Car Blog

BMW released some details about the 2011 X3 over the internet and also dropped some camouflaged photos. With the introduction of the X1 in Europe, the German carmaker is giving the X3 some additional cabin space so we can expect the 2011 X3 to be a bit longer and wider than its current version you see on the roads.

Although the new X3 is bigger, the vehicle slimmed down a bit by 55 pounds giving it some thumbs up to the fuel economy department. BMW also made the steering of the 2011 X3 electric instead of the pneumatic type to decease the drag on the powerplant.

Consumers can not expect surprises when they pop up the hood. Buyers in the UK will be able to select from 4 engine variants. The petrol engines will be marketed as a 3.0L naturally aspirated 6-cylinder with an ouput of 268 bhp and a twin turbocharged version that gives out 302 bhp. The bigger chunk of sales in the UK though will be on the diesel variants. One will have the 2.0L 4-cylinder diesel powerplant that gives out 181 bhp and the other will be the stronger 3.0L diesel engine that outputs 241 bhp.

BMW is also planning to add more engine options in the line up including an ActiveHybrid variant on the drawing board.

The entry level unit will have its engine paired with the 6-speed Getrag manual transmission while the rest gets the 8-speed automatic gearbox with a stop-start system.

BMW also equips the new X3 with a new steering system that uses mechanical-electric technology from Thryssen Krup replacing the ZF hyrdraulic system of its older sibling.

The 2011 X3 will also get VDC or variable damping controls to improve its ride.

A year ago, the USA’s auto industry, along with the rest of the economy, was at its lowest point. To worsen the situation, Americans wanted to wash their hands off the bail out. They have reason to, having just gone through pricier loans mandated by the country’s leading lenders. Still, President Obama with the country’s Auto Task Force decided to tighten their belts and aid Chrysler and General Motors through the bankruptcy (also thanks to the Cash for Clunkers program).

While this move provided the two manufacturers with $50 billion worth of loans, and kept a lot of employees off the streets, the fiscal and political costs were pretty high. Before this move, the Congressional Budget Office and the Treasury Department of the United States already estimated a total of $30 billion in losses.

According to Detroit News, the White House seems more optimistic about the money and the industry a year after that rough estimate. This is probably borne of the positive note in President Obama’s report regarding Chrysler’s operating profit and GM’s early pay off. The figures were friendly and the bail out was a success, White house reported. The latest projection by the Treasury Department and DOT decreased from $30 billion to $8 billion. While it’s significantly less than the predicted losses a year ago, America will still lose money.

The US government will now be focusing on getting that money back once GM releases its offering to the public. It is rumored that the company will be doing just that by June this year. The US Government currently owns 60.8% of General Motors.

Infiniti announced recently that they will be releasing special Anniversary Editions of the 2010 G37 sedan, convertible, and coupe. The sedan will have 350 unit run while the convertible and coupe will only have 200 units rolling out of their factories. These anniversary editions will go on sale in the United States by mid April.

Each of the G37 special anniversary edition will be painted with a Graphite Shadow finish. The black grille is contrasted by the red leathers of the interior for the sedan variant. The convertible and the coupe get some maple hues for the interior. All editions are lined with aluminum trim.

Under the hood of the Infiniti anniversary edition G37 is a V-6 3.7L engine that is coupled with an automatic transmission with a 7-speed configuration.

The designers also installed alloy wheels, chin spoilers, and redesigned sills for the coupe and the convertible. The coupe and the sedan sports a rear spoiler. All of the models make use of 4-wheel active steering except for the all wheel drive sedan.

The Infiniti G37 Anniversary Edition has the following prices: Sedan for $43,350; coupe kicks off at $50,550; the convertible goes for $54,900.

Mercedes-Benz recently announced that they are planning to field a small SUV and a compact vehicle to their market in the United States but they have not decided on the timing of the release.

The SUV and the hatchback will be deriving its DNA from the next gen of B Class that is scheduled to debut in Europe before the end of 2011.

Benz executives hint of a stylish sedan that will roll out to their dealerships in Europe as part of the B Class vehicles that they are also considering for the US.

The schedule for the US release is not yet determined because of exchange rate issues. The carmaker though notes that the US car buyers are ready for their premium compact car. They might also inject alternative engine options for the B Class when they introduce it to the US. Mercedes Benz is considering fuel cell or electric plug in versions for the new cars.

Land Rover announced this week that it will be rolling out a new SUV by the second half of 2011. The SUV will derive its lines from the LRX concept that we will see at the upcoming motor show in Paris this fall. It will make its debut in the U.S. during the Los Angeles Auto Show in December.

The details of the SUV were not yet revealed during a breakfast meeting with Land Rover dealers in Orlando, Florida. Without the details, the tag price of the new Land Rover LRX is not yet determined. The LRX is expected to widen the market base of the brand especially since it will also be the most efficient of the cars in the Land Rover garage.

