Cool:

Posted at 07:51 AM in Automobiles | Permalink

If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor (F), known widely for lumbering gas hogs.

Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: Despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor (HMC) in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe. "We know it's an awesome vehicle," says Ford America President Mark Fields. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S." The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel.

Source:
The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can't Have
David Kiley
Business Week, September 4, 2008, 5:00PM EST
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_37/b4099060491065.htm

Posted at 08:23 AM in Automobiles | Permalink

Source:
Ferrari steers its efforts to California
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article4326982.ece

Posted at 07:07 AM in Automobiles | Permalink

click for Video:

via CNN

Posted at 07:25 AM in Automobiles | Permalink

There is a good discussion of the renewed usage of the tii badging by BMW at Automobile Magazine. Nice set of changes -- if they make it to the actual car.

Sources:
BMW Will Revive tii Badge for 1- and 3-series 
Automobile Magazine, August 2008
http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/0804_bmw_tii_1_series/index.html

Photos via Motor Authority

Posted at 05:53 AM in Automobiles | Permalink

What ? No Stick? Kinda silly for a 425 hp muscle car

2008 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT8A

Source:
New-Old Pony Enters the Corral   
JERRY GARRETT
NYT, June 15, 2008   
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/automobiles/autoreviews/15AUTO.html

Posted at 06:01 AM in Automobiles | Permalink

1. Carbon-Fiber Fairing: Aerodynamically shaped to lower drag and hand-formed out of carbon fiber, it's a full 50-percent lighter than the thermoplastic job on its slower, lower-rent sibling, the F4-1000 R ($22,995).

2. Racing Tires: Pirelli Dragon Supercorsa Pros, rated to withstand speeds of up to 195.6 mph, which is, not coincidentally, the F4CC's electronically limited maximum velocity. Higher speeds would destroy the tires.

3. Four-Cylinder Engine: The liquid-cooled 1,078-cc, inline four-cylinder redlines at 13,000 rpm and lays down 197 horsepower on the terrified asphalt through a six-speed gearbox transplanted from a race bike.

4. Nonslip Seat: Stitched out of Alcantara, a synthetic suedelike material that's made only in one factory in the world (in Italy, natch) and prized for its ability to stop asses from sliding around.

5. Ultralight Wheels: Hand-forged of the thinnest aluminum that could possibly withstand the cornering forces and violent bursts of power delivered by a psychotic rider on a brutally potent motorcycle.

2008 MV Agusta F4CC
Base price: $120,000

Powertrain: Liquid-cooled (with water-oil heat exchanger), fuel-injected, DOHC, four-stroke, inline four-cylinder, four valves per cylinder, six-speed

Displacement: 1,078 cc

Maximum torque: 92 pound-feet at 9,000 rpm

Maximum horsepower: 200 at 12,200 rpm

Seat height: 31.87 inches

Dry weight: 412 pounds

Road test MPG: 27

Sources:
MV Agusta's Limited-Edition Superbike Is One Sexy Beast
Matthew Phenix   
Wired, 11.27.07   
CARS 2.0  :  COOL WHEELS   
http://www.wired.com/cars/coolwheels/magazine/15-12/pl_motor

At $120,000, the MV Agusta F4CC is a rare breed of sport bike   
Susan Carpenter
THROTTLE JOCKEY
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer  May 28, 2008
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/highway1/la-hy-throttle28-2008may28,0,5401750.story   

Posted at 06:49 AM in Automobiles | Permalink

Jeff Danziger via Yahoo

Posted at 07:31 AM in Automobiles, Humor | Permalink

Cool artists renderings of a possible 2011 Porsche Hatchback, based on a VW Golf

>

Source:
Is Porsche developing the ultimate hot hatch?
Posted on Thursday 16 August 2007
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/hatchbacks/is-porsche-developing-the-ultimate-hot-hatch/

Posted at 06:59 PM in Automobiles | Permalink

Source:
Hybrid Technologies AXP
Hybrid Technologies Building 220+ MPG Supercar With 'Wild' Horsepower: Exclusive First Look
Popular Mechanics May 28, 2008
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4265910.html

Posted at 06:00 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack