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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Mazda's Flow evolves into the Soul of Motion, Shinari Concept now in Real Life Shots [61 Photos + Video]


[Updated with video from the presentation] While the debate rages on regarding the Mazda Shinari's inspiration (Fisker Karma, Infiniti Essence, or something more sinister?), here are some real life photos of the car outside of the studio. Introducing Mazda's new Japanese-Euro-American Kodo design language, the Shinari shows where Mazda will be zoom-zooming after its Nagare-derived smiley face cars are dead and gone.

Expect the flowing, toned lines to appear on everything from the Mazda3 and Mazda6 to the MX-5 Miata and potential RX-8 successor; on that note, can we get a decent rotary engine around here or what?

Since these "tense" and "organic" designs are becoming more and more common nowadays, how will Mazda emphasize its own unique design elements? As with most unofficial homages (because we all know this isn't a purely original design or layout), the answer is in the details.

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Paris Preshow: 2011 Toyota iQ and Aygo get upgraded interiors


Joining the new Verso-S small MPV at Toyota's 2010 Paris Motor Show stand, will be the 2011 model year versions of the iQ and Aygo city cars, both of which benefit from some minor interior revisions.

For the 2011 iQ, which will be sold in the States under the Scion brand, Toyota is increasing the level of perceived quality with the use of higher-grade, soft-touch plastics on the dashboard and the door panels, the introduction of new color schemes and upgraded trim options.

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Pontiac Firebird-based 308 Ferrari Replica kills two nameplates with one stone


What's the deal with cheesy Pontiac-based replicas? Every time I see one, I ask myself how anyone in their right mind would ever think it's a good idea (unless purely testing one's kit building and car chopping talents). This ebay-situated Firebird-based 308 replica can be yours for the low-low price of $6,500; if you'd like to try your luck with the auction, feel free. We won't judge either way (sinner!).

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New 1.6-liter Turbo Gasoline Engines for Volvo S60 and V60 Coming Later this Year


Volvo will soon welcome two new additional engine options, the T3 and T4, to its 2011 S60 sedan and V60 estate range of models. The pair of 1.6-liter four-cylinder GTDi gasoline units employ both turbocharging and direct injection technology for improved fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance. Furthermore, the two engines come equipped with Volvo's Start/Stop tech (manual gearbox models only) as standard.

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New Suzuki Swift Priced from £9,995 in the UK


Suzuki's UK division has released pricing and specification details for its all-new 2011 Swift supermini, which is available for order now. Priced from £9,995 for the entry-level three door model to £12,245 for the top-spec five door with manual transmission, the 2011 Swift is offered at launch with a new 94HP 1.2-liter petrol unit that returns a combined fuel economy of 56.5 mpg UK. A revised 75HP 1.3-litre diesel engine with a combined fuel consumption of 67.3mpg UK will be added to the range next spring.

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Toyota Prius Sales may Collapse in Japan as Hybrid Subsidies End


For more than a year now, the Prius has enjoyed some hefty sales in Japan thanks to the government subsidies for hybrids. But now that the cash-for-clunkers program is coming to an end, sales of Toyota's hybrid model will most likely take a hit, according to automotive analysts.

Under the program, many Japanese buyers flocked to trade in their 13+ year-old car for a Prius. With the subsidy window coming to a close, there will be a need for dealers to readjust their sales strategy.

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FAIL: BMW X5 Jump Stunt Takes a Turn for the Worse - Literally... [Video]


We're not quite sure what the driver of this dark colored BMW X5 SUV (or at least it looks like an X5) was trying to do here, but something tells us that performing a 180-degree flip and crashing into an electricity / telephone pole wasn't part of the plan / stunt. See the accident for yourself in the video after the jump and don't forget to rate the freestyle flip in the comments section below.

