Toyota responds to concerned owners

2010 Toyota Camry – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you didn't think that Toyota has been getting a lot of 'unintended acceleration' questions from concerned customers, this might change your mind. The Japanese automaker has posted a short release on the company's media website called "Why is my car doing this?" that explains how technology in cars today can "cause engine rpm to increase slightly without warning." The informative little missive explains how cold start idle-up, transmission shift, catalytic converter protection, air conditioning idle-up and power steering idle up can raise the pulse of your engine.

We were hoping that the rest of the world already knew that, for example, jamming the A/C when it is hot will cause the engine to rev a bit higher, or that starting your vehicle when it's cold outside will cause the engine to race for a few minutes. Guess not. Our favorite example is for protection of the catalytic converter. Toyota tells us that, on manual transmission models, the engine control computer will "keep the engine rpm above idle as the driver shifts between fifth and sixth gear at high speeds" to prolong the life of the emissions component.

While the list of reasons your engine may idle may sound incredibly obvious, it suggests that some customers are a bit skittish every time they turn on their Toyota, and that can't be good. Hit the jump to read for yourself.

Wiesmann MF5 exiting production as BMW V10

Wiesmann MF5 Roadster – Click above for high-res image gallery

It's not easy to build a car without an engine. Shocking news, we know, but it has major ramifications for small boutique automakers that don't have the resources to design and manufacture powerplants of their own. One such company is Wiesmann, which has historically relied on engines from German automaker BMW.

As you may know, Wiesmann's top-level MF5 borrows the same V10 engine that BMW uses in its M5 and M6. As good a choice as any other, no? Problem is, those models are currently being phased out and production has just come to an end... and that includes those V10 engines we were just talking about.

And without an engine... well, you know the rest. It's not entirely clear what Wiesmann is going to do moving forward – and our trusty Google Translator is having a hard time deciphering exactly what our German source is trying to say – but it seems the specialty car company may either cancel its MF5 entirely or attempt to switch over to BMW's new twin-turbo V8. We'll see.

*Update: Wiesmann reports back the following: Yes we stop producing the MF5 with the V10 engine but we will not stop the MF5 model. We are currently in discussion which engine we will take. It will surely be BMW but the details have not been decided yet.

Jaguar's 75th birthday party at Pebble Beach

Jaguar 75th Anniversary at Pebble Beach – Click above for high-res image gallery

We've already shown you that Jaguar was honored at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance with a dozen XK-SS roadsters showing up for the party, but there were other Jaguars on hand as well – lots and lots of remarkable Jags.

The history of Jaguar actually began almost 90 years ago when two young men hell-bent on motorcycle glory set up a small company to produce sidecars under the Swallow name in 1922. The younger of the two was William Lyons, who later became Sir William Lyons, mainly because Jaguar went on to bring Britain so much motoring glory. The sidecar business eventually turned into an automobile coachworks, with custom bodies on a bespoke Standard brand chassis that became know as the S.S.I. and S.S.II.

For the follow-up to those early S.S. models – Standard Swallow some think – Lyons had commissioned a new overhead-valve six-cylinder engine that was about 50 percent more powerful than the old side-valve engines they had been using. They put the new engine in a new chassis, enclosed it in the company's first four-door sedan body and Lyons personally chose what he thought was the most appropriate name from a list of choices given to him by his advertising people – Jaguar. On September 23, 1935, the company unveiled the SS Jaguar to London's assembled press. That car led to the short-wheelbase SS Jaguar 100 sports car that helped establish Jaguar's reputation for performance with its early racing success.

After World War II, the company decided to change its name to simply 'Jaguar,' dropping the newly infamous "S.S." label. The automaker also started focusing less on inexpensive sportscars for the homeland market, and more on luxurious models aimed at capturing rich American buyers. One way to do that was with new product and Lyons and his crew were cooking up a duesie – a new sportscar featuring a double overhead cam engine just like the race cars of the era. The goal was 160 horsepower from the engine's 3.4-liter capacity and a 120 mph top speed. That car was the iconic XK120 – "XK" for the engine and "120" for the car's top speed. That begat the XK140 and 150 and a whole slew of other legendary vehicles that bore the Jaguar name.

Some of the finest examples of Jaguar's pedigree were on hand at Pebble Beach on Sunday. Take a look in our high-res gallery below.

Hurst to offer custom personalization for modern muscle cars

Hurst personalized Dodge Challenger – Click above for image gallery

If you're like us, you certainly wouldn't mind being able to park a neo-Hurst muscle cars in your garage. Unfortunately, we'd have to sell the farm, most of our loved ones and a kidney or two just to lay claim to one of the company's individually-numbered bruisers. How 'bout some good news, then?

