For the first time ever, Jeep‘s entry-level Compass will become ‘Trail Rated,’ with the introduction of a revised 2011 model.

This hallowed designation results from a one inch increase in ride height on Compass models equipped with Freedom Drive II, plus adopting rebound springs that are shared with the 2011 Grand Cherokee.

In addition, the 2011 Compass adopts a more ‘grown up’ front fasica giving it more than a passing resemblance to big brother Grand Cherokee (a 2010 model is show as no official images were available at post time).

In an effort to improve the vehicle’s appeal, the model lineup has also been simplified for 2011, with the base Compass now sporting a wider array of standard equipment including air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, locks and mirrors.

A new Latitude trim level with a standard CVT transmission also arrives for 2011, while the top of the line Limited sports the CVT, automatic climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels and bright exhaust tip among other things. Jeep has announced that Compass pricing will start at $19,995, with four-wheel drive models beginning at $21,695. Freedom Drive II however, will cost extra.

[Source: Allpar]

Embodying sophistication and style, there’s only one designer up to the task of creating a signature Bugatti timepiece, and that’s Ralph Lauren.

Ralph Lauren may be best known as being an upscale clothing designer, but the man behind the legend is also the proud owner of one of the finest classic car collections around, which includes a 1938 Bugatti.  That’s why he designed a watch that would go perfectly with it.

The latest timepiece in Lauren’s Sporting Watch collection is influenced by the interior of the Atlantic and is outfitted with an elm burl wood ring that’s styled after the car’s dashboard. It also features a galvanized matte black dial with white Arabic numerals like the Bugatti’s gauges, and visible screws around the case front. The watch’s movement is made for Ralph Lauren by the Richemont group (the same company that makes Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai and IWC – and features a 45-hour power reserve.

You can pick up one of these watches for $13,200, and don’t worry, it will look great no matter what you’re driving.

[Source: Autoblog]

Caterham is a rare breed among British car companies. While other British makes have fallen in the hands of foreign companies, Caterham still remains British owned and operated.

What is even more surprising is the fact that their product line-up has been based around one single model, the 7, which is based on the Colin Chapman designed Lotus 7 from 1957.

Caterham Cars used to be a Lotus dealer, and bought the rights to reproduce the 7 back in 1973 and has since been producing faster, more refined versions of this one model.

So whenever news comes that Caterham is to introduce a new model, you can bet big money that it’ll be nothing more than just another variant of the 7. However, this time they are up to something completely new.

According to British car site Pistonheads.com, Caterham will launch an all-new car at the Autosport International Show on January 13, 2011.

This will be the first all new model to come out of Caterham since the short lived 21 model (see pic.) bowed out due to slow sales in the late 1990′s – only 48 ever got made. Hopefully they will get to make their new car in larger volume.

Caterham is staying tight lipped about the details of their new car, but they did mention that it will be powered by the next generation of their motorsport engine, and that the new car will be light and track focused. So unlike Lotus of late, Caterham plans to stick to its principals.

We can’t wait to see this new car from one of the most exciting car companies on the planet.

[Source: Pistonheads ]

Matt Farah, host of The Smoking Tire and an AutoGuide contributor, has been tapped to host a new SPEED channel show featuring comedian and car buff Adam Carolla, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dan Neil and former NBA player John Salley.

Carolla, who was once tapped to host a stillborn version of Top Gear USA, will head up the show, produced by Mandt Bros. Productions. The structure of the show will be more like a cable sports show, where hosts discuss car related topics, with pre-shot features interspersed with the discussions.

When pressed for details, Farah was tight-lipped, but told AutoGuide that “We feel that there is room in the market for a fun car show with a uniquely American flavor. While the gold standard of Top Gear is out there for everyone to compare to, we want to try something different, something a little less scripted and a little more on the fly, with well-known automotive personalities. I’m really happy to be a part of this project, and really excited for viewers to see it when it’s done.”

If you thought BMW had released all the details on its new 1 Series M Coupe last week, you’d be wrong. Marketing the car as a true enthusiast’s machine, almost all 1 M Coupe’s sold are certain to find their way onto a race track and so BMW has gone though the effort of testing the car on THE race track – the Nürburgring. The time? How about an 8:12.

To put that into perspective, that’s 10 seconds faster than the E46 M3, which is hardly surprising, however, as the old E46 only made 262 ft-lbs, compared to the substantial 332 ft-lbs the new turbocharged straight-six makes. Perhaps more impressive is that it’s as fast as the old Z4 M Coupe (another car-guy special) and faster than the 500-hp V10-powered E60 M5.

BMW will officially unveil its new sports car at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, so check back for live photos starting January 10th.

GALLERY: 2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

[Source: BMWBlog]

Race car magnate Tom Walkinshaw has died at age 64 after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Walkinshaw began his career as a driver, and then established legendary firm Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) in 1976, and contested European and Australian motor racing, with his team winning the Bathurst 1000 endurance race in 1985.

TWR was also a major behind the scenes player in the motor racing world, working with teams like Benetton, Ligier and Arrows and attracting the best driving talent, including Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher. TWR’s long affiliation with Australia also extended to Australian V8 Supercars, specifically the Holden Racing Team, and the establishment of Holden’s HSV tuning arm.

[Source: BBC Sport]

Toyota has just announced a recall for it’s new ‘Swagger Wagon’ Sienna minivan for an issue related to the braking system.

Unrelated to any past brake recalls the recall involves the parking brake bracket that could become damaged by repeated use of the foot-actuated parking brake pedal. Toyota warns that damage to the bracket could lead to brake lights that appear on, or in extreme cases ‘dragging’ brakes, which could wear the brakes out over time.

In total 94,000 Sienna minivans are affected by the recall, all dating from the 2011 model year.

Toyota will notify Sienna owners and provide a fix free of charge. Those with questions are asked to call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Official release after the jump:

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Ford’s European headquarters in Cologne, Germany has been raided by German officials as part of an investigation into a kickback scandal by the German prosecutors office.

While Ford itself is supposedly not the target of the investigation, employees at Ford have been implicated in the scandal, and Ford, as well as the German government are working to target these individuals.

Employees allegedly favored companies looking for contracts in exchange for “material advantages”.

[Source: Auto Observer]

Despite a year filled with recalls and bad press, Toyota‘s reputation appears to be mostly untarnished, as is evidenced by Kelly Blue Book announcing the Japanese automaker’s cars are the most considered by new car shoppers.

Toyota has just re-established itself atop the most recent Kelly Blue Book (KBB) Market Intelligence Brand Watch study for the third quarter of 2010, after placing second for the past three quarters. Previous to those results, Toyota placed first in every quarter since KBB began the study in 2007.

If nothing else, this survey proves what a long standing reputation for well-built cars can do, even when most of the products in the Toyota lineup are well-past their prime in the marketplace.

Official release after the jump:

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Speeding is easy to do – sometimes you don’t even realize you’re doing it until the cop pulls you over. You know how it happens… a good song comes on, you get caught up in the music, singing along, while you’re unaware that the speedometer is creeping up. Well, now there’s an app for that too.

The Slow Down app is the product of Belgian organization OVK, Parents of Children Killed in Road Accidents. It works on a pretty simple idea: if you drive too fast it slows down your music (watch the video below to see it in action).

When you’re driving and you’ve got the tunes blaring from your Apple iPhone, the app will keep an eye on the local speed limits. As soon as you go over the posted limit, the music will slow down. If your ignore that and keep going faster (more than 10 miles per hour over the limit), the tunes will go mute. To keep the music going, you just have to slow down.

Watch the video after the jump.

[Source: Engadget]
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