Chicago 2011: 2012 Buick Regal eAssist live in the Windy City

We got the first details on new Buick Regal eAssist earlier today, but we only have from seeing the car in person before the Chicago Auto Show officially starts back tomorrow. Visually see the fuel-efficient rack no different than the standard car, save the addition of environmentally friendly 17-inch alloy wheels and low rolling resistance tires.

This is most important about this vehicle, which under the hood - a 15-kilowatt electric motor, 15 hp and 110 pound-feet of torque for initial acceleration boost, with Buick 2.4-liter direct-injection inline-four coordinated offers. Combine that with regenerative braking and start / stop system for the engine, and the end result is a shelf that is capable of achieving 26 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg highway.

Buick eAssist new system first on the larger LaCrosse sedan, where it debuted serve as the basis for powertrain model year 2012 vehicles. With the shelf, however, the model eAssist slot above the base 2.4-liter turbo car and under the shelf that the automaker's 220-hp 2.0-liter Ecotec inline-four-used. Prices will be announced closer to the eAssist official launch later this year.

Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 "spied" in the swirly en route to Geneva

Usually when an automaker is preparing to introduce a new car, we get a view of the styling and then the technical details. But Lamborghini is used to do things backwards. It was at least one of the first automotive manufacturer a mid-engine sports car to build, and was also the one who got his start the reverse engineering Ferraris with tractor parts. And the tradition is back with the long-awaited successor Murciélago.

Although Sant'Agata has been a gradual release details of the super sports car mechanics - including the boom suspension, 6.5-liter V12 and ISR transmission - Insights into the car design have been few and far between. This swirly Job "spy shot", allegedly leaked from the factory, was the spread of the Internet as a viral video and gives us one of our best look yet to make the car.

Although the camouflage does a good job of breaking the body lines, you can still see a healthy dose of Reventón as fighter jet-inspired design elements known to be expected in the animal Aventador LP700-4. To go with less than a month before it will debut at the Geneva Motor Show, it's certainly more to come soon, so watch this space.

Followup: Kubica recovering as Renault weighs potential replacements

The Lotus Renault GP team has issued a further update on the progress of their star driver Robert Kubica. The Polish driver, for those who do not have crashed during the following Ronde Tues Andorra in Italy on Sunday - just weeks before the start of the F1 season - and was flown to a local hospital, where doctors treated him for multiple fractures and severed tendons in his right limbs.
behind with most of the procedures now him, Kubica is aware of (some reports that he was revived from a medically-coma), and talking to his doctors and visits to relatives and colleagues. Later this week, Kubica, additional surgery (for the right shoulder and foot), by a different procedure was followed a few days later to undergo. He expected to remain at the Santa Corona Hospital, where he has been the crash of two or three weeks, after which he expected to be transferred to another place was to rehabilitate it, probably between five months and one year.
With his recovery underway, but a long way, Renault must find someone to temporarily his place for the upcoming season. Although the team has both Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean - both recent F1 drivers - on contract, the team is supposed to examine all options. Among them are Force India driver Tonio Liuzzi and Nico Hulkeberg that drove both last season and have competitive drivers. Liuzzi lost his seat this year at Force India, has Hülkenberg during a test driver role with the team when he lost his seat at Williams.

BMW designers make waves with new Intermarine 55 motoryacht

Head down to the local yacht club and you're likely to see so many BMWs in the parking lot than anything else. It is not so Bimmer more miles than any other car, but they seem to be the same type of clientele that will win pulled on the open water - and they have the means to get there. But in recent years the company has design house was to bridge this divide by dilettante its proverbial toes in the waters of naval architecture (pronounced boat design).
After their partnership with the Bayern-yard (both sail and power boats from BMW styling led pins), BMW DesignworksUSA in common with Brazilian company Intermarine a new 57-foot motor yacht start cockpit.
BMW Designworks USA focused their design of the Inter Marine 55 to create an open environment, says large windows that let in the sun and see the occupants, and an open interior and plenty of deck space to enjoy the good life on the water. Similar to other ships of this size, the Intermarine 55 features three cabins, two bathrooms and a large salon.
The International Marine 55 also highlights development of the business, which has followed the German automaker's American design studio in Brazil and throughout South America, especially in the design of Embraer business jet cabins, but also branching into a variety of disciplines, from medical devices and metal construction to computers and cameras. Follow the jump to read all about them and check the high-resolution images in the gallery below.

Toyota debuts modestly refreshed 2011 Matrix in Chicago

Toyota is not a formal press conference this week at the Chicago Auto Show, but the automaker still a bit chilly on the stand. The 2011 Matrix hatchback bowed formally, with a slightly touched up the outside (new wheels, paint various decisions, etc.), a touch-up interior with new steering wheel and seat fabric, and a new standard braking system called Smart override stop.

The 2011 Matrix is available only in two trim levels - base and S - and is driven either by a 132-hp 1.8-liter or 158-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Transmission choices include a four-or five-speed automatic and a five-speed manual and four-wheel drive is available on the S matrix, when coupled with the 2.4-liter engine.

