Click above for high-res gallery of the Mazda MX-5
Many of you (and some of us) don't think the current MX-5 went far enough in distancing itself from its cutesy predecessor, but design director Lauren Van den Acker wants to change that for 2012 and give the iconic convertible "more balls" in the process. If you're worried that the amazing handling characteristics of the MX-5 could be in danger, Van den Acker insists that the razor-sharp roadster will keep its core character. Stricter CAFE standards and customers demanding more mpg means that the next MX-5 will also be lighter and more efficient than the current model.
With the next MX-5 still a few years out, no design has been given the green light, but Mazda designers think the more dynamic designs that were shot down for the current-gen car would be a good place to start. A newer, ballsier, more radical MX-5 sounds good to us, as long as the changes don't mess with the cut on a dime handling that we've come to love.
If you'd suspected that Mercedes' F700 show car was a preview of cues we'd soon see on production cars, there's a Schulte Design rendering to bolster your theory. The current S-Class debuted in 2005, so we won't see its replacement for a couple of years, but there's already lots of development underway. The new sheetmetal will be a full redesign, not a freshening, and the rendering depicts a car that takes inspiration from the F700, but tones the cues down a bit. The shape of the front end is very similar, with the headlights and grille echoing what Mercedes showed us in Frankfurt. Along the flanks, the arcing line at the base of the windows has been toned down. Of course, while it's a good rendering, it's still an unofficial composite image, so we should just wait and see.
Solid word on powertrains has come down from on high, though. Mercedes is looking at a hybrid version of the S-Class to compete with the Lexus LS600hL. Our current S-Class will get a mild hybrid for 2009, and there's a Bluetec Hybrid under development packing 224 horsepower/560Nm and returning 44mpg. The engines we know and love in the current S-Class will largely carry over, though we'd expect that attention to efficiency and the hybrid powertrains will be more important because of the new CAFE standards.
To go with its newly trimmed styling, Nissan has treated the Murano's price to a nip and tuck, too. The 2009 model has had $1500 removed from the MSRP across all trim levels, and a new dual panel moonroof makes the options list along with three new exterior colors. Inside, the seats and instrument panel have been redesigned to improve the atmosphere. Among the multitude of luxury and convenience options, a hard-drive equipped Bose Music Box stereo is available if you opt for the navigation system.
The Murano now rides on the new D platform that underpins the Altima, and the mighty VQ serves up 265 horsepower from its 3.5 liters, a 25 pony increase. The sole transmission is the XTronic CVT, sending torque to either the front wheels, or through all four. The revised platform is solid and sure-footed in our experience with recent Altimas. An S FWD model will buy you entry to the Murano club for $26,330. AWD bumps the price to 27,930, and you can keep adding stuff until you've got the pretty much loaded LE AWD, which starts at $35,910. It's still a Murano, with all of the polarizing style that comes with the name. You might end up with a "tastes great, less filling" type of argument when talking with owners of the original Murano, but this one sweetens the pot with a lot of revisions and a better chassis, new fascia haters be damned. Press release after the jump.
Honda has received a flood of orders for the newly redesigned Fit in the two weeks since its launch. That's a good thing for Honda in its home market, where its sales have been flagging. Instead of the projected 12,000 Fits per month, there have been 20,000 orders for the roomier and more efficient Fit since its announcement. The deluge of demand for the new Fit could help Honda take over the top spot as Japan's best-selling car, toppling the Toyota Corolla. It's important to note, however, that in Japan, new model announcements are routinely followed by initial order numbers that exceed expectations (which are then trumpeted by the automakers). In the United States, the clamor around the Fit remains hot, as well, so when the new one makes it here – reportedly within a year – it should equal further positive numbers for Honda.
Say what you will about the styling of the Mazda Taiki concept that's currently on display in Tokyo. It's quite possible that what's underneath is more interesting, anyway. Under the hood of the Taiki is a new gen rotary engine from Mazda called the 16X Renesis. Of course, the Rotary engine has its share of detractors, but Mazda's sticking with it anyway.
Further refining Felix Wankel's trochoid wonder, the Renesis (known internally as the 13B-MSP) has been massaged and enlarged for the first time in a very long time. Capacity is now 800cc per rotor, bringing total size up to 1.6 liters. Direct injection allows the 16X Renesis to put out more power and torque while running cleaner than a port injection setup would have allowed. Attention was also paid to reducing the oil consumption that Wankels are known for. The size of the engine is still pony-keg compact, and the rotor housing is now aluminum, which should save a little weight. While the new larger chamber design and direct injection offer more efficiency, it still remains to be seen whether or not the Rotary is capable of modern horsepower numbers without turbochargers (difficult with the side-port design) or swilling fuel like a sailor on shore leave. The 16X may show up in a special version of the current RX-8, or Mazda may hold off until a new RX-8 bows in 2011.
