2010 Fiat 500 Abarth SS will start building at Toluca, Mexico plant in late 2010 or early 2011 according to AW’s supplier source. Of the 100,000 units Chrysler plans to build in Mexico, one-third are expected to go to Brazil, who has a free trade pact with Mexico, and as production ramps up, Chrysler is expected to offer the entire 500 lineup eventually. That means we stand a good shot at seeing the hatchback, convertible, wagon and Abarth versions here in the Colonies.
2010 Devon GTX would have the same power-to-weight ratio as the Ferrari Enzo with 650 horsepower propelling its 3,000 pounds, but the actual benchmark, we would later learn, was the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.The 2010 Devon GTX emulates the coachwork you might see coming out of the great Italian design houses. That could be because Paulin is Swedish, and Scandinavians know a little something about curvy bodies. The shape is an odd blend of Euro panache with American muscle that somehow works really well in person.
New 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3 Car Review Picture
New 2009 Mazda RX-8 R3 Car now come with a brilliant new 1.3-liter RENESIS two-rotor rotary engine that’s good for 232 hp and 159 lb-ft of torque. If that doesn’t sound like much to you, you’ve never driven a Wankel. You don’t take rotaries to drag strips where their obvious lack of torque is a handicap. You take rotary-powered cars to tracks, where a 9,000 rpm redline and humongous usable power band means you can leave the car in third and forget about it ’til you win the race. That’s essentially what I did while carving through some of LA’s best canyons.
New 2010 Ford Mustang AV-X10 “Dearborn Doll” Car Review Picture
2010 Ford Mustang AV-X10 “Dearborn Doll” Car is based on the 2010 Mustang GT with the Glassroof option. However, a series of modifications make this car unique by pulling from the Ford Racing Performance Parts bin. The most significant upgrade is the 4.6-liter V8 engine with supercharger kit that increases output to 550 horsepower. This power plant is mated to a six-speed manual with short-throw shifter. The Mustang also gets a FR550S peformance exhaust and FRPP Handling Pack featuring lowered springs, dampers and an anti-roll bar setup. The Shelby GT500 donates the lower rear fascia and rear wing for better aerodynamics. And 19″ forged-alloy SVT GT500 wheels give the car a solid and aggressive stance.
New 2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI Car coming Stateside this summer Pictures
The New 2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI Car (Mark VI) is upon us, and as suspected, the thinly-veiled “concept” shown in Paris is an exact duplicate of the production model we’ll be getting in the States this summer.
With redesigned front and rear fascias, artfully sculpted haunches and Scirocco-inspired headlamps, the Mark VI is a subtle evolution of the outgoing model that lends a bit more aggression to the three- and five-door hatch. Power is provided by a tweaked and turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four putting out 210 horsepower (10 hp more than its predecessor) and 206 lb-ft of torque beginning at 1,800 rpm. The run to 60 mph comes in at 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 149 mph.
A six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch gearbox are available, along with a standard sport suspension, DCC adaptive damping (with settings for Normal, Sport and Comfort) and an XDS electronic differential that monitors traction and sends power to the outside wheel. The interior remains largely unchanged, with standard plaid seating (leather is optional), along with stainless-steel pedals, aluminum shift knob and a flat-bottom leather-wrapped steering wheel.I’ll be interested to see how this car sells in the arm chair number obsessed north America, so few ‘enthusiasts’ seem keen to take advantage of active suspensions and actually drive cars like this on the track or down a favorite mountain road.
[via: autoblog]
New 2009 Nissan 370Z Car Review Pictures
2009 Nissan 370Z Car is rated at 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque,with a six-speed manual transmission,sending power to the rear wheels through a viscous limited-slip differential. An aluminum double-wishbone suspension sits up front, while the rear wheels are kept in check through an independent multi-link setup. Four beautifully-crafted lightweight forged RAYS wheels – some of the most attractive alloy from any OEM – are pushed into each corner. The fronts are wrapped in 245/40-19 tires, with the rears boast meaty 275/35-19 rubber. An extensive use of aluminum throughout has kept weight down to about 3,250 pounds.
I think the crux of it is that for quite some time, the only sport coupes out there that were relatively affordable were the Mustang and Miata. The Camaro and Firebird were gone for six years, the Civic Si is NOT a sport coupe, the Supra and MR2 are dead, and IMO, BMW coupes are priced too high to really compete in this segment.
All the other OEMs saw a market that was DOMINATED by the Miata and Mustang, and, hence, wanted a piece of the action. Chevy brought back the Camaro, Dodge brought back the Challenger, Nissan brought back the Z, Hyundai developed the Genesis, BMW brought the 1-series (though I still think it’s priced too high for this discussion), and now even KIA is trying to bring out a coupe. Hell, Ford might even someday bring back the Cougar with a modified Mustang body.
It’s going to get tight. I do believe, however, that the guys that are into muscle/pony cars are still going to buy Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers, the boy racers are still going to buy the Z, which will face competition from the Genesis, the Euro-snobs are still going to buy their Bimmers (1 or 3 series), and the mid-life crisis crowd is still going to buy the Miata/MX-5. Fortunately, there is a lot of secondary segmentation within the coupe market segment, so the OEMs should continue along their paths, though with more competition in those sub-segments, the sales leaders (Mustang and Z) are going to see sales slip because of the alternatives.
