The Non-Subaru New Car News Thread #1 [Archive] - Page 3

Ghostrider600

01-23-2004, 01:46 PM

Originally posted by SCRAPPYDO
Its just sad now Toyota only dips into the kiddie pool of performance when other manufacturers are just leaving them in the dust. IF ever there was a company that never takes a risk in their product line its Toyota. Its as if they are scared to come across as a performance car company. That image saved Nissan, and its saving Mazda now. Toyota seems content with selling a bajillion cookie cutter, plain flour, brown bag Camarys. There is just about nothing you can do to spice up such a boring and bloated car. I would love to see Toyota take the gloves off and produce a real sports car, in the mid to upper 30's, that could compete and beat the Z car, which should not be that hard to do.

SCRAPPYDO
stephen

I guess when you can simply rake in the money on the cookie cutters, *why* risk *any* money on the fickle sports market?

It is a pity they can't seem to do anything right/fun though as their such a large company they really could set the market on fire with just a few cars.

--personally, I'd love to see a return of the AWD Turbo Celica GT-Four (All-Trac here in USDM) or the TT Supra.

But, I won't lose sleep over it, there's plenty of other cars out there that are fun/fast/affordable.

Maybe the Corolla RS will force Honda to come out with a true Civic Coupe Si instead of their UK-import POS micro slug. Other than that, I don't care what Toyota does...

-=-=-

Ah, go Ford, long live outdated design!

Spending any amount of money on a car with a live axle is moronic, IMHO. Now Ford's SVT is going to have to spend gobs and gobs of cash to develop an independant setup for the rear end of the Cobra so that they can lose even more money on the car. If they'd just spent the money on an independent rear in the first place they'd have the first rate sports car they've been claiming to build for the last 30 years. Ford's ability to waste a good opportunity drives me mad.

Even *if* the live rear axle was *not* done for cost savings (and I'd think it was) but *was* done for the 1/4milers (which is like the STi or WRX modder--a small percentage of the buyers) it's still an anachronism that needs to go.

The GTO has ind rear, the Explorer has ind rear, etc., Ford really needs to update that car, if the draggers want to mod their car they can go retro fit whatever they want (as they would change things anyway), but the common consumer deserves better...(or should go buy the 350Z instead).

mh_WRX

01-23-2004, 02:20 PM

Toyota Surpasses Ford As Worldwide Auto Maker

TOKYO January 22, 2004;

Kazuhiro Shimamura writing for Dow Jones reported that Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday the most recent sales data show that it climbed into second place in global auto sales in 2003, climbing past Ford Motor Co. for the first time.

Toyota said its vehicle sales by registration in 2003 are estimated at 6.78 million vehicles, up 9.9%, while Ford said Thursday its sales for the year slipped 3.6% to 6.72 million vehicles.

Those numbers demonstrate the increasing competitiveness of Toyota and other Japanese automakers against the Big Three automakers in the U.S. market.

Even global sales leader General Motors Corp. , whose sales exceeded eight million vehicles in 2003, lost its some of its share of the U.S. market, declining to 28.0% from 28.3%.

"We're not aiming for any specific sales ranking," a Toyota spokesman said, adding the U.S. Big Three are still larger than Toyota if their group sales include those of affiliates.

Sales figures of Toyota and Ford include vehicles sold by the parent company and subsidiaries. Sales by group companies in which the parent holds less than 50% are not counted, the spokesman said.

Sales by Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. , 33.4%-owned by Ford, are not included in Ford's sales results.

"If you look at the Ford group in a broader sense, including Mazda's numbers can easily push up its sales" by one million units, the Toyota official said.

Toyota said it is often difficult to make direct comparisons of sales figures of Japanese and U.S. manufacturers.

Japanese companies define sales as the number of vehicles sold by dealers and registered by the customers, while the U.S. sales data are on a wholesale basis.

The difference between the wholesale and registration numbers depends on various factors at each company, Toyota said.

mh_WRX

01-23-2004, 02:30 PM

Could this mean no more Porsche cars in the future?

Porsche disappoints as sports car sales slide

Reuters / January 23, 2004

FRANKFURT (Reuters) -- German carmaker Porsche AG said Friday that its first-half pretax profit rose 11 percent as its Cayenne off-roader boosted sales, but a sharp fall in demand for its sports cars hammered its stock.

The world's most profitable automaker said pretax profit in the first half of its 2003/2004 fiscal year rose to $263 million and repeated it expected revenues and earnings to rise in the year to the end of July.

It said it would have sold around 32,410 cars by the end of January, up over 30 percent from the first half of the previous year due to the Cayenne, although sales of its 911 and Boxster sports cars fell 26 percent and 44 percent, respectively.

"I was surprised that both the Boxster and the 911 declined even further than I'd been expecting. I expect weak sales of both models to continue in the months to come," said Merck Finck analyst Robert Heberger.

Porsche's profits are unlikely to climb as fast this year as in the recent past as it readies updated versions of the 911 and Boxster and the initial impact of the Cayenne wears off.

It said in December the Cayenne would push sales higher in the year to the end of July 2004, though CEO Wendelin Wiedeking has declined to give an earnings forecast, beyond saying he is "confident and optimistic."

It said revenues in the six months to the end of January 2004 had risen 28 percent to 2.82 billion euros ($3.57 billion), according to preliminary figures.

The company said this month it was planning to boost its liquidity by several hundred million dollars with a bond to be placed with private investors in the United States, and said the issue would be used for long-term financing.

Although Porsche is widely expected to announce a new model range soon -- which industry experts believe will be a four-seat coupe or sports sedan -- it said the bond would not be used to finance any new model.

Company executives are expected to be grilled on its model plans and the precise purpose of the bond at the company's annual general meeting later Friday.

Alpha1

01-23-2004, 10:13 PM

The recent announcement of Subaru seeking light truck statis for the forthcoming OutBack is likely related to fleet fuel economy issues.

Ford Group in conjunction with PSA are preparing to introduce several new diesels engines that will be put in to 30+ new vehicles over the next 3 years. Alpha 1

http://www.histomobile.com/histomob/internet/techniqu/112-6.jpghttp://www.histomobile.com/histomob/internet/techniqu/112.jpg The 16 valves version of 1560 cc was presented in February 2003. Due to a bore of 75 mm and a stroke lengthened to 88.3, a power of 110 hp and a torque of 235 Nm are obtained (even 260 Nm with "overboost", meaning a masterly torque back-up of 35% and nothing less than 21 bars bmep). The weight also is increased to 120 kg.

PSA Peugeot Citroën and the Ford Motor Company unveiled new 1.6-liter and 2-liter common rail direct injection diesel engines developed under their cooperative venture. The new engines feature advanced technologies developed to reduce fuel consumption, enhance drivability, noise and vibration performance, and reduce emissions. The engines are scheduled to gradually equip both partners’ model lines in the second half of 2003.

The 1.6-Liter Engine
The 1.6 liter engines—known as the HDi 1.6l in PSA Group’s cars and the Duratorq TDCi 1.6l in Ford models—will be available in 110 hp (80 kW) and 90 hp (66 kW) versions. They will equip more than 37 different vehicle versions of both partners.

The 1.6-liter HDi/TDCi engine features “all-aluminum” construction, which has kept its weight at a low 120 kilograms, thus facilitating its use in small cars. Its combustion system includes a Bosch second-generation common rail injection system with maximum pressures of 1,600 bar. The system uses a multiple injection technique enabling up to six injections per engine cycle.

In early 2004, certain versions of the 1.6-liter HDi/TDCi will be equipped with the Peugeot particulate filter system, offering low emission levels in compliance with the Euro 4 (2005) regulation.

http://www.bmwworld.com/pics/mini/9531_1024.jpg

The MINI One D made its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on March 4, 2003. It is the first series production MINI ever to feature a diesel engine. The MINI One D will go on sale in the UK on June 7, 2003. The 'heart' of the MINI One D is a 1.4 litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine, developed in co-operation with Toyota Motor Corporation. During a two-year development period this engine was specially modified for use in MINI. The MINI One D engine produces 75bhp and maximum torque of 180Nm at just 2000rpm. This high-performance direct injection diesel engine combines second generation Common Rail technology with a turbocharger featuring an intercooler. To save weight the cylinder head and crankcase are made from aluminium giving the MINI One D an unladen weight of 1,175Kg.
Fuel consumption in the combined cycle averages 58.9 mpg, and on 50 litres of diesel the MINI One D has a range of up to 625 miles. This means that frugal minded drivers will be able to drive from the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Wight on just one tank of fuel. The CO2 emission figure of 129g/km, ensures that the MINI One D falls into the lowest company car tax bracket.

The six-speed manual transmission, which is fitted as standard on the MINI One D (and also the MINI Cooper S), has been specially adapted to the diesel engine's characteristics in order to make the most effective use of the car's power. The 0-62mph sprint is reached in 13.8 seconds, whilst in fourth gear 50 to 75 mph is achieved in just12.3 seconds. The sixth gear ratio has been reduced in order to lower the engine's speed and fuel consumption on long distance journeys.

The MINI One D has been differentiated from the MINI One by a MINI One D logo on the rear boot lid and MINI Cooper S side sills. In addition, the MINI One D has bigger front-end air intakes for extra engine cooling and a closed off rear bumper skirt concealing the exhaust pipe.

http://www.autonews.com/files/2004NAIAS/mazda/images/MXMicroSport1.jpghttp://www.autorevue.cz/Images/1385/22.jpg These are futuristic vehicles and will pave the way to higher fleet fuel efficiency rating for there perspective manufactures. The importance of these type of vehicles are far reaching; one,establishing brand loyalty early in the car buyers life; two, they allow there makes to offer higher performance vehicles in the fleet mixed. I am now sure, that the new Legacy GT Turbo, is limited to 250 hp due to Subaru fleet fuel economy issues. Thus the push for hybird powered models. Just some food for thought!!! Alpha1

NeoteriX

01-24-2004, 03:38 PM

aspera

01-24-2004, 09:37 PM

I was reading Autoweek at the barber shop today. It had an article about the next Neon and PT Cruiser sharing the platform with the next Lancer. One of the PT Curisers shown was said to have AWD.

At the same time the NAIAS was playing on the tube. It showed a new Mitsu Eclipse.

So, are we going to see a shared platform and components between all of these cars? The PT and Neon are said to get AWD and/or turbo engines. I sure don't want PT cruiser owners to get the best of EVO parts and SRT-4 parts. Imagine getting spanked by a PT Cruiser. How humbling would that be?

Ghostrider600

01-24-2004, 10:45 PM

The Lancer & Neon will share a platform; the Concept Eclipse was said by the Mitsu rep on ESPN as only 70% of the final product, so who knows what the final product will be or will share with the other cars.

Mike Wevrick

01-24-2004, 11:21 PM

There is already a turbo PT: http://images.chron.com/cgi-bin/auth/story.mpl/content/chronicle/auto/03/02/12/turbo.html Similar engine to the SRT-4 but 0-60 is over 7 s, which seems high.

Anyway, how embarrased do you think people feel about being spanked by Subaru wagons and mini-SUVs? :devil:

PPower

01-24-2004, 11:31 PM

LOL, I'm thinking that a blazing fast PT Cruiser would be kinda cool. If it had some mean performance potential, that could make a cool car. Flame all you want, but I've always been into street rods. The PT just doesn't have the power to back up that image, but give it the EVO's 270hp and AWD, and that would be killer. It would probably handle like crap though, but then so do almost all street rods. Actually, one of the very vew that I think looks right is this one:
http://www.billetwheel.com/gallery/SUV/pt2large.jpg

aspera

01-24-2004, 11:51 PM

Originally posted by Ghostrider600
The Lancer & Neon will share a platform; the Concept Eclipse was said by the Mitsu rep on ESPN as only 70% of the final product, so who knows what the final product will be or will share with the other cars.

My guess is that the Eclipse shares some of the "Neon EVO-Crusier Type PT" platform. That platform will support variations of powerplants and drivetrains. That means a base Neon can get a 2.4L engine and PT Cruiser might get a turbo version (the SRT-4 engine) or a V6. The Eclipse might get stuck with a V6, while the hotter Lancer EVO will get an updated EVO engine and AWD.

The bulk Neon sales pay the bills for the platform, while the proven EVO hardware is carried over. I just have trouble seeing two turbocharged 4 cylinder engines being used. Could the EVO get the SRT-4 engine? Is there an all new AWD system?

Which engine is better, the SRT-4 or an enlarged EVO? SRT-4 has the turbo to the back, which I like.

aspera

01-24-2004, 11:55 PM

Originally posted by Mike Wevrick
There is already a turbo PT:

Yeah...different intake manifold than the SRT-4 or something.
AWD would make it an entirely different animal. If they are smart the PT will have an extra roomy center tunnel sot the hotrod guys can stuff some RWD hardware in it.

Homemade WRX

01-25-2004, 12:51 AM

yeah well the dodge colt and mirage and lancer...all the same thing...so no big suprise here...ok corporate cloning kinda...

coolbluelb

01-25-2004, 01:28 AM

The Neon replacement will use a shortened version of the Mitsu Mirage platform. Not sure if the same will be true for the PT. As for the powerplant, it seems unlikely that the SRT-4 2.4l will make it into this new platform. It seems a pity as all report indicate this engine is hugely over-built and well capable of over 300/300 in a relatively stock form.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7415_image.jpg

"Mitsubishi unveiled the first concept vehicle based on the new platform developed in collaboration with the Chrysler Group. Rolf Eckrodt, the president and chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Motor Corp., said that the four-seat Tarmac Spyder unveiled this week in Tokyo is the first of several vehicles that will come from the development of the new platform. The first production vehicles developed via Mitsubishi's collaboration with the Chrysler Group will be ready in 2005 and 2006. The joint platform will give both Mitsubishi and Chrysler substantial economies of scale, he added. "It's an 800,000-unit per year platform," he said."

Rebellion

01-25-2004, 01:33 AM

the return of the DSM! w000t. :)

Redneck Ricer

01-25-2004, 02:36 AM

well, DC Owns I think 40% of Mitsu.

Chrysler lost $300+ Million last year.

Mitsu when on their dumb 0 - 0 - 0 financing thing again (which will never happen again) and had about $300 Million in defaulted loans alone :eek: to total a $700+ Million loss for last year.

They gotta do something to stop losing money, the Germans are upset!

P-rex

PS: All I wanna see is the 2400 pound Dodge Slingshot (aka Razor) with an SRT-4 powertrain, that would be fun :)

Mike Wevrick

01-25-2004, 11:57 AM

Originally posted by p-rex

They gotta do something to stop losing money, the Germans are upset!

:lol: That reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Germans buy the nuclear power plant. :lol: What were they thinking? Isn't Diamler-Chrysler now worth about what Diamler alone was before the "merger"?

kage

01-25-2004, 03:51 PM

The Eclipse is built on the Galant platform, not the Lancer platform. I believe this will hold true for the next generation as well.

mh_WRX

01-26-2004, 11:54 AM

Acura plays catch-up with awd, 300 hp
Acura this fall will equip its flagship RL sedan with all-wheel drive and a 300-hp V-6 engine to challenge luxury rivals who offer rear-drive and V-8s, dealers and analysts say. A hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain also could be part of the package.

coolbluelb

01-26-2004, 12:03 PM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
Acura plays catch-up with awd, 300 hp
Acura this fall will equip its flagship RL sedan with all-wheel drive and a 300-hp V-6 engine to challenge luxury rivals who offer rear-drive and V-8s, dealers and analysts say. A hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain also could be part of the package.

That is great for those who what an RL. I would personally like to see something like this in a TSX package.

mh_WRX

01-26-2004, 12:05 PM

Look for a Hybrid 260 HP Accord Coupe VERY soon, and a 280 HP Hybrid TSX shortly after that...

mh_WRX

01-26-2004, 12:05 PM

2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep’s mainstream SUV readies for generation three.
by Brenda Priddy (2004-01-26)

2005? 2006? 2005? Jeep's launch for the next Grand Cherokee has been pushed back and moved forward several times, but sources now tell us that we might see the new Grand Cherokee at the New York auto show in April, and at dealerships as early as November. And if so, it will arrive as a 2005 model.

Codenamed WK, the Grand Cherokee will sport a longer wheelbase, new independent front suspension and an optional 350-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. A longer seven-passenger version, likely called the Grand Wagoneer, will likely arrive the following year as a 2006 model.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7692_image.jpg

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7693_image.jpg

amdmaxx

01-26-2004, 03:33 PM

that would be nice.. where did u get that info?

Originally posted by mh_WRX
Look for a Hybrid 260 HP Accord Coupe VERY soon, and a 280 HP Hybrid TSX shortly after that...

amdmaxx

01-26-2004, 03:41 PM

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=00165382

Ghostrider600

01-26-2004, 04:54 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38276000/jpg/_38276271_aircar300.jpg

France to unveil air-powered car

The new car has a range of about 200 kilometres

By Jon Sopel
BBC Europe correspondent

Engineers in France believe they have come up with the answer that environmentalists and economists have spent years searching for: a commercially viable, non-polluting car, which costs next to nothing to run.
The latest prototype will be unveiled on Thursday at the Paris motor show.

Like everything else about this vehicle, it all sounds impossible.

When we went to the company's factory-cum-design shop just outside Nice in the South of France a black blanket was put between us and it.

But we were told it has a steering wheel in the middle, with passenger seats either side, a boot the size of the biggest estate, but in overall size terms is no bigger than a Smart car.

A full tank of air will cost about 1.50 euro

The air is compressed at pressure about 150 times the rate you would put into car tyres or your bicycle.

An earlier version of the car that we drove was noisy and slow, and a tiny bit cumbersome.

But then this vehicle will not be competing with a Ferrari or Rolls Royce. And the manufacturers are not seeking to develop a Formula One version of the vehicle.

What the company is aiming at is the urban motorist: delivery vehicles, taxi drivers, and people who just use their car to nip out to the shops.

The latest vehicle is said to have come on leaps and bounds from the early model we drove.

It is said to be much quieter, a top speed of 110 km/h (65 mph), and a range of around 200 km before you need to fill the tanks up with air.

Filling up

The car comes fitted with its own compressor so you can fill up at home. But that would take four hours.

The company has developed the technology to refill the vehicle in three minutes, although there are no service station forecourts with the compressed air machines to do that yet.

And the cost? Cyril Negre, the head of Research and Development at MDI cars, reckons a full tank of air would be about 1.50 euros.

But the difference between success and failure in the motor industry is investment and faith. On paper the car works; around the industrial estate that we took the early prototype, it works.

Now the question is: how to make the leap from concept to the market? Will the dream become something more than so much compressed air?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2281011.stm

Ghostrider600

01-26-2004, 05:00 PM

Originally posted by p-rex

PS: All I wanna see is the 2400 pound Dodge Slingshot (aka Razor) with an SRT-4 powertrain, that would be fun :)

Yeah, what ever happened to the Razor?
Is it still up at the concept vehicles page on Dodge?

FWIW, I think the introduciton of the SRT-4 killed the Razor's chances of ever going to production...

plunk10

01-26-2004, 05:23 PM

Originally posted by Ghostrider600
Yeah, what ever happened to the Razor?
Is it still up at the concept vehicles page on Dodge?

FWIW, I think the introduciton of the SRT-4 killed the Razor's chances of ever going to production...

I saw the slingshot on television the other night (somewhere in DirecTV land). that vehicle looked quite a bit like the razor.

Achilles38WRX

01-26-2004, 05:46 PM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee

http://www.unc.edu/~dmcgibbo/crap/jeepwk3.jpg

from here:

http://carspyshots.proboards2.com/index.cgi?board=spy&action=display&num=1074187215

Alpha1

01-26-2004, 06:47 PM

AutoWorld.com - S. Dewan

AutoWorld - Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA) announced its aggressive pricing strategy of the all-new Volvo S40. The all-new 2004.5 S40 carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $24,190 for the normally aspirated 168 horsepower 2.4i, and $26,990 for the 218 horsepower turbocharged T5. The all-new S40 is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in the spring of 2004 as a 2004.5 model.

Priced $510 (2.1 percent) less than the current S40, the all-new S40 combines everything today's car buyer is looking for: exceptional value, vibrant design and style, exhilarating driving characteristics and class-leading safety.

New from the ground up, the 2004.5 Volvo S40 sets the safety standard in its class - both active and passive - and represents an evolution of the, "You think and then you build" theme that began with the award winning XC90 sport-utility vehicle. It's all part of Volvo's Intelligent Vehicle Architecture (VIVA), a unique approach to building a car that integrates everything from its crashworthiness, to its design and exciting driving characteristics. This is possible due to several interacting units, including an extremely stiff body, a new frontal structure and Volvo's Side Impact Protection System (SIPS).

"As with our entire lineup, the all-new S40 continues Volvo's commitment to offering great value, while enhancing safety, performance, style and comfort," commented VCNA President and CEO, Vic Doolan. "Pricing the all-new S40 at around $24,000 opens up our product line to a whole new customer base that has, until now, never considered a Volvo."

In July 2004 the S40 lineup will broaden its appeal with the addition of a less expensive 5-speed manual version. Optional electronically controlled Haldex all-wheel drive and a close ratio 6-speed manual transmission will also be offered. The V50, a sportswagon version of the all-new S40, is set to go on sale at the same time.

VCNA provides marketing, sales, service, technology and training to Volvo automobile retailers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Prices do not include destination charges of $685.

