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Amazon opens contest for The Grand Tour tickets in the US

British enthusiasts already had the opportunity to win tickets to the first taping of The Grand Tour, and now Amazon has opened up a similar chance for customers in the US. In celebration of Prime Day, which starts today, customers in the US can enter The Grand Tour Prime Day Prize Draw. The prize includes travel, $200 to spend, accommodation, and a meet and greet with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Customers that are interested fulfilling a childhood dream should visit Amazon's website and fill out the entry form soon as the draw closes on July 12. The Grand Tour will launch this fall as an exclusive for Amazon Prime members with the exact city locations for studio records set to be revealed later this summer. Amazon, however, did reveal that the trio will host shows in the UK, US, and Germany. So there's no need to get too upset if you don't win the draw. With Top Gear getting a major shakeup with the departure of Chris Evans, we're itching to see Clarkson, Hammond, and May behind the wheel of cars again. The trio, it seems, is also excited to get the new show rolling as Clarkson posted a drifty video on his Facebook page. The trio are currently in Italy filming a comparison between an Aston Martin DB11, a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, and Rolls-Royce Dawn. The five-second clip has the Challenger Hellcat and DB11 drifting head-on into the camera crew, which is behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo. News Source: Amazon, FacebookImage Credit: The Grand Tour TV/Movies Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Dodge the grand tour

2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Interior Spied | Autoblog Minute

We have the latest spy shots of Alfa Romeo?s new SUV. The Stelvio is expected to debut in late 2016 or early 2017 but we now have our first peak at its interior. Alfa Romeo SUV Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video alfa romeo stelvio

Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV interior spied

With is flanks still heavily covered in these photos we can't tell much about the outside of the upcoming Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but it's the first time we've been able to catch a glimpse of the SUV's interior. It is obvious the Stelvio's driver environment will largely follow in the footsteps of the Giulia sedan, and fans of characteristic Alfa Romeo detailing like the gauge cluster "buckets" will be pleased to see familiar themes. The development mule here features light, birch-like wood around the shifter console, which may or may not make it into the production car. Despite appearing a little Volvo-like, the material is not out of place in the Stelvio, and we'd expect the production car to offer different trim options. Above that, a navigation screen is integrated in a similar fashion as the Giulia, and large paddle shifters garnish the steering column. The start-stop button mounted directly on the steering wheel is also a trait shared with the Giulia. The Stelvio is inching closer to production, with official unveiling expected in late 2016 or early 2017. Little by little, the test vehicle camouflage comes off, and compared to some earlier shots seen in April, the Stelvio mule has already lost the box disguising the rear window shape. Perhaps there's an attractive, sporty 4WD vehicle underneath it all. Related Video: Featured Gallery Alfa Romeo Stelvio Spy Photos with Interior Related Gallery Alfa Romeo Stelvio: Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: Carpix Spy Photos Alfa Romeo alfa romeo giulia alfa romeo stelvio

Dodge Charger to slim down and run turbo four in next generation

The current Dodge Charger is getting long in the tooth. It was originally introduced in 2005 as a 2006 model. In car terms, that's an eternity, though it's been refreshed twice. Still, FCA US will keep the LX-generation car going, reportedly facelifting it one last time for 2019. After that, there are some bigger changes in store . Automotive News is reporting that the follower to the current LX Charger will lose almost 500 pounds and will once again offer a turbo four-cylinder. You might remember the front-wheel-drive four-banger Charger of the early '80s. The recharged sedan will be twin-turbo and it's going to use the 300-horsepower four-cylinder engine currently under development for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler, AN says. The target weight for the future car is around 3,500 lbs, while the current car has a curb weight of nearly 4,000 lbs. Look for it to arrive in the early 2020s. The new platform will have a touch of Italian flair instead of the Daimler-Benz flavor embedded deep inside the LX cars. It will be built on an extended version of the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia's "Giorgio" platform, according to AN. Dealers were already shown a styling-buck almost a year ago. Related News: Featured Gallery 2015 Dodge Charger R/T View 42 Photos News Source: Automotive NewsImage Credit: AOL Alfa Romeo Dodge Future Vehicles Sedan FCA

