New Car Collection Blog's

Mazda's global design chief wants a new RX-7. Ikuo Maeda, who assumed the role in April, told Autocar that he is pushing for a rebirth of the two-seat sports car.

"We really want to have an RX-7 and if the market allows us to build it we will have it ready," he told Autocar.

The RX-7 left our shores in 1995, two years after it won our "Import Car of the Year" award. It offered 252-hp from its twin-turbo 1.3L rotary, a track-ready suspension, and a limited-slip differential.

Maeda has two sketches of a replacement, and he hinted that is trying to push the model through to upper management. In Maeda's vision, the next RX-7, like its predecessors, would have two seats and rotary power.

Maeda also desires to push the brand upmarket, with interior quality set as one of his targets.
Thanks to: Motor Trend

Two decades ago, Ford introduced a mid-sized, body-on-frame SUV named Explorer that traded some off-road performance for a measure of on-road comfort. In so doing, the Explorer struck a chord with wagon-weary (and wagon-wary) families, ushering in the SUV era. Now, of course, that era has passed, and the final nail in the coffin comes in the form of the 2011 Ford Explorer, which, after years of speculation, has been spied on the street with new crossover-style proportions, abandoning its trucky body-on-frame construction in favor of carlike unibody.

What we can expect from the fundamental change is a far more comfortable—and relevant—Explorer. It will retain its up-to-seven-passenger seating (to differentiate it from the five-passenger Edge), sitting on a wide track and a long wheelbase, and thus is expected to bring comprehensive dynamic improvements, including a smoother ride, tauter handling, and better sound insulation. Aerodynamics will be far better than those of today’s brick-like Explorer for vastly better high-speed fuel efficiency and stability. Even more helpful will be the installation of more powerful and fuel-efficient powertrains, likely the same 3.5-liter V-6s cribbed from the Taurus and Flex, both with and without EcoBoost (Ford-speak for turbocharging and direct injection). That’s right, we are likely to see a 350-hp Explorer next time around. Also expected is a low-end model with a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine making up to 230 hp, as Ford has said that nearly all of its passenger vehicles will be offered with a four-cylinder in future iterations.

What we can expect styling-wise is not exactly clear, though we saw an eye-pleasing preview last year in the form of the Ford Explorer America concept. From these spy shots, we know it will have a slanted front end with projector headlamps topped by amber turn signals, as well as a three-bar, Taurus-like grille. Also visible are LED taillamps, squared-off window pillars, and a broad, flat roof. The actual rear window shape is concealed by cladding, but we expect a smartly angled D-pillar profile.

We don’t know which additional creature comforts will be installed in the new Explorer, though we think it’s safe to say that whatever Ford was able to cram into the Taurus should fit just fine in the Explorer. That list includes heated and cooled seats, Sony audio with SYNC, radar cruise control, abundant soft-touch trim, blind-spot monitoring, and a rainbow of ambient-lighting choices.

Jeep is probably thrilled that its Grand Cherokee is losing its only real remaining off-road-worthy domestic competitor, although we can only expect that Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and GM are none too happy to see the Explorer crossing over, so to speak, into their territory. The Explorer is expected to hit showrooms about a year from now. We wouldn’t be surprised if it officially bowed at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January, and if not then, the historically truck- and SUV-heavy Chicago show is a possibility as well.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

The next Nissan Micra will not be as visually exciting as recent design sketches suggest, according to a new set of images.

Revealed earlier this month, renderings of the new Micra showed a sporty, sculpted design.

But new images, said to be leaked official drawings, show the car to have conventional proportions much more in keeping with the shape of the current car.

The front of the car has elements of BMW’s Mini to it, although from the A-pillar back it is clearly a Micra.

The new supermini will be based off a 'new platform' specifically designed for compact cars, according to Nissan insiders.

Dubbed a “global compact car” by Nissan, the vehicle will be sold in over 150 countriies around the world, and could get a different name, which will be revealed at a later date.

Five countries are earmarked to produce the car: India, Thailand, China and two undisclosed locations, expected to be in Asia. Production at the Sunderland plant will switch to building the new Qazana and possibly the recently revealed electric Leaf.

Thanks to: Autocar

Ford has launched the first special edition model of its new Fiesta.

The Ford Fiesta Titanium Individual will be limited to 400 units, with its two and a half month production run starting at the end of October.

