Geneva 2008: Here comes the Audi Q7 V12 TDI!

Filed under: SUVs, Geneva Motor Show, Green, Crossovers/CUVs, Audi

Click above for high-res gallery of the Audi Q7 V12 TDI

Audi may not have any current plans to offer the monster R8 V12 TDI it showed in Detroit to consumers, but that doesn't mean the 12-cylinder oil burner is going to waste. We first saw Audi's 6L V12 diesel mounted in a Q7 V12 TDI concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, and now it looks like it will be heading to showrooms. Volkswagen's southern branch will be offering the Q7 V12 TDI quattro to customers with enough cash, although exactly how much lettuce will be needed is unknown at this point. Audi plans to start taking pre-orders for the 758 lb-ft, all-wheel-drive seven-seater in the second half of this year. The Germans also haven't said if U.S. dollars will be acceptable for the transaction or Euros will be required.

What we do know is that mind-boggling torque figure and the 500 hp peak coming from the V12 oil burner. Even in this large, high-riding SUV, that should be enough to reach 62 mph in 5.5 seconds while going nearly 20 miles on each U.S.-sized gallon of diesel. Transferring that much torque to the asphalt will be the job of four 20-inch wheels, while dissipating speed shall be executed by clamping down on four carbon ceramic rotors. The front calipers have eight pistons each while the rears get by with four. Occupants of the Q7 will get to watch the sky whiz by from any seating position thanks to the optional glass roof, as well. Befitting what will undoubtedly be one of the priciest SUVs on the planet, the interior is done up in all kinds of special materials like bits of carbon fiber and aluminum. We can't wait to try this beastie out on our favorite roads.

Gallery: Audi Q7 TDI Quattro

[Source: Audi]

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Japan is Crazy: Dekotora sim comes out for Wii

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Toys, Lifestyle

Click image for a screenshot gallery

Are you sick of racing games? Has the endless wait made you wish for Gran Turismo 5 Epilogue, already? Does Need for Speed no longer meet your needs? Are you a Burnout burnout? Are you finished with Gotham and ready to manage a new project? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, get thee to Japan. Gamers there have been rewarded with the ultimate driving sim: Zenkoku Dekotora Matsuri.

That's right -- this week, Japan got a dekotora driving sim for the Wii. From what we can gather, the point of the game is to build your own dekotora from the ground up until you have the best acid trip on wheels that money can buy. You do this (we think) by battling against other trucks for delivery jobs and making them in the fastest, most efficient manner. Your enemies in this quest are wrong turns and traffic, which can cramp your style and force you to stand on the brakes. As you can see in the game trailer after the jump, the truck models have plenty of dive programmed in. This is all experienced in the Wii's breathtaking last-gen graphics, to boot. As you progress, your cash lets you customize every aspect of your rig -- there's even an MS Paint-style element for custom airbrushing. If you've dreamt of a driving sim that lets you build a delivery truck that's lit up like Vegas and looks like it has Star Trek warp nacelles hanging off the cargo box, you need to score yourself an import Wii as soon as possible.

The sublimely ridiculous Zenkoku Dekotora Matsuri trailer is pasted after the jump.

[Source: Gametrailers.com, wiiz.fr via Jalopnik]

 

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Japan is Crazy: Dekotora sim comes out for Wii

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Toys, Lifestyle

Click image for a screenshot gallery

Are you sick of racing games? Has the endless wait made you wish for Gran Turismo 5 Epilogue, already? Does Need for Speed no longer meet your needs? Are you a Burnout burnout? Are you finished with Gotham and ready to manage a new project? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, get thee to Japan. Gamers there have been rewarded with the ultimate driving sim: Zenkoku Dekotora Matsuri.

