New Car Collection Blog's

Regular (and even irregular) readers already know this, so for those who are unfamiliar with this institution, an introduction: Hi, we’re Car and Driver, and we hate the seats in the Corvette. Today, Chevy’s plastic fantastic isn’t so much a sports car as it is a budget supercar. But, in our every encounter with it, we come away just as appalled at its seats as we are amazed at its capabilities.

Although the next-generation Vette is less than two years away, Chevrolet has nonetheless made some enhancements for 2012 models that include, at last, respectable thrones—specifically, the same ones found in the Centennial Edition Corvette. (But without the microfiber suede inserts, which will be optional.) With distinct lateral and shoulder bolsters, the seats should greatly help drivers and passengers enjoy the Corvette’s formidable performance without bouncing between armrest and center console.

Additional interior touch-ups include tweaks to the steering-wheel trim and additional padding on the center console and armrest areas. With two new tweeters on the dash, the optional Bose sound system ups its speaker count to nine, and for fancier tastes, the optional leather interior now offers contrasting stitching in red, blue, or yellow. Incidentally, the brake calipers can also be ordered in red, yellow, silver, or gray. How about one of each?

The 2012 Corvette also gets some performance-oriented upgrades as well, though the lion’s share of them go to the hard-core Z06 model, which arguably doesn’t need anything more than more grip to handle the 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque from its 7.0-liter V-8. Fortunately, additional grip it will get, in the form of newly available Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires. They will be available as part of the Z07 handling package for the Z06, and also for the ZR1 as part of its new PDE performance package. Measuring 285/30-19 in front and 335/25-20 in back, the new tires will help the Vette corner at more than 1.1g, according to Chevy. (That claim is not as outrageous as it may seem. We’ve recorded 1.07 in both a Z06 and a ZR1.) Also helpful are the new lightweight aluminum wheels paired with the new tires, which will be offered in satin black or machined finishes. More important, each wheel weighs about five pounds less than its counterpart on the current car.

Also new to the Z06 is Performance Traction Management, which, in a nutshell, is multiple, driver-selectable stability control programs and launch control. While we love tire smoke and yaw as much as anybody, the prospect of a more-controllable Z06 sounds good to us. Rounding out the changes for the 2012 Corvette are a newly available racing-style full-width rear spoiler for the Z06 and ZR1 as part of the Z07 and PDE packages, respectively. The Z06 also is available with a new carbon-fiber hood.

If you want to see these changes up close, your first opportunity will be a special event at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where production of the 2012 model commences this July. And if you’re us, you’re excited for another opportunity to belt in the test gear and head to the test track—this time, with better seats.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

More than five years after its introduction, the Ford Fusion remains one of the Blue Oval’s most popular models, but the end is in sight for the current car. Ford is hard at work on the next generation of its mid-size sedan, which will finally ditch its antiquated Mazda-based platform and ride on bones shared with its European counterpart, the Mondeo.

Captured here as a development mule wearing much of a current Mondeo body, the second-generation Fusion will arrive next year as a 2013 model. Like the new 2012 Focus and next-gen Escape, the Fusion will adopt Ford’s Kinetic global design language, which the Mondeo has worn since 2007. Just how much the 2013 model will evolve from the current Mondeo’s appearance remains to be seen, however, as heavy camouflage on this mule covers everything that isn’t a current-gen part, and even much of what is under the wrap looks to be largely current-production.

We are more confident discussing what Ford didn’t have to disguise: powertrains. Ford will likely offer the 2013 Fusion with at least one naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine making around 170 or so hp. A powerful V-6 like the one available in the current car isn’t likely, as a turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder should take over as the top mill. The turbo 2.0-liter will make 247 hp in the upcoming Focus ST, and would do quite well as the uplevel engine in the Fusion. The hybrid will definitely return, and we expect to see its combined fuel-economy rating squeak past the 40-mpg mark. (The current hybrid’s combined figure is 39 mpg.)

Our hope is that at least one of these engines will come with a traditional manual transmission (the European Mondeo certainly will offer the option), but six-speed automatics and dual-clutch trannies will do the shifting for the majority of American Fusions. More significant, perhaps, the Fusion will receive a fair amount of Euro-flavored chassis tuning to match its European styling. That bodes well for the Fusion: The more European Ford’s U.S.-market products feel, the more warmly they tend to be received—we just crowned the Focus champion of a hard-fought five-car comparison test. If the next Fusion is anything like its little brother, Ford won’t have any trouble maintaining the car’s sales momentum.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Here's how to celebrate in style! Italian coachbuilding firm Zagato has unveilied a new addition to its TZ line up, the TZ3 Stradale, introduced as part of the firm's ongoing centenery celebrations in Alfa Romeo's honour.

