Car Review : Chrysler Rolls Out 2008 PT Street Cruiser Sunset Boulevard Edition

Automotive News

Chrysler said it is kicking off Woodward Dream Cruise festivities this week with the rollout of its latest limited-edition model, the 2008 PT Street Cruiser Sunset Boulevard Edition. The car will go on sale later this summer starting at $16,650 for the manual-transmission model and $17,475 for the automatic-transmission model. Both prices include a $640 destination charge.

Chrysler notes that this is the 11th customized version of the PT Cruiser since the car's introduction in 2000. The latest model is spun off the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser LX.

Details include special Sunset Crystal paint, 16-inch chrome-clad nine-spoke wheels with all-season tires, a power moonroof and deep-tint sunscreen glass. Street Cruiser badging decorates the rear liftgate. Interior touches include Pastel Pebble Beige sport bucket seats, bright sill scuff pads and bright accent ring cupholders.

The Sunset Boulevard Edition joins such special models as the Flames, Woodie and Street Cruiser Route 66. Sunset Boulevard is an iconic thoroughfare in popular culture. It was the setting for the 1960s TV series 77 Sunset Strip and served as the inspiration for the 1950 movie of the same name, as well as the 1993 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that starred Glenn Close as Norma Desmond.

New Car Review : Saab Limited-Edition Turbo X

Automotive News

The centerpiece of Saab's Frankfurt auto show exhibit will be the limited-edition Turbo X, a variant of the 9-3 that harks back to the Saab 99 and 900 "Black Turbos."

Saab is being as mysterious about the Turbo X as the name would suggest. It has yet to offer detailed specifications or discuss what it calls the "innovative features" of the "new Saab 'Black Turbo.'"

"This ultimate expression of the new 9-3 range will deliver standard-setting levels of performance for the brand," Saab said in a statement on Friday.

The Turbo X celebrates the 30th anniversary of the debut of Saab's first turbocharged model, which was unveiled in Frankfurt in 1977. The 99 Turbo has been described by Saab as "one of the most emblematic cars in Saab's history." The launch car was finished in Pearl White and is part of the Saab AB factory collection in Trollhättan, Sweden.

The original four-cylinder 2.0-liter Turbo engine delivered 135 horsepower, compared with 115 for the standard engine. However, torque was bumped up dramatically. Saab said it was the first to offer a turbo tuned for low-speed torque in a sedan for daily driving, as opposed to "high-speed power in a pure sports car such as the Porsche 911," according to the book Saab 60th Anniversary Edition. A four-speed manual transmission was standard.

A total of 10,607 Saab 99 Turbo vehicles were built, starting with 100 test fleet cars in 1977 and continuing through 1982. The 99 Turbo three-door hatchback was sold in the U.S. only during the 1978 model year. It was replaced by the larger Saab 900 Turbo three- and five-door hatchback in 1979.

New Car Review : Porsche Limited-Edition Boxster

Automotive News

Porsche Cars North America will put the first of 500 Limited Edition Boxster and Boxster S models on sale on September 28, priced at $49,900 and $59,900, respectively.

The orange Limited Edition cars were first previewed earlier this year at the 2007 New York Auto Show. Features include a sport exhaust system, safety bars and a Limited Edition plaque in the glovebox. A Sport Design package bundles front spoiler lips, a redesigned rear spoiler and a modified rear fascia with integrated diffuser.

Contrasting with the orange paint scheme are black painted alloy wheels (18-inch on the Boxster, 19-inch on the Boxster S), black side mirrors, black front and side air intakes, and a black convertible top. Inside, the seats, carpet, dash, door panels and other surfaces are trimmed in black and orange.

New car review : Renault Clio Estate

Automotive News

Renault plans to storm the Frankfurt Messe with no fewer than seven world premieres at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show next month. Among them: the first-ever wagon version of the Clio supermini. Also due to be unveiled are hatchback and wagon editions of the new Laguna, plus two new concepts.

The Clio wagon was inspired by the Clio Grand Tour concept that was displayed earlier this year at Geneva. The production model will be called Clio Sport Tourer in the U.K. and Clio Estate on the Continent when it goes on sale late this year.

Proton's Chinese Partner To Assemble Lotus Sports Cars

Automotive News

A small Chinese manufacturer, Jinhua Neoplan, has extended its agreement with Malaysian automaker Proton and now plans to begin assembling Lotus sports cars by year's end.

The China Daily reports that Jinhua Neoplan, an affiliate of Zhejiang-based automaker Jinhua Youngman, expects to build up to 150,000 cars a year at its plant in Jinan. Among the cars it plans to assemble is the Lotus Europa, from knocked-down kits.

