Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Paris Motor Show, BMW

For those BMW fans who appreciate the more aggressive looks of the automaker’s M division models but either don’t have the budget or don’t need their full performance capabilities, Bimmer also offers M-Sport packages that take you part way there. With the new 5 Series now making its way to dealers and customers in Europe and North America, the corresponding M-Sport pack can’t be far behind.

As with previous iterations, this prototype suggests that the new model will receive a deeper front air-dam with larger intakes, side sill extensions and a re-contoured back bumper to accommodate the larger the tailpipes. We don’t have any interior shots but M-Sport packages typically including some trim upgrades like aluminum or carbon-fiber, along with more aggressive sport seats and potentially a different steering wheel.

Mechanical changes with M-Sport packages are typically limited to wheels and tires, brakes and perhaps some suspension bits. Both the M-Sport and M5 are expected to debut at the Paris Motor Show in September.

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: New BMW 5 Series M-Sport package out and about originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 May 2010 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On this special day….

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

When word first came down that Congress was looking to mandate that all new vehicles to be sold with Event Data Recorders, we knew that the added tech was going to be pricey. According to Automotive News, if legislators have their way, the new automotive black boxes will need to be both fire resistant and waterproof. Add in a significant amount of recording time before and after an accident, and suddenly the price tag per unit could soar up to a lofty $4,000 to $5,000. Currently, the EDRs track about five seconds worth of information just before an accident, though some legislators are pushing for up to 75 seconds of recording pre-crash. Between the fire insulation and added recording time, analysts believe the devices will swell to shoebox size, also creating a new packaging issue for automakers.

And who’s going to be shelling out the cash for the indestructible, mammoth recorders? The short answer is the automakers, though you can bet they won’t just be soaking up the cost out of the goodness of their hearts. Odds are that $4,000-per-box price tag will be passed right along to consumers if such devices become law, so don’t be surprised to see sticker prices climb if the boxes become mandatory in 2015.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Report: U.S. safety bill could triple cost of automotive black boxes to $5,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 May 2010 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Work, Specialty, Design/Style

A couple of years have passed now since the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) announced its search for a vehicle that would replace the taxis of New York City with something that better fits the times. The TLC created a website for creative types to submit ideas for the “Taxi of Tomorrow,” and one of the more interesting proposals to come in over the last couple of years is something called the UniCab.

The groundwork for NYC’s Taxi of Tomorrow is quite simple:

• Meets highest safety standards
• Superior passenger experience
• Superior driver comfort and amenities
• Appropriate purchase price and ongoing maintenance and repair costs
• Smaller environmental footprint (lower emissions and improved fuel economy)
• Smaller physical footprint (with more usable interior room)
• Compliance with appropriate Americans with Disabilities Act requirements
• Iconic design that will identify the new taxi with New York City

Born out of those guidelines, the UniCab looks nothing like a traditional taxi, aside from the yellow color. The UniCab features seating for four passengers, an automated ramp for those with disabilities, an infotainment center that displays intended routes and attractions along the way and outward sight lines that allow all of the passengers to get a great view of the glorious city of New York. Though nothing more than a design sketch right now, the UniCab could change our perception of taxis in the future and make hailing a cab the hip, green thing to do. Hat tip to Zelda!

[Source: The Taxi of Tomorrow]

NYC seeks Taxi of Tomorrow; is UniCab the answer? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 May 2010 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Etc., Videos, Chevrolet

Chevrolet products are no strangers to hydraulics, but models that get the height-altering technology usually go by names like Impala or Caprice, not Camaro – and they are usually decades old, not 2010 models.

We say ‘usually’ because apparently an Arizona lad has gone and thrown some extra pistons underneath his gunmetal gray Camaro SS, and the result is a pony car that goes from limbo to lofty in a couple of secs. It nothing else, we can’t help but think it’d make a great doppelganger Decepticon for Transformers 3. Follow the jump to check out the vid, but sadly, there’s no three-wheel motion on display

[Source: YouTube via Tampa Examiner]

Continue reading Video: 2010 Chevy Camaro SS gets switched on hydraulics

Video: 2010 Chevy Camaro SS gets switched on hydraulics originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 May 2010 15:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Diesel, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed to Autoblog that the S400 hybrid won’t remain the only efficiency-minded member of the S-Class family for long. The S350 Bluetec will be coming to the U.S. market for 2011 as the first diesel S-Class since the mid-1990s. The S350 will use the same 3.5-liter turbodiesel V6 already used in Mercedes’ ML, GL and R-Class SUVs. That engine is rated at 210 horsepower and 400 pound-feet and includes a urea injection system to treat the NOx emissions in the exhaust.

We expect the S350 to at least match – if not beat – the 22 mpg real-world results we achieved with the S400 gas-electric earlier this year, and it will probably have similar performance thanks to its exceptional torque. There is no word on pricing, but we anticipate it will sticker at or below the S400′s $87,950 base price for 2010.

[Source: BenzInsider.com]

Report: Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec joining lineup for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 May 2010 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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