While there's an Alfa badge on the bonnet, a trademark triangular front grille and swoopy styling normally associated with the Italian brand, the car is in fact American underneath. The stunning carbon-fibre bodywork hides the mechanicals from a Dodge Viper ACR - that means an 8.4-litre V10 engine with 600bhp, enough power to blast from 0-62mph in under four seconds.

It marks the fourth addition to Zagato's TZ range, which includes the TZ and TZ2 from the sixties as well as the TZ3 Corsa unveiilied last year at the Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza on Lake Como, Italy.

That model was based on the Alfa 8C Competizione, but remained a one-off track-only special. The TZ3 Stradale on the other hand will be made in extremely limited numbers. Three have already been sold, for an undisclosed price, to American, Japanese and European collectors with another six still up for grabs. For more details click here.

Thanks to: Auto Express

Renault’s Captur, the small crossover concept unveiled at the recent Geneva motor show, will be developed into two showroom models, say company insiders.

The mainstream version will be a small five-door similar in size to the Nissan Juke, with which it will share a Renault-Nissan Alliance platform. The other will be a three-door version, possibly with some unique design features; think of the three-door Range Rover Evoque, but on a smaller scale.

The coupé version could be the first of its kind in this class and will provide Renault with an unusual model of similarly stylish appeal to the Mini Cooper and Citroën’s DS3, against which Renault currently offers little competition.

The production version of the five-door Captur should appear well within two years, and the three-door probably shortly after.

Renault’s next concept will be a van inspired by the theme of ‘work’, the next stage in the cycle of life that design chief Laurens van den Acker has employed to rekindle Renault’s design flair.

The small, fully glazed van will hint at the next-gen Kangoo. It will appear first at the Frankfurt show this autumn.

Thanks to: Autocar

Little-known Taiwanese manufacturer LUXGEN has unveiled a groundbreaking new plug-in saloon. With an impressive claimed range of 249 miles per charge – way over twice as far as a Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV will travel – and with much more power than both of them combined, the Neora is an enticing proposition.

LUXGEN says that the Neora’s electric induction motor produces 241bhp, which is enough to whisk the 1600kg saloon to 62mph in 6.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph, thanks to its aerodynamic outline. The company claims that the front wheel drive Neora’s 48kWh lithium ion batteries can be 80 percent recharged within one hour.

The interior is packed with technology including a heads up display, a LED screen for rear passengers and another nine inch screen on the dash for navigation functions and communication with other vehicles. The Neora’s centre console uses recycled wood, which is free from processing and dyeing.

LUXGEN has hinted that the concept will become a reality, but not whether it will make it to the UK. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express

Infamous for cramming ever more power into ever smaller cars Vauxhall’s VXR hooligans have squeezed an extra 13bhp into the Corsa VXR Nurburgring Edition.

With a new total of 202bhp and 280Nm of torque from its 1.6 litre turbocharged engine the little Corsa will race from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds and on to a credible 143mph. These increases result from tweaks to the turbocharger and engine management, a sports exhaust and the engine’s new-found appetite for 98 RON petrol.

Helping to harness the extra muscle the chassis and brakes have been beefed up and a mechanical multi-plate limited slip differential added to improve traction and reduce understeer. The VXR Nurburgring also sits on specially commissioned Bilstein springs and dampers that were tuned on the Nurburgring’s notorious Nordschleife north loop and lower the car by 15-20mm.

New 30 per cent lighter Brembo brakes add more stopping bite while the Corsa’s ABS, traction control and stability control have all been recalibrated. Helping the Nurburgring Edition to stand out from lesser Corsas are a stainless steel dual exhaust, forged high gloss grey alloy wheels and Nurburgring logos inside and out.

The Corsa VXR Nurburgring Edition goes on sale in late May at £22,295. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express

Cadillac can’t seem to settle on a powertrain for its hot-selling SRX. The second-gen crossover was introduced in 2010 with Saab’s turbocharged 2.8-liter six as an option (it was sacked early this year; no big loss) and a 3.0-liter V-6 as the base engine (also gone for 2012). Both are being replaced by GM’s 3.6-liter V-6, which will be the only available motivator for now. A plug-in hybrid version—caught here by our covert photogs—should join the lineup soon enough. The 2013 model year also will bring a mild interior update with touch-sensitive controls.

