The October issue of the official NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) newsletter took us by surprise today as it revealed several of the premieres that will take place at the Detroit show in January 2008.

Among the worldwide debuts revealed in the newsletter are the U.S. version of Ford’s Verve compact hatch that was shown in Frankfurt (click here), the production version of the Kia Mesa SUV concept (okay, we knew about that), Hyundai’s V8-powered, rear-wheel drive luxury sedan, the Genesis, and a new model from Subaru and Mercedes-Benz (most probably the compact SUV, GLK). -Follow the jump for the details

From NAIAS’ October Newsletter:

Ford will unveil a new small concept vehicle for the U.S. market that will share the underbody with a concept that Ford unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The Ford Verve, revealed in Frankfurt, is a crossover vehicle carried on a small B-segment platform.

The Detroit concept will use the same platform, which is smaller than that used for the Ford Focus. But the Detroit concept will have a different body, details of which are not being revealed. Ford executives say the Verve and the upcoming Detroit concept hint at the automaker’s new design direction for future compact cars. The company plans to gauge public reaction to its proposed “super-mini generation,” a vehicle segment Ford anticipates will grow substantially in the future around the world.

Kia has announced it will hold the worldwide debut of its new seven-passenger sport utility in Detroit. The SUV, which goes by the codename HM until the real name is announced, is derived from the Mesa concept. It will be a 2009 model built in Korea and will have three rows of seats, making it larger than Kia’s current Sorento.

Mazda Always to be counted on for unveiling innovative concept cars, Mazda will do it again at NAIAS 2008. The automaker will hold the debut of a new concept car, the name of which has not been revealed, that takes its Nagare design theme to its “most realistic level yet,” company officials said.

Hyundai will unveil to the world the produc-tion version of its flagship Genesis sedan. It will be similar to Concept Genesis, revealed last spring. The 2008 Genesis rides on a rear-wheel-drive pre-mium sports sedan architecture and is powered by a V8 engine – both rear-drive and V8 power are Hyundai firsts in the U.S. Executives at Hyundai have said the car will start at “well under $30,000.” Always to be counted

Mitsubishi plans two worldwide debuts –one a concept car and another a production car. Details on those debuts will be available in December, the automaker said.

Suzuki will hold the North American introduction of a global concept to be first unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in late October. More details will become available at that time.

Subaru plans a global debut in Detroit.

Mercedes-Benz will hold the worldwide debut of a new production model, details of which are being withheld.

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GM’s 2007 SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Market Association) offerings will include a wide range of vehicles many of which will use “eco-friendly” solutions running on alternative fuels, like E85 ethanol. Among GM’s 28 vehicles that will make their way to Las Vegas on Oct. 29 are a specially tuned version of the forthcoming Pontiac G8 GT (Holden Commodore based) built by rapper 50 Cent and Unique Autosports, a Pontiac Solstice SD-290 concept (picture) which features a closed passenger compartment reminiscent of vintage racecars, and a tuned version of the upcoming 2008 Saturn Astra. -Details after the jump

PRESS RELEASE: LAS VEGAS – A diverse array of customized and high-performance cars, trucks and SUVs again dominates the General Motors display at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, but this time there is an underlying message: Green goes with mean.

Many of the 28 vehicles GM will bring to the annual convention of the automotive aftermarket performance and appearance industry either run on alternative fuels, such as E85 ethanol, or feature fuel-efficient performance without compromise. The lineup is headlined by an E85-powered Corvette Z06 owned by Jay Leno. The “Tonight Show” host’s new supercar boasts a custom, 500-cubic-inch engine that generates approximately 600 horsepower and is fueled solely by E85.

Another mean, green Chevy at SEMA is FlexFuel Chevy Hot Rod, built by GM Performance Division – a re-creation of the hot rods that competed at early drag strips and land-speed venues of the late 1940s and 1950s. With bodywork inspired by a 1934 Chevy and period styling touches, FlexFuel Chevy Hot Rod mixes vintage style with contemporary technology; it’s powered by a 500-horse FlexFuel version of the turbocharged Ecotec engine. It runs on E85, gasoline or any combination of the two.

In addition to the alternative-fueled performers in the display, GM will also use the SEMA platform to introduce some influential concepts and production models, including the Pontiac Solstice SD-290 concept, which showcases a unique passenger compartment closeout evoking the spirit of vintage racecars, and a tuner-inspired version of the upcoming 2008 Saturn Astra. Chevy will make a couple of sport compact production announcements on Monday, Oct. 29, that will surely please the tuner crowd.

Celebrity endorsements will be in full force all over the SEMA show floor as three urban-inspired Enclaves customized by a trio of the industry’s most influential designers, including Rick Bottom, former NBA star Jerome Williams’ Automotive Street Style, and Mitek will be on display, along with a new Pontiac G8 GT built by rapper 50 Cent and Unique Autosports.

Additional concept and specialty vehicles in the display include:

Cadillac –Factory customized CTS Sport and Escalade Sport concepts show how sporty these new models can look with a few, carefully crafted styling and stance enhancements.

Chevrolet –In addition to the E85 ethanol-powered machines described above, Chevy is featuring a bevy of tricked-out trucks and custom cars, including:

• Silverado HD Crew Cab Z71 “Big Red” concept, influenced by last year’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. Big Red concept
• Silverado HD Country Music concept with fold-out, portable stage
• Silverado Major League Baseball show vehicle
• Silverado/GM Performance Parts LSX-powered regular cab truck with 640 horsepower
• Suburban HD Z71 diesel, with a new 4.5L diesel engine
• Camaro Convertible concept
• Impala SS “Car of Tomorrow” NASCAR racecar show vehicle

GMC –The Yukon All-Terrain show vehicle follows in the tracks of last year’s Sierra All-Terrain concept and is designed to complement active lifestyles; and the Sierra HD Denali is a “what if” look at applying GMC’s most premium aesthetic to the Sierra 2500HD.

HUMMER –A pair of serious off-roaders is on hand, including the racing-inspired H3R and the adventure-seeking H2 Safari.

Pontiac –Along with the Solstice SD-290, Pontiac will feature two new G8 performance sedans, including a slightly enhanced version of the G8 GT production model and a completely customized G8 GT from 50 Cent and Unique Autosports (viewed in the Pirelli Tires display).

A collaboration between Pontiac, 50 Cent and Unique Autosports – the New York-based custom shop featured on the show “Unique Whips” – 50 Cent’s red-and-black performance sedan is equipped with a GM Performance Parts LSX 427 engine, custom paint, 22-inch chrome wheels and a custom-tailored interior boasting an 800-watt audio system.

Saturn –Marking the introduction of the all-new Astra sport-compact, Saturn shows off a tuner-inspired example that uses subtle exterior and chassis mods, as well as unique wheels, to give the car a street-wise stance.

GM Accessories and GM Performance Parts

In addition to the concept vehicles at the GM display, General Motors introduces products and initiatives that will surely influence enthusiast projects of the near future, including a collaboration with DUB to develop a variety of appearance and performance components.

GM Performance Parts (GMPP) teamed up with GM Performance Division to give the most famous 1957 Chevy magazine car of all time – Popular Hot Rodding’s Project X – its ultimate “rectification.”

GMPP also introduces a bevy of high-performance engines and engine support components, led by the Anniversary 427 crate engine – a limited-edition, all-aluminum big-block based on the legendary ZL-1 engine. It is completed by the ZZ427, a regular-production crate engine that features most of the same high-performance attributes of the Anniversary 427, but with an iron cylinder block.

Also new from GMPP is an LS3 crate engine, tall-deck LSX cylinder block and a trio of “LS” engine controller kits that make engine integration easy.

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Porsche has launched a new range of calendars for the coming year including three large-format wall calendars and a date planner. Starting with the “2008 Porsche Calendar”, the German carmaker marks its 60th anniversary with this calendar which features images of the current range along with twelve classic models. The “2008 Porsche Calendar” is 59 x 55.5 cm and it costs € 34.51 / $48.8 in Germany. -Continued after the jump

Second up is the “2008 Porsche Style Calendar” which was created by the by the designers in the Porsche Development Center in Weissach. It features 13 themes from current and classic vehicles to show the typical Porsche design line. This 70 x 50 centimeter calendar comes with a CD-Rom with a screen saver and it will cost you €55.93 / $73.2.

Porsche’s third offering is the “2008 Porsche Historic Calendar” that presents the legendary 917-type racing cars at their various development stages from 1969 to 1972. A spiral binding divides the 30 x 42 centimeter large historical calendar (60 x 42 centimeters when opened out) vertically down the middle. As with the “2008 Porsche Calendar”, it’s priced at € 34.51 / $48.8 in Germany.

Finally, the German sports car maker offers an A5 spiral-bound planner that costs again, 34.51 € 34.51 / $48.8. All three calendars and the date planner can be ordered over the Internet at www.porsche.com and will also be available from Porsche centers.

Via: Motorpasion

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So there’s no misunderstanding, when we say Kumho we do actually mean the Korean tire manufacture. Well, the folks at Kumho seem to have found some time off from making tires to create an environmentally friendly Le Mans racing concept – on paper of course. The Epoch was penned by Kumho’s in-house designer, Rob Dolton who works at Kumho’s European Technical Centre in Birmingham, UK.

According to its Dolton, the single-seater Epoch, features a chassis made from bamboo while its lightweight body panels are formed from recycled tire tread rubber. Power in theory comes from Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) units integral to the four-wheel hubs (an electromagnetic technology used in the railway industry). -Continued after the jump

As you’d expect, the Epoch also features innovative tire technology. Kumho calls it EAP (Electro Active Polymer) and it allows the tread and even the shape of the tires to be altered simply by passing an electric current through the rubber. The latter is achieved by the positioning of magnets on the hubs and within the wheel rims allowing the characteristics of the tire to be altered at will in order to suit different tastes and conditions.

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A couple of days ago, Chrysler organized the “Sweetest Day the Jeep Way” challenge in Cleveland where contestants had to lick their way through one of seven chocolate-covered Jeep vehicles. The first two that licked their way through the chocolate had to find a set of keys hidden in a Liberty filled with wrapped candy. In the end, Anne Gemkow from Chicago, won the Jeep Liberty

Honestly, it’s been a while since we laughed so hard. You can get a taste (…) of the contestants in Jeep’s official video above but in order to fully appreciate the art of licking you HAVE to see the b-roll footage. Trust us; you’ll find it hilarious - though we do know a couple of lads that might actually find this umm kinda hot… Click here to see the b-roll footage on Jeep’s official site

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Look Mo, no hands, no remote control! This weird looking Land Rover LR3 (Discovery) has been crafted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to drive all by itself avoiding obstacles, even merging into moving traffic without any human assistance whatsoever.

The fully autonomous LR3 is designed to take part in a driverless car competition dubbed 2007 DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Urban Challenge which will be held on November 3, 2007 in Victorville, CA. During the event, the driverless vehicles will have to cross through a 60-mile mock city course completing a stipulated route within a period of six hours. It remains unclear whether the cars will able to receive the prize all by themselves or if human assistance will be needed... -Details after the jump

PRESS RELEASE: IRVINE, Calif., Oct 22, 2007- Land Rover has joined forces with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by donating a Land Rover LR3 that has been built to be fully autonomous so it can take part in the forthcoming 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge.

MIT has completely modified the LR3, a vehicle already packed with technology, so that without human driver assistance or remote control, the vehicle is able to drive itself and perform simple tasks such as avoiding obstacles and merging into moving traffic.

The LR3 uses state-of-the-art hardware to view the environment and to track its own motion while driving on major roads or moving through cities. It is equipped with LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) range finders with vision sensors in order to view the environment, helping it avoid obstacles that might get in its way. In order to track its progress along the roads, the vehicle uses a combination of GPS (Global Positioning System) and INS (Inertial Navigation System).

With this combination of technology, the vehicle can locate itself within half of a meter anywhere in the world, giving it the ability to stay on road at all times. By grouping these technologies, the LR3 can navigate itself while avoiding anything that might get in its way.

The DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Urban Challenge is an annual competition where several autonomous vehicles, like this specialized LR3, compete against each other in several different rounds.

After successfully completing the qualifying round in early August, Team MIT and the LR3 have been invited back to compete in the challenging semi-final round taking place on October 26-31, with the goal of making it to the final competition.

The DARPA Urban Challenge final event will be held in Victorville, CA on November 3, 2007. During the competition, the vehicles will need to traverse through a 60-mile mock city course within six hours, and will be challenged with tasks while completing a stipulated route. Some of these tasks include executing simulated supply missions while merging into moving traffic, navigating traffic circles, negotiating busy intersections and avoiding various obstacles - all without a driver or via remote control.

