Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Ford Mustang at Road America.

You read that right folks. The 2010 Ford Mustang will make its official debut in at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19th. According to a source speaking with InsideLine, the new 'Stang won't be shown in Detroit as originally rumored, conceivably a response to the Camaro hype-machine we've had to endure over the last two weeks.

When the wraps are pulled off the 2010 Mustang, expect all-new front and rear fascias, including a new grille, headlamps and taillights, along with a tweaked hood and a few cues rumored to be pulled of the Guigiaro Mustang concept.

Speculation about powertrains has been running rampant for months, but a reworked V8 and V6 is part of the package, and possibly a new turbocharged, EcoBoost bent-six further down the line. Sales will begin late early next year.

[Source: InsideLine]

Click above for a larger image of the Porsche Cayman S Sport.

The Cartribe crew is living up their reputation as the newest embargo breakers in the biz, with a follow up to their original story that the Porsche Cayman is getting a serious Sport injection ahead of the new model's debut next year.

The Porsche Cayman S Sport is packing 303 hp, up from 295 hp, and will come equipped with Porsche's Active Stability Management system, a 10mm suspension drop, blacked-out wheels and a two-tone paint scheme aping the 911 GT3.

Pricing is rumored to be set at £49,890 and expect more details to be revealed shortly.

[Source: Cartribe.co.uk]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Camaro's Melbourne reveal

While General Motors debuted the 2010 Chevy Camaro in Detroit and L.A. on Monday, they also gave it a proper debut in Australia where much of the car's development work was performed. The General just published some new pictures from the car's Melbourne debut in which the new Camaro poses for the camera with a second generation model, two third generation models, a fourth gen and a very cherry 1969 Camaro SS owned by reigning V8 Supercar champion Garth Tander. Those pics plus GM's own shots that were taken at the live reveal in Detroit have been added to the first gallery below, beneath which we've included our own updated gallery of live shots from the Detroit reveal that includes images of the car after it was driven outside.

When we see things like this, we feel like Bruce Banner... having to contain our anger... at not getting... the Euro Focus. But hopefully tomorrow our fortunes will change, and if they do, here' s a look at the Focus we could get in 2011.

We were happy enough about the second-gen Focus, and this is even better. With a massive front maw, revised panels throughout, and a well executed sportback rear, the Focus Mk. 3 is, as the English would say, a bit of all right. The highlight show continues inside with better materials and an HMI-like control system. The UK will get the car later this year.

Although this Focus isn't slated (yet) for an RS version, it will put on an ST badge and mods at some point, and will come in three-, four-, and five-door variants, plus a wagon and a convertible. And if you're in Spain, you'll get a special edition diesel Focus WRC-S, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder pumping 134 bhp. Each one of 666 samples will be signed by Ford WRC driver Marcus Gronholm. Prices have not been announced for any of the new Focus models.

[Source: Auto Express]

Click above for a gallery of the 2008 MINI Cooper S.

If you were planning on hitting one of the 82 U.S. MINI dealers to get your hands on a fuel-efficient Cooper or Clubman, it looks like you'll need to look at plan B. Skyrocketing fuel prices has lifted demand of the little British icons to the point that, with the except of pre-orders, all 2008 models are pretty much sold out. The MINI's cute looks and thrifty petrol-sipping discipline have made the retro hatch more attractive than ever. Year over year sales increases of 39%, 52%, and 24% from April-June have all but wiped clean the MINI's already tight inventory.

Although sales really picked up in April, the MINI has been on fire all year, as the 26,400 MINIs sold in the first half of 2008 represents a 33.6% increase over the same sales period in 2007. And thanks to the MINI's already tight world-wide demand, the BMW-owned automaker can only up US shipments by 2-3k units for the rest of the year.

Team MINI wants to keep its new-found fortune coming, too, as it plans to increase its dealer count to 95 stores by 2011. The British automaker will also introduce a diesel MINI once it can pass emissions in all 50 states.


[Source: Green Fuel Forecast]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Chevy Camaro.

In this automotive day and age, any vehicle that has even a trace amount of performance in its DNA has to make the rounds around the Nurburgring. The new Chevy Camaro SS isn't exempt. So after GM revealed the Camaro on Monday, one of the scribes at InsideLine ran up to an engineer to find out what kind of time the Camaro put down at the Nordschleife. According to Doug Houlihan, GM's chief engineer for global rear-wheel-drive vehicles, the Camaro SS ran the 'Ring in 8:20.

To put that into perspective, the recently released 2008 Cobalt SS did the deed in 8:22, along with the BMW E46 M3 and the last generation BMW M Coupe, followed by the Lotus Exige S and Porsche Cayman S at 8:25.

Ed Welburn, GM'S veep of global design, concedes that the Camaro's shape is merely adequate from an aerodynamic standpoint, with a coefficient of drag on the SS of 0.35 and on the LS/LT models of 0.36 – largely a result of the recessed headlamps and full-width grille.

