Hyundai looks to send out teasers of hope with their high gloss rendering of the Genesis Coupe Concept. It is being said that Hyundai will be ready to unveil their new rear-wheel drive coupe at the LA Auto Show in a couple weeks, and if the rendering is an indication of the direction Hyundai is taking then there could be some genuine interest there. The Genesis Coupe is reported to be powered by a 3.6L V6 even though some would like to see a V8 squeezed in between the front fenders. Either way if the performance is right a missing cylinder or two could be easily forgiven. If they are aiming to compete with the Infiniti G37 then they will certainly need more than a coupe posture and a sloped hood. Does the rendering of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe Concept leave you wanting more or have you already seen enough?
All the talk of late has been about the BMW 135i and its 300+ horsepower and potential performance. What we seem to be overlooking, and in part because BMW has chosen not to share it with North America, is the 123d which is their 204-hp diesel engine version of the 1-Series. Well the UK’s TimesOnline is not forgetting the 123d. Despite their despising of the 1-Series 3-Door predecessor that has been available in the UK they opted to give this diesel coupe a chance, and it seems they were not disappointed.
There has been some cat and mouse in the media and online about whether or not Chrysler would grace the market with a true Cuda revival. Chrysler has been discounting the chances of a Barricuda return while many have been seeing it as a logical conclusion. Well now it seems that Chrysler is trying on a little logic because they just wheeled in a Cuda Concept car based off the Dodge Challenger into the SEMA show. What you see above is the night before the big opening day for SEMA and that Cuda Concept is sitting quietly, patiently.
Jay Leno is one of the premier car collectors of our time and with his switch in recent years toward Greener autos comes a new take on an existing Bow-Tie racer. Leno’s Corvette as seen above is a modified ZO6 that is dressed in carbon-fiber front and back and boasts a horse-heavy board aluminum 8.2 Liter engine that puts out 600 horses. What is special about the engine, besides how fast it spins the wheels, is the fuel that flows through the engine. The fuel that fed the vision Leno had for this Corvette and the fuel that ignites in each cylinder is E85.
The body design for Leno’s Corvette is based off of the C6R racer that runs in the Le Mans racing series. With wider front and rear fenders made of carbon-fiber and its straight black finish Leno’s E85 Corvette would be a highway thriller. However, more inspiring than the appearance of the car is the motivation behind the car, which is to prove that sports cars with high horses are not solely the realm of gasoline powered engines. You can take a homegrown fuel like E85 in this case and produce something that will still mash your head into the padding of your headrest.
For more on Jay Leno’s E85 C6RS Corvette read the official press release below.
GREEN AND MEAN: JAY LENO’S E85-CAPABLE Z06-INSPIRED C6RS CORVETTE BOASTS 600 HP AND ALTERNATIVE-FUEL CAPABILITY
LAS VEGAS: Tonight Show host Jay Leno’s predilection for performance cars is no secret, but many fellow enthusiasts may not know that he is keenly interested in alternative fuels. To prove that red-blooded power mixes easily with a touch of green, Leno partnered with Pratt & Miller the engineering company that builds and campaigns C6.R Corvettes to develop a modified Corvette Z06 that is capable of running on E85 ethanol. It was unveiled at the 2007 SEMA Show.
More than merely a conversion of the stock LS7 engine to E85 capability, Leno’s alternative-fuel supercar is powered by a custom, 8.2L (500-cubic-inch) all-aluminum small-block V-8 that pumps out approximately 600 horsepower and 585 lb.-ft. of torque.
The C6RS is the result of an idea we hatched to prove that high-performance cars and alternative fuel technology weren’t diametrically opposed concepts, said Leno. I love the idea of having 600 horsepower at my disposal, but using a homegrown alternative to gasoline.
The engine is built around a custom aluminum cylinder block that was CNC-milled from a single block of billet aluminum. And while the cylinder heads, intake system and dry-sump oiling system are stock LS7 components, the engine which has larger bore and stroke dimensions than the 7.0L (427-cubic-inch) LS7 uses a one-off reciprocating assembly, including a forged steel crankshaft, forged rods and forged pistons. Katech Engines, the company that builds engines for the Corvette C6.R racing program, developed the engine.
The fuel system and engine control computer were modified to accommodate E85, and spent gases exit through a Corsa exhaust system. Supporting the 600-horse engine Ãs power is a blueprinted and strengthened T-56 six-speed transmission and a high-performance Centerforce dual-friction clutch.
C6.R inspiration
On the outside, Leno’s bad and black C6RS emulates the styling of C6.R racecars, with wider front and rear fenders and a wider rear fascia with an integrated spoiler on top and a racing-style diffuser at the bottom (the diffuser incorporates an LED-lit backup lamp). A C6.R-style waterfall hood front fender louvers, rockers and lower grille opening further define this special Corvette and all of the car’s front-end panels are made of carbon-fiber, including custom brake air ducts routed through the front fenders. With all of its body modifications, Leno’s C6RS is 1.6 inches wider than stock.
The C6.R and production Corvette’s aerodynamically styled bodywork is designed to slice efficiently through the wind, which helps enhance fuel mileage.
The race-ready look of the car is enhanced with a quartet of BBS wheels that feature racing-type locking center hubs. The forged aluminum 18-inch front wheels and 19-inch rear wheels ride on Michelin P295/30ZR18 and P345/30ZR19 tires, respectively.
