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Citroen bringing customized C1 Urban Ride concept to Paris

With the alternating main European auto show landing in Paris this year, French automakers won't miss the opportunity to unveil lots of new metal on their home turf, and that includes Citroën. So far, we know that the Chevron marque is rolling in to Versailles this year with the C4 Cactus Airflow 2L, a pair of specials done with fashion designer Ines de la Fressange, and the Divine DS concept from its newly emancipated luxury division. But that's not all - it's also lined up the little concept you see here.
The C1 Urban Ride concept is based on its new C1 hatchback, the compact city car that's now in its second generation - but with a more rugged approach. It rides on a suspension that's jacked up by 0.6 inches and the track has been increased by 0.4 inches. To drive home that extra ruggedness, the Urban Ride's appearance has been augmented with reinforced bumpers and wheel arches - all to show the customization potential of the city car in both fixed-roof/five-door and fabric-roofed Airscape bodystyles.

Toyota Camry, Lexus RX to get aluminum parts

Ah, aluminum. The lightweight, strong material has long held a following within the premium ranks, but as Ford prepares to launch an aluminum F-150, the material is gaining acceptance among more mainstream automakers. Toyota is one such brand, with a new report indicating that the Japanese giant will add aluminum bits and bobs to some of its upcoming vehicles.
These won't be full, aluminum-intensive treatments like the F-150, however. Automotive News reports that an aluminum hood and liftgate will be coming to the 2016 Lexus RX, and following that, the Camry will get a bonnet built from Element 13 for model year 2018.
As AN points out, Toyota is no stranger to aluminum, using it in Japanese-built models like the Prius and Scion FR-S. The RX and Camry, though, will mark the first time the company's North American factories will use the material, and they'll do so on a significantly larger scale, owing to the higher volumes that the Camry and RX represent.

Ferrari recalls 458 Italia because its trunk is a dangerous place to stow kids

Ferrari is recalling 3,000 458 Italia and Spider models and, believe it or not, it's not because they may catch fire. Nope, instead, the issue focuses on anyone that's unfortunate enough to become trapped in the Ferrari's perilously small frunk (front-mounted trunk).
Apparently, should someone find themselves trapped in the car's nose, the interior release handle only lets loose one of frunk's latches. That means that while anyone held captive by the V8-powered supercar won't be in danger of suffocating and will still be able to call for help, the cars are still ultimately in violation of federal safety mandates.
According to Uncle Sam, should someone become trapped in a trunk, like a child, they must be able to open the trunk from the inside and escape. That can't happen in the 458.

Nissan's Nismo celebrates 30th year with video retrospective

Nismo, the motorsports and high-performance arm of Nissan, has a lot of racing success to celebrate in its history and possibly even bigger accomplishments to look forward to. The company is commemorating its 30th anniversary with a video looking back at its most important milestones from each year of its past.
Nismo's job first and foremost at its genesis was to excel at motorsports. It wasn't too long after the division was founded in 1984 that the company made its first of many attempts to take an overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It never quite succeeded in that goal, but still managed to do well in long-distance competition elsewhere. At the same time, Nismo was racking up wins in touring car races in Japan.
Eventually, the division's engineers started dipping their toes into tuning road cars, in addition to going racing. What began as something sporadic has become a growing part of the Nissan lineup with Nismo-branded models of the 370Z, Juke, Note in Europe and the GT-R.

GM's Reuss explains why Cadillac is heading to New York

"We're going to take it to a place [New York] to change the way that we do business around the brand of Cadillac." - Mark Reuss
General Motors product chief Mark Reuss elaborated Tuesday on Cadillac's move to New York in 2015, saying it will "elevate" the brand and allow it to reach new customers.

