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Ford will debut the 2009 Focus coupe in an “American Idol” music video on Wednesday, revealing a modest update inspired by customer feedback, including new front and rear fascias, and a new roof-line spoiler. The SES series also gets standard 17-inch aluminum wheels on the SES series. These changes will further differentiate the Focus coupe from the sedan. To better target the young Millennials demographic drawn to the coupe, the design team made the two-door’s appearance sportier, notably toning down the Bic-shaver grille and removing chromed front-fender vents. Fog lamps are now standard. The result is a less flashy appearance. For 2009, the Focus SES coupe features more horsepower (up three to 143) and a throatier sound, thanks to a new sport-tuned exhaust. The SES coupe with a four-speed automatic transmission will have a new 4.2:1 final drive ratio to deliver better off-the-line acceleration. Also available is a super-clean, 130-horsepower Duratec 20E engine that qualifies Focus as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV). Both engines deliver 24 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, according to EPA ratings. Electronic stability control (ESC) is now available. The 2009 Focus Coupe, available...
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News flash: The cost of luxury continues to rise. Toyota Motor Sales has announced updated pricing for a variety of Lexus branded vehicles to take place starting mid May. The revisions see incremental increases in all cases, though the price bumps only impact the models listed below. Base retail prices do not include destination charges. 2008 Lexus IS 250 - $30,855, increases by $300, or 0.9 percent. 2008 Lexus IS 250 AWD - $34,485, increases by $300, or 0.9 percent. 2008 Lexus IS 350 - $36,305, increases by $300, or 0.9 percent. 2008 Lexus ES 350 - $34,120, increases by $300, or 0.9 percent. 2008 Lexus GS 350 - $44,550, increases by $400, or 0.9 percent. 2008 Lexus GS 460 - $46,500, increases by $400, or 0.9 percent. 2008 Lexus GS 450h - $55,800, increases by $900, or 1.6 percent. 2008 Lexus GX 470 - $47,315, increases by $500, or 1.1 percent. 2008 Lexus LS 460 - $62,900, increases by $900, or 1.4 percent. 2008 Lexus LS 460L - $72,900, increases by $900, or 1.4 percent. 2008 Lexus LS 600h L hybrid - $104,900, increases by $900, or 0.9 percent. 2008 Lexus LX 570 - $74,700, increases by $900, or 1.2 percent. 2008 Lexus SC 430 - $66,355, increases by $900, or 1.4 percent. 2008 Lexus RX...
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This past February, Volvo produced car number 15,000,000, and the new owners just took delivery of the history-making 2008 Volvo C70 . The car traveled more than 5,000 miles from its factory birthplace in Uddevalla, Sweden to San Diego, California, where new owners Paul and Aimee Kay received a surprise, a free European deliver trip. Since they already have their Celestial Blue, they will be able to simply enjoy the trip, complete with visit to the factory delivery center in Goteborg, Sweden. Coincidentally, the first Volvo car to leave a Swedish factory in April, 1927, was a convertible. Nicknamed “Jakob,” the OV4 was powered by a four-cylinder engine. Any Volvo customer can participate in the Overseas Delivery Program . The company will arrange to have your new Volvo delivered to any one of 13 European destinations, then you can drive it during your stay, and have it delivered to your home in the United States Research Volvo in the buyer’s guide , complete with pricing, specifications, and photo galleries. Read our Volvo C70 review .
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The unveiling of a Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 pace car is like opening a present. Bowtie enthusiasts clamor to see the memorable designs that distinguish the pace car and can quote the year on site. After all, the image of a purple convertible with bright yellow wheels can be hard to forget, even if you try. The 92nd Indianapolis 500 takes place on Sunday, May 25, 2008. It will be the Corvette’s 10th appearance as the official pace car – a record unmatched by any other vehicle. This year, Chevrolet has treated fans to two pace cars, a customized Corvette Z06 E85 concept and a black-and-silver car that pays tribute to the original black-and-silver 1978 coupe. A true collectible, a ‘78 will be on hand to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Corvette’s pace car heritage leading “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Based on the production Z06, the Corvette Z06 E85 concept pace car has fuel system and powertrain controller revisions required to run E85. The head-turning coupe is coated in Gold Rush Green color-shifting paint with a checkered flag pattern. Besides safety equipment and strobe light, the Z06 concept pace car is mechanically stock. The 30th anniversary commemorative edition...
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Chevrolet will over-deliver when the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 goes on sale. When this history-making supercar was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year, the official output claimed was 620 horsepower, good for 100 horsepower per liter of displacement. Now that the LS9 V-8 has completed SAE certification, the final output is set at 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. Certain to fuel automotive fantasies for decades to come, this supercharged engine stands as the most powerful ever manufactured by General Motors. The Corvette ZR1 goes on sale this summer. Research the Chevrolet Corvette coupe and convertible in the buyer’s guide, complete with pricing, specifications, and photo galleries.
