. It's a slick-looking machine, with clear revisions over the F12's already svelte bodywork. The F60 America takes the form of a roadster, with carbon fiber-trimmed flying buttresses that stretch from behind the cabin to the rear of the car. There's no power soft- or hardtop available - instead, Ferrari says the car can be closed off with a light fabric top that's usable at speeds of up to about 75 miles per hour.
The F60 is painted in the classic North American Racing Team livery, with a unique 60th anniversary Prancing Horse on the wheel arches and transmission tunnel inside the cabin. That NART tribute explains the car's seriously limited production run, as well. The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS4 NART Spider - a car importer Luigi Chinetti specifically requested from Enzo Ferrari for US customers - was also capped at just 10 units.

Nissan recalls over 220k Altima sedans over hoods that could fly open

Nissan will be recalling 220,000 Altima sedans, according to a new recall bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Apparently, model year 2013 Altimas built between March 6, 2012 and February 28, 2013 are at risk of their hoods flying open at speed.
According to NHTSA, debris, corrosion and interference between the hood's inner panel and the secondary latch lever could bind the mechanism in the unlatched position. While this in itself won't cause the hood to fly open - there's still a primary latch that needs released from within the cabin - it presents a potentially dangerous situation should the primary latch be accidentally released.
Nissan will begin notifying owners of the affected vehicles, who will need to report to their local dealer for free repairs. Scroll down for the full bulletin from the government safety watchdog.

Cost to drop 691 horsepower in your Tesla Model S P85D? $14,600

Not mentioned during the much-hyped announcement event last night for the Tesla Model S Dual Motor "D" and Autopilot "A" options were how much those advancements will cost. Today, Tesla updated the Model S order page and those pesky little numbers are now available. As it turns out, opting for all of the features mentioned last night will add over $18,000 to the price of your $93,400 Model S P85. To get all of the benefits mentioned last night will add over $18,000 to the price of your Model S. Let's start by revealing the D's price. To add the second-motor to either the 60- or the 85-kWh Model S costs $4,000. That drops the 0-60 time by 0.2 seconds and ups the top speed by five miles per hour in the 60 (to 125 mph) and 30 mph in the 85 (to 155 mph). Interestingly, the overall horsepower output (according to Tesla) is 4 hp lower (376 compared to 380), but the car apparently gets the speed benefits by putting 188 hp on each axle. On the P85D, everything's different. Here, Tesla isn't just dividing the motor into two smaller versions. Instead, the old 470-hp motor is replaced by a "High Performance Dual Motor" setup that has a total output of 691 hp, 221 hp in the front and 470 hp in back. That's how you get the headline 3.2-second 0-60 time alongside the same 155 mph top speed, but the price tag jumps to $14,600 for the setup. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last night that the tremendous drop in 0-60 time gets you 10 miles of extra range from the dual-motor setup. But if you don't need the quickness, you can go even further. Without the dual motors, an 85-kWh battery Model S can go 265 miles (EPA numbers). The standard 85D gets its range increased to 295 miles at 65 mph (according to Tesla's numbers) while the quicker P85D can "only" go 275 miles. Dual-motor Model S versions will begin deliveries in February 2015. The A option, officially called the "Tech Package with Autopilot," costs $4,250. This is the way that you can get your Model S to drive itself (on private property) and act as an active safety net to your own driving on public roads. Since all Model S EVs now come standard with a new forward-looking camera, radar and 360-degree ultrasonic sensors, the "Autopilot" part of the package would appear to be mostly a software switch. The rest of the package is rounded out by things like seven years of free navigation map updates, LED running lights, memory seats and more.

Refreshed 2015 Subaru Impreza priced from $18,195*

It was just a few weeks ago that Subaru unveiled its refreshed 2015 Impreza with refinements like a tweaked front fascia, upgraded infotainment system, standard rearview camera, slightly better fuel economy and other goodies. The Japanese automaker has finally decided to tell us what all of this new kit costs, and it actually hasn't increased too much over last year.
A base model 2015 Impreza 2.0i sets back buyers $18,195 for the four-door sedan or $18,695 for the five-door hatch (*not including $795 destination and delivery on all models). All of those prices are $300 more than the 2014 model year.
Moving up to the Premium trim requires $20,995 for the sedan or $21,495 for the five-door and adds 16-inch wheels, heated seats, heated mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer. The Sport Premium pack, offered exclusively on the hatch, goes further with features like body-color side sills, 17-inch wheels, foglights, and more for $20,995 with the five-speed manual or $21,995 with the CVT.

