Cadillac is going to keep things classy with its upcoming ATS. The top will stay on, which means the lineup will lose the planned convertible version but retain the sedan and coupe.

What's the motivation for the drop-top rejection? Volume projections. Cadillac doesn't see enough convertible fans stepping up with cash to support the production of an ATS convertible.

The sedan is still on track to arrive in dealerships during the summer of 2012. Rumour has it that the coupe is slated to arrive a few years later as a 2015 model. Regardless, we're eagerly awaiting word on what the V versions will pack under their hoods.

News Source: GM Inside News

Image Credit: CarPix

The coverage coming out of the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show was filled with vehicles spanning the gamut of the automotive spectrum, but one vehicle in particular caught the eyes of journalists and readers alike. The 2012 Porsche 911 was the darling of the Frankfurt show, and the data backs it up.

According to browsing and social media data compiled by UK company Kantar Media Precis, the new 911 was the most (virtually) talked about machine in attendance. Web sites, blogs and social media feeds were all abuzz, and it was the latest 911 that dominated all discussions.

We're guilty of falling in love with the German sports car as well. We spoke about both the standard 911 and the Carrera S, and are gearing up for another 50 or so variants set to debut in the next decade and a half.

News Source: Automotive News ? sub. req.

Like nearly every other automaker these days, Hyundai is keenly focused on bringing fuel-efficient vehicles to market. That apparently means the automaker doesn't currently see a need for a halo sportscar to compete with the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette, though it recognizes it would be an exciting addition to the lineup. Hyundai's North American CEO, John Krafcik tells Ward's Auto that even though such a model would be a fun addition to the family, a range-topping sports car would also probably be a poor investment that wouldn't serve the brand properly.

Krafcik is clearly focused on building more fuel efficient machines, and he argues that vehicles like the new Veloster coupe can provide sort of reverse halo from the bottom-up, not unlike the way the CTS has been the star of the Cadillac lineup for some time. This strategy seems like a smart move ahead of the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements waiting just a few years down the road.

Every automaker has a reason to be concerned about CAFE, but as Krafcik points out in an interview with Ward's Auto, loopholes exist in the legal requirements that may allow car companies to switch up their product strategy without aggressively pursuing more fuel-efficient products. Larger vehicles are subject to less strict requirements, and Krafcik argues that some smaller vehicles will likely fall by the wayside as an unintended consequence. This sort of thinking could allow a few manufacturers to skirt around the more strict CAFE requirements. An example of this is the decline of the compact pickup truck, which has given way to the less-restricted full-size.

News Source: Wards Auto

The top's already come off, but we're just now getting to the subject of price. Don't get too excited, most of you can't afford it anyway. We're talking about the Ferrari 458 Spider, and it'll cost you at least $257,000 to put one in your climate-controlled garage. Should you have the means, you can place your order starting in January of 2012.

What do you get when you replace $257,000 from your bank account with the Ferrari 458 Spider? A 4.5-litre V8-powered exotic sports car with a roof that disappears so your ears can get closer to aural nirvana. Sure, the fancy folding top covers up the visuals, but we'd take the soundtrack over the artwork any day. Besides, the body lines on the 458 Spider will keep your eyes busy enough as it is.

News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.

Image Credit: Copyright 2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

Top Gear showed us just how sturdy the Toyota Hilux pickup truck is. The plucky Brit trio put that poor truck through a series of increasingly harder challenges until they finally strapped it to the roof of a building destined to be demolished. After pulling it off the pile of rubble that used to be an apartment building, the Hilux was eventually started up, and later driven into the Top Gear studio. Needless to say, this is one tough truck we're talking about here.

Toyota knows its latest Hilux is tough, too, and the automaker has decided to play up this angle for a new series of commercial spots running in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Seeking to show just how unbreakable and manly its pickup is, the machine is put through its paces over hill and dale, from the desert to the top of snow-capped mountains... and it meets some strange blokes along the way.

It's also so manly that it even makes dainty women into something barely removed from... well, her husband. Click past the jump to see for yourself.

Steve Millen and his talented team know a thing or two about turning Nissan products into Stillen rockets. The latest project to emerge from the tuning company's garage is the supercharged 370Z you see above. The bolt-on kit comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty and pushes this hotter Z to now produce over 500 horsepower.

If you own a vehicle with the VQ37 engine, such as the 370Z or Infiniti G37, you owe it to yourself and your machine to turn it into a sports car capable of embarrassing BMW M3 owners. The heart of the Stillen kit is comprised of a Vortech V-3 supercharger, which is fed via a cast-aluminum intake manifold, has a self-contained oiling system and runs on a V-belt design.

Stillen worked hard to make sure this unit fit under the stock hood, unlike the setup created for the Nissan 350Z. This time around there is no need for an ugly hood hump blocking your line of sight. Click past the jump to see the supercharged Stillen 370Z in action.

It appears that OnStar users have something in common with Rockwell, and we're not talking about an affinity for products from Detroit. You should always feel like somebody's watching you... because they are. OnStar is tracking a handful of data streams related to your driving such as speed and location, and it's doing so regardless of whether you are still subscribed to the system.

Many are surprised at just how much information OnStar is grabbing, and see this move as a clear invasion of privacy. OnStar has no plans to change, and this has lead U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer to call for a government investigation into the actions of the telematics company. Schumer believes that what OnStar is doing is unfair trade practice, and "one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory."

You may be an average man or woman, with an average life. You work from nine to five, and you may or may not pay the OnStar Price. If all you want is to be left alone in your average home, OnStar might have you feeling like you're in the Twilight Zone.

