Jalopnik: Obsessed With The Cult Of Cars

2009 Nissan Maxima

Although we'll be seeing the 2009 Nissan Maxima for real at the New York Auto Show next month, spy shooter Chris Doane of the "Priddy Pride" just snapped some shots of the new mid-size from Nissan. The new seventh-gen Maxima's supposed to be getting a severe facelift, and even a couple of upgraded powerplants by the time 2010 and 2011 roll around. Yup, you guessed it -- a Renault-Nissan diesel and a Toyota-derived hybrid will be two of the added options on the later model years. Oh, you didn't guess it? Well -- you should have -- because what's up with that humongous hood bulge? (UPDATE: We're told the hood bulge is just foam blocks under the camo.) The full less-than-detailed spy report after the jump.

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8:31 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY RAY WERT
1,490 views, 20 comments

Latest by skulldriveshaft: just another 4 door barge pushing more horses in front of the cart. almost looks like a dodge charger front end. blah sells, and they can't break the formula. 4 doors and sport don't do it for me, when I see these in more »

New Cars

Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg Edition To Return With Turbocharger For 2008

Volkswagen announced today that they'll be bringing back the Wolfsburg Edition of the Jetta for 2008, and this time the normally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-five engine gets dropped for a version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four banger. This means the new Wolfsburg Edition will sport an extra 50 horsepower and 37 ft.-lbs. of torque over the 2007 model (pictured). In addition to the new engine, the Jetta will come standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, anti-slip regulation, ABS and a six-speed manual transmission for a reasonable $20,875 (It'll cost an extra $1,075 for the six-speed DSG). We assume the looks will remain low-key as on the current version, which is distinguishable mostly by its badging. Press release below the jump.

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6:00 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY MATT HARDIGREE
781 views, 25 comments

Latest by spaceman7: @POLAЯ: EXACTLY! -why I am an EX-vw owner. more »

Bob%20Lutz%20Says%20Crock%20of%20Shit.jpg

News

Bob Lutz on Global Warming: "Total Crock of Shit"

Agree or disagree with the sentiments of GM's product czar Bob Lutz, you have to respect him for his frankness. In our experience, it's fairly easy to identify a total crock of shit like global warming once you take into consideration the complex interactions of geophysics, global weather patterns and complex high atmosphere chemistry involved in climate change, which Lutz surely has. We're not here to make a statement on the science of climate change, and if Lutz wants to sell us shitboxes like the Cobalt and giant SUV's with mild hybrid systems stuffed into them all while flying his fighter jet around for shits and giggles we're fine with that. But then again, if the Vice Chairman of Global Product Development thinks this about climate change, it kind of makes a lot of GM's latest marketing a total crock of shit, too. [via D Magazine]

5:45 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY BEN WOJDYLA
1,685 views, 135 comments

Latest by Turboner: @JHJVJR: Your posts were political from the start, isn't that ironic that you posted about how political posts suck? more »

Commenter Of The Day

Commenter of the Day: Foreigner 4 Edition

Kudos galore to the Jalop commentariat for checking out the A.N.U.S. post and, about three minutes into the video, identifying Foreigner's 1981 hit "Jukebox Hero" in the background of some serious one-wheeled, big-engined, un-helmeted happy hoggin' hoonage. We had to pick one to be our COTD--but there were sure plenty to pick from. Anon! more »

5:30 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY MATTHEW DEBORD
596 views, 35 comments

Knight Rider

Stuff Happens In New Knight Rider Commercial, For Once

We were getting pretty sick of Knight Rider commercials where nothing happened. In this commercial, brought to us by the folks at Knight Rider Online, we finally get some action. You got your machine gun fire, your explosions, your hand-to-hand combat and your maiden (the certainly illegitimate child of the Hoff). Though a step in the right direction, the lack of removable mullets still makes it inferior to Turkish Knight Rider, our new hero. [Knight Rider Online]

5:15 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY MATT HARDIGREE
1,765 views, 24 comments

Latest by SexCpotatoes: "If they get my system, they could start a war!" As long as it's not an oil war. more »

Choose Your Eternity

PCH, Badly Photographed Corvette Edition: 1968 or 1969?

