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FB Tuning debuts 400-hp carbon-bodied Chrysler Crossfire in Monaco

The Chrysler Crossfire was, suffice it to say, a matter of taste. Based on old Mercedes-Benz mechanicals, it included retro styling accents and an armadillo roofline. Some loved it, but there was clearly room for improvement - not to mention more sales - and that's just what Italian coachbuilder FB Tuning had to showcase at the Top Marques show in Monaco this year.
Called the FB-ONE, it's based on the Crossfire, which itself was based on the same R170 chassis as the first-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK. It packs the same 3.2-liter V6 as well, which FB claims to have tuned farther than anything Daimler-Chrysler ever managed with the same engine. Whereas the SLK32 AMG packed 354 horsepower and the Crossfire SRT-6 offered 330, the FB-One packs a nice, round 400 hp, which ought to be good for a 0-60 time of little over four seconds.
As you can see, that's not all they've done with FB-One. It's also been rebodied in carbon fiber, with gold accents, deep-dish alloys that look like they came out of a casino and the headlights from an Audi A8. Whether the result is your cup of tea likely depends, as it did with the Crossfire in the first place, on your own personal tastes, so check it out for yourself in the video below.

Chevy adds Silverado SSV to police vehicle lineup

Chevrolet is set to expand its public safety fleet offerings beyond its not-for-consumer Caprice PPV (although we can buy its close cousin, the Chevy SS) and the Tahoe PPV with this, the Silverado SSV. Destined to challenge the Ram 1500 Special Service, the Silverado comes to market with a spate of upgrades over the civilian model.
As is the case with most police vehicles, the Silverado SSV gets an upgraded alternator and a spare battery to power the lights and ancillaries necessary for policing. There's a new power supply and four upfitter switches in the cabin, as well as a 110-volt outlet. A common key option is also available, so that every Silverado in a fleet can be operated with the same fob.
The Silverado will enter service with the fuzz boasting the same 5.3-liter, EcoTec V8 engine. 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque should provide plenty of thrust in emergency situations, while the beancounters will be pleased by a promised 23 miles per gallon on the highway (two-wheel-drive models only). Four-wheel drive is available, as are a pair of box lengths (six feet, six inches or five feet, eight inches).

Kia, Mercedes, Carmax poised to return to NBA after league bans Sterling

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver dispatched some swift justice yesterday on the bigoted owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling. The 80-year-old billionaire was banned for life and fined $2.5 million for making strongly racist remarks that were recorded on tape. Commissioner Silver has also vowed to try and force Sterling to sell the Clippers in a bid to sever any and all connection between him and the NBA.
Sponsors had rapidly abandoned the Clippers, with covers like the one above going up on sponsor logos during a playoff game against the Golden State Warriors earlier this week, due to the strong and vocal public condemnation of Sterling and his views. With the punishments in place, though, the door has been opened for Kia, the southern California dealer group for Mercedes-Benz and used-car retailer CarMax (among other, less auto-related organizations like State Farm, Red Bull and Sprint) to renew their sponsorship with the team.
"We stand with the Commissioner, the league, the players and the fans condemning Mr. Sterling's views. We look forward to a positive resolution and continuing our relationships within the NBA community, including our league and team sponsorships and our personal ties to [Clippers star] Blake Griffin," Kia said in a statement obtained by Automotive News.

GM restricting Camaro Z/28 parts so you can't build yourself a clone

Chevrolet is apparently making it harder to experience even parts of its $75,000, track-biased Camaro Z/28. The entire 500-car production run for the 2014 model year is already either sold or at least reserved by dealers. And it will be months before assembly of the roughly 2,500-car, 2015 model-year run will begin. In theory, though, couldn't someone buy the components that make the Z/28 so special from the Chevy catalog and assemble a clone? Not so fast. It seems GM is one step ahead.
According to GM Authority, the company sent a letter to dealers that limited orders on 35 individual parts that make up the Z/28 package. The list included a mix of mechanical and aesthetic components like the brakes, wheels, differential, body flares, seats, grille and even the emblems.
This is clearly a move by Chevy to protect the exclusivity of the Z/28. As you can understand, it would harm the hardcore car's reputation if a replica could be built easily from a much more basic Camaro powered by a V6. In any case, for the time being, it also means that interested buyers must negotiate for the few remaining 2014 models left, or they have to wait for the 2015s to arrive.

