Automobile News

In Pictures: Celebrating the art of the magazine cover

Posted by admin on Mar 12, 2010

Filed under: Classics, Etc.

In the high-stakes game of magazine publishing, there’s one critical component that can either make or break an entire issue. What are we talking about? The cover. Get it right and an editor-in-chief can move an extra few thousand copies to casual passers by at the nearest magazine stand. Get it wrong, as Car and Driver undeniably did for its April 1987 issue with the wretched Zimmer Quicksilver on the cover, and you end up with the worst-selling edition in the magazine’s storied history.

We just happened upon what may be the very best (or worst, depending on your point of view) time waster in the history of the Internet. It’s called Coverbrowser.com, and it allows you to see over 450,000 magazine and comic book covers dating back to well before most of us were even born. Using this tool, we dug up some of the best, worst and just plain ridiculous automotive magazine covers in the history of the universe… or something like that.

For instance, do you think unintended acceleration is in some way a new phenomenon? Think again. Can a Buick be worth $65K in 1980 dollars? Yes, according to C&D. Remember the Cadillac Cimarron? See here. Did Oldsmobile ever make a European-inspired sedan worthy of enthusiasts? Apparently, yes. The 1982 Olds Omega, built atop the X-car chassis. Can a lowly pickup truck from GMC outgun a bright red Ferrari? Sure can. How about when a 134-mph Ford was newsworthy?

Just for fun, we also analyzed a few trends in magazine covers. It seems that high-priced exotics were nearly always worthy of being shot with an equally tantalizing female model. See here, here, here and here. And, though there are rare exceptions, Japanese cars didn’t necessarily get models unless you count robot ninjas and samurais. Oh, and there’s always room for a little misplaced patriotism, right?

All of this raises an interesting question. What’s the blogging equivalent of a magazine cover? What will we all be waxing poetic about 30 years from now when we look back at Autoblog? Whatever the case, check out our gallery of awesome (or sometimes not) magazine covers below, and be sure to kill an hour or two over at Coverbrowser.com when you’re done. Got any favorites of your own? Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves in the Comments section.

[Source: Coverbrowser.com]

In Pictures: Celebrating the art of the magazine cover originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Episode 1 of Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing Series hits the interwebs cinema

Posted by admin on Mar 12, 2010

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

As Chevrolet Corvette Racing team heads into its first full season of competition in the American Le Mans Series GT2 class, the first full episode of a new General Motors video series chronicling their journey has been posted on YouTube. The 12-part series will follow the team as it gets ready for the nine race series as well as the annual June treck to Le Mans for the 24 Hours.

Episode one begins with a look back at where 2009 left off. On the final corner of the final lap of the Laguna Seca race last October, Jan Magnussen slammed into a retaining wall with a 57 g impact after making contact with one of the Flying Lizards Porsches.

As soon as the cars returned to the team’s Wixom, MI shop, the crew set about getting ready for 2010 including preparing for the all-new 5.5-liter V8. First, though, they had to rebuild the #3 C6.R. Check out the first episode of the series after the jump.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Episode 1 of Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing Series hits the interwebs cinema

Video: Episode 1 of Chevrolet’s Corvette Racing Series hits the interwebs cinema originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Väth V58 turns up the wick on Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG to the tune of 565 HP

Posted by admin on Mar 12, 2010

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Europe, Mercedes-Benz

The Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG is already a fierce little roadster, what with its 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 cranking out 355 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. But for those who want something a bit more bonkers, the folks at Väth have just the solution, by way of the V58 - an SLK55-based beastie that produces - get ready - 565 hp and 568 lb-ft, gains of 210 and 192, respectively. Holy moly.

How does such a thing come to life? Väth starts by upping the Merc’s engine displacement to 5.8 liters and adding things like a new compressor, new pistons, high-grade steel catalysts, a sport air filter and much more. In addition to these mechanical tweaks, the engine’s electronics have been re-calibrated, and the end result is an SLK that will max out at 193 mph. To manage all of that added power, a new set of high-performance brakes have been added up front. Vath also offers a locking differential and a new fuel cooler as optional upgrades.

Other exterior changes include hot new 19-inch wheels and a custom suspension that can be lowered anywhere from 20 to 65 millimeters, depending on user specification. An aerodynamic package is also on hand, featuring a front lip and rear diffuser made of carbon fiber. Inside, Väth has added the usual decorative touches to the climate control system, ashtray, shift gate, shift knob, door coatings and seat adjustment controls.

Naturally, all of this extra kit comes at substantial cost, and for all of the upgrades that we’ve listed, you’ll need to shell out €55,512 (that’s just over $75,900 based on current exchange rates). For that price, you could buy two SLK55s and tie them together, but there’s no doubt that the Väth creation would provide buckets and buckets of fun. Hit the jump for the full details in Väth’s press release and check out our high-res gallery below.

[Source: Väth]

Continue reading Väth V58 turns up the wick on Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG to the tune of 565 HP

Väth V58 turns up the wick on Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG to the tune of 565 HP originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 3.11.10

Posted by admin on Mar 12, 2010

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 3.11.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi recalls 2004 Endeavor, 2010 Galant

Posted by admin on Mar 12, 2010

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, SUV, Recalls, Safety, Mitsubishi, Off-Road

Mitsubishi is recalling both the 2004 Endeavor SUV and 2010 Galant sedan over possible corrosion issues that could cause flammable fluids to leak. The safety recall affects approximately 56,113 Endeavors and 2,307 Galants across the United States.

The Endeavors in question are those that were originally sold or currently registered in states where road salt is used to clear away snow and ice in the winter. According to NHTSA, road salt, mixed with other debris, can become trapped between the Endeavor’s fuel filler pipe and a reinforcing bracket, which can cause corrosion and potentially a fuel leak. As for the Galant, the automatic transmission oil cooler pipe on some vehicles may have insufficient corrosion-preventing plating. If so, this pipe can develop a hole, meaning transmission fluid can potentially seep out.

The official safety recalls begin in March for the Galant and July for the Endeavor, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. Owners can contact Mitsubishi at 1-800-222-0037 for more information regarding either recall. Click through the jump to read the full details in NHTSA’s press releases.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Mitsubishi recalls 2004 Endeavor, 2010 Galant

Mitsubishi recalls 2004 Endeavor, 2010 Galant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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