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Automotive Eyelashes - Car Fans Collectively Cringe


Are you a teenage girl and yearning to make your Beetle just the cutest damn thing on the road? Get some of these Car Lashes. If you're an S-Class owner and want to make your car cuter, how about you take a step back, count to ten, and ask yourself what the heck you're thinking.
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Nissan Qazana Concept HD Wallpapers

Nissan Qazana Concept Front View HD Wallpaper
Nissan Qazana Concept Side View HD Wallpaper
Nissan Qazana Concept Rear Side View HD Wallpaper

Nissan Urge Concept HD Wallpapers

Nissan Urge Concept Side View HD Wallpaper
Nissan Urge Concept Rear Side View HD Wallpaper
Nissan Urge Concept Front View HD Wallpaper

Nissan 350Z Tuning HD Wallpapers

Nissan 350Z Tuning Front Side View HD Wallpaper
Nissan 350Z Tuning Rear Side View HD Wallpaper
Nissan 350Z Tuning Front View HD Wallpaper

Mercedes F400 Exotic Car HD Wallpapers

Mercedes F400 Rear View HD Wall
Mercedes F400 Side Wheel HD
Mercedes F400 Front View HD

Argentinean Donto wants to battle Ariel and KTM with its P1


Donto Motor Company of Argentina has been working on a competitor to take on some world-class track day stars, the Ariel Atom and the KTM X-Bow. The South American two-seater has apparently been in development for the past 18 months and is called the P1.

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Infiniti Essence Concept HD Wallpapers

Infiniti Essence Concept 2009 Front View HD Wallpaper
Infiniti Essence Concept 2009 Rear View HD Wallpaper
Infiniti Essence Concept 2009 Side View HD Wallpaper

Paris Preshow: New Toyota Verso-S [Ractis in Japan] small MPV


Toyota has released the first official images of its new MPV contender in the European B-segment today, the Verso-S, ahead of its world premiere at the Paris Mondial de l'Automobile in a few weeks time. Japanese shoppers will eventually come to know the Verso-S as the new Ractis in their own market.

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Aston Martin Oan 77 Car HD Wallpapers

Aston Martin Oan 77 Side Wheel View HD
Aston Martin Oan 77 Front View HD
Aston Martin Oan 77 Front View HD Wallpaper

Ferrari F430 Scuderia Car HD Wallpapers

Ferrari F430 Scuderia Side View HD
Ferrari F430 Scuderia Front Whell View HD Wall
Ferrari F430 Scuderia Rear Side View HD

Official: Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet and Ellure Concept Sedan heading to LA Auto Show


It's officially official; Nissan today confirmed it will be rolling out the long-rumored convertible version of the Murano crossover named CrossCabriolet at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late November. And that's not the only news coming from Nissan's LA motorshow front as the Japanese automaker added it will also lift the covers off a new concept sedan model called the Ellure as well as the production version of the all-new 2011 Quest minivan, pictures of which have already been released.

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Paris Preshow: 2011 Lexus IS-F gets Euro 5 compliant V8 and new instrument panel


European fans of the Lexus IS-F rejoice; this is one sports car that won't be axed on the other side of the pond due to the introduction of the more stringent Euro 5 emissions standards. Unlike the current generations of the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R and Mazda RX-8 -just to mention a few, the IS-F will make it to the 2011 model year thanks to its tweaked 5.0-liter V8 that is now fully compliant with the upgraded Euro 5 norms.

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BMW Seria 5 Lumma Tuning HD Wallpapers

BMW Seria 5 Lumma Tuning Rear View HD
BMW Seria 5 Lumma Tuning Front View HD Wall
BMW Seria 5 Lumma Tuning Side View HD

Monday, August 30, 2010

Suzuki delays US Swift until at least 2011, getting advice from VW


Those of you waiting for the new Suzuki Swift to get Stateside will have to wait a little bit longer. After the Kizashi didn't exactly make the splash that Suzuki had hoped for, and with Suzuki sales in America crumbling, it appears that the Japanese automaker and 20% stakeholder Volkswagen AG will sit down to form a new battle plan.

Part of that plan includes putting the Swift's US arrival on hold until at least 2011 so that pricing and strategy could be evaluated. Some of the reasoning behind the delay has to do with the rising Japanese yen, which has also dented the company's US marketing division.

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From Concept to Reality: Chevrolet Orlando MPV


The upcoming Orlando minivan, which shares its platform with the Cruze, is another one of Chevrolet's upcoming attempts to rectify its sub-par image as a brand. How has the MPV developed since it debuted as an attractive concept two years ago to woo European car buyers? Well, it still seats seven and will get both gasoline and diesel four-cylinder engines as promised, but unfortunately, it's put on some flab over the concept's original well-toned lines. While GM has yet to release photos of the interior, expect a modern Chevrolet cabin very similar to the concept.