Court extends Saab reorganization bid until end of November

Saab parent company National Electric Vehicle Sweden refuses to go down without a fight. After a recent trip to court, the company is emerging with an extension on its reorganization until November 29. According to Europe Online Magazine, there's also an appointed committee of creditors and union representatives to monitor NEVS' restructuring process.
NEVS still isn't giving up hope of saving itself, and the company claims there are has two potential strategies for getting back on its feet. The main plan is to "finalize the negotiations with the two Asian automotive manufacturers," according to a press release. Those firms still aren't identified, but Mahindra may be involved. According to Europe Online Magazine, one of the businesses is looking to take partial ownership of NEVS, and the other is considering some sort of cooperation with it.
If that plan fails, the second option is to take advantage of the factory and become a contract manufacturer.

Porsche planning Cayman GT4 racer

To say that Porsche is big in racing is like saying that Warren Buffett dabbles in mergers and acquisitions. But while it fields the 919 Hybrid at Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the bulk of its racing activities are undertaken by private teams that buy customer racecars from the factory. Those in turn are largely based on the 911, but the latest intel from the motor racing world indicates that Zuffenhausen is planning a more accessible customer race car.
The new, more affordable competition car is to be based on the Cayman and built to GT4 specifications, slotting in below the 911-based GT3 Cup, GT3 R and RSR. Autosport reports that Porsche has already developed a prototype and will shortly commence testing. Details are scarce at the moment, but the Cayman GT4 would seem to compete against the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage N24, Nissan 370Z Nismo GT4 and Maserati GranTurismo MC. It will also likely help Porsche foster enthusiasm for a potential road version that's already been spotted undergoing testing. Previous GT4 racing conversions of the Cayman, like the one pictured above, were carried out by third-party racing constructors not recognized by the factory.
Porsche may not be the only one showing interest in the category, however. BMW is said to similarly be considering a GT4-spec version of its M235i Racing model to compete in the same class, taking the place of the defunct M3 GT4 as the Bavarian marque's entry-level customer racing car.

Tesla's 'D' Adds All-Wheel Drive, Safety Features

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk unveiled a new version of the luxury electric car maker's Model S sedan that includes all-wheel drive and self-driving "auto pilot" features. The open-to-the-public event Thursday night included free alcohol and test rides on an airport tarmac. With more than 1,000 Tesla fans in the audience, Musk explained that the current Model S is a rear-wheel-drive car with one motor, but a new version will have two motors - one powering the front wheels and one powering the rear wheels. All-wheel drive helps grip slippery roads and is standard on many luxury sedans. Analysts have said Tesla needed it to boost sales in the Northeast and Midwest, as well as Europe. The company sold 13,850 cars in the U.S. this year through September, down 3 percent from a year ago, according to Autodata Corp. Unlike all-wheel-drive systems on gas-powered cars, Tesla's system improves speed, acceleration and mileage by optimizing which motor is used, Musk said. The dual motor version of the P85 performance sedan will have a top speed of 155 mph, compared with the current 130 mph. It will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, akin to exotic sports cars. "This car is nuts. It's like taking off from a carrier deck," Musk said at the municipal airport near Los Angeles where another of Musk's companies - the commercial rocket firm SpaceX - is based. The crowd obliged with cheers and applause. Tesla is also significantly upgrading its safety features through a combination of radar, image-recognition cameras and sonar. The Model S will right itself if it wanders from its lane and brake automatically if it is about to hit something. Those features are offered on luxury competitors, as well as mainstream brands such as Ford, Hyundai and Toyota. But Tesla is going a step further. Its new system will move the car over a lane when the driver uses the turn signal. It will also use cameras to read speed limit signs and decelerate accordingly. Volvo has a system that reads signs and alerts drivers if they are over the limit but does not change the speed. Musk said "auto pilot" does not mean the car could drive itself - as he put it, a driver cannot "safely fall asleep." Pulling together all the driver-assist features impressed Brian A. Johnson, an analyst with Barclay's. "It's a year ahead of the timeframe I was expecting," he said.

