Mazda has debuted the North American version of the Mazda2 at the LA Auto Show.
Category Archives: Car Launches
New Toyota Sienna
Toyota has released a new Sienna at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
It’s taking a bit of an interesting approach compared to other minivans. It looks a bit sporty, albeit ugly at the front end, especially if you go for the SE trim, which I’ll go into further detail about a bit later.
VW New Beetle Final Edition
Apparently the Dodge Viper isn’t the only car we’ll have to say good-bye to soon. The Volkswagen New Beetle will be replaced by a new one soon, and Volkswagen have decided that the Beetle needs a good bye, just like the Viper. So they’ve released a special edition called the Final Edition at the LA Auto Show.
Dodge Viper's last hurrah
The Dodge Viper, production lap record holder for Laguna Seca and among the best at the Nordschleife, will be no more by 2011. To give it a good farewell, Dodge will be updating it for the last year and releasing some special editions.
Infiniti G37 sedan facelift unveiled at Los Angeles Auto Show
Besides the new M, Infiniti has also unveiled an updated G37 sedan at the LA Auto Show. Unlike the M though, it’s a facelift rather than a total makeover.
New Infiniti M launched in LA
Infiniti has launched a new M at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Alfa Launches 147 Successor
Alfa Romeo has unveiled its successor to the 147. As I posted earlier, the name was under dispute, but they’ve settled on calling it the Giulietta.
It will released in 2010 as part of Alfa’s celebrations of their 100th anniversary. Company bosses believe it come become Alfa’s best-selling car ever.
The car will be made as a five-door only. The rear door handles have been cleverly disguised (See if you can spot them).
The suspension is MacPherson struts up front and a new multi-link design at the rear.
There will be three different designs of 16, 17 and 18-inch wheels: Thick-spoke, multi-spoke and Alfa’s “telephone dial” design.
Engines on offer include a 120hp 1.4L gasoline and a 170hp 2.0L diesel. All engines will be turbocharged and have four-cylinder. There will later be a 230hp Cloverleaf model, which I’m definitely looking forward to. All cars will be front wheel drive, and will come with either a five or six-speed manual gearbox. Autocar mentions nothing about an automatic, but I presume one will be available. Not that I’d want one. Fiat is working on a semi-auto twin-clutch alternative to add to the Giulietta.
All Giuliettas will come with automatic start-stop as standard.
Alfa Romeo aims to make over 100,000 units a year. They say it is too early to predict pricing, but they claim it will be very competitive compared to its main rival, the VW Golf.
Very few pictures have been released, but so far it looks quite nice. I’d still prefer that they use the 159/Brera front styling instead, but this isn’t too bad.
Source: Autocar
Alfa Launches 147 Successor
Alfa Romeo has unveiled its successor to the 147. As I posted earlier, the name was under dispute, but they’ve settled on calling it the Giulietta.
It will released in 2010 as part of Alfa’s celebrations of their 100th anniversary. Company bosses believe it come become Alfa’s best-selling car ever.
The car will be made as a five-door only. The rear door handles have been cleverly disguised (See if you can spot them).
The suspension is MacPherson struts up front and a new multi-link design at the rear.
There will be three different designs of 16, 17 and 18-inch wheels: Thick-spoke, multi-spoke and Alfa’s “telephone dial” design.
Engines on offer include a 120hp 1.4L gasoline and a 170hp 2.0L diesel. All engines will be turbocharged and have four-cylinder. There will later be a 230hp Cloverleaf model, which I’m definitely looking forward to. All cars will be front wheel drive, and will come with either a five or six-speed manual gearbox. Autocar mentions nothing about an automatic, but I presume one will be available. Not that I’d want one. Fiat is working on a semi-auto twin-clutch alternative to add to the Giulietta.
All Giuliettas will come with automatic start-stop as standard.
Alfa Romeo aims to make over 100,000 units a year. They say it is too early to predict pricing, but they claim it will be very competitive compared to its main rival, the VW Golf.
Very few pictures have been released, but so far it looks quite nice. I’d still prefer that they use the 159/Brera front styling instead, but this isn’t too bad.
Source: Autocar
Scion Rolls Out Special Edition xB
Every year since 2004, Scion has released a special edition of the xB, with the exception of 2006 when 2 were released rather than 1. The recipe is about the same each time: New bodykit, special colour, production run of about 2000-2500 units. Now there’s a new one called the Release Series 7.0 (The 7.0 indicating that this is the 7th car in the series).
It stays true to the recipe. There’s a four piece body kit, consisting of front and rear lower lips and a set of side skirts. It’s got a special colour called Murasaki, which is Japanese for purple. Only 2000 will be made.
Other visual mods include centre-mounted tailpipes and an optional rear spoiler, which by the looks of pictures, improves the car’s looks quite a bit.
The interior will get some slight changes as well. There will be purple seat insets to match the exterior, and a new leather-wrapped shift knob.
There are even technical modifications. The suspension will be upgraded with Toyota Racing Development lowering springs and the exhaust has been tuned to sound sportier.