LAND ROVER
Land Rover North America is part of Ford Motor Company's Premier Automotive Group with headquarters in Irvine, California. Land Rover established operations in the U.S. in 1986, and now imports and distributes Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, LR3 and LR2 vehicles manufactured by Land Rover in Solihull and Halewood, England. Land Rover’s worldwide operations are wholly owned by Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan. For information about the Land Rover retailer nearest you, call 800-FIND-4WD or log on to www.LandRoverusa.com.

Vehicle specifications and features are subject to change. For the latest Land Rover pricing and product information, contact Land Rover North America Product Communications at (949) 341-5800. Land Rover-related press releases and electronic photos of the company’s products are available on-line in the Land Rover section of Ford Motor Company’s news media website (media.landrover.com).

MIT
Today MIT is a world-class educational institution. Teaching and research—with relevance to the practical world as a guiding principle—continue to be its primary purpose. MIT is independent, coeducational, and privately endowed. Its five schools and one college encompass numerous academic departments, divisions, and degree-granting programs, as well as interdisciplinary centers, laboratories, and programs whose work cuts across traditional departmental boundaries

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Hats (and socks and pants…) off to our reader Terry Hartley aka, “The Deuce”, who just tipped us off about this video that features Renault-Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn presenting the all-new Nissan GT-R on a Japanese TV Show. Furthermore, Ghosn took the host of the show for a ride on Nissan's test track –or at least that’s what it looks like. Press play and enjoy! –Click here for details and images on the 473 Hp Nissan GT-R

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Toyota has launched a new flagship model for its UK Land Cruiser range that goes by the name “Invincible”. Available with both 3.0 D-4D diesel and 4.0 VVT-i V6 petrol engines, the Invincible comes equipped with an array of standard features that include: Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free phone operation, a rear parking monitor, black wood trim inserts, a leather and wood multi-function steering wheel, rear privacy glass and a subtle dark finish to the headlamps, front grille and 17-inch alloy wheels. Prices start of at £37,795 ($77,400 or €54,280) for the 3.0 D-4D model with the 6-speed manual gearbox. -Detailed pricing and images after the jump

Prices

MODEL	OTR PRICE
Land Cruiser Invincible 3.0 D-4D (6 M/T)	£37,795
Land Cruiser Invincible 3.0 D-4D (5 A/T)	£38,995
Land Cruiser Invincible 4.0 VVT-I V6 (5 A/T)	£39,495

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We’re not the only folks that gave our blog a revamp (read about it here), so did our Italian friends at Autoblog.it who presented their redesigned site today. Apart from the cosmetic facelift that gives it a more modern look, the newly designed site also boasts new features like the recent post image gallery. "In bocca al lupo" guys!

Link: Autoblog.it

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Honda’s official tuning partner wasted no time at all with the new Fit (Jazz in Europe and elsewhere) introducing a wide range of accessories just as the compact hatch went on sale in Japan. Mugen offers two distinct bodykits for the Fit, the more aggressively styled RS Aero Kit and the more subtle, L/G Aero kit. Both kits include restyled front and rear bumpers, a roof spoiler, side skirts and chromed exhaust pipes. Buyers can also choose from a wide variety of other accessories including, alloy-wheels, aluminum pedals, extra gauges, sports exhaust system, quick shifter, sport suspension, brake pads and high-performance air-filter. -Image gallery after the jump

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Unless you shut down your desktop computer, threw out your laptop and moved to a remote area in Alaska for the past two days, you couldn’t have missed out on the ZR-1 frenzy that went on during the weekend. To make a long story short, GM rolled out a prototype version of the Corvette at California’s Laguna Seca Raceway and everyone went completely haywire as the vehicle is believed to be the long rumoured ZR-1, previously know as the “Blue Devil”. Today, ALMS (American Le Mans Series) released a new set of images featuring the ZR-1 running around the Californian race circuit. In case you really spent the weekend in Alaska, click here to see the video of the alleged ZR-1. -Image gallery after the jump

Via: Le Blog Auto , Source: ALMS

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Once upon a time, not long ago, an over-optimistic Korean carmaker set plans to sell 1 million cars in the U.S. market by 2010. Today, the same Korean automaker will be lucky if it manages to surpass the half-a-million mark by the end of 2007, let alone reach 1 million sales in three years from now. Hyundai’s U.S. sales through September reached 358,407 units, down 0.2 percent from the same period last year. In 2006, full-year sales were 455,520 units which makes you wonder how Hyundai will manage to reach the revised goal of 512,000 units (down from 555,000). Hyundai even had to halt production (see here) of its best-selling car, the Sonata sedan, sales of which are down 19.6 percent through September.

Poor sales have created havoc at Hyundai’s American headquarters which is responding with a constant reshuffling of top managers and strategic moves. As Automotive News points out, Hyundai’s decision to bring back dealer ad associations just nine months after getting rid of them is a perfect example of the situation. Guess Hyundai has to learn the hard way that it’s one thing playing the game as an outsider and another as a major player.

Via: Autonews (sub. Req.)

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MR Sweden Motosport has presented its latest offering based on the diesel version of the stylish Volvo C30 compact sport hatch. Modifications to the car’s 2.4-liter 5-cylinder turbodiesel unit include the new sports air filter and tuned ECU, which help increase output from 185 Hp to 224 Hp and maximum torque to 432 Nm or 318.6-lb/ft. The C30 now sprints from 0 to 100km/h (62 km/h) in 7.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 225km/h or 146 mph. According to the German based tuner, the supped up Volvo C30 features an avg. consumption figure of 7.9 lt/00 km or 29.7 mpg. -Continued after the jump

Style wise, MR Sweden Motorsports equips the C30 with a subtle bodykit that consists of fron and rear bumper add-ons, a roof spoiler, side skirts and a real good-looking set of five-spoke 18-inch ASA five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in 235/35 R18 rubber. The German based tuner also offers an adjustable sports suspension system that lowers the C30’s ground clearance by up to 60mm or 23.6-inches.

Via: Motorpasion

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Here we go boys, let the tuning games begin! Shortly after the Japanese market debut of the all-new Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X (click here), HKS revealed a teaser shot of the high-performance sedan featuring prototype sport parts. From what we were able to make from the translated release, the Japanese tuner will focus on two main areas: extra power and increased grip thanks to new suspension parts, lower ride height and different tire/alloy wheel combinations. By the way, doesn’t the white HKS EVO X RS with those alloy wheels looks outright sick?

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The mystery supped up Corvette prototype that made its way in California for the American Le Mans Series season at Laguna Seca was caught on tape while performing a couple of test laps on the raceway. We’re still in the black when it comes to details but everything seems to be pointing to the long rumoured “Blue Devil” or ZR-1 version of the Vette. (See image here)

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Funny how a different mixture of colors can totally screw up a good design. If you follow the jump you’ll see that apart from the “alpine-white” version of the 2008 Le Mansory Bentley Continental GT featured in the above picture, the German tuning and design shop also offers the British luxury coupe in a “bumblebee” themed color choice which just makes you wanna puke honey. So unless you’re one of those people who think that Carrot Top looks cool, we’d advise you to go for the ‘alpine-white’ version. -Continued after the jump

Whatever color you choose though, if you're seriously interested (and rich), better hurry up as the 2008 Le Mansory Bentley Continental GT, which pays homage to the 24h Le Mans race, will be built in a limited quantity of 24 sets. Wide-bodykit aside, the supped up Bentley coupe also gets 22-inch alloy wheels in 265/35/22 high performance profile tires up front and 305/30/22 tires at the rear-end.

Inside, Mansory equips the Continental GT with carbonfibre trim inserts, sport steering wheel in combination Leather/Carbon, illuminated sill plates in stainless steel with a lighted LE MANSORY Logo, foot deposit pedals, brake- and restpedal in stainless steel high polished punched and floor mats with LE MANSORY logo stick with leather border.

Under the hood, Mansory’s electronic engineering package helps the 6-liter Twin-Turbocharged W12 engine’s performance grow up to 641bhp (650PS or 478 kW) at 6100rpm and peak torque to 780 Nm (575-lb/ft) at 1.600 rpm. The British coupe now accelerates from 0 - 100km/h in 4.6 seconds (0 - 60mph/h 4.4 seconds) and goes on to a top speed of 205 mph or 330 km/h.

Along with engine enhancements, the German tuner has revised the braking system which gets massive BREMBO 412/38 rotor discs with 6 piston aluminium fixed calipers in front and disc dimensions 405/22 with 4 piston calibers in the rear.

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This 60’s MicroBus limousine made a special appearance at the VW Bus Exhibition in Hanover earlier this month (October 5 to 9) to celebrate the Microbus’ 60th anniversary. We don’t know any specific details about the MicroBus stretched limo but it certainly goes down as one heck of a cool car in our books. Can you imagine what it would be like owning a vehicle like the MicroBus limo in 70’s; totally orgylicious to say the least… -More images after the jump

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Lexus has announced pricing for the facelifted 2008 GS luxury sedans (click here for details and images) that received subtle interior and exterior enhancements along with the replacement of the GS 430 by the GS 460 which features a more powerful 4.6-liter V8 engine producing 342 Hp (+52 Hp).

If any of you are interested in the GS then you should be happy to know that base prices remain unchanged for the 2008 GS 350 and GS 450h hybrid at $44,150 and $54,900 respectively. As for the new GS 460, it receives a petty increase of just 0.47 percent or $245 over the less powerful GS 430 it replaces, to $52,620.

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As we told you last week, Audi launched a new U.K. market TV campaign which focuses on the fact that the new R8 might be one of the fastest kids around the block but when it comes to production, it actually has the by far the slowest build process of all Audi models. The advert aired on Wednesday, Oct 17 during the Russia vs. England Euro 2008 football qualifier match (despite Wayne Rooney’s fantastic goal, England lost 2-1 to Russia).

Via: Autoblog.it

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Focusing on the Focus (see here), is not a bad idea but Ford couldn’t go to this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show without bringing pick-up trucks and crossovers. Ford’s offerings at the annual aftermarket show in Las Vegas on Oct. 30 will include specially tuned versions of the Ford Edge, Escape, Expedition, F-150 and Lincoln MKX, Navigator models. Also on stand will be a special 1951 Ford pickup truck which was completed by the Make-A-Wish foundation for a young cancer patient named Justin Lilley. -Details and images after the jump

Ford Edge by MRT-Direct

MRT-Direct ups the “sport” in crossover sport utility with this extremely lowered and lavished Ford Edge. The 3D Carbon body kit is further accentuated with an MRT Leading Edge hood, rear fascia and black chrome exterior trim. The 3.5-liter turbocharged Duratec V-6 uses a Turbonetics air-to-air intercooler, MRT Aero turbine performance exhaust with calibration by Calibrated Success and Ford Racing Performance to drive all four 22-inch Boss Motorsports wheels and Dunlop tires. An H&R Street performance suspension keeps things under control. The performance theme is carried top the interior sporting Sparco Modena sport seats and Stewart Warner gauges. An ARC Audio system supplies the tunes while Ford’s exclusive SYNC hands-free communications system lets you keep both hands on the wheel at all times.

FMS Escape

Escape the everyday with this custom Ford Escape by ATS Design. The Escape is ready for its getaway with a custom grille and racing-inspired front fascia that houses PIAA driving lamps in the lower corners. Side skirts, rear valence and rear spoiler complete the body transformation. An Eibach suspension provides a 2-inch drop over a sharp set of 20-inch Estorils by TSW Wheels. A Gibson performance exhaust delivers a throaty exhaust note from the 3.0-liter
V-6 while rear seat passengers enjoy INVISON Industries Revolution 2 DVD screens mounted in the headrests.

Lincoln MKX by Barry’s Speed Shop

This custom ride could easily be classified as ‘dessert.’ The delicious interior, bathed in supple Katzkin leather and suede, provides the perfect ambience to enjoy the INVISION Revolution 2 DVD screens in the headrests and Blaupunkt premium audio with 12-inch tube subwoofer. The Lincoln crossover is bathed in luxurious PPG black paint and dressed in a 3D Carbon body kit with custom grille, trim and blacked out tailamps by Barry’s Speed Shop. An H&R suspension kit lowers the MKX over a sweet set of SRRC Wheels that show off the Baer Brakes custom rotors.

Ford F-150 by K Daddyz Kustoms

K Daddys Kustomz adds “In Your Face” to “Built Ford Tough.” This extreme machine sits 17 inches over stock on a Bullet Proof lift kit installed by Shocker Motor Sports, Fox Racing Shox and Atlas leaf springs. The 22-inch Weld wheels wear 40x15.5x22 Toyo Tires. The F-150’s 5.4-liter Triton V-8 mounts a ProCharger supercharger, Yukon gears, Kinetik power cell, and UPR billet dress up kit. K Daddys Kustomz applied the wild blue-on-blue flame paint scheme using Hot Hues by DuPont. Soft leather seats are surrounded by the sound of Titanium Power Audio and fiberglass speaker pods and plexiglass speaker box. Vizualogic supplied the headrest video and gaming system

Ford F-150 by ATS Design

Every trucker has an ultimate obsession. ATS Design partnered with an elite group of aftermarket manufacturers to bring their Ultimate Obsession to life. This radical custom F-150 features a who’s who list of brand names from the Volant exhaust and air intake system on the 5.4-liter Triton V-8 to the dual Optima batteries under the hood. ATS provided the front valance, fender flares and roll pan with billet accents along while T-Rex chipped in the billet grille insert. Ford’s Cargo Management System sits atop a Wise Industries bed rug and snuggles underneath the Snug Top tonneau cover. A McGaughy’s suspension drops the truck two-inches over 22-inch KMC Lorenzo wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber. The Katzkin leather interior will be rockin’ to the sound of a Sony premium sound system while the little truckers are entertained with the Sony DVD system and monitors.

