Volkswagen T2 Microbus Production to Cease in 2013

To refer to this as the end of an era, would be putting it too lightly. It has been confirmed by Volkswagen of Brazil CEO Thomas Schmall that production on the Volkswagen T2 will cease at the end of 2013.

Now some of you may be thinking to yourselves, "They still make those?"

It is unfortunately not-very-common knowledge that the T2 (AKA Microbus, AKA Camper, AKA Bus, AKA Kombi, AKA Transporter, AKA Pick-up, AKA - aw screw it, you get the point) is still currently on sale in Brazil, where it been a strong seller for many years. During that time, the T2 only had minor modern upgrades - and it wasn't until 2005 that its iconic 80-horsepower air-cooled engine was swapped out for a 1.4-liter water-cooled straight-four.

The reason for the T2's demise is reportedly stricter upcoming safety laws, which, when you think about it, makes it all the more surprising this is just happening now. Nonetheless, I'm sure classic VW enthusiasts everywhere are saddened by this news.

2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Unveiled

I've always had a soft spot (read: hard-on) for performance SUV's, especially the Porsche Cayenne, since its introduction to Porsche's vehicle line-up in 2003. Now in its second generation, we've seen some impressive statistics from the Cayenne over the past decade, including a 0-60mph acceleration of 4.7 seconds from the 2008 Turbo S model.

Porsche has been kind enough to give the world a sneak peak at its 2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, which is will be meeting the public at the Los Angeles Motor Show next month. They've made some modest performance improvements, outlined below.

Utilizing the same twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 as under the hood of the Turbo, the Turbo S has a re-designed intake manifold, increased boost, and a re-mapped ECU, which produce 550 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Reportedly, these modifications have resulted in a 0-60mph acceleration in 4.5 seconds, and thanks to the 8-speed Tiptronic S transmission, the Turbo S can achieve a top speed of 175 mph.

As expected, buyers will also find all of Porsche's latest equipment, including Dynamic Chassis Control and Porsche's Active Suspension Management.

The 2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S will be available for sale in the spring, with a base price of $146,975 USD.

Ferrari Gives the Finger to Electric Cars

Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari's president, said his company will never make electric cars as he doesn't believe in them.

I agree with di Montezemolo's assessment of environmental alternatives, such as Hybrids, since they will be much more practical for Ferrari from a business perspective. Who in their right mind (and who isn't a celebrity) would actually purchase an electric Ferrari? A fully electric engine would detract from the rich engineering history that encompasses Ferrari's vehicle line-up.


"You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don’t believe in electric cars, because I don’t think they represent an important step forward for pollution or CO2 or the environment. But, we are working very, very hard on the hybrid Ferrari. This should be the future, and I hope in a couple of years you can see it."


The hybrid system that is alluded to in the above quote is rumored to be Ferrari's KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) technology which the company currently uses in its Formula 1 cars. 

Smaller, High-Revving Turbo V8 in the New Corvette C7?

If there's one thing I hate doing, it's jumping on the "rumor" bandwagon - but with the current C6 generation Corvette coming to an end soon, I'm finding it difficult not to partake in the speculation that GM may be substituting its large V8's for something smaller.

It's no news that basically all manufacturers are going the "forced induction" route when it comes to pushing their vehicles to their limits, but the Corvette is an icon of American muscle! Will it really be the same without a massive traditional V8? Well, as I was reading on The Detroit Bureau,  the new C7 will be targeted towards a completely different demographic. Corvette owners have typically been older American males, so GM wants to cater to a younger crowd with a European-styled V8 that could be as small as three liters, but still deliver around 400 horsepower! Some aesthetic rumors have implied that the C7 may bring back some historic features, such as the split window of the 1963 model - but that rumor is of course unconfirmed.

What I can confirm, however, is that GM’s global design chief Ed Welburn admits that the current interior of the C6 is a massive disappointment, and he is personally overseeing the design of the C7's interior. Since he considers himself a long-time fan of the Corvette, he promises the new design to be "world class," but I'll have to see it to believe it.

Back to the engine, is this a good change? I'm asking myself this very question right now. Since the Corvette's debut in 1953, it has always been stuck to the philosophy of "there's no replacement for displacement," indicating that this is a HUGE overhaul for this sports car. I really can't predict how the C7 will do on the market, but GM really has to make this a work of art in order for it to succeed. There's no word on price yet obviously (which should answer the majority of the comments on this post), but price is really irrelevant at this point anyways.

Land Rover Defender Relaunch Planned for 2015

Although Land Rover has always catered its Defender to a very small client base (making it quite rare), Land Rover has announced that it has already begun the development process of the next-generation Defender. American readers probably aren't as familiar with this vehicle, considering it's been banned in the United States since the 1990's due to airbag regulations, but the next-generation Defender is sure to be in the public eye within the next few years.

The current model has retained its basic design for several decades, but expect this to change.

What does this mean exactly? Land Rover has indicated they are quite serious about the update, boasting a new production facility, brand new platform, and most importantly the backing of parent company Tata Motors.

Land Rover was kind enough to provide a time-frame for curious enthusiasts such as myself. We can expect a concept of the Defender in 2013, with the road-going version scheduled for its market introduction in 2015.