Houlihan went on to say that their time at the 'Ring allowed them to dial in the steering response and suspension settings, and that the StabiliTrak traction control system on the Camaro will be the best GM can offer. Settings on the SS model allow drivers to choose between track and performance modes, along with completely disabling the system. A launch control feature will also be available on the SS.

The only question now is: where's the video?


[Source: InsideLine]

At a GM event we attended at the end of last summer, one of the presentations shown to the assembled media was an interior animation depicting the new Chevy Camaro's cockpit lighting and how it changs depending on the position of the key in the ignition. We'd been asking General Motors for a copy ever since, and were politely told, "no" every time. With the car's official unveiling yesterday, GM finally made the video available on the Camaro's official website. We've grabbed a copy and put it in the player above for your enjoyment, along with both of our live vids shot at yesterday's reveal. The interior video shows some really cool stuff, further proof that GM Design is paying close attention to cabin illumination in its new vehicles. Take a ride in a new CTS at night, and you'll see exactly what we mean. From the looks of things, GM's going to give the Camaro the same kind of love, and we're looking forward to experiencing it firsthand.


[Source: GM]

Click above for high-res gallery of the IFR Automotive Aspid

IFR Automotive is a design and technology company based in Spain that we've never heard of, but they're in London right now for the 2008 British Motor Show to debut the Aspid, a new featherweight "luxury" sportscar powered by a 400bhp supercharged 2.0L four-cylinder. Combined with a curb weight of just 1,543 lbs., the Aspid can reportedly reach 62 mph in an astonishing 2.8 seconds. IFR is fervent that the Aspid is not a stripped down track day special, but a full road car, hence the "luxury" modifier. It sure looks like Caterham circa 2055, but IFR claims that it's gone to the ends of the earth to keep the Aspid's weight in check while keeping the car suitable for road use. The Aspid sits on an aluminum extrusion composite paneled chassis weighing just 175 lbs., and all of its suspension components are aluminum as well. IFR also reduced the complexity of the car's electrical system, deleting processors and wires wherever it could. Rather than a bank of gauges staring back at you in the cockpit, drivers will instead find touch screens that relay all essential info and allow extreme customization of the car's mechanicals. You can change the rev limit, valve timing, overall power output, brake balance, ride height and a whole lot more all from the comfort of the driver's seat. Plus there's a nav system, wi-fi and a whole smorgesborg of telecom technologies stuffed inside. And did we mention it can reach 62 mph in 2.8 seconds? Damn.


[Source: IFR Automotive]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Lotus Evora

Project Eagle has finally been unveiled today at the 2008 British Motor Show as the Evora, and Lotus is beaming over its little eaglet. The Evora will be the most grown up and accessible Lotus in the British manufacturer's lineup. To illustrate, the automaker claims it will fit two American males in the front seats (did they just call us fat?). It's a mid-engine, 2+2 coupe (a convertible is planned) with 3.5L V6 sourced from Toyota but elevated by Lotus above its humble origins to produce 276 horsepower. The car weighs just 2,976 lbs., which might be a lot for a Lotus but is well below the average weight of most cars. The interior is unlike any you've seen from this automaker, which is to say that occupying one won't be like staying in a hostel compared to a four-star hotel. You've got leather all around, a nav system, and Lotus promises ingress and egress have been vastly improved over its other models.

The Evora will be built on a new assembly line at the company's assembly plant in Hethel, England at the rate of 2,000 annually, but has been designed to meet safety and emissions requirements around the world. That many cars for so many markets means the Evora will be exclusive, although we don't expect Lotus to leave money on the table if there's big demand for its new, softer, more accessible sports car. Other vehicles will also eventually be built on the Evora's new aluminum chassis, which is called the Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA) and was first seen on the Lotus APX Concept. It can be stretched, widened and carry a vehicle weighing over 4,000 lbs. One new Lotus is enough for now, though, as we try to wrap our heads around a Hethel-based car with creature comforts.


[Source: Lotus]

Click above for new high-res gallery of the 2010 Chevy Camaro

You've waited long enough, so let's dispense with the pleasantries and get right down to the hard facts.

• Three models - LS, LT, SS
• LS and LT come with 3.6L direct-inject V6 (300 hp/273 lb-ft)
• SS six-speed manual comes with 6.2L LS3 V8 (422 hp/408 lb-ft)
• SS six-speed automatic comes with new 6.2L L99 V8 (400 hp/395 ft-lb) and Active Fuel Management
• 3.6L DI V6 gets 26 mpg highway
• 6.2L V8 with automatic gets 23 mpg highway
• RS appearance package available on LT and SS (includes HID headlamps with integrated halo rings, spoiler, specific taillamps and 20-inch wheels)
• Front and rear independent suspension
• FE2 suspension for LS and LT, sportier FE3 for SS
• Four-wheel disc ABS standard, SS gets four-piston Brembo calipers
• SS model gets adjustable Competitive/Sport mode for stability control and Launch Control on manual models
• Available 18-,19- and 20-inch wheels

You can read Chevy's full press release after the jump and browse the official, full-size image collection in the gallery below. Stay tuned for our post of live coverage from our team on the ground.