Visit www.autoworld.com for a complete price chart, additional product information and photography. Free Invoice and Trade-In pricing reports along with free insurance quotes, warranty quotes, finance quotes and vehicle history reports. 1-888-516-0059 or http://www.autoworld.com

aspera

01-26-2004, 07:40 PM

There used to be compressed air drag race cars IIRC. If you only need power for less than 15 seconds, compressed air would be a great supercharger...kinda like nitrous.

amdmaxx

01-26-2004, 09:09 PM

http://members.roadfly.org/dls/bling%204%20wheeler.jpg

Kuro

01-26-2004, 10:29 PM

Originally posted by Ghostrider600
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38276000/jpg/_38276271_aircar300.jpg

OMG that has got to be the best news yet!

Ghostrider600

01-26-2004, 11:18 PM

Originally posted by aspera
There used to be compressed air drag race cars IIRC. If you only need power for less than 15 seconds, compressed air would be a great supercharger...kinda like nitrous.

Air cars have been around since the 1880s, and they keep resurfacing now and again, only to disappear when no investors are found.

The pneumatic engine really isn't that much different in mechanical operation from a combustion engine, except air drives the "pistons" instead of exploding dinosaurs.

The new french MDI air cars *seem* likely to get those needed investors, and the technology seems well-suited to the innercity roles it's been designed for (taxis, delivery, etc) --plus, as it said, *no* harmful emissions of any kind, which any city must like.

And "all" that for ~$6,000, which beats a Prius any day! :D

PPower

01-26-2004, 11:59 PM

I saw that story on the car/taxi/delivery on BBC World a couple of days ago. Talk about a slow car. I'd be afraid to have to start when sitting uphill.

LOL, I just got an idea. If Subaru were to sell a few of those in the US, would that screw up the CAFE figures? It gets infiniti miles per gallon of gasoline. Even electric cars take dinosaurs to generate the electricity. Subaru could offer a full line of STi cars without fear of CAFE fines.

reks

01-27-2004, 11:34 AM

I'd love to see how much it really costs to operate an air powered car. Imagine running that compressor every night. Hello electric bill.

mh_WRX

01-27-2004, 12:10 PM

Escalade to get bigger engine
Cadillac extends high-performance 'V' strategy to big SUV
The Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV will muscle into the fast lane with a V-10 or V-12 engine, possibly as early as the 2006 model year

mh_WRX

01-27-2004, 12:14 PM

Lexus will be getting a yet un-named High Perfoamnce Division as early as 2006 to compete with BMW's M, MB AMG, and Cadillacs new V line. Each Model in the line will get a High perfomance version from this new in house tuner. The question remains though, how high is too high of a line for Lexus.

The first rumored vehicle from this new line? The IS430.

mh_WRX

01-27-2004, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by amdmaxx
that would be nice.. where did u get that info?

From a Rep at the NAIAS after the anouncement of the Standard Hybrid Accord. That anouncement was posted about 2 pages ago.

Redneck Ricer

01-27-2004, 12:25 PM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
Escalade to get bigger engine
Cadillac extends high-performance 'V' strategy to big SUV
The Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV will muscle into the fast lane with a V-10 or V-12 engine, possibly as early as the 2006 model year

500 hp, 550 foot pound all alloy V-12, weighing in at about the same as the 340 HP iron block 6.0 Liter V8

that is the rumor as of right now at least, and a ncie one :)

P-rex

aspera

01-27-2004, 06:04 PM

The IS430 sounds an aweful lot like the Millen one.

http://www.rodmillen.com/Is430.htm

I'd like to see Infiniti counter with a Nissan Titan based 560Z or G56 Coupe.:D

mh_WRX

01-28-2004, 11:49 AM

Ford GT Commercial

http://www.magiccitymustangs.com/images/superbowl/FordGT_TheONE_FL.wmv

mh_WRX

01-28-2004, 12:37 PM

Originally posted by aspera
The IS430 sounds an aweful lot like the Millen one.

http://www.rodmillen.com/Is430.htm

I'd like to see Infiniti counter with a Nissan Titan based 560Z or G56 Coupe.:D

Lexus, Rod Millen, Stillen Performance and Motorex all have IS430 Concepts...

it's just a natural fit.

Craig W

01-28-2004, 02:07 PM

That Ford GT commercial was shot at Thunderhill Raceway here in Northern CA. Pretty cool.

mh_WRX

01-28-2004, 03:24 PM

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/01/27/178235.1-lg.jpg

EDAG presents the world premiere of the Show Car genX

EDAG, a German engineering and design company will present a new prototype at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show.

After the considerable public attention of the exterior studies of the past years EDAG Engineering + Design AG presents with the show car genX a trend setting vehicle concept that reflects the changing customs and habits in regard to lifestyles, career and recreational activities of this new century. Independence, speed and the desire for individuality shapes more and more the modern life. The genX is created for those people for who the boundaries between work and recreation have merged.

The genX is designed as an individual two-seater sports car of the next generation. Besides its sportive attributes the two-seater also comes with an adequate sleeping berth. By means of an electrical lifting roof the interior of the genX can be accordingly enlarged. The modular, external carriage boxes that are attached in the slender waistline of the genX are available for the individual use. The boxes can be released and easily carried along as suitcases.

The genX presents a novel symbiosis of a sports car and an everyday vehicle.

Alpha1

01-28-2004, 08:28 PM

http://www.autointell.net/nao_companies/general_motors/pontiac/pontiac-soltice-2004/X06PN_ST046H-800.JPG

http://www.autointell.net/nao_companies/general_motors/pontiac/pontiac-soltice-2004/X06PN_ST047H-800.jpg

http://www.autointell.net/nao_companies/general_motors/pontiac/pontiac-soltice-2004/X06PN_ST033H-800.jpg

http://www.autointell.net/nao_companies/general_motors/pontiac/pontiac-soltice-2004/X06PN_ST045H-800.jpg

This is the best looking production cars to come out of GM since the 1960's. Much more impressive than the new Corvette, the Solice lacks the power that true spor car enthusiast will demand.

GM's all-new 260hp 3.6-liter V6 VVT (variable valve timing) engine, would set the Soltice on fire and would make it an American alternative to the Nissan convertable 350Z and the forthcoming Maxda RX7. Alpha1

Redneck Ricer

01-28-2004, 08:32 PM

fromwhat I understood the engine is till up in the air on the Solstice though.

The 170 HP Ecotec 4 will be in the base model, under $20K (which neither of the two you mentioned can touch), but there will be a higher performance once as well.

most likely will be the supercharged EcoTec 4 found in the Saturn Ino redline, tuned to 220+ HP. The Solstice is a smaller and ligher package then the 350Z, and this would put it on a good compasion performance wise if they tune the suspension well enough.

Should be a ncie car :) If only the rumors of dropping the EJ20T and 6 speed in RWD config in there had some basis. that would be nice!

P-rex

mh_WRX

01-29-2004, 10:09 AM

Originally posted by p-rex
The 170 HP Ecotec 4 will be in the base model, under $20K (which neither of the two you mentioned can touch), but there will be a higher performance once as well.

most likely will be the supercharged EcoTec 4 found in the Saturn Ino redline, tuned to 220+ HP.

P-rex

That's exactly what I am hearing, except the Ecotech S/C will be tuned to 210 in the Solstice.

Alpha1

01-29-2004, 07:36 PM

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7179_image.jpg

By

JOHN HEILIG

SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL: Volvo S40 2.4I, 5T

ENGINE (2.4I): inline 5-cylinder; (5T): turbocharged inline 5-cylinder

HORSEPOWER/TORQUE (2.4I): 168 hp @ 6,000 rpm/166 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm

HORSEPOWER/TORQUE (5T): 218 hp @ 5,000 rpm/236 lb-ft @ 1,500-4,800 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 5/6-speed manual, 5-speed automatic

WHEELBASE: 103.9 in.

LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT: 175.9 x 69.7 x 57.2 in.

STICKER PRICE: $24,000-$30,000 (est.)

To say I was impressed by the cool all-new Volvo S40 sedan is an understatement. The compact four-seater shares many components with the Mazda3, for example, although the two are built in different parts of the world. But other than some Ford family similarities, the two cars are different.

Volvo is touting the "cool all-new S40" as a way to attract a younger, more diverse audience. It is slated to compete with, among others, the Audi A4, VW Passat and Jetta, and the Acura TSX. Pricing ranges from around $24,000 to close to $30,000.

It just so happens that days before I drove the S40 I had a long trip in a TSX. The engines were of a similar size, 2.4 liters, and both had manual transmissions. But the Acura was a four and the Volvo a five-cylinder.

Maybe it was the inherent smoothness of a five-cylinder over a four, but the S40 had smoothness and quietness down pat. In the Acura there was considerable engine and wind noise; in the Volvo there was essentially none.

Two engines are available in the S40, and we had the opportunity to drive both with manual transmissions. We first drove the naturally aspirated 2.4i, with a 2.4-liter five-cylinder engine transversely mounted and driving the front wheels. This engine delivers 168 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 166 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400 rpm.

The T5 features a light turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that delivers 218 hp at 5,000 rpm and 235 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,500 and 4,800 rpm. I know this will sound strange coming from power-hungry me, but I liked both engines equally. Low-pressure turbocharging eliminates many of the problems associated with "normal" turbocharging, such as torque steer, etc., so the ride is much better. But even 168 horsepower is enough for a vehicle that weighs between 3,100 and 3,300 pounds.

At introduction, the S40 will be offered with an automatic transmission, with the manual available as a no-cost option. All-wheel drive will be available "later" on the T5.

The present generation S40 has a 170 hp 1.9-liter turbocharged four.

The Volvo and Acura are two cars that should be equal, but I felt the Volvo was the superior vehicle. The five-speed was easier to use (probably more my problem than the car's), although a six-speed is available in the turbocharged version.

I felt the Volvo handled better, as well. We drove both over a combination of Interstates and winding roads. The Volvo's roads were more challenging because they encompassed some of my favorite roads in the world, the canyons north of Los Angeles. The Acura took us over more familiar terrain down to Virginia, and the roads I generally use on that trek are less challenging.

We were able to throw the S40 around some tight, fast corners with full confidence that we were going to come out the other side in one piece. The front suspension is swing-strut, with a lower link and anti-roll bar. The rear suspension is multilink with coil springs and an anti-roll bar. It was stiff, in the way many European cars are stiff, but not too intrusive to allow for a comfortable ride.

I guess I should say something about the seats. They were thickly upholstered and held us in, no matter how hard the driver drove. And, being a Volvo, the S40 inspired confidence. Oddly, Volvo almost apologized because the seats were slightly thinner and narrower than the current-generation S40.

Of course, when you look at an S40, you immediately know it's a Volvo. There is the signature grille, of course, and the taillight lenses look as if they were lifted off an S80, with their prominent "shoulders." There's also a strong familiar character line that runs from the taillights forward to the front fenders. The grille-headlight area has a decided "V" shape to it.

In profile, the S40 retains some of the C60 coupe lines, but translated into a compact sedan. Volvo design has been transformed over the past few years, such that the old S40 looks stodgy and square.

Volvo said they wanted to keep the Volvo design language, but also make a car that's more youthful and exciting. Maybe that's why they chose 32-year-old Al Briscoe's design over two others.

Dimensionally, the new S40 has a wheelbase 3.1 inches longer than the car it replaces, is two inches shorter, two inches wider and 1.5 inches taller. It was designed for the American market.

Dominating the interior is a center stack that has a great deal of personality in its own right. It is designed to look a lot like a combination between a television remote and a portable phone. It has a keypad, but it also has normal volume and tuning controls for the radio, and a slot for the CD, and controls for the HVAC system. It can be configured to different design forms (plastic, wood, aluminum, etc.) to conform to the owner's choice. It's part of the philosophy that the car should be "customizable" to a certain extent.

Volvo's going to make a lot of friends with the "cool all-new S40." This is a solid vehicle at a decent price point that should make the competition start looking at what they're offering and start thinking how they can catch up.

Ain't it great to be a consumer some times?

http://www.theautochannel.com/F/news/2004/01/23/177791.html

Blitzkrieg

01-29-2004, 09:24 PM

http://www.honda.co.jp/auto-lineup/fit/style/milanored/milanored.jpg

I grabbed this small blurb from Vtec.net (http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=195188) (fixed the link :edit:)

Apparently in order for Honda to fight kia and other small car makers they are bringing over the Fit.

The engine choices are a 1.3 and a 1.5 but honda is staying mum on which engines they will bring over. The most interesting part is a 2250 lb weight, and what Mugen has managed to cram inside the engine bay.

Mugen Fit, powered by K20A, 220hp Type R motor (http://www.mugen-power.com/topics/dynamite0108/index.html)

BlitZ

mh_WRX

01-29-2004, 10:23 PM

here's more:

Honda says it's studying new compact car for U.S.

Reuters / January 29, 2004

TOKYO -- Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it was studying the possibility of marketing a new compact car in the United States but denied a newspaper report that it had already decided on such a move.

The Nihon Keizai business daily said Japan's second-largest automaker would start selling a new 1,300cc compact car in the United States, its most important market, to counter the growing popularity of cheap South Korean-made vehicles.

The new model would be based on Honda's strong-selling Fit subcompact, also known as the Jazz, it said.

It will be priced from around $10,000, cheaper than the Civic -- the most popular small car in the United States for Honda, the paper said.

"It's pure speculation," a Honda spokesman said. "We've said that we're studying a model that's below the Civic class, but nothing has been decided."

The business daily said Honda was considering exporting the vehicles from Japan but may make them in Brazil if the dollar continues to trade below 110 yen.

Japanese auto executives have expressed concern that the popularity of South Korean vehicles among young, first-time buyers could eventually undermine their stronghold in the U.S. small-car segment.

Honda is especially vulnerable because, unlike many rivals, it has no platform on which to build conventional pickups, a significant portion of the U.S. market.

PPower

01-29-2004, 11:11 PM

Seriously? The Fit is an AMAZING little car. I strongly believe that something like this but with the R1e styling would do great for Subaru. It is about the size of an 80's Civic 5 door, so Honda probably needs something to fill that size gap now.

Blitzkrieg

01-29-2004, 11:18 PM

I have to agree with PPower, and i will go a bit farther. Subaru needs a small car with a high MPG to meet Cafe standards, or subaru could bring in a very stripped modle of the impreza with a 2.0.

BlitZ

amdmaxx

01-29-2004, 11:23 PM

Boys, check out autoweek.com
Mad updates...
New A6 pix also..

Ghostrider600

01-30-2004, 01:11 PM

^^ CNN just mentioned the Honda posted higher profits than expected this Q, so maybe they'll be more willing to take a risk on something like the FIT.

OT:
...too bad they won't give us a *real* Civic Si Coupe off the Civic platform (like the last gen Si) with either the 160 or 200HP I4 and the RSX's 6MT...that'd be something to get excited about....

mh_WRX

01-30-2004, 01:25 PM

Honda keeps saying the Civic R is coming, but have yet to follow through. I have given up on it for now. I have heard though that the success of the SRT-4 has gotten their attention.

Redneck Ricer

01-30-2004, 02:09 PM

Originally posted by Blitzkrieg
I have to agree with PPower, and i will go a bit farther. Subaru needs a small car with a high MPG to meet Cafe standards, or subaru could bring in a very stripped modle of the impreza with a 2.0.

BlitZ

the problem with Subaru is though, all Subarus have awd, awd takes up space and weighs more, so to get a real small, lightweight car you would have to go to a FWD platform (something they surely do not want to do).
Think the mid 90's Imprezas with the 1.8, FWD or AWD got mid 30's for mileage....

P-rex

mh_WRX

01-30-2004, 02:13 PM

Originally posted by p-rex
the problem with Subaru is though, all Subarus have awd, awd takes up space and weighs more, so to get a real small, lightweight car you would have to go to a FWD platform (something they surely do not want to do).
Think the mid 90's Imprezas with the 1.8, FWD or AWD got mid 30's for mileage....

P-rex

A Hybrid would solve that problem. That's going to be Toyota's and Honda's method for some future AWD models.

Achilles38WRX

01-30-2004, 02:28 PM

Originally posted by Alpha1
http://www.autointell.net/nao_companies/general_motors/pontiac/pontiac-soltice-2004/X06PN_ST046H-800.JPG

This is the best looking production cars to come out of GM since the 1960's. Much more impressive than the new Corvette, the Solice lacks the power that true spor car enthusiast will demand.

GM's all-new 260hp 3.6-liter V6 VVT (variable valve timing) engine, would set the Soltice on fire and would make it an American alternative to the Nissan convertable 350Z and the forthcoming Maxda RX7. Alpha1

I agree that its a great looking car. But I have my gripes. One esimate I've read said the final weight could come in at 3100 lbs! (others have said 2800) All this being pulled around by 170 hp? Weak. Once again the general shows us a blown concept but offers only an N/A motor.

My biggest hope is that this new Kappa platform can somehow be stretched to fit a v-8, and the camaro and firebird can one day return.

mh_WRX

01-30-2004, 02:54 PM

Originally posted by Achilles38WRX
I agree that its a great looking car. But I have my gripes. One esimate I've read said the final weight could come in at 3100 lbs! (others have said 2800) All this being pulled around by 170 hp? Weak. Once again the general shows us a blown concept but offers only an N/A motor.

My biggest hope is that this new Kappa platform can somehow be stretched to fit a v-8, and the camaro and firebird can one day return.

The Solstice should weigh in around 2700-2800 lbs and come with both a 2.4 Et and a 2.2 ET S/C. Not too bad, and it will keep the base price below $19K

The New Camaro proposed will be built off GM's new insignia platform, not the Kappa. The same as the 2007 GTO. No word on the Firebird.

Ghostrider600

01-30-2004, 03:16 PM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
The New Camaro proposed will be built off GM's new insignia platform, not the Kappa. The same as the 2007 GTO. No word on the Firebird.

I was talking to a friend who works at the GM powertrain plant, and though he's no insider, he felt that the F-bodies were done in by SUV sales, and there's not enough room for two rwd V8 coupes in either Chevrolet or Pontiac's lineup (Vette and GTO being the main ones) as the lesser sibling would just eat up sales and CAFE without really adding much other than internal competition (just like many people bought WS6/SS Fbodies over the pricier Vette).

He claimed there was a rumor running around that the next "Camaro" may well be FWD (something like the Saturn Redline) and debut in a few years (which would be around 2007).

Personally, I'd think that FWD concept would be as disasterous as the Ford 'Mustang' design that became the Probe instead; but I also can't see a need in the market for the Camaro when you have the SSR & Vette occuping the V8 RWD sport platform for the 'upscale' performance, and you have cheaper FWD alternatives for 'entry' performance...all of which is just too bad as the Mustang now reigns as the sole surviving pony car.

And the rumor here: http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0311/09/d01-316720.htm

Seems to suggest the Insignia platform may well be the next GTO after the Holden, but there's no mention of a future Camaro or Firebird.

Alpha1

01-30-2004, 07:52 PM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
The Solstice should weigh in around 2700-2800 lbs and come with both a 2.4 Et and a 2.2 ET S/C. Not too bad, and it will keep the base price below $19K

These numbers seem more in line with the type of vehicle that the Soltice is aiming for. Thus, making a 3.6L V6 VVT powered version come in around 3000lbs with 20+ hp advantage over the new RX8 and close to 100 ft/lb torque advantange. This setup would make the Soltice a working class Boxster S. This type of car could easily be brought to market for around $28,000 and would be the same kind of deal the Legacy turbo GT promises.

I'll take 1 Nissan Frontier Crewcab 4.0 V6 truck, 1 Subaru Legacy H4 turbo GT wagon and 1 Pontiac Soltice 3.6 V6 roadster. My garage is shaping up quite nicely.

gtguy

01-30-2004, 10:31 PM

Saw one of the BMW X3s today...ugh. Pretty ugly little thing, I have to say. I like the X5, and didn't get a sufficiently long look to be able to identify precisely what they screwed up...

Kevin

Kostamojen

01-30-2004, 10:37 PM

I just saw this in the new Motor Trend I just got today!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

http://www.I-club.com/forums/attachment.php?postid=407610

If you get a red x, join I-club. I have one up on my webshots acount too, but its not letting me get to it to post the link cause of spybot :mad:

http://community.webshots.com/user/kostamojen

SUBE555

01-30-2004, 11:34 PM

Interesting though I'm not quite sure its a likely deal. Would be some real question marks into how the engine would sit and the drivetrain would work. Then again, that's not our problems. :p

Hmm, can Porsche help Subaru out with working on strengthening the drivetrain and making it smooth. :huh:

Blitzkrieg

01-30-2004, 11:41 PM

Originally posted by Achilles38WRX
I agree that its a great looking car. But I have my gripes. One esimate I've read said the final weight could come in at 3100 lbs! (others have said 2800) All this being pulled around by 170 hp? Weak. Once again the general shows us a blown concept but offers only an N/A motor.

My biggest hope is that this new Kappa platform can somehow be stretched to fit a v-8, and the camaro and firebird can one day return.

I still think people forget the fact they can (only) make about 20,000 a year, and keep them cheap. All do to the generals decision on how to cast the body parts. This is the main reason behind them making so many different versions of the sosltice. IE saturns version of the car and maybe even a chevy.

BLitZ

mochanges

01-31-2004, 12:25 AM

The article that is from is called "MT's Future Car Wish List." None of the cars featured are actully being built or even considered.

