Nissan Leaf nabs 2011 European Car of the Year award

At the start of November, the 41 contenders for the 2011 European Car of the Year award were trimmed down to seven finalists. Today, for the first time ever, Europe’s most coveted automotive award went to vehicle that that relies upon electrical juice flowing from its lithium-ion battery pack as its sole source of motivation. 

That battery-powered vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, marks the automaker’s first win since the Micra took home the award way back in 1993. Head juror Hakan Matson proclaims that the Leaf is “a breakthrough for electric cars” and that it “is the first electric vehicle that can match conventional cars in many respects.” Nissan chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn accepted the honor and responded with:

This award recognises the pioneering zero-emission Nissan Leaf as competitive to conventional cars in terms of safety, performance, spaciousness and handling. It also reflects Nissan’s standing as an innovative and exciting brand with a clear vision of the future of transportation, which we call sustainable mobility.

The Leaf faced strong competition from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Citroën C3/DS3, Dacia Duster, Ford C-Max,Opel/Vauxhall Meriva and Volvo S60/V60. Early predictions by some of the motoring press suggested that the pair of models from Citroën or perhaps even the lone Alfa Romeo vehicle would capture the award, but that’s not how the jury of 57 automotive journalists ended up seeing it, and the electric Nissan Leaf grabbed the top spot. Last year, the Volkswagen Polo snatched the Car of the Year title away from second-place finisher, the Toyota iQ. In 2009, the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia just beat out the Ford Fiesta for the honor.

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

There’s a well-worn automotive axiom that plays out many different ways: The amount of money you spend is proportional to how fast you go. You want more speed? You spend more money.

If you’ve priced a BMW M3 these days, you see the principle at work. Back in the old days (1987), a U.S.-spec M3 boasted a 195-horsepower four-cylinder engine and did 0-60 miles per hour in about 6.7 seconds on its leisurely way to a 143-mph top speed – all for just over $30,000. 

Today, the least expensive 414-horsepower V8 M3 will set you back $58,400. As it should, the new M3 trounces the old in every conceivable performance metric with its 4.6-second 0-60 mph run, supercar mid-range and electronically-limited 155-mph top end.

This reality left enthusiasts wishing BMW would offer something a little less speedy for a commensurate drop in MSRP. Seeing the opportunity with its 2012 1 Series Coupe, BMW will soon show us how much speed around $45,000 will buy at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. But to tide you over until then, come with us for a ride in a BMW 1 Series M Coupe prototype.

Buick GL8 is an executive express for China

Buick has released an all-new version of its popular GL8 in China. Developed by Shanghai GM, the executive people-mover wears a freshly redesigned exterior with sculpted body lines and a new front fascia. Inside, GM has thrown the luxury book at the van with tricks like blue ambient lighting, a 10-speaker sound system and two-tone leather seats. 

An attractive seven-inch touch dominates the dash, though it looks like Buick has managed to hold on to the excessive amount of buttons on the center stack that have become the brand’s trademark as of late. Rear passengers, meanwhile, get the benefit of a 10.2-inch HD display for movies and the like.

Under the hood, GM has fitted a 3.0-liter V6 as the GX8 flagship mill, though a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is also available for the fuel-conscious buyers of the People’s Republic. A six-speed automatic gearbox takes care of cog-swapping duties. Hit the jump for the full press release after checking out the gallery below.

Volvo recalls various 2011 models over fuel cutoff calibration fears

Volvo and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration have announced that the Swedish automaker will recall some 6,046 vehicles from the 2011 model year due to a possible flaw in the engine control module. According to NHTSA, a fuel shut-off parameter in the software is too sensitive, and under certain conditions, the engine may stall. Volvo is concerned that the problem may lead to an accident. A total of four models are covered in the recall, including the 2011 S60 and S80 sedans along with the XC60and XC70 softroaders.

Volvo is scheduled to begin the recall on or before December 10, and owners will have their vehicle’s software updated free of charge to fix the problem. Concerned drivers may contact Volvo directly at 1.800.458.1552 or at customercare@volvoforlife.com.

EVO drives the new Lancia Stratos

It’s a shame the Pininfarina Stratos probably won’t see widespread production. The car is hewn straight from the naughtiest of our automotive dreams, and with some of its aluminum bones borrowed from the Ferrari 430 Scuderia it promises to be as fun to fling as anything with four wheels. The crew at EVO was lucky enough to weasel their way behind the wheel of the lovely one-off, becoming the first journalists to do so in the process. That sound? It’s the noise our boundless jealousy makes when agitated.

EVO was able to take the car out for a couple of hot laps around Circuit Paul Ricard, and the verdict is that, as you might expect, the car is plenty nimble and just as quick. There is some indication that the vehicle’s short wheelbase would likely make for some hair-raising antics at higher speeds, though. EVO even goes so far as to say that the vehicle has a completely different personality compared to its Prancing Horse donor. Even better, there may be a very small production run in the vehicle’s future.

GM considering CVTs for small cars

General Motors is considering the introduction of continuously variable transmissions in its next round of small cars in an effort to improve fuel efficiency. According to a report from Automotive News, the Chevrolet Cruze is being considered for CVT application, as well as Bowtie’s smaller Aveo and Spark compacts.

In speaking with AN, Sohn Dongyoun, GM’s vice president of engineering at Daewoo, says that CVTs offer an easy, quick fix in order to help improve fuel mileage. Dongyoun says that GM will need to improve the fuel economy on its small cars by at least 10 percent in their respective next generations.

This will not be GM’s first application of CVTs. In the early 2000s, the automaker used CVTs in the Saturn Ioncoupe and Vue crossover, as well as the Opel Astra hatchback overseas. 

This CVT was not well received, however, and was discontinued at the end of the 2005 model year. Currently, no word has been given as to whether or this GM’s new CVT would be developed in-house, or when we might see the first applications being offered.

Audi TT GT4 Concept unwrapped in Shanghai

Heads up, weekend racers: Audi has officially pulled back the sheets on its TT GT4 Concept. Designed to be the next logical step in the company’s customer sports program, the racer will supposedly bring a relatively low price tag to the table when it arrives as a production model in 2012, but for the moment, it’s been confined to some demo laps at Shanghai’s DTM over the weekend with racer Frank Biela behind the wheel.

The racer comes complete with a 340-horsepower TFSI engine back by the company’s S-Tronic DSG gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Buyers will also find a set of adjustable dampers on hand for improved tuning, as well as carbon fiber reinforced plastic skins on the doors, hood and trunk lid.

How much will you be asked to pay for the privilege of owning such a piece of machinery? Chances of this vehicle making it to the States seem pretty slim, but Audi says that European buyers can look to fork over around €120,000 (around $157k USD). That’s probably a small bargain in the world of privateer ready-to-race cars, but it also goes some way toward reinforcing that people have a slightly different definitions of “affordable.” Check out the official press release after the jump and our high-res gallery below.

Motor Trend pits Ferrari 458 Italia against Ducati 1198S

Italy produces machines that look good rolling slow or screaming towards the ever evasive horizon, so it’s no surprise that Motor Trend decided to pit two of the boot country’s finest against each other: the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Ducati 1198S. Both are exotic machines with a laser-focus purpose crafted into each example built: Be. Fast.

The buff book boys were kind enough to have their cameras rolling as the 458 and 1198S faced off in two competitions. First up is a head-to-head race followed by a lap around the Streets of Willow. The result? While the Ferrari is an amazing machine, the Duc’s power-to-weight simply laughs in the face of the V8-powered Prancing Horse. See for yourself by watching the video after the jump, then check out the accompanying article in the link below.