News Source: The Detroit Bureau

One common thought process of any automotive enthusiast is to envision taking the powertrain from a high-performance machine and placing it into something totally different. Someone at Nissan has been dreaming of a swap along these lines, and it's even weirder than you would've guessed. The Japanese automaker is prepping a Super Juke that utilizes the twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre mill swiped from a Nissan GT-R.

Re-read that last sentence.

Details are still very sketchy at this point, and the above image is reportedly an official sketch of what could be in store. Still, we can't hide the excitement felt at what appears to be a Forza dream machine come to life. Even if it turns out to be a concept, we're happy that Nissan engineers and designers are thinking about putting the GT-R heart into more bodies.

News Source: Carscoop

Normally, the best place to operate a motor vehicle is in the driver's seat. Someone up near Montreal managed to capture a police officer who hasn't quite figured that out. Instead, the cop is seen sitting on the hood of his cruiser while the automobile slowly rolls to a stop. We're not entirely sure what's going on here, and there's a good chance that someone else is working the controls.

Still, it certainly looks like this cop is trying his hand at vehicular surfing. (He needs to take a lesson from Teen Wolf and stand on the roof.) Click past the jump to watch the clip. Also, a quick note to those capturing video on cell phones – turn your screens to the side, please.

We're big fans of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe here at Autoblog Canada. We're also fans of vehicles that find ways to make our driving experience more exciting in any way possible. And while it would be nice to see Hyundai plop its 5.0-litre V8 engine under the hood of the Genesis coupe, there is little chance of that ever happening. (Probably for good reason, too.) Still, that doesn't mean more power can't be had, and spy photographers have captured a possible solution lurking under the hood of a Genesis prototype.

It looks like Hyundai is simply going to stick with its 3.8-liter V6 as the range-topping engine, albeit, with a bit of supercharged force added on. What you are looking at could very well be a Hyundai Genesis Coupe R-Spec that's indeed fitting of its extra nomenclature. The supercharger should help push the standard 3.8-litre output of 306 horsepower (333 hp in the 2012 Genesis sedan) up closer to a figure that will have Mustang GT drivers checking their mirrors.



Image Credit: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Company

Perhaps the manual transmission isn't as dead as a few Italian automakers would like you to believe. Porsche has declared that as long as there is demand it will continue to supply automobiles with do-it-yourself gearboxes, and the German automaker has outfitted its 2012 911 with a seven-speed manual gearbox. Now it seems General Motors is following suit, and the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette will reportedly offer up seven forward gears, as well.

Inside Line has reported that the 2014 Corvette is set to swap in an extra cog for increased fuel efficiency. As a bonus, this move will allow engineers to play with the lower gear ratios thus providing a bit more speed from the lower end.

Now that Porsche has made the leap to a seven-speed manual and Corvette is following suit, could a cackling, wild-eyed locked-in-the-basement transmission engineer be working on an eight-speed unit? We doubt it, but we're already doing heavy shoulder workouts just in case.

News Source: Inside Line

Image Credit: Copyright 2011 AOL

Gamers, Turn 10 Studios is about to have you say goodbye to your family and friends. Forza Motorsport 4 is nearly available for purchase, and the creative team has let slip a few goodies that will be included with the game. We've already heard about the involvement of Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, and how the developers turn a real track into a virtual one and even got a demo and screeners from the X'11 XBOX event however, we've learned that there's a whole lot more in store for us.

The game hits stores on October 11th, but XBox Live Gold members can grab a demo version starting on October 3rd. Everyone else needs to wait until the 7th for their shot at the demo. When the full version of the game hits a few days later, fresh downloadable content will be available.

Now, DLC will be offered throughout the game's life cycle. To make sure you have access to it as it becomes available, Forza 4 offers a season pass that ensures that you get access to all six of the soon-to-be-released content packs. Buying in bulk also saves you 30 per cent over buying each pack individually. This plan also provides you with a bonus American Muscle car pack. It adds the 1965 Pontiac GTO, 1968 Pontiac Firebird, 1970 Buick GSX, 1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee, 1966 Chevrolet Nova SS, 1969 Shelby GT500 428CJ, 1971 Plymouth GTX 426 Hemi, 1967 Dodge Coronet W023, 1968 Dodge Dart HEMI Super Stock and 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt to your list of playable vehicles.

Turn 10 has gone to great lengths to include famous race tracks from around the world, and has announced that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the latest to be added to the game. Click past the jump for the full skinny from Turn 10.



News Source: Forza Motorsport

Porsche is good at building race cars, and what the company learns on the track trickles down to its passenger vehicles. This is what makes driving them so rewarding.

In a new video, Hartmut Kristen, head of Porsche Motorsport, discusses the link between Porsche's track and street cars, and he also takes a look at the future of motorsports. Click past the jump to watch.


News Source: YouTube

Our favourite racing series just got a bit of competition, and it comes in a surprising form. We're not saying this will take the place of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but it's certainly captured our attention. Called the Power Wheel Racing Series, this form of electrified motorsports pits racers against each other as they pilot uprated kids toys around a track.

To put it rather simply: this is awesome, and we want in.

The series needs a bit of help, however, to go from a singular event into a full-blown season for 2012. The minds behind the mayhem have turned to Kickstarter, and they are accepting your cash in exchange for a differing level of gratitude based upon how much you're willing to plunk down.

If you need some convincing, click past the jump to learn more about the series. After that, head over to Kickstarter and show this fledgling race series some love.