The 914 is awesome though.

-Mohammad

Ghostrider600

01-31-2004, 12:35 AM

Originally posted by gtguy
Saw one of the BMW X3s today...ugh. Pretty ugly little thing, I have to say. I like the X5, and didn't get a sufficiently long look to be able to identify precisely what they screwed up...

Kevin

I agree; both that they're ugly, and that I'm not sure what makes them so much nastier than their (IMHO) attractive older sibling.

I had a new one following my XT for a while, pulled up next to me at the light, and as I scanned his window-sticker I couldn't help but laugh. For some reason, I think that of me & my XT and he & his X3 I got the better deal of the two of us. ;)

-=-

RE: Solstice

They confirm the 6MT anywhere, or that still up in the air?

Kostamojen

01-31-2004, 03:22 AM

:p you spoiled it!

mochanges

01-31-2004, 02:21 PM

Ah, I see what you were doing. Ooops, sorry.

amdmaxx

01-31-2004, 07:18 PM

Hot, but if sti is $30k, POrsche edition would be $40-$45.. Forget the rebaged Saab.. This is totally new territory

Choose

01-31-2004, 08:20 PM

I just read that in MT!!! I always knew they were on crack...now they've proven it!!!:lol:

reks

02-01-2004, 03:26 PM

As the only two manufacturers to make liberal use of horizontally opposed engines, it would be nice to see a strong partnership between the two, but like many other rumors this one seems unlikely.

jandro62

02-01-2004, 03:53 PM

I have a 914 as well as an 04 WRX... I've definitely been thinking about this... kennedy makes a flywheel adapter to bolt subaru motors up to the porsche 901 5-speed transmission. You'd need a Vellios upgraded transmission as they only take about 200hp stock. A 2.5RS motor might be a touch easier since there is no turbo plumbing, and you get a little bit more torque from displacement. The only trick is to plumb the radiator - the 914's are aircooled (oilcooled). Boxer power!

mh_WRX

02-02-2004, 12:01 AM

It's now just a short time before BMW will release its topless version of the successful MINI. The car is to rival the likes of Citroën's Pluriel in the European market, as well as the larger Volkswagen Beetle Cabrio and upcoming PT Cruiser Convertible.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7700_image.jpg

The MINI Open, as it will be known by, will feature a conventional canvas top with a heated rear window made of glass, and a bottom-hinged tailgate as on the original MINI. The glass window will keep the cabin both warmer and quieter.

Together with the introduction of the MINI Open, BMW is also going to introduce a facelift for the MINI brand. Though we expect the taillights to have a slightly modified graphics (not visible in our pictures), it's mainly the front bumper and air intake that'll be changed. Redesigned front seats will provide more lateral support, while the recline-and-fold mechanism will be easier to use. The dials on the dash are set to make way for chronometer‑type gauges, similar to those in the Lexus IS 300.

Company insiders have also hint_ed that a mighty 300-hp edition could be in the pipeline, as well as a supercar‑baiting flagship prepared by the officially en_dorsed tuning firm, John Cooper Works in West Sussex. Details of changes to trim levels and prices remain a secret, but the retro‑style cabin is expected to feature a number of revisions.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7701_image.jpg

mh_WRX

02-02-2004, 12:03 AM

Except for a couple pieces of tape, we've caught the newest look for the 911. One will quickly notice the return of the classic round headlamps clearly visible in these pictures.

Other changes are likely to include revised instruments, new seats and - at the request of owners - a bit more engine noise in the cockpit.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7699_image.jpg

Ghostrider600

02-02-2004, 12:23 AM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
It's now just a short time before BMW will release its topless version of the successful MINI. The car is to rival the likes of Citroën's Pluriel in the European market, as well as the larger Volkswagen Beetle Cabrio and upcoming PT Cruiser Convertible.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7700_image.jpg

Holy Blindspots Batman!

Get out the Bat-seeing eye dog!

aspera

02-02-2004, 12:46 AM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
Except for a couple pieces of tape, we've caught the newest look for the 911. One will quickly notice the return of the classic round headlamps clearly visible in these pictures.

Other changes are likely to include revised instruments, new seats and - at the request of owners - a bit more engine noise in the cockpit.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7699_image.jpg

Very 959-ish. Me likey.

amdmaxx

02-02-2004, 09:27 AM

nice porsche....
Like the front...

gtguy

02-02-2004, 10:00 AM

That Ford GT commercial during the Super Bowl was first race. I particularly liked the "Obviously, a professional driver on a closed track" that they flashed toward the end of the segment. Very nicely done, and somebody was driving their arse off.

Quick, where's my $225K? I need AND desire one of those things!

Kevin

mh_WRX

02-02-2004, 01:14 PM

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/02/178966.3-lg.jpg

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/02/178966.2-lg.jpg

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/02/178966.1-lg.jpg

The debut of the new Tigra TwinTop at the Geneva Motor Show (March 4 to14, 2004) will make Opel the first German volume manufacturer to offer a sporty two-seater with an electro-hydraulic, retractable steel roof that opens and closes automatically at the touch of a button. With dynamic lines and impressive versatility, the new Tigra offers cabriolet fresh air or coupé motoring. Whether as a cabrio or coupé, the Tigra features a generous, usable trunk with a volume of up to 440 liters – thanks to the ingenious design of the retractable roof, which folds almost vertically into the body. An additional 70 liters of storage space is available behind the seats, adding up to a classleading total of more than 500 liters. The Tigra’s trunk lid also opens and shuts electrohydraulically at the touch of a button.

Equipped with Opel's innovative TWINPORT fuel-saving technology, the new Tigra's 1.4-liter ECOTEC engine generates 66 kW/90 hp. Both this unit and the more powerful 1.8 ECOTEC with 92 kW/125 hp meet Euro-4 emission standards. A five-speed manual gearshift is standard equipment and the 1.4 TWINPORT is also available with the Easytronic automated manual transmission.

Carl-Peter Forster, Chairman and Managing Director of Adam Opel AG: "The Tigra TwinTop is an attractive car for the young and young at heart, for buyers who are seeking a sporty and exciting looking vehicle. The Tigra also plays an important role in our model offensive and shows the new direction we’ve taken with our product portfolio, 20 percent of which will soon consist of niche models."

The innovative electro-hydraulic roof mechanism is the highlight of the Opel Tigra TwinTop. The two-section steel roof closes and opens automatically. At the touch of a button the hardtop folds almost vertically into a shaft between the cockpit and the trunk. Thus, even with the roof down, the Tigra still offers ample storage space of 250 liters – enough, for example, for a crate of drinks. Volume increases to 440 liters with the roof up and additional interior storage space behind the seats (accessible from the cockpit) provides another 70 liters for bags and jackets etcetera. The heated rear windshield is made of scratchproof glass.

From the outside, the new Opel Tigra is a compact, well-proportioned two-seater with eye-catching details. The dynamic styling is a new interpretation of the Opel design language. The front features the trapezoid grille with matte chrome lateral bar typical of Opel, the characteristic crease in the hood, large inlets in the bumper, and 3D ellipsoid headlamps with cylindrical lights. A side view reveals short overhangs and a flat windshield; a purposeful wedge shape rising towards the rear and lightly tucked in at the flanks; and pronounced side sills. The attention to detail is evident in the air vents on the front fenders with integrated side blinkers, as well as in the distinctive line of the roof structure. The rear section of the roof is also available in a contrasting color to create a distinctive visual effect. In the rear, large wraparound taillights and an elegant matte chrome molding in the bumper round off the dynamic appearance.

The interior of the Tigra features two-tone bucket seats as standard equipment, chrome-ringed instruments and numerous aluminum accents. Two aluminum colored strips connecting the center console and transmission tunnel lend a special flair. The aerodynamic profile of the unusually shaped, aluminum roll hoop is another design highlight.

The respected coachbuilder Groupe Henri Heuliez S.A. in Cerizay, France produces the new Opel Tigra TwinTop. Sales are due to begin in late summer 2004

mh_WRX

02-02-2004, 01:24 PM

Lexus V8-Powered IS 430 Project to Make TV Debut
Muscle Car Also to Appear at Chicago Auto Show

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 30 -- Lexus' recently completed IS 430 project car makes its television debut on TLC's "Rides" series this Tuesday, February 3 at 9:00 p.m. EST/PST. The latest project car from Lexus will also make an appearance at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show February 6-15. Lexus commissioned Rod Millen Special Vehicles (RMSV) to build the car, which is a one-off example of its IS 300 luxury sport sedan powered by a 4.3-liter V8 engine from a Lexus GS 430.

"We wanted to explore the performance possibilities of the IS 300," said Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager Denny Clements. "The marriage of our 4.3-liter V8 with the sporty IS 300 creates a classic muscle car."

The potent V8 engine was paired with a Getrag 6-speed manual transmission and lightweight flywheel, which drive the rear wheels through a stronger limited slip differential and GS 430 driveline components.

Total Performance Approach

The concept direction from Lexus required that the IS 430's handling be matched to the high-powered V8 while maintaining reasonable ride comfort and noise levels. TEIN springs and 16-way electronically adjustable shock absorbers work with the original IS 300 front suspension in addition to selected GS 430 rear suspension components, which help ensure durability against the higher torque of the 4.3-liter V8. Large, sticky Michelin Sport Cup tires on 18-inch Speed Star SSR alloy wheels put the power to the ground.

A similar approach was taken with the cooling system and brakes. A GS 430 radiator was fitted to provide ample cooling for the high-output engine. Large Brembo brakes with vented, cross-drilled rotors and four-piston aluminum calipers are there to arrest the newfound acceleration and speed of the IS 430.

"The standard IS 300 is a robust and well balanced sport sedan, so we thought it would respond well to the additional power of the Lexus V8 engine," said Rod Millen, president of RSMV. "With a package of complementary modifications, it has exceeded our expectations."

Although not a simple conversion, the V8 and 6-speed fit well within the compact IS 300 body structure. Curb weight is slightly higher than the standard IS, some of which is due to larger/stronger components needed to deal with the increased performance and some from the new audio/video system.

"Fitting the 4.3-liter V8 and six-speed manual transmission to the IS 300 was fairly straightforward," said Millen. "The larger challenge was to develop an electronic interface that would allow the V8 engine to work with the manual transmission and IS 300 body -- something it was never designed to do."

RMSV's engineering team met the challenge with expertise developed through years of successful racing and building special vehicles for military and automotive clients. They focused on designing the electronics interface while simultaneously working through the mechanical conversion and enhancements. Numerous parts were specifically fabricated for the IS 430 including stainless steel exhaust headers and dual exhaust system, transmission adaptor, engine and transmission mounts, air intake system, wire harnesses and fluid connectors.

"Next Generation" Entertainment System

Pushing the IS 300 performance envelope was not limited to vehicle dynamics. Lexus also wanted to discover the potential of what might be termed a "next generation" in-vehicle entertainment system. Lexus naturally turned to its premium audio systems partner, Mark Levinson(R), whose system engineers were eager to gain experience with their advanced system development work and receive feedback from users in the field.

The goals for the experimental system were the introduction of a discrete multi-channel 7.1 surround sound experience suitable for automotive use, complete system integration of audio and video, and advancement of sonic performance beyond previous OEM premium systems.

The result of their vision is a 20-speaker/24-channel, 720-watt* audio/video system using a proprietary DVD video player and removable 6.5-inch wide-screen video display. This prototype Mark Levinson(R) system is well suited to the expanded performance of the IS 430.

Functional Aggression

To complete the package, Chip Foose from Foose Design was employed to give the IS 430 a more aggressive yet functional appearance. Foose used subtle upgrades including Rhys Millen Racing front and rear lip spoilers and side skirts with a black over red exterior color scheme that emphasizes the wedge profile of the tightly drawn IS body. A mesh grille and gray headlamp treatment is used up front, and the taillights and rear badging are modified for a simpler look at the rear. A dual exhaust system with twin tailpipes improves performance and helps advertise the potent 4.3-liter V8 engine.

Key Features and Specifications

IS 430 IS 300
Engine: 4.3-liter DOHC V8, 3.0-liter DOHC I6,
normally aspirated normally aspirated
Horsepower: 340 (estimated) 215
Torque: 300+ 218
Exhaust System: Custom-fabricated tubular Tubular stainless steel
stainless steel headers; headers; dual catalysts;
dual hi-flow catalysts single outlet
and dual low restriction
mufflers
Transmission: Getrag 6-speed manual 5-speed manual
Driveline: GS 430 Standard IS 300
Differential: 3.769:1 limited slip 3.727:1 limited slip
Suspension: Double wishbone with Double wishbone
adjustable-height
16-way electronically
adjustable shock
absorbers
Brakes: Brembo ventilated and Vented front, solid rear
cross-drilled 355x32 mm discs: twin-piston front,
front, 345x28 rear rotors; single-piston rear
Brembo 4-piston aluminum calipers
calipers
Wheels: Speed Star SSR 5-spoke 17x7 inch 5-spoke aluminum
aluminum - 18x8 inch front,
18x9 inch rear
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup - 215/45 R17 front and rear
225/40 ZR18 front,
265/35 ZR18 rear
Curb Weight: 3,350 lbs. (estimated) 3,255 lbs.
Body
Components: Rhys Millen Racing front Optional rear spoiler
and rear lip spoilers
and side skirts
Paint &
Bodywork: Foose Design/Chris Absolutely Red
Guinn - solid black over
red with silver dividing
pin stripe
Audio System: Mark Levinson(R) discrete Lexus Premium 4-channel
multi-channel with with eight speakers;
20 speakers and DVD video six-CD changer
system; 720 watts*,
all channels driven;
six-disc CD changer

*All channels driven, 20-20kHz, with no more than .01% Total Harmonic
Distortion.
The Lexus IS 430 is a one-off vehicle built to study of the considerable performance potential of the IS 300 luxury sport sedan.

Alpha1

02-02-2004, 04:46 PM

Cosmic Creation: GM blasts past apogee en route to production Solstice Roadster

By BOB GRITZINGER

When Bob Lutz drove the Pontiac Solstice roadster on stage and into the spotlight at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, his triumph was manifest: By creating a production-ready prototype of an inexpensive, low-volume two-seater, the former Marine had done what no one thought possible. At least no one within General Motors, where just a few years back selling 200,000 vehicles per year wasn't enough to sustain Oldsmobile, and where business cases for new vehicle programs typically demand hundreds of thousands of anticipated sales to get the green light.

2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE
ON SALE: Fall 2005
BASE PRICE: $19,995
POWERTRAIN: 2.4-liter, 170-hp, 170-lb-ft I4; rwd, five-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 2860 pounds
0-60 MPH: 7.2.0 seconds (mfr.)

From the outset, Solstice was always a little different. From its inception 15 weeks before the 2002 Detroit auto show, through its smashing premiere as a concept car at that show, to finally winning approval just weeks before it was displayed in production form in Detroit this year, the Solstice was clearly a priority with the powers that reside in GM's corporate headquarters.

"Solstice is the type of car people dream of driving," boomed Lutz at the unveiling.

The leverage of vice chairman Lutz, the retired Chrysler product whiz that GM chairman Rick Wagoner risked bringing on board in September 2001 to salvage the company's sagging product lineup, only partially explains the project's staying power. To make the Solstice a reality required a substantial departure from GM's hidebound-and expensive and time-consuming-way of developing new vehicles.

"I don't think you could have done this 10 years ago at GM-or even five years ago," said Lori Queen, the vehicle line executive who drew the assignment to make Solstice a reality. "Even the risk takers were scared."

Mark Reuss loves to tell the stories about building the first Solstice, a concept that came together between September 2001 and the Detroit auto show in early 2002. Reuss' role as GM's performance products leader was just taking shape when the company turned to him to help make Lutz's little roadster a reality. Chosen from a series of design sketches, Solstice was envisioned as a low-slung, smoothly styled rear-driver with serious sporting intentions. A running roadster concept had to be built by show time, along with a static coupe version. It had to carry all the brand imagery of a Pontiac excitement halo car, but at a potential price tag down in the Mazda Miata's neighborhood. In short, it had to be a sports car for the common man, but not one that would leave the common man sucking dust and exhaust fumes from the neighbor's latest imported toy.

Reuss and his crew went to work, digging into GM's parts bins for anything that could be quickly and easily modified. They also turned to Mike Lyons, Pontiac special projects manager and an expert in re-engineering small front-wheel-drive cars to send the power to the rear wheels in Cavalier/Sunfire-based drag racers. The concept Solstice emerged as an amalgam of parts from GM's new front-drive Delta platform combined with J-car parts turned rearward. Aztek donated the independent rear suspension, while the rear diff came from the TrailBlazer. Elsewhere, the concept Solstice was built with Cadillac CTS brakes, Subaru WRX steering gear, Firebird driveshaft, and a Corvette six-speed manual transmission and bell housing. The engine, a 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder, came from Saturn. Other than Solstice's stylish lines, a 2.4-liter 170-hp version of the Ecotec engine is the only real carryover part from the concept that will make production when the 2006 model year car hits dealerships in mid-2005.

After the tsunami subsided from the concept Solstice's debut, the challenge of actually making good on Lutz's desire to build the car became reality. Shortly after that 2002 show, the case for Solstice was put on paper, but it appeared doubtful the project would go forward due to a lack of engineering resources and money within GM to pour into a sports car project.

Solstice was up against tremendous odds: In the past, it took GM as long as five years to take an all-new car from project approval to the dealership showroom. Three years was considered a quick turnaround, but that was usually reserved for mere reskins of existing vehicles. For Solstice, the timeline needed to be more like two years, or less.

Enter Queen, an executive with a keen sense of urgency and a hot property to bring to market. Hard at work on the 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, GM's next-generation high-volume small car that will replace the aged Cavalier, Queen was already pioneering a new fast-track vehicle development process that gave her unheard of access to key top-level executives. Helping Queen cut through the corporate red tape was an advisory board headed by then e-GM head Mark Hogan. The board, which met at dawn once a week to solve problems, included the heads of each business discipline within the corporation, including purchasing, finance, manufacturing, engineering and design.

While the fast-track system helped steer Cobalt's stalled development back on track, Queen said Solstice and its Kappa siblings are the real beneficiaries of the fast-to-market process and are the first vehicles produced under it. The system, dubbed Advanced Vehicle Development, was formally adopted by GM in April 2002. Hogan still leads the group, now as vice president of advanced vehicle development.

As with Cobalt, where concept-to-prototype development time was cut by two years, Queen's primary goal with Solstice was to reduce the vehicle gestation period by some 20 months-a goal she'll meet if Solstice rolls into showrooms in mid-2005 as predicted. Following the tenets of the fast-track process, a team of advanced product development planners went to work immediately after the 2002 Detroit show to make the case for Solstice. Isolated from the rest of the corporate structure, the team struggled with the seemingly unsolvable conundrum-how to build a low-cost, low-volume sports car amid a bureaucracy bent on creating and selling high-volume, relatively expensively engineered and designed cars and trucks for mainstream America.

At first, the team tried to convert the ready-made Delta front-wheel-drive small-car architecture from the Cobalt and Saturn Ion to rear-wheel drive. But after six months, they realized that the vehicles they wanted to build-coupes, roadsters and other niche vehicles on stiff rear-drive chassis-wouldn't have the kind of sporty feel and special appeal if they were built on a converted front-drive small-car chassis intended for a mass market.

"We finally came to the realization that if we really wanted to build a low-volume, low-investment niche vehicle, we had to have an all-new platform," said Queen.

Once that call was made, Queen's team dispensed with standard practices and began rewriting the GM playbook, adopting computer math design as its Grail, and carrying that math information straight to production tooling. Gone were the repeated exercises in building multiple engineering and design prototypes, and along with them went high costs and long product development time lines. The result was the all-new Kappa platform, with a rigid chassis built from hydroformed steel frame rails and stamped steel-and created from the beginning as a flexible basis for a range of small rear-drive niche vehicles with sporting intentions. They also made use of existing parts wherever feasible, from the Ecotec drivetrain to the production Solstice's rear differential, borrowed from another recent GM mold-breaker, the rear-drive Cadillac CTS.

At the same time Queen and her team were working their magic on the engineering side, Lutz was pushing for the Solstice program at the corporate level, building the case for including the car in GM's future product plans.

"People fall in love with all kinds of products that aren't in the portfolio plan-and this clearly wasn't in the portfolio plan," Queen recalled. "Bob challenged us, and that meant the difference in how we looked at it and how we solved problems.

"Lutz didn't have all the answers, he just knew he had a concept that he liked and he wanted to make it happen. Without Lutz, this car wouldn't have happened."

For Franz Von Holzhausen, the lead exterior designer who penned the original Solstice and was charged with taking the concept into production, the short time line put a premium on teamwork, while finding ways to stay as true to the original car as possible. "The design was evolving at the same time the engineering was being done," said von Holzhausen.

Interior designer Vicki Vlachakis was working just as rapidly, ripping through the GM parts shelves searching for the bits and pieces that would emulate a concept show car that she also had a hand in creating. She found no shortage of parts, from seats to door handles to air vents, which were readily integrated into the interior. "It was an easy transition from concept to reality," said Vlachakis.