Recharge Wrap-up: 2015 Honda CR-Z now on sale, Daimler and Linde building hydrogen stations in Germany

The 2015 Honda CR-Z hybrid is now available at dealerships, for slightly more money. The CR-Z starts at an MSRP of $20,145 (plus $790 in destination charges), up from the $19,995 price of the 2014 model. For those who don't want to row their own gears with the six-speed manual transmission, the available CVT adds an extra $650 to the price, but also offers better fuel economy, especially in the city. The manual-equipped CR-Z gets 31 mpg city/38 highway/34 combined, while the CVT version is rated at 36/39/37 mpg. The 1.5-liter engine and electric motor provide a combined peak 130 horsepower. The manual CR-Z offers 140 pound-feet of torque, with the CVT version providing 127 pound-feet. Customers can also soup up their new CR-Z with upgrades (including a supercharger) from Honda Performance Development. Learn more in the press release below. Daimler and Linde are teaming up to build hydrogen fueling stations in Germany. The automaker and gases and engineering company, with the help of a few oil and gas companies, plan to install 13 new stations by the end of 2015. The installations precede a push by Daimler to get more fuel cell vehicles on the road. "From 2017, we are planning to bring competitively priced fuel-cell vehicles to market," says Daimler's Herbert Kohler. "So now is the time to build a nationwide fuelling infrastructure." Linde will supply the stations with fully renewable hydrogen. Read more in the press release below. In 1899, an EV set a world landspeed record, and Wired has revisited the story with a nice look back at the "La Jamais Contente" and its driver, Belgian engineer Camille Jenatzy. Jenatzy built an electric car to race in a hillclimb, which he won while clocking a top speed of 17 miles per hour (measured the old-timey way - without radar guns). Just a few weeks later, another man set a landspeed record of 32 miles per hour, beginning a back-and-forth series of setting new records. Then, on April 29, 1899, "The Red Devil," as Jenatzy became known as, surpassed 100 kph (62 mph) when his torpedo-shaped electric car set a record of 65.8 mph. It was powered by two 25-kilowatt electric motors. Read the whole story over at Wired.

Tesla D is, as expected, an AWD Model S but new autopilot features surprise [w/video]

To say that the Internet was excited about the mysterious Tesla D before tonight's official announcements were made is a terrible understatement. Amid a bunch of excited tweets and frustrating attempts at getting a livestream from the event, USA Today published the first story that described some of the new D's features. Automotive News followed suit, but both of those articles were quickly taken down. On site at the Hawthorne airport in Los Angeles, CA, our friend Zan Dubin-Scott tweeted about an overheard comment before Musk took the stage, "What he's about to say - you need to feel, not just hear about." The 'he' here is Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Yeah, people were ready for something big. But the news didn't quite live up to the hype. How could it, really? People wanted to see the first glimpse of the Model 3 or even the production Model X, but all they got were improvements to the current Model S. Thankfully, these are interesting improvements. Here's what Elon's D is all about: The new all-wheel drive Model S – the "D" – will get 10 more miles of range to a max of 275 miles thanks to increased overall efficiencies in the powertrain that Musk called, "a huge improvement." All Model S EVs that have AWD will be designated with a "D," so the P85 "performance" model will become the P85D when it has AWD, for example. The D models will also have a higher top speed and a decreased 0-60 time of just 3.2 seconds. "Literally everything improves about the car with dual-motor," Musk said. The "something else" is the "A," which is the other letter that Musk said he was glad he didn't tease when he said he would "reveal the D." The A is a suite of Tesla autopilot autonomous driving technologies and it's been in production for the last two weeks (no kidding). The new technological bits include a long-range forward-looking radar, a camera with image recognition that can read things like signs and know where pedestrians are, and a 360-degree, long-range sonar. This will all be integrated into the GPS, navigation and real-time traffic, which means that the car is now capable of being semi-autonomous. But Musk said that there are not enough safety redundancies built in to the vehicle quite yet, so it's really just a tremendously advanced active safety system. Unfortunately, the new bits cannot be retrofitted into earlier Model S vehicles.