2015 Ford Mustang stars in bizarrely awesome '80s aerobics video

For reasons we can't comprehend, here's a music video starring the all-new, 2015 Ford Mustang and a number of dancers dressed and styled in the most stereotypically 1980s way possible. The dancers then take part in a male-versus-female dance off. Again, we've no idea why it exists.
It's weird, and for the second time in two weeks, we're sat at our computer wondering, "What are we watching?" That said, it does show the new Mustang from a number of angles, and it's one of the first car-related YouTube videos we've seen that's available in a 4K, ultra-high-def stream.
Take a look below, and let us know what you think in Comments.

Mercedes considering GLA-based crossover coupe

BMW opened a whole Pandora's Box when it introduced the X6 back in 2008. Sure it made little sense, sacrificing all that "utility" for a little more "sport," but it's been a solid success for BMW - especially considering the nominal expense it cost to develop the X6 on top of the X5 on which it's based. Little wonder that, while BMW has already followed up with a smaller version in the form of the X4, other automakers are starting to catch up. And that includes Mercedes-Benz.
The German automaker is preparing to launch a new MLC, based on the M-Class but with a sportier silhouette, and previewed it with the Concept Coupe SUV at the Beijing Motor Show. But that's just the start, according to the latest report from Automotive News Europe.
Mercedes is reportedly considering spinning off an entire line of crossovers more for use on the road than off it. Which may go without saying for most crossovers on the market, but considering the Geländwagen with which Mercedes got its start in SUVs, would mean an even further departure than it has undertaken already.

2014 Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive zips in with $41,450 starting price

BMW may be getting the lion's share of attention these days when it comes to electric or hybrid cars from Germany, but while the i3 and i8 cut a more distinct profile with their uniquely styling, Mercedes has got challengers of its own. Daimler will gladly sell you an E400 Hybrid if you're so inclined, a Smart Electric Drive if that's all you need, or an SLS AMG Electric Drive if you've got half a million to blow. But now Mercedes-Benz USA is bringing over the B-Class Electric Drive as well, and has announced details and pricing for the American market.
Joining the hydrogen-powered B-Class F-Cell, the new B-Class Electric Drive packs an electric motor developed by Tesla, good for 177 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque, and powered by a 28-kWH lithium-ion battery that takes two hours to charge from a 240v charger. That'll get you from 0-60 in an estimated 7.9 seconds, en route to a 100-mile-per-hour top speed or take you a good 85 miles between charges, all yours for $41,450.
That's just $100 more than BMW charges for a base i3 (sans on-board gasoline generator), but then the Bimmer packs less muscle: seven fewer horses, 67 fewer torques and a 22-kWh battery. The thing is, though, that while BMW hasn't released US-specific figures, by European standards it will outperform the B-Class ED in just about every metric. It'll accelerate faster, reaching 62 mph in 7.2 seconds, and while it tops out at only 93 mph, those seven miles will matter only on Germany's own Autobahn. The i3 will also travel farther on a single charge, running for 118 miles on the EU cycle.

Volvo celebrates 20 years since 850 wagons came to BTCC

This year Honda Yuasa Racing brought a station wagon back to the ranks of competitors in the British Touring Car Championship (its drivers currently sit in third and fifth place in the Championship). In 1994, however, Volvo was the first team to run an estate in the series that's one of the best for delivering close racing.
Rickard Rydell and Jan Lammers drove the duo of 850 Estates prepped by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, lining up at Thruxton and proving that the rumors of a wagon in the series weren't a joke. The team used that year for development, getting the 2.0-liter, 290-horsepower, naturally aspirated five-cylinder engine ready for the next year's proper assault. The team's best finish over the 21 races was a fifth place, and they took 14th overall.
Rules changes led Volvo to switch to the 850 sedan the following year, but all the right noises had been made with the wagon. Rydell drive on to a third-place overall finish in 1995, three years later he claimed the Championship title. You'll find details and reminiscing from Rydell in the press release below, as well as the full video with scenes from the glory days.