As long as BMW doesn't own Volvo, then the Swede is allowed to target the roundel's cars as competitors. Autocar reports that Volvo is shaking up the lowest two rungs on its sedan line to put more space between them, and to better compete with the 3 Series.
The smallest sedan, the S40, will be be made over from a 4-door sedan into a 5-door hatchback along the lines of the A3 and BMW 1-series. The very name S40 might also be sacrificed, changed instead to V40. The S60, instead of disappearing entirely, will get a longer wheelbase, a better interior, shared tech from the S80 and Mondeo, and a chassis that does a better job at challenging 3 Series dynamics. Part of that redesign, if the renderings are accurate, will be a flared three-section front bumper that is the new hotness in car design. Regarding the car's sporting aspirations, engineers are said to be battling accountants for funds to design a more sporting chassis. Engines for the S60 will include a 2-liter and 2.2-liter 4-cylinder diesels, the D5 5-cylinder diesels, as well as a 2-liter gas turbo.
It is claimed also that the Volvo logo will also be altered, losing the diagonal bar that spans the grill. Only the circle and arrow -- a stylization of the chemical symbol for iron -- will remain. All of these changes are slated to appear in 2009-10.
UPDATE: We've fixed a lot of bugs, so if you've encountered issues while entering the Sweeps, please clear your browser's cache and restart your browser before trying to enter again. Thanks! click above image to enter to win an All-New 2007 Dodge Nitro!
Did you enter yet today? You may as well make entering the (deep breath) Autoblog Relaunch Celebration Sweepstakes featuring the All-New 2007 Dodge Nitro a part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth or playing Solitaire at work. The Sweepstakes spans 23 days, which means if you enter every day by clicking here, you'll have a better chance to win the loaded 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T than someone who enters only once or twice. Did we mentinon the prize is loaded with 20-inch chrome wheels, the high-end 4.0L V6 engine making 260 horsepower, and... AND the optional MyGIG™ Multimedia Infotainment System?
We're working hard to fix any bugs that have been encountered while trying to enter the Sweepstakes, so please, if something seems awry, click the "Corrections/Problems?" link at the top of this page and let us know what the problem is.
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click above image to enter to win a 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T!
Yesterday was a long day. Very little sleep was had between making sure the site design went live without a hitch and announcing the Sweepstakes. Did you hear? We're giving away a 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T. Yeah, pretty cool. Never been done before by a blog as far as we know.
Finally, for those of you who tried to enter the Sweepstakes yesterday and were inexplicably ineligible, the bug that was causing this snafu has been squashed, so enter away. Good luck!
It hasn't been very long since we last brought you some spy shots of the freshened 911, but when another pic popped up, we felt we had to share. After all, this is our favorite rear-engined sports car. Returning even closer to its roots, the two-beam round headlamps and larger air inlets look very 993 Turbo. The cleaner look should be an improvement that the loyalists will appreciate and the masses will completely miss.
Actually, the air scoops match the look of the restyled Cayenne, and the integrated turn indicators somewhat mimic the current Turbo 997, albeit integrated rather than "free floating" like on the Turbo. The new lower lip is more noticeable here too. It creates a continuous line around the nose that continues along the rockers and into the tail, where we'll see new LED tail lamps.
Expect similar mechanical changes to those being done on the Cayenne, and an interior upgrade that should be evolutionary like those on the outside. New direct-injection and a DSG option should keep the new 911 at the top of the heap.
Click above image for our high-res photo gallery of live and official shots
Here in Chicago this morning Toyota unveiled the redesigned 2008 Highlander with the mantra Bigger! Wider! Safer! As you might imagine, the new crossover is larger in all dimensions, with a more powerful 3.5L V6 now cranking out 270 hp, 55hp more than the old one. It is still based on the Camry platform, although now it's the most recent edition, which is three inches longer and four inches wider. The ground clearance is also increased by and inch and the wheelbase gets three extra inches. As for the new styling, if you squint you can see a passing resemblance in the front end to the new 2007 Tundra.
The biggest emphasis though was on safety. All Highlanders now have side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats as well as a knee bag for the driver. All will also get ABS, traction control, brake assist and stability control. The front end of the vehicle has special crush zones built in so that the next time you run over a pedestrian they have a slightly better chance of survival. In addition, the two upper trim levels get a rear facing video camera with a dedicated display that's not shared with the navigation system. The Toyota press release is after the jump with more details, and information on the new Highlander Hybrid and it's EV-only mode is over on AutoBlogGreen.
PS: Check out the tailpipes on the Highlander. They're run through the bumper rather than underneath. Nevermind. The Highlander's not that cool. After a closer inspection of the CUV's rear on the show floor, the exhaust exits discretely below the bumper. Those holes out back are just for simple reflectors.
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