Scooped here in South Korea completely undisguised, the 2011 Genesis sedan appears to get a reworked front bumper with newly styled air ducts and trim, more prominent side skirts, a chunkier chrome strip above the license plate and a new rear bumper with reshaped exhaust tips.
The upscale five-door model will compete with the new Mercedes-Benz CLS, and if the rumors turn out to be true, with the BMW 6-Series GT (or whatever else the Bavarian firm's decided to call the production Gran Coupe) also, when it goes on sale next year.
Now, Hyundai is teasing us with a conceptual rendering of the Elantra's interior that, like the exterior, promises a dramatic revamp relative to the current model Judging from the sketch, the 2011 Elantra's cabin design will continue the same "sculpted" theme seen on the new Sonata's interior.
Caught here in both four-door sedan and estate body styles while trailer testing, the new Passat is expected to receive a new front- and rear-end design that will bring it more in line with the automaker's latest products such as the Scirocco and more recently, the 2011 Jetta.
The production version of the LRX will go on sale in 2011 and will be offered in both 2WD and 4WD configurations - a first for the company. According to Land Rover, the front-wheel drive model will emit less than 130g/km of CO2 making it the 'greenest' and most fuel efficient Range Rover ever.
The F430's 4.3-liter V8 powerhouse receives a recalibrated engine control unit and a high-performance exhaust system, plus new air filters. Output climbs from 490 horsepower to 525HP. According to the company, the massaging has nudged top speed to 325km/h or 202mph. For those that want more power, Status Design offers an optional supercharging kit from Novitec that boosts output to 700HP.
Cummins, an independent maker of diesel engines, fitted its biggest powerplant on one of the smallest cars around. The QSK78 diesel engine, which is used to power mining industry dump trucks capable of carrying 360 tonnes, is a 78-liter, 18-cylinder monster with 12 turbochargers producing 3,500HP (take that Veyron) at 1,900 rpm and 10,157 lb-ft / 13,771Nm of peak torque at 1,500 rpm.
Weighing in at over 11 tonnes (24,912 lbs), the V18 unit measures an astonishing 3,327mm (131-in.) in length, 1,633mm (65.5-in.) in width and 2,429mm (95.6-in) in height.
According to the poster, even though there were plenty of spectators at the scene, and despite the fact that the driver of the BMW was inside the car at the time of the crash, no one was seriously injured. End of story? Not quite, as there is more to this story than what meets the eye.
First of all, the rally is pitched by the organizers as a reality show with amateur racers driving "on closed public roads in the heartland of America", which will air on television in Fall 2010.
A search on "The Robin Hood Rally [website]" returned some very interesting findings, including another serious crash during the first race of the series in May, and more intriguingly, a report from NBC stating that promotional material from "Robin Hood Rally" falsely claimed that the series would air on NBC...
However, buyers should expect an evolution of the current design sprinkled with styling cues from all the latest BMWs, including a protruding kidney grill similar to that of the new 5-Series and 7-Series saloons.
Our man with the long lens managed to snag a few shots of the prototype's interior giving us a glimpse of the new dashboard design with the 1-Series-esque air-vents.
For those wondering, the Z 423 was a Japan-only version of the Fairlady Z [sold as the 240Z in the States] equipped with the same 2.0-liter inline-six S20 engine producing 160-horsepower and 177Nm as the Skyline GT-R (PGC10). It was built in limited number of units for homologation purposes. The name '432' refers to the 4 valves [per cylinder], 3 carburetors and 2 camshafts.
Along with the GT-R's straight-six that was coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Z 432 featured many other upgrades including Magnesium wheels and a unique exhaust system with dual vertical tail pipes. More photos after the break.
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It will be offered with the company's new 2.0-liter Ecoboost turbocharged four-pot and a 3.5-liter V6 engine in both naturally aspirated and twin-turbocharged versions.
Another -though less likely- guess is that it's a replacement for the North American Chevrolet Colorado. Of course, we could be wrong in both cases. Either way, follow the break to check out the rest of the drawings and tell us what you think in the comments section.