What you missed on 10.9.14

Which $10,000 '80s coupe would you choose?
In the end, there can be only one. And, while we've got another six days left in the balloting, one of these two vehicles is leading in the early running by about two to one. You can probably guess which it is. And that means, if you've got an opinion, feel free to cast a vote in favor of the 1980 Oldsmobile 442 or 1989 BMW 635CSi and help us crown a winner in our second-ever This or That vehicular showdown.
Mid-engine Porsche models at Laguna Seca

This Fiat 500 covered in human hair is a world record holder

Are you the type of person picks up little pieces of lint or hair in your car to keep things clean? If so, then this Fiat 500 in Italy might just drive you insane. An Italian women and her classic Fiat 500 have received two Guinness World Records for creating the world's hairiest car.
Maria Lucia Mugno grabbed her first record in 2010 after she covered her Fiat in 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of human hair, according to Guinness. But apparently that wasn't enough, because she recently set a new milestone by increasing the car's tresses to 265 pounds (120kg). It reportedly took 150 hours to create her follicle Fiat art car.
Covering your vintage Fiat in human hair would certainly be odd enough, but the story takes an even weirder turn. According to World Car Fans, Mugno reportedly imports the locks from India because the hair there is supposedly stronger than what's available from Europeans. We just hope that the stuff is getting washed somewhere in the process.

Mahindra to buy 51% stake in Peugeot Scooter business

PSA Peugeot-Citroën already lost a lot of control of its automotive business earlier this year when Dongfeng and the French government each bought 14 percent shares of the struggling firm to keep it alive. The company's scooter division, one of the oldest in the world, is now facing a similar situation as Indian motoring giant Mahindra has offered to buy a 51-percent share of it for better access to the two-wheel market.
Mahindra is willing to pay a total of 28 million euros ($35.5 million) - 15 million euros ($19 million) up front and another 13 million euros ($16.5 million) later - to acquire a majority stake in the company founded in 1898. According to The Financial Express, the deal isn't officially complete yet because it still has to go through the usual regulatory hoops, but Mahindra thinks all that could be complete in the next three months. The first rumblings of the possible purchase came just a few weeks ago.
According to The Financial Express, Peugeot's two-wheel division is Europe's second-largest scooter maker behind Italy's Piaggio, but the company isn't a moneymaker. "In a European market that has been in steep decline for several years, the partnership with M&M would enable Peugeot Scooters to diversify its business base and speed its international expansion," said the French corporation in a statement. The firm operates factories in France, China and Taiwan.

China may surpass US as Porsche's largest market this year thanks to Cayenne

China has already surpassed the United States as the world's largest automotive market, so it's no surprise that one day soon it will be the world's largest Porsche market.
In fact, that day may already be here, as the PRC's Porschephiles outbought their American counterparts in September. Porsche's Chinese dealers sold 4,344 cars last month to America's 3,607. Through all of 2014 so far, though, the US is still the larger market for the German brand.
"The U.S. performed very well this year, after a great year in 2013, but China is growing fast, thanks to the Cayenne which is our best seller there," Porsche's sales and marketing boss, Bernhard Maier, told Automotive News Europe.

AMG GT won't be one-generation and done like SLS, says Mercedes

The 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT is one of the company's biggest performance car product launches in a long time, as a less expensive but still sleek coupe to replace the fabulous SLS AMG. The 503-horsepower GT S doesn't hit the road in the US until the spring of 2015 and the 456-hp GT follows a year later. Despite still being months away from hitting showrooms, Merc is already talking about the future of its new baby.
AMG boss Tobias Moers recently spoke to Motoring in Australia and took a long look into his crystal ball about the future of the GT. He said that the coupe was planned for a seven- to eight-year production run and would be replaced by a new generation after that.
Moers also confirmed that the GT and GT S wouldn't remain the only models in the lineup for long. "There is more to come in the portfolio of the GT," he said to Motoring. "You have to take care of the lifecycle, you have different variants that you add to the lifecycle at certain points." He didn't go into precise detail, but Moers recently confirmed that an even higher performance Black Series version would join the range eventually. A convertible has been rumored, as well.

