We’re still two weeks away from the official U.S. debut of the Fiat 500 Abarth, but Fiat is dropping plenty of images and videos of the car prior to its Los Angeles Auto Show reveal. We like the first video below and fully embrace it’s concept of “go faster than yesterday,” but the second video leaves us shaking out heads at Fiat’s U.S. marketing.

Small cars typically don’t draw in adult male buyers in this country, and calling a diminutive, 135-horsepower hot-hatch a “rebel,” an “outcast” and a “bad boy” isn’t going to change that fact. We’d rather the marketing department skip the hype and focus on what the Fiat 500 Abarth is quite likely to be: the best handling and most entertaining front-wheel-drive car on the market today.

Here’s a rather nebulous assignment: “take the Focus ST that blew everyone away in Paris, and turn it into a race car”. My first question would have been, “for what series”, but that’s probably why I’m not a designer at Ford. I never was too good at following directions that lacked any kind of clarity, and Jonathan Szczupak of Ford’s North American Design Team is clearly a more patient individual than I am.

You can’t tell much about the car from Szczupak’s walk through, filmed at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but I can see enough to tell the car wouldn’t be competitive in any series I can think of. Those BBS wheels may look halfway decent, but they probably weigh about 40 pounds each before you add tires. The brakes need larger rotors and bigger calipers, unless you’re racing in a showroom stock series which precludes brake upgrades. The stock exhaust, no matter how good it looks, isn’t going to make the car go any faster and probably weighs about ten pounds more than it needs to. I’d gladly trade “a feeling of motion” for “more forward motion”, myself.

I’m not a big fan of building simulated race cars, so I would have given the design team the SCCA rulebook and said, “build a car that will kick ass in Showroom Stock racing”. At least then they’d know what they’re up against and have some parameters to work from. To the average consumer, the Focus ST Race Car probably does look like a race car. To me, it looks like easy pickings and a chance to gain a position on track.

My wife tells me that cupcakes are out. The new “in” desert trend? Pies. Regardless, Sprinkles Cupcakes in LA will continue to crank out mouthwatering cupcakes for the less trendy desert lovers among us. And now, thanks to West Coast Customs, the shop can dispense delicious desserts anywhere. The customs shop created this delectable Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van for Sprinkles. It features an air-conditioned case that can hold 1,500 cupcakes, a retractable awning, and, of course, a cash register. The van is also slathered in a scrumptious shade of chocolate-frosting brown paint. The Sprinklesmobile made an appearance at the LA Auto Show and will hopefully be cruising to a town near you.

2011 Ford Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon. Photo: Ford Motor Company

Ford’s Transit Connect makes a lot of sense for tradesmen and small businesses. It’s got enough room to haul your stuff around, and its 2.0 liter inline four sips gas. The Transit Connect is stylish enough for a boxy, compact van, and it did pick up the 2010 North American Truck of the Year award. It’s the van you buy when you don’t need something as roomy (or expensive) as a Dodge Sprinter, or a full size Ford E Series.

Photo: Ford Motor Company

Ford’s offered the Transit Connect in XLT Wagon trim since launch, which gives you a second row of seats if you need to haul passengers as well as cargo. It even gives you two more windows for passengers to ponder their surroundings, but the cargo area remains dark. Like full sized vans, the interior amenities were best described as “spartan”. If you like the look of painted sheetmetal and spars, then you’ll love the look of the Transit Connect XLT, which has no sound deadening or interior panels.

Enter the Transit Connect XLT Premium, which features a finished interior, more comfortable seating and widows in the cargo area so rear seat occupants feel more like passengers and less like hostages. The rear windows even swing open for ventilation, which helps to aid passenger escape comfort. The driver gets integrated blind spot mirrors and a rearview camera, which makes backing the Transit Connect an easier task.

Photo: Ford Motor Company

Ford’s chief nameplate engineer for commercial vehicles, Rob Stevens, insists they built the Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon based on customer demand. Stevens says, “Since Transit Connect arrived here as the ‘ultimate tool’ for small business proprietors, we’ve heard requests from potential personal-use customers. Buyers looking for a taller wagon with seating for five passengers and generous cargo space have shown significant interest in Transit Connect.”

Maybe I’m missing something, but Ford’s already got a five seat crossover (the Edge) and a seven seat crossover (the Flex) in their product line. Both are specifically designed to haul people in comfort, where the Transit Connect is designed to haul up to 1,600 pounds of cargo, with passenger comfort and amenities being an afterthought. I’d have no issue in driving an Edge or Flex cross-country, but would have second thoughts about driving a Transit Connect cross-state.

Here’s what it really comes down to: the Transit Connect XLT Premium Wagon starts at $23,200, while the Edge starts at $27,220 and the Flex at $29,075. Are there enough buyers of modest means (and modest expectations) looking for a boxy-but-good five passenger van? Can a commercial vehicle be dressed up enough to function as a semi-comfortable passenger car? Ford’s guessing that the answer to both questions is “yes”, but I’m not sure I’m convinced.

