Autoblog

Click on image above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Ford Focus Coupe

Following-up on our 2009 Ford Focus Coupe post yesterday, more details have emerged about the trim levels, pricing, and options on the latest two-door model. For the 2009 model year, Ford will offer just two trim levels: SE and SES.

As Ford dropped the base S trim level for 2009, the standard model is now the Focus SE. It will start at $15,920 (plus a destination fee of $695), representing a price increase of just under five percent when compared to last year's model. The Focus SES model, as sporty as it gets for now, starts at $17,340 (plus destination). It adds 17-inch alloy wheels with a dark chrome finish, and a rear spoiler. Included in the SES upgrade is an increase in horsepower. Fuel efficiency with the slightly more powerful motor is untouched, so consumers won't feel any hit at the pump. Ford's hot SYNC system is standard on the SES model. Buyers who choose anti-lock brakes, a $744 option, will find it bundled with stability control -- offered for the first time on Focus models.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Where have all the Corrados gone? They debuted in 1990 here in the US and instantly earned a place on many a teenage boy's "must have someday" list. Volkswagen's profit was in the toilet in the early 1990s, and the Corrado was heavier and more expensive than its' beloved Scirocco forebear, and thus not as successful. Volkswagen's legendary reliability (or lack thereof) didn't help the cause, either. They're definitely a handsome design, and their relative scarcity means you won't pass yourself multiple times a day. Flickr member xxlost_causexx's silver Corrado is a great example of how clean and striking the design is.

More after the jump

Has the four-door Porsche SUV gone from quirky to commonplace as they pop up in every parking lot these days? A custom coachbuilt two-door Cayenne just might fit the bill...a $375,000 bill, to be specific.

DC Design, the Indian design house Aston Martin used to develop the beautiful V8 Vantage, coachbuilds the unique DC Star, based on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Leaving the mechanicals in-tact, DC shapes a custom body and chops off the rear doors. Inside they've lined the cabin with Alcantara and special wood or aluminum trim, crafted a new center console with a 15" display and hooked it all up to a Mac Mini.

This car definitely gives Rinspeed a run for their money as the quirkiest of Porsche tuners.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Blogger Josh Murphy posted three pics of what appear to be the first official shots of BMW’s 3-Series Coupe. Murphy claims a friend of his at a magazine sent the pics to him, which that friend will likely think twice about doing from now on. We’ve seen a ridiculous number of spy shots and renderings of the 3-Series Coupe, so pardon us if we don’t sound more excited about the official snaps finally surfacing. We will say that the two-door looks as streamlined as the spy pics have hinted, especially the heavily tapered rear end.

Follow the READ link for more pics at Murphy’s blog.

[Source: BMWlogger]

Though the curtain hasn’t been closed long on the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, Maserati is believed to be hard at work on its show stopper for next year: a new GT Coupe. The new sports car will be a genuine 2 2 that, according to The Car Connection, will be bigger than the current model yet still smaller than the Quattroporte sedan. Motivation will be provided by an unruly bunch of Italian thoroughbreds courtesy of Ferrari. They’ll come in the form of a new Ferrari-designed 5.0L V8 producing an estimated 470 hp. Expect a Spyder version as well, this time with one of those en vogue retractable hardtops.

[Source: The Car Connection]