Volkswagen offers Beetle Classic, priced from $20,195*

The current Volkswagen Beetle already tries to be a fairly retro-looking ride by cribbing styling elements from the iconic original. However, for the new, limited-edition Classic model, VW is hopping into the time machine to grab even more vintage cues. The company is even cutting the price, perhaps in hopes of turning around flagging sales this year. You don't need to wait long for any of these upgrades either because the automaker says that the Classic goes on sale this week for $20,195, *excluding the $820 destination charge. That's $100 less than a bone-stock Beetle.
Starting as a standard Beetle with VW's 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 170 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, the Classic edition comes with a six-speed automatic and then adds some retro flair. It includes new vintage-look 17-inch wheels with simulated dog dish polished hubcaps over black spokes. It also comes with a rear spoiler, and the automaker is offering the model in Pure White, Black Uni, and Reflex Silver.
The interior mixes in a few more classic touches but includes modern amenities like a standard navigation system, satellite radio and multifunction steering wheel. However, the seats are finished in a two-tone design combining light brown leatherette on the sides and checked cloth centers, plus lumbar support for the driver's side. The shift knob and handbrake also get wrapped in leather.

2015 Mustang-based Saleen S302 to boast as much as 640 hp

The Ford Mustang is obviously a famous performance vehicle in its own right, but it often works even better as a platform for the aftermarket to upgrade. With the all-new 2015 model just now hitting the scene, the famous tuners at Saleen are getting their improvements for the new pony car ready for the world. After recently teasing it, the specs for its fresh S302 model are officially here, along with a first look at it in profile.
Of course, the biggest question on everyone's mind is how much power the company can get from the Mustang's V8. With the 2015 V8 model rated at 435 horsepower and 400 pound-feet, Saleen expects to bump the Ford factory numbers slightly to 450 hp and 410 lb-ft in naturally aspirated form, or with the benefit of a supercharger, it will rocket the engine's output figures to 640 hp and 565 lb-ft. No matter which powerplant a buyer chooses, there are a wide variety of available final-drive ratios with a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.
Available as either a coupe or convertible forms, Saleen will offer its S302 in three trim levels - White Label, Yellow Label and Black Label. The White Label is the only naturally aspirated one of the bunch, but it still benefits from upgrades like a new exhaust, limited-slip differential, improved suspension, heat extractor hood and rear wing.

Volkswagen unveils Tristar truck concept in Hannover

Pickups may not be the first type of vehicle you associate with Volkswagen, but the German automaker does make a handful - even if they aren't available in the US. There's the Amarok we recently drove in the UK and the new Saveiro recently revealed in Brazil. And at the International Commercial Vehicle show in Hannover, Germany, VW is presenting the pickup concept you see here.
Based on its T-series vans, the Tristar concept is being shown on the 30th anniversary of the original Syncro - the most rough-and-tumble, jack-of-all-trades version of the T2 van. It bears what will likely be the design of its next-generation commercial vehicles, but with a short pickup bed behind its extended cab, all packed into a short wheelbase. That pickup bed, incidentally, is split into two parts, with a watertight compartment under the load floor.
Inside you'll find a 20-inch foldout tabletop tablet and even an onboard espresso machine packed into a clean, simple and flexible cabin space designed to suit professionals and surfers alike. It's all motivated by a 2.0-liter TDI inline four with 200 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque driven through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to all four wheels. 0-62 is quoted at 10 seconds flat, with top speed pegged at 115 mph.

Audi UrQuattro gets the Petrolicious narrative

Audi started a revolution in the world of rallying when it paired an all-wheel-drive system with a turbocharged, five-cylinder engine and a rakish, three-door body. That car, the Quattro, didn't just upset the entire balance of the World Rally Championship, it (eventually) led to a transformative effect on the consumer car market.
But we're not just interested in this car simply because history has proven the UrQuattro to be important - we love its sharply creased looks, its offbeat soundtrack and its gravel-spitting abilities. Evidently, so does the crew from Petrolicious, as they've lavished their lenses upon the car. This particular model hails from 1983, and has covered a healthy 175,000 miles, says owner Manuel Leon Minassian. His first experience with the Ur (meaning "original") came in Beirut, where the car received plenty of praise from students at his school.
That first encounter led to a long passion for the Quattro, culminating in his purchase of this car four years ago. Take a look at Minassian and his Audi in the latest video from Petrolicious.

2015 Porsche Cayenne S

Oh, Porsche.
Just as the dust settles over the 911 GT3's no manual gearbox kerfuffle, the Germans have gone and yanked the yummy naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V8 from the Cayenne S and replaced it with a twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6. Is nothing sacred in Porscheland?
Perhaps not... but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, Porsche famously once said they'd never build a diesel, but when they did, it was actually rather stellar.