That's right -- this week, Japan got a dekotora driving sim for the Wii. From what we can gather, the point of the game is to build your own dekotora from the ground up until you have the best acid trip on wheels that money can buy. You do this (we think) by battling against other trucks for delivery jobs and making them in the fastest, most efficient manner. Your enemies in this quest are wrong turns and traffic, which can cramp your style and force you to stand on the brakes. As you can see in the game trailer after the jump, the truck models have plenty of dive programmed in. This is all experienced in the Wii's breathtaking last-gen graphics, to boot. As you progress, your cash lets you customize every aspect of your rig -- there's even an MS Paint-style element for custom airbrushing. If you've dreamt of a driving sim that lets you build a delivery truck that's lit up like Vegas and looks like it has Star Trek warp nacelles hanging off the cargo box, you need to score yourself an import Wii as soon as possible.

The sublimely ridiculous Zenkoku Dekotora Matsuri trailer is pasted after the jump.

[Source: Gametrailers.com, wiiz.fr via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Japan is Crazy: Dekotora sim comes out for Wii

 

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Tour the USA in under 4 minutes with a little help from Lacquer

Filed under: Convertibles, Videos, Driving

Check out this music video for Lacquer's Behind. Maybe some of you will scoff at it being featured here on Autoblog, but it speaks to motorists, adventurers and travelers who like voyages on America's highways and byways. It starts with an old convertible parked at the Pacific Ocean, and turns into a journey across our continent. Coast to coast the driver covers the whole of the USA in under four minutes with the use of some snappy time-lapse photography, as directed by filmmaking brothers Michel (Be Kind Rewind, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Olivier Gondry. Beautiful scenery and gorgeous skylines abound, as well as some good music. Thanks for the tip Mark!

 

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Tour the USA in under 4 minutes with a little help from Lacquer

Filed under: Convertibles, Videos, Driving

Check out this music video for Lacquer's Behind. Maybe some of you will scoff at it being featured here on Autoblog, but it speaks to motorists, adventurers and travelers who like voyages on America's highways and byways. It starts with an old convertible parked at the Pacific Ocean, and turns into a journey across our continent. Coast to coast the driver covers the whole of the USA in under four minutes with the use of some snappy time-lapse photography, as directed by filmmaking brothers Michel (Be Kind Rewind, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Olivier Gondry. Beautiful scenery and gorgeous skylines abound, as well as some good music. Thanks for the tip Mark!

 

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Geneva '08 Preview: Saab 9-X BioHybrid details revealed

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Green, GM, Saab

The Geneva Motor show promises to have plenty of green products on display, and Saab intends to join the fun with its 9-X BioHybrid concept, which we previously thought would be called the 9-1X. We already know the 9-X BioHybrid will draw heavily from the styling cues of the Aero X and the 9X concepts, and now we're getting the scoop on the eco-friendly powerplant of the wagon/hatch.

World Car Fans Finland is reporting that the 9-X BioHybrid will draw motivation from a turbocharged 1.4L BioPower engine. As was the case with the 9-4X from Detroit, the 9-X will be E85-capable, and even though the engine's four cylinders have the collective volume of a Super Big Gulp, it will still deliver 200 hp. If a small powerplant and corn power doesn't deliver enough oil relief, the 9-X BioHybrid will also receive assistance from some form of a hybrid battery pack. We'll deliver more details on the 9-X BioHybrid on Monday, so stay tuned.

[Source: World Car Fans Finland via World Car Fans]

 

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Geneva '08 Preview: Saab 9-X BioHybrid details revealed

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Green, GM, Saab

The Geneva Motor show promises to have plenty of green products on display, and Saab intends to join the fun with its 9-X BioHybrid concept, which we previously thought would be called the 9-1X. We already know the 9-X BioHybrid will draw heavily from the styling cues of the Aero-X and the 9X concept, and now we're getting the scoop on the eco-friendly powerplant of the wagon/hatch.

World Car Fans Finland is reporting that the 9-X BioHybrid will draw motivation from a turbocharged 1.4L BioPower engine. As was the case with the 9-4X from Detroit, the 9-X will be E85-capable, and even though the engine's four cylinders have the collective volume of a Super Big Gulp, it will still deliver 200 hp. If a small powerplant and corn power doesn't deliver enough oil relief, the 9-X BioHybrid will also receive assistance from some form of a hybrid battery pack. We'll deliver more details on the 9-X BioHybrid on Monday, so stay tuned.

[Source: World Car Fans Finland via World Car Fans]

 

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