The colour is absolutely hideous though. While the studio lighting of the pictures taken above makes it look fine, the colour looks ghastly in live pictures! If you happen to be a bit crazy though, and think that it looks brilliant, it will be available to order starting this month. It will cost $18,320 for a manual transmission version and $19,270 for one with an automatic gearbox. These prices don’t include a $670 shipping and handling fee. Oh, and the optional spoiler is $320, not including installation.
Some more details are available in this press release:
Scion Announces Pricing for xB Release Series 7.0, Will Debut at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show
TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 30, 2009 — Scion announced today that it will be displaying its latest limited-production vehicle, the 2010 xB Release Series 7.0 (xB RS 7.0) in the Scion booth at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Dec. 2-13, 2009. The xB RS 7.0 will begin arriving in dealerships in December 2009.
The xB RS 7.0 comes fitted with a four-piece DAMD body kit including front and rear lower lips along with side skirts. The xB comes exclusively painted in a distinctive color appropriately named Murasaki, which means “purple” in Japanese.
One of the most distinctive features of the xB RS 7.0 is the TRD sport muffler that exits out the center of DAMD rear lip. The exhaust system features twin double-walled tips and is specifically designed in conjunction with the DAMD rear lip to give the xB a sporty appearance and a sound that can only be found on this particular Release Series. To complete the stylish exterior, the xB RS 7.0 is equipped with TRD lowering springs that bring the ride height down over an inch and offer sporty handling. A color-keyed rear spoiler will be available as an option.
The interior of the xB RS 7.0 features exclusive black fabric seats with color-tuned highlights that complement the car’s exterior. The sides of the driver and front passenger lower seat cushions are embroidered with the “RS” logo. The driver is also treated to a leather-wrapped RAZO GT Formula Spec shift knob that delivers a sporty feel.
Only 2,000 units of the xB RS 7.0 will be built, and each vehicle comes with a unique, individually numbered stainless-steel badge. The xB RS 7.0 model will carry a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $18,320 with a manual transmission, and $19,270 with an automatic transmission. A limited supply of the available color-matched rear spoiler will be available to xB RS 7.0 owners and carries a MSRP of $320, not including installation.
The delivery, processing and handling (DPH) fee for all Scion models is $670 and is not included in the MSRP. DPH fee for vehicles distributed by Southeast Toyota (SET) and Gulf States Toyota (GST) may vary.
On December 2, visit the Release Series Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/scionreleaseseries and play the Murasaki racing game.
Source: Autoblog
Limited Edition Maserati GranTurismo for Middle East
Maserati has created a limited edition of their GranTurismo S just for the Middle East market. It’s called the Maserati GranTurismo S MC Sport Line.
It’s been decked out with bits from Maserati’s MC Sport Line, hence the name. The car also gets a matte white paint job.
Little details have been given, but only 12 will be made, all sold in the Middle East. 12 is to honour the 12 trophies (Contructor’s and driver’s) that the Maserati MC12 has won in the FIA GT Championship since 2005. There are also exactly 12 cities with Maserati dealers in the Middle East. Each car will feature an internal plaque with the name of the city it is dedicated to.
Italy will also be getting a version of this car. It will be painted in matte white pearl, and only 11 will be made, all for the Italian market.
It looks brilliant, but with so little details, it’s hard to understand whether or not there’s any difference between this and just a GranTurismo S with bits from the MC Sport Line.
Here’s the press release, but don’t expect much more details than what I’ve just said.
Limited-edition GranTurismo S MC Sport Line
30/11/2009 – ModenaThe limited-edition Maserati GranTurismo S MC Sport Line with Matt White “ice” finishing is here portrayed in front of the futuristic structure of the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, where it was unveiled in a dedicated event for a selected number of Maserati customers of the Middle East.
Designed to enhance the sporty DNA of the Trident, the “MC Sport Line” sums up the experience acquired on the track by the Maserati Corse racing department, whose contribution to the design of the functional components has been invaluable. The world of motor racing also inspired Maserati’s designers when it came to styling, hence the extensive use of carbon fiber.
Only twelve GranTurismos in this configuration will be produced in Modena, all for the Middle East markets. Twelve is also the number of world titles which make up the prestigious palmares of the MC12 in the FIA GT International Championship since 2005: 2 Constructors’ Cups (2005 and 2007), 4 Drivers’ Titles 4 (Bartels-Bertolini in 2006, Thomas Biagi in 2007, Bartels-Bertolini in 2008 and 2009); 5 Teams’ Titles (from 2005 onwards uninterruptedly with the Vitaphone Racing Team); 1 Citation Cup in 2007 with the gentleman driver Ben Aucott.
Furthermore, twelve are the Middle East cities where Maserati is present with a dedicated showroom: each car will feature an internal plaque with the name of the city to which it is committed.
A limited and numbered edition of the GranTurismo S MC Sport Line, finished in a Matt Bianco Fuji with eye-catching pearlescent nuances, will be dedicated to the Italian market. Only eleven customers in Italy will be able to sit behind the wheel of this exclusive car.
Source: Autoblog