Chrysler and Google launch virtual 200 factory tour [w/video]

Google is no stranger to showing off some of the most interesting automotive destinations in the world, like the museums for Lamborghini and Ducati, or even a Tesla showroom. However, it's taking that technology even further with a new, in-depth look of the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant where the Chrysler 200 is made. Unlike these earlier online excursions, the new Chrysler factory tour is a fully guided experience that includes several 360-degree videos explaining many parts of the production process.
"Just as we pioneered a completely new Chrysler 200, we are pioneering a new way for consumers to research a vehicle. The Factory Tour is an opportunity for us to prove to consumers that the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 is not one ever built before," said Olivier Francois, Chrysler's chief marketing officer, in the company's release.
Chrysler was already pretty proud of its nearly $1 billion in recent updates to the Sterling Heights factory having released a look at the 200's assembly process earlier this year. However, the new Google tour goes far deeper by including 12 videos, and between highlighted stops, viewers can swing the camera all over to get a full view of the action. The whole thing is an intriguing way to show the way a modern car gets built.

2015 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year Award short list released

2015 model-year cars and trucks are starting to filter into dealers in earnest, and with that, the newly expanded jury from the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards is getting serious about assessing this year's talented new crop with an eye toward doling out the awards in January.
Back in the beginning of August, the NACTOY jury released this year's long list of around 60 new vehicles that it would consider for the awards. While that list basically included everything slated to go on sale in the 2015 model year, this tighter list of 10 cars and 13 truck/utility/crossover vehicles highlights the products that the self-funded, independent and non-profit jury of North American auto writers have determined to be worthy of closer inspection and consideration.
This year, no one automaker dominates the short list, but Ford comes closest, scoring four nominees, including Mustang, Edge, F-150 and the Lincoln MKC. General Motors and Toyota tie with three nominees apiece, with the former including the redesigned Camry, Highlander and Lexus NX and the latter's slate made up of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon twins and the Tahoe SUV. Audi, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz have scored a pair of nominations each.

Cadillac moving to NY as separate business unit

Cadillac is under new leadership, and the automaker is committed to turning itself (back) into a global luxury powerhouse. It's got a strong product offensive (of products currently in showrooms, and much more on the way), and now it will have a new location to call home.
Following earlier speculation, GM has confirmed that it is moving Cadillac's base of operations from Detroit to New York. Lest you think it might rent offices in the Chrysler Building (which is, after all, one of the tallest in the city), the new Cadillac global headquarters will be located in the Soho area with a "multipurpose brand and event space in conjunction with modern loft offices." The company is still evaluating which staff will move along with it to Manhattan, and which will remain in Michigan where technical operations will still be based.
The move from Detroit to New York is the first major change being instituted by new Cadillac chief Johan de Nysschen, who previously undertook a similar shift in moving Infiniti away from Nissan headquarters to its own facility in Hong Kong. Ford had attempted a similar move in relocating its luxury portfolio under the Premier Automotive Group (which then included Lincoln, Mercury, Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Volvo) from Dearborn to Irvine, CA, but ended up moving Lincoln (the last one still under the Ford umbrella) back to Michigan. Other luxury automakers like Audi (Volkswagen) and Maserati (Fiat) are headquartered away from their parent companies as well, but have a longer history of independent operation.

Infiniti Q80 Inspiration concept is bringing its sexy back to Paris

A little over a month ago, Infiniti hinted at a new concept car it was apparently lining up for the upcoming Paris Motor Show. Then a few weeks ago it showed us a little more. But now, we're getting our best look yet at the new showcar.
Called the Q80 Inspiration, the concept takes the form of a four-door fastback - something along the lines of the Porsche Panamera or Audi A7, but with Infiniti's signature swoopy lines. Created to serve as "a design and technological highlight to which Infiniti's four worldwide design studios will refer regularly in coming years," the Q80 Inspiration may be more design study than pre-production prototype. But the concept is to be taken, according to the statement below, "as clear intent to have an entry into the newly defined premium fastback segment."
Incrementally larger than the Panamera in every dimension but height, the Q80 features a teardrop greenhouse, with four doors opening "portal style" into a four-seat cabin done up in carbon fiber, aluminum and leather. Watch this space for more as Infiniti continues the gradual reveal of its new show car as its debut in Paris approaches apace.

