hatchback
Ford Focus RS Going To Australia, Limited Quantity of 315
The Land Down Under just got some exciting news from Ford. Even though production is coming to an end, Australia will be gifted with 315 Ford Focus RS models in a limited edition production and available in three different colors. “Customers, the motoring press, Ford enthusiasts and hot hatch fans have all been constantly asking…
Subaru Announces Pricing For WRX And STI; STI 4-Door $1,000 Less Than Outgoing 5-Door
Subaru has announced pricing for their 2011 Impreza WRX and STI models with the WRX starting at $25, 495 for both the 4-door and 5-door models, while the STI 4-door starts at $33,995, $1,000 less than last year’s 5-door model. The STI 5-door, now available only in “Limited” trim, will run you $35,995. Big changes…
Nissan Leaf Not Yet Sold Out, Encourages More Pre-Ordering
Nissan is beginning to ramp up promotion of the Leaf electric vehicle after pre-orders have slowed significantly. The Leaf enjoyed a burst of interest from “early adopter” types. While Nissan estimates that it has 16,300 pre-orders, but observers are unsure whether they will be able to reach the 25,000 pre-order goal by year’s end. For now, the…
Mercedes-Benz Takes Aim At VW Golf With New Small Car Range
Mercedes-Benz’s ungainly A-Class hatchback is known for its tall, Smart-car-on-steroids profile and its legendary failing of the “elk test“. While the current car is fairly successful in Europe, the new car is set to take a totally different direction, resembling a sportier 3-door hatchback and taking aim at the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf,…
Report: Fiat 500 Hybrid To Get 100 MPG
Fiat is reportedly working on a hybrid variant of its 500 TwinAir supermini, which is estimated to get an astonishing 100 mpg. The TwinAir 900cc two-cylinder motor, combined with a hybrid motor and Fiat’s dual clutch transmission, are all expected to fit underneath the hood, due to the compact packaging of all three components. This…
Ford Fiesta Won’t Hit Dealers On Time Due To Hurricane Damage
Ford‘s marketing campaign for the upcoming Fiesta compact has gone on for just over a year, and consumers are getting anxious about having to wait for the car to hit showrooms. Anyone waiting with bated breath for the new Fiesta will have to prepare for further disappointment, as the launch has been delayed, this time…
Two-Cylinder Fiat 500 TwinAir Launched
In a move reminiscent of the original Fiat 500, the Italian automaker is launching a two cylinder version of their new Fiat 500 hatchback. The two-cylinder model puts out 85 horsepower from a 900 cc two-cylinder engine. The engine uses Fiat’s innovative Multiair system, which is essentially a super-advanced variable valve timing system. With a…
Subaru Impreza WRX STI Gets Automatic Gearbox For Australian Market
Mitsubishi‘s Lancer Evolution offers a dual-clutch gearbox on their top of the line MR model, but Subaru only offers a manual gearbox on their flagship Impreza WRX STI. But that’s about to change in Australia, where the STI will soon be available with a 5-speed automatic. According to Subaru Australia, demand for an automatic WRX…
Green Car Reports Drives 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit 35 Years In The Future
It’s a cliche for enthusiasts to complain about the complexity and weight of modern cars, which are inevitably devoid of “soul” and pine for the spartan, shoddily engineered cars of their youth. John Voelcker, Senior Editor at Green Car Reports (and the polar opposite of the typical car snob mentioned above) managed to snag a…
Nissan Takes To The Streets With Leaf Test Drive Campaign
The electric car is still a hard sell for a significant part of the population, and for those who are still skeptical, Nissan has something geared towards them, with a massive campaign designed to get “thousands” of people test driving the Nissan Leaf. The test drives will occur alongside traditional media buys. The buzz for…
Video: Dacia Quality Control The Opposite Of “Kaizen”
Toyota was once famous for its “Kaizen” methods of continuous improvement, whereby incremental changes throughout the product development and production process helped make their cars better. Every business school student has heard stories about Toyota plant employees being given authority to stop the production line so that quality issues can be solved – and we’re…
World’s Most Expensive Audi A1 Sells For $525,000