These fresh spy shots show a pretty plain-looking SRX with one major exterior difference: a second fuel door stitched into the left rear quarter panel. (If it weren’t for the sloppy welds, we may not have noticed the extra orifice.) This Caddy’s range will be extended not by a second gas tank, but by a plug-in hybrid system charged through the port under that flap. And if you had any doubt that this is indeed a hybridized Cadillac, check the hybrid-badged Dell laptop sitting inside. Proof positive.

The system likely will be an evolution of the plug-in system almost offered on the Saturn Vue Green Line two-mode hybrid—the brand was killed before that ute could see the light of a showroom. As such, a V-6 (smaller than the 3.6 used in Saturn’s iteration) or even an efficient four-cylinder would suck the gas, while a lithium-ion battery would supply amps. The trap-door grilles offered in the eAssist Buick LaCrosse as well as the upcoming Chevy Malibu Eco may be applied here to aid aerodynamics.

Aside from the engineer’s computer cluttering up the cabin, this prototype show some other interior updates coming to all SRXs. Chief among them is a static center touch-screen display, which replaces the pop-up-toaster-style unit on the current car. Below that, you may notice a complete lack of controls. Instead, there’s some metal trim that resembles a Guy Fawkes mask, which we expect will become the touch-sensitive interface for multimedia, navigation, and climate-control adjustments. GM has already gone this route on the Volt, and it’s similar to Ford’s MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch systems, which use capacitive-touch sensors and sliders in place of buttons and knobs. Whereas the Volt gets its functions silkscreened onto the respective button-replacing areas, Cadillac appears to be going the backlit route, possibly so that functions can be changed depending on what’s being controlled.

The same style of controls also can be seen on the steering wheel, where the all-black areas will light up with their functions. The wheel sits below a revised gauge package; the hood over the pod has been reshaped, and the gauges themselves go more traditional, eschewing the current car’s center LCD. We expect most, if not all, of its info—plus hybrid-specific data—will instead be seen on the new, bigger center screen.

The updated interior should arrive at the same time as the plug-in model, and be a part of all SRX variants, regardless of powertrain. The touch-sensitive infotainment controls probably will spread throughout the Cadillac lineup. The CTS is a good candidate for a retrofit, and we already spotted the system in the upcoming XTS. As for the plug-in model, we’re hopeful Cadillac can get acceptably large rocker-panel decals to announce its hybridity—they’ve worked so well to move hybrid Escalades.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Suzuki’s Kizashi line consists of, well, just the Kizashi sedan. One engine, front- or all-wheel drive, stick or CVT. We don’t mind—a fact attested to by the praise littering the logbook in our long-term test car—but Suzuki needs more flavors of Kizashi if it wants to be a player in the mid-size sedan segment. At the 2011 New York auto show, the company is previewing two directions in which it could expand the Kizashi line: the hybrid EcoCharge concept and the rather more invigorating turbocharged Apex concept.

Behind the Kizashi Apex’s aggressive fascia and superbike-inspired graphics is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder boosted to between 275 and 300 hp by a Garrett turbocharger and an air-to-liquid intercooler. (That’s about 100 hp more than the production car’s max of 185.) The Apex is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Suzuki implies that if it puts this car into production—and we think it will—a manual will be the only choice. We definitely approve.

Other cool features found on the Kizashi Apex are LED fog lights, 19-inch wheels in a finish Suzuki calls “burnt asphalt,” and an interior finished in an intense combination of black leather and blue Alcantara.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Suzuki’s Kizashi line consists of, well, just the Kizashi sedan. One engine, front- or all-wheel drive, stick or CVT. We don’t mind—a fact attested to by the praise littering the logbook in our long-term test car—but Suzuki needs more flavors of Kizashi if it wants to be a player in the mid-size sedan segment. At the 2011 New York auto show, the company is previewing two directions in which it could expand the Kizashi line: the hybrid EcoCharge concept and the rather more invigorating turbocharged Apex concept.

