Ever since the CBS 60 Minutes debacle involving the Audi 5000, the terms “sudden acceleration” and “unintended acceleration” have been indelibly beaten into the minds of most Americans. In recent times, vehicles such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee have been labeled with the unintended acceleration tag and have all been summarily dismissed as driver error. In every case so far, demonstrations have shown that standing on the brake pedal, even with the gas pedal to the floor, will always stop the vehicle.

The latest vehicle under unintended acceleration fire is the 2006-2007 Toyota Tacoma, with 33 documented cases on file at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). So far, no proof of mechanical failure has been found, and the most likely scenario, according to the NHTSA and Toyota, is a misapplication of pedals by the driver. Possible culprits remain bunched-up floor mats, debris under the brake pedal or gas and brake pedals closer together than drivers are accustomed to. Still, this case in under investigation by the NHTSA and Toyota is said to be cooperating.

[Source: AutoBlog]

We’ve grown rather accustomed to seeing special-edition MV Agusta Brutales, but this is the first time that one has featured four wheels. MV Agusta and Citroën have teamed up to produce a two-door hatchback show car called the C2 1587 Brutale. The naming scheme and the color pallete are clearly inspired by what is arguably Italy’s hottest naked bike, the MV Agusta 1078 RR Brutale. We’re not clear on what other tie-in exists between the two vehicles beyond that, though. Featuring a 1.6 liter 16-valve engine with 125 hp, the C2 1587 Brutale’s power output is nowhere near as impressive as its two-wheeled inspiration. We do like the interior, which features plenty of black leather and alcantara with red outlines and stitching. Ultimately, we feel that this is one mash-up that the world probably could have done without.

[Source: AutoBlog]

Last year, Porsche built a series of race-ready Cayenne S Transsyberia SUVs for use in the rally event bearing the same name. Lessons were learned, and so for the 2008 running of the Transsyberia, Porsche is offering the teams who bought the trucks last year a conversion package that features a number of upgrades. These include a new sump guard, a beefier tire package, tweaked air suspension, a shorter final drive ratio (same as the new Cayenne GTS), plus updates to the transmission programming, dynamic chassis control and traction management systems. Driving from Moscow to Mongolia is no picnic, and these upgrades should make the already-robust Cayenne S Transsyberia even better-suited to handle the rough-and-tumble 4,400-mile course. You can check out the full specs after the jump, and see last year’s post on the truck’s unveiling for a peek at many of the other modifications that came as part of the standard package.

[Source: Porsche]

With only 20 miles separating us from North Lake Tahoe, it’s obvious that I hadn’t secured the hood of our Super Silver Nissan GT-R after poking and prodding inside the engine bay. The left side of the bonnet is raised about a quarter-inch and flapping slightly at speed, so we pull off into a newborn subdivision to slam it shut. I step back inside and catch a glimpse of a silver Corvette in the side view mirror. The telltale air intake on the front bumper confirms that the man behind the wheel is an aficionado; it’s a C6 Z06 and there’s no doubt the driver knows what the GT-R is.

[Source: autoblo]

It has only been two years since Peugeot introduced the 207, and already the French automaker has produced over 1 million examples of the new car. The car hit the market in April 2006 with the three- and five-door hatchbacks, and has since rolled out in convertible, wagon and several sport models.

Last year alone Peugeot sold half a million new 207s, which are manufactured at three plants across Europe – in France, Slovakia and Spain – with a combined rate of 2,500 vehicles per day. In a segment crowded with over 70 different models, the 207 has emerged as the market leader. Its “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” success has been driven in part by the double Intercontinental Rally Challenge titles that the 207 Super 2000 took last year, mirroring its big brother 908 HDi’s success in Le Mans racing.

[Source: AutoBlog]

Coupes seem to be somewhat resurgent lately, and the stupendously awesome Pontiac G8 GXP might be set to lose a pair of doors. While that would make it essentially a repeat of what came here as a revived GTO not too long ago, the name is not likely to return. The basic idea has been outlined in the Holden Coupe 60, itself starting out as an updated GTO, but turning out much cooler. The neo-ponycar wars will require the fitment of the 400 horsepower LS3 to run with the Shelby GT500KR, Challenger, and cousin Camaro.

The newly unveiled G8 GXP serves as the benchmark for what this coupe will likely come equipped with. That means big 19-inch wheels, uprated suspension, a meaner fascia and, most importantly, an available Tremec six-speed manual transmission. There should be a GT version, too, with “only” 361 horsepower, which should still offer a significant kick in the pants for less cash. The biggest impediment to the G8 Coupe actually seeing the light of day are looming new CAFE regulations, but we don’t see how selling a bulk of these cars with the still-excellent 3.6 liter V6 to less performance-addled customers would be a bad thing. It’d hopefully prevent Pontiac from running afoul of the fuel economy rules while getting another car out there that enthusiasts can embrace in a variety of flavors.

[Source: AutoBlog]

The very cool 1964 Pontiac Banshee prototype is being auctioned off, again. Back in November of last year, the super-cool and svelte vehicle was put up on eBay with a Buy-It-Now price of $1.3 million. It didn’t sell, so it’s back up… with a cool $2 hundred-grand tacked onto the price.

Powered by Pontiac’s OHC straight-six engine, the Banshee was intended to compete with the just-introduced Ford Mustang. As an extremely unique piece of automotive history, there are surely a few people out there with very deep pockets who would like to get their hands on the car that GM thought was too close to Corvette territory. Because GM had already committed to the ‘Vette as its halo-car, it squashed the Banshee program before John De Lorean, then head of Pontiac, was able to get the Banshee into production.

Look closely and you’ll note that many of the design elements introduced on the Banshee prototype were stolen carried-over to the 1968 Corvette, along with the tail-end of the Banshee ending up on the new-for-1970 Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am. We’re big fans of the Pontiac Banshee prototype, and current owner Len Napoli, a Connecticut car dealer, is understandably aiming to capitalize on the unbelievable deal he got when he snatched the car up for a mere $214,500 at the 2006 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. That, as they say, was well bought, indeed. In a December 2007 conversation with Automotive News, Napoli said that he hadn’t gotten any offers at his then-$1.3M asking price and that he’d like to see the car go to a museum. If you have a museum and want to add the Banshee as an exhibit, it’s there for the taking. Just bring money.

[Source: AutoBlog]