Although the Corvette Grand Sport isn't exactly brand new, there could be a few things you've yet to learn about it and see it do. Who better to fill in those gaps in your yellow-Corvette education than Ron Fellows, multiple ALMS champion and Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona winner. Even if you're not crazy about the GS, there's that whole fast car doing fast things aspect, probably a lesson none of us mind repeating. Follow the jump to watch the vid. Hat tip to Aamir!

[Source: Chevrolet]

Read more →

Toyota engineers in Japan have apparently replicated the lift-throttle oversteer problem recently found by Consumer Reports on the new 2010 Lexus GX460 and are working on a fix. Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong has confirmed the existence of the handling problem to The New York Times.

According to the NYT, as soon as CR discovered the problem, they contacted Toyota and worked with the automaker to make sure it understood the organization's test conditions. The engineers in Japan are currently trying to understand the root cause and come up with a robust solution.

For now, Toyota has stopped selling the GX globally until a corrective action is identified, and owners in the field can get loaner vehicles from their dealers until their SUVs are repaired. The solution could end up being either hardware changes or software updates to the stability control, or a combination thereof. For more on the testing and what might be causing the oversteer problem, check out our in-depth analysis.

[Source: The New York Times]

While GT1 cars have faded away from the American Le Mans Series, they're still running strong in other parts of the world. The 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship kicks off a 10-race series this weekend in Abu Dhabi with two dozen cars signed up, including a quartet of Maserati MC12s. The Maseratis are the defending GT1 champions and this year's new series will see them challenged by Ford GTs, Nissan GT-Rs, Lamborghini Murcielagos, Aston Martin DB9s and ex-works Chevy Corvettes.

The format for this year's events has been changed from a single two-hour race to a pair of one-hour sprints. Four events will be held outside Europe, including this weekend's races and December's season finale in Argentina.

[Source: Maserati, FIA]

Read more →

Formula Drift kicked off the 2010 season last weekend with its 5th annual Streets of Long Beach event on turns 9, 10, and 11 of the Grand Prix course that'll see ALMS and IndyCar action this weekend. Our man Michael Harley's GSR Autosport team faced plenty of adversity in its inaugural event, and it was the more seasoned (and well funded) teams that fared better.

At the end of the knockout stages, Vaughn Gittin Jr., in his new 2011 Mustang sponsored by Falken Tire and Monster Energy Drink, stood atop the podium. This is Gittin's best ever start to a season, with his last win coming at Irwindale in 2008. Rounding out the top three were Rhys Millen in his Hyundai Genesis Coupe in second and Tanner Foust in his NASCAR V8-powered Scion tC in third.

Vaughn was nice enough to send over video of his victorious drifting runs that includes some fantastic in-car footage. Hit the jump to watch, and be sure to turn up the volume!


[Source: Vimeo]

Read more →

Way back in 2005, General Motors decided it needed a small four-door sedan in order for Cadillac to compete in Europe. The end result? The Cadillac BLS. The car was little more than seriously restyled Saab 9-3 (itself an already aging model), and since most Europeans are neither blind nor ignorant, the car didn't fare well in a market loaded with goods from the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It was scrapped after a mere four years of production.

As usual, there's a little more to the story than that. According to Ny Teknik, GM stuck Saab with the cost of reworking the 9-3 into a Cadillac to the tune of around $140 million after the model tanked. The site quotes Jan-Åke Jonsson, the managing director of Saab, as saying that being out from under GM control will have its advantages. Yeah, we can see how he might feel that way. Top tip, Tom!

[Source: Ny Teknik via Saabs United]

It appears Toyota just can't shake the recall bug. Since last fall, Toyota has issued massive recalls for floor mats, stuck pedals, Prius brakes, Tundra frame rust and now the Japanese automaker's minivan is getting in on the act. Toyota has announced that it will voluntarily recall 600,000 of its 1998-2010 Sienna minivans for corrosion on the spare tire cable. A Toyota press release on the subject tells us that the cable may rust to the point where "the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash."

The primary cause of the corrosion stems from road salt used to combat ice. The recall covers vehicles in the northern states listed in the post-jump press release, though Toyota says it will inspect the spare tire cable on vehicles from states not affected by the recall as well.