Make-A-Wish 1951 F-Series

Justin Lilley had a wish. The young cancer patient asked the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help him restore his grandfather’s 1951 Ford pickup. Make-A-Wish tapped the talents of the students at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor Mich., with help from Ford Motor Company to perform a complete ground-up restoration. Justin’s wish truck sits on a Fat Man tube chassis with a supercharged 4.6-liter V-8 under the fiberglass hood. The ’51 Ford body is chopped and features suicide doors. The custom deep black paint is carried on to the Ford GT40 wheels. The interior is fitted with a custom dash, console, racing seats and a booming Alpine stereo system with custom speaker boxes.

2008 F-150 FX-2 Sport

The FX-2 takes trucking to a whole new level and the project FX-2 V2 ups the ante even further. The Vehicle Personalization branded windshield is just a hint of what’s in store. Each side of the truck shows off a different set of new 22-inch wheels while the pure white paint is set off with contrasting stripes that run down the hood and across the hard tonneau cover and down the tailgate. Ford Racing provides a supercharger, radiator, chrome valve covers and custom exhaust along with a lowering kit and tall 4:10 final gear for extra get-up-and-go. Red illuminated sill plates provide the invitation to an interior that features headrest DVDs, BaluPunkt audio and HD radio.

Urban Rider Expedition

Cruise the ‘hood in style in the Urban Rider from 3D Carbon. The 2008 Expedition is converted to a hip street custom with a new front fascia, side rockers, rear bumper lower valance and rear tailgate spoiler. An Eibach performance suspension sets the Urban Rider down over polished NC-forged, six-spoke aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber. A Katzkin two-tone leather interior and tinted windows add the finishing touches.

DeBerti Lincoln Navigator L

Who says you can’t take it with you? This gorgeous black-on-black cruiser is like a luxury getaway, complete with fully reclining back seats that massage you from head to toe. Best yet, this Navigator keeps you connected with a Trac-Vision system by KVH that provides satellite television and internet access. Just sit back in the supple Katzkin leather seats and watch a movie, the game or play a game of your own. The Black L floats on a custom air ride suspension and looks out-of-this-world with deep black PPG paint, 3D Carbon wing, Street Glow under lighting and 26-inch, forged aluminum wheels with polished rims and black spokes.

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Audi’s heritage department will display a cutaway version of the German carmaker’s first six-cylinder model, a 1925 Type M 18/70 hp at the Audi museum in Ingolstadt. In total, 228 units of the Audi Type M were built between 1925 and 1928 but today, there are only four examples left worldwide. In April 2007, Audi had awarded the company Fahrzeugrestaurierung the contract to create the cutaway model from one the remaining Type M's. -Contiuned after the jump

"It was very important to us to be able to realise this project. After all, the cutaway model gives people a very revealing insight into the technology, the composition of the materials, the craftsmanship and the engineering expertise of its time," remarked Thomas Frank, Head of Audi Tradition.

Via: Motorpasion , Source: Audi

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Normal people usually lift their foot off the gas pedal and start applying some pressure on the brake pedal before they park. But not this driver (we’ve no idea if it’s a he or she) who continued going on until the building in front put a stop to the VW Golf’s course… -Video after the jump

Via: Bilfeber

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Our Italian blogger-buddies at Autoblog.it have posted a new set of scanned (?) renderings featuring the long awaited 2009 Porsche Panamera. We’re getting the feeling that Porsche’s first ever 4door (or 5door) sedan will be one of those hate it or love it cars, and to be honest, from what we’ve seen up to now, we’re leaning towards the “hate it” part. -Continued after the jump

Via: Autoblog.it

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Others call it the ZR-1, others the Blue Devil, either way, both are referring to a future high-performance version of the Vette. While GM hasn’t confirmed the rumours, they haven’t disproved them either. To make things even more complicated, GM (unofficially) unveiled some sort of prototype Corvette in Monterey, California for the last race of the Amercian Le Mans Series season at Laguna Seca Raceway. The Yellow Corvette did a few laps on the race track before it was loaded into the back of a truck to go home and leave us with more questions than answers…

Via: Jalopnik , Pic source: Corvette Forum

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A member of the Swedish forum “M5board” who goes by the alias “Balazs” posted a set of images from a serious car crash he had in his M5 Touring this past July. According to Balazs, the accident occurred on the autobahn when he was travelling at about 180 km/h or 112 mph. After hearing a loud bang from the right side, the car went out of control spinning sideways at 140 km/h or 87 mph. It hit the roadside barrier several times before flipping over two times and coming to a halt. -Continued after the jump

Luckily, neither Balazs, his wife or his 7-month-old daughter that were on board that day got hurt (not even a scratch!). The police reported that the accident was caused by a puncture to the rear right tyre. Although the Bimmer was fitted with a TPM system (Tire Pressure Management), according to Balazs, the system never gave any warning whatsoever.

Via: M5board

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Now, why would someone destroy a perfectly good Nash Rambler Wagon? Well, apparently to create one of the most absurd station wagons we have ever seen. “Divers Street Rods” took the bodyshell of a 1960 Rambler Wagon and a custom-made frame from Art Morrison and dropped into it the drivetrain (400 Hp 3.6-liter V8) and the suspension components from a wrecked 2002 Ferrari F360. As you can see from the pictures, the Ferrambo project isn’t finished yet but the guys at Divers Street Rods promise to have the Ferrari powered Rambler ready for the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. We’ll be waiting. -Image gallery after the jump

Link: Divers Street Rods

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If you’re waiting to see Bimmer’s newest coupe showing off its 306 Hp turbocharged engine or its road handling capabilities in this TV commercial, get ready to be disappointed. The Bavarians chose to show a man getting in a 135i Coupe that’s being built in the factory. The guy is so impressed by the car that he doesn’t care less about the machines working around him. We know that the 135i Coupe will be bought by many people as a status symbol on wheels, but what’s wrong with a traditional ad showing a guy racing the coupe around the Nurburgring track?

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Japanese tuner Wald International has presented a new sport package for the Lexus IS 200 / 350 models. The “Elegance” sport kit includes a new front spoiler, side steps, a rear wing, a rear skirt, and a dark grille/ while 19-inch polished alloy wheels. Wald International also offers a wide-range of alloy wheels including these 19-inch polished rims that look deliciously sexy on the IS. The end result, especially in this particular black bodypaint, is one mean looking Lexus. -Image gallery after the jump

(Photos revised by Carscoop

Link: Wald International

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The shrinking demand for full-size pick-up trucks in the U.S. has finally caught up with GM as the American automaker announced that it plans to cease production of the second shift at the Pontiac Truck plant in May 1, 2008. According to the Oakland Press, the cut down could leave between 800 and 900 members of UAW Local 594 out of work for good. UAW (United Auto Workers) officials began notifying GM employees about the future cutbacks on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 18).

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The original Lotus Super Seven was a nimble, lightweight sports car designed by Lotus founder, Colin Chapman that was produced between 1957 and 1972. Since then we’ve seen countless of Super Seven replicas, but we bet that you haven’t seen one that’s based on a 1995 Suzuki Samurai / Jimny 4x4. If you’ve ever driven a Samurai and lived to tell the story, this project is like trying to combine water with fire! -More pics after the jump

Via: Renpou , Source: Enthuno

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BMW’s Los Angeles based “DESIGNWORKSUSA” studio released pictures of the Brazilian made, Embraer medium-range jet aircraft, the interior of which, it has designed. This isn’t the first time that DESIGNWORKSUSA has been involved in aircraft projects, as the studio was responsible for the cabin design of Embraer’s Phenom 100 and 300 business jets while back in April, BMW’s styling studio also presented a concept cabin design for the Boeing 787 (click here). And to answer any smartass questions, BMW did not add an aircraft version of the iDrive in the cockpit. They aren’t that stupid… -Press release and pics after the jump

BMW GROUP DESIGNWORKSUSA POSITIONS ITSELF AS A TRENDSETTER IN AIRCRAFT DESIGN

BMW Group DesignworksUSA positions itself as a trendsetter in aircraft design.

Having created two award-winning design solutions for business jets, the global design consultancy now convinces with a further trendsetting design for Embraer. The Brazilian manufacturer is one of the world's largest aircraft companies.

Munich. At this year's international aircraft show held in Atlanta by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) from September 25th - 27th, BMW Group DesignworksUSA caused quite a stir with their groundbreaking design of a medium-range aircraft built by the Brazilian company Embraer. The innovative styling is the follow-up to the consultancy's two outstanding and successful design solutions created for the business jets Phenom 100 and 300 produced by Embraer. The awards given for these designs included the renowned iF Product Design Award 2007. Embraer is one of the world's largest aircraft builders.
"It was our desire to create the same trendsetting and sophisticated design as for the Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft," explained Verena Kloos, President of BMW Group DesignworksUSA. In addition to outstanding aesthetics, the concept was to provide a degree of comfort unparalleled in this segment and to exceed the expectations of the client and the end-consumer alike. "Our team carried out an in-depth investigation into modern living interiors and exclusive hospitality concepts in order to establish a genuinely new standard for the medium-range aircraft segment."

Innovative design concept: "Intelligent Luxury".
"Intelligent Luxury" is the name of the concept the team at BMW Group DesignworksUSA implemented for Phenom business jets. With this new design the consultancy went a step further and upgraded the standard for a medium-range aircraft built to carry passengers in comfort from the West Coast to the East Coast of North America. When developing this innovative styling, the designers stringently questioned the traditional conception of luxury. The consultancy realized that parameters associated with it in the past, such as opulence, hierarchy and symbolism, were no longer significant in a world that has become very complex. The holistic design strategy regards the interior of an aircraft as a space in which to relax and spend personal time freely. Therefore, new values such as connectivity, integrity and authenticity are conveyed.

Following the "Intelligent Luxury" strategy, various teams at BMW Group DesignworksUSA have created a lounge-like atmosphere for the interior of the medium-range aircraft, where generously sized windows convey a feeling of open space inside the cabin, in which passengers can move around in comfort standing upright. Moreover, completely newly designed seats provide an air of lightness and sensuality, rising above conventional lounge seats by featuring an elegant and comfortable body-contour design. Further innovations are the flexible, swing-out tables and the attractive entertainment area with a three-seat divan.

Storage spaces are discreetly concealed behind high-quality panels; these accentuating the distinctive, both stylishly puristic and becalming character of the overall design. Cabin and cockpit have been designed to form one single unit. The cockpit is equipped with aesthetic and concise state-of-the-art aviation technology. Large-size displays featuring advanced graphics are located in the center.

"The final design immediately conveys a feeling of unparalleled comfort and convinces through simplicity and sensual elegance," says Gerhard Steinle, Director of Transportation Design at BMW Group DesignworksUSA. "It surprises with intelligent design solutions and impresses with a discerning eye for detail."
The range of colours and materials, which can indeed be associated with premium cars of the BMW Group, offers the client a varied choice of options. Here we also find innovative solutions that render the production process more efficient - a further positive asset.

BMW Group DesignworksUSA: Uncompromisingly sophisticated design.
Based in Los Angeles with studios in Munich and Singapore, BMW Group DesignworksUSA operates as a subsidiary of the BMW Group with more than 35 years of cross industry expertise in design strategy, design research, brand communication, colors, materials, and finish, product development, 3D modelling and engineering. In addition to the BMW Group in the automotive field, the consultancy's clients include a number of leading companies in the sectors transportation, consumer electronics, IT, medical as well as the consumer products and lifestyle industry.

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We received a bunch of e-mails this week concerning a glitch that blanked our site to whoever was using an Explorer 6 browser on their PC. First of all, we’d like to apologize and second we’d like to inform you that we fixed it. Unfortunately, when we redesigned Carscoop last Sunday we forgot to test it on IE6 –duh… Now you know why we’re going to go pro next time.

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Chevrolet has kicked off “The Bumblebee Camaro Sweepstakes” competition which will see three lucky chaps winning a 2009 Chevy Camaro modified to resemble the exterior of Bumblebee, as seen in this summer’s blockbuster film, Transformers. The Bumblebee Sweepstakes is open to all legal residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding Quebec Province) over the age of 18 and begins on 10/16/07 and ends on 1/15/08. The winners will be announced on January 30, 2008.

