Autoblog

We slid behind the wheel of the 2009 Infiniti M35 S last week in Napa, California. It was a quick jaunt, but we wanted to try out the newly revised powerplant under the hood. Yes, even thought the nomenclature remains the same, the Japanese automaker has swapped out the mass of aluminum up front for something a bit more updated and powerful. Find out how the 2009 Infiniti M35 S did after the jump.

Photos Copyright ©2008 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc.

click above image for 14 pics of the 2008 Jaguar XJ

Jaguar will be unveiling a freshened XJ at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show next week, which it hopes will help the large luxury sedan stay relevant until its replacement reportedly arrives in 2010. The changes are few and include a revised front end with a wonky new air inlet below the grille and new fog lamps in a revised front bumper. The big cat also gets XJ-style vents aft of the front wheels and a subtle wing on the rear deck. Three new colors and three new wheel designs will also be available. Inside the 2008 XJ are new seats that Jaguar claims are more comfortable and take up less space, which increases leg room for rear passengers.

The aluminum chassis remains, of course, as does the same engine lineup as the current model. AutoWeek, however, reports that the XJ will share its future engine lineup with the upcoming XF sedan. We've learned already that the XF will feature an intriguing engine lineup that includes a base 4.2L V8, a supercharged 4.2L V8 producing 420 hp and a supercharged 5.0L V8 producing around 500 hp in the range-topping R-badged models. So we can expect all three engines for the fully redesigned 2010 XJ, as well.

[Source: AutoExpress, AutoWeek]

Chippin64, a member of the LayitLow.com forum, is down in Atlanta, GA right now for a Chevy Impala commercial shoot, the product of which will air around mid-February. Apparently Chippin64's ride, presumably a classic Impala, is being used in the commercial. While hanging around the set, however, he's been taking hundreds of pictures and posting them on the forum. We are particularly interested in one shot, which was caught by Josh Oliver over at TheGMSource.com. The lone pic shows a heavily modified Cobalt with a big rear wing, wide-body kit and, most importantly, a new front fascia that looks similar to the face of the 2008 Chevy Malibu introduced at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. Who knows what this car is really for and why it is hanging out at a commercial shoot for the Chevy Impala, but can we just say the new grille looks great on the Cobalt? Because it does. It looks like the hood is also modified to fit flush with the new fascia, which means we doubt a tuner shop is responsible for this. It appears OEM all the way. The Cobalt has been showing strong sales lately, ending 2006 with 211,449 units sold, just good enough to be the 10th best-selling vehicle in the U.S. last year. Is a mid-cycle refresh being planned to bring the Cobalt's mug in line with the new corporate grille, or are we misinterpreting the tea leaves?

Thanks for the tip, Josh!

[Source: Layitlow.com via TheGMSource.com]

Much has been said about how "nice" the Ford Five-Hundred and Mercury Montego are. They're good cars, people say, once you get to know them. Well, cars are largely sold on first impressions, and the 500 and Montego are both getting a second chance to make a good first impression with buyers. We saw the updated 2008 Ford Five-Hundred at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, and here's our first look at the updated Mercury Montego that will likely be debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in early February.

The front end is clearly inspired by the more fashionable Milan with headlights that sweep back up into the hood. The new grille is placed within a recessed part of the front end that dips down into the bumper and gives the Montego's face a lot more character. Out back are new white taillights and a new rear bumper that now houses the Montego's license plate. It's certainly not a full redesign, but we'd call it a sorely needed refreshening that ensures you won't lose your Montego in a crowded parking lot anymore.

[Source: World Car Fans]

With the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class getting mixed reviews on their quirky styling, the Jaguar XJ sedan remains one of the most elegant luxury sedans on the market. Not to rest on its laurels, though, Jaguar is apparently preparing a mild face-lift of its range-topping sedan.

The subtle update appears to be purely cosmetic. From the spy shots we can see that most of the bodywork will carry over unchanged, with just a few tweaks at the front, back and on the side of the front fenders. Ironically, with the body-cladding, the XJ looks more like a BMW up front, where the revised version will get what appears to be a new airdam and possibly an evolved grille and/or headlights. Around back the big cat is treated to a new rear bumper. And the test mule appears to be wearing side-vents like those on the top-of-the-line Portfolio trim level, which could indicate that the air vents will trickle down through the full model range.

Jaguar's still got a long way to go before it can pose a serious challenge to the big German marques, but that won't stop it from trying.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

It looks like Nissan will be giving its full-size Armada SUV an update for the 2008 model year. While the front end gets refreshened with a new corporate grille sporting two vertical bars that plunge down into a central dip, the real makeover will occur in the interior. A new dash can be seen in these spy shots that drops the current model's chunky design in favor of a more flush center console that borrows some switchgear from Infiniti. No word on when Nissan's going to lower the Armada's rear door handles so that kids and short people can get into the back seat without assistance.

[Source: Straightline Blog]

As you can see the Volvo S60 is going to be spruced up for the 2007 model year with a new front end that includes a deeper lip spoiler, new grille and larger Volvo iron symbol. The side mirrors feature integrated turn signals now and the headlights are Active Bi-Xenons able to be turned up to 15 degrees in either direction.

Many interior trim pieces have also been dipped in metal to brighten up the S60’s insides and the watch-like instruments found in the S60R and new S80 are now an option.

Though no powertrain enhancements were rolled out, Volvo did spend a lot of time on the S60’s chassis adding firmer shocks and springs front and rear while beefing up the anti-roll bars. All told the car’s torsional rigidity is up some 25 percent.

[Source: SwedeSpeed]

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News of Volvo’s ever-so-slight refreshening of its XC90 sport utility is hardly worth the pixels wasted to present it to you, but for whatever reason it popped up enough times on our radar to warrant a Sunday post. The 2007 XC90 gets a nip in the front and a tuck in the back, including new head- and taillamps. The interior received the most attention with more bark, raw hide and shiny metal to make it feel more upscale. Of more significance is the availability of Volvo’s new 235-hp, 3.2L inline-six that will be shared with the new S80 and V70 wagon. This “redesign” is only meant to hold over the XC90 until its total revamp in 2010.

[Source: Inside Line]