Want your electric car to have a three-diamond logo on the front? Mitsubishi will launch the U.S. version of its i MiEV (called the Mitsubishi “i” on these shores) in 2011, but they’ve rolled it out on display at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show. What works in Tokyo doesn’t necessarily work in the United States, so U.S. i models received a thorough reworking to meet federal crash standards and the preferences of U.S. customers. In Japan, the i MiEV is 134 inches long and 58 inches wide; for the U.S. market, it grows to 145 inches long and 63 inches wide. U.S. customers will get more amenities and safety features as well, including tire pressure monitoring, air conditioning, advanced airbags and electronic stability control.

When we’re talking about electric vehicles, bigger isn’t necessarily better. The upsizing of the i for the U.S. comes at a price: in the EU (which uses a different evaluation standard for measuring range), the i MiEV has an estimated range of 150 kilometers, or 93 miles. U.S. versions will get an estimated range of 50 to 80 miles, depending upon driving conditions and accessory items used. Crank up the heat, turn on the rear defrosted and heated seats, then mash the accelerator to the floor as you climb Colorado’s Eisenhower Pass in I-70, and you’ll be hard pressed to get 50 miles per charge. Draft a semi going down the pass, with lots of electricity producing regenerative braking, and you may even do even better than the EU rating. That’s really the problem with pure EVs: you never know exactly what your range will be, as it will vary with traffic, driving style and environmental conditions.

When the i is out of electrons, it can be recharged on household current, with a 240 volt Level 2 charger or with a “quick charge” Level 3 charger. Level 1 charging (on 110v service) takes about eight hours, with Level 2 taking about 4 hours and Level 3 about 30 minutes. Level 3 charging won’t completely charge the i’s batteries, but it will give about 80% capacity, or enough range for about 40 more miles.

Look for the i to go on sale here by the end of 2011. Mitsubishi is targeting a list price under $30,000 before any federal electric vehicle rebates, which could make the i the most attractively priced commuter EV.

Subaru's Impreza Design Concept

Unveiled at the LA Auto Show after being teased at the beginning of the month, Subaru’s “Confidence In Motion” design language was revealed on the latest Impreza Design Concept. The concept is cutting edge for Subaru, whose styling has either been ultra conservative (like the Outback and Forester) or over the top bizarre (like the original Tribeca and the 2006 Imprezas, both of which featured the snarling badger front end). Though technically a sedan, Subaru wanted to convey the image of a four door coupe, and the car was penned to blend the idea of “dynamic flow” with “confident stance”. I’d say they succeeded.

The Impreza Design Concept is powered by a 2.0 liter boxer motor, which drives a CVT transmission (Lineartronic, in Subaru speak) and powers all four wheels. Part of Subaru’s “Confidence In Motion” includes more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly automobiles, hence the reduction in displacement of the boxer four motor from 2.5 liters to 2.0 liters. Expect future concepts to include a hybrid powertrain, to boost fuel economy and / or enhance performance.

Inside, the Impreza Design Concept Is chock full of technology and style. Leather seating features contrasting stitching and piping, and layered colors on the dash and interior give an upscale and spacious appearance to the inside. A center dash touch screen display handles navigation, information and audio functions, and a small touch screen in included on the steering wheel to duplicate functionality. Subaru’s EyeSight system includes a camera embedded along the front edge of the roof, which transmits images to a monitor in the center of the instrument cluster. EyeSight is meant as a driver aid to increase visibility in inclement weather and at night.

How much of this will see production, or when it will see production is anybody’s guess. Subaru’s got a video of the car up, featuring some decent shots of the interior, but they’ve disabled embedding. Go here to watch it on YouTube.

We told you this was going to happen last week, but now it’s official – Porsche has introduced a new version of the Cayman coupe called the Cayman R. As expected, it’s a lightened and slightly more powerful version of the Cayman S, aimed at Porsche buyers who spend their weekends at the racetrack instead of on the golf course. Porsche gave the Cayman S’ 3.4 liter flat six an additional ten horsepower, which raises output to 330 horsepower and reduces zero to 60 mile per hour times to below five seconds. Opt for the Sport Chrono package and the PDK gearbox, and you’ll shave a few more tenths of a second off your times.

Porsche put the Cayman on a crash diet before giving it the R badge, and the Cayman R tips the scales at just 2,855 pounds. Porsche substituted lighter weight components wherever possible and did away with the usual amenities; for example, door pulls are the same fabric loops found on the GT3 RS, you don’t get an audio system and even air conditioning is deleted. Total weight savings was 121 pounds, which is substantial for a car that’s already considered lightweight in stock form.

On the suspension side, Porsche dropped the Cayman’s ride height by 20 millimeters and fitted the lightest 19” wheels in Porsche’s catalog, both of which should benefit the Cayman’s already sublime handling. Outside, the Cayman R gets unique striping, black headlight trim and a fixed rear spoiler that should set it apart from other Caymans.

Pricing for the U.S. market hasn’t been announced, but the Cayman R will hit the streets in Germany at a price point of €69,830, including VAT. Look for U.S. pricing to be announced closer to the car’s February 2011 debut.