A bit off topic, but we checked out the small print in the “Rules & Regulations” section and we discovered that, the Transformers Bumblebee Replica Edition has an approximate retail value of $40,000. According to Chevrolet, the price is based on forecasted 2009 Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of a base model Chevrolet Camaro. Link: Chevy

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A new image featuring the next generation Atos without a single trace of camouflage has been leaked into the web today revealing the front end of Hyundai’s forthcoming mini car. From the looks of it, the picture must have been taken in one of Hyundai’s development centres. We don’t have any information concerning technical details but we have been told by Korean officials that the next generation Atos will be named “i10" after Hyundai’s new alpha-numerical code naming which was introduced in the new “i30” (click here). Like the Atos, the i10 will be produced in Hyundai’s Indian factory in Chennai. According to our sources, the Hyundai’s Fiat Panda adversary will go on sale in Europe during the first quarter of 2008.

UPDATE: Official Hyundai i10 Images & Details - Click HERE

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Kia announced today that it will put the green-performance eco_cee’d concept car, first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show (click here), into production from December 2008 with sales starting in early 2009. The new ‘eco’ cee’d product line-up will include all three regular cee’d body styles – five-door, three-door and wagon. The Frankfurt show concept car was based on the three door pro_cee’d and it was equipped with a 115 Hp1.6-litre CRDi turbo diesel engine. A combination of minor modifications (engine, gearbox and aerodynamics) and equipment additions to the standard vehicle (start & stop system), helped reduced avg. fuel consumption to 3.9 litres/100km or 60 mpg (-17%) and CO2 emissions to 104 g/km (down 8.4%). -Details after the jump

Kia plans to market ‘eco’ versions of cee’d models

Production of ‘eco’ cee’d models planned from December 2008

Significantly reduced fuel consumption and lowered emissions

Will meet Euro5 emissions more than two years before requirement

Retains best-in-class 7-Years Warranty and EuroNCAP 5-Star rating

Aerodynamic enhancements cut drag to Cd 0.29

The impressive performance, fuel economy and emissions figures of the concept car were largely the result of improved aerodynamics which brought the drag coefficient down from Cd 0.33 to just Cd 0.29, representing a significant improvement of 11%.

Following extensive wind-tunnel testing, Kia engineers lowered the concept’s suspension, fitted under-floor coverings to the front, middle and rear of the vehicle, adopted wheel arch linings with ‘spoiler’ lips to smooth airflow around the wheels, plus a low-drag front grille to improve air flow over the vehicle. Finally, ultra-low rolling resistance Michelin tyres were mounted on special 17-inch alloy wheels that generate minimum disturbance to the airflow along the sides of the car.

Euro5 emissions, enhanced electronics and reduced engine friction

Engines for the ‘eco’ cee’d models will already comply with the Euro5 emissions regulations which come into force in January 2011. Engine changes which will transfer to the ‘eco’ cee’d range from the concept car include measures to maximise fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, such as reduced turbo boost pressure (diesel models), enhanced fuel injection timing, modified residual gas rates and reductions in internal engine friction.

New ISG (Idle Stop&Go) system

To maximise the value of the aerodynamic and powertrain improvements, the new ‘eco’ cee’d models will be fitted with Kia’s new ISG (Idle Stop&Go) system, including Smart battery Power Management. This system has regenerative braking, which automatically recharges the battery during deceleration, and switches the engine off when the car is stopped and the engine is at idle, dramatically cutting both fuel consumption and emissions during typical stop-start city driving.

More gears, lower revs, lower consumption

All the new ‘eco’ cee’d’ models will be fitted with a new six-speed manual gearbox instead of the five-speed used on standard cars. Higher ratios for fourth, fifth and sixth gears will improve fuel consumption at motorway speeds. First, second and third gears retain the standard ratios to ensure that the dynamic performance of the standard car accelerating from standstill is carried over.

To further guarantee that the ‘eco’ cee’d models’ engines and transmissions are always operating at high efficiency, an ECU-controlled ‘Shift Indicator’ will be fitted in the instrument cluster. This displays the optimum gear choice for the speed at which the car is travelling, and indicates the ideal moment (based on road speed and engine speed) at which to change gear.

Customer choices for a greener future

The new ‘eco’ cee’d product line-up will include all three regular cee’d body styles – five-door, three-door and wagon – to continue Kia’s policy of maximising customer choice. All ‘eco’ cee’d models will retain the standard cee’d electric power steering, fully independent suspension and all-disc braking system, so the ‘eco-friendly’ cars will be just as much fun to drive as the regular models.

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Is this one… happy Toyota Prius or what! Created by a Canadian in Canada –don’t laugh, we’ve seen Canadians in other places too, the custom made Prius hybrid Limo is equipped with six doors and it can accommodate 10 passengers in its interior. Follow the jump to see the work that was done in order to transformer the Prius into a stretch limo. -Continued

Via: Le Blog Auto

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French carmaker Citroen officially presented the second-generation C5 Sedan & Estate models today. As we pointed out in our previous post when a batch of official images were leaked into the net (click here), the C5 is a good-looking machine that will certainly win many buyers with its dynamic design. Compared to the outgoing model, the new C5 is not only better looking, but it's also bigger measuring 4.78m long (the estate is 5cm longer), 1.86m wide and 1.45m tall. -Continued after the jump

Surprisingly, Citroen's highly acclaimed Hydractive3 hydropneumatic suspesnsion will not be standard on all models, as entry-level versions will come equipped with a coil suspension. As for the engine range, the new C5 will be offered three petrol units (127bhp 1.8L, 143bhp 2.0L and 215bhp 3.0 V6) and four diesel engines (107bhp 1.6L, 134bhp 2.0L, 168bhp 2.2L and 205bhp 2.7L V6) which can be combined a selection of manual or automatic gearboxes. European sales are expected to start in March 2008.

PRESS RELEASE: CITROËN UNVEILS THE NEW C5

Citroën is making business and family motoring even more alluring as it lifts the wraps off the brand new C5 in Paris. Unveiled to the world in both saloon and estate versions, the new C5 benefits from a completely new approach by Citroën’s designers who have combined Teutonic-like levels of quality, styling and handling with the highest standards of comfort, safety and in-car technology for which the Company is already renowned.

The all-new C5 conveys a real sense of prestige, with the state-of-the-art design in a classic thoroughbred saloon. Following the success of the innovative C4 Picasso, Citroën’s new C5 also introduces a range of new features such as a second-generation fixed-centred controls steering wheel, a seat back massage function and a choice of suspension set-ups.

Set to arrive in the UK in early 2008, the new C5 embodies the progress that Citroën has made in recent years, and will more than satisfy the requirements of buyers of large cars in terms of both quality and reliability. A powerful addition to the Company’s impressive car line-up, it ensures that Citroën is strongly represented in the large family car sector, one of the UK’s biggest market sectors with over a third of a million sales last year.

With its long, sleek body, sculpted lines and high waist, the new C5’s striking styling gives it a true sense of status. The front end is characterised by the large air-intakes and long incisive headlamps that flank the prominent chrome chevrons and assert the C5’s identity. From the back, the distinctive concave window and two-part boomerang lights give it a purposeful, determined impression.

Longer and wider than the model it replaces, the new C5 has real on-the-road presence, with an aerodynamic profile that alludes to the car’s dynamic qualities and accomplished road handling. Measuring 4.78m long (the estate is 5cm longer), 1.86m wide and 1.45m tall, the new C5 imposes itself at the top end of the large family car segment.

The interior of the new C5 offers occupants an environment that exudes refinement, comfort and style. The same taut, flowing lines seen on the exterior are replicated inside in the detailing around the doors and dashboard, echoing the pursuit of quality throughout the car.

The attractive styling is exemplified by the instrument panel design, where annular needles run around each of the dials, allowing an electronic display unit to be integrated in the centre of each dial. Additionally, a screen on the overhead console displays an illustration on start-up, symbolising the car, its five seats and the seatbelt warnings.

The new C5 introduces a second-generation fixed-centred controls steering wheel, with membrane-covered controls, providing easy access to key functions such as the cruise control, radio or telephone. The model can also be specified with Citroën’s new-generation NaviDrive system, featuring a 7-inch central display screen and voice activation of the built-in GSM telephone, audio system and satellite navigation.

Large Citroëns are well known for providing the highest standards of occupant comfort, and the new C5 is no different, with special attention having been paid to the acoustics, suspension and seating.

The new C5 features levels of soundproofing that more than match any of its competitors. Specifically, the measures taken include acoustic barriers on the body and door surrounds, an acoustic windscreen, laminated side windows, reinforced absorbent body and roof linings, and damped mountings as developed for the C6.

With a view to offering the optimum mix of comfort and dynamics, the C5 has been developed to offer a choice of two suspension set-ups based on the running gear of the ultra-smooth C6 executive saloon. The metallic suspension strikes an excellent balance between comfort and road-holding and features a double wishbone layout at the front and multilink set-up at the rear.

Citroën’s acclaimed Hydractive 3 Plusself-levelling suspension features springing and damping that adjusts instantaneously to offer a cosseting ride, whatever the road conditions. A soft mode provides optimum comfort while a firmer mode delivers greater body control. A “Sport” mode can also be selected for an even more dynamic ride.

Further contributing to a relaxed journey, certain versions can be specified with a driver’s seat back massage function. The front seats are fully adjustable, with either manual or electric controls, while rear passengers benefit from generous amounts of legroom - the absence of a central tunnel ensures a flat floor throughout the rear.

Typically for a Citroën, the new C5 is extremely well specified. Cruise control and a speed limiter are fitted as standard, while Hydractive 3 Plus versions are equipped with an automatic electric parking-brake and hill-start assist. For ease of parking, the C5 is also available with front and rear parking sensors, as well as a parking gap assistance system that determines the size of any available space and informs the driver.

The current C5 is one of the safest cars on the road and its successor is well set to follow in its tracks. New C5 is equipped with the very latest Citroën safety technology, including up to nine airbags, providing the occupants with reassuring levels of protection in the event of an accident. The stiffened body and cabin structure incorporates upper and lower absorbers at the front end to soak up the energy released in the event of impact.

The new C5 is the first in the range to be equipped with a collapsible pedal assembly - in the event of an impact the brake and clutch pedals retract into the floor of the footwell to limit injury to the driver’s legs and feet. A retractable steering column is also fitted.

The driver and passengers are protected by front, side and curtain airbags, together with the option of additional rear side airbags. The fixed central hub of the steering wheel ensures that the optimally-shaped driver’s airbag is always deployed at the right angle, while a knee airbag provides improved protection for the driver’s legs.

Control in difficult conditions is aided by the C5’s advanced braking system - Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Emergency Braking Assistance, ABS and ESP are all fitted as standard. Citroën’s much lauded Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) is available on some versions, warning drivers when the car unintentionally crosses lane markings.

Improved visibility at night is provided by the C5’s enhanced headlight system. A static AFS (Adaptive Front Lighting System) function incorporates an additional light source that improves visibility and safety on corners and at junctions. A dynamic AFS option is available on models equipped with Xenon dual-function directional headlamps, further improving visibility to 105˚ at low speeds.

Citroën’s new C5 is a child friendly environment with Isofix anchor points on up to three seats, four one-touch electric windows with an anti-pinch function and an electric child-safety lock for the rear doors and windows, all fitted as standard.

To meet the full range of driver needs and preferences, the new C5 is available with a wide choice of engines. The petrol powerplants include 127bhp 1.8i 16V and 143bhp 2.0i 16V units,while there are four HDi diesel engines – HDi 110, HDi 138, HDi 173 and HDi V6 208 units – each fitted with a Diesel Particulate Filter System that virtually eliminates particle emissions. A selection of manual or automatic gearboxes is offered.

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Why hello there. My name is Optimus, Optimus Prime and I’m the leader of the Autobots. Take a look at me; I’m the coolest truck in the whole wide state of Florida and I’m loaded with gadgets. I have a voice activated alarm (with the voice of Optimus Prime on lock and unlock mode), 17 inch LCD TV/DVD, chrome wheels with new 285/75R22.5 tires and a custom made gear shift that shows you how happy I am every time you enter the cabin. I even have a bed with a Transformer mattress for those private moments. The only teeny-weeny problem is that -and I’m ashamed to admit it, but I can’t transform in a robot. Anyone sparing a “Energon Cube”? -Image gallery after the jump (Thanks for the tip Sophie!)










Via: ebay

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A quad-bike with a turbocharged Subaru Impreza WRX STi engine? We’ve seen some crazy stuff here at Carscoop but this “thing” is totally nuts and we want one ASAP! The hand made ATV (All-Terrain-Vehicle) was built by a Ken Brough, a New-Zealander who describes himself as “a 50-year-old with petrol in my veins”.

