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Inside Line sees Nissan 370Z in person, official photos coming Oct. 29Inside Line was given a thorough peek at and allowed to drive the coming Nissan 370Z, and appears to like what it has seen. Many of their findings have been previously guessed at based on spy photos of the car, but their viewing seems to prove that it all fits together well enough in person. Unfortunately, they were barred from commenting on the driving experience. The most controversial aspect is still the shortened rear of the car, which IL guesses has gone back to 99 inches. To look at the pictures, there really isn't room for much behind the driver's door but wheel arches and a taillight. Interestingly, IL also suggests that the car will be available with a 7-speed automatic, which brings to three the number of potential non-manual transmissions. The proof, as always, will be in the pudding, and the first serving will come on October 29 when the official photos are released.
posted : 10/16/2008 @5:59:37 PM
Conflicting details: Volkswagen's LA-bound mid-engine coupeCAR and Autoweek have tapped their sources within Volkswagen to get the scoop on a rumored mid-engine Elise-fighter that may debut at next month's LA Auto Show. But when working with unnamed insiders, information tends to get jumbled in the process and differing reports emerge that suggest it's all more speculation than hard facts. Both reports confirm what we've heard before: Volkswagen will limit the cylinder count to four, but that's where the similarities end. Autoweek's sources say that engine choices will be limited to either a 170-hp 1.4-liter Twincharger TSI gasoline engine or a new 125-hp 1.6-liter TDI sending power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. CAR pegs displacement of the gasoline engines at between 1.2- and 1.4-liters, with output ranging from 105 to 160 hp. A 1.2-liter TDI producing 75 hp is also being bandied around. According to Autoweek, the mid-engine coupe will come to market in 2011, while CAR contends production won't begin until 2013. Additionally, CAR reports that VW won't use an aluminum architecture due to cost constraints, meaning that the Modular Sports Car (MSC) will come in at around 2,660 pounds (300kg heavier than the Elise). On the other hand, Autoweek is saying that the concept will tip the scales below 2,200 pounds by tapping Audi for its expertise with aluminum and opening the door to a four-ringed variant with a choice of a 211-hp 2.0-liter TFSI or a 204-hp twin-turbo'd 2.0-liter TDI. Not to mention the possibility of a Porsche 914 successor. A strut-based suspension will be employed instead of a Golf-derived multi-link arrangement, while parts cribbed from the rest of the VW line – ranging from steering components and brakes to electronics and transmissions – will be used to keep manufacturing costs in check. Autoweek is also reporting that both a coupe and roadster will be offered, which strikes us as totally unnecessary as VW would be better served offering a removable hard-top similar to that on the MSC's target, the Lotus Elise.
posted : 10/15/2008 @7:57:12 PM
Ford releases full dash pic of 2010 Mustang

Whether you like it or not, Ford is revealing the 2010 Mustang nice and slow. So far we've got fairly clear shots of the wheel, seats, rear deck lid badge, front end, and steering wheel. The latest photo to be released shows a clear, full front view of the dash, and we have to say that we like what we see. Like the new Pony badge, Ford has given the interior an edgier look with rectangular center air vents and more futuristic looking gauges. There are still six images yet to be unveiled, and we're hoping for a decent shot underneath the hood or of the rear fender soon. Of course, the car will be officially introduced at the LA Auto Show in November.
posted : 10/15/2008 @6:54:17 PM
Ford teases 2010 Mustang's front fender, mirror

Ford is continuing its painfully slow unveiling of the 2010 Mustang with another new image showing the car's front fender and the rear view mirror. It could just be the angle, but the photo shows a more curvaceous hood line that dips down to the headlight more than the current design. Another difference is the fender, which flows from the hood to the wheel well in one smooth line rather than the current one that has a more pronounced and angular flare. Finally, we get another view of the rear view mirror, the top half of which is now painted instead of textured black. Like us, you'd probably rather see the whole car by now, but Ford has seven more teaser images to go before it unveils the car in Los Angeles in more than a month and a half. So, like us, you're just going to have to get used to it.
posted : 10/5/2008 @5:38:25 PM
Sneak peek at Mitsubishi's LA Design Challenge entrant: MMR25 Rally Racer

