Ducati. It's a name full of racing heritage and tradition, but it hasn't always been that way. The company's roots are much more humble, first by selling radio equipment before moving into the world of two wheels with a quaint motorized bicycle dubbed the Cucciolo – meaning "puppy" in Italiano – because of its cuddly exhaust note. Needless to say, there was no way of knowing in the early 1950s that the brand would go on to become one of the most successful grand prix racing companies in the world. But we're sure glad it did.
Racing success came early and often in the '70s for the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, and in 1972 Ducati won the Imola 200 with an air-cooled 750cc L-twin engine wrapped in a cradle-type frame. These are the bikes that Ducati sought to replicate with the SportClassic range that first debuted in concept form at the 2003 Tokyo Motor Show and finally went into production in 2006. Living up to a legend is never an easy task, so when we managed to get our greasy mitts on a brand-new 2009 Sport 1000 for a couple of weeks, we wasted no time getting familiar with this sleek black machine. Follow the jump to see what we thought.
Depending on where you live, you might be able to get a new 2010 Lotus Exige Stealth or 2010 Lotus Exige Scura, but not both, and neither unless you get crackin'. In anticipation of its official coming out party at the Tokyo Motor Show, Lotus just dropped the deets on a new special edition blacked out Lotus Exige alternatively known as the Stealth or Scura (Italian for 'dark') depending on market. Whatever they call it, it is one badass car. Only 35 will be built worldwide and none of them appear headed to the States unfortunately.
This newest Exige special looks menacing with its matte black paint, contrasting gloss black stripes and carbon fiber highlights. It's powered by the 260-hp version of the ubiquitous supercharged 4-cylinder and comes standard with launch control, traction control and 2-way adjustable Ohlins dampers. And thanks to the prodigious amount of carbon fiber inside and out, this featherweight flyer drops another 10kg, allowing it to do the 0-60 sprint in 4 seconds flat. It should also reach 100 in less than ten seconds on its way to a top speed of 152 mph. Brits who hustle over to their local Lotus shoppe will have to plunk down £45,000, while EU customers can expect to pay around €61.000.
H. B. Halicki was a used car salesman who wanted to make a movie. With a little money, one big idea, and a 1971 Mustang Mach 1, he made Gone in 60 Seconds. And in that particular way that movies, especially '70s movies, can be, it wasn't all that good, but it was awesome. Fast forward to Michael Bay's remake in 2000, and the Mach 1 was replaced by a 1967 Shelby GT500. When we got a call offering us the actual car from that movie for the weekend, we felt obliged to say yes... and then drive it like we stole it. The verdict: Eleanor is the hottest piece of car we've spent a weekend with in quite some time.
Picture if you will, an exotic car that takes a few stylistic cues from the Pagani Zonda and Ferrari Enzo, then distills them into a package the size of a Lotus Exige. Now imagine if it was powered by a tuned 2.3-liter DOHC turbo engine from the Mazdaspeed3 channeled through that car's six-speed gearbox. And further ponder that the vehicle in question weighs 1,300 pounds less its powertrain donor. That's right, a 270 hp exotic that weighs just 1,874 lbs. Sound like it's something you'd like to take a closer look at?
The Surpasse V, an all-new vehicle by Japanese kit car specialist Suzusho, will make its debut at this month's Tokyo Motor Show, featuring an "aluminum twin-tube monocoque spaceframe" and fiberglass body. Although evocative of many other cars, the design is purposeful and penned by F1 designer Kenji Mimura, and on paper, it sounds like a direct challenger to the 2009 Lotus Exige S260.
Although It would be easy to dismiss the Surpasse V as just another kit car with big power and no handling, Suzusho has plenty of experience building lightweight cars that handle extremely well. The bulk of their business is in Lotus 7 replicas, and while we're not sure it will truly compete head-to-head with the Hethel hauler, it looks promising.
Pricing is expected to be in the Exige-like $50,000-$80,000 range too when the Suzusho Supasse V goes on sale in the middle of 2010.
As the company's number-one global volume vehicle, the Altima is instrumental in keeping the lights on at Nissan HQ. Now in its fourth-generation (last redesigned for the 2007 model year), the made-in-the-USA model is sold in both sedan and coupe variants with a choice of two gasoline engines or one hybrid powerplant. Nissan offers four sedans for the 2010 model year, with the Altima slotting in directly under the flagship Maxima in the lineup (with both sharing Nissan's D-platform architecture).
After spending time with the 2010 Nissan Altima, we understand why it's the brand's best selling model and while it's not a tire shredding sport sedan, this competent family hauler deserves all the kudos and sales volume it's earned.