Aston Martin confirms new platform under development

It's been thirteen years since Aston Martin introduced the original V12 Vanquish. The model was effectively been replaced twice over by the time it reached its Bar Mitzvah, but its underlying platform is still around. And not just around, either: it underpins everything Aston makes and has made ever since it came on the scene, save for the Cygnet and the One-77 supercar. That includes the V8 and V12 Vantage, the short-lived Virage, the new Vanquish, the DB9, DBS, V12 Zagato and even the four-door Rapide. But while it may seem like forever that Aston's been using the VH platform, it won't be around forever more. In announcing its positive financial results for 2013, Aston Martin CFO Hanno Kirner confirmed: "We are engineering a completely new architecture and technologies to ensure that our next generation of sports cars is at the forefront of design, performance and technology." The new platform is expected to underpin the next generation of Astons Martin, and will be powered by a new V8 engine being developed by Mercedes-AMG, similar to the arrangement that sees V12s furnished to Pagani for the Huayra. Whether an AMG-developed V12 is also in the cards for Aston Martin remains to be seen – the company ran on V8 power alone from the mid 70s (when its six-cylinder engine was retired) until the Ford-developed DB7 brought six- and then twelve-cylinder power. That aging but glorious 6.0-liter engine, by the way, still powers the vast majority of the company's lineup. The platform and associated technologies are being funded by the influx of capital from shareholders Investindustrial, Primewagon and Adeem Investment and by a 13-percent increase in revenue due to the launch of the new Vanquish Volante and V12 Vantage S, as well as the company's expansion into new markets like Mexico and Thailand. It wasn't long ago that upon spending a week with the company's Vanquish coupe that we fell just short of love, wondering aloud how long Aston could weather its uncertain financial picture while still relying heavily on elderly technology and drivetrains cradled in elderly platforms. We now appear to have our answer, and we like what we're hearing. Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited Full Year Results 2013 28 April 2014, Gaydon: Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited is today announcing full year results for the 12 months ended 31 December 2013.

World's Best Dad invites Lamborghini owners to son's birthday party

The resulting unalloyed joy, as you'll see in the footage below, is priceless.
One of my defining moments as a budding car enthusiast came the first time I got to see a Lamborghini up close. I was out in Los Angeles visiting a relative with my mother and sister, and I took the change of scenery as an opportunity to look for more exotic cars than my middle-class Midwestern upbringing would usually encounter. We were on a walk, when off in the distance I saw - and heard - something extraordinary: An early '80s Lamborghini Countach, black with those bronze five-hole wheels, pulling into a parking spot. My mom still takes great joy in periodically retelling the events of that day, and as the story goes, I joyfully took off without warning, chasing the car down the street shouting "Lamborghini!" "Lamborghini!!" in my best eight-year-old Italian accent.

VW Group profits rise 27%, Americas still lag

Financially, things are looking up for Volkswagen Group overall, yet deliveries are still falling in the Americas. Worldwide, the automotive giant's profits after taxes rose 26.8 percent in the first quarter of 2014 to 2.47 billion euros ($3.4 billion). Total sales revenue was up 2.7 percent to 47.8 billion euro ($66 billion).
Worldwide, across all of VW Group's brands, excluding its Chinese joint ventures, sales were up 7.9 percent to 2.56 million units and production was up 7.4 percent to 2.565 million vehicles. Deliveries were up 7.4 percent in Europe and 13.7 percent in the Asia-Pacific region. China is an absolutely massive market for the company now, with 879,898 cars delivered in the first three months of the year alone, up 14.5 percent.
While VW Group is doing quite well in some regions around the world, things in North and South America are not so rosy. North American deliveries fell 4.4 percent to 194,606 units and market share fell to 4.5 percent, compared to 4.8 percent in Q1 of last year. US deliveries were down 6.5 percent to 133,481 vehicles compared to last year, and Canada fell even further, down 8.4 percent to 16,694 vehicles. However, Mexico was up 4.2 percent, with a total of 44,431 sold. South America also fell 22.4 percent to 141,589.

