Audi A7 confirmed for U.S. and S8 model in the works

2011 Audi A8 – Click above for high-res image gallery

At last week's tony Design Miami reveal of the 2011 A8 luxury cruiser, we were able to corner Johan de Nysschen, Audi's executive vice president in North America, and ask him for some tasty tibits on the brand's upcoming products, including the A8's sexier derivative, the A7.

In addition to giving us the first official confirmation of the A7's existence, de Nysschen revealed that the four-door coupe model will slot in "a little bit below" the new A8 in terms of pricing, just as we expected. Of course, it's worth noting that the 2011 A8 faces a price bump due to substantial increases in content and technology, so when the A7 finally comes to the States, the average model is likely to sticker at around $82,000-$83,000, which de Nysschen says is about the price for a typically equipped 2010 A8 (pricing starts at $74,550 plus delivery).

Based on Audi's new longitudinal modular platform technology, the A7 will be clearly related to the A8 (and the A6 replacement that will follow it), and de Nysschen says that the 2009 Detroit Auto Show Sportback concept car serves as a "very reliable indicator" of what the production model will look like. Judging by recent spy shots from our friends at KGP, that very much appears to be the case. While parts commonality will be "substantial," de Nysschen says that the A7 will not use the full aluminum spaceframe design of the A8, although it will have aluminum elements.

As expected, the A8 will launch Stateside in both standard and long-wheelbase formats, with the latter predicted to make up the lion's share of the volume (the A8L presently accounts for about 80 percent of the model's sales).

We asked De Nysschen about how the two models will interact in the full-size luxury sedan segment, and he noted that:

"This top end segment is characterized by more conservative people, and we need to clearly take lower levels of risk with a flagship model [the A8]. But we recognize too that there is a sizable enough cluster of customers in that same segment who are ready for a more avant-garde design [the A7]. So we will essentially be positioning two cars into the same segment, which means that independently, the volume each attains is not that significant, but when you put them together, it will mean that our share of that segment will grow quite dramatically."

All-in De Nysschen thinks that the A8 will account for about 4,000 to 5,000 sales per year in the U.S., and the less costly A7 could clear 7,000-8,000 additional units.

And what of a high-performance S8 to take on Mercedes-Benz's AMG lineup, or the A5 Sportback? Click through to the jump for more details.

2011 Audi A8: Live from Miami

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1962 Corvette C1-RS is a worthy Goodguys Street Machine of the Year

1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1-RS - Click above for a high-res image gallery

It takes a lot to win the the Goodguys Street Machine of the Year award, but this custom 1962 Corvette convertible you see here easily deserves the honor. The car not only looks incredible, but it posted the fastest time at the Goodguys autocross track as well! Every single one of the body panels on the car has been modified, and the majority of the components are constructed either of aluminum or carbon fiber.

Powering the C1-RS is an LS7 V8 putting out more than 600 horsepower, but we were most impressed with the eight carbon fiber intake trumpets on either side of the engine that bring air into the intake manifold. The interior was beautifully crafted as well, with a custom fabricated aluminum dash and console and Alcantara and leather seats. Check out the high-res gallery below to see all the details yourself, or follow the jump to read more about the car.

1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1-RS

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ABC News caught up with Toyota Vice President Yukitoshi Fun

Remember Toyota's massive 3.8 million unit unintended acceleration recall that was attributed to pesky floor mats? It appears defective floor mats doesn't tell the whole story, as the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared in a statement that "this (unintended acceleration) matter is not closed," adding "removal of the floor mats is simply an interim measure, not a remedy of the underlying defect in the vehicles."

Up to 2,000 Toyota customers claim to have experienced a sudden surge of acceleration, and some reportedly told ABC News that they didn't even have the recalled floor mats in their vehicles. Even more disturbing are the results of an ABC News investigation that reportedly found "hundreds" of accidents and up to 16 deaths as a result of unintended acceleration.