At the other end of the spectrum is the kinder, gentler Kizashi EcoCharge hybrid concept. Combining a 2.0-liter inline-four producing 144 hp and 127 lb-ft of torque with a 20-hp electric motor and a six-speed automatic transmission, the pearl-white concept is said to achieve a 25-percent gain in highway fuel economy. That would take it from the 30 mpg of the current CVT Kizashi—with its 2.4-liter—to somewhere around 36 mpg. Since hybrids tend to offer greater benefits in the city than on the highway, its overall combined rating also could end up over 30 mpg.

As much as we dig the idea of a Kizashi with another 100 or so horsepower, variations with this sort of fringe appeal aren’t likely to get the Kizashi onto more shopping lists. Then again, they aren’t likely to knock it off anybody’s list, either. Bring 'em on.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

One of the more important debuts at this year’s New York auto show is the 2012 Subaru Impreza, shown in both sedan and five-door body styles. But the 2012 Impreza is more than just another transportation appliance; if you read Car and Driver with any regularity, you know that the Impreza is nothing but a WRX or an STI waiting to spread its turbocharged wings.

Subaru previewed the 2012 Impreza last fall at the Los Angeles auto show with the sinister-looking Impreza concept. Alas, the production version is predictably tamer, though it does have a more-protuberant chin, more-defined “hawk-eye” headlamps, and bulging fenders. Interesting details include a sharply raked windshield that starts nearly eight inches further forward on the hood than the glass on today’s model. Similarly, the beltline is considerably lower, and the windows are enlarged for improved visibility. Near-vertical body sides with squared-off bumper caps help reduce drag, à la Toyota Prius. Especially from the rear three-quarter angle, the 2012 Impreza is more than a little busy, but we’ll take busy over outright ugly any day.

While the 2012 Impreza looks bigger than the 2011 model, the only dimension that actually grew was its wheelbase, which increases from 103.2 inches to 104.1. Both hatchback and sedan models retain their 68.5-inch width and their overall lengths. Still, cargo space for the five-door manages to increase by 3.4 cubic feet with the rear seats up and by 5.3 with them folded. Best of all, the Impreza actually lost about 160 pounds, weight savings we hope will also apply to the forthcoming WRX and STI.

Subaru will offer the car in base, Premium, and Limited trim levels, but all Imprezas offer the same level of safety equipment, which now includes a knee airbag for the driver and the stability control that is government-mandated on all vehicles for 2013. What the Impreza seems to lack, however, is stirring interior design. Even in cushy Limited form, the interior wow factor is about nil.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Whether you call it the Subelica or the Celibaru, Toyota’s version of the new rear-drive 2+2 sports coupe being co-developed with Subaru and codenamed the FT-86 will land in the U.S. as a Scion.

Blazing red, with a gaping maw and atomic-insect headlights, the two-door Scion FR-S (which means Front-engine, Rear-wheel-drive, Sport—woo, clever!) may represent a sort of defibrillator to the chest of Toyota’s youth division, where sales remain lackluster since the 2007 redesign of the xB and 2008 introduction of the xD. The tC was re-skinned this year, but looks starkly similar to the outgoing car. Also coming to Scion showrooms in July is a three-door mini-car called the iQ.

Just a clay model with no interior right now, the FR-S is currently slated to arrive in Scion showrooms in mid-2011, although the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan have thrown Toyota's product timing into chaos. As Scion is strictly a North American brand, a Toyota-badged version will launch simultaneously in Europe and Asia. Expect that car and the production Subaru version to show up at this fall's Tokyo show.

With a length of 168.2 inches and a wheelbase of 101.2 inches, the FR-S is one to two inches shorter in both measurements than the last-generation Celica. Its 2.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-four engine—sourced from Subaru—uses Toyota’s D4-S fuel-injection system, which features both port- and direct injection and switches between them to optimize efficiency.

Horsepower figures were not quoted, but with direct injection in the mix to help boost specific output, the engine should be good for at least 200 hp. Toyota says the mounting of the flat-four low and behind the front axle will keep the center of gravity down and centered for better handling. It also helps front-to-rear weight distribution.

Buyers will have a choice of a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. A limited-slip differential will be standard. It’s hard to say how much of the FR-S is real (the roof, doors, hood, and trunk are probably production-spec) and how much is auto-show glam. The staggered-width wheels by Five Axis—20 x 8.5-inchers in front and 20 x 10.5 in rear—are certainly show-stand parts that won’t make it to production. The exaggerated rear undertray with dual exhaust “exits”—read: one exhaust, two tailpipes—also may be extra makeup for the show.