The '76 911 Targa beat the '71 911T in yesterday's Dial 911 For Hell challenge, no doubt because fire damage you can't see is more enticing than all-too-visible rust. And now that we're on a Fanatically Worshiped Overpriced Car roll, let's turn our attention to one of the few cars than can rival the Porsche 911 for depth and breadth of its aficionados' single-minded fervor: the Chevrolet Corvette! If we can find a 911 for $3,000 or a Ferrari 365 for $2,500, you know there are gonna be some serious Corvette deals out there... and we don't mean 160-horse '79s or Flashdance-esque '84s!
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5:00 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY MURILEE MARTIN
970 views, 28 comments

Latest by n/a: Screw him if he isnt going to throw in the chrome on front fender gills of the 69'...Hello 68' meh...I was born in 68' as well. more »

Ad Watch

A Lesson In Advertising From GM

Dear GM,
While you hit the right spot for some people, the majority of your target audience in fact doesn't like to get their toes licked by dogs. I often find myself thinking about how this ad does not properly convey the message you are trying to send with the Chevy Volt. The Volt is supposed to be the biggest and most badass futuristic vehicle ever. Like io9 futuristic. And here you are trying to sell the public on the vehicle with an individual partaking in a display of foot-fetish bestiality. I have attached the vcard for a friend of mine who just started up a advertising business. I am more than sure that his experience will be very beneficial for you.
Sincerely,
Traumatized in Texas

4:45 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY TRAVIS HUDSON
952 views, 26 comments

Latest by smokyburnout: @Charles_Barrett: no, he's right. the Volt has a tiny flex-fuel gas engine that runs a generator to recharge the batteries for the days when you have to drive more than 40 miles without parking and plugging it in for a more »

Gadgets

TomTom Owners Can Now Share Content Online

Today, GPS-manufacturer TomTom launched an update to TomTom Home, a software suite that allows TomTom users across the world to share content with other TomTom users. What kind of content would one want to share between GPS navigation units? Well, I'm glad you asked. Home allows for completely customized startup screen, icons, sounds, points of interest, routes, voices and more to be easily shared. That's a lotta sharing. more »

4:30 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY TRAVIS HUDSON
211 views, 6 comments

custom cars

V8 Ford Festiva, Now With Video

Everyone seemed to like the Ford Festiva powered by a rear mounted Chevy V8 driving the front wheels. So here's the video. As expected, it features such knockout classics as front wheel reverse donuts and the ever- popular chocked wheel burnout till tire explosion. Just to spice things up, cabin smoke choking driver is thrown in for fun. We like this video, even if it's just a bunch of hoons in a backyard acting the fool in a Festiva, which alternately sounds like a tractor and a funny car.

4:15 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY BEN WOJDYLA
1,494 views, 26 comments

Latest by TRUEBLUE'STANG: I honestly can not believe how awesome that was! more »

Racing News

Dakar Rally Rescheduled to Central Europe, Next Year in South America!

After the 2008 Dakar Rally was canceled in January due to security threats, everyone wondered if and when it would return. A few days ago, this years' race was confirmed to run from April 20 to 26 in sections of Central Europe. The 3000-kilometer race will start in Budapest, head east the Romanian city of Sovata, then head back to Hungary and finish in the town of Balatonfured. That is news on its own, but the bigger more interesting news is the 2009 Rally. more »

4:00 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY BEN WOJDYLA
694 views, 14 comments

Latest by GrandmaSideways: Awesome! more »

Jalopnik Reviews

Chrysler MyGig Infotainment Center Review, Part 3

So you've seen the brief introduction to Chrysler's MyGig entertainment center and you've watched me get my hands dirty setting it all up, so what's the final verdict? Well, watch the talking head above and see. I am very happy to bear witness to Chrysler taking another step towards the future of car entertainment and infotainment centers--which amounts to simply slapping a complete PC into the dash. So which manufacturer wants to be the first to have a factory installed Windows- or OS X-powered machine that is completely open to customization? Any takers? I guess I'll just to do it myself.

3:45 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY TRAVIS HUDSON
459 views, 9 comments

Latest by Number_Six: @aaron x: @Charles_Barrett: Yup. more »

found on eBay

Spend 100 Eternities In Project Car Hell!