The model is based on the top-of-the-range Titanium-spec Fiesta, with the addition of the premium leather Individual Series interior. The interior is in red and silver, which Ford claims should appeal to a younger audience.

“We’ve gone for a funky interior,” said a source. “The special edition is the most premium Fiesta around but we’re still pitching it a younger audience.”

Other standard kit includes 16-inch alloy wheels and full Bluetooth and iPod connectivity. The model will be available in six exterior colours.

Ford has seen the success of cars such as the Mini and Fiat 500 with their customisable options, and this is something Ford is trying to achieve with the Individual Series interior options.

“We have sold more than 100,000 Fiestas in its first year and we know our customers like to personalise their Fiestas,” said Ford’s Mark Simpson. “The new line up with the Individual special edition will help them achieve this.”

It will cost from £15,145 and is available to order now.

Thanks to: Autocar

Skoda’s hot Fabia vRS will get 178bhp and more aggressive styling than its predecessor when it arrives in the UK next year.

Borrowed from the Seat Ibiza Cupra, the 1.4-litre ‘Twincharger’ unit should propel the car to 60mph in around 7sec and on to 140mph.

Shunning the conservative styling of the last vRS, the new car will have a tough sporting look and will be easily identifiable against the standard car, a Skoda source told Autocar.

The previous Fabia vRS was diesel-powered, but Skoda has ruled out an oil burning version.

A seven-speed DSG ‘box, equipped with paddle shift, is likely to come as standard, with the vRS likely to cost less than £16,000.

The car is scheduled for unveiling early 2010 and will arrive in the UK later in the year.

Thanks to: Autocar

The next-generation Mitsubishi Lancer Evo could use a plug-in hybrid system that is being shown at this week's Tokyo motor show, sources have told Autocar.

The plug-in technology is being showcased on the Mitsubishi PX-MiEV concept, and if applied to the Evo XI would dramatically alter its make-up.

On the face of it, this concept is an upscale Outlander-based SUV designed to showcase the layout of Mitsubishi’s new plug-in hybrid system.

With the PX-MiEV, front and rear wheels are powered by two 81bhp permanent magnet synchronous motors. There’s also a 1.6-litre MIVEC petrol engine which not only drives the front wheels but also serves as a generator.

However, the system is configured around Mitsubishi’s Evo-style S-AWC handling control system, and automatically switches between different drive modes depending on driving style and remaining power in the lithium ion battery pack.

It’s a highly sophisticated switchable system that borrows i-MiEV electric car tech for the back wheels but uses a new parallel-type hybrid system for the fronts. It also delivers over 140mpg economy, Mitsubishi says.

Mitsubishi hopes to have it on the market by 2013, but company insiders say the technology could be directed at the new Evo.

At present, development work on the next Evo has effectively stalled, according to a source familiar with the programme, which explains why there has been no serious tweaking of the Evo X in Japan since its launch in 2007.

Instead, it is the Brits, with the outrageous FQ-series Lancer Evos that currently lead the Evo pack.

The PX-MiEV concept also suggests the way a more premium, Outlander-based SUV could go.

It has only two rows of seats and a high-grade interior and could conceivably be turned into a kind of Mitsubishi X5 rival, if management gives the green light.

Thanks to: Autocar

This is the new shape Toyota X saloon, which the company hopes is a match for the BMW 5-series

On paper, the uppercrust rear-drive Mark X is very much a machine in the BMW mould, although it’s on the market in Japan for thousands of pounds less.

This latest-generation X kicks off in three grades, standard, premium and sports type. It also boasts a fair helping of Lexus tech underneath to push dynamics and image.

There are two petrol V6 engines available; the 200bhp 2.5-litre engine is a detuned version of the 4GR-FSE unit from the Lexus IS250.

Likewise, the range-topping 314bhp 3.5-litre engine is shared with the Lexus GS350. A six-speed auto transmission is standard.

With front double-wishbone and rear multilink suspension, the 4730 mm Mark X is again not far off the Lexus IS/GS family, but the cabin treatment is more dour and workmanlike, and highly conventional.

The Mark X will be formally unveiled at this Wednesday's Tokyo motor show, but is not expected to come anywhere near Europe.

Instead, this will be Toyota’s BMW wannabe in Japan and some parts of Asia.

