Archive for December, 1969
Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Chevrolet, Rendered Speculation
Click above for a high resolution image
With sales of the 2010 Chevy Camaro starting in the first quarter of 2009, it's inevitable that a variety of tuner versions will be popping up left and right. Deviant Art member Morfiuss decided that was too long to wait and beat everyone to the punch with his photoshopped rendition of a Hamann Camaro. We think he did a stellar job, penning in a new front fascia, side skirts, flared fenders, 20-inch rims, and gullwing doors that depict what Hamann would probably do if they got their hands on a Camaro. It's not likely to happen, but it does beg the question -- how would you tune the Camaro? Would you build a Euro-style version similar to the Hamann, or how about an all-out drag racer set for ten second time slips? Our pick? A street/track version styled after the Mark Donohue's Penske Camaro that was so dominant in the Trans-Am series in the late 1960's.
[Source: DeviantArt.com via MuscleCars.at]
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: SUVs, Dodge, Jeep
News out of Toledo is that Chrysler plans to drop either the Jeep Liberty or the Dodge Nitro within four years and merge the two vehicles into one. These two 'utes are built on the same exact platform, use basically the same engines and are built in the same Toledo plant. There is no good reason for both of them to exist, which makes us wonder why they ever did in the first place and why it will take three years to correct. Regardless, considering that Jeep will always be the off-road brand, it would make most sense to keep the Liberty name going. Losing the Nitro, meanwhile, might actually help Dodge improve its image as a volume performance brand.
This convergence of duplicate vehicles is part of Chrysler's
Project Genesis plan. Under the plan, dealers will begin to offer Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles under the same roof. Other nameplates that are or should be converged include the Jeep Compass/Jeep Patriot and Dodge Durango/Chrysler Aspen, the latter of which could see themselves
replaced by a new model with Jeep underpinnings.
[Source:
The Toledo Blade]
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW, Rendered Speculation
We're less than a month away from the
official unveiling of the BMW X1 concept in Paris, but the boys from Bavaria are already planning a sportier, two-door version of their new compact 'ute. Dubbed the X2, this coupe-ish soft-roader will be to the X1 what the X6 is to the X5.
The 1-series-based X1 is currently carrying the codename "Sports Activity Wagon" (SAW), whereas the X2 is known internally as a "Sports Activity Runabout" (SAR). In keeping with BMW's new nomenclature and styling, the X2 will sport different bodywork, up-market materials, more standard equipment and a wider track to differentiate the two-door CUV from its four-door counterpart. Powertrains fitted with BMW's Efficient Dynamics system will be part of the package, beginning with 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines, eventually evolving into mild- and plug-in hybrid drivetrains.
While the X1 has already been green-lit for production, the X2 is still in limbo. But if it does come to market, expect the X2 to bow sometime in 2011 after the X1 launches in 2010.
[Source:
CAR]
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Economy, Euro, Toyota
Click above for more high-res shots of the European Toyota iQBy naming its impending city car the iQ, Toyota makes no bones about who it's after. And with an extra set of seats fitted into its diminutive little runabout, the Japanese auto giant looks to one-up the smart fortwo with a vehicle that measures about the same size. Ahead of its European release, Toyota decided to release a few new shots of the production iQ, and we've gone ahead and assembled them into a high-res gallery for your viewing pleasure. After looking things over again, we like what we see. The look is obviously Toyota and we think that the flowing but angular lines translate a bit better in this small package than in some of the marque's larger vehicles. There are four seats inside, though Toyota considers the iQ a 3+1 seater, as the fourth seat is suitable only for wee children. Production will begin shortly and vehicles will begin showing up in Europe at the start of the new year.
[Source: Toyota]
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Car Buying, Coupes, Videos, Hyundai
Click above to watch the videoToday is the day reservations become available for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe
in Korea. To celebrate, Hyundai has released a new commercial which you can
watch after the break. Those placing orders now should begin taking possession of their new two-door, rear-wheel drive coupe on September 26. Pricing for the new hotness from Hyundai is very reasonable
for the Korean market with a base price of 25,360,000 WON (about U.S. $23,000). Stepping up to the "Stylish Pack" (seriously?) nets you 19-inch rims, a limited slip diff and optional Brembo's for 26,920,000 WON (U.S. $24,500). Well worth it in our estimation. A loaded 3.8-liter V6 Genesis Coupe will go for 33,150,000 WON (U.S. $30,100), which buys you over 300-horsepower and a full leather interior.
Hit the jump for a full rundown of pricing and options for the Coupe
in Korea. According to our tipster, the Genesis sedan with the 3.8-liter V6 is selling for about $70K in its home market. This being the case,
it's pretty hard to draw any conclusions as to what this means for U.S. Genesis Coupe pricing when it goes on sale sometime in 2009. We can hardly wait.
Thanks for the tip, Sam!