BMW is well known for its long history with art cars, but Audi’s A1 art car seems to be mounting a serious challenge. Designed by Damien Hirst (famous for putting a dead shark in a tank of formaldehyde and selling it for millions), the A1 features a special “spin paint” treatment by Hirst. Although the…
2010 Ford Focus RS Le Mans Classic Editions; Because A Regular RS Isn’t Ostentatious Enough
The Ford Focus RS can be accurately described as belligerent, with its crackling exhaust, electric green paint and bulldog-esque stance. But there will inevitably be a segment that isn’t satisfied with its outrageous appearance. For 5 lucky members of that demographic, Ford has whipped up a few Focus RS hatchbacks painted in historic liveries used…
Honda CR-Z To Start Under 20k
The Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car will slot it at just under $20,000, with a base price of $19,200, not including a $750 destination charge. The EX model with Bluetooth, a leather wrapped steering wheel and and 36-watt stereo will take you to$20,760, while an in-dash navigation unit tops you out at $22,560. The CR-Z…
Audi A1 Will Not Get Electric Variant, Will Get S1
Volvo Recalls C30, V40, S50 With Manual Transmissions, Less Than 550 Cars Recalled
File this one under unintentional hilarity. Volvo announced today that they were recalling 2010-2011 C30, S40 and V50 models equipped with manual transmissions. As you might expect, the number is fairly low, but we squealed with delight when we found out that the number was in the triple digits – 536 cars to be exact….
Nissan Leaf To Qualify For $8,500 Incentive In Ontario
The Canadian province of Ontario announced that the Nissan Leaf will qualify for the full $8500 rebate on electric vehicles sold in Ontario. The provincial government offers incentives of $5,000 to $8,500 Canadian dollars will apply to electric vehicles sold in the province. The incentives vary based on the size of a cars battery, but…
New Suzuki Swift Pictures Released
One day after spy photos of the new Suzuki Swift were captured, Suzuki has released official shots of their new MINI-rivaling subcompact, and the car looks great, despite it being more of an evolution than a clean-sheet design. The car is slightly long, lower and wider and weight has been reduced, though Suzuki didn’t specify…
2011 Suzuki Swift Spied
The 2011 Suzuki Swift has been spied on the Nurburgring in full camouflage, but now, uncovered examples have been spotted on a transport truck in Hungary, giving us a closer look at the car’s styling. Only the rear was visible, but it’s safe to say that the design is an evolution of the current Swift’s looks….
Nissan Leaf Ads To Appear On 4th Gen iPhones
Nissan sure knows how to target future customers for the Nissan Leaf. At Steve Jobs’ keynote speech this week, the Apple CEO unveiled the new 4th generation iPhone, and what product made a prominent appearance to display the new iAd system? Why, the Nissan Leaf, of course! The Apple demographic is probably more open to…
Australian Police Biting Carabinieri Style, Adding Alfa Romeo To Fleet
Cara-what? The Carabinieri, Italy’s paramilitary police, are famous for their sharp liveried Alfa Romeo sedans, which can be seen driving around the streets of Rome, Genoa, Milan and other glamorous locales we know about only through movies and stereotypical depections of la dolce vita. The Carabinieri have traditionally chosen the Alfas for their driving prowess,…
Report: Hyundai Veloster To Debut In Paris With Three Doors
The Hyundai Veloster, the Korean company’s replacement for their successful Tiburon coupe, will make its debut at the Paris Auto Show in September, according to Autocar magazine. Reports say that the Veloster will be a three-door coupe, ala the Saturn SC1 of the 1990’s, with two doors on one side, to ease entry into the…
Chrysler To Recall 25,300 Dodge And Jeep Cars Due To Sticking Accelerators
Chrysler is recalling 25,265 Dodge Caliber and 71 Jeep Compass models due to faulty throttles that may become stuck, in a manner similar to the infamous Toyota gas pedals that lead to a number of motorist deaths and injuries. The accelerators were made by CTS Corp, the Indiana based supplier of the defective Toyota pedals….
Report: Diesel Powered Mini Cooper S To Debut In 2011
With the success of oil-burning hot hatches like the Seat Leon Cupra FR and Volkswagen Golf GTD, as well as a general trend towards “green” products (whatever that means), Mini is preparing to launch a diesel version of their Mini Cooper S hot hatch. Due to emissions legislation, BMW won’t offer the diesel in North…