Four of those deaths occurred in August when an off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer, traveling with his wife, daughter and brother in-law, were killed after their Lexus accelerated uncontrollably. The driver's brother in-law called 911 and said that the brakes didn't work before the vehicle reached an intersection, struck another car, went into a ditch and caught fire. Some Toyota owners feel there is an electronic glitch in the system that controls the throttle and the ABC report shows that there is some anecdotal evidence which illustrates that incidents rose after the system was put into place in 2002, but so far, NHTSA has found no evidence to support those claims after six investigations.

ABC News caught up with Toyota Vice President Yukitoshi Funo (pictured second from left) and asked him if Toyota was covering anything up. Funo replied "It is not part of the Toyota culture and Toyota way to cover up anything," adding that the Japanese automaker is working with NHTSA to come up with an agreement on how to proceed going forward.

If you own a Toyota or Lexus and you are concerned about this issue, it appears that there is little that will be done in the short term other than tie down or remove the floor mats. If you do experience the acceleration issue, Consumer Reports suggests shifting your vehicle into neutral, pressing the brake and holding it down in an effort to bring your vehicle to a stop. This post and video from CR demonstrates how to effectively resolve the situation, and the risks of pumping the brakes. Turning off your vehicle could be a bad idea, as turning off the engine will also result in the loss of power steering and power brakes.

Grunewald Racing Camaro sets its sights on 2010 Formula Drift season

2010 Grunewald Racing Camaro - Click above for high-res image gallery

Conrad Grusewald has been an occasional participant in the Formula Drift series for the past several years with a supercharged C5 Corvette as his vehicle of choice for piloting around clipping points and narrowly missing concrete barriers while in opposite lock. For the 2010 season, however, he plans to step up the efforts with an all new 2010 Camaro built specifically as a drift car with Hankook Tire as the lead sponsor.

In addition to providing the Camaro for Grusewald, Chevrolet also pitched in an LS-A crate motor from GM Performance Parts that should produce more than 600 horsepower at the wheels. The car also features an Eibach suspension, carbon fiber body panels from Seibon, Forgeline aluminum wheels and more. Expect to see more of this car when the Formula Drift season starts in April, but until then you'll have to settle for our gallery of high-res photos below.

Grunewald Racing Camaro

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Renault board considering following Toyota out of F1

Things have never been this bad for the Renault F1 team. Their performance is light-years behind where it used to be, their star driver is bolting once again, their top management has been thrown out of the sport in disgrace, and its biggest sponsors are leaving en masse. And now, following months if not years of speculation, the French automaker could be preparing to cut its losses and shut down its racing team altogether.

Reports indicate that Renault's board of directors is currently weighing its options, with possibilities including maintaining its full participation in the series, reverting to acting as an engine supplier for other teams (like Red Bull), or following Toyota and BMW out of the sport before next season. However reports that the FIA is considering taking legal action against Toyota for breach of contract which locked the company into the series through 2012 could make the decision a little more difficult.

The anticipation must be especially gut-wrenching for Robert Kubica, who just signed with Renault for next season after BMW Sauber exited the series. One way or another, the company is expected to announce its decision in the coming days.

Introduction to Karting - Part 2 2009

Welcome to the second installment of our Introduction to Karting series. Hopefully the first piece piqued your interest with tales of tiny machines pulling 3 g in the corners then hitting 60 in under three seconds on their way up to over 140 MPH. (Well over, as it turns out; one commenter indicated he hit an indicated 156 this season.) That kind of performance is unequaled outside of top-level formula motorsport, yet is available to anyone with some disposable income and a passion for going quick.

However, karting isn't for everyone so suitably endowed. The physical demands placed on a kart racer are hard to comprehend until you're in a fast turn, holding your breath because you can't inhale, feeling like your head is going to fly off and land somewhere in the pits. Chances are it won't, but whether or not you can withstand that while maintaining a good racing line and keeping an eye on a swarm of opponents is an important thing to find out before breaking out the charge card. The best way is, of course, to try it, and given the big up-front cost to buy a kart, a rental is the way to go.

To get our first real experience we signed up for an afternoon's racing school. We walked the track, worked with multiple instructors, got a lot of advice, had an impromptu race, and stuck it out for way more seat time than was probably advisable for a newbie. How'd we do? Read on to find out, and see some videos of our on (and, occasionally, off) track antics.