This BMW 2 Series ad has run afoul of Aussie ad watchdogs [w/poll]

A complaint by an Australian movie-goer has put the brakes on an extended in-theater ad campaign by BMW, and drawn the attention of the country's Advertising Standards Board. According to the anonymous complaint, the ad "portrays an unfavorable message, contrary to safe and sensible driving."
The ASB upheld the complaint, which said the ad for the new M235i showed driving "typical of hoon activity," thanks to the burnouts, dusty drifts and runs up to redline. It's that last one that seems to have gotten the spot in the most trouble, with the ASB acknowledging that even though the car wasn't shown breaking the speed limit, the ad was in violation of a voluntary code of conduct for automotive advertising, according to Australia's Go Auto.
BMW doesn't seem to agree, pointing out that the ad uses creative editing, aggressive camera angles and other filming tricks to "add visual impact."

Dad Invites Lamborghini Owners To Son's Birthday Party

The resulting unalloyed joy, as you'll see in the footage below, is priceless. One of my defining moments as a budding car enthusiast came the first time I got to see a Lamborghini up close. I was out in Los Angeles visiting a relative with my mother and sister, and I took the change of scenery as an opportunity to look for more exotic cars than my middle-class Midwestern upbringing would usually encounter. We were on a walk, when off in the distance I saw – and heard – something extraordinary: An early '80s Lamborghini Countach, black with those bronze five-hole wheels, pulling into a parking spot. My mom still takes great joy in periodically retelling the events of that day, and as the story goes, I joyfully took off without warning, chasing the car down the street shouting "Lamborghini!" "Lamborghini!!" in my best eight-year-old Italian accent. I must've still been adorable, because the owner not only let me sit in his car, scissor door open and ridiculous grin on my face, he left me playing around in its interior, nonchalantly telling me to shut the door when I was done. Just like that, he left, disappearing into a shop across the street. I can't tell you how long I sat in the car, or how many photos I demanded my mother take of me with my borrowed Bell and Howell, but I can remember being astounded at how low it was – I could crouch as if sitting on the bumper and still see over it! That was around 30 years ago, and I still have a couple of those dog-eared pictures. Funnily enough, my memorable Lamborghini encounter is pretty similar to that of the young boy featured in this video. At age seven, however, Jacob is clearly ahead of the curve. As the story goes, his father left a message on Lamborghini Los Angeles North's Facebook page, asking if someone with "a kind heart" would help him help make his Lamborghini-fanatic child's birthday wish come true. And "come true" it did, with the dealership helping organize not just a ride-along in an Aventador, but also a small cavalcade of other Lambos, all of which all showed up unannounced at his house on Jacob's birthday. The resulting unalloyed joy, as you'll see in the footage below, is priceless. As car enthusiasts, most of us have been lucky enough to have memorable defining car experiences, those fleeting moments in our personal back catalogs that have come to mean so much more than they first appeared to be.

UAW calls on US State Department to help with Nissan plant

The United Auto Workers is calling for reinforcements in its ongoing battle with Nissan at the manufacturer's Canton, MS factory, where the Altima, Armada, Titan and NV (and eventually, the next Murano) are built. The union has been attempting to organize the employees at the factory for several years, but it's been largely unsuccessful.
Now, Reuters is reporting that the UAW is teaming with the IndustriALL Global Union and requesting intervention by the US State Department, with both groups accusing Nissan of using "threats, intimidation and fear" to keep the 5,600 workers at the facility from organizing. The two unions say this violates the guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international organization dedicated to stimulating economic growth.
The UAW and IndustriALL are asking the State Department's National Contact Point to serve as mediator with Nissan, to make sure things play out fairly. Speaking to Reuters, though, there's at least one Michigan-based labor adviser that's skeptical of the move.