The insane quad-bike, which Ken calls the STiATV, is fitted with a 90's Subaru Impreza WRX Sti engine and a 5-speed gearbox using a clutch assembly from a 1.8-litre Leone. We don’t have any acceleration or horsepower figures but Ken supports that the STiATV weighs a mere 530 kg (1,168 pounds) so performance is definitely not a problem. What may create a few problems is the weight distribution of the AWD quad as it’s split 70/30 between the front and rear end. However, that's something we could live with. What's really bad is that, despite his efforts, Ken couldn’t get the STiATV approved for road use in New Zealand. -Image gallery after the jump

Link: STiATV

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Geneva Show organizers have released the poster for the 2008 auto salon which will take place in Geneva, Switzerland from March 6 to 16, 2008. The poster is covered in green coloring leaving no doubts that the focus at the 78th Geneva International Motor Show will be on environmentally friendly technology and alternative-energy solutions.

Here’s how the Polyconsult agency that designed the poster describes the thinking behind their creation: “At the next Motor Show, the car will be the focus of international interest on two fronts. On the one hand, people will be looking at the fascinating and inexhaustible variety of new creations and, on the other, they will be turning a critical regard on the proposed responses to the environmental challenges. The poster subject for the 2008 Show symbolises this dynamic interface between emotional response and environmental responsibility, which will form the spotlight in which the future of the motor car will be presented.”

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Official images of the highly anticipated hybrid Audi A1 Metroproject concept leaked into the net today revealing the pre-production version of the A1. I know this will sound harsh but, I’m hugely disappointed with the concept’s exterior design. The A1 looks like a Skoda Fabia with Audi A3 cues for God’s sake. Plus, as a concept, the A1 is much more aggressively designed than the production version. If this is aggressive, I don’t even want to imagine what the 2009 A1 will be.

Inside, things are better, much better to be exact. Though the cabin will be toned down in the production version, the A1 Concept proves once again that Audi is the king when it comes to interior design.

Since there’s no official release, we’ll have to do with whatever details about the mechanics have been leaked so far. Power is said to come by a 150 Hp 1.4-liter TSI turbocharged engine combined with a 41 Hp electric motor positioned on the rear axle. The latter “absorb” energy from a set of lithium-ion batteries. Until we get our hands on the official press release, enjoy our high res image gallery after the jump. -Continued

Via: Motorpasion

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Following a set of leaked images and first drive pictures from various car magazines on booth sides of the Atlantic, Honda came forward today with the official press announcement on the 2008 Fit or as it’s called in Europe and other markets, the Jazz (see here why Honda calls it Jazz). The second generation Fit will be available for order in Japan on Friday, October 26, 2007. Americans, Europeans, Australians, Africans –you get the picture, will have to be patient as the new Fit / Jazz will start off its worldwide career during the first half of 2008.

Honda’s designers weren’t as aggressive as they were with the 3d/5d Civic (even though they used some of the hatch’s styling cues on the Fit / Jazz). The overall length has been increased 55 mm (+2.2-inches) to 3,900 mm and the width 20 mm (+0.8-inches) to 1,695 mm, while the 1,525 mm height remains the same as the previous model. Additionally, the wheelbase has been increased by 50 mm (+2.0-inches) to 2,500 mm. In Japan, the new Fit comes with two new engine options: a 100 Hp 1.3 liter i-VTEC or a 120 Hp 1.5 liter i-VTEC. The latter is available in an RS guise which features revised suspension settings and sporty interior and exterior styling upgrades. -Image gallery & press release after the jump

Honda to begin sales of the all-new Fit in Japan

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced plans to begin sales in Japan of the all-new, completely redesigned Honda Fit on Friday, October 26, 2007. The Fit has gained popularity as a small car that features outstanding packaging, excellent fuel economy, and advanced styling.

The second-generation Fit was developed following the tradition of Honda’s “man maximum - machine minimum” concept with the goal of creating the ideal small car for a new age. To provide values which exceed customer expectations for a small car and to set a new benchmark in the highly competitive small car segment, packaging, utility and driving performance have been further advanced with the all-new Fit.

The packaging of the new Fit is based on Honda’s innovative center tank layout, with a longer wheelbase and wider track for enhanced interior space and practicality, combined with the small-car maneuverability of a 4.7-meter minimum turning radius. The front pillar has been moved forward to create a spacious interior, while the exterior boasts exhilarating styling. An ingenious interior layout helped create a comfortable cabin with space equivalent to a mid-sized sedan. The new Fit’s practicality has also been enhanced with four-mode “Ultra Seat” and three-mode “Ultra Luggage” storage spaces.

The new Fit’s dynamic performance is made possible by a newly developed 1.3-liter i-VTEC engine that delivers maximum output of 73kW (100PS). Combined with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and newly developed torque converter, the engine provides enjoyable driving and class-leading 24 km/l fuel economy. The body rigidity and crash safety performance were also enhanced while maintaining weight equivalent to the previous model. Moreover, the newly designed chassis also helps achieve superior comfort and steady handling.

Newly added to the Fit lineup is a Road Sailing (RS) version which highlights a sportier and sophisticated character with a newly developed 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine and a specially designed suspension with enhanced styling and a richer feel.

Honda Fit was first introduced in Japan in June 2001. It is now being produced in six factories in five countries and sold in approximately 115 countries around the world, with cumulative sales of more than two million units

Key features of the New Fit
Exterior styling

The exterior styling is intended to express both spaciousness and dynamic motion, with front pillars moved forward for an advanced, super-forward form. The fuel lid dovetails seamlessly with the monoform styling thanks to Honda’s first application of a push-lift opener. The door mirrors provide greater visibility with 30%*6 more surface area supported by a compact mount located at the base of the front quarter light. The addition of five new colors brings the total available body colors to twelve.

Packaging
The center tank layout was carried over from the previous model to help maintain the maneuverability expected of a small car while allowing enhancement of cabin space and practicality. The overall length has been increased 55 mm to 3,900 mm and the width 20 mm to 1,695 mm, while the 1,525 mm height remains the same as the previous model, allowing for use of tower parking.

While the wheelbase has been increased 50 mm to 2,500 mm, the tread size has also been increased to help optimize the steering angle and maintain the minimum turning radius of the previous model at 4.7 meters.

Interior

The cabin features an ingenious layout with equivalent space as one of Honda’s middle-class sedans, providing passengers a natural feeling of comfort.

The large three-meter cluster provides superior visibility with permanent illumination. The speedometer, located in the center of the cluster, features a large LED display providing of a broad range of information, including current fuel economy and range indications.

To ensure a comfortable driving position for all drivers, a tilt and telescopic steering column as well as a ratchet-operated seat height adjuster have been applied.

The front quarter windows are three times of the size of those in the previous model, and the width of the front pillar has been reduced by 20 mm to provide enhanced visibility. A new Sky Roof provides even more sense of space and comfort in the cabin. The power sun shield can be opened and closed with the touch of a switch for a comfortable cabin all year round.

The front seat is based on the seat frame of a middle-class sedan and fitted with springs and padding optimized for seat hold and ride comfort. The rear seats are 20 mm wider, 15 mm deeper, and have cushions 10 mm thicker for enhanced ride comfort. The left and right headrests fit into the seat back for easy seat arrangement and 30% better rearward visibilities.

Powertrain
The new Fit comes with either of two new engines: a 1.3 liter i-VTEC or a 1.5 liter i-VTEC. In addition to the superior low-rpm torque of its predecessors, the new 1.3l i-VTEC brings more power to the high rpm range and delivers enhanced fuel economy in everyday driving. The new four-valve configuration with enhanced intake performance and drive-by-wire technology combine to help achieve a power rating of 73 kW(100PS). The use of only one of the two intake valves at low rpm increases EGR efficiency, helping the Fit achieve a class-leading 24 km per liter fuel economy.

The new 1.5 liter i-VTEC delivers superior fuel economy combined with lively dynamic performance and plentiful torque throughout all speed ranges. Intake valve timing and clearance settings switch to match for low- and high-speed driving and optimized valve overlap in the low-, mid-, and high speed ranges enhances intake and exhaust efficiency for power output of 88 kW(120PS) and superior fuel economy of 19.6 km per liter.

The Fit’s continuous variable transmission delivers enhanced drive and off-the-line acceleration thanks to the implementation of a new torque converter. Higher gear ratios also help improve fuel economy by keeping rpms low during cruising. The low-friction, high-efficiency oil pump and pulleys as well as a new creep control system provide optimized creep control at low speeds and during idling for improved fuel economy.

Utility
The four modes of “Ultra Seat” provide enhanced utility.
Utility mode: Easy one-motion dive down and release operation of the rear seats. The luggage space can be extended to a maximum length of 1,720 mm*12 thanks to the spacious full-flat floor.
Long mode: In Utility mode, place the passenger seat in the full reclining position to create a space up to 2,400 mm long to carry long objects.
Tall mode: Fold up the rear seat cushions to take advantage of Fit’s 1,280 mm roof height—the perfect way to make space for tall items like house plants.
Refresh mode: Remove the front seat headrests and put the front seats in full reclining position to stretch out across the front and rear seats for a rest.


Chassis
The newly designed chassis realizes both superior ride comfort and steady handling. The rigid body and supple suspension provide an exceptional dynamic performance.

The new Fit features a McPherson strut front suspension.

The H-shaped torsion beam rear suspension achieves the maximum possible space for the rear seats and cargo area as well as supple ride comfort and steady handling.

The new electric power steering has more capacity than the previous model, and improvements to steering gear box rigidity and attachment points provide a more direct steering feel.

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Along with the nine supped up 2008 Focus models that we showed you last night (click here), Ford will also present four more proposals at this month’s SEMA show: two personalized editions of the Mustang and one for each of the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ models. You can check out all the details right after the jump. -Continued

2007 Lincoln MKZ by H&R Special Springs, LP

Combine American luxury with European style and handling and you get the Lincoln MKZ by H&R Special Springs. The H&R suspension mods lower the Lincoln nearly three inches over 20-inch Pirelli high-performance tires and O.Z. Botticelli wheels that showcase the Brembo calipers. The 3D Carbon front and rear spoilers are accented with custom fender grilles and bright red MKZ badges. LED under lighting adds to the mood. A full custom interior is accented in Ebony Night microsuede and features a back seat refrigerator and massive Pioneer multimedia system.

Fusion Performance GAS

This 2007 Ford Fusion is ready for the racetrack courtesy of Galpin Auto Sports. The turbocharged V-6 pump out 350 horsepower driving all four wheels. Gears are selected via a six-speed paddle-shift transmission. An APR Performance carbon front splitter and rear wing and 3D Carbon body kit provide the necessary aerodynamics while the MRT lightweight functional ram-air hood feeds the motor. A performance suspension keeps the 19-inch wheels and Nitto Invo tires glued to the road. Inside, a Katzkin leather interior, features a six-point roll cage, leather and suede steering wheel and GAS custom audio system.

Mustang Wild Pony Project

Mustang is all about making it your own, and Ford’s Vehicle Personalization Group delivers the next level. The Project Pony wears Black Sparkle Paint, 20-inch chrome wheels and bold graphics including the new VP brand windshield visor decal. Ford racing adds a supercharger and cold-air induction system for added power and matching Sparkle Black valve covers for added pizzazz. The two-tone black and white leather interior features headrest DVDs and illuminated interior lighting and sill plates.

2007 Ford Mustang by Santini-USA

This racehorse is all show and all go. Prostang is the result of the collaborative efforts of master auto painter Santini-USA, the master interior craftsmanship of Steve Stanford Design and Mustang performance expertise of Roush Performance. The 2007 Mustang pro-street coupe shines in brilliant red on white Alsa exotic paint with blue-and-yellow accent stripes. The 4.6-liter V-8 wears a polished supercharger and intercooler and Bassani custom exhaust. Inside, leather seats tuck between a full roll cage.

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Mazda has announced the launch of its new cooperate global car magazine that will go by the name “Zoom-Zoom”. The publication will be published three times per year and it will cover a wide variety of Mazda related topics. Initially, the Zoom-Zoom magazine will be produced in five languages and it will distributed to eight different countries but Mazda plans to increase that number in the forthcoming months.