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The Ford Mustang has experience unparalleled sales success due to its longevity, continuing performance legacy, and value. For decades, it has been a tire-shredding piece of Americana, and as a result, it has reached the rare milestone of 9 million cars built. The Mustang got off to an amazing start, achieving 419,000 sales in its first 12 months on the market, and topped the 1-million mark in the first two years. Today, sales volumes are a more modest, with the Mustang moving 10,180 units this past March, down 30.9 percent from March 2007. Still, Ford continues to refine the venerable pony car range with a variety of special-edition models, including the Warriors in Pink and Bullitt versions, plus the upcoming Glass Roof option. Mustang number 9,000,000 is a Mustang GT Convertible , sold through a dealership in Iowa. Research the Ford Mustang in the buyer’s guide, complete with pricing, specifications, and photo galleries.
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One exciting effect of automotive design and concept vehicles is the chance for carmakers to completely reinvent themselves—especially good for those known mostly for building the most basic of transportation. Sure, we’d all love to own and drive an exotic at whim, but reality is that most of us need wheels of a more practical sway. Loyalists know and love Kia for their low-dollar, high-mileage vehicles. Now its crimson Kia KOUP concept recently revealed at the 2008 New York Auto Show gives us some food for thought: Can we have a sexy, curvaceous coupe with close to 300 horses and still afford the rest of our lives? Seems Kia may just think so. According to the company, the KOUP is pretty much production ready and, while they haven’t made any price-point promises, the obvious guess is that it’ll be affordable for most (you Trumps of the world aren’t “most”). Tom Kearns, design chief for Kia Motors America, says: “The Kia KOUP concept represents the future of the Kia brand and … a leap into the future with style and advanced technology, and the KOUP effectively delivers.” So, will a production KOUP stay true to the concept version? Let’s hope. The styling is definitely different for...
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Ford introduced a special-edition 2009 Mustang at the New York International Auto Show to continue support for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure breast-cancer foundation. With the sale of each Warriors in Pink Mustang, Ford will donate $500 to the foundation. To date, Ford and its dealers together have dedicated more than $95 million in cash and in-kind contributions for breast cancer education and research. The foundation has invested nearly $1 billion to the cause, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. Response has been strong to the 2008 Warriors in Pink Mustang, and Ford will increase its support for the Cure with this upcoming release. Produced in a limited edition of 1,000 units, the Warriors in Pink package is available on Mustang V-6 Premium Coupe and Convertible models. (Admittedly, this may have limited male appeal, as it transforms the beloved pony car into a rolling pink-ribbon billboard for the cause.) Specifically, the package includes a unique grille, pink ribbon and pony fender badge, pink Mustang rocker tape striping, charcoal leather seats with pink stitching, aluminum-spoke steering wheel with...
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Known by car enthusiasts for its Mustang transformations and excessively gilled S7 supercar, Saleen has pulled the cover its latest potential high-performance model, the S5S Raptor. At the New York International Auto Show, Saleen revealed its brilliant, sharp-edged S5S Raptor, along with its Dan Gurney Signature Edition Mustang (more on that in the near future), and cover-car status with Rockstar’s latest Midnight Club video game. The S5S Raptor is the first ground-up vehicle to be conceived by the new Saleen management team. “The Raptor is just a glimpse of things to come from Saleen,” says Chief Technical Officer Chris Theodore. “Our company is unique in that we have the experience and knowledge behind some of the most exciting performance vehicles built over the past 20 years. Beyond the S7 Supercar, our team members have been involved in the Viper, Prowler, Ford GT, and the products of Chrysler SRT and Ford’s SVT performance groups. These ‘lessons learned’ are evident in the Raptor concept and we will continue to build upon them as the company evolves.” The Raptor is a two seat mid-engine super car that competes in size and style with core offerings from the most notable of Italian...
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Chevrolet has announced the pricing for its 260-horsepower Cobalt SS, a potent compact performance coupe with an estimated 30 mpg in highway driving. The Cobalt SS starts at $22,995, including a $660 destination charge. An extreme amount of performance and style for the money, the Cobalt SS features a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter Ecotec engine and a five-speed manual transmission good for a 0-60 mph time of 5.7 seconds. It wasn’t long ago that 5.7 seconds was considered muscle car territory. Ride and handing are supported by an all-new FE5 Sport suspension, with specific stabilizer bars, spring rates and damper tuning –designed to mitigate afflictions such as torque steer. Driver-selectable modes help maximize performance whether on the street or track. Four-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS help ensure the car stops as confidently as it accelerates and corners. The front brakes are from Brembo and have a performance-oriented, fixed-caliper design, which resists fade better than floating caliper designs; the rear discs are vented for better heat dissipation. Large, twin-five-spoke 18-inch forged aluminum wheels and performance tires are standard. They’re mounted on 225/40...