Volkswagen updates Polo GTI in time for Paris

Volkswagen uses a number of performance badges on different models. Depending on the market, buyers can get a Jetta GLI, a Scirocco R, a diesel Golf GTD and of course the most iconic hot hatch of them all, the GTI. And those are just the front-drive models. But though it's the performance Golf that wears those letters exclusively in the US market, overseas it's not the only one: So does the smaller Polo GTI, and now Volkswagen is introducing a new version.
Expected to debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, the new Polo GTI offers several changes compared to the existing model. For one, its 1.8-liter twin-charged four has been upgraded from 177 horsepower to 189, dropping the 0-62 time down from 6.9 seconds to 6.7. Previously available only with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, VW has apparently heard the cries of the purists and is now offering the Polo GTI with a six-speed manual as well.
The hot Polo's appearance has also been updated with new bumpers front and rear, honeycomb grille with trademark red stripe and a dual exhaust poking out the back. Inside there's a new flat-bottomed steering wheel, plaid upholstery, red stitching and gloss black trim. We're still waiting on the official press release, but in the meantime you can scope out the images floating around in the gallery above.

Autoblog Podcast #398

Episode #398 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Brandon Turkus, and Michael Harley talk about the 2015 Ford Mustang, the 2015 Toyota Camry, and the Congressional grilling NHTSA received last week. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #398: Topics: 2015 Ford Mustang 2015 Toyota Camry NHTSA under Congressional fire In The Autoblog Garage: 2014 Lexus ES 300h 2014 Lexus GS 350 F-Sport 2015 Kia K900 Hosts: Dan Roth, Michael Harley, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:36:56 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 2015 Ford Mustang - 28:58 2015 Toyota Camry - 42:41 NHTSA - 57:55 Q&A - 01:17:15 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Government/Legal Podcasts Ford Kia Lexus Toyota

1955 Chevy drag racer rolls his car, walks away after going through windshield

A classic '55 Chevrolet and a second-gen Camaro line up for a drag race on what looks to be a beautiful day, but by the end of the run, it's pure carnage with the '55 rolling down the track and its driver's legs sticking out of the windshield. Thankfully, the guy is still alive; in fact he even walks away before safety crews could get to his destroyed car. Still, this is still one horrifying crash to watch.
According to the YouTube description, the '55's driver was allegedly only wearing a lap belt, and it was torn out of the floor at some point during the crash. Luckily, the car came to a rest on its wheels because with half of his body hanging out of the windshield, he could have easily been crushed.
The driver is clearly shaken when he limps away, but this guy needs to thank his lucky stars that he's even alive. Warning, this video might not be for the squeamish, but keep in mind that there don't appear to be any serious injuries. Although, that '55 is going to need a lot of work if it is ever going to see the drag strip again.

Fiat 500X teased in creepy new video

Fiat is bringing a new variant of its 500 family to the 2014 Paris Motor Show, and as its debut approaches, the tempo of teaser releases is increasing. Earlier this month, we showed you heavily blurred video of the new 500X from a variety of angles. Today, we have a pretty strange spot that actually gives us some unobscured looks at the new compact crossover.
The odd teaser shows a woman on a swing in an abandoned city. If that's not odd enough, she's reciting the ABCs in the sort of sing-song manner generally reserved for possessed children in horror films. Then the 500X arrives.
While we do get a full look at the car's face, the majority of styling cues that we can see don't reveal much that we didn't know. The fascia isn't too dissimilar from the 500L, aside from its soft-road styling features, while the tail boasts a wide set of vertical taillights.

2015 BMW i8 configurator is ready to show the future

Good news if you're one of the lucky few that can afford the new BMW i8. The high-performance hybrid's configurator has gone live on BMW USA's consumer website, meaning you can head in and customize till you drop.
If you've ever played with a BMW configurator, you'll instantly feel at home with the i8's. You have the choice of four trim packages (your author refuses to use BMW's pretentious "World" trim names), followed by wheel and exterior paint options. The interior choices are fixed to the trim level, so aside from trim, color and the choice of two wheel options, there isn't a lot to pick out on the i8.
Head on over and take a look.