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Infiniti's LA Auto Show Lineup to include M Hybrid, IPL G Coupe and G25 Sedan


The 2010 edition of the Los Angeles motor show is still three months away, but since Infiniti doesn't have something that we haven't seen or heard of before, the Japanese automaker decided to end the suspense early by revealing its plans today.

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Chrysler Group officials talk Fiat with 400 potential dealers


The Chrysler Group today hosted a special event in Detroit for around 400 of its car dealers from targeted markets across the country to tell them what it will take to become a Fiat dealer in the United States. Fiat, which controls 20 percent of Chrysler, plans to unveil the U.S.-spec version of its 500 mini at the Los Angeles auto show in November and begin selling the car by the end of the year.

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Dealership Guard takes $111,000 Corvette ZR1 for a spin, posts video on Youtube...


We finally found someone that makes Lloyd and Harry [that would be the dynamic duo from Dumb & Dumber] look like Mensa candidates. Meet the now unemployed, but as-of-yet unnamed, security guard at the Dallas Auto Auction in Dallas, Texas.

This bright young man not only gave in to his urges upon seeing a brand new $111,000 Corvette ZR1 in the secured parking lot (that, we could try to understand), but also had the brilliant idea to film his joy ride and upload the video that showed his face as well as the car's dealer plate on Youtube.

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Mazda Shinari Sports Sedan Concept: 44 High-Res Photos


While we're waiting for Mazda to release some official information on its new Shinari sports sedan concept that we first told you about earlier today, here's a comprehensive gallery with more than 40 photos, renderings and preliminary design sketches of the car. We still don't know for sure if the Shinari is heading to next month's Paris Motor Show - although we would be surprised if it didn't.

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2012 BMW 1-Series 5-door Scooped, Shows its Insides for the first time


Following last week's teaser preview of the current generation 1 M Coupe and more relevantly, spy shots of the next 1-Series hatchback in three-door form, today we bring you pictures of the new five-door variant and for the first time, scoop images of the baby BMW's cabin that give us a flavour of the interior styling.

Our new spy photos reveal a redesigned center console that is slightly angled towards the driver and comes with new controls. As with the current BMW 1-Series, the iDrive / navigation screen is located at the top of the dashboard. We can also see a newly styled three-spoke steering wheel with a chunky girth.

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Roush releases GT500-killer supercharger package for 5.0-liter Mustang GT


Roush has released its ROUSHcharger kit for the new 5.0-liter Mustang after its debut at the Woodward Dream Cruise, force-feeding performance nuts with enough induction to pump the Mustang GT's output from 412 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque to a monstrous, semi-warrantied 550HP and "more than 470 lb-ft" of torque. What was once strictly Ford GT and GT500 power has officially become available for the M3-hunting Joe Regular GT, all at a suggested price of $5,999.

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Mazda Shows Shinari Four-Door Sports Coupe Concept


[Update: More pictures here] Mazda today took the wraps off a new concept model called the Shinari during a special press event near Milan in Italy. The Shinari is a four-door coupe style sports sedan collaboratively designed by Mazda's styling studios in the United States, Germany and Japan. According to the Japanese firm, the sport sedan's styling previews a future design direction for the Mazda brand.

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Citroën's high riding DS4 unveiled ahead of Paris Motor Show [31 photos]


Say bonjour to Citroën's latest creation and the second member of its DS lineup of special models after the DS3, the all-new DS4 that was revealed online today ahead of its public premiere at next month's Paris Motor Show.

Based off the freshly revealed C4 hatchback (Citroën's rival to the VW Golf), the DS4 is the production version of the French carmaker's Geneva Salon DS High Rider concept car. The key difference between the two models is that, whereas the design study featured a three-door body style, the DS4 gets five-doors with hidden rear handles.

Citroën describes the DS4 as "a unique and attractive blend of creativity, dynamism, exclusivity and versatility", which in reality translates to a potpourri of design influences from numerous cars and segments ranging from the coupe-esque roofline and hidden rear door handles, to the almost crossover-like road clearance.

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Audi R-Zero Concept HD Wallpapers

Audi R-Zero Silver Concept Front Side View HD
Audi R-Zero Concept Side View HD
Audi R-Zero Rear View Silver Concept HD