Watch this to get excited about seeing Honda back in F1

Honda engines were the dominant force in Formula One through portions of the '80s and '90s, powering championship-winning teams at Williams and McLaren. It tried to recapture some of that magic in the 2000s but wasn't nearly as successful. For the 2015 F1 season, the Japanese brand is returning to the paddock yet again as a partner with McLaren, and in a new video it's acknowledging all of those past victories while looking forward to the uncertain future.
The video offers yet another chance to hear Honda's mill, and this time it's doing a simulated lap of Suzuka. Unfortunately, it's not entirely a joy to listen to. Like most of the current F1 field, it's a bit droning and just lacks the piercing scream of yesteryear.
With so many years out of the F1 game and completely different engine rules to overcome, the brand is essentially coming back to the sport blind. But any new competitors are a welcome addition to a series that can sometimes get rather staid. Maybe Honda and McLaren can rekindle their old flame to win another championship.

Kia GT five-door approved, will tackle A7, Panamera

Kia might finally be entering the four-door coupe market in the near future with a production version of its GT Concept from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Edmunds, Kia execs at that Paris Motor Show confirmed that the swoopy model finally has been given the green light to go on sale, and that would likely be sometime in 2016 in the US.
Kia would reportedly focus the GT on the US market, but a European version with a diesel is also a possibility. As with the K900 premium sedan, the brand is taking on some established competition with the new model, including the likes of the Audi A7 and Porsche Panamera. Judging from the rest of the Korean company's range, an attractive feature for many buyers would likely be a price several grand lower than the challengers in the segment.
"Four-door coupes aren't necessarily sales champs, but right now they are popular, just as the retro theme was the "in thing" 15 years ago," said auto industry analyst Dave Sullivan from AutoPacific to Autoblog. Something like the GT would also help with Kia's increasing focus on improving its design design because it can "make a statement about what your brand stands for."

Mercedes-Benz rewarded by EPA for implementing start-stop

The last Mercedes-Benz AMG model I drove was the CLS63 AMG. It had a 5.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, 550 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Oh, and it also had a standard stop-start system and an Eco mode, two features that are kind of silly on a sedan that will hit 60 miles per hour in under four seconds.
Yet, the CLS63 AMG is far from the only AMG model (and in turn, the Mercedes-Benz model) to feature a stop-start system, and it's that dogged obsession with the fuel-saving technology that's earned Mercedes a credit on the EPA's fuel-economy standards. These so-called "off cycle" credits are awarded when manufacturers might come up with an efficiency improvement that doesn't necessarily show up in the EPA's testing cycle.
The credits are a big deal for Mercedes-Benz which, according to Automotive News, shelled out $349 million for missing government fuel economy standards last year. While the German manufacturer was awarded credits for its use of stop-start, the total credits were lower than requested, AN reports. That's because the EPA was unsure of how often the system would be used in the real world, a long-standing problem.

Getting ready for the Tesla D tonight means reading some tea leaves

Today is D-day. We will know all of the details about the Tesla D and the mysterious "one other thing" – well, all the details that Tesla is willing to give – later tonight, but for now we're going to try and piece the story together based on whatever rumors and hints we can find. We've already speculated that the D stands for an all-wheel drive version of the Model S, which is an update that CEO Elon Musk has long talked about. But what else could be announced tonight, since the 'one other thing' apparently won't be the reveal of the production Model X? Could it be the first prototype of the Model 3? That's one rumor. Vanity Fair got to ask Musk directly, since the magazine invited him to its New Establishment Summit. While Musk didn't exactly spill the beans, he did give us a little something to chew on. "One of the things is already there, and people just don't realize it," he said (see video below). When pressed for more details, all Musk said was: "The Internet is very good at guessing these things. [They're] directionally connect, but the magnitude is not appreciated yet." Could he be talking about better driver assistance features? Some sources say that's exactly what he's hinting at, with the D standing for Driver or something else that means autopilot. There's also an unconfirmed report out there that the AWD Model S, which might be called the P85D, will be noticeably quicker – with a 0-60 time of under three seconds, compared to 4.2 for the current quickest model – but this sort of thing has been suggested and then denied before. So, any other guesses? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