At this point, Toyota admits it is still working on a solution to the rusted cable problem. If your Sienna is affected by the recall, you will receive a notice from the automaker to head to a dealer for inspection. Once Toyota comes up with a proper fix, customers will receive a second notice advising Sienna owners of the remedy. We're thinking two trips to the dealer is less than ideal, but then again we're sure most customers aren't interested in having their spare tire fall out during rush hour traffic. Hit the jump to read over the Toyota press release. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Toyota]

Read more →

Remember when sex was safe and motorcycles were dangerous? Longtime two-wheel fanatics may recall the stern warnings from our concerned fathers regarding the single most dangerous part on your very first motorcycle. No, not the nut behind the bars - the burning-hot exhaust pipe. Pop-rocking, motorcycle-riding, all-around bad girl Pink apparently didn't get the memo. The singer suffered the dreaded "pipe burn" during a recent ride aboard hubby and freestyle motocross legend Carey Hart's bike.

Will the singer allow the mishap to put the brakes on her passion for motorcycles, or the men who ride them? Not likely, as she was in good spirits soon afterward, even poking fun at the accident via Twitter. She was quoted as saying, "burnt my leg on hubby's pipes," following that up with a statement that sparked a bit of controversy: "burns are no fun. Hot pipes aren't either. At least not that kind."

We're not going to take a stab at what she's referencing there. Let's just hope Pink's not in too much pain to perform another semi-nude acrobatic routine in time for next year's Grammy awards, and is ready to tear up the streets on on her favorite Triumph again soon.

[Source:Clutch and Chrome | Image: Trico-AlphaX/X17online.com]

One good way to hide the next Dodge Charger from spy photographers is to keep it out of the usual venues. Perhaps that's why it's been spotted again testing in Europe wearing heavy camouflage. We've seen this car (and its interior) in roughly the same state of dress before, but not in Europe.

With Fiat's heavy stake in Chrysler, it's even a bit more logical to find a Dodge under development on The Continent. Head-scratching aside, what's in store? Nothing radical, it would appear. The biggest changes are likely to be to the grille and lamp clusters, with the former growing in size, and the latter getting an infusion of LEDs. The basic shape under all that black cloth is the familiar LX-car form. Bodyside surface detailing is hidden, though there are rumors of some cues being exhumed from the 1960s Chargers. We'll have to wait until the wraps come off before we confirm or deny the new retro themes.


[Source: CarPix]

Looks like we were spot on in our assessment of what we happened to catch out testing near Disneyland in California. As we suspected, the car in question is the next-generation Hyundai Accent, a fact you can clearly discern by comparing our spy shots and an earlier Korean "naked" shot with the two images in our gallery below from auto.ifeng.com.

As you can see, the next-gen Accent takes on a mini-Sonata look, with a heavily-rounded, arcing greenhouse, a prominent chrome-topped grille, and deeply-sculpted sheetmetal everywhere in between. Note also the absolutely massive headlights situated above squared-off fog lamps.

Still second-guessing what you may be gazing at? Take a closer look at the decklid. From what we can tell, the badge on the right reads Verna - that's the Accent's moniker in some foreign markets (including South Korea). See for yourself in our image gallery below. Thanks for the tip, Rudy!



[Source: auto.ifeng.com via GenCoupe Forums]

If you're into classic cars and vintage rallies, you know the Mille Miglia, but you likely haven't heard of the Lormarins 1200. Not yet, at least, because it was just announced and has yet to take place. Unlike the Mille Miglia, upon which it's modeled, the Lormarins 1200 is a new event and not a revival. The inaugural running is scheduled for October in South Africa's Western Cape wine region, and to announce it, organizers brought out the big guns.

Former F1 world champion Jody Scheckter took the wheel of a 1952 Jaguar C-Type and lead a £10 million convoy of classics through London's Mayfair district. South Africa's ambassador in London, Dr. Zola Skweiyiya, rode shotgun. They were joined by a 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C Monza and a 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France – one of only seven ever made. But that's nothing compared to the 40 to 50 cars expected to take part in the full rally. In the meantime, you can check out the details in the press release after the jump and the photos in the gallery below.



[Source: Lormarins 1200]

Read more →