Roughly, 50 percent of the magazine’s content will be shared globally, with additional local content incorporated into the magazine tailored to each market. The first issue of the Zoom-Zoom magazine has a special feature on the 40th anniversary of the rotary engine. -One more pic after the jump

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We just got our hands on a new set of high resolution images of the Bitter Vero that was unveiled earlier today (click here for details). Did the fresh pictures change our mind about the Holden Statesman V8 based Vero? Mmmm, nop. And before you call us "bitter" we can think of about 122,000 reasons why not, beginning with the fact that, a slightly revised Holden Statesman cannot cost… €121,975 ($172,800). It's insane, it's ridiculous it's... I don't know how to describe it, but it's definetely wrong. -Image gallery after the jump

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Not one, not two but nine personalized 2008 Ford Focus models are set to be unveiled at this month’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show. Yes, you’ll see turbochargers, performance packs, sporty bodykits and cool 18-inch rims. But what we’d really like to see is Ford dumping the U.S. Focus and bringing the European gen-2 model to the States. Then Ford could give those tuning folks a nice Focus ST to play around with. Now, that would be something to get excited about. -Details and images after the jump

2008 Ford Focus Coupe by F2 Motorsports, LLC

F2 Motorsports adds a distinctive European flare to the new Ford Focus with a Street Scene body kit and F2 Brutus custom rear wing and decals. The deep blue paint sets off the Kyowa Design 18-inch tires wrapped in Toyo Proxes rubber. The 2.0-liter I-4 sports a Brutus Stage 3 Production Turbo and Ford Racing exhaust. The power is driven to the wheels through a Torsen differential, 4.06:1 ring and pinion, F2 Flywheel and ACT clutch. The suspension features F2 Brutus front and rear sway bars, Vortland coil overs and a Ford Racing SVT brake kit.

2008 Ford Focus by Street Scene Equipment

Street Scene Equipment brings a sleek, aggressive style to the 2008 Ford Focus with this easy-to-install body kit. The front chin spoiler, speed grille, side skirts and rear valance are made from high-impact urethane. The DuPont Hot Hues blue Focus rests on a Vogtland suspension and 18-inch Yokohama tires mounted on R1 Spider 18-inch wheels. The 2.0-liter four features an F2 cold-air intake and Ford Racing exhaust. The interior features a seat inserts by 714 Motor Sports, a Ford Racing tach and Polk Audio system.

2008 Ford Focus by RKSport, Inc.

RKSport has brought an exciting new look to the new Ford Focus. The addition of RKSport’s functional extractor hood, lower ground effects, rear spoiler, rear window spoiler and body-color grille, all in BASF red and black paint, give the Focus a muscular, ground-hugging look. Eibach lowering springs drop the Focus on gunmetal gray, 20-inch TSW Kyalami wheels and Toyo tires for that racy look. A K&N performance intake and Magnaflow performance exhaust deliver increased performance from the 2.0-liter four. A Boston Acoustics audio/video system features Visteon amplifiers and RoadWire video headrests in the leather interior.

2008 Focus Hot Wheels Project

This life-size Hot Wheels Focus is sure to provide hours of fun. The custom body kit is accented by bold graphics over stunning silver paint. A Ford Racing handling kit lowers the car over chrome 17-inch performance wheels with yellow brake calipers. Set the mood inside with white leather seats that come alive when you activate interior lighting kit and illuminated doorsills. Headrest DVD screens and Ford’s exclusive SYNC hands-free infotainment system round out the interior appointments.

2008 Steeda Focus Club Racer

Steeda Autosports applies its performance expertise to deliver this race ready 2008 Focus that takes its attitude to the street or track. The 2.0-liter Duratec I-4 is treated to a Steeda patented cold-air intake and performance exhaust. The Steeda/Eibach coil over suspension is fully adjustable and features a Steeda strut tower brace and stay-bars. A 3D Carbon Euro Series body kit is accented by Steeda custom grille, front fender treatments and Club Racer graphics. The 18-inch, Steeda Open Mesh performance wheels wear Nitto NT01 high-performance tires.

2008 Ford Focus by 3dCarbon

Inspired by a love for all things European, 3D Carbon outfits the 2008 Focus four-door sedan with its Euro Series body kit. The six-piece includes front air dam, side skirts, rear lower skirt, rear deck lid spoiler and upper roof spoiler. A Webasto 900 Series twin-venting sunroof helps open up the interior. The sharp little sedan’s wheel wells are filled with 19-inch, forged aluminum NC wheels wearing Pirelli rubber. The interior is decked out in two-tone Baracuda leather by Katzkin with sound supplied by Balupunkt.

FocusSport Street Tuner Challenge Focus

FocusSport raided the best performance parts boxes in the world to deliver the ultimate Focus spec racer. The 2.0-liter I-4 combines Ford racing and Cosworth components with a Stage 2, intercooled Turbo for power, managed by a host of management goodies including an electronic boost control and knock control system. Forged 18-inch wheels wear BF Goodrich g-Force TA’s with Brembo brakes up front for added stopping power. A full race interior features a custom roll-bar and Daytona Competition seats with three-inch racing harnesses.

2008 Focus by FocusSport

FocusSport unleashes its magic on the latest Ford Focus transforming it into a true performance machine. The coupe’s 2.0-liter 16-valve is treated to a FocusSport Stage 2 intercooled turbocharger and stealth exhaust system. A five-speed manual transmission put the power to the DPE R20 18-inch forged wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich g-Force rubber. The 3D Carbon Euro Series body kit adds a sense of performance style setting the body down over the H&R performance suspension. Inside, Momo Street Racer GT seats are finished in custom suede and leather.

2008 Ford Focus-T by Fox Marketing

The T stands for “turbo,” but it might also stand for “transcontinental.” This 2008 Ford Focus, put together by Fox Marketing, will make the 2,300-mile trip from New York to Las Vegas on its own power. That power comes from a 250 horsepower 2.0-liter I4 putting out eight PSI of boost from the TurboChargers.com turbo kit. The Sunrise Gold Pearl coupe wears an RK Sport body kit and 19-inch iForged five-spoke wheels and has a custom interior featuring custom metal work

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Honda announced pricing for its lightly revised Odyssey minivan that boasts subtle exterior styling tweaks, new interior colours and textures along with a few new features like the Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and the rearview camera display integrated into the rearview mirror. Available with two engine options, a 244 Hp 3.5 V6 and a 241 Hp 3.5 V6 with VCM for enhanced fuel efficiency, Honda’s 8-seater minivan starts from $25,860 for the basic Odyssey LX. Additional pricing ranges from $28,960 for the Odyssey EX to $40,610 for the fully-equipped Odyssey Touring. -Details and high-res pics after the jump

Press Release-

The significantly-updated-for-2008 Honda Odyssey minivan goes on sale today with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price¹ (MSRP) starting at $25,860, plus destination and handling charges, for the well-equipped Odyssey LX, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced.

Additional pricing ranges from $28,960 for the nicely-equipped Odyssey EX to $40,610 for the ultra-luxurious Odyssey Touring that includes the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™ with voice recognition and rearview camera, Bluetooth®² HandsFreeLink®, DVD Rear Entertainment System, and Michelin® PAX® run-flat technology.

The Odyssey receives new exterior styling along with a more fuel-efficient version of the available Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) i-VTEC V-6 engine. Exterior styling focuses on a bolder, six-sided grille design and a front bumper fascia with crisp lines that add to the vehicle's dynamic and premium appearance.

"The Odyssey is the king of the Honda lineup when it comes to moving the maximum number of people in maximum comfort," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "For 2008, the Odyssey strengthens its styling and functional advantages while adding even more premium features."

Four new and notable available premium features include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink (available Odyssey EX-L and Touring), 4-way power passenger seat (standard Odyssey EX-L and Touring), rearview camera display integrated into the rearview mirror (standard Odyssey EX-L) and memory-linked side mirrors with reverse gear tilt-down (standard Odyssey Touring).

Interior styling receives updates in the form of revised colors and textures for the instrument panel, along with premium fabric for Odyssey LX and EX seating surfaces. Further interior refinements include an additional storage bin in the 2nd Row PlusOne Seat™ (standard on Odyssey EX, EX-L and Touring), standard MP3/Windows®³ Media Audio (WMA) compatibility (CD-based) and a standard auxiliary input jack.

The Odyssey achieves the highest five-star crash safety rating by the federal government for both frontal and side impacts⁴. In keeping with the Honda "Safety for Everyone" initiative, all Odyssey models are equipped with Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®), also known as electronic stability control; standard anti-lock brakes with brake assist; advanced dual-stage, dual-threshold driver's and front passenger's SRS airbags; front side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Protection Detection System (OPDS); three-row side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor; and a pedestrian injury mitigation design in the front of the vehicle. An Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure provides enhanced occupant protection in a frontal collision. New for 2008, active front seat head restraints and daytime running lights have been added.

Known for its industry trend-setting One-Motion 60/40 Split 3rd-Row Magic Seat®, the Odyssey's innovative eight-passenger seating areas (seven-passenger on LX) quickly and easily adapt between passenger and cargo duties. The 3rd-Row Magic Seat can accommodate up to three passengers and still provide 38.4 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the seats, or fold completely flat into the floor for cargo duty to create 91.1 cubic feet of cargo volume while still maintaining room for five passengers (four passengers on LX). With the second row seats removed, total cargo volume expands to a voluminous 147.4 cubic feet. For comparison, total interior volume measures 209.8 cubic feet for passenger and cargo volume combined - representing a total volume greater than two Civic Sedan interior volumes combined.

The 2nd-Row PlusOneSeat™ integrates a new storage bin inside the seat structure and is standard equipment on the Odyssey EX and EX-L. The 2nd-Row PlusOneSeat has been added as standard equipment to the Odyssey Touring, replacing the standard removable center console, while retaining similar functionality and adding a seating position to the previously seven-passenger Touring model.

Designed with families in mind, a total of three Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) child seat attachment systems exist: two are located in the outboard second-row seating positions and one is located in the middle third-row seating position.

Standard comfort and convenience features include dual-zone air conditioning (tri-zone automatic climate control on Odyssey EX, EX-L and Touring), tilt and telescope steering wheel, power windows and door locks, keyless entry and cruise control.

Available premium features include the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™⁵ with voice recognition, an 8-inch screen, and Zagat Survey®⁶ restaurant guide information, and a Honda DVD Entertainment System with a 9-inch screen. A rearview camera aids rear visibility on the Odyssey EX-L equipped with the available navigation system. Odyssey EX-L models without the available navigation system provide a rearview camera display via a 2.5-inch monitor embedded in the rearview mirror.

Based on the model, two engine choices exist. The 3.5-liter, all-aluminum, SOHC VTEC® engine on the Odyssey LX and EX produces 244 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 240 lb-ft. of torque at 5000 rpm. The Odyssey LX and EX models achieve an EPA-rated city/highway fuel economy of 16/23 mpg.

The Odyssey EX-L and Touring models feature a 3.5-liter, all-aluminum, SOHC i-VTEC® V-6 engine with VCM for enhanced fuel efficiency. This engine produces 241 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 242 lb-ft. of torque at 4900 rpm.

For 2008, a new generation of VCM provides the additional capability to selectively deactivate either two or three of the engine's six cylinders during cruising and deceleration (instead of three, exclusively). Similar to the new VCM system available on the 2008 Accord, the Odyssey's new VCM engine expands the cylinder deactivation operating range, which helps to increase fuel efficiency in a wider variety of driving conditions and speeds.

An "ECO" indicator light illuminates on the instrument panel when the vehicle is operating at an optimal level of fuel efficiency. The Odyssey EX-L and Touring models achieve an EPA-rated city/highway fuel economy of 17/25 mpg⁷.

Vehicles equipped with VCM use both an audio system-based Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system and a chassis-based Active Control Engine Mount (ACM) system to cancel noise and vibration that can occur during cylinder deactivation.

An independent front and rear suspension and a rigid unit body structure help provide comfortable and refined ride performance. Additional chassis components include power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes and variable power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. Odyssey LX, EX and EX-L models have 16-inch wheels (alloy on EX and EX-L) with all-season 235/65R16 tires. Odyssey Touring models are equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels and all-season 235/60R17 tires (standard); Michelin® PAX® System run-flat technology wheels and tires are available (460 mm wheels and 235-710R 460A tires).

¹ MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $635.00 destination charge and options. Dealer prices may vary.
² The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., is under license.
³ Windows Media® Audio is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
⁴ Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). Model tested with standard side-impact airbags (SABs).
⁵ Certain functions that rely on a satellite signal will not work correctly in Hawaii and Alaska. These functions include but are not limited to automatic clock updates and time zone adjustments.
⁶ Zagat Survey® is a registered trademark of Zagat Survey, LLC.
⁷ Based on 2008 EPA mileage estimates, reflecting new EPA fuel economy methods beginning with 2008 models. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle

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Can’t say that I ever liked Scooby Doo and his animated mystery pals -let alone the pitiful movie, though at some point of my childhood era I did actually buy a toy version of the Mystery Machine. I didn’t like it and I don’t like this particular replica of the Mystery Machine that we discovered on eBay UK either. Based on a ’93 Chevy van, it was used as a limo car. It can fit 8 passengers in its Scooby Doo themed interior which is equipped, among other things, with a flatscreen TV, DVD player, neon-lights and a smoke machine. Now tell me; wouldn’t you be scared to death if you saw your 16-year-old teen girl entering this vehicle? -More images after the jump

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Not even 24 hours past yesterday’s massive Nissan GT-R leak which started off with the front cover of Motortrend’s December issue (which comes out in November…), and Autoweek has posted an article that includes a bunch of juicy mechanical details! Based on a modified version of Nissan’s new PM platform which is an evolution of the ever-present FM platform found in various Nissan and Infiniti models like the 350Z, the GT-R is equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 petrol unit. It too is an evolution of the VQ engine family that we all know and love in Nissans and Infinitis. Output is rated at 473 Hp / 6,400 rpm while maximum torque at 433 lb-ft or 587 Nm, available from 3200 to 5200 rpm.