Mark Webber treats Maria Sharapova to a Porsche 918 Spyder joyride

We don't much like Mark Webber right now. Part of being a racing driver is dealing with promotional stuff. It's not hard to find a driver that can't stand all this nonsense, whether it be promoting a product, meeting investors or attending some obscure event. Even a driver of Webber's caliber - a former Formula One driver for Red Bull Racing and a member of Porsche's factory Le Mans team - has to serve his time at the promo events.
Somehow, though, we don't think the Aussie driver minds this particular promo detail. In the video below, Webber attends the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. He then takes tennis superstar Maria Sharapova out for a spin behind the wheel of the Porsche 918 Spyder. The level of jealousy at the Autoblog office is palpable.
Take a look below for the video. And as we're super jealous of Mr. Webber, hop into Comments and caption the above photo based on what you think he's saying to Maria. Bonus points if you can work "vegemite" into the caption.

HQ move based on study, not pitch from Gov. Perry, Toyota says

Toyota's surprising announcement on Monday that it will move its North American headquarters from Torrance, CA location to the Dallas suburb of Plano, TX is allegedly not due to any political wrangling from the state's Republican governor, Rick Perry.
Perry (above) has been up front in his aggressive pursuit of businesses and jobs for Texas, traveling to California, Missouri, Illinois and New York to tempt corporations to his state. And it's not just about the promise of much lower taxes, a Perry spokesman reminds Automotive News that the state boasts, "a workforce that is skilled and ready to do any job."
For his part, Jim Lentz, Toyota's North American CEO said Plano was chosen through an internal process, with the location helped by its proximity to the company's massive pickup factory in San Antonio rather than any campaigning from the governor.

VW could launch Bulli van into expanded retro family with Beetle variants

Sub-brands are emerging as the latest trend, particularly among German automakers. BMW has rolled out its new i family of electric vehicles. Audi looks poised to spin the TT off into its own line with added bodystyles. Mercedes-Benz is expected to bring the Maybach name, once its own brand, back as a model designation at the top of the S-Class range. And now Volkswagen is rumored to be planning more retro models to follow in the footsteps of the Beetle.
Word on the street in Germany is that, after three generations of Beetle, VW is weighing the possibility of expanding its retro offerings. According to Autobild, Among those in contention to join the Beetle hatchback and convertible are a sportier Beetle coupe with an even sportier roofline than the latest Bug, a soft-roader in the mold of the Beetle Dune concept (pictured at right) and a Micro-bus minivan revival like the Bulli concept (pictured above).
If those prove as successful as the Beetle itself, who knows what other members VW could add to the family? Like the expected next-generation Beetle, the entire family would almost certainly be based on the flexible new MQB modular architecture that already underpins the VW Golf, Audi A3, Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia.

1964 Ferrari 250 GTO sees Petrolicious embracing gorgeousness

We've never, ever accused Petrolicious of slacking when it comes to the quality of cars it features. Each week brings a new, exciting, rare vehicle that has some special quality or provenance to it. But this week's video... it's beyond everything else the series has ever done.
That's because it stars the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO, also known as (possibly) the most expensive vehicle ever sold. Only 36 were ever built, and this particular 1964 example was the first of the Series II range. Rather than some tinkerer or restorer behind the wheel of this masterpiece, Derek Hill, son of the first American Formula One World Champion, Phil Hill, is on hand for the interview and is slotted into the tight cockpit of the Rosso Corsa masterpiece.
This particular GTO was raced multiple times by Hill Sr., and it recorded wins at Daytona and Nassau, thanks in part to its 300-horsepower, 3.0-liter V12 engine. That makes it a bit special for the younger Hill, who can speak with some authority about this car's provenance - and wheel it rather well himself, as he's a fairly accomplished racer in his own right. Of course, if you're like us, you'll forget everything Hill says and will go completely slack-jawed as soon as that V12 starts to sing.