New sports packages are available for both matrix strips, assembled with the S sports package including things such as 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear underbody spoiler, roof spoiler and of course, 'S' badging. Pricing is not available for the 2011 Matrix has been released as of this writing, but we're expecting to just under $ 17,000 MSRP to be. Follow the jump for the official information.
 

Video: VW releases Darth Vader commercial's deleted scenes, bloopers

There are just two spots from the Super Bowl, that we still talking about two days later. Chrysler is the first two minutes long love letter from Detroit to the rest of the country with rapper Eminem, the other is Darth Vader Volkswagen commercial. Searches on Autoblog for the new Passat, the commercial advertising is happening, jumped 270 percent on the day after they aired.

VW wants to make sure we still talking about his new brand ambassador, six-year-old actor Max Page, a little while, so the company has published this nice video of margins from the commercial and deleted scenes that didn 't the final cut . Follow the jump to see slip and fall Max, are interrupted by a Roomba and finally, to his parents who now understand fully honored its power.

2011 Ford Territory hits the web ahead of tackling Australia

Ford has finally unleashed information about the production version of the 2011 Territory, where we all are thin, what Australian buyers can refer to when the crossover hits showrooms in May this year. The party is making started with a completely new look, use of kudzu as Ford kinetic design language. The area now wears a visor, which produces the new global focus and more than a couple of Aston Martin's products, and the rear with a coherent appearance with integrated glass in the rear quarter and hatch.

The area is available in three configurations when it lands: TX, TS and titanium, and while very little information about what power these machines, we know that a diesel mill finding its way under the hood. There is also some evidence that the CUV is not available with a manual transmission, no matter what you are looking for engine.

Inside, Ford has the new area with an interior that borrows a little decked out the Falcon. A large LCD touch screen dominates the dashboard and center console looks to be running clean. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Video: Ken Block unveils new livery for WRC Fiesta, Monster Girls

 

Gentlemen, start your engines. The Monster World Rally Team has announced its full schedule for the 2011 season, and there are a lot of the impending action drool.

Speaking of drooling, there's a video of the all-new Monster Energy Ford Focus RS WRC that Ken will deny block with the help of the World Rally Championship together with Summer X Games, Gymkhana GRID and choose Rallycar rallies and rally cross events in the United States . Oh, and there are more than just eye candy in the car video you will see after the break if you know what we mean ... Nudge nudge, wink wink.

Block says, "We even have a couple of top-secret projects in the works. I'm lucky to do all this, it becomes an amazing year!" Lucky indeed.

For those interested in everything that is claimed to be the first video in a three-part series. Part two is on 9 February will be released, so stay tuned for. Click to see past the break to the first video and see the full slate of appearances for the year 2011.

Feds find no evidence of faulty electronics in Toyota models

The continuing saga of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles has taken a new turn today as Transport Minister Ray LaHood issued a statement that no evidence was found for electronic problems in Runaway Toyotas.
"The jury is back. The verdict is in. There are no electronic-based cause of unwanted high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period." LaHood said in prepared statement. This finding is at the end of a 10-month investigation conducted jointly by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NASA, which was conducted by asking the Congress.
Over 280,000 separate lines of code in the electronics of the potentially affected vehicles Toyota were embedded by NASA, which may cause any acceleration of any errors contained outliers examined, the report said.
This is not to say that the government has found that Toyota is not at fault in any way. LaHood added, "Our conclusion - that Toyota, the problems were mechanical, electrical not come -. undertaken according to final, thorough and intensive research effort ever '
This mechanical problems, namely sticky throttle and pedals, which was caught under faulty floor mats "will remain the only known causes for this type of unsafe incidents of unintended acceleration," said NHTSA. It should prove interesting to see how the courts - to respond to these findings - both public opinion and law.

Marussia Virgin Racing comes back for more with new MVR-02 F1 challenger

Last year, racing his virgin cherry with the VR-01, that the team led by a lackluster first season, finishing the 2010 Formula One turned up dead last World Cup. The team failed at one of its cars in two Grands Prix, run retired fifteen times and scored a grand total of zero points in the standings.

Now with support of Russian automaker Marussia engine, the team's Cosworth-powered 2011 challenger in the shape of the MVR-02 presented in the hope of more competition follow-up season. The car was unveiled at the BBC Television Centre in London, and followed the debut of Ferrari, Lotus, Renault, Sauber, Mercedes, Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Williams and McLaren, so that only follow Force India and HRT example.

With a similar design, its competitors (but slightly lower nose cone) reflects the latest improvements to the formula of the MPR-02 again by the former GP2 champion Germany and Toyota F1 driver Timo Glock will be driven. Partnering Glock this season, the Belgian former International Formula Master champion and GP2 Asia Series runner-Jérôme d'Ambrosio, who replaced Brazilian Lucas di Grassi deleted.

Follow the jump for the full press release from Virgin and check the high-resolution images in the gallery below.