Reid Bigland appointed CEO of Alfa Romeo, Maserati

There's been a big shakeup in Fiat Chrysler's leadership team, as head of US sales and FCA Canada CEO Reid Bigland will replace Harald Wester as the chief exec for Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Wester will retain his position as chief technical officer of FCA. Both men will hang onto their positions on FCA's Group Executive Council. The move is an interesting one considering the widely publicized issues at both Alfa and Maserati. Alfa Romeo's problems are almost too many to list. The brand has promised a full-scale return to the US market for more than a decade, but faced repeated delays. Its latest volume model, the Giulia, is being savaged by reviewers over quality issues, and the company has frequently pushed its upcoming CUV back. If that were the only problem, it'd be annoying, but according to Automotive News, Alfa's relaunch is also considerably over budget. Maserati is an entirely different can of worms. Alongside Alfa, it's been stung by a slow Chinese market. Profits are down, according to Automotive News, and it's been widely rumored that the company will delay its next sports car, the Alfieri, until 2018 – it was previously promised for this year. Meanwhile, two of its three other models, the Quattroporte and GranTurismo, are dangerously long in the tooth, and the Levante is still months away from US sales. Can Bigland sort these issues out? Maybe. As Sergio Marchionne said in his official statement, "[Bigland] has an extraordinary record of growing sales and market share in the US and Canada over the last 7 years at FCA, including leading the growth and positioning of the Ram and Dodge brands for part of that time."

Fiat Chrysler trademarks Kamal, likely for small Alfa CUV

We have Alfa Romeo news to share, and for once it's not about a product delay. Fiat Chrysler has trademarked the name Kamal and we think it will be used on one of two crossovers planned to follow the (delayed) Stelvio. Fiat Chrysler trademarked the name Kamal last month. Because trademark filings are intentionally vague, there is no specific brand attached to the application, only parent company FCA. The link to Alfa comes from a small CUV concept that used the name way back in 2003. If we had to wager, we'd say this one will be smaller than the midsize, Giulia-based Stelvio and could use a version of the same platform or whatever will underpin the brand's (eventual) small hatchback. It probably won't come in gold like the concept. We hope not, at least. Interestingly, there's no trademark for Stelvio in the US Patent and Trademark Office's database. That name was confirmed by Sergio Marchionne in February, but anyone familiar with recent Alfa news knows things change. And then they get pushed back and change again. About that waiting, though. Alfa's product plans have been made and amended, the gorgeous Giulia has been delayed, and now things seem to be on track. Maybe. If the latest trademark filing is any indication, the brand is at least thinking about what's supposed to come next. Related Video:

Alfa Romeo Giulia police cars will save lives

Oh look, it's another Italian performance vehicle turned into a police car. Evildoers beware, right? Not exactly. As much as we'd love to picture an Alfa Romeo Giulia chasing down bank robbers through the streets of Milan this newest addition to the Italy's national police fleet will be used for less thrilling purposes. Instead of chasing down speeders, two copies of new Giulia Quadrifoglio will transport organs and blood for emergency medical use, as well as serve ceremonial escort cars. The police version here adds the usual cop goodies like radios and lights, a portable defibrillator, LED flashlights in the doors, and one of those round signaling flags that Italians seem to love. There no mention of a cop motor or cop brakes, but that's probably not necessary. 'The Quadrifolgio tops the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia lineup with a 505 hp twin-turbo V6 capable of 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. When it eventually goes on sale in the US later this year or early next year, prices will range from around $40,000 for the base model to $70,000 in Quadrifoglio trim. Related Video: Featured Gallery Carabinieri Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio police car View 9 Photos Alfa Romeo Luxury Police/Emergency Performance Sedan police car alfa romeo giulia

2016 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix recap: another wild show on and off track