For a fraction of the cost of a gold-and-white beauty, Hurst will be more than happy to convert any new Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger or Ford Mustang into a genuine Hurst creation. All you need to do is have the vehicle delivered to the Hurst Garage in Irvine, California, pick which parts you want installed and let the shifting gurus take care of the rest.

Hurst will even go so far as to give each vehicle an individually numbered dash plaque and record the car's VIN for posterity. Customers can choose from suspension components, sport-tuned exhaust, wheels, spoilers and the like as well as the typical trick shifters. If you're planning on swapping in a few aftermarket parts on your new pony car, this would seem like a fine way to go about it.

Lotus accidentally confirms Evora automatic and S variants for Paris through email snafu

2010 Lotus Evora – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus seems to have quite a hit on its hands in the form of the Evora. We were quite taken with it ourselves when given the chance to put the car through its paces in Southern California, and we've yet to hear a nasty word uttered in its general direction. But that doesn't mean Lotus can't find a way to improve the breed yet further.

Apparently, a couple of those improvements are headed to the Paris Motor Show later this year. Buried within the automaker's stand will be both a hotted-up S version of the Evora and one bestowed with an automatic transmission. How do we know? Well, an errant email recently went out to everyone on Lotus' media list (ourselves included) that promised the two machines along with the other "new car(s) not yet announced."

As if the thought of a Lotus Evora S (forced induction?) and an automatic for the clutch averse among you wasn't enough, it seems the British specialists have plenty more up their well-tailored sleeves. There's been plenty of postulation regarding what else we may see – most notably the rumored return of the Esprit – but we're content to just take a wait-and-see attitude on this one. Paris just can't come soon enough.

G-Power tuned BMW M5 World's Fastest Sedan with 231 mph

G-Power M5 Hurricane RR – Click above for high-res image gallery

The mad scientists at G-Power have reworked the company's sinister M5 Hurricane into something even more impressive. Meet the M5 Hurricane RR – an 800 horsepower beast that G-Power claims is the fastest sedan in the world. The company started by plopping a new set of superchargers onto the M5 sedan's already potent BMW V10. With a theoretical capacity of 900 horsepower, each belt-driven supercharger delivers air to a single bank of the engine. According to the tuner, this configuration allows for 25 percent more air to enter the combustion chamber. The engine's internals have been completely reworked and balanced to handle all of that extra boost as well.

All of that mojo is good for a top speed of 231 mph on track, which the company says makes their matte monster the fastest four-door extant. If lofty top-speed numbers aren't your bag of tricks, maybe acceleration figures are. G-Power says that 0-60 mph takes around 4.35 seconds and 0-120 mph clicks by in 9.5 seconds. Yep, that's pretty darn quick for a two-ton sedan. Even better, G-Power will be more than happy to convert any old BMW M5 into the beast you see above, all for the low, low price of $71,780 – plus donor M5. Hit the jump for the full press release.

performance Honda's fix for prematurely dying Civic hybrid batteries hurting fuel economy

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Until the past year or so, the Civic Hybrid had been by far the best selling gas-electric model introduced by Honda. However, the second-generation model introduced in 2006 has not been entirely problem-free. There have been several lawsuits against Honda claiming that the Civic doesn't meet its advertised mileage claims. While those sort of claims are often dubious given their dependency on factors like driving style, climate and terrain, premature battery failures are not.

According to the Los Angeles Times, it appears that 2006-2008 Civic Hybrid models are suffering an abnormally high rate of battery failure at relatively low miles. The nickel-metal-hydride batteries are evidently prematurely losing their ability to hold a charge – particularly in hot weather areas like Arizona and when used in a lot of stop-and-go traffic. The Civic Hybrid has a dual compressor air-conditioning system with an engine driven primary compressor and a smaller electric compressor to keep the system going when the engine is shut during a stop. Using the air conditioning will cause the battery to go through more charge cycles, eventually wearing it down. Read on after the jump for more on why the battery might be failing and how Honda is attempting to address it.

Update: Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky let us know that the software updated for the 2006-8 Civics is based on the changes that were introduced for the refreshed 2009 models. The 2009 models apparently also got an updated battery but obviously that change isn't going into the older cars. The original 2006-8 models would spend a lot of time during hot weather use with the A/C on which apparently caused the charge cycling rate to increase wearing down the battery.

Update 2: Honda confirmed that the battery pack did change from 2008 to 2009 but its not clear exactly what was updated.