The LA Auto Show is once again hosting its annual Design Challenge in which automakers are asked to let their minds wander and think freely about what future vehicles might actually be like. Last year's theme was green, but this year designers are being asked to imagine what motorsports will be like in 2025. Mitsubishi's answer will be the MMR25 Rally Racer, a way out there concept that draws upon the automaker's long lineage of successful rally racing to create a sand crawler like we've never seen before. We've only got a sneak peek for now, so there's no telling what exotic or outright fictional engine powers the MMR25, but expect it to be just as crazy as those multidirectional wheels.
posted : 10/3/2008 @7:13:54 PM
LA Preview: Toyota to display CNG fueled Camry Hybrid concept

Hybrid vehicles are increasingly becoming mainstream, but so far all of the production units available on the market have used gasoline exclusively as the fuel for the internal combustion engine. Various manufacturers have also shown concept and one-off test hybrid vehicles with diesel and E85 capable flex-fuel engines. One combination we don't recall seeing is a CNG fueled hybrid. Toyota plans to address that oversight at the LA Auto Show in November with a CNG fueled Camry Hybrid. Vehicles running on compressed natural gas are nothing new, although the only one currently offered by a major automaker in the US right now is the Honda Civic GX. Since CNG vehicles have a shorter range, they have primarily been used by fleets with centralized filling stations. Toyota has built this vehicle as part of its wide ranging sustainable mobility strategy. With domestic supplies of CNG being comparatively plentiful, something like a CNG hybrid sedan could be a good option for someone who does most of their driving locally.
posted : 10/3/2008 @6:15:49 PM
LA Preview: Saab 9-4X shows up early

The LA Auto Show is still a couple months away, but images of vehicles set to be unveiled in the land of fruits and nuts are already leaking onto the web. GM's Chilean website had the above photo of the production Saab 9-4X available for all to see earlier today, so now we know the production model looks almost identical to the 9-4X Biopower concept from last year's Detroit Auto Show. We'd be interested to see if the concept's integrated tail pipes and large front/side air dams make it to production but, judging from spy photos we've seen, probably not. The 9-4X will be built on the same platform as the upcoming front- or all-wheel-drive Cadillac SRX, which will also be unveiled this auto show season. We don't have many details on the 9-4X just yet, but it will have a turbocharged 2.0L engine with 245 hp and 265 lb-ft mated to a six-speed automatic. The concept also ran on ethanol, which is also likely for the production vehicle considering that two thirds of all vehicles in Sweden are of the flex fuel variety. Other engine choices could include GM's 3.6L V6, which is likely to be found under hood of the SRX at launch, and an upcoming 250-hp 2.9L diesel. Either way, European customers will likely have an engine lineup twice as large as what we'll be offered in the U.S.
posted : 9/24/2008 @10:29:55 PM
Lincoln MKT headed to Detroit, facelifted MKZ to LA

Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, has confirmed that the Lincoln MKT crossover is due to be reveal this January at the Detroit Auto Show, while a refreshed MKZ will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Show in November. We already knew the Ford Flex-based CUV was headed to Detroit, with power provided by either a 3.7-liter or a 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6. Both six- and seven-passenger seating arrangements will be offered, along with Blind Spot Monitoring and a Cross Traffic Alert system which utilizes two sonar modules to notify drivers that a vehicle has moved into their blind spot by shining a light on the corresponding outside mirror. Sales are expected to begin later in 2009 and Ford is insistent that the MKT won't share any body panels with its platform sibling. The facelifted MKZ sedan will sport the new split-wing grille originally found on the MKR concept. New taillights are also rumored to be part of the package and sales should begin later this year or early in 2009.
posted : 9/23/2008 @10:58:19 PM
Ford launches 2010 Mustang countdown site, reveal coming Nov. 19

Taking a hint from Ferrari and its California GT Countdown, and not wanting the Camaro and Challenger to get all the attention, Ford has launched its own 2010 Mustang countdown. While the new 'Stang won't hit the streets until next spring, 96 days separate us from its official unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show.In the run-up to the launch, Ford has invited fans of the original Pony Car to recount related stories on its new website, the2010mustang.com. Starting August 27, the site will give visitors the opportunity to share their tales, with the most compelling story winning the writer his very own 2010 Mustang, along with a trip to LA to see the wraps come off. In the meantime, you can sign up for email updates as Ford continues to tease us for the next three months.
posted : 8/31/2008 @6:30:52 PM
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