Thanks to: Autocar

Today, Nissan has released a Fairlady Z 40th Anniversary edition in its home market that sports some unique features not found on other versions. Also hitting Japanese dealers today are an updated Fairlady Z (370Z to those outside of Japan) coupe and the all-new Fairlady Z Roadster.

The 40th Anniversary is based on the JDM Version ST, or the highest grade Fairlady available, and incorporates a bevy of leather-covered amenities inside its cabin. The seats, steering wheel, shift knob, console boot, instrument panel, and passenger seat knee bolsters each get wrapped in the new hide with highlighting red stitching.

Of course, a few "40th Anniversary" emblems can be found on both the seat headrests and the trunklid. The forged aluminum Rays wheels receive a dark chrome finish, while the Nissan sport brake calipers are dipped in red. New for the edition is a Metal Gray color, but it can also be had in Premium Deep Maroon, Brilliant White Pearl, Brade Silver, Diamond Black, or Vibrant Red.

Standard coupes in Japan get a few new updates to spruce up the model. A HDD Carwings navigation system with built-in TV tuner, advanced map updates, and iPod connectivity is added. Customers can also get an Intelligent Key fob with a 'Z' metal emblem and can select the new Premium Deep Maroon exterior color.

Japanese pricing for the Fairlady Z 40th Anniversary with a seven-speed automatic starts at around $50,387, or around $49,234 for one with a six-speed manual. Like the 350Z 35th Anniversary we first saw five years ago, production will be limited to only one year.

Currently, there's no word on if the 40th Anniversary will head our way, but we wouldn't be surprised if a few end up on our shores soon.

Thanks to: Motor Trend

It's right there in the photo: a spacious, tough, thoroughly modern, exceedingly capable sport/utility vehicle. You're forgiven if all you can see is a svelte station wagon. There's magic at work here.

For the first time since any of us can recall, an automaker has claimed the Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year title two years in a row. Last fall, deftly balancing efficiency and size, the all-new 2009 Subaru Forester went home with the Golden Calipers trophy. For 2010, fighting off several tough adversaries -- and undoubtedly some unspoken but very real bias among our judges against repeat winners -- Subaru's new, fourth-generation Outback scored a decisive 10-1 victory in the final voting.

Some vehicles arrive at our annual "Of the Year" competitions (car, sport/utility, truck) staking early claims to a win via bulging engine muscle, beguiling gizmos, fashion-runway sheetmetal. The Outback isn't one of those. In fact, it slipped nearly unnoticed through our early walkarounds; the pre-drives chatter seemed to focus elsewhere -- the ZDX's spaceship lines, the Q5's comparison test-winning moves, the Lincoln's mighty yet efficient EcoBoost V-6. But then, one by one, our test drivers took the Outback into the field. And the buzz began to shift. Once again, it seemed, Subaru was successfully reshaping the very definition of "sport/utility vehicle" -- melding the multi-mission prowess of true SUVs with the driving refinement, fuel-frugality, and easy access of wagons and sedans. Once again, our judges began taking extra notes.

In the U.S., the Legacy Outback wagon is now gone (it'll still be sold in Japan and elsewhere), replaced by this bigger, sleeker rig that drops the Legacy name altogether. The 2010 Outback platform is new, 2.8 inches longer in wheelbase, shoulders broader by two inches, front and rear overhangs nipped by two inches each to enhance off-road attacks. Though the overall package is shorter than its predecessor, interior room is up seven percent (thanks in part to a raised roof) -- and rear-seat legroom climbs by a conspicuous four inches. "Roomy back seat -- lots of legroom and headroom," writes senior editor Ron Kiino. "Huge cargo hold too. At 34.3/71.3 cubic feet (back seat up/down), it's got more cargo room than the Terrain and Equinox twins." Maximum cargo capacity, in fact, tops both a "classic SUV" like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota's big "it's-not-a-crossover-it's-a-car" Venz.

Thanks to: Motor Trend

September 30, 2009, MALVERN, PA — Surely a sign of the looming apocalypse, AmericanMuscle.com recently went under the bright lights, and behind the scenes of a nationally broadcast TV show, SPEED TV’s hit game show Pass Time. Filmed on location at many of America’s favorite grass roots drag strips, Pass Time offers a chance for any would-be drag racer, whether first timer or experienced pro, Mustang or minivan, to make a run pass as two contestants attempt to predict 1/4-mile drag times to win cash. Simply put, “Guess the time, win the cash – it’s that easy,” according to show host Brett Wagner.