Thanks to a hydroforming fabrication process capable of producing the Solstice's curvaceous sheetmetal-a low-cost method, but a relatively slow one, only suited to low-volume production-von Holzhausen's job was made much easier. Invented in the '60s for making unseen interior panels, the process has become more sophisticated in recent years as some Japanese companies have pioneered its use to bend aftermarket sheetmetal panels for specialty vehicles, said Al Houchens, GM's director of advanced manufacturing technologies. Nobody has tried it for a production car, said Houchens, but GM is taking the chance because "you couldn't do this with traditional stamping technology."

At the 2004 Detroit show, Pontiac placed the concept Solstice on a turntable near the front of its stand, while the production car sat a bit deeper into the GM stand, presented on its own turntable near other Kappa-based concept cars for Saturn, Chevy and Vauxhall. A careful eye might have picked out several dozen variations from concept to production-a single exhaust outlet vs. the concept's stacked pair, chrome door handles vs. the recessed stainless handles on the concept, revised headlights and taillights, 18-inch wheels vs. 19s and 20s on the concept, to name a few. But the visual differences are so slim that many visitors aimed their video and digital cameras at the concept car spinning on the dais, assuming it was the production car, and missing the actual production vehicle only a few steps away.

In the end, the GM board of directors approved the Solstice, but not based on the potential profitability of building a string of Kappa-platform variants and spreading costs over hundreds of thousands of vehicles in a multiyear product life cycle. Rather, their decision was rooted in Solstice making a profit on its own, starting at just $20,000 and selling between 10,000 and 30,000 cars per year (though that sales number could be a low-ball estimate). If GM figured right, it may have finally cracked the code that has allowed Mazda to profitably sell an average of 42,000 Miatas annually worldwide for the last six years, and Toyota an average of just 7700 MR2s.

That would bode well not only for more niche vehicles built on the Solstice theme, but also for mass-market cars that find their way into GM showrooms much faster than ever before. Even more important, if we believe what GM tells us, the giant corporation may have actually adopted a repeatable fast-to-market product development process that should last beyond even Bob Lutz's departure, whenever that day arrives.

"In the next year or two we'll see a few more Kappa-architecture vehicles bubble up, and this vehicle development process will also go into other programs," said Queen. "For GM, this is really a completely different way of developing automobiles."

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=coverstory&loc_code=index&content_code=01933558&1377215814

Alpha1

02-02-2004, 05:31 PM

Kappa Kappa Kappa: GM Plans a Frat House Full of New Cars

By BOB GRITZINGER

Now that the Pontiac Solstice is out of the barn, its mere existence begs the question: What else can we expect from General Motors' new Kappa rear-wheel-drive sports car architecture?

GM is already making it clear that the highly adaptable Kappa will spawn a string of sporty models, on a chassis that can be shortened, lengthened, widened or raised, and built as a convertible or with a fixed roof, depending on the need. Kappa-based concepts that accompanied the production Solstice at the Detroit auto show included the 2+2 hatchback Chevrolet Nomad and the sporty styled 2+2 Saturn Curve coupe.

The two concepts show the powertrain flexibility possible with Kappa and GM's global four-cylinder Ecotec engine. Nomad sports a 250-hp turbocharged 2.2-liter Ecotec mated to a five-speed Tapshift-controlled automatic, while the Curve's 230-hp supercharged version of the same engine is linked to a Getrag five-speed manual. The production Solstice, though the weak sister of the trio at 170 hp, could easily be fitted with any of the powertrains shown.

Neither concept is expected to see production, though GM executives may be rethinking that call after the strong response Nomad received from automotive media and the public in Detroit. But that's just another option, which could join Saab, Buick and Opel versions of the Kappa car. GM is still kicking around options for a Kappa-based Vauxhall sports car it unveiled last May as part of the Brit GM subsidiary's 100th anniversary. The car is reportedly unable to meet tough Euro pedestrian crash standards coming in 2005, but that doesn't mean the edgy design from GM's advanced studio in England won't find a home under a non-Euro GM nameplate, or get into production in Europe ahead of the requirements.

Altogether, GM hopes to come up with enough Kappa variations to sustain up to 100,000 sales per year. One way to attain those numbers may be to follow the Mazda Miata-proven "special edition" strategy, building limited edition "collector series" models of Solstice and its siblings that change every two years.

mh_WRX

02-02-2004, 06:11 PM

The Solstice should do well if the qulity is good. I have already hear about the GTX version :
2006/07??
POWERTRAIN: 2.2-liter S/C, 210-hp, 200-lb-ft I4

Alpha1

02-02-2004, 06:38 PM

Lancia Wins Design Award
The new Lancia Ypsilon has won the prestigious 'European Automotive Design Award' in the compact car category. It was chosen by a jury made up of 200 design students and automotive stylists from over 30 countries.

http://www.conceptcar.co.uk/news/articles/images/76-2-2813.jpg

The award-giving ceremony was held during the Brussels International Motor Show, and was organised by 'Designers' (Europe), an independent association created in 1989 which promotes car design all over Europe.

The Ypsilon took first place ahead of important competition such as the Citroen C2 and the Ford Fiesta. Its original styling is representative of Lancia's constant stylistic evolution, which focuses entirely on 'Italian class'. Lancia say the new car is a 'concentrate' of the qualities of a flagship: an elegant line that reinterprets the stylistic tradition of Lancias of the past in a modern key, the refined combinations of colours, fabrics and materials, and the many opportunities to create a car that reflects the tastes and lifestyle of each customer. There are no less than 555 possible combinations, obtained by mixing body colours, fabrics and materials and the alloy wheels from the Lineaccessori.

Designed for 'a clientele that likes to stand out through exclusive products and for whom the car must be a pleasure to use', the new Ypsilon incorporates features that place it at the top of its class: the huge Skydome sunroof, the dual zone automatic climate system, and the Bose® Hi-fi Sound System.

Despite winning the award, the Lancia's appeal is unlikely to be as broad as the competition's. With its unusual grille and front lights, the car looks a little ill-at-ease with itself; partially resembling both an Alpha 147 and a Fiat 500. The Lancia Ypsilon still needs to prove itself in the European market.

http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2003_geneva/ypsilon/76-2-2552.jpg http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2003_geneva/ypsilon/76-2-2554.jpg http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2003_geneva/ypsilon/76-2-2555.jpg http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2003_geneva/ypsilon/76-2-2556.jpg

The North American car market lacks representataion in the mirco car market. It will be interesting to see how the Smart4 and Mazda 2 fare in this market place.

I personally think there is a great untapped market for quality economy mirco vehicles in America. Subaru should develope a Micro car for the mature market segment, a mircocar oreinted toward SUbarus core values, symertic all-wheel drive, safety, quality and style.

The Lancia Ypsilon is a classic example of the type of small car conservative educated mature buyers would find appealling.

aspera

02-03-2004, 01:21 AM

It sounds like the execs are patting themselves on the back before the first Solstice is even sold. Time will tell if they've "cracked the code". Meanwhile Mazda and Toyota already know the code....

When the Solstice finally hits the streets it will have to contend with hardtop Miatas (maybe Mazdaspeed turboed) and (maybe) MR2-V6s. Talk about getting punked. That is just a start. An ocean of Mustangs will suck the buyers right off of the Pontiac showrooms. Pontiac needs to have a high output option waiting in the wings.

I didn't like the part where they skipped "multiple engineering and design prototypes". I'd expect some bugs. I DO like the Caddy rear diff. I'm hoping that the diff is the same one used for the CTS-V. How much power do you think the Solstice can handle?

mh_WRX

02-03-2004, 09:53 AM

Originally posted by aspera

When the Solstice finally hits the streets it will have to contend with hardtop Miatas (maybe Mazdaspeed turboed) and (maybe) MR2-V6s. Talk about getting punked.

Actually this is the last year for the MR2. So the Miata will be alone in the market once again.

mh_WRX

02-03-2004, 11:07 AM

Dodge Ram SRT-10 Grabs Guinness World Record
- Viper-powered Ram SRT-10 'World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck' - NASCAR's Brendan Gaughan Fastest Man In A Production Dodge Ram

CHELSEA, Mich., Feb. 2 -- The Dodge Ram SRT-10 unleashed its Viper power today, taking its place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "World's Fastest Production Pickup Truck."

Only recently off the Saltillo, Mexico, assembly line and not modified in any way for additional power or enhanced aerodynamics, the Dodge Ram SRT-10 posted a two-lap, both-directions average speed of 154.587 mph over a "flying kilometer" on the 4.71-mile oval at the DaimlerChrysler Proving Grounds here in Chelsea. The record run by the Dodge Ram SRT-10 was certified by Guinness World Records and the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). The previous record was 147.54 mph, set last July by the Ford SVT F-150 Lightning, before the Dodge Ram SRT-10 went into production.

"When we set out to develop the Dodge Ram SRT-10, our mission was to create the ultimate performance truck," said Dan Knott, Director, Street and Racing Technology. "With 500 horsepower, sports car-like handling, world- class braking and race-inspired design appointments, we know we reached our goal. Setting the Guinness record today simply confirms that, and solidifies the Ram SRT-10 as the ultimate -- and fastest -- performance pickup."

According to Guinness World Records rules, the record speed had to be the average of two one-kilometer runs in opposite directions along the same track, made within an hour of one another. The timing equipment had to be certified as accurate to within 1/1000th of a second, and supplied and operated by a qualified third party. The speed of each run was timed by means of sensors at the start and finish of the measured kilometer, thus giving an average speed over the full distance.

The Dodge Ram SRT-10 is the third Dodge vehicle branded with the Street and Racing Technology label, following the Dodge Viper SRT-10 -- the ultimate American sports car -- and the award-winning 230 horsepower Dodge SRT-4, that has taken the sport compact "tuner" crowd by storm.

Behind the wheel of the Ram SRT-10 in the record-setting run was Brendan Gaughan, a six-time winner in a Dodge Ram in the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS). Gaughan makes his NASCAR Nextel Cup debut later this month at the Daytona 500 in the No. 77 Kodak Dodge.

"I've certainly driven some fast trucks," Gaughan said, "but I've certainly never experienced anything like setting a Guinness world record. I've known for a long time that the Dodge Ram is the ultimate truck for the race track, and this certainly proves the Ram SRT-10 is the ultimate performance truck for the street."

Hein Le Roux, research team member at Guinness World Records traveled from the company's London headquarters to monitor the record run.

"I'm pleased to be here in Chelsea for this record-breaking attempt," Le Roux said. "Guinness World Records is the ultimate compilation of superlatives, and I am proud to officially recognize that Dodge has set a new Guinness World Record."

Le Roux said watching the record-setting speed run was a great way to begin the new year, in which Guinness World Records celebrates 50 years of world records.

"People aren't too surprised when they hear about expensive super cars or race cars setting speed records," he added. "But few people expect a standard production pickup truck, which they can drive straight off the dealer lot, to be capable of this sort of speed. That's what makes this such a great Guinness World Record."

With a Guinness World Record now under its belt, the stock Dodge Ram SRT- 10 now heads to Florida, where it will pace the field at the Feb. 13 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NCTS race at Daytona International Speedway.

Alpha1

02-03-2004, 04:11 PM

Spied: First look at BMW 1 Series, caught testing in Sweden

ALL PHOTOS © 2004 BY JOHN JOHNSON

BMW was set to reveal to the world its 1 Series at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, but we hear that debut has been pushed back to the Paris show in October. Regardless of its official unveiling, we have the first-ever on-road look at the little Bimmer, courtesy of our intrepid spy shooter who spotted this 1 Series undergoing winter tests in Sweden.

The car is slated for launch late this year with the five-door, shown here, first out of the blocks. A three-door will follow six months after that. An interesting feature seen in these pictures is the small rear hatch, making it look sportier than the Volkswagen Golf, one of its main competitors.

Power in Europe includes a variety of gas and diesel engines; there are no announcements yet on U.S. specs. Expect prices to be about 20 percent less than a 3 Series, putting it in the $25,000 neighborhood. Can a 2 Series be far behind?

http://autoweek.com/weekart/2004/0209/1seriesmain.jpg http://autoweek.com/weekart/2004/0209/1seriesrear34.jpg http://autoweek.com/weekart/2004/0209/1seriesside.jpg http://autoweek.com/weekart/2004/0209/1seriesrear.jpg

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=06463267

plunk10

02-03-2004, 04:32 PM

Yuck! bring back the 318ti, and make it look like a 3 series (except make it a 330ti :D )

ejicon

02-03-2004, 05:07 PM

geez. It took me an hour or so to finally get to this page... sheesh.. now i can finally head to class. :banana:

mh_WRX

02-03-2004, 06:33 PM

yep, this thread is getting way too long..

plunk10

02-04-2004, 10:24 AM

I wish the mods could create an entire forum for non-subaru car stuff. Obviously this is a subaru site, but we have a lot of car enthusiasts that enjoy reading about other makes. It would help the organization of the boards for people who find something interesting but don't know where to post it (most post non-subie news in off topic I believe).

coolbluelb

02-04-2004, 10:41 AM

Originally posted by plunk10
I wish the mods could create an entire forum for non-subaru car stuff. Obviously this is a subaru site, but we have a lot of car enthusiasts that enjoy reading about other makes. It would help the organization of the boards for people who find something interesting but don't know where to post it (most post non-subie news in off topic I believe).

check out this site (http://carspyshots.proboards2.com/index.cgi) if you haven't seen it before.

amdmaxx

02-04-2004, 11:13 AM

Yes, mods PLEASE made Car lounge forum..

Jon [in CT]

02-05-2004, 10:38 AM

Today in the Federal Register, NHTSA announced that it has granted Lotus's petition that the Elise be exempted for 3 years from the headlights safety standard and the 2.5 mph bumper standard. The announcement can be read here (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2004_register&docid=fr05fe04-180) and all other documents related to the petition, including the original petition and comments from interested parties, can be found here (http://dms.dot.gov/search/searchResultsSimple.cfm?searchType=docket&numberValue=16341). I think Lotus's basic arguments were: the Elise complied with all other Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, Lotus cannot afford at this time to redesign the Elise's front end to comply with the headlights and bumper standards, and if the petition were denied and the Elise could not be sold in the US, then Lotus would likely go bankrupt and strand all current Lotus Esprit owners in the US.

I recommend if you're interested in an Elise in the US, buy one in the first year or two, before the redesign of the front end. :)

mh_WRX

02-05-2004, 10:40 AM

Great info, thanks...

mh_WRX

02-05-2004, 10:41 AM

Source - TCC

New Tacoma Key for Toyota
http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7715_image.jpg

Toyota plans to hold on to a big chunk of the compact pickup truck market by building four separate versions of the Tacoma. The sportiest of the four-models, the Tacoma X-Runner, was unveiled Wednesday during the press previews at the Chicago Auto Show. Compared to the previous Tacoma S-Runner, the X-Runner will ride on a wheelbase that has been extended by more than five inches and widened by four inches, which also translates into an extra 4.5 inches of interior shoulder and hip room, Esmond said. The four-door X-Runner will also come with 240-horsepower 4.0-liter V-6 engine with 275 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed manual. A factory-warranted supercharger system that boosts output to 300 horsepower is optional. Eighteen-inch wheels, large diameter stabilizer bars and stiffer bushings as well as integrated ground effects, hood scoop and fog lamps complete the X-Runner package. Esmond, however, said after the press conference that the X-Runner is only part of the Tacoma story for the 2005 model year. The X-Runner is the low-volume piece of the Tacoma roll-out. "We'll probably do only 2000 or 3000," Esmond said. But three other versions of the 2005 Tacoma are also in the works, Esmond said, including a the standard B-cab version, an access cab and an extended-cab version. Toyota has sold compact pickup trucks in the United States for 40 years, Esmond noted, and it now has 21 percent of the segment, selling roughly 154,000 in 2003. The goal is boost total Tacoma sales to around 175,000 units in 2005, added Esmond. The Tacoma is vital to Toyota because it attracts the youngest buyers of any Toyota-brand vehicle. "Like no other vehicle in our lineup Tacoma has held the anchor position in attracting large numbers of young buyers to the Toyota family," Esmond said. Scion is aimed a very young and very urban and very influential segment of inside Generation Y, he noted. "It is however, only a small portion of the Gen-Y pie. The larger portion of the pie is comprised of a more traditional - more mainstream - consumer. And that's the portion that we will target with the all-new next generation Tacoma," he said. -Joe Szczesny

mh_WRX

02-05-2004, 10:41 AM

MINI Adds MC40 Edition

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7719_image.jpg

MINI's new Cooper S MC40 edition celebrates an occasion most of its younger buyers won't even know about. The Chili Red commemorative MINI is an homage to the brand's win in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. MINI promises to build 1000 copies of the special Cooper S MINIs, all red with a white roof. Priced from about $27,000, the special edition will also come with magnetic (hence, removable) decals bearing "number 37" as did the winning 1964 Cooper.

mh_WRX

02-05-2004, 10:41 AM

Toyota is hoping to attract younger buyers with the 2004 Solara Convertible, said Don Esmond, senior vice president and general manager of Toyota as he unveiled the new convertible at the Chicago Auto Show.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7720_image.jpg

Esmond stressed that the new Solara is more than a converted Solara coupe. The Solara has a wholly dedicated conversion that's free of chopping the top and retrofitting for structural integrity, Esmond said. The frame-and-body construction also features reinforcements in key areas that gives the car higher torsional rigidity, which givers the cars better ride and handling and curbs road and wind noise. The increase in rigidity also will improve durability. Toyota engineers also deliberately cut the gaps between interior parts from 1.5 millimeters to 0.5 millimeters, Esmond said. "Such close tolerances result in a look and a feel of extreme high quality and refinement. Even more important, however, is that such precision results in cars that will retain its structural integrity over many years," Esmond added. The Solara convertible also features a one-button power top with a full headliner and large rear glass. The roof also is stored below the beltline to improve appearance. A 3.3-liter V-6 engine is mated to a five-speed sequential transmission with a manual mode; a rear spoiler and 17-inch alloy tires are also standard on the convertible, Esmond said. The elimination of the need for an outside conversion process also cut costs, he noted. "The cost efficiencies gained were enormous and those savings will be passed along to the customer," added Esmond, who said he expects sales of Solara convertible to account for 25 percent of the all Solara sales going forward. -Joe Szczesny

mh_WRX

02-05-2004, 10:42 AM

Source - TCC

Bentley's Mulliner R: Not For Everyone

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7723_image.jpg

Despite adding a modern assembly line to its plant in U.K. a few years ago, Bentley is not a brand you'd associate with mass production. That's all the more true when it comes to the Arnage R by Mulliner. The Volkswagen subsidiary plans to produce a grand total of just 26 of the big sedans, at a starting price of $212,990. How much more a buyer might pay is "limited only by the customer's imagination - and their budget," noted Alasdair Stewart, CEO of Bentley Motors, Inc. "We completely craft (the Mulliner R) to the customer's specification." The Mulliner edition starts out as a basic Arnage R, with a 6.75-liter, twin-turbo V-8 putting out 400 hp and capable of launching from 0-60 in 5.9 seconds.

rsholland

02-05-2004, 10:44 AM

And people complain about Subaru's styling! Hoepefully the '05 Tacoma sans the street-rod clothing will look better...

Bob

Ghostrider600

02-05-2004, 10:49 AM

Originally posted by rsholland
And people complain about Subaru's styling! Hoepefully the '05 Tacoma sans the street-rod clothing will look better...

Bob

Looks like a mean blue bulldog, I love it. ;)

rsholland

02-05-2004, 10:51 AM

Figures, as you and I are often at odds when it comes to styling...

:)

Bob

JaySee

02-05-2004, 12:36 PM

Looks like a blatent rip-off of a Ford F-150 to me.

mh_WRX

02-05-2004, 03:54 PM

Jaguar / Rocketsports Racing XK-RS Concept

http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2004_chicago/jagxk/images/1.jpg

http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2004_chicago/jagxk/images/DSC-5512.jpg

More Info:

CHICAGO, Feb. 5, 2004 -- The most powerful road-going Jaguar convertible ever -- the 550 horsepower XK-RS concept car -- was unleashed at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show today.

Developed by Michigan-based Rocketsports Racing in cooperation with Jaguar North America, the XK-RS concept demonstrates how Jaguar's luxury GT road car can be transformed into a thundering 200-mph supercar.

"At Rocketsports, we're very familiar with Jaguar's XKR sports car, having won the Trans-Am Manufacturers' Championship two times with this beautiful, fast car," said Rocketsports Racing owner, Paul Gentilozzi.

"We think the XKR makes a great foundation for high-performance tuning. The XK-RS concept is just one dramatic interpretation of the many directions in which the car can be taken," he added.

Engineers at Rocketsports' Lansing, Michigan workshop took the already-potent Jaguar AJ-V8 Trans-Am race engine and increased its displacement by stroking it out from 4.5 liters to 5.0 liters.

To ensure drivability, the engineers reinstalled an Eaton supercharger to deliver an estimated 550 bhp and 500 lb. ft. of torque, giving the car the power to accelerate from standstill to 60 mph in under four seconds, and take it to a top speed of 200 mph.

"Many of the lessons we learned in developing the 650 bhp normally aspirated Jaguar AJ-V8 race engine for the R-Performance XKR Trans-Am race car were incorporated in the engine for the XK-RS," explained Gentilozzi.

To make the car more involving for the sports car enthusiast, the standard six-speed ZF automatic transmission was replaced with a six-speed manual transaxle. Re-positioning the driveline weight to the rear of the car also results in a perfect 50:50 weight balance for improved handling.