Stolen Jaguar E-Type reunited with owner after 46 years

Barely six months into owning it, Ivan Schneider had his Jaguar E-Type stolen from outside of his Manhattan apartment in 1968. Now, 46 years later, the somewhat beat-up convertible has been recovered just before it was about to be shipped to a new owner in The Netherlands.
US Customs agents at the Port of Los Angeles found the car during a routine check, and they contacted Schneider to arrange returning it to him. When the feds found it, the E-Type was already in a shipping container ready to go to its new owner. The condition is hardly perfect today, including rough paint and a replacement door, but Schneider is ecstatic to get his classic back.
Understandably, the now 82-year-old never thought he would see his droptop Jaguar again. Schneider told the LA Times that he bought the E-Type for $5,000 after winning a case as a lawyer, and it was originally painted gray. Now, he plans to have to have the vintage convertible restored to its former glory in New York.

Mitsubishi to showcase Outlander PHEV Concept-S in Paris

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is rumored to finally come to the US next fall as a 2016 model. In the meantime, the Japanese brand is showing off a concept for an Outlander plug-in at the Paris Motor Show in October with a massive improvement in styling and material quality that the automaker calls the "Sporty and Sophisticated" design theme.
With just a nip and a tuck, Mitsubishi's stylists have made the Outlander PHEV look a whole lot better. Instead of the narrow, squinting look of the current model, the concept shows a more vertical design that puts a big X right on the front end. In the center, there is an updated version of the horizontal grille leading to reshaped headlights. The big changes are found somewhat lower, with an air dam that is much better integrated thanks to black and chrome accents to draw the eye. The company claims that the rear gets similar upgrades with new lights and shining trim running across the tailgate.
The improved styling gets carried inside, as well. According to Mitsubishi, the design features black wood grain trim and silver accents throughout the cabin, and the center console is inspired by Japanese black lacquer boxes. The seats are also covered in hand-stitched leather with horizontal ribs.

2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Toyota offers many flavors of its refreshed 2015 Camry, but those who choose to lower their operating cost-per-mile, squeeze 500-plus miles out of each tank of fuel or run a very efficient and reliable sedan in their taxi fleets will only be interested in one: the Camry Hybrid.
The exterior of the 2015 Camry Hybrid is nearly indistinguishable from its gasoline-only counterparts, with the same all-new sheetmetal and bumpers. The Hybrid is offered in LE, SE and XLE trims, meaning customers are offered base, sport or luxury configurations, respectively.
While Toyota expended quite a bit of effort resculpting and improving the 2015 Camry Hybrid, one area it didn't touch was the powertrain - it is virtually identical to last year's model (just like the gas version). Under the hood is a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine (156 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque) and an electric tractive motor (141 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque). Combined, and running through Toyota's unique Hybrid Synergy Drive electronic continuously variable transmission, the two produce 200 horsepower (Toyota does not list a combined torque figure, and we've asked for clarification). A 1.6 kilowatt-hour nickel-metal-hydride battery, packaged behind the rear seats, provides energy storage.

Ford to rebrand SVT as 999?

Ford operates a number of performance divisions around the world. There's SVT in the US, Team RS in Europe and Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) in Australia. But the Blue Oval has been steadily integrating its performance operations into one unit, and here we might have our first indication of what it will be called.
A reader at Jalopnik sent in a survey in which respondents were asked to gauge the name for a new performance brand from a "major automotive manufacturer," and while the identity of that automaker was not disclosed, according to the survey, the automaker is considering the name 999 for its new go-fast unit.
As our compatriots point out, the 999 was Ford's first racecar, a rudimentary chassis with a 19-liter inline-four campaigned by Henry Ford around the turn of the 20th century. (Ford also used the number to designate a Fusion fuel-cell racer a few years back.) That could prove the tie-in Dearborn is looking for in rebranding its performance operations worldwide, replacing the letters SVT, RS and FPV globally under one name.

