Click above for our John Cooper Works MINI and Clubman high-res gallery
European MINI dealers are being asked to distinguish their stores from the BMW brand by creating a separate showroom for sell the British/Bavarian small-car. This entails new main entrances, and dedicated reception and service desks. While most of the dealers in the United States currently operate in this manner, most European retailers still share space with BMW. If dealers don't move enough volume to justify the investment, they will be dropped. In 2007, there were about 750 MINI retailers in Europe. That number is expected to fall to about 650 by the end of this year (worldwide, MINI has about 1,500 dealers in 70 countries). Unlike nearly all other automakers who are experiencing a sales slump, MINI's global sales are reportedly up more than 12 percent for the first nine months of 2008 -- no doubt credited to their diminutive size and fuel efficient engines.
The British have been known to "take the piss" out of their German counterparts for several decades now, and that goes well back before World War II. Time to score one for the sceptered isle again: somebody in a right-hand-drive vehicle in Germany has been foiling German speed cameras with a Muppet. German cameras are aimed to get clear pictures of the driver in a left-hand-drive car, but not a shot of the passenger -- who is, in this case, the driver. All they can get is this googly-eyed fellow. Jim Henson must be pleased. Thanks for the tip, Abe!
Thirty different auto manufacturers and technology companies are partners in a group called Car 2 Car Communication Consortium. The point is to create cars that talk to each other -- but instead of swapping secrets only with other cars of the same brand, the group wants to create vehicles that can speak to any other car, truck, or motorcycle on the road.
As one would expect, there are a number of things needed to successful implement the idea. The most important hurdle has just been cleared with the announcement that all parties have agreed on the European radio frequency that vehicles would would use to communicate. Ultimately, the consortium wants to create the ability for a Car 2 Car equipped vehicle to warn any nearby vehicle of an icy patch on the road, or for a motorcycle nearing an intersection to notify you while you're behind the wheel. Now that the consortium has a common channel to use, it only needs to decide on a common language. Esperanto, anyone? You can read the full release after the jump.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ferrari California
As you read this, journalists in Europe are getting their first taste of the Ferrari California, flogging the new coupe/convertible through the rolling hills of Italy, and periodically stopping to snack on shaved white truffles and sip Brunello di Montalcino. Jealous? We are. But rest assured our time will come. If it doesn't, then at least we know what we'll have to remove from our tanking 401k to get a California of our own... in Europe.
Evo is reporting that the Ferrari California will set back our friends abroad £143,000, placing it right in between the F430 coupe and spider. To put that into a U.S.-dollar perspective, the F430 coupe costs around $185,000 in the States, while the drop-top F430 is priced somewhere north of $210,000.
We'll have to wait to see how the 460-hp California fares in the first round of reviews, but in the meantime, start saving your pennies and get in line.
Following the approach taken by rival Renault, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen is working on an entry-level car set to debut in emerging markets in 2011. The Renault Logan has done well in Russia and Romania, which has prodded this interest and action from PSA. The new five-passenger vehicle will be assembled in Turkey or Poland and sold in eastern and central Europe, Russia, Turkey, and North Africa wearing both Citroen and Peugeot badging. If successful, sales would also expand to include China and South America. Even if the vehicle sells well, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen CEO Christian Streiff maintains there are no plans to sell the new car in western Europe – regardless of Renault's strategy.
For as clean and green and Earth-loving as the Europeans are, they sure do some dirty things... like throw a sooty-exhaust-belching racing semi around hairpin turns with loads of opposite lock – up an impossibly green mountain – just for a hillclimb. But hey, trucks and racing aren't illegal yet, so we say flog 'em while ya got 'em. Check out the video of Markus Boesiger, 2007's Truck Racing Champion, and his dashing diesel after the jump.
Click above for a high-res gallery of the production Toyota iQ
IF you're in Europe and hoping to get your name on a list for a Toyota iQ, now's the time. Toyota has opened up the order banks for the cleverly packaged microcar prior to its January availability date, while also giving up the goods on available specs, options, and pricing. The iQ comes in only two trim levels, iQ and iQ2, and pricing starts at £9,495 for the manual, and £10,495 for the multidrive CVT transmission. All iQ models come with 15-inch alloys, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, air conditioning and six speaker audio system with auxiliary socket. Checking the box for the iQ2 adds another £1,000, but for the money you receive high-gloss wheels, fog lamps, auto headlights and rain sensing wipers, smart entry and start system and climate control.