Rocketsports also used the team's considerable expertise in high-speed aerodynamics with its Jaguar XKR Trans-Am racecars, modifying the production XKR's body to ensure ground-hugging stability at very high speeds.

Special underbody air tunnels running the length of the car were created, along with deeper front and rear spoilers, wider wheel arches and aero-style sill sections similar to those featured on the specially-developed XKR that starred in last year's James Bond adventure, 'Die Another Day'.

When tested in the wind tunnel, the changes are expected to result in a 100 percent increase in aerodynamic downforce at top speed compared to the standard car.

The production XKR's suspension was also modified to ensure supercar handling. The changes include the addition of coil-over high-performance Penske shocks. To give the concept the kind of stopping power that matches its anticipated grip, R-Performance Brembo calipers with drilled rotors (13-inch front/12-inch rear) were added.

Inside, the XK-RS features body-hugging Johnson Controls "Leap" seats clad in black leather with medium grey inserts.

To complete the bold appearance, the concept is painted in rich black lacquer. Along each side, Pearl Black Jaguar 'leaper' graphics echo those used on Rocketsports Racing's XKR racecars.

"The XK-RS concept is one more example of our strong relationship with Paul Gentilozzi and Rocketsports Racing," said George Ayres, vice president of Marketing for Jaguar North America. "The XK-RS uses Rocketsports' considerable race car expertise to create this dramatic, one-off concept car."

The XK-RS is Rocketsports' second Jaguar project car. In 2002, Rocketsports created the purposeful 'Racing Concept' version of Jaguar's all-wheel drive X-TYPE. The dramatic-looking concept racecar was developed to test the potential of Jaguar's X-TYPE as a project car for the enthusiast market.

Note to Editors: The XK-RS concept will be on display at the Chicago Auto Show February 5 - 15, 2004

XK-RS Concept -- Specification

Based on 2004 Jaguar XKR Convertible
Built by Rocketsports Racing, Lansing, Michigan

Engine: Supercharged Jaguar AJ-V8 Trans-Am race engine, stroked out from
4.5 to 5.0 liters. Custom Rocketsports valve train, Borla
stainless steel headers, Bosch fuel injection, re-engineered
rotating assembly, dry sump oiling.

Power: 550 bhp

Torque: 500 lb. ft.

Suspension: Coil-over Penske shocks

Driveline: Manual sequential 6-speed transaxle

Performance: 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Top speed 200 mph.

Body: Additions include new front and rear spoilers, underbody air
tunnels, sill extensions. Track widened by 2.8 inches total, rear
3.0 inches total. Gross weight 3,400 pounds. Overall height
reduced by 2.75 inches at windshield.

Brakes: R-Performance Brembo calipers with drilled rotors (13-inch
front/12-inch rear)

plunk10

02-05-2004, 04:09 PM

^^ what happens when fast and furious gets hold of a jaguar :lol:

oh, and whats with teh hoodscoop on the toyota? Are they putting a top mount intercooler to a turbocharger for that thing :eek: :huh:

Beaverboy

02-05-2004, 04:13 PM

Originally posted by plunk10
^^ what happens when fast and furious gets hold of a jaguar :lol:

No kidding.. I wonder how many sub tubes are in the trunk.. and what color underbody neons they used.

It would be a different story if they hadn't started with a 4000lb convertable.

mh_WRX

02-05-2004, 04:21 PM

Originally posted by plunk10
^^ what happens when fast and furious gets hold of a jaguar :lol:

oh, and whats with teh hoodscoop on the toyota? Are they putting a top mount intercooler to a turbocharger for that thing :eek: :huh:

more pics:

http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2004_chicago/tacoma/pages/index.htm

it's a Supercharger. This may give the Lightning and Ram SRT a run for their money

while the X-runner looks like it will have 300 HP and 340 Ft/lbs, at only ~2900 lbs it has a better HP/lb ratio that either the Lightning or the SRT.
And .9 G's???!!

SRT = 10.3 lbs/HP
Lightning = 12.2 lbs/hp
Xrunner = 9.83 /lbs/Hp

CHICAGO, Feb. 4, 2004 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., unveiled the all-new 2005 Tacoma X-Runner pickup truck and 2004 Camry Solara Convertible models at a press conference today at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show.

The high-performance X-Runner sport truck will be one of several models offered when the all-new next-generation Tacoma arrives in showrooms this summer.

"The arrival of the all-new Tacoma series will mark the first step in expanding our presence in the North American light truck arena," said Don Esmond, Toyota Division senior vice president and general manager. "Larger in every metric of comparison, the new Tacoma will offer an extensive variety of body-and-bed configurations with substantially more passenger room, cargo volume and towing capacity than ever before."

The next-generation Tacoma will move well beyond its current compact-truck dimensions. Compared to the previous-generation Tacoma S-Runner, the Tacoma X-Runner will ride on a wheelbase that has been extended by a full five inches and a track that has been widened by four inches. The increased size translates to an extra four-and-one-half inches of interior shoulder and hip room.

With a much bigger canvas on which to work, X-Runner design-engineers began creating a true factory-developed performance truck as a separate-and-dedicated model, requiring no post-production modifications. X-Runner will ride on an exclusive "X-braced" reinforced frame that provides enhanced torsional rigidity.

The X-Runner chassis will sit one-full-inch lower than the standard Tacoma frame, resting on 18-inch 45-series V-rated performance radials wrapped around alloy wheels. Firmer and shorter springs are mounted at all four corners, while specially tuned Bilstein gas shocks are positioned outboard of the frame rails for increased stability. Large-diameter stabilizer bars with firmer bushings are at both front and rear. A limited-slip differential will be standard.

Power will be provided by a four-liter, 240 horsepower V6 engine with 275 pounds of torque and a six-speed close-ratio manual transmission. For buyers looking for an added boost over this already impressive powertrain, a TRD-developed, fully factory warranted supercharger system will be offered, capable of providing output in the neighborhood of 300 horsepower. The Tacoma X-Runner will be capable of zero-to-60 acceleration in under seven seconds, with times reduced by more-than an additional second with the optional supercharger system.

Handling is even more impressive. During extensive testing, the X-Runner's road-holding ability was measured by an electronic accelerometer in excess of 0.9 g's of lateral acceleration. That's not only significantly better than any truck on the market, it repeatedly performed better than many sports cars, including the new Nissan 350-Z.

The X-Runner will also include a wide array of safety features such as standard Anti-Lock Brakes, and optional side-curtain airbags and electronic vehicle stability control.

"The Tacoma X-Runner is not a concept vehicle, but a show truck and a go truck that will be the real deal in both style and performance when it rolls into showrooms in August," said Esmond. "And of course, consistent with how Toyota approaches the development of every next-generation vehicle, Tacoma will not only be a better truck, it will be a better value

plunk10

02-05-2004, 04:28 PM

Its not surprising that Toyota's fastest production vehicle in their lineup will be a truck!:rolleyes: ;)

mh_WRX

02-05-2004, 05:44 PM

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/04/179276.1-lg.jpg

BMW 760i:
The Ultimate Luxury Driving Machine - Now In a Performance Version

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, February 4, 2004…Following the success of BMW's flagship 7
Series models, the new 760i is being introduced at the Chicago Auto Show as the ultimate-
performance version of the award-winning 745i. Starting where the 745i leaves off, the 760i adds
the 6.0-liter V-12 direct injection 438-horsepower engine of the 760Li, massive 20-inch double-
spoke performance wheels, and a host of new features. This is the first time a short-wheelbase 7
Series has been available in the US with 12-cylinders, an expression of the ultimate driving
experience. It will retail for an MSRP of $110,495, including destination and handling.

The V-12 powering the new 760i is the same smooth direct-injection power plant offered in the
760Li, delivering a monumental 438 horsepower and 444 lb-ft. of torque, derived from 6.0 liters of
displacement, 4 overhead camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. Its 12 cylinders are arranged in a
60° "vee" of two cylinder banks that are perfectly balanced; combined with the relatively even
power pulses of so many cylinders, results in a supremely smooth propulsion unit. This stunning
power plant can propel the 760i to 60 mph in only 5.4 seconds.

Like all 7 Series models, the 760i comes standard with an advanced STEPTRONIC 6-speed
automatic transmission. 6-Speeds enables the transmission to always find exactly the right gear
for the right situation. STEPTRONIC allows the driver to shift, using buttons on the sport steering
wheel, to select whatever gear is desired for more hands-on driving. The many innovations of this
lightweight and compact premium unit include Mechatronic controls, which combine hydraulic and
mechanical elements and reduce external wiring, and Standby Control, which reduces fuel
consumption and the tendency to creep during idling in gear, and an electric driver interface.

The double-spoke performance wheels (style 149) in sizes 9 x 20-inch front, 10 x 20-inch rear,
are mated to 245/40 R20 front and 275/35 R20 rear performance tires capable of sure-footed grip
all the way up to the 7's maximum speed of 149 mph.
The 760i contains numerous features that are either optional or not available on the 745i, such as
self-leveling rear suspension, electronic damping control (EDC), sport steering wheel with
STEPTRONIC controls, 20-way front Comfort Seats with Active Support and Active Ventilation,
seat heating in front and rear seats, Logic-7 premium Hi-Fi system with 6-CD changer, pearl
leather seats, and high-gloss dark-wood trim, along with a "V12" logo on the front side panels and
wider front grille surrounds.

Some of the features common to all BMW 7 Series models are Bi-xenon headlights with dynamic
auto-leveling, park-distance control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, DVD-based navigation,
hands-free integrated cell phone, generously sized ventilated disc brakes (348 mm/13.6 in. at the
front and 345 mm/13.7 in. at the rear), Active Roll Stabilization, Variable-ratio, variable-assist,
rack-and-pinion Servotronic power steering, self-leveling rear suspension, soft-close trunk-lid, as
well as Dynamic Traction Control (DTC).

reks

02-05-2004, 07:21 PM

Originally posted by plunk10

oh, and whats with teh hoodscoop on the toyota? Are they putting a top mount intercooler to a turbocharger for that thing :eek: :huh:

It has an available supercharged setup and that's probably for an intercooler.

Does anyone know if manufacturers are using belt driven superchargers or electric superchargers? Does anyone make an electric supercharger? Just seems like a neat idea.

Blitzkrieg

02-05-2004, 07:34 PM

Originally posted by reks
It has an available supercharged setup and that's probably for an intercooler.

Does anyone know if manufacturers are using belt driven superchargers or electric superchargers? Does anyone make an electric supercharger? Just seems like a neat idea.

electrical supercharger (www.boosthead.com)

Downside to this one though is it runs off a second battery. I dont think an alternator exists currently on a (stock) car to support one without another battery.

BlitZ

Ghostrider600

02-06-2004, 02:34 AM

Originally posted by rsholland
Figures, as you and I are often at odds when it comes to styling...

:)

Bob

Yup. Some things never change, makes it fun.

:D

But what about the FATF Jag?
Can we agree its too ugly for its own good?

-=-=-=-

Toyota's supercharger is belt-driven. It's probably the same one you can currently get for their 3.0V6s from their own "performance parts"--installed by dealer at purchase = warranty + more hp; just like GM's s/c for J-bodies.

mh_WRX

02-06-2004, 09:53 AM

Originally posted by Ghostrider600
Yup. Some things never change, makes it fun.

:D

But what about the FATF Jag?
Can we agree its too ugly for its own good?

-=-=-=-

Toyota's supercharger is belt-driven. It's probably the same one you can currently get for their 3.0V6s from their own "performance parts"--installed by dealer at purchase = warranty + more hp; just like GM's s/c for J-bodies.

Maybe, but check out the updated stats for the Jag.

The Toyota S/C unit is an Eaton. Just like the Ford, GM, and Jags. I believe MB is using Eatons as well, but not M series models.

For TDR, I think the 3.0's are using M50's while the 4.0 and larger are using M60's.

Ghostrider600

02-06-2004, 02:31 PM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
The Toyota S/C unit is an Eaton. Just like the Ford, GM, and Jags. I believe MB is using Eatons as well, but not M series models.

For TDR, I think the 3.0's are using M50's while the 4.0 and larger are using M60's.

Yeah, I think only Eaton can match the production needs of major manufacturers. GM has used them for years in their s/c Pontiacs.

I can't find the M50 or 60 though, only the M45 and M62...
(which match the engine displacements)

http://www.automotive.eaton.com/product/engine_controls/M45.html

spshultz

02-08-2004, 10:03 PM

For those interested in the Dodge Magnum we just saw 7 of them cruising North East on I-76 yesterday with Chase Vehicles behind. 3 of them were Red wagons, 3 of them were black wagons and there was one Sedan in black. All very dirty. They must have finished up testing in the Rocky Mountains and were headed back to Detroit.

Definitely nice looking from the quick look we could get. But, they definitely look heavy. My wife isn't a big car person but the second thing after she said wow was boy they look heavy. They better have a big engine to back those heavy looks.

plunk10

02-09-2004, 09:48 AM

Dodge Magnum = State Troopers of the future I'm guessing.

Beaverboy

02-09-2004, 09:56 AM

The magnum is built off of the MB E-Class platform, so you can expect it to weight between 3800lbs and 4100lbs.

mh_WRX

02-09-2004, 10:30 AM

Well, the rumors were true:

BMW BUMPS BANGLE

Bavarian Motor Works has bumped its controversial design director, Chris Bangle, "upstairs." The word, "visionary," has often been used to describe the expatriate American designer. With works like the new 5-Series, and the 7-er that preceded it, Bangle sought to dramatically reshape the staid BMW shape, but in the process, he touched off one of the loudest debates in recent automotive history. Critics even set up websites actively calling for Bangle's ouster. Word of a shake-up at BMW design had been circulating for some weeks. Now BMW has confirmed it is creating a new post for the 47-year-old Bangle, who will become director of BMW Group Design. In that position, he will still oversee future styling plans for BMW, as well as the Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorcycles brands. But Bangle will relinquish his hands-on activities. Those duties will now be assigned to Adrian van Hooydonk, the Belgian stylist who'd been running BMW's California-based DesignworksUSA. Despite the debate, BMW sales set a new record in the U.S. last year - helped by demand for the new Mini, as much as the new 5-Series - but in Europe, the maker has struggled to overcome the lackluster reception given the 5- and 7-Series models reshaped by Bangle.

mh_WRX

02-09-2004, 10:42 AM

http://www.sakuma-restaurant.com/scan0003.jpg

http://www.sakuma-restaurant.com/scan0002.jpg

And Guess who's doing their new Heads...

Yamaha.

Full credit to Car Spy Shots.

plunk10

02-09-2004, 11:05 AM

nice Toyota Cressida tail lights :huh:

wait, that small pic of the silver car, can't be the same as the red one above it. Are they showing the original old version?

Beaverboy

02-09-2004, 12:59 PM

Originally posted by plunk10
nice Toyota Cressida tail lights :huh:

wait, that small pic of the silver car, can't be the same as the red one above it. Are they showing the original old version?

Must be, the bumper is wayy different.
....

Originally posted by mh_WRX
And Guess who's doing their new Heads...

Yamaha.
Yamaha engine tuning in Lexus?? :banana:

Now, if only Lexus/Toyota could add a little fun-to-drive juice into their rides.

Originally posted by mh_WRX
Well, the rumors were true:
Record sales year must have been all minis.. because I've seen 0 new 5 series.. about half a dozen of the new 7 series and only 2 Z4s (outside of Spartanburg where everyone seems to drive one). From my standpoint.. the Bangle effect has been detrimental. BMW has more to fix than it's styling though.. they've got to lose their yuppy image. I'm a BMW lover, but not of anything made in this century.

mh_WRX

02-09-2004, 02:19 PM

About the Lexus's...

Here's what someone else translated:
Lexus LS:

- Will have a base engine of 4.5 or 4.6L (so LS450/460?)
- There'll be a "GT" model with a 5.0L engine
- Design will be "showcar"-like

Lexus IS:

- Debuting fall 2005
- Base engine: 2.5L V6; Upper: Yamaha 3.5L V6
- Same V6 as new GS, but will be tuned for higher output
- Width will be the only increased dimension

plunk10

02-09-2004, 03:01 PM

Perhaps Yamaha could power a lexus with that 3.4 V8 that powered the Ford Taurus SHO of the late 90s :banana:

amdmaxx

02-09-2004, 03:05 PM

current/future GS using yamaha's 3.5?
that is news to me..

Originally posted by mh_WRX
About the Lexus's...

Here's what someone else translated:
Lexus LS:

- Will have a base engine of 4.5 or 4.6L (so LS450/460?)
- There'll be a "GT" model with a 5.0L engine
- Design will be "showcar"-like

Lexus IS:

- Debuting fall 2005
- Base engine: 2.5L V6; Upper: Yamaha 3.5L V6
- Same V6 as new GS, but will be tuned for higher output
- Width will be the only increased dimension

mh_WRX

02-09-2004, 03:09 PM

Originally posted by plunk10
Perhaps Yamaha could power a lexus with that 3.4 V8 that powered the Ford Taurus SHO of the late 90s :banana:

The V8 was all ford. Yamaha did the 3.0 V6, and the intake and heads were a work of art.

mh_WRX

02-09-2004, 03:10 PM

Originally posted by amdmaxx
current/future GS using yamaha's 3.5?
that is news to me..

I think it means Yamaha will take the current GS Engines and re-tunning them with Yamaha Heads and intakes.

JaySee

02-09-2004, 04:24 PM

Yamaha has already been working with Toyota in the past. The Celica GT-S engine is their work. Unfortunately Toyota mated it with a gear box made for good 0-60 times and not keeping it in the engine's high power band. I also hate the early biting clutch. :mad:

Alpha1

02-09-2004, 08:21 PM

Hiroshima, February 9, 2004--Mazda Motor Corporation heads into the 74th Geneva International Motor Show* with the world debut of its newest concept vehicle, the MX-Flexa. The six-seat concept demonstrates one possible direction Mazda could take in creating a future space wagon.

http://www.mazda.com/publicity/public/200402/0209.jpg

Featuring the emotional design and innovative packaging consumers now expect from Mazda, the MX-Flexa concept showcases key elements that could further improve Mazda’s position in the growing space wagon segment. With this project, the design team put particular focus on adding new levels of emotional appeal.

The MX-Flexa concept showcases the emotional design and innovative packaging that customers have now come to expect from Mazda. It features an appealing exterior design, high levels of interior functionality and comfort, and superior dynamic performance, in a concept vehicle that could further improve Mazda’s position in the growing space wagon segment in Europe.

mh_WRX

02-10-2004, 10:00 AM

MINI Cooper Convertible Bows at Geneva

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7750_image.jpg

It took some time, but next month, the MINI Convertible will debut at the Geneva Auto Show and will hit the road this summer. The Convertible will be one of the eye catchers at the Geneva show that opens for the public on March 4.

With the soft top closed and its exposed hinges of the rear lid, the MINI Convertible looks even more retro than the version with the steel roof.

The Convertible has a fully automatic Z-mechanism soft roof, that has a so-called sliding roof mode, where the soft top can be opened up to 15 ¾ inch while driving up to a speed of 75 mph. The soft roof folds behind the rear seats with the push on the button in 15 seconds and has no need for a tonneau cover.

Unlike the other versions of the MINI, the Convertible comes with power side windows at the rear. To protect the occupants in case of a rollover, there are two small aluminum roll bars directly behind the head rests of the rear passengers. Also, the A-pillars are made of ultra-strong steel. They form part of the improvements to ensure a high standard of torsional stiffness.

The Convertible can carry a maximum of 882 lb, while the content of the luggage compartment is 5.8 cubic feet and with the soft top folded down, 4.2 cubic feet. The topless MINI has new bumpers with integrated fog lights, new headlights and a new grille. Also the rear bumper is restyled and the indicators are moved up in the lamp housing. The new MINI Convertible will be entering the market as the MINI One with 90 hp and as the MINI Cooper with 115 hp. The 163-hp Cooper S Convertible will follow later.

The MINI One Convertible comes standard with 15-inch steel wheels, the Cooper with light alloy ones with 175/65 R15 run flat tires; 16- and 17-inch aluminum wheels will be an option. Except for the existing colors, there are two colors exclusively for the Convertible: Hot Orange and Cool Blue. The One will be delivered with a black soft top and customers have a choice of three colors for the soft top of the Cooper: black, blue or green.

The MINI Convertible will have standard four-wheel disc brakes, ABS, EBD electronic brake force distribution and CBC cornering brake control. ASC+T automatic stability and traction control as well as DSC dynamic stability control will be available as an option. -Henny Hemmes

Alpha1

02-11-2004, 12:06 AM

http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/10/web/418000-418999/418928_1_full.jpg

I was looking at the Scion web sight this evening and I'm having a hard time understanding this product.

I understand that you basically build up the vehicle custom to your desire. The cost seems to go up rapidly with perfered option.

The Mazda MX sport will be a better performing much cheaper package than the xB.

Is this customizing capablility worth the added cost???

Ghostrider600

02-11-2004, 01:07 AM

Originally posted by Alpha1
The Mazda MX sport will be a better performing much cheaper package than the xB.

Is this customizing capablility worth the added cost???

If it were $13k yes, but once up to ~$18k, no way.

Especially as it's all image mods, nothing substantial.

Plus, I've already seen one on the road--with a 40-somthing driver. Just like the Element...and who's buying them?

Beaverboy

02-11-2004, 09:55 AM

Originally posted by Ghostrider600
If it were $13k yes, but once up to ~$18k, no way.