GM marketing boss Mark LaNeve apparently unaware that diesel is now cheaper than gas 2009

Over the last several years, we've heard a lot of excuses from many auto executives as to why their companies aren't offering diesel engines in their American market cars. Yesterday, General Motors' Mark LaNeve, the company's vice president of sales and marketing, made an appearance on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. The final question of the segment came from a viewer wondering why GM has failed to offer U.S. consumers the chance to buy some of the high-mileage diesel cars it offers in Europe.

It would appear that LaNeve might have done better to take a pass on the question. Instead of talking about the cost of making those diesels meet U.S. emissions regulations or the difficulty in helping Americans overcome the misconceptions about the fuel, he claimed that no one has successfully cracked the diesel passenger nut in the U.S. (which based on VW's May sales appears to be wrong). More startlingly, LaNeve went on to claim that diesel is $1.25 a gallon more expensive than gasoline. According to the Energy Information Agency, the national average for diesel this week is $2.35 / gallon while regular gas is $2.52 or $0.17 more than diesel. Admittedly, the fact that diesel is now cheaper than 87 octane gas is a recent development (a trend that nobody is sure how long it will last), but – going on national television and quoting outdated fuel prices as a reason for your bankrupt company's business decisions... well, that doesn't strike us as a terribly hot idea.

You can hear the question and response at 20:30 into the video replay over at C-SPAN.

Nissan Announces New 2009 Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR -- New Model Offers

2009 Nissan Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR - Click above for a high-res gallery

These days, many have seen their discretionary income fall faster than a ZR1's fuel gauge at full gallop. Recognizing this fact, Nissan has responded with a new iteration of the Sentra for 2009 called, rather cryptically, the FE+ 2.0 SR. On the surface, the new SR looks like the high-spec SE-R model – which itself has given up a bit of performance in the name of comfort and convenience over the last few years – with sporty front and rear fascias, a rear spoiler, smoked head- and tail-lamps and 16-inch alloy rims.

Despite its sporty appearance, this model's main purpose in life is to save on fuel bills. Under the hood lies the standard Sentra's 140-horsepower 2.0-liter four-banger, as opposed to the SE-R's enlarged 2.5-liter mill. When mated to the standard CVT transmission, Nissan is estimating that the SR will return 26 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway, which is a slight improvement over last year's 25/33 with the same powertrain combination.

The new SR will carry an MSRP of $17,760 (all prices plus $695 destination fee), which matches the price of the carry-over S model. Also available will be a base FE+ for $16,730, an up-level SL for $19,660 and the SE-R for $20,660. The top-rung SE-R Spec V will go for $21,160 and will be available solely with a 200-horsepower 2.5L mated to a manual transmission. Head past the break for the full press release.

Gallery: 2009 Nissan Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR

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PRESS RELEASE:

NISSAN ANNOUNCES NEW 2009 SENTRA FE+ 2.0 SR

Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) today announced an expansion of the popular Nissan Sentra line-up with the addition of a sport-styled Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR model. The Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR is scheduled to go on sale at Nissan retailers nationwide beginning on April 17, 2009. The Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)* of $17,760, the same price as the Sentra FE+ 2.0 S model. The full 2009 Sentra lineup now features seven models, ranging from the entry-level Sentra FE+ 2.0 to the performance-oriented Sentra SE-R Spec V.

"With so much attention being paid to high value, high mileage vehicles like Sentra today, we want to offer customers a range of choices within the lineup – so they can find the perfect level of equipment, sportiness and performance to fit their needs and budgets," said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, NNA.

The new Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR was created in response to customer demand for a sportier looking Sentra without going all the way up to the high-performance Sentra SE-R and Sentra SE-R Spec V models. The "SR" starts with a standard Sentra 2.0 S and adds sport-inspired exterior enhancements, including SE-R-style front and rear fascias, side sills and rear spoiler; sport grille; dark chrome bezel headlights and dark smoked bezel taillights; 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels; exhaust finisher; and "SR" trunk lid badge. It is available in six exterior colors, including the limited Sentra SE-R/SE-R Spec V colors, and will be offered with a Charcoal cloth interior.

