Autoblog

Go figure. Nissan's playing the debut of the revised and now U.S.-bound Cube very, very close to the vest. We say this because there are photos of the new 370Z all over the place -- released by Nissan, no less. The Cube? Not so much. We posted leaked imagery, and were subsequently forced to pull them down, so we know they were accurate. (No worries, scraped copies of that post are all over the web. Click away.) Aside from that, the only other views of the redesigned Cube came courtesy of Tomica's new die-cast. So it was with excitement that we opened this new Cube teaser video released by Nissan (view after the jump), only to find that it shows absolutely nothing except the logo. We're waiting like everyone else for the car's debut next week at the LA Auto Show. In the interim, you can pass the time by reading our review of the current JDM model.



[Source: Nissan]

Inside Line has the skinny on BMW's new product unveils for the upcoming show season. Paris and L.A. are the headliners, with the City of Light chosen as the backdrop for the official public debuts of the all-new 7 series (including an ActiveHybrid variant) and facelifted 3 Series. While those cars will get their fair share of attention, all eyes will likely to be on the concept X1, which will also make its world debut in Paris.

The baby ute should be to the X3 what the 1 Series is to the 3. As for its "concept" status, if Bimmer concepts in recent years are any indication (think M5, Z4 Coupe, and M3), the X1 show car and production vehicle should be essentially one and the same. The next major unveiling involving a roundel-wearing car will take place this November in Los Angeles, where the redesigned Z4 will be introduced. According to Inside Line, it'll go on sale in January. As for the X1? Time will tell. Details on if and/or when it'll be offered in the States aren't available yet.

[Source: Inside Line]

A forum member at VWVortex caught a mildly disguised Nissan 370Z on the freeway, and the two shots give us clearer glimpse of what to expect when the new Z debuts in Los Angeles this November.

It's been widely reported that the 2010 370Z will be shortened by four inches and will ride on a slightly widened track, but without a profile shot, it's hard to tell. The rear three-quarter view shows reworked rear windows that are slightly smaller, with the bottom edge angling steeply towards the roofline. The rear glass of the hatch is sunken in, and incorporates a small spoiler into the trunk lid, while the fenders appear wider than the outgoing model and the tail lamps are equipped with LEDs.

Up front, the restyled headlamps are obscured by the camouflage, but the redesigned front fascia is easily identifiable, as is the tweaked hood, which features a slight power bulge flanked by two accent lines stretching from the windshield to the bumper.

It's nothing radical, but it should be interesting to see how Nissan implements some of its new styling cues from the Maxima and GT-R into new Z.

Thanks for the tip Ross!

[Source: VWVortex]

Taking a hint from Ferrari and its California GT Countdown, and not wanting the Camaro and Challenger to get all the attention, Ford has launched its own 2010 Mustang countdown. While the new 'Stang won't hit the streets until next spring, 96 days separate us from its official unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

In the run-up to the launch, Ford has invited fans of the original Pony Car to recount related stories on its new website, the2010mustang.com. Starting August 27, the site will give visitors the opportunity to share their tales, with the most compelling story winning the writer his very own 2010 Mustang, along with a trip to LA to see the wraps come off. In the meantime, you can sign up for email updates as Ford continues to tease us for the next three months.


[Source: Ford]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Ford Mustang at Road America.

You read that right folks. The 2010 Ford Mustang will make its official debut at the LA Auto Show on November 19th. According to a source speaking with InsideLine, the new 'Stang won't be shown in Detroit as originally rumored, conceivably as a response to the Camaro hype-machine we've had to endure over the last two weeks.

When the wraps are pulled off the 2010 Mustang, expect all-new front and rear fascias, including a new grille, headlamps and taillights, along with a tweaked hood and a few cues rumored to be pulled of the Guigiaro Mustang concept.

Speculation about powertrains has been running rampant for months, but a reworked V8 and V6 is part of the package, and possibly a new turbocharged, EcoBoost bent-six further down the line. Sales will begin late early next year.