Especially as it's all image mods, nothing substantial.

Plus, I've already seen one on the road--with a 40-somthing driver. Just like the Element...and who's buying them?

Yeah.. the Element.. it was introduced last year and Honda says they were marketting it for 22 year olds who lived with their parents and did extreme sports like snowboarding. (at the time, I fit that description to a T)

I've yet to see a fellow snowboarder driving one. One look under the car and I cringe to think of what would happen when I high-centered the little box-on-wheels on it's dangling udder-like gas tank.
---

Anyway, back to Scion. Again, here's a car marketted at me... so I'm extremely sceptical. Heck, I've hated nearly every Toyota passenger car I've ever driven.. usually because they feel so soul-less. So I checked out the Scion website the other day and laughed at how they don't even list any specs.. no drivetrain info.. heck, nothing interesting about the xA or xB on the website.... but I can find gobs of information on the stereo. :rolleyes:

I'm just about to leave the site when I spot the tC. Wow.. it doesn't look half bad. I go on to check it out elsewhere online. Wow.. it comes with a 2.4L engine. Wow.. it's a hatchback with a fold flat passenger seat like in the Matrix. Standard 17" wheels & panoramic sunroof.. upcoming TRD supercharger kit promises over 200hp (although, all I'm really thinking is 300hp turbo;) ). Could it be that Toyota could be onto something here?

http://www.autosite.com/images/EdPhotos/Previews/fullsize/2005-scion-tC-front.jpg

mh_WRX

02-11-2004, 10:49 AM

A Sunfire Suprise?

An unconfirmed rumor has it that the next Sunfire (or the replacement model) will not be a direct rebadged Colbolt, but a “direct competitor to rally inspired imports that shall top them in style and performance”.

So does that mean an AWD Kappa platform car?

Achilles38WRX

02-11-2004, 11:02 AM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
a “direct competitor to rally inspired imports that shall top them in style and performance”.

yeah but it will only offer an automatic trans! :lol:

i'm not sure the kappa is awd ready, but then i've read its extremely flexible, so anythings possible.

mh_WRX

02-11-2004, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by Achilles38WRX
yeah but it will only offer an automatic trans! :lol:

i'm not sure the kappa is awd ready, but then i've read its extremely flexible, so anythings possible.

Could be true. I am still waiting to see the reviews of the new GM/Ford 6 speeds.

Ghostrider600

02-11-2004, 01:10 PM

Originally posted by Beaverboy

I'm just about to leave the site when I spot the tC. Wow.. it doesn't look half bad. I go on to check it out elsewhere online. Wow.. it comes with a 2.4L engine. Wow.. it's a hatchback with a fold flat passenger seat like in the Matrix. Standard 17" wheels & panoramic sunroof.. upcoming TRD supercharger kit promises over 200hp (although, all I'm really thinking is 300hp turbo;) ). Could it be that Toyota could be onto something here?

http://www.autosite.com/images/EdPhotos/Previews/fullsize/2005-scion-tC-front.jpg

I'm not sure about 300HP, but like you, I noticed the tC, and thought it might be a cheap, fun, fast (?) commuter car--everything the Celica *should* be but isn't.

6MT tC w/200HP? Hmm....;)

Though, if it prices out like the Xa & Xb, by the time you add the s/c it'll be ~$21k or more...

mh_WRX

02-11-2004, 02:25 PM

Speaking of Hyundai, here are some spy shots:

http://www.kiacarman.com/vboard_pic/upfile/n(4).jpg

http://members.cox.net/geousa/sonatanf2.jpg

http://members.cox.net/geousa/sonatanf3.jpg

http://www.kiacarman.com/vboard_pic/upfile/nff(2).jpg

And look closely at the hood here. Can you say turbo V6.

http://www.kiacarman.com/vboard_pic/upfile/nf(4).jpg

Also from a Hyundai insider, look for a Sonota Coupe and Excel GT V6 at an upcoming show.

Alpha1

02-11-2004, 07:53 PM

The Mini Cooper S convertable promises to be a very unique car for those folks interested in a economical opean sporting experience. I compared the 2 cars on edmunds and increased the price of the MINI by roughly $5,000 which is the rumor cost of the Convertable option.

The MINI has always appeal to me as a toy or third car very much like the Miata, a car to have after your real transportation needs are meet. Although, the convertable MINI is far more appealing with limited rear seat access and much more hauling ability than the Miata.

Where do you guys think these type of vehicles fit the near future automotive market, what impact will Pontiac new Soltice have on these cars? What are the other players in this market and how will the B9 fit end.

Mazdaspeed Miata Mini Cooper S Convertable
MSRP $25,500 $24,945
Invoice $23,528 $22,875

National True Market Value (TMV®)
Price $25,500 $24,945

Handling
Acceleration (0 - 60 mph)
Being Researched 6.9 secs.

Turning Circle
30.2 ft. 35 ft.

Hauling
Max. Cargo 5 cu. ft. 15 cu. ft.

EPA Mileage Estimates

City 20 mpg. 24 mpg.
Highway 26 mpg. 33 mpg.

Range in Miles

City 254 mi. 317 mi.
Highway 330 mi. 436 mi.

Fuel Capacity 12.7 gal. 13.2 gal.

Dimension

Length 155.7 in. 143.9 in.
Width 66.1 in. 66.5 in.
Height 48 in. 56.2 in.
Weight 2529 lbs. 2800 lbs.
Wheel Base 89.2 in. 97.1 in.

Maximum Seating 2 4
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//pictures/VEHICLE/2004/Mazda/100377269/028713-E.jpg
http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2004/geneva/preview/mini-convertible/images/mini-convertible3584.jpg

rsholland

02-11-2004, 07:59 PM

it looks as if they're trying to rip of Subaru's front end styling.

Bob

JaySee

02-11-2004, 08:06 PM

Toyota could very easily ruin win the tC with a bad interior, bad gear set, bad clutch, and bad shifter just as they did they Celica.

No question on Miata vs Cooper Conv. Miata wins. RWD roadster vs FWD hatch with it's roof cut off. Miata no contest.

It's ridiculous and sacriligious to make the Mini Cooper a convertible. It was made to be a good handling, fun to drive, economical car that you can haul stuff around in. Not some trendy piece of crap like the new VW Beetle.

Craig W

02-11-2004, 10:16 PM

and, have you seen the size of the sunroof for the MINI?!?!? Why bother making a convertable? It's not that far off already w/ that giant sunroof that goes almost the whole length of the roof.

_mo_

02-12-2004, 08:34 AM

Originally posted by Beaverboy
Yeah.. the Element.. it was introduced last year and Honda says they were marketting it for 22 year olds who lived with their parents and did extreme sports like snowboarding. (at the time, I fit that description to a T)

I've yet to see a fellow snowboarder driving one. One look under the car and I cringe to think of what would happen when I high-centered the little box-on-wheels on it's dangling udder-like gas tank.
---

Anyway, back to Scion. Again, here's a car marketted at me... so I'm extremely sceptical. Heck, I've hated nearly every Toyota passenger car I've ever driven.. usually because they feel so soul-less. So I checked out the Scion website the other day and laughed at how they don't even list any specs.. no drivetrain info.. heck, nothing interesting about the xA or xB on the website.... but I can find gobs of information on the stereo. :rolleyes:

I'm just about to leave the site when I spot the tC. Wow.. it doesn't look half bad. I go on to check it out elsewhere online. Wow.. it comes with a 2.4L engine. Wow.. it's a hatchback with a fold flat passenger seat like in the Matrix. Standard 17" wheels & panoramic sunroof.. upcoming TRD supercharger kit promises over 200hp (although, all I'm really thinking is 300hp turbo;) ). Could it be that Toyota could be onto something here?

[img]

I agree with you assesment of scion. I too am in the age bracket that they are advertising to, but would never buy one of the xA or xB's. The first xA I saw on the road had a driver who looked to be my grandmothers age. However, at least Toyota is trying, the designs are fairly fresh and I give them respect for that. Unlike GM, who says they are targeting the youth market with cars like the Malibu maxx who's styling is very bland, or the Cobalt which is decent but about five years too late :rolleyes:

As for the Element, I live in a surfing town and I do see a few with surfboard racks on top of them.

JaySee: We must have sat in two very different Celica's. When I got my WRX I was very close to getting a Celica, one of the reasons was it's much nicer interior than the WRX. Can't comment on the gears, clutch or shifter since all they had at the time for me to drive was an automatic.

Just my $.02

mo

jikhead

02-12-2004, 12:21 PM

Does anyone think this will ever happen? The G35 sedan is already using the Skyline frame, why stop there?

VSM EXtasy

02-12-2004, 12:30 PM

G35 coupe is the current skyline. GTR is a whole another car.

kage

02-12-2004, 12:40 PM

GT-R concept debuted last year IIRC (maybe two years ago now), and Carlos Ghosn announced that the GT-R would be a world car. It will probably see production in 2006.

JaySee

02-12-2004, 12:46 PM

I hate the Celica's interior. The center console is too high. The window controls in the center are annoying. The roof is too low (I'm 6'0"). I don't care for the gimmicky spinning circular air vents (At least the WRX only has them on the sides, not on the important center vents, but the ones on the side are more like traditional squares than thew strange ones on the Celic) The center console being high also gets in the way of the horrid shifter which has SUPER LONG GATES for a sport compact car. The clutch begins to grab almost as soon as you start lifting foot off of it. The 1st and 2nd gear are too long. They drop you out of the power band between shifts for a better 0-60 time instead of shifting to 3rd.

Car had potential, but the RSX is a better buy and so was the Integra before it.

C-daleRidr

02-12-2004, 01:58 PM

Originally posted by kage
GT-R concept debuted last year IIRC (maybe two years ago now), and Carlos Ghosn announced that the GT-R would be a world car. It will probably see production in 2006.

Affording it might be another matter altogether, though.

mh_WRX

02-12-2004, 02:47 PM

Debut 2006, production in 2007.

The good news is it looks good so far from what has leaked out.

Check out the Skyline thread here....

bull3964

02-12-2004, 03:08 PM

Originally posted by VSM EXtasy
G35 coupe is the current skyline. GTR is a whole another car.

Yes, exactly. We already GET the skyline. There is no current GT-R in any country based on the new skyline so right now we aren't missing anything.

I'd say chances are good that we will see a GT-R when they finally make one on the current platform.

Ghostrider600

02-12-2004, 03:35 PM

Last I'd heard, there will be one in 2006/7 and it will MSRP in the $65~$75k range as a Porsche competitor...if you examine the front of a G35/350Z supposedly you can see that there is already space for a front drive system.

And, IIRC, the motor of choice will be a V8 (probably based on the Titan's) and not a 6cyl turbo.

mh_WRX

02-12-2004, 03:57 PM

Originally posted by Ghostrider600
Last I'd heard, there will be one in 2006/7 and it will MSRP in the $65~$75k range as a Porsche competitor...if you examine the front of a G35/350Z supposedly you can see that there is already space for a front drive system.

And, IIRC, the motor of choice will be a V8 (probably based on the Titan's) and not a 6cyl turbo.

I have heard $50K+ and powered by Nissan's new 3.2 Direct Injection Twin Turbo.

maaw

02-12-2004, 04:14 PM

I dont see why they dont bring over r34's right now. We have people willing to pay $20,000 over book value(I guess?) for a used skyline through motorex.

mh_WRX

02-12-2004, 04:29 PM

R34's are no longer in production, and the RB's would not pass federal emission standards without significant changes.

Would have been nice though. Too bad there was such a rift between Datsun and Nismo-Prince in the early 70's. Otherwise we might have gotten the early GT-R's here.

Kuro

02-12-2004, 04:44 PM

http://www.autoweek.com/search/search_display.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=carnews&content_code=07953508&Search_Type=STD&Search_ID=1895671&record=2

mh_WRX

02-12-2004, 05:41 PM

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/12/180151.1-lg.jpg

Ford Downunder to Debut F6 Typhoon

Melbourne Austrailia February 12, 2004; Ford Performance Vehicles is set to create a storm at the Melbourne Motor Show in Australia later this month when it blows the wraps off its first turbo-charged concept car – the F6 Typhoon.

This dynamic new production concept will add another dimension to the exciting evolution of FPV and build on the success it has generated since the launch of the GT, GT-P and Pursuit ute last year.

“This is the beginning of a new era for Ford Performance Vehicles,” says David Flint, Managing Director of Ford Performance Vehicles.

“When we announced the formation of Ford Performance Vehicles we promised to create the broadest range of locally-developed high-performance vehicles in Australia. We believe the exciting F6 Typhoon is the next step in delivering that promise – but certainly not the last.”

“We raised the bar in the V8 segment with the GT, and we believe the F6 Typhoon will further strengthen our position as the technical leaders in the tribal high-performance vehicle market. It will demonstrate our commitment to providing a family of cars that offer a Total Performance package.”

The F6 Typhoon will be powered by a high-performance turbo-charged and intercooled 4.0-litre six cylinder engine that is certain to provide exhilarating performance. More information, including power and torque outputs, will be released at the Melbourne Motor Show on February 27.

mh_WRX

02-12-2004, 05:57 PM

Canadian only Pontiac Pursuit...

http://www.uploadit.org/ascariss/pursuit1.jpg
http://www.uploadit.org/ascariss/pursuit2.jpg
http://www.uploadit.org/ascariss/pursuit3.jpg
http://www.uploadit.org/ascariss/pursuit4.jpg

crash

02-12-2004, 06:05 PM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
Canadian only Pontiac Pursuit...

Looks like a better looking Malibu..... Same "Architecture"?

mh_WRX

02-12-2004, 06:06 PM

Tiburon Convertable

http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37817.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37818.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37819.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37820.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37821.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37822.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37823.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37824.jpg
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/37825.jpg

mh_WRX

02-12-2004, 06:06 PM

Originally posted by crash
Looks like a better looking Malibu..... Same "Architecture"?

It's a different version of the new Saturn Ion and Chevy Colbolt

Alpha1

02-12-2004, 08:27 PM

http://www.theautobahn.com/albums/albun04/aah.jpg

Boxster Coupe shaping up to be a winner!!!

Ghostrider600

02-13-2004, 01:09 AM

These links have various pics, some old, some chops of R34s, all the info varies with whatever site you find.

Regardless, it seems *some* GT-R will finally get here...though maybe as an Infiniti ;)

http://www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/nissan_skyline.asp

http://freespace.virgin.net/joss.ellis/GTR/R35_Specs.html

FWIW, I kinda like this chop:

R35 Skyline GT-R Chop
http://www.njsr.org/pics/albums/userpics/10170/V35-GTR-concept.jpg

G35 Coupe Orig
http://www.njsr.org/pics/albums/userpics/10170/V35-GTR-concept-original.jpg

from: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t174718.html

plunk10

02-13-2004, 09:47 AM

I like the tiburon convertible. I think they are a bit late with that entry. If I were in the market for a drop top, that would be high on the list, as it'll probably be the only affordable retractable hardtop.

Beaverboy

02-13-2004, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by JaySee
It's ridiculous and sacriligious to make the Mini Cooper a convertible. It was made to be a good handling, fun to drive, economical car that you can haul stuff around in. Not some trendy piece of crap like the new VW Beetle.

Agreed.

Redneck Ricer

02-13-2004, 10:34 AM

Originally posted by plunk10
I like the tiburon convertible. I think they are a bit late with that entry. If I were in the market for a drop top, that would be high on the list, as it'll probably be the only affordable retractable hardtop.

the concept is called the CCS (for coupe convertible study - everywhere else in the world the tib is called the coupe).

the HT is made by Karman of germany, nice unit. unfortunately, ads weight.

Look for it, as early as next year, in convertible form, with a softop though. Best thing, priced starting under $20K. no other convertible can be had for close to that price. (least expensive last I saw was a Beetle GL at $24515 or something like that).

shoudl be a decent car though if it does his productions (which it should).

P-rex

mh_WRX

02-13-2004, 02:23 PM

Man, its cool when a insider is leaking the info.

From today:

The Hyudani mini van is called a Trajet. Problem is it isn't a van exactly. The US will get the redesigned Trajet. The Kia should be redesigned at about the same time. T-h-c.org has a gallery of the current one. Use the international showroom. Reskin on the Santa Fe for 05, refresh for the tib 05, Tucson new 05, Sonata new for 05, Van in 06. New Santa Fe and XG and Tib 06. Convert should show it's face around 05/06. New Elantra 06, new Accent 06. A pacifica type vehicle in 07. Equus should arrive in 07 with an early release 2 door sonata. Full size truck in 07 as well as a Full size SUV. The truck is iffy as of yet. We are watching NIssan and Toyota right now. And even though the Titan is impressive, domestics are still killing it sales wise.

mh_WRX

02-13-2004, 02:24 PM

Originally posted by Ghostrider600
These links have various pics, some old, some chops of R34s, all the info varies with whatever site you find.

Regardless, it seems *some* GT-R will finally get here...though maybe as an Infiniti ;)

Hey GhostR.... You may want to check out posts two pages ago...

:p :lol: ;) (j/k)

samba

02-13-2004, 03:23 PM

I think this F6 Typhoon looks like the Skyline GT-R. Has the same profile, similar front-end....

Originally posted by mh_WRX
http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/12/180151.1-lg.jpg

Ford Downunder to Debut F6 Typhoon

Melbourne Austrailia February 12, 2004; Ford Performance Vehicles is set to create a storm at the Melbourne Motor Show in Australia later this month when it blows the wraps off its first turbo-charged concept car – the F6 Typhoon.

This dynamic new production concept will add another dimension to the exciting evolution of FPV and build on the success it has generated since the launch of the GT, GT-P and Pursuit ute last year.

“This is the beginning of a new era for Ford Performance Vehicles,” says David Flint, Managing Director of Ford Performance Vehicles.

“When we announced the formation of Ford Performance Vehicles we promised to create the broadest range of locally-developed high-performance vehicles in Australia. We believe the exciting F6 Typhoon is the next step in delivering that promise – but certainly not the last.”

“We raised the bar in the V8 segment with the GT, and we believe the F6 Typhoon will further strengthen our position as the technical leaders in the tribal high-performance vehicle market. It will demonstrate our commitment to providing a family of cars that offer a Total Performance package.”

The F6 Typhoon will be powered by a high-performance turbo-charged and intercooled 4.0-litre six cylinder engine that is certain to provide exhilarating performance. More information, including power and torque outputs, will be released at the Melbourne Motor Show on February 27.

mh_WRX

02-13-2004, 03:26 PM

Yes it does, but at the same time it's not too different from the current Falcon GT or XR8.

plunk10

02-13-2004, 03:31 PM

Originally posted by p-rex
the concept is called the CCS (for coupe convertible study - everywhere else in the world the tib is called the coupe).

the HT is made by Karman of germany, nice unit. unfortunately, ads weight.

Look for it, as early as next year, in convertible form, with a softop though. Best thing, priced starting under $20K. no other convertible can be had for close to that price. (least expensive last I saw was a Beetle GL at $24515 or something like that).

shoudl be a decent car though if it does his productions (which it should).

P-rex

The U.S. needs a decent cheap econo-convertible, as the cavalier convertible was dropped a few years ago.

mh_WRX

02-13-2004, 03:38 PM

A SUCCESSFUL MERGER: When Toyota and GM formed an alliance 20 years ago, nobody anticipated such a rousing triumph

February 13, 2004

BY JAMIE BUTTERS
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

SAN FRANCISCO -- Twenty years after the largest U.S. and Japanese carmakers created New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., or NUMMI, from the skeleton of a failed General Motors Corp. plant, the rare enterprise has made both partners stronger -- and forever changed the competitive landscape of the global auto industry.

What started in 1984 as a notorious UAW local making GM cars under Toyota management has done more than restore thousands of good jobs. It has set the two giant automakers on the paths to profound changes.

GM has drunk deeply from the cup of Toyota's lean-manufacturing philosophy, and eventually deployed its own version around the world, making GM the low-cost leader among Detroit's automakers. That gives GM the power to take bigger profits when it can -- or compete on price when it must.

Armed with the confidence in U.S. workers and suppliers that it gained at NUMMI, Toyota Motor Corp. invested more than $16.3 billion in North American plants, employing more than 35,000 people. Toyota spends more than $15 billion on North American-made parts each year, plus $4.2 billion in goods and services. Toyota has become the world's most profitable automaker.

"Without GM's partnership 20 years ago, Toyota would not be where it is today, and right now we are doing pretty good," said Fujio Cho, president of the Japanese automaker, who commemorated the anniversary in a news conference with GM Chairman Rick Wagoner.

"They've both learned and, they've both been very successful, and that's driving the whole competitive market," said Gary Convis, the first general manager of manufacturing and labor relations at the NUMMI plant. "And the winner is the consumer."

But it wasn't easy, and NUMMI wasn't supposed to last this long.

WashUJon

02-13-2004, 04:32 PM

Alpha1

02-13-2004, 10:13 PM

http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2004/geneva/preview/renault-wind/images/renault-wind6837.jpg

http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2004/geneva/preview/renault-wind/images/renault-wind6819.jpg

http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2004/geneva/preview/renault-wind/images/renault-wind6851.jpg

Cool ragtops,

Is there market for the Renault Wind, Pontiac Soltice, BMW 1 convertable, Mazda Maita, Mini Cabrio, VW Bettle Convertable and Subaru B9?