French automaker Renault encourages stripping for fun, profit

2011 Renault Wind – click above for high-res image gallery

If you happen live in the UK, Renault is offering you a chance to win one of its diminutive new Wind convertibles. All you or a friend has to do is strip down from "winter clothes" to a single layer of clothing on video in less than 12 seconds. Not coincidentally, the dozen seconds are how long it takes to flip the Wind's lid and go from closed coupe to open-top roadster.

Of course, it's not as simple as just shedding some clothes... because plenty of people will beat the timeline. Renault is also looking for some creativity in what the contestants wear, where they strip or who accompanies them. In order to encourage some spontaneity, Renault is even offering up a couple display screens in London and Manchester with a timer and the car opening up.

Once entrants have finished their videos, they can upload them to www.12secondstrip.co.uk or YouTube for judging. The winners will be selected by panel of judges after the contest closes on September 30. Want to get to strippin' yourself? Click past the break for all the details.

VW shows off 2011 CrossTouran Rally 'Round the Family

2011 Volkswagen CrossTouran – Click above for high-res image gallery

Volkswagen has now started taking orders for the new "outback" version of its European-market Touran MPV starting at €27,700 in Germany (that's around $35,500 USD). The CrossTouran joins the joins the CrossPolo and CrossGolf in the high-riding flared wheelarch segment. Longer springs lift the CrossTouran about 0.8 inches further off the pavement, letting driver and children play rally driver that much more convincingly.

Like its lower-riding siblings, the CrossTouran has an array of gas and diesel TSI and TDI inline-fours to choose from along an optional bi-fuel natural gas version. If Ford finds success with its similarly sized Grand C-Max next year and the slow-selling Chrysler-in-drag Routan is canceled, perhaps VW will bring over the Touran instead to flesh out its lineup. If the seven-seat Touran could be produced in Mexico along with the Jetta to bring the price down, such a move could have potential.

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

World-record breaking Bugatti Veyron Super Sport on the track – Click above for high-res image gallery

Oh what teases those Bugatti folks are. They brought the new Veyron Super Sport to Laguna Seca during classic car week here in Monterey... and did a parade lap at a pace about one-tenth of the car's record-breaking 268-mile per hour top speed. We never expected it to take to the track in anger, but getting out of first gear would've been nice. Despite the slow speeds, we captured a bit of video that we think you might like.

Bugatti also announced a few details about the Super Sport that we hadn't heard before. First, the SS will account for the final 40 Veyrons built in the car's 300-unit run. Second, owners of the Super Sport might be saddened to learn that the car is going to be limited to just 258 miles per hour, 10 mph short of the terminal velocity it reached to set the land speed record for a production car back in early July. Bugatti was a bit tight-lipped on why, so we're speculating it might be the tires. Actually it could be that the gas tank will now empty in 30 seconds while traveling at the car's top speed, but who knows.

Click through and you'll be able to see the black-and-orange SS leading the vintage Bugatti Grand Prix grid out of the pits as they form up for their Saturday race. We've also put together some still images of the über-Veyron during its visit to the track in the gallery below. Enjoy.

Porsche 918 Spyder moves under its own power in Monterey

Porsche 918 Spyder Concept at Pebble Beach – Click above for high-res image gallery

While we've heard rumblings that Porsche was going to show its hot new 918 Spyder Hybrid Concept here at Pebble Beach, it appeared that the car was only going to be shown to a select few at private events scattered around the Monterey Peninsula during the week.

Well, today at the Pebble Beach Lodge, site of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the company surprised us by driving the hybrid supercar up to the concept lawn for all to see – and hear. They did a quick turn around after sitting still for a second and as the V8 rumble died away, the car started moving forward again. A couple of people were taken by surprise as they thought the driver may have forgotten to engage the parking brake, but no, the car had switched over to battery power.

We shot a little video and took a few pics as we pushed through the massive scrum surrounding the car when it finally came to rest. Follow the jump to see the video and click below to see our high-res images.

Bentley unveils pair of limited edition Continental GTC models

2011 Bentley Continental GTC Speed 80-11 Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

Pebble Beach is fast becoming one of the best places for new car debuts. Besides seeing the McLaren MP4-12C, Fiorvanti SP1, Perana Z-One, Morgan EvaGT, Jaguar XK175, Jaguar XJ75 Platinum, Boss 302 Mustang, Veyron Super Sport, Lotus Exos T125, Lotus Evora GT4 Cup, and so on and so on, we just got to see the new Bentley Continental GTC and GTC Speed 80-11 Editions. These 80-11 models, designed exclusively for the North American market, will be limited to just 80 units each. The "11" in the title refers to 2011, the model year of these specials.