Race Recap: 2014 Singapore Grand Prix is back-to-front

To paraphrase Guy Fawkes, 'Remember, remember the twenty-first of September.' That's the day the 2014 Formula One Championship took another big turn - and at one of the year's least interesting races, traditionally - putting Lewis Hamilton back at the top of the standings. Not only that, it did so by borrowing the template from the British Grand Prix this year: put Hamilton in front, retire Nico Rosberg.
It was close until then, though, Hamilton lining up on pole for Mercedes AMG Petronas just seven thousandths of a second ahead of Rosberg. Daniel Ricciardo, the year's greatest opportunist, took third ahead of his teammate Sebastian Vettel in the Infiniti Red Bull Racing, followed by Fernando Alonso in fifth for Ferrari. The Williams' looked like they'd be in trouble on Friday, but as usual they dredged up some pace on Saturday, Felipe Massa taking sixth ahead of Kimi Räikkönen in the second Ferrari, the second Williams of Valtteri Bottas in eighth. Kevin Magnussen saved a little bit of face for McLaren in ninth, and Daniil Kvyat did another solid job to line up tenth in his Toro Rosso.
Before it even started, the race wouldn't look the same.

Translogic 159: V2X Demonstrations at ITS World Congress

A few years ago, the hot term in car connectivity was V2V, or vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Now, another techy abbreviation has taken hold: V2X, or vehicle-to-anything-you-can-imagine.
We head to the ITS World Congress in Detroit Michigan to see how the cars of the future will communicate with each other, and the world around them, with demonstrations from Honda, GM and NXP.

Hyundai readying 708-hp Sonata for SEMA

For the past two years at the SEMA show, the folks at Bisimoto Engineering have taken one of Hyundai's models and tuned it up to levels of power previously unimaginable. It started in 2012 with a 600-horsepower Elantra GT, and they outdid themselves last year with a 1,000-hp Genesis Coupe. This year Bisimoto's tuners are teasing their latest wild creation by starting with a normal 2015 Sonata and turning the wick up to 708 hp thanks to a long list of engine mods. The key in this massive injection of power is taking the regular 2.4-liter Theta-II four-cylinder engine and doing everything necessary so that it can actually withstand so much additional strain. That means introducing forged pistons and connecting rods and an improved valvetrain with new cams, plus a high-boost turbocharger to really up the ante. It's all then mated to a six-speed manual to get things rolling. "After hundreds of hours of testing, failure analysis and prototyping, 18 new products will be engineered and produced in house to produce 708 horsepower from the Sonata," said Bisi Ezerioha, owner of Bisimoto Engineering in Hyundai's release. While it might be pretty cool to find a 708-hp Sonata that looked completely stock at first glance, this is for the SEMA show after all, and it's all about showing off there. So in addition to the huge increase in horsepower, the Hyundai gets a complete aero upgrade, a coil-over suspension and a roll cage inside, in addition to other improvements. At the moment, only the rear of the car is being teased ahead of the November 4 reveal. Until we get to see more, scroll down to read Bisimoto's entire parts list to turn Sonata from a commuter into a racer. HYUNDAI PARTNERS WITH BISIMOTO FOR A THIRD YEAR TO CREATE 708 HORSEPOWER FLEX-FUEL 2015 SONATA 22/09/14 Bisimoto Engineering Focuses on Strengthening and Reliability to Create Most-Powerful Sonata Ever FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 22, 2014 – For the third year in a row, Hyundai is partnering with the powertrain gurus at Bisimoto Engineering, this time to create a 708 horsepower Sonata for the 2014 SEMA show in Las Vegas. Bisimoto's team specializes in extracting huge output from Hyundai's engines, like the 1000 horsepower Bisimoto Genesis Coupe that was built for last year's SEMA show. For this year's show, the team is using Hyundai's 2.4-liter "Theta-II" 4-cylinder engine as the starting point for their build.

