MINI News - Enter the rumormill: VW planning rear-engined answer to the MINI?

, Volkswagen

Is the world really desperately crying out for another ass-engined machine? An even better question might be: if Volkswagen really wanted to compete with MINI on the diminutive nostalgia front by making a rear-engine compact, why wouldn’t they just scale down the new Beetle and put its engine where it was originally intended? Granted, that’s a loaded question, since the amount of engineering resources necessary to fit any mill able to get out of its own way into the cramped confines of a new Beetle would be beyond even the most geeky of Deutschland’s engineers. But we digress.

Our boys at the German Car Blog are helping to spread AutoBild’s rumor that VW is planning a rear-engine vehicle to fight it out with the MINI. As GCB pointed out, “…it would certainly fit [sic] Dr. Winterkorn’s statement to go into lucrative niches.” Sure it would. And if this comes to fruition, we’ll eat AutoBild’s first road test of the RR V-Dub.

[Source: AutoBild via the German Car Blog]

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Source: www.autoblog.com

[tags]mini cars, mini news, mini models[/tags]

Pontiac News - VIDEO: Pontiac places G8 and G6 GXP in rap video

, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Pontiac

You can’t really blame Pontiac for giving its rear-wheel-drive G8 Concept and G6 GXP to rapper 50 Cent to use in his video for the song “Amusement Park”. After all, pick a premium nameplate like Bentley, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini or Ferrari and one could find at least half a dozen (or more) music videos in which each marque has been featured prominently. At the same time, we must remember these are Pontiacs, and so we’re asked to suspend disbelief and accept that given the choice, Fifty and his entourage would roll in one of these two vehicles before a Bentley Continental GTC, Rolls Royce Phantom, Lamborghini Gallardo or Ferrari Enzo.

Note: If you’re not into rap and want to get to the goods, fast forward to 2:00 in and you’ll have your prize, though the Pontiacs only get 4 seconds of screen time.

[Source: YouTube via GMInsideNews]

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Source: www.autoblog.com

[tags]pontiac cars, pontiac news, pontiac models[/tags]

Saab News - Cool Move: Saab puts a 9-3 Convertible on ice

, Etc., Saab

click above image for high-res version of the Saab 9-3 Convertible on ice

Saab has put the chill to one of its 9-3 Convertibles to celebrate its 60th year in the automobile manufacturing business. The display is located at Sweden’s ICEHOTEL, which itself is made out of pure ice. At first glance, we thought an entire 9-3 Convertible had been dipped into a giant vat of H20 and frozen, but the press release reveals it’s actually parked in an ice garage comprised of 60 ice blocks harvested from the nearby Torne River. The structure weighs an impressive 30 tons and the blue-lit Saab can reportedly be seen from a kilometer away. About 500 people will attend the Saab Ice Experience at the ICEHOTEL, including customers, VIP guests and select dealers, until the whole thing melts away on March 18th.

[Source: Saab]

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Source: www.autoblog.com

[tags]saas cars, saab news, saab models[/tags]

Chevrolet News - Twin-turbo, mid-engine Corvette Super Coupe headed to SEMA

, SEMA, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Chevrolet, GM

Though rumors are still swirling beneath the surface that General Motors may be working on a true mid-engine Corvette that would be sold alongside the next-generation C7 model, no one really expects such a paradigm shifting car to ever see the light of day. That hasn’t stopped Phil Somers from American Super Car, who is building a mid-engine car with a Sting Ray body powered by a 1,000-hp, twin-turbo LS V8 for this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Called the V7twinturbo, the car is built on a tube chassis and has an independant suspension that supposedly can handle the stampede of ponies beneath the car’s rear-hinged engine cover. Shifting will happen via paddles that operate a Mendeola transaxle, while every other aspect including braking, steering and handling will be top notch, as well. The picture above is of a scale model that’s been photoshopped for effect, which is good because those DUB rims need to go.

[Source: MaxChevy via Jalopnik]

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Source: www.autoblog.com

[tags]chevrolet cars, chevolet news, chevrolet models[/tags]

Isuzu News - Toyota to sell diesel hybrid by 2010 thanks to Isuzu

, Green, Tech, Isuzu, Toyota

AutoblogGreen has reason to be happy, having found evidence that Toyota’s recent purchase of a 5.9% stake in Isuzu will bear fruit in 2010 when the Japanese juggernaut marries its Synergy hybrid drive system with a diesel engine. Presumably such a hook up was made possible, or at least hastened, by the expertise in diesels that Isuzu brings to the table. Toyota knows its way around an oil burner too, but its Hino commercial truck division usually deals with diesels meant for trucks and buses.

Heck, even we have to admit that we’re excited for such a combo, as diesel engines excel in efficiency when cruising at highway speeds, much more so than a gasoline engine, which to this point has always been the electric motor’s dance partner in modern hybrids. JapanToday is reporting that a Toyota subcompact with this diesel hybrid drivetrain will be available as soon as 2010. Assuming we’re not all driving EVs by then, such a car should easily grab the mpg crown in the U.S.

[Source: AutoblogGreen, JapanToday]

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Source: www.autoblog.com

[tags]isuzu cars, isuzu news, isuzu models, isuzu[/tags]

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