Seems lik the droptop market is heating up

SUBE555

02-14-2004, 12:28 AM

All the more reason Subaru doesn't need to be in that market. It's flooded as it is.

Achilles38WRX

02-14-2004, 01:34 AM

Originally posted by Alpha1
http://www.cardesignnews.com/autoshows/2004/geneva/preview/renault-wind/images/renault-wind6837.jpg

:lol: "it looks great from 20 feet straight above it!" like anyone will ever see it from this angle in the real world for more than a few seconds.

either way, beautiful little roadster.

SUBE555

02-14-2004, 01:37 AM

Well you know, if they do that F&F flip when they hit that semi, maybe you could see it that way, well I don't think they got that kind of altitude though. Okay, just go get some scaffolding and some big planks. :lol:

Ghostrider600

02-14-2004, 03:19 PM

Originally posted by mh_WRX
Yes it does, but at the same time it's not too different from the current Falcon GT or XR8.

Or some of the Holdens...
-=-

All the more reason Subaru doesn't need to be in that market. It's flooded as it is.

^ Yup. Too small of a niche market to begin with (compare Miata to MR Spyder sales) and soon to be a small *and* overcrowded market.

Not much room for profit there, not much space for a small company.

Of course, the market for the Legacy/OB is equally crowded, but at least Subaru already has a following to build on.

The B9 could be the next Baja or Thunderbird--short lived and unprofitable.

mh_WRX

02-16-2004, 10:27 AM

Nomad Gets Prelim. Green Light
Family of rear-drivers grows as Solstice closes in.
by Paul A. Eisenstein (2004-02-16)

Big things quite literally do come in small packages, as General Motors is intent on proving with a procession of high-profile products that will share the same sporty platform as the upcoming Pontiac Solstice roadster.

The sporty Chevrolet Nomad concept vehicle, first shown at the Detroit auto show last month, is tentatively approved for production by mid 2007, while an assortment of other sporty spin-offs of the new Kappa "architecture" are set to follow, well-placed sources tell TheCarConnection.com. These include a new Chevrolet coupe, a hardtop Buick convertible, and the long-sought "entry" model for Cadillac.

"We look at (Kappa-based vehicles) as a high-volume proposal that could really be sold anywhere in the world," senior GM designer Dave Lyon declared during a recent design forum in Toronto.

Accidental host

Ironically, the promising Kappa platform came about almost by accident. When he joined General Motors in August 2001, "car czar" Bob Lutz told his design team he wanted them to create a small, sporty show car that would debut the following January at Detroit's North American International Auto Show. Despite the speed the top-secret program required, the team assigned to the project produced a striking, back-to-basics running roadster that borrowed heavily from GM's global parts bin.

Strong public acclaim quickly convinced Lutz and other senior managers to put the Solstice into production. There was only one problem: they had nothing to build it on. GM's new Delta architecture, used for the subcompact Chevrolet Cobalt, didn't have the right dimensions and wouldn't have supported the sporty performance Solstice demanded. So it quickly became apparent an all-new platform was needed.

Using state-of-the-art electronic design tools, "We were able to cut 20 months off the development cycle," explained Lyon. Digital design also made it possible to build a great degree of flexibility into the Kappa architecture - GM-speak for a highly adaptable platform. That was critical because the inexpensive - base price under $20,000 - and relatively low-volume Solstice alone couldn't justify Kappa's development costs.

An assortment of possible spinoffs have begun showing up, both publicly and inside GM's well-guarded product development studios. The first, the Vauxhall Lightning, was produced for the automaker's British subsidiary and intended to underscore Kappa's global potential.

Nomadic tribe

Two more potential spinoffs were unveiled in Detroit in January. The Nomad takes its cues from a memorable, if difficult-to-describe, concept vehicle that first appeared 50 years ago at the legendary GM Autorama traveling road show. The newest model shares the basic, wagon-like exterior, integrating elements of both a sports car and an SUV.

There are plenty of what designers like to call "heritage" touches, including the fan-shaped instrument cluster and Chevy bowties etched into the interior aluminum, though the Nomad is not another retro-mobile. The new design features cutting-edge LED headlamps and taillamps, for example. The show car's tailgate folds down to reveal a pullout cargo bed. The rear roof panel can be manually removed, meanwhile, to create a sort of convertible effect. The Nomad is powered by a turbocharged Ecotec 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine turning out 210 horsepower.

The Saturn Curve, meanwhile, "defines a new direction for Saturn," said Lyon, with its goal to "make really good-looking cars for Saturn." The concept vehicle is bold, with a healthy dose of machismo. There are muscular, flaring front fenders wrapped around huge tires. The roof makes extensive use of glass to create an impression of almost floating atop the car's body.

Both vehicles required engineers to stretch the Kappa platform. The Chevrolet Nomad, with its 2+2 configuration, has a 107-inch wheelbase, two inches longer than the Pontiac Solstice. Senior sources revealed they have to work out some issues before these prototypes can be translated into production, such as repositioning the gas tank. But this is not seen as an insurmountable obstacle, as Kappa was conceived to support a variety of different vehicle dimensions.

The Nomad is now undergoing active - and rapid - development, with its roll-out tentatively scheduled for the mid-2007 model-year.

Kappa, Kappa, Kappa

Sources have told TCC the Curve also has been given a go, though the production version of this four-seater would be a good bit different than the low-roof NAIAS show car. But the Curve would provide the foundation for plans to rebuild the Saturn brand. In production, Saturn is expected to get both a coupe and sedan version of Curve, which would be slotted between the current L-Series and the smaller, much-maligned ION.

These three products would only begin to explore the possible applications for the sporty, rear-drive Kappa chassis, with its low center of gravity and short overhangs. Sources suggested a range of other products are under active consideration, including a Buick four-passenger model that could be equipped with a retractable hardtop.

Meanwhile, Kappa has a good shot at providing the foundation for a long-debated "entry" Cadillac model. GM officials have long argued over the need for a Caddy smaller than the current CTS model to compete with the likes of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. So far, they've said no, fearing such a product would have simply cheapened the brand, according to Cadillac insiders.

Kappa could help shift the equation. Its proportions would create a vehicle that was sporty and crisp, and the sharp-lined Lightning indicates the sort of look that would match-up with Caddy's distinctive "Art & Science" design theme.

The most active project would use the new platform as the base for a sporty coupe along the lines of the Mercedes CLK. Alternatively, it could be adapted into an SLK-style convertible. That would pair nicely with the Caddy XLR, which itself goes up against the high-end Benz SL roadster.

While there'd likely be a premium placed on the proposed Caddy, and the Buick, with a retractable hardtop, other Kappa models would continue to place an emphasis on "affordable." The new Solstice will carry a base price of under $20,000, and the Curve and the Nomad likely wouldn't be much higher than that "benchmark," stressed a GM source involved in the planning and development of the Kappa program.

There's tremendous support within General Motors for the various Kappa projects. With its low center of gravity, short overhangs, big wheels, and generally sporty dimensions, the platform is expected to provide a very visible base for GM's efforts to regain styling leadership in the global auto industry.

mh_WRX

02-16-2004, 11:27 AM

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/13/180305.3-lg.jpg
http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/13/180305.2-lg.jpg
http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/13/180305.1-lg.jpg

The New Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class: World Premiere at the Geneva Motor Show

The second generation of the globally successful Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is ready for launch, and Mercedes-Benz is set to present the new sports roadster to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show.

The presentation follows the publication of the first photos of the new SLK at the start of the year, which themselves sparked an extremely enthusiastic response. A total of over 7,000 orders have been taken since sales release already. Prices for the SLK-Class range from 33,524 euros for the entry-level model to 63,974 euros (ex factory). Three different engine variants are available for the new car, developing from 120 kW/163 hp to 265 kW/360 hp. The range includes – for the first time in this vehicle class – an eight-cylinder power unit. The V6 engine in the SLK 350, meanwhile, develops 200 kW/272 hp and delivers impressively dynamic driving pleasure.

Powerful and unique: The SLK 55 AMG with eight-cylinder dynamics With the SLK 55 AMG, the second generation of Mercedes’ compact roadster has produced a car which gives the sports car elite a run for their money. No other model in this vehicle class can compete with the 265-kW/360-hp output and 510 Newton metres of torque generated by the top-of-the-range SLK. The V8 engine at the source of this prodigious power also has the distinction of being the only eight-cylinder unit available in this market segment. The standard equipment package for the AMG model is equally as exclusive, and includes the following items not offered in the SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR: - AMG sports suspension - AMG sports seats - AMG bodystyling with special front apron and spoiler lip on the boot lid - Mercedes-AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel - High-performance braking system with perforated composite brake discs at the front - Interior lighting package - THERMATIC air conditioning - Mercedes-AMG 18 -inch light-alloy wheels in multi-spoke design - Mixed tyres (front: 225/40 R 18, rear: 245/35 R 18) - Nappa leather upholstery - 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission with AMG-SPEEDSHIFT and steering wheel gearshift buttons

mh_WRX

02-16-2004, 05:53 PM

I am not really a Hyundai fanboy ;), I am just getting some great inside info and just posting it here.

Some 2004 changes (slightly face lifted until 2005)

http://server5.uploadit.org/files/andref-Tib1.jpg
http://server5.uploadit.org/files/andref-tib3.jpg
http://server5.uploadit.org/files/andref-Tib2.jpg
http://server5.uploadit.org/files/andref-Tib5.jpg
http://server5.uploadit.org/files/andref-tib4.jpg

2005 will see a new face, a 220 HP 3.3 V6 with a S/C option, and a convertable.

amdmaxx

02-16-2004, 06:30 PM

New Audi A6!!!!

http://www.autoindex.org/news.plt?no=747&nl=y#

amdmaxx

02-16-2004, 06:31 PM

http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/747/norm_1_orig.jpg
http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/747/norm_6_orig.jpg

Alpha1

02-16-2004, 08:51 PM

The new Audi A6 is the type of full size car Subaru create on the new large car platform to maintain brand loyalty as their core customer move up market to larger vehicle.

This is a great looking car and likely to be good in most dynamic elements. It will be interesting to see how the AUdi A6 and BMW 5 series compair in price, performance and market exceptance.

http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/747/norm_1_orig.jpg

Alpha1

AWDPilot

02-16-2004, 09:07 PM

^^^

The A6 looks more like a passat then ever.

The new headlights almost look like they could be the same part number

SUBE555

02-16-2004, 09:08 PM

http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/747/norm_6_orig.jpg
OMG is there a LOT of gauges in that cockpit. Way too many for me to want. Too many things to break.

amdmaxx

02-16-2004, 09:15 PM

ACCEptance is the word u looking for..
Sorry, couldnt help..
:banana:

Originally posted by Alpha1
to see how the AUdi A6 and BMW 5 series compair in price, performance and market exceptance.

http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/747/norm_1_orig.jpg

Alpha1

Gecko2k2

02-16-2004, 11:09 PM

The rear of the new A6 looks similar to that of the new 5-series.

mh_WRX

02-17-2004, 09:19 AM

C-Class, Meet AMG V-8

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7770_image.jpg

When a Mercedes-Benz gets facelifted or completely redone, you can expect a new AMG version in due time. Now that's the case with the recently updated C-Class.

The C55 AMG, the sportiest C-Class of all time, is available both as saloon and estate. Under the hood is the 5.5-liter V-8 engine with 367 hp at 5750 rpm and 376 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. Compared with its predecessor the C32 AMG, the new C55 AMG has 13 hp and 44 lb-ft more torque. In the C55 AMG the V-8 is teamed to the AMG Speedshift five-speed automatic transmission, which can be shifted via steering wheel mounted controls. The sedan accelerates from 0-60 mph in 5.0 seconds; the somewhat heavier (132 pounds) estate needs 5.4 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 150 mph.

Mercedes-Benz' AMG division also reworked the sport suspension with new springs, shock absorbers and stiffer bushings, while the front track is 0.55 inch wider and the steering is 7 percent more direct. The C55 AMG is equipped with 18-inch wheels with 225/40 tires in the front and 245/35 tires in the rear. AMG also applied its high-performance braking system, including the newly tuned ESP stability system.

On the outside the sporty version can be recognized by its unique front end with a lower hood, different grille, new headlamps and wider fenders. At the rear the chrome-plated twin tailpipes will not escape attention, nor will the AMG styling and a trailing edge on the sedan's decklid.

The interior of the C55 AMG is equipped with new nappa leather covered AMG sport seats with Alcantara inserts at shoulder height, a sporty leather AMG steering wheel and a new AMG instrument cluster with classic round gauges. The market introduction will start in April this year. -Henny Hemmes

Alpha1

02-18-2004, 04:45 PM

The new BMW 5 Series Touring

BMW has announced details of the new BMW 5 Series Touring models and a new high performance diesel engine for the 5 Series range. The third generation of BMW 5 Series Touring will debut at the Geneva Salon on 2 March. In the autumn, a brand new high performance diesel engine arrives in the new 535d, offering new high levels of power and torque from a BMW diesel.

The new BMW 535d Saloon and Touring
Featuring BMW’s award-winning 3.0-litre diesel engine, the all-new BMW 535d offers a first for a BMW diesel car engine - two-stage turbocharging.

The new engine delivers a maximum output of 272 bhp and, more importantly, 560 Nm of torque at 2,000 rpm, with 500 Nm available at just 1,500 rpm. This propels the new BMW 535d from zero to 62 mph in just 6.6 seconds. To put this into perspective, the current 530d, itself no slouch, produces 218 bhp while the E39 M5 offered 500 Nm of torque.

http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/754/norm_3_orig.jpg http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/754/norm_1_orig.jpg http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/754/norm_5_orig.jpg http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/754/norm_4_orig.jpg

This is by far the best looking design to come out of the Christopher Bangle group. If I had the greenbacks for the 535d Touring wagon this would certainly be may perferred family car.

Thank the stars for Subaru, I can still enjoy a will equipped Legacy wagon.

Subaru, for the rest of us, Alpha1

http://www.theautochannel.com/F/news/2004/02/17/180918.html

Beaverboy

02-18-2004, 05:20 PM

Originally posted by Alpha1
This is by far the best looking design to come out of the Christopher Bangle group. If I had the greenbacks for the 535d Touring wagon this would certainly be may perferred family car.

You're right it does look pretty good (considering), and I bet it drives great.. but the curve of the D pillar really ruins the overall appearance for me. It's like the top curve of it was an after-thought. Maybe it looks better in person. :huh:

Alpha1

02-18-2004, 06:49 PM

Alfa Romeo marks its return to the four wheel drive world with the world premier of the Alfa Crosswagon which will go on sale in the second half of 2004

Alfa Romeo has entered this segment with the aim of improving on the current crop of all road vehicles: the very Alfa dash of elegant sportiness it adds brings a completely new and unique dimension to the segment. This new stylistic approach is very apparent in the Station Wagon version. The model, designed by the Arese Style Centre, features an unmistakable Alfa Romeo shape. But the trait that really typifies the Crosswagon is crossover appeal since it combines the off-road performance of an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) with the driving satisfaction and handling of a compact Alfa Romeo while offering a versatile, functional Station Wagon passenger compartment.

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/17/180921.1-lg.jpg

http://www.theautochannel.com/F/news/2004/02/17/180921.html

SUBE555

02-18-2004, 06:52 PM

I think that thing is UGLY!

Blitzkrieg

02-18-2004, 11:21 PM

http://www.autoindex.org/images/news/747/norm_1_orig.jpg

http://www.autosite.com/images/edphotos/previews/fullsize/2005-volkswagen-golf-front.jpg

Hmm, I wonder why audi/vw are trying to look the same in the front end.

BlitZ

eidt... the pic i chose was way to BIG.

JaySee

02-19-2004, 01:35 AM

They're both ugly. Looks too much like Touareg

SUBE555

02-19-2004, 02:20 AM

Still looks better than a bugeye :p

reks

02-19-2004, 12:28 PM

It was my understanding that Audi would soon become the 'performance luxury' division of VW. As such, I would expect the cars to become closer in the A3 A4 and A8 categories. Look for VW to release an A6 lookalike at some point.

Once all the models are available, I thought the idea was for Audi to drop the A class cars and only offer the S-line S and RS cars. Who knows if they'll actually carry that plan to completion.

Ghostrider600

02-19-2004, 09:18 PM

Originally posted by Alpha1
http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/17/180921.1-lg.jpg

New Legacy Wagon!

SUBE555

02-19-2004, 09:42 PM

Na, new Outback. :p

amdmaxx

02-19-2004, 09:44 PM

made in Sri Lanka..

Alpha1

02-19-2004, 11:29 PM

2005 Dodge Magnum
RT Rwd 4dr Wagon (5.7L 8cyl 5A)

Hemi powered Magnum is to base just south of $30,000 according to Edmunds, fully equipped around $36,000 and typically equipped around $33,000. This car appears to be a great value.

It will be interesting to see how these new wagons impact the family touring car market. Dodge may really be on to something with this hemi wagon.

As we approach the next presidentual election, there has been and will continue to be a cry out toward maintaining jobs in America.

It will be interesting to see if this has any impact on how American auto shoppers select there next purchases. This could be a plus for vehicles like the new Magnum Hemi.

Flag waiving will be at a all time high, food for thought!!!

Alpha1
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//pictures/VEHICLE/2005/Dodge/100380761/029029-E.jpg

"Can you say HEMI"

coolbluelb

02-20-2004, 01:36 AM

This is the newest conception of the 2006 Dodge Charger. While the production verison will likely not look the same, it will undoubtedly be built on the same frame as the Magnum.

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0404phr_dodge_01_z.jpg

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/fe..._dodge_01_z.jpg

Ghostrider600

02-20-2004, 02:52 AM

^ Cool, but I still like the 99 CNG version better...

http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshows/articles/44460/page021.html

these pics don't do it justice tho...

This is no "Dukes of Hazzard" rut-jumper with its doors welded shut. The Dodge Charger R/T Concept is a stylish, coupe-like, four-door fastback riding on a modern LH platform that has been modified to accept the Prowler's rear-drive unit. It's powered by DaimlerChrysler's all-new 4.7-liter V8 (which will be available in the 2000 Dakota Quad Cab), but this particular motor has been bumped to 325 horsepower, thanks to the use of a supercharger.

The Charger R/T is also as green as it is mean: Because it runs on compressed natural gas, which burns cleaner than gasoline, the concept car produces so little pollution that it would meet California's tough Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standards. Yet it is said to perform in the same spirit as its namesake, one of the '60s most powerful and respected muscle cars.

Better still, unlike other CNG vehicles -- whose heavy, bulky fuel cylinders take up the entire trunk area of most cars -- the Charger's pressure cells fit inside all-new and much lighter composite tanks that are little bigger than the size of a normal gas tank.

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0404phr_dodge_01_z.jpg

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/edweb/news/Detroit99/photos/Dodge.ChargerRT.front34.jpg

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/edweb/news/Detroit99/photos/Dodge.charger.RT.concept.jpg

mh_WRX

02-20-2004, 10:24 AM

I think 99 had more of the Orginal lines, and looks more like a Sedan as the original.

http://www.velocityphotos.com/images/full/1999/s99011101/dg99ch01.jpg

But the New charger looks like they are taking more of a sportscar approach, and there's nothing wrong with that.

amdmaxx

02-20-2004, 11:36 AM

is it me, or it has exact corvette profile?

mh_WRX

02-20-2004, 11:40 AM

Originally posted by amdmaxx
is it me, or it has exact corvette profile?

They are CGI's from a designer PH hired to speculate about the next Charger Rumored to debute in 2006.

Here's the article:
The New Charger? (http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0404phr_dodge/)

It looks like he based it off the XLR.

C-daleRidr

02-20-2004, 11:45 AM

I still like the Magnum. Started a thread saying that over in OT and found out, much to my surprise, that a few other folks like it too. Of course, it's a tank, but it's got a HEMI, right? :lol:

mh_WRX

02-20-2004, 11:55 AM

I think quite a few of us like the Magnum. It's kind of like having the Terminator for a dad, Brutish in a Family sort of way.

:p

Chromer

02-20-2004, 12:03 PM

The 2005 300C looks quite nice too. I've heard it described as a "pimpmobile."

http://www.chrysler.com/300series/img/enlarge_5.jpg

Yeah, it's got a Hemi (with displacement on demand).

MudBoogers

02-20-2004, 01:36 PM

I'm having a REAL hard time trying to decide between a new Legacy, 06 Stang (notice the year), and this Magnum/300C, especially considering that I've seen at least two separate articles mentioning AWD in the near future as an option on (at least) the Magnum...

Wonder if that Magnum will have a two rating worth anything over 2K lbs?

Ghostrider600

02-20-2004, 01:56 PM

Originally posted by amdmaxx
is it me, or it has exact corvette profile?

What was the Dodge concept truck that later became (almost exactly) the Chevy SSR?

I see a trend...Dodge does the homework, but GM cribs it and brings us the product.

Staying with the theme, maybe the Dodge Razor....is the Solstice?
;)

-=-

The 300C and the Magnum were here at the auto show, IMHO the 300C looks too much like its Benz platform, and the Magnum was definitely the cooler ride of the two.

FWIW, The Dodge rep with it said there would be an AWD in the future, possibly an "R/T" trim level optional 6MT, and it should tow at least as much as the Pacifica if not more.

mh_WRX

02-20-2004, 02:04 PM

There was a great article about GM possibly stealing design ideas...Including the solstice, and the upcoming HHR.