This Or That: 1980 Oldsmobile 442 vs. 1989 BMW 635CSi [w/poll]

The last time I roped a coworker into an automotive debate, I lost. Resoundingly, I might add. Still, 2,385 voters chose to cast their lots for the Fiat 500 Abarth, as opposed to 5,273 choosing the Ford Fiesta ST, and so I can rest easy in the knowledge that at least 30 percent of you, dear readers, see things my way. I still like to think we have more fun, too.
My loss in the first round of our This or That series, in which two Autoblog editors pick sides on any given topic and then attempt to explain why the other is completely wrong, didn't stop me from picking another good-natured fight, this time with Senior Editor Seyth Miersma. Last time, our chosen sides were eerily similar in design, albeit quite different in actual execution. This time, our vehicular peculiarities couldn't seemingly fall any further from one another: A 1980 Oldsmobile 442 wouldn't seem to match up in comparison to a 1989 BMW 635CSi.
How did we come up with such disparate contenders? Simple, really. Seyth and I mutually agreed to choose a car that's currently for sale online. It had to be built and sold in the 1980s, and it had to be a coupe. The price cap was set at $10,000. The fruits of our searching labors will henceforth be disputed, with Seyth on the side of the Germans, and myself arguing in favor of the Rocket Olds. Am I setting myself up for another lopsided loss?

The mid-engine Porsche backstory

As an automaker's identity evolves over years, its signature becomes defined by any number of factors - heritage (Mercedes-Benz), image (Lamborghini), or market share (Toyota). In the case of Porsche, it was an engineering quirk that forged the German company's most enduring character trait.
Porsche would not have survived - let alone, thrived - in today's saturated landscape had it not been for the 911, and that slope-tailed sports car wouldn't have sprung to life without its predecessor, the 356. While phenomenal success of those rear-engine icons built the company, forays into the mid-engine configuration have played a significant part in establishing the brand's identity.
The Mid-Engine Prototype Of Ferry Porsche's Dreams

Bugatti Veyron gets shafted

There are no shortage of phallus jokes one can make about a car and its owners, but no amount of jesting makes spray painting an actual penis on a car okay. That's triply true when the car in question is the Bugatti Veyron.
This poor Veyron was spotted on the streets of Seattle, and while our outrage was initially piqued, it later emerged via Instagram that the owner of this spray-painted Bugatti actually allowed this to happen.
We aren't fully sure what possessed the owner of the multi-million hypercar to allow this sort of thing, but we're guessing he or she can afford it. Scroll down for a different angle of this poor Veyron's new paint job.

100th Anniversary Maserati Ghibli stars in the 2014 Neiman Marcus catalog

Each year, retailer Neiman Marcus releases a Christmas catalog detailing some truly absurd gifts. Chief among them is a Neiman Marcus edition car. Usually from a luxury or exotic manufacturer, the Neiman Marcus models are a limited edition and generally sell out very quickly. Past participants have included the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, McLaren MP4-12C Spider, Ferrari FF and, the most plebian car in recent memory, the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. For this year's catalog, the Maserati Ghibli is up for purchase.
Not only will it make a great Christmas gift for the ultra wealthy, but this $95,000 Maser also pays tribute to the Italian automaker's 100th anniversary. Based on the top-of-the-line S Q4 model, this Ghibli adds a few unique features, including bespoke 20-inch wheels with centennial center caps and a black border for the grille.
The cabin features premium leather in Cuoiu, which is basically tan. Black contrast stitching can be found throughout the cabin and on the Tridents stitched into the headrests, while bespoke piano black trim rounds out the interior. Finally, the center console bears a badge denoting the Ghibli's unique edition number.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles gets officially official this Sunday

Want a chunk of the new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles? Shares of the newly joined (technically) Dutch automaker will begin trading on Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. The company itself will become a single entity on Sunday.
According to The Detroit Free Press, the new FCA will be the world's seventh largest company after Fiat shareholders' chance to oppose the merger expired on October 4. To prevent the merger, shareholders would have needed to exchange at least 500 million euros in shares for cash.
On Monday, current shareholders of both Fiat and Chrysler stock will see their shares converted into an equal number of FCA shares, the Freep reports.

