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 at the LA 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 as 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]

AutoExpress' artists worked their magic on the next generation BMW Z4 and even though the exterior is more appealing than its predecessor, what lies beneath the evolved flame-surfacing has us aching to get behind the wheel.

As reported before, the next Z4 will feature a retractable hard top, but a cloth roof will continue to be offered on entry-level models. Motivation will come in several different flavors, beginning with naturally aspirated four- and six-cylinder powerplants. A diesel is also being considered – a first for the Z4 – and there's no doubt that the 3-series-based roadster will come packing the twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six that's proliferated throughout BMW's lineup. More importantly, rumors are beginning to swirl that the M version will be equipped with the 4.0-liter V8 currently found in the M3. If that happens, it's all but guaranteed that the twin-clutch gearbox will find a happy home in the transmission tunnel.

[Source: AutoExpress]

When it comes to increasing fuel economy, turbochargers are the replacement for displacement. The combination of highly efficient snails and smaller engines provides the power people expect, while reducing the overall weight of the vehicle. Like other automakers that have realized that forced induction is a suitable stop-gap for improving fuel economy, Mercedes-Benz is in the process of developing turbo'd engines that will proliferate throughout its lineup in the next two and a half years.

Thomas Weber, a Daimler board member in charge of research and development told Automotive News, "All our vehicles will have turbocharged engines in series production by the end of 2010 at the latest."

Mercedes is joining BMW and Audi by investing heavily into forced induction, primarily to cope with new fuel economy standards in the U.S. and Europe. But turbos are only going to take them so far. Mercedes plans to introduce hybrids into its lineup towards the close of the decade, beginning with the S-class sedan in 2009. According to Weber, zero-emission vehicles are the automaker's long-term goal and Daimler intends to push heavily towards fuel-cells and electric-powered vehicle in the future, including an electric smart fortwo which will go into production sometime in 2010.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 BMW M3.

The rumormongers at AutoZeitung are reporting that BMW plans to unveil a stripped-out, track-ready M3 at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The E90-based M3 CSL will use many of the same tricks BMW employed on the E46 model in an effort to shave the coupe's curb weight. Luxuries like air conditioning, stereo and navigation won't be included, while the hood, bumper, trunk and fenders will all be swapped out in favor of carbon fiber pieces.

In addition to keeping the pounds down, BMW will reportedly boost the output of the M3 CSL by an additional 50 horsepower, for a total of 470 bhp. That should allow the E90 CSL run to 60 in around four seconds, on its way to a top speed of around 185 mph.

Production of the 2010 BMW M3 CSL will be limited to 100 units and pricing is estimated at 90,000 euro, or just over $140k.


[Source: AutoZeitung via EGMCarTech]

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

We're admittedly tiring of the Camaro hype machine, but we can't fault the fanboys at 5thgen.org for keeping their pot of excitement on boil. The site threw up a countdown to the announcement of the production Camaro on July 22nd, which apparently will be held at all domestic Chevrolet dealers through a two-hour satellite broadcast. Retailers will be given all the details on the Camaro at that time and according to a source, "real orders for real cars" will begin being accepted.




[Source: 5thgen.org via Jalopnik]

Click above for a gallery of the Euro-market Ford Focus

Finally. The European Ford Focus will go into production in the United States in 2010 along with the Fiesta. This has been officially confirmed by Ford, which will offer the Euro Focus here in both four- and five-door body styles. That's not the only news, either. Production of large trucks and SUVs will be further dialed back for the remainder of this year, and the introduction of the new F-150 pickup truck has been pushed back two months to "late fall". The catalyst for all this? Expensive gas, the new boogeyman that has people running from trucks and SUVs en masse. The F-150 delay is designed to give dealers more time to thin out existing '08 truck inventory before the new pickup arrives in the fall. On the flipside, Ford will add shifts to increase production of the current Focus, Mariner/Escape, Edge/MKX, and the new Flex. In the end, however, expect more red ink on the balance sheet, as Ford states that its pre-tax Automotive results will fall short of 2007's, and follows that up with an announcement that it expects Ford Motor Credit to post a loss, as well. You can read the full release after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Part of Audi's plan for expansion includes taking the Mercedes-Benz CLS, BMW's upcoming 8-series and the Jaguar XJ replacement (due next year) head on. The automaker is convinced that the future of flagship sedans revolves around the "four-door coupe" body style and the A7 will be an attempt to dominate in that segment.