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Looking for the next big thing, Scion unveiled its Hako Coupe concept at the New York International Auto Show last week. Taking its name from the Japanese word for box, the Hako recasts the xB with a blend of Japanese aesthetic and vintage American car design. It seems that just as American youths covet all things JDM (Japanese domestic market), a rising trend in the East is to emulate classic American cars. Put it all in a blender, flick on a CAD workstation, and out comes the Hako. From the side, the chopped top and long hood the Hako looks like it escaped central casting for “Japanese Graffitti.” For now, the Hako is all about the appearance and seeking consumer feedback on whether the brand pursue a model in this direction. Presumably, it would be developed off the xB platform, sharing the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Inside, the Hako makes interesting use of video monitors, with two on the front passenger dash for mobile entertainment controlled with a large roller ball. Screens located on each door and on each side of the rear seating area project images from cameras mounted beneath the A-pillars for viewing, saving, and editing. Think of it as a replay mode for a road trip...
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At the New York International Auto Show, Dodge unveiled the Challenger R/T and Challenger V6, filling out the line-up started with the SRT8 shown last month in Chicago . All three variants look remarkably faithful to the 1970 original, with a little extra heft around the bumpers for essential crash protection. Indeed, the Challenger is a muscle-car enthusiast’s fantasy come to life, with the heritage and silhouette that has filled decades of dreams, concours events, and Barrett-Jackson auctions. Mopar enthusiasts will be able to recapture the glory of the good ol’ days with truly modern performance, reliability, and safety. Dodge expects the R/T to be the volume model, with its 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. Although the name is familiar, the engine is enhanced over that found in the current Charger R/T, climbing in horsepower and yet also gaining five percent in fuel economy. With the five-speed automatic transmission, the 5.7L produces 370 horsepower. Go for the six-speed manual and you could boast 375 horsepower with 404 lb.-ft. of torque. In either configuration, Dodge promises the coupe can run 0-60 mph in under six seconds. (For those keeping score, the official word on the 425-hp SRT8 is...
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The 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupe has made a splash online ahead of its official Wednesday unveiling, with sites like AutoBlog , AutoWeek , and Motor Trend posting press photos early. Hyundai remains tight-lipped on mechanical details, pending its scheduled press conference at the New York auto show. Having seen the Concept Genesis Coupe at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, we can say it is has a commanding presence and looks primed for aftermarket enhancement. Further, this sleek muscle car rides on a rear-drive platform shared with the upcoming luxury sedan of the same name. The Coupe will boast more than 300 horsepower from a 3.8-liter V-6 engine. It will likely be backed by an Aisin six-speed automatic transmission, with manual-shift ability. The sedan has an independent, five-link front and rear suspension, suggesting the two-model may have the same configuration. In Hyundai’s words: “When the production sports coupe arrives, it likely will be the most affordable 300+ horsepower car on the market.” Just when the American muscle car is seeing a resurgence, there is an Asian alternative. Should be interesting. Stay tuned, we’ll post full details once available. Research Hyundai...
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The doors have opened at the Geneva Motor Show, and one of the more intriguing cars on display is the Volkswagen Scirocco. This is a fitting venue for the unveiling, since the original Scirocco made its world debut in Geneva 34 years ago. The fondly remembered VW classic is making its production return, at least in Europe. The coupe-like 2009 Scirocco has the same length and wheelbase as the Golf GTI. It will be offered in Europe with a range gasoline and diesel engines, including the engaging 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The 197 horsepower is routed to the front wheels and commanded via a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed DSG gearboxes. A range of gasoline and common-rail turob-diesel engines will be added to the range teamed with six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG gearboxes. The sporting character is enhanced with adaptive chassis control offering three driver-selected settings: comfort, normal, and sport. Noteworthy, especially at its low-20s price point, the system’s influence extends to the steering system. For example, in “sport” mode, the steering firms up to provide more feel while “comfort” mode makes the steering lighter and easier to operate at low speeds...
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Audi will introduce a TT diesel sports car at the Geneva Motor Show this week boasting 50 mpg. For the first time, the TT will be offered—in Europe—with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine. Using common-rail fuel injection, this powerplant produces 168 horsepower, with a stout 258 lb.-ft. of torque. Audi claims it produces 20-percent less carbon dioxide than an equivalent gasoline engine. Already offered in the A4 sedan , this TDI engine promises a 0-60 mph time under 7.5 seconds. The TT TDI coupe has a 140-mph top speed and claims 53.3 mpg—quite impressive for a car that promises serious fun and luxury. For those who want to lower the top, the roadster makes do with a 138-mph terminal velocity and thrifty 51.3 mpg. The latest diesel engines are clean, quiet, thrifty, and delightfully powerful. More choices are expected here in the United States over the next couple of years, promising significant fuel-economy gains over traditional engines. However, right now, diesel fuel is priced above gasoline on average, partially negating some operating benefits. As worldwide demand for diesel continues to increase, it remains to be seen what role diesels will play in cars. Would you consider a diesel...
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