The arrival of the FT-86 as a Scion surprised some (especially if they had been under a rock for the last week), but division vice president and general manager Jack Hollis says the car was slated to be a Scion early in its development. It definitely represents a commitment by Toyota to the floundering brand.

The production FR-S will have narrow fenders, but likely will be similar in overall styling to this concept. According to Hollis, the car has undergone a styling makeover since Toyota president Akio Toyoda declared last year that the company's styling is too staid, and that it should be more passionate. An FT-86 concept shown at the 2009 Tokyo auto show had more slab-like sides and a less-aggressive face. Also, the FR-S's rear end draws strongly from the Lexus LF-A supercar, a characteristic not on the original FT-86 show car.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Volkswagen's corporate parts bin is a great resource, and it's something from which all of its brands get to pluck. This includes Porsche, which took the easy route of adding a gas-electric version to the Panamera lineup by performing a little hybrid-system transplant surgery. The result, the 2012 Panamera S hybrid, makes its debut at the 2011 Geneva show.

The combination of a supercharged, direct-injected 3.0-liter V-6 and an electric motor is not only used in the Cayenne, but also in the Volkswagen Touareg hybrid; the 333-hp gasoline engine is an Audi unit that, in different states of tune, can also be found sans hybrid tech in the S4, S5 convertible, A6, and Q7. With the assistance of a 47-hp electric motor, total power reaches 380 hp, channeled here only to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. All other Panameras sold in the U.S. come with a ZF-supplied seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, while Europeans also can choose a six-speed manual.

Porsche believes the Panamera hybrid's performance is good enough to justify adding the "S" badge. In reality, however, its performance may be closer to that of the standard, V-6–powered Panamera. With the hybrid, Porsche claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.7 seconds; top speed is 168 mph. The last 300-hp base Panamera we tested, equipped with the PDK and aided by all-wheel drive, hit 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and went on to a top speed of 160 mph. The corresponding data for the 400-hp, V-8–powered Panamera S: 4.7 seconds and 174 mph. That said, Porsche tends to conservatively estimate performance, but the lack of the fast-acting PDK transmission and all-wheel drive likely will hamper the hybrid’s launch.

Despite all of the power, the hybrid should shine in terms of fuel consumption, at least in the city. The regular Panamera S is rated for 16 mpg city/24 highway, and we (conservatively) estimate that the hybrid will return 21 mpg in the city and 25 highway. We'll have to wait for the EPA to rate the car for official figures.

What's a hybrid without the option to drive in full-electric mode? Maybe not as satisfying, as buyers of the Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid are experiencing (or, rather, not experiencing). But the Panamera won't disappoint: Drivers can accelerate up to 50 mph on electricity alone, although the range in this mode is just 1.3 miles. Additionally, when the driver lifts off the accelerator at higher speeds, the gas engine will shut off and then be declutched from the drivetrain. Porsche calls this "sailing"; we'd call it coasting, and with the function active up to 103 mph, the cops will sometimes call it speeding.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

This new Turbo S model is the fastest, most powerful variant of the Porsche Panamera yet.

The twin-turbo 4.8-litre V8 super-saloon has had a power hike over the Turbo model on which it is based, from 493bhp to 542bhp, taking it beyond its Mercedes S63 AMG (518bhp) and BMW 760Li (537bhp) rivals. The Turbo S’s top speed is 191mph, 3mph higher than the standard Turbo, while its 3.8sec 0-62mph time makes it quicker than a 911 GT3 RS (4.0sec).

Porsche engineers have fitted titanium-aluminium turbine wheels to the turbochargers and revised the engine control management of the Turbo S to boost power and performance. Torque is also up in the S over the standard Turbo, from 510lb ft to 553lb ft when driven in Sport and Sport Plus modes, and up to 590lb ft is available with an overboost function.

These increases have been made without sacrificing economy, which stays at 24.6mpg combined, due to the lighter weight and lower inertia of the turbine and compressor wheel in the turbochargers.

Several dynamic systems are offered as standard on the Turbo S. Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control boosts cornering stability, while Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus works with an electronically controlled limited-slip differential to apply a variable torque split to the rear wheels for greater traction and agility. A Sport Chrono Package Turbo revises suspension and engine controls for a more “sporting” drive in Sport Plus mode.

Styling changes include new 20-inch Turbo II wheels, a sports exhaust and a two-tone leather interior. The Turbo S goes in sale in June, priced from £122,623, a near £20k hike over the standard Turbo.

Thanks to: Autocar