The iQ is pretty damn small, but Toyota is stuffing the tiny coupe with plenty of standard safety features, including ABS, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control and nine airbags, including the world's first rear window airbag. Toyota also offers five different option packages including leather seats, navigation, and iSport, iUrban and iStyle packages. The iQ may be small, but after looking at the specs, it looks like Toyota went out of its way to give you just about any option you can dream up for a bargain basement price. You just can't get one if you live in the US, at least not yet. Hit the jump to view Toyota's detailed press release.
For a few years there at large profile gatherings in America – especially sporting events – people wielding signs that referenced the Bible passage "John 3:16" and said things like "Be prepared" and "The end is nigh" were a common sight. We wouldn't be surprised if signs began showing up around VW headquarters that read "He is coming, 26-11-08." But the "he" they'd be referring to is Wendelin Wiedeking, CEO of Porsche, now that Porsche has announced its plans to take a greater-than-50-percent share in VW before the end of November.
Porsche's annual meeting is on November 26. The company hasn't said how big a stake it plans to take, nor when it will be doing the taking, but it's apparently ready to get this whole VW-ownership escapade into an endgame. There are still legal issues and technical challenges and Lower Saxony to deal with, but we have a feeling it's going to be a lot more difficult to argue with the phrase "absolute majority."
Click above for high-res gallery of the new Toyota Avensis
The Euro-only Toyota Avensis is reminiscent of the Lexus IS350 in the same way that you'd tell someone, "You kind of look like someone I know, but not really." It's the rising linear sideline, somewhat high and compact profile, and squared-off rear that do it. But that's from a full-on side profile and around the back. Move around the front and it really just looks like a Toyota. The raked grille and molded lips in the front bumper are unexpected, as is the subtle sexiness of the wagon. Designed in France, the new Avensis grows a little over its predecessor by 5 cm in length and width. Under the hood, possibilities include three new Valvematic gasoline engines, and two diesels, while cogs can be swapped with a 6-speed manual or the dual-mode, Multidrive S automatic. Check out the exhaustive press release after the jump, and the high-res gallery of photos below.
In the land of mergers and acquisitions, there are takeovers, there are hostile takeovers, and then there are I'm Gonna Git You Sucka No Matter What takeovers. Porsche's increasingly acrimonious battle to swallow VW is becoming that third option, and the brawl might threaten the short term plans of Porsche, VW and Audi. Porsche wants access to Audi engines and electronics, but VW, which owns more than 99-percent of Audi, won't allow it.
Porsche has de facto control of VW, with a 35.1-percent share. The so-called VW Law, which allows the government of Lower Saxony ultimate veto power even though it has only a 20-percent share, has been the broadsword that both VW and Germany have been using to keep Porsche at bay. The law has been struck down at least three times by the EU Commission and a German Court, only to have politicians figure out how to rewrite it without changing the substance of it.
VW's supverisory board recently declared it would need to approve any sharing between Porsche and Audi, and at the moment, Porsche can't overrule that decision. Ferdinand Piech, the head of VW, is in a battle with the Porsche family and Wendelin Wiedeking, the CEO of Porsche, over control, and neither is expected to budge. The risk is that since no one knows how this is all going to play out, a battle of egos and punitive reactions could interrupt development of and platform sharing between – and therefore the profits of – all three manufacturers' future products and technology.
Following the approach taken by rival Renault, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen is working on an entry-level car set to debut in emerging markets in 2011. The Renault Logan has done well in Russia and Romania, which has prodded this interest and action from PSA. The new five-passenger vehicle will be assembled in Turkey or Poland and sold in eastern and central Europe, Russia, Turkey, and North Africa wearing both Citroen and Peugeot badging. If successful, sales would also expand to include China and South America. Even if the vehicle sells well, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen CEO Christian Streiff maintains there are no plans to sell the new car in western Europe – regardless of Renault's strategy. 
2010 Nissan Cube breaks cover in Japan
Officially Official: 2010 Ford Mustang!
2010 Ford Mustang revealed early on Ford's own website!
2009 Nissan 370Z rolls out early in So. Cal
VIDEO: 2009 Nissan 370Z revealed early in So. Cal.
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 HUMMER H3T Alpha
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG
In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Hyundai Genesis