It's fitting that General Motors has a vehicle named after an astronomical phenomenon that marks the seasons. The first Equinox came from the "old" GM during the autumn of its long slide. Since then, the General has emerged from a government-funded chrysalis, and the Equinox has followed suit with a redesign. Hopefully, the freshening signifies a springtime in GM's fortunes; a future desperately in need of a green infusion of the cash variety. Its products need to not only compete – but exceed – what's available from the competition. That figures to be a tall order, because the opposition is in rare form.
Just across town, Ford isn't sitting around – the Escape gets tweaks and updates seemingly every year. The Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 also crowd the top of the family CUV class, with the Mazda CX-7 and Hyundai Santa Fe playing supporting roles. Into this company of A-students wades the Equinox, fresh from reform school. Have the model's rough edges and troublesome behavior been smoothed out enough by remedial study?
We were headed on a road trip, because that's what you do when the summer draws to a close and something as gigantic as the Ford Flex rolls into your driveway. Destination: Brooklyn. Five miles into the journey, the Sony audio system belts out the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," and the two sub-five-year-olds in tow agree. But we had an ace up our sleeve: our Flex SEL tester was packing a six-shooter augmented by Ford's EcoBoost turbo system, good for another 100 horsepower over the standard model. If the trip was going to be hellish, at least it would be short.
There's newfound muscle to... flex.There's a price premium to pay for the heavy breathing, but even at $40,000 as-tested, the kitted out Flex stickered for less than expected, and mitigating drawbacks seems to be a running theme with the EcoBoosted Flex. Its EPA estimated fuel economy in all-wheel drive trim of 1724 1622 mpg cityhighway, is exactly the same as the unboosted Duratec 3.5-liter, but there's newfound muscle to... flex. A turbocharged engine immediately makes thoughts of premium fuel dance through your head, but nope, the direct-injected V6 is happy to perform tricks on regular, though Ford recommends you run higher octane for maximum performance.
![SEMA Preview: Drop Top Customs bringing convertible Camaro to Sin City [w/VIDEO]](http://www.niot.net/blog-images/sema-preview-drop-top-customs-bringing-convertible-camaro-to-si.jpg)
We've been waiting for a convertible version of the new Camaro for almost as long as we've been waiting for the Camaro itself, but Chevrolet has yet to deliver. In fact, the convertible was delayed by The General, so it could be more than a year before we ever see one at our local Bowtie showroom (although dealers are reportedly getting their first look at the 2011 model as we speak). That hasn't stopped many from guessing just what a Camaro ragtop might look like.
The lucky folks attending this year's SEMA show in Las Vegas, however, won't have to rely on their imaginations to see what a Camaro convertible looks like. Drop Top Customs (founded in 1976 as Coachbulders Limited) will be showing off the car you see here, a genuine Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible, albeit one they had to build themselves. Drop Top did a similar cut job on the Camaro's pony car title Challenger from Dodge for last year's SEMA show with pretty spectacular results. The Camaro chop will cost owners about $18,000 at the firm's Florida shop. If the Camaro isn't your thing, Drop Top will also take a Sawzall to a Chrysler 300, Cadillac CTS or even a DTS if you'd prefer.
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While the Lexus LX570 is the flagship SUV in the automaker's lineup, its glory is often overshadowed by the best-selling RX. With proven Land Cruiser bloodlines, and the Tundra's V8 muscle under its hood, the seven-passenger LX competes in the rarefied full-size luxury SUV segment occupied by the Land Rover Range Rover and Cadillac Escalade. What does the Japanese entrant hold over its British and American counterparts? And more importantly, what makes the LX unique in this segment?
Acura calls its all-new ZDX "a provocative luxury four-door sports coupe," adding that it's a "passionate getaway" vehicle designed for "a couple, their belongings, and more." The proclamation is a twist on a pitch we've heard before, yet with an even narrower segment focus. While the marketplace has come to accept the stylishly squashed Mercedes-Benz CLS, Volkswagen CC and Jaguar XF into the non-sedan segment, this new niche – pioneered by the BMW X6 and accepted by consumers if only because the Bavarian delivers the goods – is still a substantial risk that could require a hard sell with pithy prose.
So to kick-off Acura's all-new non-SUV, the automaker invited us to Southern California to drive the latest addition to its growing family. Constructed on the familiar MDX platform and sharing its powertrain, the ZDX pushes the automaker's styling and innovation to the limit – it's certainly not bland or boring. However, is there enough substance under the style to win buyers in this newly targeted segment? What game-winning cards, if any, does Acura really hold with its latest "sports coupe" SUV? Follow the jump to find out.