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250

With a more than a year separating my test week with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 from its debutante ball at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, I had the advantage of a mountain of data and diatribes with which to inform my initial opinion. Conversations with colleagues and coworkers netted splintered ideas about the CLA's driving demeanor; reading hundreds of comments posted on Autoblog articles revealed a popular divide about everything from exterior styling to the execution of its navigation screen.
While commentary from the public and pundits alike has spun in a circle over the front-driver Mercedes this last year, the car-buying public has been voting the CLA up in fantastic fashion. Early sales have been very strong for the lowest-cost-of-entry Benz, despite being capacity constrained over the first months of 2014. Mercedes-Benz USA PR manager Christian Bokich told me that dealers are "selling the 250 and 45 AMG as fast as they can get them," and though he wouldn't share the internal number, says that the CLA has the lowest day supply of any model in the brand's lineup. Clearly, while we've been happily shouting at each other, Mercedes sales' staffs have been swiftly compiling signed purchase agreements, and racking up numbers.
Given the context of this first year of existence, I thought it would be helpful to review the CLA250 with a special eye to those areas of the car that have been the most hotly contested. By my research, that means wading into the fray on the attractiveness of its sheetmetal, the polish of its interior, the starchiness of its suspension and the thrift of its luxurious bottom line.

Volkswagen NMC production guise caught in China

Chinese car site Autohome has what are said to be the first pictures of the Volkswagen New Midsize Coupe concept in production form. VW's NMC was just introduced at the Beijing Motor Show, while background chatter indicated it would go on sale in China, Autohome says that production version will be built at the Shanghai-Volkswagen plant in Ningbo, and the retail guise could be introduced at the Guangzhou Motor Show in November and go on sale that same month.
Assuming this is the production car, its main lines have made the jump from the concept but with less fine detailing, a silver hue and with conventional VW wheels it's lost a little bit of oomph. Still, a few checkmarks on the option sheet can fix most of that, the shape remains handsome and the 2.0-liter turbo underhood keeps performance peppy and mileage frugal enough. You can head to Autohome for a couple more photos of a sedan we'd be happy to make room for over here.

Ford and GM link bonus checks to quality scores

The poor first quarter earnings of Ford and General Motors are having an effect all the way up the food chain. Both automakers struggled with recalls in the first three months of the year, and, according to The Detroit News, they have responded by increasing the percentage of bonuses tied to vehicle quality for salaried workers, including top executives.
GM announced that 25 percent of bonuses (up from 10 percent) for all salaried workers would be tied to its vehicle quality standards. The automaker revealed in its financial report that it spent $1.3 billion on recall-related repairs in the first quarter, and net income was down 86 percent.
Ford also increased the quality proportion of bonuses for about 26,000 salaried workers all the way up to CEO Alan Mulally from 10 percent to 20 percent. The company announced in its report that the amount paid out in warranty and recall claims was about $400 million higher than expected in the first quarter. Its net income fell 39 percent from the previous year. "The change reflects how critical quality is to our overall business," said spokesperson Todd Nissen speaking to Autoblog.

Mercedes recalling 284k C-Class for taillight failure

If you are behind a newer Mercedes-Benz C-Class, you might want to pay extra attention. The German automaker has issued a recall for 252,867 C-Class models from 2008-2011 in the United States, because of possible failure of the taillights. The repair is necessary on the C300, C300 4Matic, C350 and C63 AMG (pictured above). According to The Detroit News, an additional 31,000 cars in Canada are also affected.
In the company's recall filling with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it says vehicles from January 26, 2007, to July 13, 2011 could have a faulty ground connection for the taillights. Affected vehicles show a dimming or complete failure of them. Obviously, if other drivers don't know a vehicle is stopping or turning, it's harder for them to react and could cause an accident.
To fix the problem, the company will replace the bulb holder and any corroded connectors. Mercedes will begin notifying owners about the recall in June, but the new parts won't be ready by that time. It will send a second letter later to schedule repairs in August or September. Scroll down to read NHTSA's report.