Normally we use this space to provide a lengthy recap of the weekend's Formula 1 race, but we're going to try something different since most folks reading this know what happened at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday. Instead, we'll alight on what we saw as the big issues in and around the race. Let us know what you think in Comments. Proper qualifying is back. Thank goodness. It only took a month of embarrassment to fix it. And so is passing! For the third race in a row, big performance improvements at the ten teams behind Mercedes-AMG Petronas and a wider tire selection at this race graced us with opening stints filled with dicing cars. Seeing the McLarens on screen doesn't make us cringe. Manor doesn't only make the global feed when it's being lapped. We've been complaining about parade races for so long that we forgot excitement was possible without rain or wholesale regulation changes. Yes, Mercedes is still the king of the jungle, but there are some other proper midfield beasts on the hunt, too. Malfunctions up and down the grid did help the show in Shanghai, like Lewis Hamilton suffering perpetual troubles, Nico Hulkenberg's runaway front wheel which red-flagged Q2, and Sebastian Vettel's and Kimi Raikkonen's flubbed hot laps in Q3 that let Daniel Ricciardo slip by into second on the grid. Come race day things went all Grand Theft Auto at Turn 1 on the opening lap, sending some of the best cars to the pits. Then came Ricciardo's puncture while leading, then came the Safety Car – all by Lap 5. Nico Rosberg got 38 seconds of airtime on the way to victory – at the start and the finish, and that happened to be his margin of victory, too – otherwise he was a ghost. Everyone else was struggling and juggling. Rosberg's win at the Bahrain Grand Prix put the German at five consecutive victories going back to last year's Mexican Grand Prix. The history books show that any driver who's won five straight contests has gone on to win the championship. With his triumph in China, the German has won the season's first three races, the history books again show that the other nine drivers who've pulled that off have gone on to win the championship. Rosberg, 36 points ahead of his teammate in the standings, is having none of it. He said of the other victors, "But they didn't have Lewis Hamilton as their team-mate." Perhaps Mercedes was right not to make an engine deal with Red Bull last season.

The new Alfa Romeo Giulia needs to be a BMW beater

The introduction of the Alfa Romeo Giulia as a BMW challenger is a claim that historically has meant that it will not be as good as a BMW. Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, Cadillac, and a few others have tried to loosen BMW's grip on the sports sedan market with little success. It was BMW that was doing the copying when in the early sixties they looked to Alfa Romeo's sport sedans for inspiration. Alfa Romeo's pre-war racing pedigree was second to none, and series production Alfas were sporting twin cam engines, and fuel injection years before BMW. What the post-war Alfa cars did not offer was reliability and an North American dealer network that knew how to service or sell their products. Consequently in 1995 Alfa abandoned the US market. Now it is the Alfa Giulia taking aim at the BMW 3-series. The Fiat/Chrysler group has a lot of resources (think Ferrari), and the engineering chops to beat BMW at its own game, but it will take a long time to build a reliable dealer network, not to mention the quality issues that have dogged them for decades. Alfa will follow what has become a familiar recipe to challenge the 3-series. With 3 sets of trim available, the most affordable model, the Giulia, and further upscale, Giulia ti, both with a turbocharged 4-banger and 276 HP compares favorably with the BMW 328i and the Audi A4. The 505 HP Giulia flagship is shooting for the M4/3. Good luck with that, Alfa. A delayed introduction hints of troubles to come. Unfortunately for Alfa both the Audi A4 and BMW 3-series have millions of dedicated fans, most of whom do not have to be reminded about their automobile's pedigree. Millennial have never had the chance to aspire for an Alfa, and the older generations that still remember them are only a very small share of the market. Alfa has to avoid joining the automotive graveyard of models that have tried to attain BMW's status. Just to be cruel I will mention the Cadillac Cimarron. If you are too young to remember, it was the cheapest Chevy front wheel drive platform with a Cadillac badge. Panned by both GM management and the automotive press, it was a spectacular flop. I hope that the executives of the Fiat/Chrysler group remember it well. We do not need a Fiat in a stylish suit.