Autoblog

click above image to view live shots of the 2008 Saturn Red Line

Admittedly, hot-rodded cute-utes mystify many of us, but the kids seem to love 'em, and the Red Line version of Saturn's 2008 Vue should satisfy those looking for a combination of practicality and power.

We're sure that some Saturn fans were not happy with the inclusion of Honda power in the previous Vue RL, and they can take comfort in the fact that the "foreign" drivetrain has been replaced with the General's own High Feature DOHC V6 and six-speed automatic. Front wheel drive is standard, while those looking to route those 250 ponies via additional paths can opt for AWD.

The front fascia receives special Red Line attention, and out back, two large rectangular exhaust tips remind followers that they're not behind a garden-variety Vue. Inside, the RL gets an exclusive Ebony color scheme, along with suede inserts on the seating surfaces to keep butts properly planted when exploring the limits of the lowered suspension and fat wheel/tire package.

Mike from ABG made the comment that this is a bit like a poor man's BMW X3, and we'd have to agree with that statement.

Check out the gallery for additional shots of the Vue Red Line followed by the official press release after the jump.

The design of the horizontally-opposed engine has a myriad of benefits. One of the most common is its compact design, which allows the center of gravity to be lower in the host vehicle. Additionally, since the boxer's pistons cancel out much of the vibration, the rotational balance is second to none. Both of these advantages will lend themselves to the advent of the first boxer diesel, which will find a home within a variety of Subaru models in Europe and possible even here in the States.

Hiroyuki Ikeda, Subaru Europe's President, announced at the Paris Motor Show that the development of the H4 turbo-diesel boxer is almost complete. The design, pictured above, reveals two interesting tidbits: first, the turbo, which is traditionally housed towards the passenger side firewall on most Subarus, will be moved south of the crankshaft to retain the boxer's low center of gravity. Second, the new DOHC diesel will be outfitted with a timing chain, currently only seen on Subaru's H6 engines, and will be the first H4 so equipped.

If one of Subie's diesels does make it to this continent, expect it to reside under the hood of the new Forester.

[Source: GizMag via Straightline]

With Ford readying one or more special-edition Mustangs to slot in between the GT and the Shelby GT500, there is a need for an engine that will bridge the gap between the SOHC 4.6L's 300 HP, and the supercharged DOHC 5.4L's 500 HP. And it's impossible to ignore the fact that the Mustang GT will soon be bringing a knife to the gunfight, with both the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger threatening to hit the streets with over 400 HP.

We've done some speculating in the past, as have others, about what this mid-level V8 Ford might be, and it appeared as if the direction was towards a naturally-aspirated 5.0L or 5.4L DOHC engine. Stangs Unleashed is reporting that it will indeed be a N/A DOHC engine, but with an aluminum-block bottom end providing only 4.6L of displacement. Such an engine would be similar to that which powered the '99 and '01 Mustang Cobras (pictured above), but possibly with the more potent FR500 heads and a new intake manifold. It's reasonable to wonder if this would be enough to take on the competition, as the proposed modifications may not be sufficient to bump the 320 HP of prior DOHC 4.6L engines up to competitive levels.

Apparently, there is also a bit of speculation around what name (or names) will be used on these special pony cars. We've been saying that the Boss name will return, while it sounds as if the Bullitt or Mach1 badges may also be used. And a bit of daydreaming leads one to think that maybe a Shelby GT350 will join the GT500 in Ford showrooms. Whatever it's called, we look forward to turning over the odometer a quarter-mile at a time.

[Source: Stangs Unleashed]