As the current owner of three Ponies, AmericanMuscle.com on-the-phone Mustang expert Karen Baum is no stranger to the track. In fact, she’s been drag racing Mustangs for years, but never before in front of the cameras of a popular TV show. Karen, and fellow AmericanMuscle staffer Dave Kaeck, took their Mustangs to Maryland International Raceway where Pass Time producers selected the AmericanMuscle customer service rep out of 500 candidates to “make a pass” on camera. Driving an AmericanMuscle-prepped ‘03 GT Coupe, the Mustang enthusiast put the pedal to the metal and left all expectations in the dust in her first primetime appearance.

While Karen was getting ready for her SPEED TV debut, AmericanMuscle went behind the scenes to get a first-hand look at how Pass Time producers can turn a day at the drag strip into an engaging game show. From the host Brett Wagner, to Ken “The House” Herring, to Paige the ultra-hot car wrangler, these on-air personalities form the heart of the show. Add in two long days of passionate behind-the-scenes work and somehow the dedicated Pass Time team manages to turn out nine speed-filled episodes every time they pull into a drag strip.

To get a better look at AmericanMuscle’s time at Pass Time, visit: AmericanMuscle Blog, or for the YouTube video go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF-6SZ6J61Q.

Toyota's Auris facelift has been revealed in Japan, and it is set to go on sale in the UK in the first half of 2010.

Changes are minor, and include revised grilles which differ in style according to trim level, new front and rear bumpers, headlamps, tail lights and alloy wheels plus a new bonnet design.

Interior changes include new color options, upgraded materials and improved standard equipment on some models.

Sales of the facelifted Toyota Auris will preceed the launch of the Auris hybrid, which will be built at the firm’s Burnaston plant in Derbyshire, with its engines being made at its Deeside plant in north Wales. It is set to go on sale next summer.

When the Auris hybrid was first confirmed earlier this year, Tadashi Arashima, Toyota’s European chief executive, said: “Our decision to produce a full hybrid in the UK reflects both our confidence in the quality and commitment of the Toyota UK workforce and the strength of our long-standing partnership with the UK government.”

Thanks to: Autocar

IS BMW getting ready to release a hardcore, CSL-badged M3? As these pictures show, the German marque could be secretly developing a track-geared M3.

Our spies caught this mystery machine putting in some high-speed laps of the Nurburgring circuit in Germany. Just check out the lower front spoiler, wider tracks, new wheels and tyres plus, of course, that huge rear spoiler.

Reports suggest that the new, high performance model could shed 100kg over the standard M3 with tweaks including thinner glass and a carbon fibre bonnet.

If it does make production, the 4.0-litre V8 would get new valves, a carbon-fibre airbox and larger intakes boosting power to 470bhp.

With BMW engineers well aware of the CSL's reputation as a trackday tool, the new car is also likely to be equipped with stiffer springs and semi-slick tyres. Although, BMW firmly denies the CSL's existence, the German firm is unlikely to let the upcoming, high performance Audi RS5 take to the market unrivalled. For more details click here.

Thanks to: Auto Express

One of the last of the Volkswagen family to get its makeup done, the Tiguan compact 'ute is finally getting a minor facelift. Our spy photographers recently caught it testing on both German streets and the Nurburgring wearing heavy camouflage on its nose.

From the looks of things, all the work has been done on the front end while the sides and rear appear to be the same as the current model. In front, we see new projector headlights with buckets that now include LED daytime running lights. In the center, the grille is sporting some fresh chrome on its twin horizontal slats, while down below, the lower radiator opening appears to have shrunk a bit and picked up some extra chrome of its own. To its sides, the openings around the fog lights appear to have kept their shape but seem to have grown a bit.

It's clear to see that Volkswagen has been fairly conservative with this update. No big chrome snout, a la Touareg, has been added, nor have the lights and grille been pulled out to the sides like the new Golf. While it does look a bit more like the Touareg with its spiffy new headlights, there is still a clear differentiation between Tiguan and Touareg styling. We'll know all of this for sure once the updated Tiguan makes its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show next March, where we hear it may be sporting new engine options as well.
Thanks to: Motor Trend