Adding authenticity to the carÃs custom bodywork was the involvement of Pratt & Miller. The company took on the task of crafting Leno’s Corvette into a street-going replica of the racecars, which included installing or fabricating a host of unique components, including:
* A custom DeWitt high-capacity radiator with dual cooling fans
* A carbon-fiber ram-air induction system
* Carbon-fiber inner fender panels that vent hot air from the engine compartment
* Brembo brakes with six-piston mono-block calipers in front and four-piston rear calipers
* Dyna-Mat used throughout the cabin and chassis to reduce interior noise
While the exterior and drivetrain were inspired by the racetrack, the C6RS’s cabin exudes luxury, with premium touches and enhancements from Genuine Corvette Accessories that include a two-tone shift knob and boot; leather-covered console armrest, parking brake handle and boot; an interior trim kit, racing-style pedal covers and more.
With its 600 horses on tap and domestically produced E85 fuel in the tank, Jay Leno’s alternative-fueled C6RS is an all-American supercar that proves high performance and environmental consciousness go together like the Corvette and checkered flags.
A couple of Double-O Agents from AutoSpies had the joy of taking a new BMW 135i for a spin on the track. Moving past the envy of having that privilege and focusing more on the car itself there is one thing that seemed most pleasing and striking: the exhaust note. While the giant windmills are an attractive Green distraction the exhaust note of the BMW 135i grabs you from the start. The initial rev of the engine is an simple indication to the driver that the horses beneath the bonnet of this coupe are ready to run.
Watch the video and enjoy.
Now I are not going to make fun of someone skipping gears on the track in a car they have never tested before, but it does make me curious about the gate of the shifter. If you are switching from a slightly older Porsche or Mustang or Truck for example (not that those might be common switches to a BMW) with a larger gate to the shift it is easy to see how someone could inadvertantly skip over a gear or two.
Overall and after each little tidbit that becomes available the BMW 135i looks more and more inticing.
Ford has announced their plans to unleash their latest Mustang design, the 2008 Bullitt Mustang, at the LA Auto Show in November. However, with so many Mustang variations to be available in 2008 will the Bullitt be just another fish in a sea of High Priced Ponies?
It is always nice to pay tribute to the moments and movements that helped get you to where you are now. And Steve McQueen’s use of the Mustang in the movie Bullitt was jaw dropping and awe inspiring, but is Ford really recreating that feeling in its new 2008 tribute? Not that we can tell anything from the sketch provide so If they are that is great, but now at what price? For 2008 a mere Ford Mustang GT Premium has soared above the $30,000 mark. Am I the only one that thinks that is an outrageous price for a Ford Mustang GT?
Toyota’s design team has broken themselves from nearly all automotive conventions and is stepping out of the box…Â well, stepping out of the conventional box to create a new box entirely. The Toyota Hi-CT plug-in concept is a 4-seater (those back seats are in there somewhere) plug-in hybrid truck-type-thing. The Hi-TC is part of Toyota’s study of environmental concepts and new designs that might better fit the new hybrid technologies. While the Hi-CT is highly unconventional it is intentionally so. New technologies often do not fit so well in old packages.
Here is how Toyota describes the Hi-CT and what they see its purpose as and look for more photos after the leap:
         Hi-CT (”hi ride city truck”) - an edgy, urban vehicle
After releasing preview photos of the Hybrid concept the CR-Z earlier this month Honda just announced at the Tokyo Auto Show its plans to put the car into production. Their hope is that the car will make it into production just as it is now, but very few cars make it from concept to production without changes. While the representatives for Honda at the auto show were vague on a time-line for production unnamed sources have indicated that the car could make it to market some time in mid-2009 or early 2010.
With the introduction of the CR-Z and other hybrid concepts Honda has coming down the line they expect to be selling a 1/4 million hybrids a year by 2009. That number would ofcourse double how many hybrid cars they have sold EVER.
The teasers are officially over as Nissan makes public its worse kept secret with an official Press Release and in person unveiling of the GT-R at the Tokyo Auto Show. It is almost sad to see the speculation depart like this, but it is nice to see the real thing just as Nissan intended it to be. The GT-R goes on sale in Japan on December 6th of this year and will be supported by the newly created Nissan High Performance Center. So much is riding on the GT-R that Nissan has created a maintenance group around the car.
As you will read below and may have read before the Nissan GT-R is powered by a 3.8 Liter twin-turbo V6 “VR38″. The power coming from that engine rates 473-hp and up to 433-ft. lbs of torque. Take a look at the photo gallery below for the official photos released by Nissan and after the gallery and for further details on the GT-R read from Nissan’s Official Press Release.
BMW has slipped out just a taste of what is coming to the Tokyo Auto Show that starts today. And as if there has not been enough anticipation over the BMW 1-Series seeing some of the potential that lies within the 1-Series is even more exciting. The BMW 1-Series tii is a pure concept car that BMW is using to experiment with lightweight designs for the 1-Series.
Details for the 1-Series tii have been hush hush thus far, but with the start of the Tokyo Auto Show the odds are that BMW will be more forthcoming at the unveiling. However, if pictures truly do say a thousand words then following the jump to the next page you will see a whole lot of words. From what we understand the pictures really do say it all… for now.
Ford has announced their plans to unleash their latest Mustang design, the 2008 Bullitt Mustang, at the LA Auto Show in November. However, with so many Mustang variations to be available in 2008 will the Bullitt be just another fish in a sea of High Priced Ponies?
