Autoblog

The Chelfing Razzle is just one in a parade of heinously dated-looking cars available to buyers in its home market of China. There's really nothing particularly interesting to report about the car itself, which the automaker describes as a blend of "Japanese style and Italian reliability, giving you the edge in the city," but a perusal of the spec sheet gives us some insight as to where Chelfing stands on the matter of female drivers. You'll find what we're talking about under the car's "safety" features, and for your convenience, we've pasted a screen-capture of it after the jump.

Thanks to Sid for the tip!

UPDATE: It's satire. The best part is that it seems so entirely believable...

[Source: Chelfing Automotive]

This is how this writer would take his GranTurismo... how would you like yours?

Oh, how these fancy online car configurators are fun. And time-sapping. The Veyron's, as you may recall, is stylish and serene, but even with the new options coming out there's still not a lot to chose from, two-tone paint schemes notwithstanding. Maseratis, meanwhile, are decidedly nowhere near as exclusive as Bugattis. The MC12 might have come close, but that supercar was offered in one color scheme and with little to no options whatsoever. The Trident marque's more "mainstream" models, meanwhile, offer buyers a seemingly endless array of color choices.

The configurator for the new GranTurismo recently went online. Head over to GranTurismo.Maserati.com and you can fantasize you're a customer spec'ing out your own GT, choosing from a seemingly endless spectrum of colors for every detail big and small, both outside and in, including the paint, brake calipers and wheel finish on the exterior, and just about every swath of leather and trim inside. Then check out your selection from every angle. All that's missing is a changeable backdrop of the marina, golf course and five-star hotel to see how it'd look in its element.

[Source: Maserati]

So here's the deal. We know Mitsubishi just held a long-lead introduction for its new Mitsubishi Lancer. Journalists were invited to sample the new car (not us, unfortunately), excluding the Ralliart and EVO models, in exchance for a promise not to publish pictures until late December and driving impressions until late January. Now, inviting a bunch of gear heads to drive the second coming from Mitsubishi and letting them loose on public roads is just asking for precious info to be leaked. And so it has to us in the form of a tip. Here's the long and short of it...

• Wheelbase: 104 in.
• Track, f/r: 60 in./60 in.
• Length: 178 in.
• Width: 71 in.
• Height: 55 in.
• Curb Weight: 2,800 lbs.
• Engine: 140hp / 135ft-lbs. 2.0-liter I-4
• Transmission: 5-speed Manual or CVT

These are most likely specs for the ES or SE model and reveal the base engine to be a 2.0-liter version of the World Engine that Mitsubishi co-developed with DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai. Also of note is the lack of an automatic transmission as an option, with only a CVT being offered to those who don't row their own boat with the optional 5-speed. Take a look at the Lancer's width, too: 71 inches. That figure dwarfs the 2006 model at 66.8 inches and nearly all of its main competitors, including the Honda Civic (69 in.) and Mazda3 (69.1). We're going to stop the speculation here for fear Mitsubishi agents have breached our perimeter and are planning a raid on the Autoblog HQ at any moment.

Thanks for the info, Kevin!