According to Autocar, the A7 will be 4,900mm long, underpinned by a stretched version of the A5's Modular Long Platform (MLP) that will also be used on the next A6. The platform puts a premium on optimum weight distribution, and while the A6 will feature a traditional coil-sprung suspension, the A7 is expected to ride on an air-spring setup.

Power is expected to come from a variety of gasoline and diesel powerplants, including a host of direct-injected engines ranging in displacement from 2.8- to 4.0-liters, along with a 2.7-liter diesel V6 and a twin-turbocharged version of the 3.0-liter TDI V6. Naturally, S7 and RS7 variants are planned, with the latter receiving the twin-turbo'd 5.2-liter V10 found in the RS6, delivering 600 hp to all four wheels through a new torque distribution system which will debut on the new S4. The base transmission on most models will be a six-speed manual, while a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a traditional automatic will also be offered.

Audi aims to sell 40,000 A7s each year, with the majority finding their way to the U.S. market. Look for the A7 to debut in 2010.

[Source: Autocar]

Winding Road sat down with the newest print issue of Autocar and discovered that Mazda dealers are particularly pleased with the soap-bar aesthetic of the current MX-5. More to the point, they're hoping that Mazda designers don't nuke the fridge when the iconic roadster goes under the knife next year.

According to Autocar's sources, the new MX-5 won't benefit from the swooping Nagare theme that's expected to influence all of Mazda's future designs, primarily because dealers are happy with the current car. However, Mazda's designers want to kick up the MX-5's flavor, saying that the car was "never radical enough" for their tastes. Since we've always been split on the styling of the current MX-5, we're hoping both parties can be assuaged with a balance between mild and wild. We'll see, and we're looking forward to the clean sheet makeover the MX-5 gets in 2012.

[Source: Autocar via Winding Road]

Subaru and Toyota's rear-wheel-drive lovechild is on its way, and AutoExpress has tapped Larson to render the new coupe to give us an idea of what we'll be saving up for come 2010.

As previously reported, both versions will be sporting separate sheet metal to differentiate the two coupes from one another. We'd suspect that the Toyota version will be fitted with a traditional trunk, while the Subaru version will get a hatch similar to that found on the WRX/STI. The image above takes all the right cues from the current Impreza, particularly the aggressive roofline and hunkered stance, and ratchets it up a notch with a new front bumper, swept back headlamps and bulging fender flares.

As we're already aware, both the Toyota version (which supposedly won't make it to U.S. shores) and the Subaru variant will be powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter boxer, sending around 180 hp to the rear wheels. AutoExpress claims that a 300-hp version equipped with the turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four is also destined for production, along with an all-wheel-drive version further down the road. For those of us that have been dreaming of an STI-powered GC8 coupe, this could spare us the considerable headache and expense when it goes on sale in 2012.

[Source: AutoExpress]

We're expecting to see the redesigned 911 unveiled later this week, but Autocar's spies have caught the next iteration of the GT3 RS running at the Nurburgring ahead of its unveiling later next year. As is often the case with Porsche, it's hard to discern any substantive differences between this newest version of the GT3 RS and the current model, but when the new 911 makes its debut, it'll be wearing a redesigned front bumper, along with LED headlights and taillights, all of which will carry over to the GT3 RS.

Granted, these subtle changes aren't that compelling, but Porsche has big plans for what's underneath the new model's sheet metal. The GT3 RS will supposedly be packing another 40 hp over the outgoing model, developing 450 hp at peak output. However, there's been considerable debate about whether or not the GT3 RS' engine will be equipped with direct-injection, considering it's traditionally been based off the GT1 racecar. Harnessing those extra ponies will be a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission (Porsche Doppel Kupplung or PDK in Porsche parlance) that will provide seamless and ultra-quick shifts through steering wheel-mounted paddles. Purists might complain about a lack of a manual gearbox, but that's what purists do. So expect a manual version to be an option when it goes on sale in late 2009 or early 2010.

[Source: Autocar]