Lotus last year said it had an engineering contract with Jinhua Youngman to develop a four-door sedan for the Chinese market. That vehicle is a version of the Proton Gen 2, which will be rebadged as the Europestar in China. Lotus, which is owned by Proton, collaborated on a hybrid gas-electric version of the Gen 2 sedan.

Jinhua also has partnered previously with Iran Khodro on minicar production.

New car revew : Vinci GT

Automotive News

Portugal has never been any kind of hub of automotive industry. This did not stop Jose Miguel Conceiçao Rodrigues, a Portuguese businessman who runs a classic-car dealership here. He embarked on an ambitious path to come up with a home-breed sports car named the Vinci GT that has reached the prototype and mock-up stage.

Rodrigues teamed with the nonprofit Center for Excellence and Innovation in the Auto Industry (CEIIA). Together they started the Retrosport company to draw up the design. The Vinci GT was penned by Ernesto Freitas, a designer whose portfolio also includes the Dutch Hansen GT-R sports car.

The look of the prototype is very '60s. Power comes from a 6.0-liter Chevrolet V8 capable of 475 horsepower, mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox. Most of the components were produced locally. Retrosport hopes to launch production in January 2008 of a total of 100 cars, each costing the equivalent of $341,000.

Meanwhile, the company has mocked up a second model, the transverse midengine Vinci Sport, which appears like nothing so much as a modernized Ferrari Dino. Further plans for this design have not yet been announced.

Hyundai To Roll Out Matrix-Fighting 2009 Elantra Touring

Automotive News

In one of the few bits of true product news to come out of this week's Center of Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars here, Hyundai announced that its Elantra variant, a tall wagon dubbed "Elantra Touring," will make its debut in spring 2008 as a 2009 model. The five-door Elantra Touring will be a sister vehicle to the Elantra sedan. The Elantra Touring is expected to be priced under $15,000; the 2007 Elantra GLS starts at $13,995, including a $600 destination charge. The previous-generation Elantra included a five-door model.

Hyundai said the Elantra Touring will use the same 2.0-liter inline-4 found in the Elantra sedan. The engine makes 138 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque. It is linked to a standard five-speed manual transmission. The Korean automaker said the Elantra Touring will be tweaked with a "unique sport suspension and steering tuned for greater response and handling." It will also offer the company's first USB port, along with a standard auxiliary jack and standard XM Satellite Radio.

The key competitors will include the Dodge Caliber, Mazda 3 and Toyota Matrix

Automotive and Car Concept : Future Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Automotive News

Spy photographers have already glimpsed a heavily disguised 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class during hot-weather testing in the U.S., and now they're offering a sneak peek illustration based on the prototypes.

It's still several years off, but the redesigned E-Class has been in the works for some time now. Various test mules have revealed subtle changes that should give this midsize luxury sedan from Mercedes-Benz a more dramatic look than the current model.

Up front, the headlights will change from their current oval shape in favor of a squared-off look. It's bound to be one of this sedan's more noticeable changes as the rest of the new design will incorporate subtle variations that are harder to spot. Minor changes to the current beltline and shape of the greenhouse should further distance this sedan from its predecessor. Revised taillights should give it a new look from behind, too, but we couldn't verify the shapes used in this illustration so we'll have to wait to see how accurate the artist's conception is when the car sheds more of its camouflage.

Car Review : Mazda RX-8 Anniversary Edition

Car Review : Mazda RX-8 Anniversary Edition

Mazda is rolling out a limited edition of the RX-8 in the home market to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first Mazda rotary engine.The engine itself predates Mazda, originating with Felix Wankel, who built the first running prototype at German automaker NSU in 1957.

Mazda's first rotary-engine car, the Cosmo Sport, was launched in Japan in 1967. The company installed the rotary in several other models, notably the RX-7 (known in Japan as the Savanna). Poor fuel economy and higher-than-average exhaust emissions nearly killed the engine in North America. But Mazda in recent years has continued to refine the basic design and now is working on such exotic variants as a hydrogen-powered rotary.

The RX-8 Rotary Engine 40th Anniversary model features black leather and light silver Alcantara seats, marble white exterior paint, plus additional equipment, including Bilstein shocks and 18-inch wheels and tires. Buyers can choose between six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

Only 200 units will be produced. The price in Japan is $26,500.