Mercedes-AMG considering turbo fours, hybrid sixes for future performance sedans

Think of the letters AMG and you'll probably end up picturing a performance sedan with a big V8. Such has become, after all, the Mercedes turning division's calling card. But with the introduction of its 2.0-liter turbo four, AMG is working at turning that notion on its head.
The highly potent engine produces 355 horsepower and is presently installed in the A45 AMG hatchback, CLA45 AMG sedan and GLA45 AMG crossover, giving Benz's smallest family a full range of performance models. But that might not be the full extent of the high-strung four-pot's use.
Speaking with AMG boss Tobias Moers, Britain's What Car? magazine reports that Affalterbach is considering slotting the same engine into larger models, particularly performance sedans like the C-Class. As we recently reported, Mercedes is already preparing to up the power from the turbo V6 in the C400 to slot a C450 Sport in below the C63 AMG. The C450 is expected to offer around 367 horsepower where the CLA45 AMG et al pack 355, but the lighter weight of the four-cylinder engine would likely offset the truancy of those extra dozen horses. Of course such a prospect would be much further down the pipeline than the C450 Sport which is expected to arrive much sooner.

VW Bus-based Dub Box does retro caravanning and food trucks right [w/videos]

Whether known as the Transporter, Kombi or simply the Bus, the Volkswagen Type 2 became almost as much of a style icon as the Beetle, but it just went out of production. However, a couple in England is keeping the design alive with its Dub Box camper. Mixing the classic, '60s VW look with retro interior design and some modern features, the result is a very attractive little trailer. For about the past year, they have also been available in the US.
With an insulated interior, gas stove and electrical hookup, the Dub Box has everything you would need for a fun weekend of camping or tailgating. The body is made from fiberglass and rides on a steel frame, and they can even be specified with a pop-up roof and a double bed. The standard Dub Box (pictured above) is just about 16 feet long, a little over 6 feet wide. Prices start at around $22,000 in the US. There is also a food cart version starting at about the same price that offers a really cool available power-extending roof.
Dub Box USA produced its first trailer at its Oregon factory in January 2013. The company offers similar products as in the UK, but they are entirely made in America. According to Shane Medbury, one of the people who founded the US arm, the food cart market has been the most successful here. He told Autoblog that it already sold around 20 carts. Its success seems to be growing because it also has 20 pending orders. "We've shipped them all over," he said, including to Michigan, New York, Ohio and more. Scroll down for videos showing how Dub Box UK builds its campers, an overview about the company and the food cart's roof.

What next for Stefano Domenicali?

Ferrari is a team that's used to being on top. It does, after all, have more world championships to its name - 15 drivers' titles and 16 constructors' - than any other team in the history of Formula One racing. But despite having some of the best drivers and resources at its disposal, it hasn't won a championship in over five years. Someone had to take the blame for that, and that someone turned out to be Stefano Domenicali.
The team principal who took over after Jean Todt stepped back to focus first on the running of the entire company and then the FIA, Domenicali has presided over the driest spell in the team's history since Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn arrived in the late 90s to bring Ferrari back to its winning form. Whether that ultimately proves to have been Domenicali's fault or not, the buck stopped on his desk and he resigned a couple of weeks ago, making way for Ferrari's North American chief Marco Mattiacci to take the reins. At least for now, anyway, as rumors circulate of a longer-term solution that could bring Ross Brawn back into the fold following his recent departure from Mercedes.
The big question now, however, is what Domenicali will do next. The latest intel suggests that he could leave four wheels behind but stay in the field of competitive sports to coach an Italian basketball team. The rumors are fueled by reports that Domenicali has been in touch with Giovanni Petrucci, head of the Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro - Italy's national basketball federation. The organization runs two professional basketball leagues within Italy as well as its national team that's won eight international championships, two gold, four silver and four bronze medals in the European league and two silver medals in the Olympics.