[Source:
blog.daum.net]
Continue reading First Hyundai Genesis Coupe commercial hits Korea, pricing revealed
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Economy, Hybrids/Alternative, Euro, Paris Motor Show, Hatchbacks, Nissan
Click above for high-res gallery of Nissan's Paris Motor Show lineupNissan is bringing a trio of vehicles to the city of lights for the 2009
Paris Motor Show: a new concept called the Nuvu, an all-new production car car called the Pixo and a revised Note. We don't have an image of the Nuvu yet, but Nissan says it's a compact all-electric city car with 2+1 seating. It takes its green theme seriously with solar panels shaped like tree leaves on the roof that channel the sun's power through a "tree trunk" conduit in the center of the vehicle.
Next up is the Pixo, a new production car for the city with four-doors and a rear hatch that's powered by an eency-weency 1.0L three-cylinder engine. Built in collaboration with Suzuki, the new A-class car will obviously be geared towards fuel economy and low emissions when it goes on sale in Europe in the spring of 2009.
Finally, Nissan will have a revised version of its Note compact car that features a new, sleeker front end. New wheels, colors, a revised suspension and an available 1.5L dCi engine round out the changes. The Note also gets Nissan's new in-car nav/infotainment system called Nissan Connect. It comes with everything the market demands including a touch-screen navigation system, connectivity for digital audio players and Bluetooth connectivity.
[Source: Nissan]
Continue reading Nissan Nuvu concept, Pixo city car, revised Note headed to Paris
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Government/Legal, GM
There's a lot of smack talk about Detroit automakers these days, and while some of it is spot on, other myths are no more credible than what's written in the men's john. General Motors is apparently tired of fielding questions surrounding this bathroom fodder and the embattled automaker is busting out its own Sharpie to dispel what it feels are untruths. GM has created a Web 1.0 site called
GM Facts and Fiction on which are several statements often said in the media and around the water cooler that its feels are untrue. For example, much talk has come up concerning
government bailouts, and
GM Facts and Fiction counters that the federal money would not be a bailout but rather low-interest loans earmarked for developing fuel-efficient vehicles. Other topics of purported myth include fuel economy, product desirability and the
Chevy Volt. Hit the link below to see GM's latest five fact-and-fiction posts, and let us know if you think the automaker is on the mark or just scribbling lavatory graffiti of its own.
[Source:
GM Facts and Fiction]
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Etc.
The coding wizards at
3rd Dimension, Inc. have released an iPhone app that provides a live video stream of traffic in selected areas, allowing commuters to view conditions before they make the trek to and from work.
Currently, the application is only available for Detroit, Harford, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, LA, New York and Washington D.C., but more cities will be added in the future.
The application is a free download through the iTunes store (search for "traffic" and you'll see the available cities), and after checking out the New York feeds, we're astounded at how many traffic cameras are available in the Big Apple.
[Source:
3rd Dimension via
TCC]
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Car Buying, Hatchbacks, Audi
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Audi A3
Audi gave up the details on the
European-spec A3 earlier this year, but it took until today for it to disclose what changes will carry over to the U.S. model when the 2009 A3 goes on sale later this month.
A cursory inspection of the exterior and specs doesn't reveal much, but dig a little deeper and the revisions become obvious. The fascia has been tweaked with a few cues from the recently revamped A4, including new LED daytime running lamps, and redesigned rollers fill the wheel wells, hiding Audi's optional Magnetic Ride suspension system.
The five-door's powertrain choices remain, with either a 2.0-liter turbocharged four or a 3.2-liter V6, and all-wheel-drive is finally available as an option on the 2.0T model. Previously, Audi's hill-start assist was only available with the S-tronic dual-clutch transmission, but it's now standard on models fitted with the six-speed manual.
Pricing has been set at $26,920 for the front-wheel-drive, six-speed manual model equipped with the 2.0T, while the top of the line 3.2-liter Quattro variant comes in at $36,975.
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Wednesday, December 31st, 1969
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hatchbacks, Honda, Paris Motorcycle Show
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Honda Insight Concept digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/New_Honda_Insight_unveiled_Prius_fighter_on_the_lot_in_2009'; Honda is reviving an old name for its new Global Hybrid that goes on sale next spring by calling it the Insight. The new five-door hatchback "Prius-Killer" will be the most direct competitor yet for Toyota's iconic hybrid. Learning from the lesson that hybrid buyers apparently prefer their cars to be recognizable as such rather than being derivatives of existing models, Honda has modeled the new Insight after its low volume FCX Clarity fuel cell car and will be debuting it as a concept at the
Paris Motor Show next month before it goes on sale as the least expensive hybrid in the world in 2009. Recent comments by Honda have hinted at a price starting at $18,500 for the Insight, which goes on sale 10 years after the original. Unlike the tiny two-seater that had limited appeal and utility, this new one is expected to appeal to a much wider audience. Honda is planning for worldwide sales of 200,000 units a year with 100,000 going to the U.S. market.
[Source: Honda]
Continue reading Paris Preview: Officially Official, Honda's new hybrid is the Insight!
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