[Source: InsideLine]

Click above image for huge high-res gallery of pics from the LA Concours

The 3rd Annual Los Angeles Concours d'Elegance took place on Sunday, June 1, once again bringing classic cars and exotics together in the shadow of the Rose Bowl. Held annually in Pasadena, California to benefit the Assistance League of Southern California, this young concours is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the better ones on the circuit. Not surprising considering the fact that there are tons of championship quality machines in the area, both from private collections and top-notch museums like the Nethercutt and Petersen. Close to 300 cars were displayed in 40 categories ranging from horseless carriages to 1990 and newer Ferraris. Along with thousands of spectators, we were on hand with cameras clickin', capturing some of the day for all of you who couldn't be there.

Click through the gallery and you will see Porsche 356es, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Mercedes, Triumphs, MGs, vintage race cars, Rolls-Royces, muscle cars, Alfas, Lancias, Packards, Fords, Cadillacs, go-karts, Cobras and Jaguars. There was also an assortment of cars most of us have never heard of like the EMF, Amilcar, Autocar, Kissel, Margrette, and Tahis. Personal favorites included the 1953 Rita Hayworth Cadillac Ghia Coupe, 1925 Amilcar boattail, 1937 Talbot-Lago, Ferrari Lusso and Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato. Check out the gallery to pick out your favorites as well.

One way to get what you want when it comes to contentious negotiations with your employer is to throw them into disarray and then go on strike. Or, it could net you a trial, and if you're lucky, a stay in the clink. Gabriel Murillo and Kartik Patel are going to trial on felony charges after they allegedly broke into a computer system and disrupted traffic flow at four of Los Angeles' most busy intersections. The reason for the discombobulation was an impending job action by the Engineers and Architects Association, according to prosecutors. The pair contend that their motive was not sabotage, but protection of the computer system that controls more than three thousand traffic lights. The city of Los Angeles had locked engineers out of the computer system in light of the impending strike, and Murillo's attorney asserts that his client merely took note of the changed settings and modified them back to what they were originally. Whatever the reason behind it, the traffic signal chaos took four days to set straight, although no accidents were attributed to the actions of the two engineers. They don't call it HelLA for nothing.

Toyota's success over the past decade has come at the cost of quality at times, and now, it's affecting employees and their families. In a document obtained by Automotive News, ToMoCo engineers and managers are getting worn out, whether it's from cross-country trips in close succession or the daily rigors of constant expansion. The result is five-percent of employees leaving the automaker in 2006, and 10-percent leaving in 2005.

The remedy seems to entail increasing the number of places around North America for Toyota's employees to conduct business, including new satellite branches in Fremont, CA, Los Angeles, British Columbia, Baja Mexico and throughout the Midwest, South and Great Lakes area.

With an average of one new plant coming on line every year, Toyota expects to have most of these new locations setup by 2010, which will hopefully stem the tide of workers leaving the company.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Hate it, or merely intensely dislike it, the new Subaru Impreza (and its WRX derivative) is here to stay. The specs show a car that should be fun and capable, but the photos are what have killed it in the sphere of public opinion. We've already shown you photos and video of the cars' unveiling in New York, but we have more to share. In what appears to be footage for an upcoming ad campaign, we see the two Scubies being piloted around Griffith Park, high above the Los Angeles basin.

The full YouTube clip is after the jump. Click it and you'll see some glamour shots of the duo, as well as a low-speed assault on the hill. No Pike's Peak action just yet.

[Source: YouTube]

Click image for high-res gallery of photos by Las de Alwis

It's about time. That seemed to be the consensus of the invited guests at the grand opening of the Ferrari Store - Los Angeles. Coinciding with the marque's 60th Anniversary world rally, the store held its grand opening celebration on Sunday at the Beverly Center. Besides being entertained by the hosts and hostesses, VIP guests were also treated to a display of Ferraris that included the 1961 Paris Motor Show 275 GTS 2+1, a 275 GTB, and a Formula 1 car among others.

The L.A. location joins the chain that includes a few Italian locations, as well as several others around the world. Late last year Ferrari opened a new store in Qatar, marking their entry into the Middle East. The boutique shops sells Ferrari accessories, clothing, and other merchandise. Similar to the other American store at The Wynn in Las Vegas, the Beverly Center store has clothes, shoes, toys, keychains and other accessories, all bearing the Ferrari logo or Ferrari images.

The Ferrari Store - Los Angeles is located on the 6th floor of the Beverly Center at 8500 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. Tel. 310-657-9800. Well worth a stop if you happen to be in L.A. and happen to love or even like Enzo's works.