Power is transferred to all four wheels via Nissan’s new dual-clutch six-speed automatic gearbox (like the Audi/VW DSG gearbox). Gearshifts take a mere 0.2 seconds, but we won’t hide the fact that we’d want a GT-R with a manual gearbox. According to Nissan’s engineers, the four–wheel-drive system splits torque by 50/50 when the vehicle’s speed is under 25 mph (40 km/h) while above that and with normal driving (if that’s possible…), torque split is 40/60 (front-rear). However, torque split can go up to 2/98 under hard acceleration. The GT-R also comes equipped with adjustable Bilstein Damptronic shock absorbers with three settings: : Racing, Sports and Comfort. -Continued after the jump

Nissan announces that the GT-R sprints from standstill to 60 mph – 96 km/h in just 3.5 sec; the first quarter mile in 11.7 sec while top speed is 193 mph or 310 km/h. Impressed? Wait until you hear the price when it hits U.S. shores in the second –quarter of 2008: low-$70,000s (€50,000)! Basically, what Nissan’s promising us is, Porsche 911 Turbo ($126,200) performance and driving dynamics at half the price! Ok, the interior looks like a letdown, but the GT-R costs as much as a BMW M3. That’s tempting, very tempting…

Via: Autoweek , Pics via: Insideline

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Our search for official images of the all-new 2008 Citroen C5 paid off as shortly after we discovered the anonymous camera phone pics from the dealer presentation in France (see here), we found a set of 11 high-resolution images wondering freely in the net. It was bound to happen…

We’re still in the dark when it comes to specs but we do know that the all-new C5 is based on the Peugeot 407 chassis and like the current C5, it too will be equipped with Citroen’s fabulous hydropneumatic suspension. We also now that Citroen’s designers have “sculptured” a beautiful and dynamic shape for the new C5 which will be offered initially in sedan and station wagon variants. Same goes for the interior though we could have done without that weird steering wheel with the fixed hub and the 20,000 buttons. -See our high-resolution image gallery after the jump

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Here come the diesels -at last… Audi will launch its diesel-engine “enterprise” in the N. American market in early 2008 with the Q7 3.0 TDI while in mid 2008, U.S. buyers will also be able to opt for the new A4 3.0 TDI. Described by the German carmaker as the “cleanest diesel engine in the world”, the 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel engine fulfils the LEV II Bin 5 emission standard, which is operative in the US states of California, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont.

In terms of power, the V6 diesel unit develops an output of 240 Hp and a maximum torque figure of 405.7-lbs/ft), 90% of which is available from 1,500 to 3,250 rpm. According to Audi, the 3.0 TDI burns up to 35 percent less fuel than the average of petrol engines typically used in the USA.

According to calculations done by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. could save 1.4 million barrels of crude oil every day if one third of all passenger cars and light-duty commercial vehicles were equipped with modern diesel units. And while that may sound “utopian” today when the diesel engine share in the American market is just around four percent, a recent study performed by J. D. Power predicts that diesel engines will have a 12 to 15 percent share of the US market in 2015. The sooner, the better we say.

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No thanks to a set of camera phone images (from what seams to be a dealer presentation in France) that leaked into the net today, we have the opportunity to get a sneak peak of Citroen’s all-new C5 II sedan. Set to be officially unveiled to European journalists tomorrow (Oct. 18), the C5 is based on the Peugeot 407’s “hardware”.

As many might of you might remember, the C5’s design was previewed via the C5-Airscape Concept that premiered at the Frankfurt Show in September. However, the C5 production version wont be available as a Cabrio. Instead, Europeans will be able to choose between sedan and station-wagon variants which can be equipped with wide variety of petrol and diesel engines. Sales are expected to start in Europe in March 2008. We’ll have more on Citroen's "chic" mid-size model tomorrow night when the French automaker will officially reveal all the details. -More pics after the jump

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Who said that only Americans (e.g. Pontiac and Buick) rebody Holdens? So do the Germans, and in particular Erich Bitter’s homonymous coachbuilding company. Two years after Bitter showed of its latest product, the Holden Monaro / Pontiac GTO based CD02 Coupe, the German coachbuilder announced the launch of their latest creation called the Vero. The sports sedan is based on the Holden Statesman (long-wheel-base version of the Holden Commodore / Pontiac G8) and it’s equipped with GM’s 362Hp 6.0-liter V8 matted to a 5-speed automatic transmission. Bitter redesigned the front and rear end of the car which now measures around 5,200 mm in length (205-inches) and it sits on 20-inch alloy wheels. According to the Germans, the Vero features suspension upgrades. -Continued after the jump

Inside, Bitter dressed the whole interior with high quality leather and added several luxury extras like a DVD system with monitors incorporated in the front headrests. The Vero will feature a basic price of 121,975 Euros (about $172,800) in Germany. That’s a lot of money. Even if Bitter only produces 100 units of the car, somehow we don’t think that “exclusivity” would make us overlook the fact that the Vero is priced on par with cars like the Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG (€131,000 in Germany).

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Audi is initiating a new media campaign to support the sales launch of the new R8 high-performance sports car in the UK market. The 90 second long film will bear the motto “The Slowest car We’ve Ever Built” highlighting the ‘hand-intensive’ build process that goes into every R8.

The German carmaker will spend more than £6 million ($12.2 million or €8.6 million) in the campaign representing the largest investment ever made by Audi UK in the launch of a new model. The multi-channel campaign will break cover on October 17 during the England vs Russia football match on Sky Sports One. From November 16, the commercial will also be aired in cinemas across the UK.

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It could have been worse; like those poor fellas that were sucking nipples off a Chevy in a Chinese contest a couple of weeks ago (click here). The Jeep event, which will take place on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, will see seven contestants licking their way through one of seven chocolate-covered Jeep vehicles, representing each of the models in the brand’s line-up. The first two to lick their way through the layers of chocolate will be forwarded to a 2008 Jeep Liberty (Cherokee in Europe), filled with 25,000 pieces of wrapped candy. The first one to discover the keys hidden somewhere in-between the candy, will win the Liberty. -Press release after the jump

Press Release

Chocolate Lovers Compete for a Sweet Prize to Celebrate Sweetest Day

What: More than seven in 10 Americans, or 71 percent, believe anything is better when it’s covered in chocolate. To prove just how “sweet” our nation’s “sweet tooth” is, Jeep is challenging seven consumers to find the “sweet spot” on a chocolate-covered Jeep for the chance to win an all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty.

Jeep is inviting contestants to lick their way through one of seven chocolate-covered Jeep vehicles, representing each of the models in the brand’s lineup. The first two participants to lick their way through the layers of chocolate will make their way to the all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty, filled with more than 25,000 pieces of wrapped candy. Buried among all those tasty treats will be the keys to the grand prize -- a 2008 Jeep Liberty 4x4 with the industry-exclusive Sky Slider™ roof. The first person to find the keys will celebrate “Sweetest Day the Jeep Way” with their “sweet” new ride.

Who: Seven chocolate-covered contestants from Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Lexington, Ky.

When: Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007

• Event kicks off at 5:50 a.m. with a check presentation to Boys & Girls Club

Where: The Wolstein Center, 2000 Prospect Avenue E Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Details

Sweet Sights:

• Lick-ety Split – Seven contestants will literally lick through layers of chocolate that coat the grills of seven different chocolate-covered Jeep vehicles.
• Candy Chaos – Two consumers will race to the Jeep Liberty, open the doors and unleash more than 25,000 pieces of wrapped chocolate and candies, while searching for one set of car keys.
• The Sweetest Tooth – One contestant will savor the flavor when they find the keys and hop into the driver’s seat to claim his/her all-new Jeep Liberty

Other: This year, two of America’s favorite icons – Jeep and chocolate – are coming together to celebrate in an unusual way. Timed to coincide with Sweetest Day and the arrival of the 2008 Jeep Liberty in dealerships, seven lucky consumers will be selected to participate in the “Sweetest Day the Jeep Way” challenge for the chance to win an all-new Jeep Liberty

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Seven test drivers from the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Bedfordshire, UK took turns piloting a 1.5dCi Qashqai in order to see how far they could go with one single tank of fuel. The light-footed pilots managed to travel the entire length of the UK, from Land’s End on the southwest coast of England to John o’Groat’s on the northern tip of Scotland without stopping once to refuel. The seven drivers, who set off on 25 September, managed an average fuel consumption of 56.1 US MPG (4.2 l/100 km) on the 867 mile or 1,387 km run.

What’s even more amazing is the fact that there were still another seven liters of fuel left in the tank when they crossed the finish line at the next day (Sep. 26) which was enough to cover an extra 110 miles (176 km). That means that the diesel-powered Qashqai could have traveled a total of 977 miles or 1.563 km on one single tank of fuel!

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As you’d expect from any Toyota concept fictional or not, the Biomobile Mecha is an ultra eco-friendly vehicle that extracts pollutants in the air utilizing it as an energy source. Since there’s no limits to imagination, Toyota’s design team also supports that nanotechnology enables the structure of the vehicle to expand and contract horizontally and vertically to “serve as a compact commuter, an aerodynamic performance vehicle and temporary dwelling”. -Continued after the jump

Press Release: Toyota Biomobile Mecha

It is the year 2057 and due to limited ground space, vertical architectures have caused the transportation industry to create new pathways that also explore vertical space.

An innovative solution is discovered in biomimicry. Inspired by life found in nature, the vehicle is powered by pollution with dynamic driving instincts and structural adaptations to accommodate the user’s need for space.

This vehicle’s unique capability to extract pollutants in the air and utilize it as an energy source restores balance to our atmosphere. It is able to autonomously adapt to its driving environment by utilizing its four nano-laser wheels. Nanotechnology also enables the structure of the vehicle to expand and contract horizontally and vertically to serve as a compact commuter, an aerodynamic performance vehicle and temporary dwelling.

Calty Design Research

Design Team: Edward Lee, Erwin Lui, Yo Hiruta & Kevin Hunter

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To answer the most obvious question that arises upon viewing this Ferrari F1 replica; no, you can’t use it to stroll down your neighborhood road in unequaled style. It would be cool, we know, but this is a static show car meaning there’s no engine or gearbox, and nor was it designed to have them fitted. You could however impress everyone that passes by your house but we doubt that it’s worth giving £8,000 ($16,200 or €11,500). -Continued after the jump

Link: eBay UK

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Aww, aint that cute? Well, no it’s actually funny but that’s another story. As you might have read on Carscoop earlier today (click here), GM’s Vice President, Bob Lutz visited Australia along with GM Vice President for Global Design Ed Welburn to check out Holden and the internationally sourced product development team working on the carmaker’s global rear-wheel-drive cars. When Ed Welburn saw his creation in near production form he ran over to it and, well you can see what happened in the image above. We did request the photo earlier and although this is pure coincidence, just in case it isn’t, we’d like to ask Bob Lutz for a second image -there must be more images stored in that Blackberry! We promise to (any) God that we won’t tell on him.

Via: GM Fastlane

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Italian car site “Infomotori” is reporting that Alfa Romeo will introduce a special edition version of the 147 compact hatch developed in collaboration with Ducati Corse. The 147 Ducati Corse will be equipped with an enhanced version of the 1.9 turbodiesel engine, developing 170 Hp (+20 Hp). The extra 20Hp will be available via a power-boost switch in the centre console. Apart fom the more aggressive bodykit, the sporty trim and the 18-inch alloy wheels, the Ducati Corse version will also feature Alfa Romeo’s "Q2" limited slip differential.

Via: Autoblog.it , Source: Infomotori

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In what has been described as a David (Ramblers’ Association) vs Goliath (BMW) legal battle, UK district judge, Witney, decided to allow the car-giant and Oxfordshire County Council to close a 2000 year-old-path that stood in the way of development at MINI’s plant in Cowley, Oxfordshire.

The Ramblers’ Association (a group that represents and promotes walking) supports that up to 400 people use the path every day. Although BMW said that they will fund an alternative path, the walkers' advocacy group said it was ‘severely disappointed. -Continued after the jump

Adrian Morris, head of the RA’s footpath team commented: “We are bitterly disappointed that BMW will be allowed to close this community’s historic path, and deny hundreds of local residents per day a safe and quiet means of accessing work and the countryside beyond. The judge’s decision to close this safe and pleasant path flies in the face of the fight against obesity and climate change by encouraging people off their local paths and back into their cars”.