2015 Toyota Camry

Every car has its definitive year. Whether it be the Chevrolet Corvette, the Ford Mustang, or yes, even the ubiquitous Toyota Camry, 10.2 million of which have been sold since 1983, every car has its year. For the Camry, that year was 1992. With son-of-Lexus styling, a clear sense of purpose and a parent company that had hit its stride as the purveyor of faultlessly reliable family transportation devices, the Camry got its legs in 1992. It's a car that even your mom is likely to remember, even if she never owned one herself.
The Camry you see here represents the closest Toyota has come to emulating the magic formula that made the 1992 model the stuff of legends. Compared to the 2014 model, some 2000 of the car's 6,000 parts are new, most of them involving things you can see or touch (on the outside, for example, only the roof carries over from 2014).
It's not a full redesign, but nevertheless it's a stunning development considering the predecessor upon which it's based only survived two model years. That's a testament to both the hyper-competitive nature of the family sedan segment and the lukewarm critical response that the outgoing car garnered. But that's in the past now - after driving this 2015 model, we suspect the new car's changes will be thorough enough to continue pulling in new customers by the hundreds of thousands each year for the foreseeable future.

Jaguar gets to work on next-gen XF sedan

With the XE now out in the open, Jaguar can begin to focus on what comes next. That means a new crossover, but also replacements for some of its aging current models - chief among them, the XF. Introduced back in 2007, Jaguar's mid-range sedan is growing a little long in the tooth. But from these latest spy shots, we can see that the British automaker is hard at work developing its successor.
Expected to be based on the same iQ A1 platform that underpins the new XE, the new XF promises to be lighter in weight and more advanced than the model it replaces. Look for most of the same engines to carry over, including gasoline and diesel options ranging from four cylinders to eight, with and without forced induction, with a potential plug-in hybrid version to follow. The current model is available in rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations and in sedan and wagon body styles, and we'd expect its replacement to follow suit.
The low-profile wheels and dual exhaust pipes on one of the prototypes spotted suggests it would lie somewhere near the top of the range, while the second prototype packs taller sidewalls and a trailer hitch. It's hard to discern much esle from the spy shots, heavily camouflaged as they are, but as with the technology underneath, we'd expect styling to takes some cues from the smaller XE as well. Jaguar will, of course, need to tread the line between distinctive and understated if it's going to fend off the Maserati Ghibli and take a bigger slice of the pie away from the likes of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Lexus GS and Infiniti Q70, the Cadillac CTS and the upcoming new Volvo S90.

Lotus slated to stop selling Evora in US

It's been three years now since Lotus stopped selling the Elise and Exige in North America, leaving the Evora as its only model available Stateside. But according to the latest from Car and Driver, even that model is on its way out.
The problem reportedly comes down to air bags. Lotus was granted a temporary exemption from fitting the latest-generation smart airbags to the Evora, but that exemption is set to expire at the end of the year. And once it does, Lotus apparently has no intention of developing and fitting the proper equipment to allow it to continue selling the Evora in the United States.
Once the Evora is gone from our market, Lotus will be reduced to selling only track-bound versions of the Elise and Exige in the US, so the prospect of actually buying a new Lotus and driving off the dealer lot will vanish into thin air.

2015 Chevy Canyon, GMC Colorado to net up to 27 mpg with 4-cylinder

Before even officially going on sale to customers, the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup twins are already proving to be a success with dealer orders exceeding original projections. Now, there is even more good news for these siblings, with the fuel economy for their four-cylinder engines netting class-leading numbers and the 3.6-liter V6 getting segment-best payload ratings.
The 2.5-liter four-cylinder in the two trucks makes 200 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque, and in rear-wheel drive and six-speed manual trim it has an EPA rating of 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. Opting for a two-wheel drive configuration with the six-speed automatic bumps those figures slightly to 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. Finally, a four-wheel drive model with the automatic 'box carries a 19/25/21 rating. Those numbers are a tick better here and there compared to what's offered by the optional V6.
The twins' major four-cylinder, midsize pickup rivals are the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, but they're both getting somewhat long in the tooth. To compare fuel economy and power, a two-wheel drive Tacoma with its 2.7-liter four-cylinder is rated at 159 hp and 180 lb-ft, and achieves 21/25/22 mpg. The Frontier with its 2.5-liter four-cylinder is good for 152 hp and 171 lb-ft, and carries 19/23/21 mpg figures.