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On sale from July 1 in a limited number of 500 units, the new MX-5 Miyako is available in two flavors, the 126HP 1.8i Miyako soft-top priced at £18,385 OTR and the more powerful 160HP 2.0i Miyako roadster coupe with a folding hardtop priced at £20,885 OTR.
The tuning shop brings output from the standard 270-horsepower and 350Nm of peak torque to 330HP and 450Nm. The power boost comes from a recalibrated ECU as well as a custom sport exhaust system for the car's 2.0-liter TSI engine.
The 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse coupe, however, just can't keep up with the latest sport coupes and hot hatches. Pros, Avant-garde styling, one of the few convertibles in its price range, powerful V6 in GT, comfortable front seats, relatively roomy cargo area. Cons, Poor outward visibility with convertible, sluggish acceleration with GS models, torque steer with GT, small backseat, no telescoping wheel, lackluster interior quality.
Safety
Driving Impressions
A sporty hybrid? At first glance, the 2011 Honda CR-Z might seem a bit oxymoronic. After all, Americans expect their hybrid cars to be purely about fuel economy, with flowers, rainbows and unicorns coming out of the tailpipe. But Honda is hoping that people are ready for a car that not only gets very good fuel economy but also happens to be fun to drive -- a hybrid without the drive-induced narcolepsy, if you will.
Hard-core enthusiasts will likely be disappointed, but somebody just looking for a sporty two-door with good fuel economy will likely be pleased with the 2011 Honda CR-Z.
Pros, Nimble size and handling, quick steering, good fuel economy, sporty looks. Cons, Poor rearward visibility, most competitors have backseats, missing a few upscale features.
The all-new 2011 Honda Odyssey looks poised to pick up from where its class-leading predecessor left off. The Honda Odyssey is completely redesigned for 2011.
The 2011 Odyssey is an inch-plus shorter in height than before, but has gained an inch-plus in width, creating a slightly sleeker appearance aided by a wedge-shaped front fascia and unique "lightning-bolt" character line. Aside from being a design flourish, this character line also improves visibility for passengers in the third row of seats, who will also enjoy a greater amount of knee and shoulder room. Honda says three adults can sit back there, but we're thinking the middle spot's fold-down armrest will be utilized more frequently.
Minivans are renowned for setting themselves apart with never-before-seen features. Some, like the Odyssey's flip-and-fold third-row seat became an industry standard, while others, like the last Odyssey's middle-row Lazy Susan storage bin have been quickly forgotten. This time around, the Odyssey introduces a small refrigerated storage compartment beneath the center stack controls, a trash bag holder, second-row seats that shift laterally to make room for child seats and a wide-screen entertainment system with an HDMI input. The new Odyssey also improves upon previously introduced features, like a simplified process for lowering the third-row seat and an enlarged second-row removable middle seat.
Honda has not yet released full details about the 2011 Odyssey's powertrain, but we do know it will continue to only be available with front-wheel drive and a 3.5-liter V6. Honda's cylinder deactivation system is now standard on every Odyssey and fuel economy is estimated to be 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. This is a significant improvement versus the last Odyssey (especially those trims without cylinder deactivation) and better than the new Toyota Sienna's four- and six-cylinder engines.
More details about the 2011 Honda Odyssey will be coming soon, including available trims and equipment, as well as exact dimensions and specifications. Check back for a full review of how this new Odyssey stacks up against its minivan competitors before it hits dealerships in the fall.
Two cars, two different approaches on the same topic. But which one is better? To answer this question, British magazine Auto Express took both sports cars and tested them to see which one comes on top in typical everyday use.
If you read between the lines - or in this case, the tester's words, the RCZ is a better car picking up the title in fuel economy, performance, interior styling and quality, as well as exterior looks. But -there's always a but, isn't there?- the entry-level RCZ Diesel costs £5,251 [about US$7,900 or €6,500] more than the basic CR-Z, which ultimately makes the comparison unjust.
Video and some quick facts we gathered on both cars after the jump.
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