Archive for 2010
Report: V6, V8 engine popularity continued to fade in 2009
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Car Buying , Etc. , Technology Turning the past completely upside down, four cylinder engines marched up ten percent to further solidify the market dominance of lower cylinder count powertrains. According to Ward’s Automotive, nearly 62 percent of cars produced in 2009 carried four bangers, up ten percent in just a year from 2008’s 51.7 percent. Despite the V8 engine’s precipitous fall from a high of being fitted to 88 percent of all cars sold in 1969, there’s a sweet spot for the smaller powerplants, too
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Report: V6, V8 engine popularity continued to fade in 2009
Spy Shots: 2011 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: SEMA Show , Spy Photos , Hatchback , Ford 2011 Ford Fiesta Ecoboost – Click above for high-res image gallery The EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 found in the Ford Flex and Taurus SHO has quickly become one of our favorite mills on the market. But what we’ve really been hankering for from FoMoCo is its smaller displacement offerings, specifically the 1.6- and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines slated to arrive next year. Along with the Fusion , the all-new Fiesta is set to get a boosted mill sometime in 2011, and these newest spy shots reveal that a high-performance version of Ford’s diminutive hatch is in the works. Tucked behind a modified version of the Euro-market Fiesta’s Titanium Trim front fascia is a slim intercooler matched with blacked-out trim, a subtle body kit and a prototype rear diffuser modified to fit the European-spec rear bumper and dual exhausts
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Spy Shots: 2011 Ford Fiesta EcoBoost
Mazda MX-5 Matte and Black Special Edition is darkened hotness
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Convertible , Coupe , Performance , Mazda , Misc. Auto Shows , Design/Style Mazda MX-5 Matte and Black Special Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery We make no effort to hide the fact that we love the Mazda Miata just the way it is. In fact, it’s always been just about perfect in our eyes, as evidenced by our most recent road test of the sporty little Japanese runabout. But if bright schoolbus yellow just isn’t your bag, baby, may we suggest something a little more subtle?
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Mazda MX-5 Matte and Black Special Edition is darkened hotness
Spy Shots: Updated Mercedes-Benz C-Class wagon spotted touring about
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Spy Photos , Wagon , Mercedes-Benz , Luxury Mercedes-Benz C-Class wagon spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery Last week, the forthcoming revised Mercedes C-Class sedan was caught on a field trip , and this week it’s the C-Class wagon. Naturally, the same changes spotted in that last round of photos – new hood, headlights and bumpers, a more upright grille, LED taillamps, and altered rear fascia – have taken the small step over to this car as well. The spy shooters at CarPix also suggest that noticeable interior changes might be on the way, since “test drivers are always very keen on covering the dash up.” We expect a few modest material changes and maybe some COMAND updates, but not a full-on interior redo. Either way, you can check out high-res exterior shots in the gallery of photos below.
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Spy Shots: Updated Mercedes-Benz C-Class wagon spotted touring about
Report: Volvo XC30 compact crossover coming in 2012
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Crossover , Volvo , Rumormill 2010 Volvo C30 – Click above for high-res image gallery Much like the 3 Series-based BMW X1 , Volvo is reportedly hard at work on its own diminutive soft-roader, modeled on the C30 hatchback . The new small crossover, said to be dubbed XC30 (natch), will ride on a slightly taller version of the C30’s chassis, and while the drivetrain and powerplants are likely to be straight out of the three-door hatch, it’s been reported that the styling will be more akin to that of the larger XC60 CUV . The addition of a small(er) crossover to Volvo’s lineup doesn’t shock us, especially since other European luxury marques have discussed the possibility of creating crossovers in this segment as well. Audi is supposedly working on a Q3 to slot below the hot-selling Q5 , and Mercedes-Benz has been rumored to be creating a crossover based on the next-generation B-Class, possibly called BLK
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Report: Volvo XC30 compact crossover coming in 2012
Toyota asks ABC News for apology, retraction of Brian Ross report
Posted by: | CommentsFiled under: Government/Legal , Recalls , Safety , Toyota ” Toyota deserves a public retraction and formal apology from ABC News .” At least according to the automaker itself. For what, you ask? For ABC’s “irresponsible broadcast entitled “Expert: Electronic Design Flaw Linked to Runaway Toyotas.” You surely remember the piece , which originally aired the night before a Congressional Panel began investigating the issue of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.
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Toyota asks ABC News for apology, retraction of Brian Ross report