Autoblog

click above to view more JCW-related MINI images

Back in December of 2006, we reported that BMW had officially acquired the John Cooper Works garage with the intent of making it the MINI brand's official performance label, much like the M division is to BMW. Over a year later, Munich has finally relaunched the JCW division, which is headlined by the evolutionary new logo you see here.

The rebranding of JCW is more than an exercise in badge engineering, however. The new effort draws on the decades-long heritage that has been shared between Cooper and MINI, starting with the first MINI that F1 engineer John Cooper tuned and continuing through the resuscitation of the MINI brand by BMW to today's rapidly expanding second-gen range. John's son Mike Cooper continues on as chief executive to oversee JCW's activities under the Bavarian wing, which will include products for both road and track.

In addition to the one-make John Cooper Works CHALLENGE racing series (spec car shown above), JCW will also continue to offer the John Cooper Works Tuning Kit as well as a catalogue of individual components for the top-of-the-line Cooper S versions of the MINI hatch, convertible and Clubman. The bottom line is that with JCW under the same white roof, MINI can now offer even more packages and options than the gazillion choices already in store for buyers, all with full factory backing.

BMW released a bunch of retro-licious MINI Cooper JCW pics, which we've put into the gallery below along with descriptions of what you're looking at. The official BMW/MINI press release can also be found after the jump.

[Source: MINI]

'Tis the season to unveil new F1 cars, and following Ferrari's unveiling of the new F2008 and McLaren taking the wraps off its MP4/23, Toyota is next having debuted the TF108 at the team's headquarters in Cologne, Germany earlier today.

The TF108 departs from last year's TF107 primarily in two areas. First, Toyota lengthened the wheelbase to improve vehicle stability. (Ferrari made a similar design move last year with the F2007, the car with which they secured both world championship titles, but the Scuderia shrank it down again for the new F2008.) Secondly, the TF108 benefits from what Toyota says is a significantly improved aerodynamic package, an area in which last year's car was severely lacking. The TF108 also has to conform to new regulations imposed on the entire series, including further structural safety measures and the standardized ECU. Although engine development has been frozen by the FIA, the RVX-08 engine is mated to a new 7-speed sequential geabox.

Panasonic Toyota Racing desperately needs to find success behind the wheel of the TF108 next season, after the revelation that the bean counters in Japan have given the team two more seasons to turn things around... or else. We'll be watching closely to see how Jarno Trulli, returning for another season with Toyota, and Timo Glock, fresh from his title in GP2, will perform in the 2008 Formula One World Championship.

Follow the jump for a video from the launch, full press release and technical specifications on the TF108.

[Source: Toyota F1]

Europeans anxiously awaiting their chance to buy a Chery will have to cool their heels a little longer. Chery's delaying the export of their B21, but it's not for anything major like crash performance woes. According to suppliers, Chery has pushed back production so they can revamp the interior design. The fitment that appeals to the Chinese domestic market is less thrilling to European buyers, so the cabin will get some attention before the B21 swings into production later this year. It won't be long until these cars start finding European buyers. Chery and its peers are getting their collective acts together and while these cars are currently punchlines, they won't be for long.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req., Photo: Autoblog Chinese]

We've already seen some undisguised pictures of Kia's handsome new midsize SUV, but the vehicle just launched officially in Korea as the Mohave. Official launch means official pictures, and that's what we have here, a ton of really beautiful images of what we'll soon know as the Borrego. Not that Borrego, this one sports a full frame, seating places for seven, and the choice of Kia's strong-like-bull V6 or their first V8. The wisdom of introducing a new body-on-frame SUV at this point, especially in light of the coming new CAFE rules, might be questionable, but the vehicle itself is handsome and it's hard to deny the inherent value that Kia bakes into its cars. We'll check the Borrego out in person when it makes it's US debut at the Detroit Auto Show. In the meantime, Carscoop unearthed a lot of great pictures to tide us over.

[Source: Kia via Carscoop]

Williams tests its new car at Jerez on December 7 (click to enlarge)

After McLaren decided to hold an official unveiling of its new car after all, another British grand prix team has decided against it. Hard at work on the new FW30, Williams F1 has opted instead to focus on the car's development rather than making a big spectacle, as is expected of most of its rivals.

Show or no show, you have to admire Williams' dedication to getting back to the top. The team is entering its 30th season in F1, but while it was once a championship-winning team – it has taken the constructors' title nine times and the driver's crown seven – Williams hasn't won either since Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. Since then, the team has gone downhill, having to resort to buying customer engines after longtime engine partner Renault left F1 (only to return years later with its own team), and again after BMW defected to Sauber.

Last season Williams placed a respectable fourth in the constructors' championship, behind Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault, beating out its engine provider, Toyota's own (considerably better-funded) works team, in the process. Having failed to finish grands prix four times in 2007, Williams plans on improving its reliability in pursuit of an even better 2008 on a path back to the top. As for the new FW30, racing fans will have to check out the off-season test sessions for a glimpse of what the once-famous Williams engineers have been working on before the season kicks off on March 16 in Australia.