New Car review Alfa 8C Competizione

New Car review Alfa 8C Competizione

The Alfa Romeo brand is coming back to the United States in 2008. The 8C Competizione, a supercar that will be priced at $200,000 or above, will be sold in limited quantities here starting next year at Maserati dealerships, according to Maserati North America President James Selwa. The announcement was made during a preview of the Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance in suburban Detroit, where the Alfa brand will be featured. The event takes place this weekend at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and the Alfa Romeo Owners Club will hold its national convention there at the same time. In addition to the 8C Competizione, the Alfa B.A.T. (Berlina Aerodinamica Technica) concepts of the 1950s will be among the Alfas on display.

The Alfa brand left the U.S. in 1995 and has been rumored many times to be close to a return. More recently, the company had said it will bring a lineup of Alfa Romeos, including the Brera and Spider, here in 2009.

New Car : DeLorean Could Return in Limited Production

New Car : DeLorean Could Return in Limited Production

DeLorean Motor Co. is poised to return its iconic cult car to limited production. According to the Los Angeles Times, DMC, now a Houston-based DeLorean restoration shop, is starting to make plans to produce as many as 20 vehicles a year from scratch. DMC Vice President James Espey says the company has 200 of the original 2.8-liter V6 engines in stock with which to begin the limited-production program. DMC currently offers restorations for $25,000 and full frame-off rebuilds for $42,000, but the new hand-built models are likely to be considerably more expensive.

Former General Motors Executive John Z. DeLorean gained a level of infamy when he was arrested in 1982 in a drug scandal while trying to finance the struggling car company. The vehicles later gained worldwide recognition with help from a starring role in Michael J. Fox's 1985 movie, Back to the Future.

The last DeLorean DMC-12 rolled off the assembly line in 1982.

Special Tuning: TechArt Magnum Version of Porsche Cayenne

Special Tuning: TechArt Magnum Version of Porsche Cayenne

TechArt continues to dress up Porsches of all sizes and stripes, and is now preparing to launch its latest Magnum package based on the revised 2008 Porsche Cayenne at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. TechArt, which already has built more than 500 Magnums, has upgraded the wide-body aero kit, which fits all versions of the Cayenne. It includes flared fenders, rocker panels, hood with air outlets, front apron with large air intakes and rear apron with integrated diffuser to accommodate the TechArt stainless-steel exhaust system with quad chrome tailpipes.

TechArt offers custom-tailored wheels in sizes up to 22 inches. All wheels come with ContiCrossContact UHP tires. A sport module lowers the air suspension on the Cayenne Turbo by up to 1.2 inches. The company said it is finalizing an engine tuning kit for the new Cayenne that ultimately will boost output as high as 620.

Among the interior options and accessories are carbon-fiber trim, leather upholstery and an ergonomically shaped steering wheel.

Lavazza Serves a Jolt of Espresso to the Supercar Elite

Exotic sports cars are part of the cultural patrimony of Italy. A number of think-outside-the-box companies flourish here on a small but active scale. Now, in the mold of Bizzarrini and Pagani, comes Enrico Lavazza with a new supercar and a company to back it up, SimbolDesign.

Enrico Lavazza is no relation to the famous Italian coffee company of the same name, but he probably had recourse to caffeine many times in the past three decades. That's how long he says it took him to build his first big project, the six-wheeled, V8-powered Covini C6W. The Lavazza C8 is displayed on the SimbolDesign Web site. It has a Ford V8 engine, a curb weight of 2,160 pounds, an ultralow stance and a 183-mph top speed.

SimbolDesign's even newer prototype is the GT-X V12 5.3. This one takes a page from the Ferrari Enzo styling book, with a slight hint of Pagani Zonda but with a huge dose of individuality. The 5.3-liter V12 comes from BMW. It is good for 400 horsepower, which propels the two-seater to 186-plus mph.

Hansen GT Sports Car

In the world of virtual prototypes, it is easy to get carried away. But Giel Hansen, a young Dutch automotive engineer, believes he knows how to make a great coupe. And he's out to prove it with his prototype: the Hansen GT.

Hansen's day job was as an employee at a bus-building company, but he dreamed about his very own sports car. By chance, an entry in a Swedish design competition caught his eye. He got in touch with the designer, Ernesto Freitas of Portugal, and it is Freitas who made preliminary sketches for what is to be the Hansen GT. Hansen has also linked with a Netherlands kit-car dealer and a racing team, and he has been at work on the project for several months now.

Hansen Sportscars has released some preliminary specifications on the forthcoming racing version of the Hansen GT. The Hansen GT-R will be powered by a 5.0-liter V10 engine, pumping out more than 500 horsepower. Body panels will be made from carbon fiber and other plastics.

A road-legal coupe is expected to follow next year, with an expected price of about $310,000 — but Giel is mainly interested in GT racing. His dream is to participate in the American Le Mans series