Filed under: Diesel , MPG , Peugeot , Geneva Motor Show About a month before the Geneva Motor Show , Peugeot announced a hyper-miling competition for up to 72 drivers to see how little fuel they could use getting from Paris to Geneva. After evaluating all the written entries, Peugeot selected the drivers and set them up last weekend in four different diesel-powered models. Over the course of the two-day, 622-mile drive, the competitors put up some pretty impressive numbers. The top overall result came in a C-segment 308 hatchback with an overall average of 74.9 miles per gallon (U.S.). Next up was the smaller 207 HDi 90 with 72.5 mpg. Particularly impressive were the 5008 MPV with 70.6 mpg and the new 3008 crossover with 65.9 mpg. Part of the competition included a prescribed time window based on the speed limits along the route to make sure that drivers didn't simply drive at excessively slow speeds. Peugeot hasn't published the names of the drivers but each of the class winners are getting a brand new Peugeot. [Source: Peugeot] Continue reading Peugeot Eco-Cup drivers get 66-75 mpg from Paris to Geneva Peugeot Eco-Cup drivers get 66-75 mpg from Paris to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: SMART Daimler rang in the new year with an online design contest called " Style your smart ." Apparently, the idea of decorating a virtual smart appeals to a lot of people, since 50,000 design ideas we submitted by over 8,000 people from over 100 countries. The winner, pictured above, was submitted by Tamir Shefer from Jaffa, Israel. For his entry, Shefer will get €1,500 and had his car described on the contest website as: The winner of the contest meets the philosophy of the brand perfectly and encourages the observer to open his mind. You cannot miss this car due to the artistically high level. It combines the joy of life, humanity and the spirit of the city in a modern, fresh and graphically convincing way. It is urban and human friendly at the same time and shows that cars and humans do belong together. Not bad. Contest participants could also win cash awards for being active on the website, and three other designs drove off with some prize money. All told, Daimler gave out €5000 and got a lot of fan exposure for the money. Well played. [Source: Daimler] Continue reading "Style your Smart" contest elicits 50,000 (!) design ideas "Style your Smart" contest elicits 50,000 (!) design ideas originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: New York Auto Show , Hybrid , Performance , Geneva Motor Show , Chevrolet , Kia , Mercedes-Benz , Porsche , Toyota , Volkswagen , Ferrari , Diesel The votes from 59 international journalists have been counted and the finalists for World Car of the Year have been named. The Detroit News is reporting that the Toyota Prius , Volkswagen Polo and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class have made the final cut, and the three vehicles will go toe-to-toe on April 1st (no foolin') at the start of the New York Auto Show , which is where the World COTY award is announced. On the performance vehicle front, the Audi R8 V10 , Porsche 911 GT3 and Ferrari California are jockeying for the big prize. We feel sorry for the judges who have to choose from among these three junkers, but we're sure they'll somehow make it fun for themselves. Design finalists are the Citroen C3 Picasso , Kia Soul and Chevrolet Camaro , and from the green category we have the previously mentioned Prius, the Honda Insight and Volkswagen 's BlueMotion diesel offerings. Check back on these pages to see the winners of the individual categories when they are announced in New York on April Fool's Day. [Source: The Detroit News ] Final three World Car of the Year finalists announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Now this is how it's done. The Touring Superleggera A8GCS Berlinetta is a Maserati Gran Turismo rebodied with classic GT proportions and shapes. The result is classically beautiful, like a 1950s Maserati re-interpreted with 21st century technology. More

