Autoblog

Following the unfortunate cancellation of this year's Dakar rally, race organizers are examining a number of potential alternatives to permanently move the race away from northern Africa. Last year's race had stages canceled due to security considerations, but this year's event, which would have been going on right now, was the first to be cancelled in the rally's history. With reports now suggesting that the French foreign ministry's urging to cancel was based on direct threats from Al Qaeda to the Dakar rally itself, last year's modified race will likely have been the last to run the traditional, if oft-modified, route.

ASO – the French outfit that organizes the event, along with the famous Tour de France bicycle race – has considered a number of alternatives, including Dubai, Australia, and even running the distance from Paris all the way to Beijing, but reports are now suggesting that following the offer from the Chilean tourism minister, a deal has already been signed to hold the rally beginning next year on a route from Argentina to Chile and back.

Although the South American rally likely won't happen this year, when it does it will likely revert to Dakar's traditional January 1 starting gun and take the place of the Pampas Rally in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup.

[Source: Autosport]

The small utility vehicle market is booming right now, and there may be none better in the non-luxury space than the fuel-sipping Honda CR-V. Honda has to be thrilled with their little 'ute, mostly because customers are snatching up the vehicle with little or no incentives, and it's far and away the best-selling CUV in the US. The CR-V has been so successful that Honda has increased production in Mexico by 20,000 units annually to expand sales into Brazil and Argentina. Honda is hiring an additional 600 employees to its El Salto plant in Mexico to account for growing production. The move is part of Honda's plan to double North American production of the CR-V.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

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When we first saw the initial rendering of Joan Ferci's Lamborghini Alar, a Diablo-based special that's somehow allowed to retain the Lamborghini nameplate, we knew it'd be pretty ugly. Now, Argentina Auto Blog, the site that brought us the original rendering, has ponied up what are reportedly the first official shots of the car, and it's just about what you'd expect.

Looking like the bastard child of a Pontiac Banshee cross-bred with leftover elements from H.R. Giger's original Alien designs, the Alar is, by all appearances, a waking nightmare on four wheels.The hammerhead shark-like nose is particularly weird-looking. Ironically, there are people who go out of their way to build kit cars that look like real Diablos. Here you have a case where perfectly good Diablos will be sacrificed in order to make them look like wacky kit cars. The mind reels.

[Source: Argentina Auto Blog]