Official photos were released by the car manufacturer and we have hits that it will be coming out with diesel, gasoline, and hybrid variants.

The hybrid and gasoline LRX will head to the United States while the diesel version might be offered in the European market.

The production of the 2011 Chevrolet Orlando is already in the pipeline and with their crossover compact ready for roll out, General Motors turns its eye on their truck spin off for the GMC. The new crossover for GMC came in the form of GMC Granite concept during the Detroit Auto Show.

The GMC Granite is dubbed by the carmaker as an urban-industrial wagon designed specifically for young professionals. The Granite has gets its styling lines from all over the GMC range, and it has some similarities to other successful wagons like the Scion xB and the 2010 Kia Soul.

The designer of the Granite compares the vehicle to an urban loft and true enough it has its modernist feel—tall headlamps, almost a vertical rear, truckish grille, and other details for the interior dominated by suede and cream shaded plastic.

The GMC Granite concept is linked to the Chevrolet Orlando by the 138 horsepower 4-cylinder 1.4L engine which is coupled with 6-speed automatic gearbox.

The Cadillac designers and engineers get the green light to produce the V version of the recently unveiled 2010 CTS Sports Wagon. General Motors will be going after the wagon versions of German marque like the Mercedes Benz, Audi, and the BMW.

The news first popped on the Twitter page of InsideLine without revealing the name of the GM insider tipster, the confirmation of the news item is said to be accurate and the CTS-V sportwagon is well on its way to the assembly line. So Cadillac fans are rejoicing with the availability of the CTS from the sporty coupe to a functional wagon.

The most likely target of the Cadillac sport wagon will be Europe where there is a big market for stylish wagons. The CTS-V can help the American brand build a following in Europe and widen their global customer base.

After six decades of conquering unimaginable terrains, the boxy do-it-all Defender by Land Rover is getting an update. The recognition for this automotive icon can be claimed anywhere in the globe and it is about time for the designers and engineers to pay homage to classic vehicle and give it a new look.

The team responsible for the new Defender is working with their drawing boards covered under the moniker Project Icon. The goal is to update the old Defender and apply principles of modern design to make its lines more appealing to today’s consumers. Land Rover wants to keep the vehicle simple and preserve its capability for which the Defender is known for.

The new Defender might avoid the aluminum body but instead borrow some concept from the rugged steel body works of the Range Rover and the Discovery. Most of its current siblings in the garage are going for the lighter aluminum but the ruggedness of the Defender might just be calling for a harder shell.

It will initially be assembled in England but the car maker has plans to spread production in China, India, and Russia.

It is never easy to find the right vehicle insurance and when you’re dealing with a vintage limousine then the search becomes even more difficult. Much of the limousine insurance policy will be based on how and if you use your vintage limousine and how much it is worth. Of course the limousine value has to be calculated so that the insurance will take into account that vintage vehicles increase in value each year and not lose it.

There are many important things to keep in mind when it comes to auto insurance for vintage limousines. If you aren’t careful in what kind of insurance and coverage you choose, then if something happens you may find out the hard way that your bad decisions will result in you losing a lot of money. You will probably have to ask around before you even find insurance companies that even offer insurance for vintage limousine, because vintage coverage is just not something that every insurance company is involved with.

Insurance premiums will vary greatly between vintage limousines that are used for private purposes and those that are used for business purposes. The more you intend to drive, the higher the insurance premium will be. A vintage limousine that is used as part of a business will also need more coverage, higher insurance amounts and a premium that will cover the equity value. You need vintage car insurance – but on another level!

The make and features of the vintage limousine also influence the auto insurance policy. Since a vintage limousine is expensive to repair, you need good insurance that has little co-pay or you may end up spending a lot before the insurance will take over paying repairs from an accident.

The chances of road mishaps if you are driving in Chattanooga, Fort Collins, or Sioux Falls are a lot lower compared to other metro areas in the United States.

In Sioux Falls, drivers will have an interval of 13.5 years in between road accidents. That is about 2.5 times longer than the 5.1 years of safely driving in Washington, D.C.

The figures are based on the study made annually by Allstate. The survey coined “America’s Most Improved Driving City” looks into the collision frequency in the 200 biggest cities in the U.S.

This year the cities of Arlington, Texas, Lexington-Fayette in Kentucky, and Alexandria, Virginia are considered the most improved placed to drive in this year. Comparing the list last year, oddly, 5 cities in Virginia also got in.

The mid portion of the mainland U.S. seems to be a safer zone for drivers. These cities which often have slippery roads during winter ironically top the list. Some New Jersey cities on the other hand are among the worst roads to drive on.

Among the bigger cities, Phoenix is considered as among the safest where the average is 8.8% above the average nationwide. On the other side of the coin, Washington D.C. is considered as among the riskiest roads of America together with other cities like San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.

Allstate uses their claim data collected in the last two years to analyze the chances of collisions on the roads of the different states.