Along with a range of models, the 2009 Sentra is available with a choice of two engines and two transmissions. All models except the SE-R and SE-R Spec V are equipped with a fuel-efficient 140-horsepower (135 hp CAL emissions) 16-valve 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine. Estimated fuel economy is 34 mpg Highway/26 mpg City (Sentra FE+ 2.0-liter with CVT).

The 2009 Nissan Sentra SE-R and Sentra SE-R Spec V models feature sporty styling, enhanced performance and additional standard equipment (versus non-SE-R models) and a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine (rated at 177 horsepower in the SE-R and 200 horsepower in the SE-R Spec V). Available Sentra transmissions choices (depending on model) are the advanced Xtronic CVT™ (Continuously Variable Transmission) and 6-speed manual.

"We've been inviting customers to take a closer look at Sentra for its value, style and performance. Now we're adding one more reason – more choice," said Castignetti.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

2009 Nissan Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR: A sportier entry-level Sentra

Customers have been demanding a sportier looking Sentra without having to go all the way up to the top high-performance Sentra SE-R and Sentra SE-R Spec V models. Well, Nissan has listened to their demands and today it unveiled the new entry-level sport-styled 2009 Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR.

Power comes from a 2.0L DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine making a total of 135-hp. Estimated fuel-economy comes in at 26/34 mpg (city/highway). In comparison, the Sentra SE-R and the SE-R Spec V are powered by a 2.5L 4-cylinder unit making 177-hp and 200-hp respectively.

The 2009 Nissan Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR will go on sales at Nissan dealers nationwide starting April, 17. Pricing will start at $17,760.

Make the jump for the press release and the high-res image gallery.

2009 Nissan Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR:

New 2009 Nissan Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR announced (details + photos)

Nissan has announced a new version of the Sentra called FE+ 2.0 SR for 2009MY. The new SR looks like the high-performance and more comfort SE-R model. Main change is active front and rear fascias, a rear spoiler, smoked tail-lamps and 16-inch alloy rims.

Despite its sporty appearance, this perfect’s main point in life is to horde on fuel bills. Under the covering deception the accepted Sentra’s 140-horsepower 2.0-liter four-banger, as opposed to the SE-R’s enlarged 2.5-liter grate. When mated to the stock CVT transmission, Nissan is estimating that the SR will replace 26 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway, which is an offend improvement over last year’s 25/33 with the same powertrain combination.

Read more (details + photos)!!

The new Nissan SR will carry a MSRP of $17,760, which matches the penalty of the take-over S mode. Also unfilled will be a source FE+ for $16,730, an up-smooth SL for $19,660 and the SE-R for $20,660. The top-rung SE-R Spec V will go for $21,160 and will be available solely with a 200-horsepower 2.5L with a manual transmission.

2009 Nissan Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR - Car News

We’re huge fans of “sleeper” vehicles here at C/D. You know, cars like the 507-hp Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG wagon that can assassinate an Audi R8 while taking the kids to soccer practice. However, some automakers choose to let their vehicles venture in the opposite direction, where looking formidable trumps having the actual gusto to back up a flashy exterior. Enter Nissan’s 2009 Sentra FE+ 2.0 SR.

Forget the alphabet-soup name, because all you need to know is the SR is nothing more than a standard Sentra 2.0 S trim gussied up in SE-R-style drag. The SR adds most of the exterior enhancements from the SE-R, including front and rear fascias, side skirts, rear spoiler, grille, and smoked taillight bezels, to complete a sporty look without the dynamic spunk or price. It’s even available in several unique SE-R and SE-R Spec V colors, but retains the standard 140-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder, mated to either a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission.

The SR will carry a base price of $18,455 when sales start in mid-April, bringing the wide-ranging Sentra family to seven members. It should score well with buyers solely focused on turning heads, so remove the SR badge from the trunk and your friends might never know it’s not a real SE-R.