You want barn finds? We gotcher barn finds rat cheer! How would you like to win a single eBay auction and score one hundred project cars? The crown jewel is a '34 Chrysler Airflow, but you also get Studebakers, VWs, old trucks, Mustangs, the works. Imagine waking up, grabbing your toolbox, and saying to yourself, "I think I'll work on the hopeless '28 Dodge sedan today!" The mountain will be infinitely tall, and your rock infinitely heavy... yet you'll be happy. Thanks to VWMiniSpeedster for the tip! [eBay Motors]

3:30 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY MURILEE MARTIN
1,009 views, 55 comments

Latest by Brian B: Buyer: "So, I don't suppose you've got titles?" Seller: "Um, yeah ... " more »

custom cars

Garage419 Talks P4/5 With James Glickenhause At Palm Beach Supercar Weekend

If we were obscenely rich car owners, we hope that we'd be obscenely rich in the vein of James Glickenhaus, owner of the one-and-only Ferrari P4/5. As opposed to shutting cars away in garages merely to accrue value, the Glickster takes his unique vehicles outdoors where they accrue lust from car nuts like us. In the meantime, we'll just have to live vicariously through him in this interview from Garage419, which includes a great discussion of downforce-inducing exhaust designs. [Garage419]

3:15 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY MATT HARDIGREE
477 views, 15 comments

Latest by CARBONFIBER: * Matt Dude, when Glickenhaus speaks, you shut the fk up & listen, BITCH! You don't keep interupting him with stupid comments. The man built arguably one of the most truly elegant masterpieces of automotive art & performance of all time, don't more »

Down On The Street Bonus Edition

Volvo 240chero!

Thanks to Schweppes, the Windsor-based commenter who shot the Forward Control Land Rover for us a while back, we now get to see this solid-looking Volvo 240 with pickup bed. Since Ford owns Volvo, that makes this cartruck a -chero rather than an -amino or -ampage. Make the jump to hear what Schweppes has to say about this fine machine.

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3:00 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY MURILEE MARTIN
759 views, 31 comments

Hoon Of The Day

Saudi Drifting: Now With Pedestrian Safety!

So, you're sitting at your computer, chain-watching videos of FWD family sedans being driven sideways by Saudis... all the while thinking these guys have no regard for public safety. Think again! Apparently those Honda Accords have some sort of Middle East market-specific soft bumper/fender technology. Either that, or this pedestrian onlooker was just really lucky. more »

2:45 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY MARK ARNOLD
3,055 views, 60 comments

Ad Watch

Donkey Lips Jumps A Ford Focus

All right, I know this is from the week-old Super Bowl, but back then I was busy ~~losing~~ winning tons of money thanks to my prop bets that I am addicted to. I'm just now catching up with the commercials. You guys remember the show Salute Your Shorts? One of the most famous child actors to come out of that series, Michael Bower, better known as Donkeylips, is back, baby, starring in this spot for what appears to be an energy beverage. In the ad, he manages to jump start a Focus ZX5 using his nipples. I can't quit you, Donkeylips. [YouTube]

2:30 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY TRAVIS HUDSON
937 views, 15 comments

Latest by Number_Six: Um, no. more »

geneva motor show

More Pininfarina Sintesi Details Emerge

Pininfarina has decided to take an interesting and embargo proof route to informing us all about its Sintesi concept. Instead of loading is slimy bloggers with info we have to hang onto till an appointed time, they've taken to publishing a weekly flash pamphlet on their website with more details. So far we're 3 issues into the series and some interesting details are starting to emerge. Pinifarina has taken its signature clean sheet approach to concepts and is making packaging and car to car interaction part the priority list for this car. We first brought you the Pininfarina Sintesi and hoped it would avoid the crossover category, it looks like the car avoids that ill moniker, but will be a fuel cell do-gooder though one of a different flavor.

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2:15 PM ON TUE FEB 12 2008
BY BEN WOJDYLA
317 views, 9 comments

Latest by Number_Six: @Bumblebee: Better "chane" your own spelling, Hoss. more »