So this is what the new Hyundai Elantra will look like in the United States market. It’s not much of a surprise despite Hyundai’s efforts to keep the car hidden; as Inside Line tells us, it’s been released to other world markets as the Hyundai Avante since last April. The compact sedan gets familiar lines, and definitely borrows styling cues from the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The character lines sweeping back across the doors, the chiseled front fenders and the dual grille and fascia air intakes are common to both cars, which really do feature class-leading styling. Just a few years ago “bland” would have been the best word to describe Hyundai’s styling; today, “stunning” is much more accurate.

Power will come from a 1.8 liter four, good for 148 horsepower and 131 ft lb of torque. When mated to the six speed automatic transmission, the 2011 Elantra is rated at 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway; expect a few mpg less when equipped with the manual transmission.

Elantras will be built at Hyundai’s Montgomery, Alabama plant, alongside of ithe Sonata and Santa Fe models. The automaker is holding back details on variants and trim levels until the “official” introduction later this week, but I’d expect GLS models to start around the $17,000 price point, on par with last year’s version.

Mike Musto is hard at work attending the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, and he sent these cell phone pics of Cadillac’s latest concept vehicle. Called the “Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept”, the design study is meant to represent Cadillac’s interpretation of an urban commuter car, similar to the Smart or the Audi A1. Like the Smart, the Urban Luxury Concept is small on the outside (for easy parking and commuting in rush hour traffic) but roomy on the inside; unlike the Smart, the Cadillac concept is focused on luxury.

The car seats four passengers, who enter and exit the vehicle through a pair of scissoring doors. Once inside, passengers are treated to leather seating and touch screen controllers for the climate and audio systems. Power comes from a turbocharged three cylinder engine (remember, this is a microcar) with electric assist and start-stop functionality. Cadillac didn’t publish horsepower or acceleration data, but they do claim fuel economy of 56 MPG in the city and 65 MPG on the highway.

The concept is, by far, the smallest Cadillac ever penned. The wheelbase is a diminutive 97.1 inches, and the overall length of the car is just 151 inches. That’s over three feet shorter than the Cadillac CTS, which is currently Cadillac’s smallest offering (at least until the ATS is launched). The luxury manufacturer sees this as an opportunity to shift Cadillac’s conservative image to one that’s a bit more edgy and progressive. Don Butler, Cadillac’s VP of Marketing, sums it up like this:

“While small in size, this concept is an exploration of what Cadillac could be in the future, as the brand continues to focus on redefining industry standards for advanced vehicle design and integrated technology,”

I say build it, as cars like the Urban Luxury Concept will be necessary to meet future CAFE targets. At 65 MPG, the Urban Luxury Concept will go a long way towards offsetting the fuel economy of the CTS-V, ensuring that the sport sedan doesn’t go the way of the dinosaur.

The 2011 Camaro Convertible. Photo: © GM Corp.

The 2011 Camaro Convertible will have it’s official debut at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show, but Chevy’s coughed up pics, details and videos in advance. The drop-top Camaro officially goes on sale in February 2011, just in time for the peak of cabin fever in winter states, when buyers flock to showrooms looking for any sign that spring is on the horizon. Fortunately, Chevy didn’t waste time and effort designing a needlessly complex and expensive retractable hard top; the Camaro makes do with a power folding cloth top, made from heavy duty canvas with an acoustical headliner to reduce wind noise with the top up. The power top’s operation is said to take only 20 seconds from start to finish, which means you can easily go topless at a stoplight without drama. The Camaro Convertible uses a single latch at the center of the windshield header, which allows the driver to put the top up or down without getting out of his seat.

Photo: © GM Corp.

Photo: © GM Corp.

Photo: © GM Corp.

Chevy went to great lengths to ensure that the convertible had stiffness comparable to the coupe. Four reinforcements were made to enhance torsional stiffness, including a strut tower brace under the hood, a transmission support reinforcement brace, an underbody tunnel brace and front and rear underbody V braces. The net result is a car with better torsional stiffness than a BMW 3 Series convertible, and the Camaro Convertible uses the exact same suspension as the coupe. Manufacturers often use softer suspension components on convertible models to improve ride (and reduce flex) at the expense of handling, but the Camaro ‘vert uses the same struts, bushings, and springs as the coupe. It won’t handle quite the same, since the convertible version carries an additional 257 pounds in SS trim; still it will be closer than most convertibles are to their coupe siblings.

The 2011 Camaro Convertible will be available with either a 3.6 liter V6 (good for 312 horsepower) or a 6.2 liter LS3 V8 (400 horsepower with the automatic transmission, 426 horsepower with the six speed manual). Drivers who want to row their own gears will be happy to learn that the six speed is available with either the V8 or the V6 motors, which is a departure from the normal “auto only” school of thought for base models. Pricing will start at $30,000 (including destination charge) for a V6, and Chevy has yet to fill in the blanks for pricing on SS models. Using the coupe pricing as a guide, I’d expect the LS3 powered SS models to start just under the $40k mark.