BMW ready to bring more i3, i8 plug-ins to US

BMW has found a receptive audience for its first batches of plug-in vehicles in the good 'ole USA. The German automaker, which started selling its first mass-produced i plug-ins in Europe late last year, will send a higher percentage of those vehicles to the US because of strong demand here, according to Automotive News, which talked with BMW executive Ian Robertson. And the Americans might cause Bimmer to speed up production, to boot. BMW makes the i3 electric vehicle and i8 plug-in hybrid in Germany, and has sold about 10,000 units of the former and 280 of the latter worldwide. Since August, BMW has been selling about 1,000 i3s a month in the US (it sold just 58 i8s in September). The bigger story, though, may be that Bimmer has sold out of its US allocation of i8s through the end of next year. Pretty heady stuff for a car that starts at around $137,000. Currently, BMW builds around 100 i-series vehicles a day in Germany, and may speed up production of the i8 for the aforementioned reason. As for the i3, which comes with an option of a gas-powered range extender, we'd reported earlier this year that the waitlist for that model had grown to about six months. Our i3 First Drive report is here if you'd like to know what all the fuss is about.

Bugatti evaluating a trio of Veyron successors

Bugatti is nearing the very end of its Veyron production run with only around 15 of the supercars reportedly left to be sold of the 450-car total. With so few remaining, the supremely posh automaker is already deep into development discussions of a successor, but it doesn't seem that the company has a final design in mind quite yet.
According to two unnamed insiders speaking to Bloomberg, Bugatti is evaluating at least three concepts for the Veyron's successor. They claim that the new model will be lighter than the current one with an engine capable of producing about 1,500 horsepower. Also, at least one of these prototypes is using an electric motor for additional boost.
These latest leaks lend further substantiation to the circulating rumors about Bugatti's future. One earlier report claimed that the hypercar would use a modified version of the current 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16, possibly with direct injection, electrically powered turbos and an additional electric motor to boost the top speed to around 286 miles per hour. Also, two prototypes (pictured above) were spotted testing at the Nürburgring earlier this year, and one of them wore an odd contraption on its back. Other speculation indicated the new model would reportedly be called the Chiron, a reference to a famous Bugatti racing driver and the name for one of the company's concepts that previewed the Veyron's shape.

Next-gen Audi Q7 to debut in Detroit

Audi's public relations team must really be getting fed up with research and design boss Ulrich Hackenberg. Aside from basically confirming that the next Audi R8 will share its bones with the Lamborghini Huracán and noting that it may take advantage of the Asterion Concept's hybrid powertrain technology, he's now let slip that the second-generation Q7 will arrive in January at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.
"If you make a trip to Detroit, you'll see it," Hackenberg reportedly told Indian Autos Blog during Paris Motor Show festivities.
That's a bombshell, particularly as we've heard plenty about its potential powertrain technologies, including spy shots of diesel-powered models, plug-in-hybrids, sporty SQ7s and electric turbochargers, but there's been absolutely nothing concrete about when and where the car would debut.

$2.4 Million Supercar Vandalized In Seattle

There are no shortage of phallus jokes one can make about a car and its owners, but no amount of jesting makes spray painting an actual penis on a car okay. That's triply true when the car in question is the Bugatti Veyron. This poor Veyron was spotted on the streets of Seattle, and while our outrage was initially piqued, it later emerged via Instagram that the owner of this spray-painted Bugatti actually allowed this to happen. We aren't fully sure what possessed the owner of the multi-million hypercar to allow this sort of thing, but we're guessing he or she can afford it. Scroll down for a different angle of this poor Veyron's new paint job. Loading View on Instagram