Autoblog

Would you like some car with those wheels? This latest rendering of the anticipated Mazda RX-9 sports car comes from an enthusiast in Japan and was posted on the Ford fan forum FoMoCoNews.com.

Although the artist swears that it's close to the mark, the actual design, like the rendering featured on Winding Road, is expected to more faithfully portray the styling language previewed on the radical Furai concept. This illustration, meanwhile, appears to be more of an evolution of the current RX-8, but with enormous rims that would have to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 inches (which is farther than this thing would make it on public roads with those ground effects).

[Source: FoMoCoNews.com]

With the Alfa Junior hatch gearing up for production, the 8C Competizione being delivered to customers and the 159, Brera and Spider gorgeous-ing up roads around the world, the next item on Alfa Romeo's plate is the 169, its upcoming flagship sedan.

Although the 169, spy shots of which we brought you back in February '07, could be based on a modified Maserati platform or potentially on one borrowed from Jaguar, it's slated to return to rear-wheel-drive either way, which puts it in a better position to take on Europe's very best sports sedans.

The image above, of course, is just a rendering, but draws on existing and anticipated brand styling cues. We hope the actual production version will be more sexy and, well, more Italian than this illustration, and we also hope it'll make it across the pond with its stablemates.

[Source: The Hollywood Extra]

The mysterious images of a 2012 Mazda RX-9 that we brought you a few days ago appear to be illustrations cooked up by Winding Road magazine's in-house sketch artist Glenn Poblete, who literally drew on Mazda's current design language from the Kabura concept and other recent Mazda showstoppers to come up with a good guesstimate.

As for the heart of the beast, Winding Road figures on a front-engine/rear-drive layout with a limited-slip diff mated to either a rotary engine, in the grandest Mazda tradition, or ditching the Renesis for a more conventional V6 or V8. If Mazda decides to stick with the Wankel engine, it would have to improve on its gas and oil consumption, and it could benefit from a pair of variable turbochargers like in the latest Porsche 911 Turbo. Displacement on an updated Renesis, if chosen, could increase to 1.8-liters (if you consider the current version to displace 1.3-liters) or 3.5 (if you hold the current one at 2.6).

Like our compatriots, we hope Mazda sticks with a purely two-seat set-up instead of trying to squeeze tiny seats in the back, but the RX-9 could gain a suicide rear door to ease access if rear chairs are added. If that were the case, the RX-9 would effectively replace the quasi-four-door RX-8, which is anticipated for a facelift soon.

[Source: Winding Road]

The Subaru Impreza has changed faces more times than a dirty politician, but still manages to sell well thanks largely to a loyal customer base. And those loyal customers – not to mention the enthusiasts to whom the letters s-t-i are close to g-o-d – have been patiently awaiting the launch of the current Impreza's replacement, due for unveiling at the New York Auto Show in April and on the market next year.

These images published in Japan are now hitting the internet, and if the illustrations are accurate, the wait just might be over, not to mention worthwhile. Subaru's design director, Andreas Zapatinas, who was responsible for the current Subie's rather unfortunate (though arguably distinctive) front end, was shown the door. And it seems Zapatinas' successors did a much better job putting together a sharp-looking cohesive package that should make the technically excellent Impreza more palatable – if not more desirable – to a broader range of customers.

Does Subaru have a winner on it's hands?

[Source: Edmunds' Straightline]

BMW is expected to have its X1 mini-ute on the road by 2010. Based on the 1-Series, the X1 sets its targets on the popular Toyota Rav4.

The X1 will use its slightly-bigger brother X3's all-wheel drive system and the range of engines from the 1-Series, with four- and six-cylinder gas engines ranging between 145 and 220 hp and diesels producing 135-231 hp. The X1 is expected to offer the full range of electronic driving aids, including stability control, hill decent, dynamic brake force distribution, trailer stability control and dynamic traction control, with the possible options of active steering and dynamic adjustable anti-roll bars (but don't expect an air suspension).

Taking the approach of a tall wagon (as opposed to a genuine off-roader), the X1 is expected to grow 250 mm taller over its hatchback sibling to 1680 mm, with length of around 4350 mm. Target weight is set at 1535kg, 200kg less than the X3 2.0i. Insiders expect three roof options to be offered, including twin conventional sunroofs, a full tinted panoramic glass roof or a targa model with removable panels.

[Source: Car Magazine]

This just in from Info Motori: some concept sketches of Alfa Romeo's upcoming 147-replacement, the 149. OK, so they are just a few more illustrations to go along with the dozen or so others floating around out there, but with Alfa poised for a U.S. comeback and products like the 8C and Brera out there, Alfa is one of our favorite topics of conversation lately.

Although people have been speculating about the new design for more than a year, the renderings put forth have generally fallen into two categories. Some have been evolutions of the hot hatch look with Brera-like front ends, while the remainder have used an 8C type nose. This one falls somewhere in between and doesn't seem to have the elegance of either. The article offers no new information about the running gear besides some speculation about current offerings, but does so in a wonderfully quaint Italian-to-English translation that reminds us of talking to our paesans. Follow the jump for a couple more pics.

[Source: Info Motori]

Atari's newest title, Test Drive Unlimited, will allow gamers to choose from some of the most sought after rides of the last decade. Included in the 90 licensed cars and bikes available for virtual flogging will be David Sichtermann's four-wheeled, mighty-morphin' one-seater. Judging by the above illustration, the prototype will have the ability to change its wheel placement depending on the desired driving style, moving further out for back-road bombin and tucking for high-speed cruising.

Over 100 designs were submitted to the Atari website and voted on over the course of a month and a half. To reward Mr. Sichtermann's creativity and fortitude he will be receiving a $2,500 cash prize, which he intends on putting towards his art school tuition.

Check out the stellar runner-ups after the jump, any one of which would look right at home on your XBox 360.

[Source: Atari]