Link: RA

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Call me incult, but if I saw this on my driveway I’d probably be practicing my French on the next-door neighbor’s kids. But someone actually paid a hefty $85,000 or £42,000 to obtained this car last Saturday (13 Oct.) during the Contemporary Art Auction at the Phillips de Pury & Company saleroom in London. The painting is the work of English artist, Tracey Emin, who’s planning to paint three other 500s (click here), one before the end of the year and two in 2008. All of them will be auctioned. The good news is that proceeds from the sales will go to the artist’s chosen charity PEAS, which is raising funds for a school library in Uganda.

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The floodgates are officially open: following an earlier leak today concerning Motortrend’s December issue front cover that featured the Nissan GT-R (see here), rival magazine Autoweek decided to retaliate by fully breaking the embargo –and you thought we bloggers were the only bad guys in cyber- town…

But, honestly, we couldn’t care less. All we're interested in is showing you the full image gallery of the most highly anticipated premier at next week’s 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Of course, as you’d expect from Carscoop, we did a little research of our own and we discovered a set of higher resolution images. In terms of specs, the 2008 GT-R is equipped with a twin-turbo V6 engine that takes the high-performance coupe from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.5 sec (quarter mile in 11.7 sec) and to a top speed of 192 mph – 308 km/h. Prices are expected to begin under $80,000. (PS: What do you have to say about the interior?) –Full image gallery after the jump

Pics via: Autoweek

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Saturn is offering the chance to the public to take a closed course test-drive of the 2008 Astra compact hatch in Scottsdale, Arizona at Westworld on October 22. The Astra won’t arrive in U.S. showrooms until January 2008, so this is a good opportunity for any of you that live near Scottsdale to get a taste of the German compact hatch that’ll be offered as a three-door coupe or a five-door hatchback, both versions equipped with a 140Hp 1.8-liter engine (details here). Registrants must be 21 or over with a valid driver's license and they can bring one guest to share the experience with them. As you can understand, participation in this event is limited, so if you’re interested don’t be late in enrolling at: http://www.saturnevents.com/AstraForm.

Source: Saturn Scottsdale

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When you watch tons of automotive videos every week as we do, scarcely do any of them, touch you. Most are monotonous and uninspired with one objective: show a few details, nothing more, and nothing less. What’s there to like? Every once in a while though, some carmaker surprises us, just like Porsche did today with the creation of the truly amazing 2008 911 GT2 promo film. Actually, it’s more than a promotional video; it’s a piece of art. Take a look at it and tell us what you think.

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Suspension specialist “H&R” is offering a new sport spring kit for the Audi R8 bringing the mid-engine sports car’s front 15 mm and its rear 30 mm closer to the road. According to H&R, whereas the stock R8 did not quite succeed in lapping the Nordschleifein race track in Germany (Nurburgring) in less than 8 minutes, thanks to the new suspension components, the upgraded version manages to drop time under 8 min. Moreover, the suspension specialist supports that the spring kit is totally suitable for everyday use. Tip: if you’re interested, ask a H&R dealer if you can take a car equipped with the spring kit for a short ride and decide for yourself it’s actually worth it. -Continued

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Looks so, thanks to a high-resolution image featuring the front cover of Motortrend’s December issue that drip-dropped into the net today, about a week before the GT-R "breaks cover..." at the 2007 Tokyo Show. Apart from the first un-camouflaged picture of the highly anticipated Nissan GT-R, Motortrend’s cover also includes some pretty interesting preliminary specs: base price under $80k, 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint in 3,5 sec, quarter mile in 11,7 sec and a jaw dropping top speed of 192 mph – 308 km/h. And all that for under $80,000 - €56,000? Ι want one, and I want it now! -Continued after the jump


Via: Motorauthority and the net...

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The OneOne, pronounced “won-won” (Japanese description of a dog bark –what happened to woof, woof?) is Nissan’s proposal for this year’s 2007 LA Show Design Contest. According to the design team, the OneOne fulfils various needs of a family like retrieving dry cleaning and groceries or taking the children to school. Additionally, buyers can opt for a love pack which transforms the OneOne to the ultimate companion for those lonely winter nights –you wish… -Press release & pics after the jump

Nissan OneOne, a Friendly Pet

In the year 2057 robots have become an integral part of our lives blurring the line between humans and machines. The Nissan OneOne is the ultimate pet; a friendly, helpful member of the family of the future. OneOne (pronounced “won-won,” an endearing Japanese description of a barking dog) takes care of every aspect of the family’s busy lives from retrieving dry cleaning and groceries, to tending to the children. Guided by a real time GPS network, OneOne can take the children safely to school, soccer practice and back home in time for dinner.

OneOne takes mobility to a new level. Using synthetic muscles in its “legs,” it propels itself along by skating, much like you would on a pair of rollerblades. From performance car to city car, it lies down for speed or stands up for better visibility, allowing for more nimble navigation and easier parking.

OneOne fulfills every need from dutiful pet to spirited sports car in a design that makes it a welcomed member of the family.

Nissan Design America

Design Team: Bruce Campbell, Doug Wilson, Robert Bauer, Bryan Thompson, Rie Arroba, Jeremy Malick, Laurie Tait, Matt Wilson & Soichi Maruyama

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As we anticipated well before the German carmaker officially introduced the M3 Sedan (click here), BMW announced today that its new 420 Hp sports sedan will make its world wide debut at the forthcoming Tokyo Show (Oct. 24). Along with the E90 M3, BMW will also perform the Asian premiere of the X6 Concept and the 2008 6-Series facelift. Nice, but the question remains; what will BMW’s second worldwide premiere be? -Translated press release after the jump

Translated German Press Release

Munich-Tokyo. A world debut of a special kind celebrates BMW at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007, from 27 October to 11 November in the Japanese capital. First, the BMW M3 sedan to the public. With this added to the New German premium car manufacturer offering the BMW M3 models again for a four variant. Moreover wait two fascinating Asia premieres to the public in Tokyo. Firstly, the new BMW 6 Series coupe and a convertible as a new benchmark for dynamics, driving culture and exclusivity. On the other hand, embodies the new BMW 1 coupe highest driving fun in the compact segment. Another highlight of the Tokyo Motor Show 2007, the BMW Concept X6 Active Hybrid. The study of the first full hybrid vehicle by BMW shows impressively that the potential combination of internal combustion engine and electric drive holds, if they are in a the BMW brand values corresponding form realized. With the concept for the BMW Concept X6 Active Hybrid, the conditions for the first time with a hybrid vehicle distinct advantages both in the driving dynamics as well as the consumption and emission values.

Customers in Japan can also result from a variety of other models, motor and equipment innovations happy. Coupe and convertible, complete now available in Japan, the BMW 3 series. A new level of driving dynamics, sovereignty and traction guarantees the new BMW X5, which is also the first BMW with up to seven seats. For maximum driving pleasure Couple stand against the models presented in Tokyo BMW Z4 roadster and BMW Z4 coupe. The first time visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show BMW Hydrogen also presented seven whose bivalenter twelve-cylinder engine with 191 kW/260 hp both gasoline and hydrogen and thus can burn its way into one of fossil fuels and clean independent mobility has.

At the 40th Tokyo Motor Show, and the organizers expect more than 250 international exhibitors around 1.5 million visitors. The exhibition space on the Makuhari-Messegelände was increased by more than 10% to almost 45,000 square meters. The German premium manufacturer BMW uses the largest automobile exhibition in Asia to represent its innovation, particularly in the areas of drive technology, the driver assistance systems, the comfort and safety features.

Only a few weeks after the sales launch of the sporty BMW M3 coupe follows in Tokyo, the world premiere of the BMW M3 sedan. As in the top four ranks of the individualist and at the same time as the high-performance sports car wins the vehicle from a standstill position for an exception. With racing genes helps the newly developed 4.0-liter and 309 kW/420 hp V8-Hochdrehzahl-Aggregat limousine to the outstanding performance. For the acceleration from zero to 100 km / h satisfy 4.9 seconds, the maximum speed is electronically to 250 km / h limit.

A particularly attractive innovation makers present themselves in their Asian premiere the new models of the BMW 6 Series in its Asian premiere. Optically carefully modified convey the elegant sports coupe, as well as the dynamic luxury convertible joy of driving at the highest level. Equipment features as adaptive cornering light and variable light distribution, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go-Funktion to distance control traffic flowing in and step pace, leaving the track with a vibration warning signal at the steering wheel, Head, BMW Night Vision and high beam assistant documenting highest technological level in the area of driver assistance systems and comfort features. Moreover, the BMW 6 Series BMW now have head restraints in the event of impact with the rear of the vehicle, the risk of cervical vertebra reduce injuries.

In the area of technology, the drive at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007 introduced innovations dedicated to the development strategy BMW Efficient Dynamics. Shown is based on a selection of current, medium-term and long-term strategies to reduce the consumption and emission values from the current model range on the BMW Concept X6 Active Hybrid to the water-luxury sedan BMW Hydrogen 7th

When BMW X6 Active Hybrid Concept combines the German premium manufacturers the world's first Sports Activity also coupe with a never before realized in the form of hybrid drive. The result is the first under the BMW hybrid vehicles. His drive concept leads to significantly higher driving dynamics than with conventional hybrid vehicles, and also to a reduction of consumption by up to 20% compared to a similar vehicle with pure combustion engine propulsion. The innovative Active Hybrid technology enables the efficiency benefits of electric propulsion as in the past, not only in urban transport, but also at higher speeds.

BMW Active Hybrid is an integral part of development strategy BMW Efficient Dynamics, which already leads that series cars from BMW joy of driving with impressive efficiency combine. For example, the BMW 135i coupe not only with the incomparable thrill driving pleasure, but also with a relative to its capacity extremely cautious about fuel consumption. The top of the first in Asia's shown 1er BMW coupe is powered by a 3.0 liter in-line six-cylinder engine with Twin Turbo and gasoline direct injection (High Precision Injection) engines. The 225 kW/306 hp engine accelerates the two seater coupé in just 5.3 seconds from zero to 100 km / h. His average consumption in EU-Testzyklus amounted to 9.6 liters per 100 kilometers.

BMW Efficient Dynamics already has been to many groundbreaking innovations. These include fully variable valve control pumping, as well as the magnesium-aluminum composite crankcase to the line six-cylinder engine from BMW. It takes only 57% of the weight of a conventional cast iron block on the scales, and is about 24% lighter than a comparable aluminum housing. Six-cylinder engines with VALVETRONIC and magnesium-aluminum composite crankcase, for example, on the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007 presented 30 models BMW X5, BMW 630i, BMW 330i and the BMW Z4 Roadster and 30 in the BMW Z4 Coupé 30 the deployment.

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GM’s Vice Chairman Bob Lutz completed a business trip to Australia visiting Holden (and apparently the 2007 Sydney Motor Show) and decided to do a write-up on the company’s official blog (Fastlane). Lutz was quite impressed with GM’s Aussie subsidiary and especially with Holden’s “passion for excellence and dedication to the product” as he described the carmaker in his own words.

He also had the chance to take several current and forthcoming rear-wheel drive models for a spin including the first fully representative prototype of the 2009 Camaro with close to final surfaces. Though the car isn’t ready yet, GM’s 72-year-old VC was moderately impressed with the Camaro. Here’s what he had to say about it:

“Twisting the key produced a muted rumble from the big V8. We pulled away smoothly in the first cog of the new, slick, six-speed manual. Depressing the accelerator shifted the world into fast forward, with three or four more quick upshifts. The car had just been completed and had had no tuning or finessing. But I loved the response, the sound, the steering and the brakes. There's more work to be done, for sure, and the group knows it. They still have time for further development. The goal of the team led by Gene Stefanyshyn is to produce the finest car in its class, ever. Do I think they will get there? I wouldn't bet against that team!” -Continued after the jump

Though Lutz did take pictures, he noted that he couldn’t share them with us. Oh come on, a little leak never hurt anybody. Think of all the buzz you’d create…

Via: Fastlane

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Through its official blog (Kia Buzz), Kia informed us today that there was some sort of a translation mix-up in a series of English reports from Korean media referring to the 2008 HM’s U.S. competitors. We discovered on of those articles in The Korea Times and it stated that the production version of the Mesa Concept is aimed at competing with Toyota’s Lexus RX350, BMW’s X5 and Mercedes Benz’s M-Class models in the United States. Wrong; according to Kia, the Mesa (codenamed HM) will compete against the Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Toyota 4Runner and Nissan Pathfinder. -Continued after the jump

Moreover, Kia clarifies that the ongoing HM naming survey –there are three candidate names: Mohave, Windriver and Opelia, is only for the Korean market vehicle and not for the export model. Too bad, journos would have had a gassy blast if you picked out Windriver. However, Mohave does have a nice ring to it.

Link: Kia Buzz , Korea Times

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