These are basically trim packages, adding things like 20-inch, 14-spoke polished wheels, and red calipers on the Speed, but they at least look tasteful. While the 80-11 Editions will be available in any Bentley color, they've introduced a new color – Midnight – that will be exclusive to these models.

If the wheels or special color don't tip you off to the special nature of these vehicles, you might be able to spot them by their little Union Jack badges on the front fenders. Check out the full press release after the jump for more details and be sure to peruse our gallery as well.

Morgan EvaGT makes debut at Pebble Beach

Morgan EvaGT – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Morgan Motor Company has been making new cars all along, but some people seem to have forgotten that fact as most of their "new" models looked a heckuva lot like their old models. That started to change with the introduction of their Aero cars a few years ago – and we predict the name "Morgan" will be a little more common once their latest concept hits showrooms. The company took the wraps off their new EvaGT in Pebble Beach on Sunday, right in front of the Pebble Beach Lodge on the concept lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. We had seen a partial sketch a few weeks ago, but holy wow is this car stunning in person. There's a full press release after the jump and a gallery of high-res pics for you too, but the basic stats are these: It uses a 3.0-liter BMW straight six that produces 306 horsepower, a six-speed automatic or manual transmission, weighs just 2,755 pounds, gets 40 miles per gallon (Imperial) and can scoot from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 shines in silver

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 - Click above for high-res image gallery

That image above speaks for itself. All you really need to know is that this isn't Dubai, Russia or even Germany – it's right here in Monterey for classic car week. You can probably identify the Mercedes-Benz inside that shiny wrapper on your own, but just in case you've recently taken an amnesia-inducing blow to the head, it's the SLS AMG GT3 – the race version of the company's new gullwing sports car. There's something to be said for having a mirror with you wherever you go, but this is a bit extreme. No matter, we think it looks amazing, even if it is just a wrap and not a polished car that's been stripped of its white paint to shed precious ounces before a race. Click on any image to see our full high-res gallery.

The Quail - A Motorsports Gathering

2010 Quail Motorsports Gathering - Click above for high-res image gallery

Every event staged during Monterey week has a unique flavor. The Concorso Italiano was populated with new money and regular folks just plain enamored with la belle macchine. The Quail, on the other hand, is a bit more formal, a lot more exclusive and always full of surprises.

This year was no exception, as a string of about thirty Bugatti Grand Prix cars thundered in from the nearby Laguna Seca racetrack. The drivers noshed, checked out some of the cars on display, said hello to some old friends and were back underway in a puff of blue smoke. What they left behind was an array of cars that the only event formally known as The Quail - A Motorsports Gathering can pull together. Rare and legendary race cars - as well as sports cars from automakers that cut their teeth in racing ( think Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley, Jaguar, etc.) - are the norm.

Along with all the Series I Pinin Farina Cabs and 275 GTCs, Ferrari even had a couple of new models on hand for the crowd to check out. One was a stunning blue 458 Italia, another was was the drop-dead awesome 599 GTO. Porsche didn't bring its new 918 Spyder, unfortunately, but it did haul out the GT3 Hybrid. Bugatti had some blue carbon fiber thing on hand, and several other manufacturers rolled out their shiniest new models as well. The old cars are really the stars, though, because almost every one of them has a backstory that would keep you enthralled for hours.

For instance, Carroll Shelby was honored at The Quail this year, and there were about thirty Shelby Cobras, Mustangs and GT40s there that Ol' Shel' had personally laid hands on, like the very first Shelby GT350 Mustang ever made. The very first Cobra was there, too - serial number 2000 - one lower than the first production Cobra, which is a past best-of-show winner here.

That's the magic of The Quail. Along with all the "free" food and drink (tickets are $400 after all, if you can get one), the motoring icons and the cars that made them legends are right there in front of you, ready to be adored. It's a spectacular event, and those of you who couldn't be there can check out our massive gallery of images by clicking below.

RM auction stacked with million dollar cars

2010 RM Monterey Auction - Click above for high-res image gallery

RM Auctions always reserves its most prestigious cars for Saturday night during the Monterey car week, and this year's lineup of vehicles was one of the most impressive in recent history. No less than 14 cars broke the million dollar mark, although the highlight of the auction, a 1958 Ferrari 250 TR, failed to meet its reserve price despite a $10.7 million offer on the table. Here's a rundown of the million dollar cars at the auction