Filed under: Hybrid , Maserati , Green Daily , Lightweight What's the world coming to when two of Italy's most storied supercar manufacturers - we're talking Ferrari and Lamborghini here, in case you couldn't tell - are planning to launch hybrid automobiles? Well, actually that'd be three of Italy's most storied automakers, now that rumors of just such a Maserati are making the rounds on the Interwebs. We'd agree with the boys at Inside Line when they suggest that Maserati will likely borrow hybrid technology from fellow Fiat-owned Ferrari, especially since the two business units already share a number of drivetrain components. If that's the case, the three-pointed Trident brand could potentially get a version of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System ( KERS ) that Ferrari showed off on its 599 HY-KERS earlier this week at the Geneva Motor Show . Word has it that Maserati is also joining Ferrari in its quest to shed a few unwanted pounds on its automobiles, which will have dual benefits for both brands - namely, improvements in both performance and fuel efficiency. Now there's a win-win scenario if we've ever heard one. [Source: Inside Line ] Maserati to follow Ferrari down path of hybrid sportscars? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read

Filed under: Motorsports , Coupe , Performance , Chevrolet , GM Autoblog tours Pratt & Miller shop - Click above for high-res image gallery Racing improves the breed. How many times have you heard some automaker PR flack spout that line in order to justify a motorsports program? When it comes to NASCAR, which is still the most popular form of racing in the United States, it's clearly a complete fallacy. Open wheel racing, be it at Indianapolis or Monaco, largely falls into the same bucket. There is, however, one form of motorsports where there truly is a feedback loop: sports car racing like the kind on display in the American Le Mans Series. One example is staring you in the face every time you look at the nose of a contemporary Corvette . When the C6 Corvette debuted, many fans complained about the styling, including the front air intake and the departure of the long running pop-up headlamps. The C6 brought a new larger central air intake and exposed, flush lighting. The design was influenced directly by the C5.R racing program and its need for better air-flow to the engine and brakes of the racecar. Learn more about the connection between Corvette production and racing after the jump.

Infiniti's first production hybrid makes its global debut, joins M line in Europe in spring 2011.

Filed under: Aftermarket , Coupe , Performance , Ford 2010 Geiger Cars Shelby GT500 - Click above for high-res image gallery We don't know why Karl Geiger is fascinated with American performance cars, but we're sure glad he is. The 2010 Shelby GT500 is the latest muscle car to go under the German tuner's knife, and the results are nothing less than impressive. Thanks to a larger Whipple supercharger, larger throttle valves, upgraded fuel injection system and ported cylinder heads, the 5.4-liter V8 produces an incredible 799 horsepower and 697 pound-feet torque. Geiger claims a top speed of 220 miles per hour, but with the Mustang 's aerodynamics we would peg that number as more theoretical than anything. To cope with extra horsepower, Gieger has also fitted the GT500 with a three-disc carbon clutch and reinforced the six-speed transmission. Handling improvements have been made through a "racing chassis" (we're not sure what that means), a panhard rod with polyurethane bushings and adjustable lower control arms. Finally massive 15-inch, six-piston front brakes help haul the Shelby down from inevitable high speed runs. You can see the full press release after the jump, and high-res images courtesy of Gieger can be found in the gallery below. Gallery: 2010 Geiger Cars Shelby GT500 [Source: GeigerCars.de] Continue reading Geiger Cars takes on the 2010 Shelby GT500 with impressive results Geiger Cars takes on the 2010 Shelby GT500 with impressive results originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Videos , Aston Martin Aston Martin One-77 testing footage - Click above to watch the video after the jump To be blunt, the Aston Martin One-77 is all sorts of awesome. Having recently crested the 220-mph top speed mark in testing, the One-77 will be the fastest, most expensive Aston road car ever produced. But this hypercoupe isn't just about warp speed - it's stylish, elegant, and with only 77 hand-built examples hitting the streets, quite illustrious, as well. Aston Martin just released a new video of the One-77 testing on the automaker's proving grounds, meaning we get to listen to that 7.3-liter V12 being wrung out to max revs. This car is both an audio and aural delight, and we encourage you to see (and listen) for yourself by watching the video after the jump . Gallery: Aston Martin One-77 at Galpin Motors [Source: Aston Martin] Continue reading Video: Aston Martin releases new One-77 testing footage Video: Aston Martin releases new One-77 testing footage originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Geneva Motor Show , Europe/EU , SEAT SEAT IB E concept - Click above for high-res image gallery While the Sociedad Espa