Jay Leno's 1930 Bentley GJ 400 is a 27-liter monster

Jay Leno's Garage never fails to impress - and by that we mean both the YouTube channel and the actual place. The latest online bit features another truly insane vehicle. Leno's 1930 Bentley GJ 400 isn't actually a classic car and has few Bentley parts on it. It's really a modern custom with vintage looks and a 27-liter Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine for power. This machine is absolutely immense, and weighs over three tons.
The Merlin engine was one the workhorses of World War II-era planes. In the GJ 400, Leno believes the V12 is making around 650-700 horsepower. Although, he admits that it could probably be pushed to over 1,000 if someone wanted to. However, he clearly loves this behemoth just the way it is.
While the design is classic, the mechanicals are relatively modern. The engine is fuel injected, and power routes through an automatic transmission to the rear wheels. Many of the updated pieces are hidden as well. For example, what looks like a blower at the front actually disguises an oil cooler.

Project CARS vs reality at Laguna Seca shows amazing potential

Project CARS is aiming to be the next great racing sim. Offering a mix of modern and classic cars on famous tracks, developer Slightly Mad Studios is trying to inject a fresh energy into the genre, and at the moment its game looks ready to take on Forza and Gran Turismo.
The game is still about six months from release, and the graphics already look practically photorealistic. The video below shows side-by-side laps of Laguna Seca in a BMW - real life on the left and the game on the right. It's absolutely astounding. Other than some changes to the sponsorship around the track, they are almost identical.
Of course anyone with quality seat time in a racing sim knows that graphics are just one factor. How the game feels is even more important, and without getting hands on, it's impossible to judge yet. However, consider our interest piqued. Project CARS is scheduled to launch in November on the Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One, Nintendo WiiU, Windows PC and Steam OS. Scroll down to check out the video.

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #378 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #378 this evening. Check out the topics below, or drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module. And don't forget to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so. To take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #378
Toyota moving to Texas

2015 Chevy City Express priced from $22,950*

Chevrolet has announced that its 2015 City Express cargo van will start at $22,950 (*including $995 destination charge). Compared to the $21,150 price (after destination) of the base Nissan NV200 that lives beneath the Bowtie badges and Chevy graphics, and the base City Express LS will command an $1,800 premium over the donor vehicle. Opt for the City Express LT that costs $24,510, and its premium compared to the NV 200 SV is $2,370.
At this point, all appearances point to cargo vans that are carbon copies of one another save for their decoration. The Chevy gets the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 131 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque, the same continuously variable transmission, and the same 122.7 cubic feet of cargo room and maximum payload capacity of 1,500 pounds. Chevrolet's retail site does advertise a powertrain warranty of five years and 100,000 miles compared to Nissan's five years and 60,000 miles, and the City Express comes with Chevy's Complete Care scheduled maintenance program for two years or 24,000 miles, something Nissan doesn't appear to offer as inclusive.
Chevy hasn't released a configurator site for the City Express yet, so we can't compare standard options to see if that explains the price disparity, but we've reached out to the companies for comment and we'll update the post if and when we get some added context.

Kia and CarMax pull LA Clipper sponsorships in wake of alleged Sterling comments

There's fallout across the automotive advertising world today as companies react to alarming, racially insensitive statements alleged to have been made Donald Sterling, owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers franchise. Last Friday, entertainment website TMZ published excerpts from an audio recording, allegedly between Sterling and his girlfriend V. Stiviano, in which the Clippers owner said, among other things, that he didn't want her to bring black people to his games, including LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson. Sterling has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The story quickly gained steam over the weekend, and this Monday it has seen Kia Motors, auto sales website CarMax and insurance giant State Farm all pull sponsorship activities with the Clippers.
In a statement Kia said the alleged statements by Sterling were, "offensive and reprehensible," calling them "inconsistent with our views and values." Kia says it is "suspending" its advertising and sponsorship activities with the team, though has yet to clarify if that suspension includes commercials featuring NBA star and Clippers power forward Blake Griffin.