Stolen Design ideas? You decide.

Case #1:
Head GM designer seen at Dodge both taking notes.
1997 Dodge Sidewinder:
http://www.maximum-cars.com/Cars/Dodge/1997-sidewinder-concept.jpg

2000 SSR:
http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/chevrolet/chevy_ssr_2003_01.jpg

Case #2:
Lutz and Cherry at Art Center Design school Banquet where this design debuted:
http://www.autonews.com/images/random/orangesolstice.jpg

http://www.autonews.com/images/random/graysolstice.jpg

mh_WRX

02-20-2004, 04:03 PM

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7771_image.jpg

For those who aren't familiar with the abbreviation SRT, Dodge uses it to stand for Street and Racing Technology. Now Chrysler is also going to use the SRT badge for the Crossfire coupe and roadster, which will also be the first SRT vehicles available outside North America. Chrysler will present the 2005 Crossfire SRT-6 at the Geneva Auto Show, which opens to the public on March 4.

Unlike the Dodge SRT versions, which have bold looks and extreme performance, the Chrysler SRT vehicles will be understated and feature refined performance. The Crossfire SRT-6 is equipped with a hand-built 330-hp 3.2-liter supercharged V-6 with 330 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. It is teamed to an upgraded five-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick. The SRT-6 will be able to perform the sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. The engine delivers 90 percent of peak torque in a broad power band from 2300 to 6200 rpm.

For optimal performance, the Crossfire SRT-6 has a sport tuned suspension with increased spring rates and performance tuned damping and ultra high performance Michelin Pilot Sport tires: 225/40 ZR-18 (front) and 255/35 ZR-19 (rear). Also the ESP is specifically tuned for dynamic driving. Four ventilated disc brakes with dual-piston calipers should stop the fast Crossfire from 60 to 0 mph in approximately 115 feet.

The body of the Crossfire is enhanced with a fixed rear spoiler and a front fascia chin spoiler. In the interior there is a special instrument cluster with a 200-mph speedo, hinting at its performance bent. Pearl nappa leather sport seats with suede inserts and bolsters and embroidered 'SRT-6' on the headrests provide the sporty look. -Henny Hemmes

amdmaxx

02-20-2004, 04:24 PM

The best thing about it is that it WILL FIT 24 inch rims (2 feet)..
YES, I seen pix also.. Expect many in gheeto-hoods near you with bling bling and 22-24 inch rims..

Originally posted by Chromer
The 2005 300C looks quite nice too. I've heard it described as a "pimpmobile."

http://www.chrysler.com/300series/img/enlarge_5.jpg

Yeah, it's got a Hemi (with displacement on demand).

plunk10

02-20-2004, 04:52 PM

:lol: teh SRT-6 is fastAr!1!!

sorry, had to :p

Alpha1

02-20-2004, 07:47 PM

Looks like that 2 of the big 3 are getting ready to rumble. The new Pontiac GTO and the purposed new Dodge Charger are set to do battle on the streets and on the Speedway.

These cars are perfectly suited to the NASCAR paint exchange program. Although I'm not a big NASCAR fan, anybody who has followed this form of racing should know this type of matchup, is what built the good old boy racing industry.

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0404phr_dodge_03_z.jpg

http://www.modernracer.com/images/pontiacgtofront2.jpg

Not to belittle the new Mustang GT, this has never been a NASCAR race model, who knows the new larger GT may make it's way to the Oval.

JaySee

02-20-2004, 08:03 PM

I've never been a NASCAR fan. Something about cars of what seem to be similar design going around an oval track @ 160+ mph inches from each other doesn't appeal to me.

Do NASCAR cars have ANY relation to the cars they LOOK LIKE? It's my understanding that they're all V8 RWD cars with shells made to look like production cars. For sure all those Taurus Nascar Cars aren't V6 FWD.

I've always preferred (Gran or Super) touring and rally where they use slightly to highly modified production cars on twisting turning tracks.

SUBE555

02-20-2004, 08:28 PM

Sounds like my perspective JaySee

west_aust

02-20-2004, 11:57 PM

gotta love the GTO too bad it aint available in canada

i'd buy it, go to australia, buy the holden monaro front end parts and swap them (you already know the GTO is a holden monaro build and shipped from australia)

they even have a monaro coupe 4 over there, which is the AWD version of it
i aint a fan of american car, but an australian built, LS1 + AWD coupe sounds hella good to me

amdmaxx

02-21-2004, 12:12 AM

Monaro with LS2 = sweet

Originally posted by west_aust
gotta love the GTO too bad it aint available in canada

i'd buy it, go to australia, buy the holden monaro front end parts and swap them (you already know the GTO is a holden monaro build and shipped from australia)

they even have a monaro coupe 4 over there, which is the AWD version of it
i aint a fan of american car, but an australian built, LS1 + AWD coupe sounds hella good to me

mh_WRX

02-22-2004, 11:33 AM

2004 Volkswagen R32
Blazing in the saddle.
by Marty Padgett (2004-02-20)
http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7772_image.jpg

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7773_image.jpg

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Maybe it's fitting that we're driving it out here in the desiccating desert, because Volkswagen's long-lived current Golf continues to defy retirement age. While Toyota's introduced a whole new division of fresh-faced wheels designed to appeal to not-even-twentysomethings, the original hot hatch still awaits its next ground-up redo here. Europe already has the new Golf - but here in the States we'll wait another year to see the latest scion of the VW empire.

Before then, you'll see the better-off rocketeers careening around corners in the R32, the most powerful Golf to be sold here yet and the advanced delivery system for a new VR6 engine. It's a very special edition of the Golf, and though that sounds like one of the worse installments of Friends, in the Golf's case it's even better than supersized episodes. Because with 240 hp, all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual gearbox, this is a Golf you'd play against Tiger Woods and his Buicks any day.

Torqueing it up

A little background will help you figure out why VW would bother to bring over a car like the R32 when a new GTI is on the way (October of 2005 is the latest word). According to VW's American reps, the R32 didn't come to the U.S. through the normal channels. It came through a bunch of journalists visiting Europe to drive the Touareg. Given the chance to sample the R32, they asked VW chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder why the U.S. wasn't scheduled on the R32's tour of duty. The next thing VW of America knew, the R32 was headed to the States. Thank the journos and BP himself, VW fans.

The R32 isn't built alongside other Golfs (which for the U.S. would mean Brazil) - it's put together in Bratislava, Slovakia, alongside the Touareg and and the Porsche Cayenne. It's the first VW of its size to offer 4Motion all-wheel drive, and, VW hopes, a reasonable competitor to the likes of the 271-hp Mitsu Evo and 300-hp Subaru WRX STi.

But where the Evo and WRX rely on turbo fours to scorch the face of the planet, the Golf uses a narrow-angle VR6 engine to spin the R32 into glory. You remember the VR6, right? VW introduced it in 1992 in the Corrado SLC with 175 hp. Along the way it gained two additional valves per cylinder and graced VWs like the Jetta GLI and GTI VR6 in 200-hp form.

What's underhood in the R32 is the next-generation VR6. Bumped up to 3.2 liters, with the addition of variable intake and exhaust, it churns out 240 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. And in the R32 it's fitted only to a six-speed manual - no automatics, thank you. Together the duo positions the R32 for strafing runs to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds. The R32's top speed is limited to 130 mph.

What makes the R32 sizzle in highway merges and track hairpins alike is the power delivery. The VR6 sports a flat torque curve down low - from 2800 to 3400 rpm - and the six-speed makes perfect use of every pound-foot. Better yet the new VR6 has a specially tuned exhaust that resonates with the fine frequencies of a Led Zeppelin CD - it's all rock and roll coming out of the back end.

Moving along

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7774_image.jpg

The VR6's charms are coupled to 4Motion, VW's all-wheel-drive system. Well, that's the brand name - underneath it's a Haldex system (think Volvo) that lets the R32 run with 100 percent of the power on the front wheels until slip happens. When it does, the Haldex setup can send up to 50 percent to the rear wheels. It's grafted to the time-tested Golf suspension, a MacPherson strut setup in the front, trailing arms in the rear, though here the suspension is lowered by one inch versus the GTI.

Talk about princely behavior: on Phoenix's Firebird Raceway, the R32 wasn't unflappable, it was playful. Charge into a corner under power, then lift the throttle just a bit, and the rear end rotates just a little as it drops power. Then goose the gas again and the Haldex coupling connects again, giving you back road supremacy that the Goodyear 18-inch tires are more than capable of handling. Those 225/40 18-inch tires encircle stylish O.Z. Aristo 15-spoke wheels and larger front and rear brakes than VW fits on the GTI.

Capable as it is, the R32 has its limits. And for those occasions, the interior is fitted with about as many protective devices as they could fit inside the smallish five-passenger interior: eight airbags (dual fronts, side curtains front and back and front thorax airbags) are standard, as are anti-lock brakes, electronic brake distribution and Electronic Stability Program, which you'll want to turn off for any sporting driving - or when you hand the keys to inexperienced drivers.

Spotting the R32 is a simple affair. Both the front and rear spoilers have been reshaped; the front's a Leno-sized affair with three deep inlets and R32 badging flanking the left headlamp, while the rear end is punctuated by dual exhausts. Side skirts, smoked taillamps and a hatch-topping spoiler add to the R32's signature styling.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/7775_image.jpg

Inside, deeply pocketed and supportive heated seats come trimmed in cloth and vinyl or leather (leather trim, at $950, is about the only R32 option). Metal trim abounds on the center stack, door panels and on the chunky steering wheel. Also stock on the R32 are automatic climate control, a Monsoon CD sound system, rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a power sunroof.

The grand total for this grand powertrain, stuffed into the cozy confines of the Golf and fused with all-wheel drive, comes to $29,675. Like the limited-edition Evo and WRX, the most special Golf doesn't come cheap. Volkswagen plans to import 5000 R32s, all 2004 models.

2004 Volkswagen R32
Base Price: $29,675
Engine: 3.2-liter VR6, 240 hp/236 lb-ft
Transmission: Six-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 164.4 x 68.3 x 56.1 in
Wheelbase: 99.1 in
Curb weight: 3409 lb
EPA City/Hwy: 19/26 mpg
Safety equipment: Front airbags, side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist
Major standard equipment: Automatic climate control, power windows/locks/mirrors, Monsoon audio system with CD, power sunroof, 18-inch O.Z. Aristo wheels
Warranty: Four years/50,000 miles

rsholland

02-22-2004, 01:06 PM

The VR6's charms are coupled to 4Motion, VW's all-wheel-drive system. Well, that's the brand name - underneath it's a Haldex system (think Volvo) that lets the R32 run with 100 percent of the power on the front wheels until slip happens. When it does, the Haldex setup can send up to 50 percent to the rear wheels. [/B]

So it's an "0n-Demand AWD," which is not what I want. :(

Bob

coolbluelb

02-22-2004, 02:29 PM

Base Price: $29,675

This is lower than I had last heard the R32 was going to cost stateside. I guess I have not kept up with it in recent months.

JaySee

02-22-2004, 03:15 PM

That's just sad. 240 hp V6 in a compact hatch and it can't hit 0-60 in under 6. It's time for the GTI to get upgraded clearly when a 240 hp 3.2L V6 and crap AWD can't let it keep up with the competition. Not only that the suspension setup is only proven to severly understeer and underperform to competitors. All that and a heavy price tag for a car that has less room and goes slower than a WRX Wagon. They should've just left it in Europe and leave the people who bought the 25th anniversary feel special. The numbers show that the 25th anniversary 1.8 Turbo w/o 4Motion performs just as well and cheaper, but still not worth it's price tag in comparison to competition. The only dept in whicn it might perform better is the on demand AWD MIGHT help with understeer a little.

Beaverboy

02-22-2004, 05:06 PM

A VW Golf that weighs 3400lbs.. HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Maybe they should rename it the VW Bowling. One thing is for sure.. it's a very long way from a Rabbit.

R32Guy

02-22-2004, 05:35 PM

Yeah, it's easy to knock the weight of the current Audi/VW performance variants. As good as the AWD systems truly are in these cars, they use more components, and different drivetrain angles to achieve performance, than the venerable light weight Scooby systems. But, if you ever drive one of these cars, you will quickly forgive the extra weight, and mere 1 second less 0-60 sprint, (compared to WRX I suppose...) for a tremendously solid ride, that gets more rigid the faster you go, something I can't say for any stock Japanese car (sold in the US, of course.):D

aspera

02-23-2004, 03:13 AM

Originally posted by JaySee
I've never been a NASCAR fan. Something about cars of what seem to be similar design going around an oval track @ 160+ mph inches from each other doesn't appeal to me.

Do NASCAR cars have ANY relation to the cars they LOOK LIKE? It's my understanding that they're all V8 RWD cars with shells made to look like production cars. For sure all those Taurus Nascar Cars aren't V6 FWD.

I've always preferred (Gran or Super) touring and rally where they use slightly to highly modified production cars on twisting turning tracks.

I just got back from 100 Acre Wood Rally. While I was standing next to the local Sheriffs, watching the EVOs and WRXs take the hard left hand turn at the 'Max' spectator area....I thought about the origins of stock car racing. Moonshine and bootleggers. If modern day moonshine runner were to choose a car to roar down the back roads of the Ozarks, he'd choose a Mitsu or Scooby. Either that or he'd go to jail. The Crown Vics that the cops drive would be left in a cloud of dust.

mh_WRX

02-24-2004, 10:12 AM

Toyota Announces Prices for 2004 Solara Convertible, MR2 Spyder, and New Celica Action Package

http://www.theautochannel.com/N/F/news/2004/02/23/181719.1-lg.jpg

TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 23, 2004 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., announced manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for the all-new 2004 Camry Solara Convertible, the 2004 MR2 Spyder mid-engine sports car and the 2004 Celica sport coupe equipped with the Action Package. The MR2 Spyder and Celica with Action Package go on sale at the end of February while the Solara Convertible will arrive at dealerships at the end of March.

"The new Solara Convertible has been improved in every metric of comparison," said Don Esmond, Toyota Division senior vice president and general manager. "Its many improvements combined with aggressive pricing make the Solara Convertible an outstanding value."

Like the Solara Coupe, the Convertible has a rakish profile and spacious passenger room. The design emphasizes an arc-shaped theme with a continuous line from the front to rear bumper. The ample proportions project a substantial, road-hugging stance.

A standard rear spoiler and standard 17-inch alloy wheels add sporty flair on all Convertibles. Standard fog lamps also highlight the wider, more aggressive appearance.

For ultimate convenience, the electric convertible roof control system quickly opens or closes in just ten seconds by touching a button on the instrument panel. The soft-top stows behind the rear seat and sits low for a sleek, overall appearance. Solara Convertible is equipped with an all-window control system, allowing drivers to open and close all door- and quarter-windows by pressing one button on the instrument panel.

All Convertibles are powered by a 3.3-liter VVT-i V6 engine that produces 225 horsepower at 5,600 RPM and 240 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,600 RPM. The V6 is teamed exclusively to a five-speed sequential automatic transmission and offers a wide gear-ratio spread for quick acceleration. Electronic controls ensure ultra-smooth shift quality. The driver controls the five-speed sequential automatic with a gated shifter that allows manual shifting for a sporty driving experience. EPA fuel economy is rated at 20 mpg city/29 mpg highway.

Standard four-wheel disc brakes and an anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) help provide responsive, reliable, safe stopping power on all Solara Convertible models. The Convertible also offers vehicle stability (VSC) and traction control (TRAC) systems as optional equipment.

All Solara Convertible models are equipped with standard front seat-mounted side airbags as well as dual stage SRS airbags for driver and passenger that include an occupant classification sensor. A new magnetic front seat belt guide improves in-and-out access of the rear passengers and the ease of loading and unloading of cargo.

Solara Convertible is available in two distinctive model grades: SE, highlighted by sporty metallic-finish interior trim and SLE, with greater content and a woodgrain-style interior trim.

Standard equipment on the SE grade includes air conditioning, cruise control, Deluxe AM/FM/CD Audio with 6 speakers, power auto door locks with anti-lockout feature, eight-way adjustable driver's seat, keyless entry with trunk release, panic function and remote illuminated entry, dual color keyed power outside mirrors, three-spoke tilt/telescopic steering wheel with mounted audio and multi information display controls, fog lamps, daytime running lights, intermittent wipers, and two 12-volt outlets.

The SLE grade includes more luxury amenities such as leather-trimmed interior with heated seats, automatic climate control, power adjustable driver's seat with power lumbar, heated exterior mirrors, auto-dimming inside and driver's side mirrors, JBL premium 3-in-1 audio system with six-disc in-dash CD changer and seven speakers, HomeLink(R) garage door opener, and security system with engine immobilizer.

The improved value of the 2004 Solara Convertible is reflected in its pricing. The 2004 SE starts at $25,950, which is $2,095, or 7.5 percent, less than the 2003 model. The SLE with all of its standard equipment is positioned $1,075, or 3.5 percent, less than the 2003 model with a base MSRP of $29,450.

MR2 Spyder

The MR2 Spyder enters 2004 as a carryover model and offers additional options. The MR2 is now available with an optional performance-enhancing limited slip differential. A new red leather trim package is also offered and includes red leather seat and door trim, red leather-wrapped steering wheel and a red convertible top combined with Phantom Gray Pearl exterior color.

The 2004 MR2 Spyder carries a base MSRP of $24,895 for models equipped with a five-speed manual and $25,895 with a sequential transmission. Prices for both models represent an increase of $250 or 1.0 percent.

Celica Action Package

The new Celica Action Package model features more aggressive styling for 2004. The latest Action Package includes foglamps, color-keyed headlights, clear lens combination lamps, and tailpipe surround and tip. Also, the front and rear bumpers, side rocker panels, hood scoop, and rear spoiler have been redesigned to provide Action Package models with a more distinguished look.

The base MSRP for the Celica GT with Action Package ranges from $19,355, for models with a five-speed manual, to $20,155 with an automatic. The new base pricing reflects an increase of $375, or 2.0 percent. The Celica GT-S Action Package carries a base MSRP of $23,930 for models equipped with a six-speed manual and $24,630 for the automatic, reflecting an increase of $395, or 1.7 percent.

mh_WRX

02-24-2004, 10:22 AM

Mustang Engine Lineup

DEARBORN -- The heart of any muscle car is its engine. Have a heart-to-heart talk with any Ford Mustang fan, and chances are you will hear a name and a number. Boss 302, 428 Cobra Jet, Boss 429, 351 Cleveland, 351 Windsor -- the list is long.

"Few vehicles have been as closely identified with their engines over the years as the Mustang," said Terry Wagner, manager, Ford Modular V-8/V-10 Engines.

For 2005, a new powerplant promises to keep hearts racing among Mustang owners.

"Mustang owners have always known, and bragged about, what was under the hood," said Wagner. "With our new 300-horsepower, three-valve, 4.6-liter MOD V-8, we're giving them something to brag about again."

The new 4.6-liter engine has 40 more horsepower than the current V-8, and over 50 percent more power than the 289-cubic-inch V-8 in the classic 1964 Mustang.

The new lightweight, all-aluminum engine produces 315 foot-pounds of torque. It is 75 pounds lighter than a similar cast-iron design, yet it still provides optimum stiffness and strength.

The 2005 Ford Mustang GT will be the first mainstream production Mustang to crank out 300 horsepower. In the past, 300 horsepower was the exclusive domain of Mach 1, Cobra, Boss or SVT Mustangs. The new head design features three valves per cylinder and variable cam timing. The new V-8 offers more power, improved efficiency, and it's cleaner burning and uses regular gasoline.

"The 4.6-liter, three-valve is part of Ford's modular engine family," said Hau Thai-Tang, chief nameplate engineer, Ford Mustang. "It's similar to what we did on the new F-Series pickup truck. This engine provides a lot of low-end grunt and delivers a real muscle car driving performance."

"The new three-valve engine is just plain clever," said Wagner. "It enables optimization of horsepower, torque, fuel economy and sound quality, and guarantees the engine always hits the sweet spot. We are all very proud of the new Mustang V-8, and we think enthusiasts are going to be thrilled."

Rest assured, V-6 customers aren't being left in the dust. Team Mustang has something new for them, too.

The new 4.6-liter engine has 40 more horsepower than the current V-8, and over 50 percent more power than the 289-cubic-inch V-8 in the classic 1964 Mustang. Pictured here is the new three valve cylinder head. A new 4.0-liter, single overhead cam engine produces 202 horsepower and 235 foot-pounds of torque, offering real Mustang performance at a more economical price. This engine is more powerful than the current Mustang V-6 with better NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) and a more compact size.

A five-speed automatic transmission will be available for the first time in Mustang for the 2005 model year. For those who prefer to shift for themselves, there is a five-speed manual gearbox.

Mustang's sophisticated electronics system continuously monitors and adjusts powertrain performance. There is electronic throttle control to deliver a consistent response in changing operating conditions.

But that's not all. The 2005 Ford Mustang has new looks, a new chassis and new powertrains.

Mustang turns 40 this year as the brand continues to build on its proud heritage.

"When you drive Mustang it's all about emotion. It's about loving cars and loving the car business," said Phil Martens, group vice president, North American Product Creation. "I don't think anybody inside this company can imagine Ford Motor Company without the Mustang. As long as we keep up that intensity, this car will keep its integrity and the customers will keep us king of the hill."