[Source: Autosport]

Ferrari F2007

After 60 years, Scuderia Ferrari still hasn't gotten tired of getting a head start over its rivals. This time, the team has confirmed that the car it will be campaigning next season will be unveiled within a couple weeks' time on January 6.

The early launch date, which was leaked first by Kimi Raikkonen and then confirmed by president Luca di Montezemolo and CEO Jean Todt, places Ferrari as the first F1 team to unveil its car in the new year. Toyota will be unveiling its car on January 10, BMW Sauber on January 14, Honda on January 29 and Renault on January 31. The remaining teams, including Williams, Red Bull, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Force India and Super Aguri, are expected to show their cars later on. Following the much hyped spy scandal, McLaren is opting to forego the festivities of a glitzy unveiling for its 2008 car.

With the F2008, Ferrari is hoping to repeat this past year's performance by reclaiming the driver's and constructor's titles. The car is expected to be an evolution of the F2007 (pictured above), which was hailed as a revolutionary design.

[Source: Inside Line]

Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept - click to view in our high-res gallery

Devotees of the late, great Acura NSX – and that's just about everybody, really – have been waiting patiently for the second coming that once reportedly based on the Advanced Sports Car Concept shown above, but Honda keeps on making us wait longer. While there's still more waiting to be done, at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel, as Honda has revealed that the new NSX will make its debut in 2010. Sometime.

The second-generation Japanese supercar was anticipated for a launch this year at the Tokyo show, but we were disappointed when the Honda pavilion was absent of any such high-performance wizardry. Since the cancellation of the original NSX, TSX and Prelude, the aging S2000 roadster has been left all alone to defend Honda's honor on the sportscar front, while Nissan gets all the glory with the new GT-R.

The new timeline is a bit later than the 2008/2009 launch date that was originally set down by Honda CEO Takeo Fukui, but if it manages to live up to its predecessor, we doubt anyone will be grumbling. After all, who recalls at this point how far behind schedule the Bugatti Veyron fell before its eventual debut?

[Source: Wards Auto via eGMCarTech]

UPDATE: New high-res gallery of images added

Good keeps getting better over at Aston Martin, who never seem to tire of making their sports cars faster and faster. The latest in the speed wars from their new headquarters in Gaydon is this adrenaline-dripping special-edition V12 Vantage RS.

Into what could very well prove to be the fastest, hottest Aston Martin yet, the newly independent British automaker has dropped the V12 reactor not from the recently demised Vanquish, nofrom the road-going DB9 or Bond-tastic DBS derivative, but from the DBRS9 race car. With somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 horsepower (!) pushing 3500 lbs, the V12 Vantage RS is anticipated to clock a 0-60 time in the 3's on its way to a 200-mph top speed. Performance target: Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. That's highly ambitious, considering that the Fiorano is widely acclaimed as one of the most competent supercars on the planet, but with that kind of juice in such a brilliant package as the Vantage's, it might not be so far-fetched.

At the time of writing, AutoWeek was the only source carrying the information, and we hope to have more details soon on the special Vantage which was unveiled earlier today on the occasion of the company's new design center. Although it was launched as a concept, sources suggest it could very well find its way into limited production and slot into the Aston Martin line-up above the current flagship DBS. We certainly hope so.

[Source: AutoWeek]

We saw it unveiled at the New York Auto Show back in March, and now we've got a release date for the Hyundai Genesis, just not for here. December 29th will mark coincident milestones for Hyundai. First, it's designed a new logo celebrating 40 years of growth. Second, and more exciting to us, is the Korean market launch of the Genesis (BH) sedan. The Genesis may not be groundbreaking for the rest of the industry, but it's got us on the edge of our seats nonetheless. With the Tau V8 underhood driving the proper wheels with 300 horsepower, the Genesis might come in second only to the Pontiac G8 in terms of hotly anticipated V8 RWD sedans. The styling, while derivative, is handsome, and we see hints of Infiniti and BMW all over the flanks of the Genesis. With the Korean rollout just a couple months away, we hope it arrives in the US shortly thereafter.

[Source: Hyundai via World Car Fans]

What a pleasant "problem" to have! The Volkswagen Eos has left such an impression on Canadian drivers who already snapped one up, that dealer lots were picked clean of the Rabbit-based convertible purely on word of mouth alone. That's all well and good, but when you're an automaker with a new car to launch, you pull out all the stops for an advertising campaign to roll it out. As these cars were zipping off to homes, VW was in the middle of planning the Canadian marketing launch of the Eos. Looking at the numbers, it quickly became obvious that the car was selling itself, and that it no longer made sense to go through with the launch campaign. We're sure that VW's trying to figure out why that happened for the relatively affordable Eos, and not the über-sedan Phaeton.

Thanks for the tip, Erica

[Source: mediaincanada.com]