Mini Roadster Shown Up On the Internet
We are talking about the Mini Roadster. This car will be the latest version of the current Mini platform before Mini starting their new family in late 2012. This Roadster will be based on the Mini Cabrio R56. Both the cars will be manufactured at Mini’s Oxford plant. The Cabrio itself is expected to be on sale until the last part of 2013.
This folding roofed Roadster seems like going to come at the Geneva Motor Show next year, and then going to the market immediately after that. This hard top Mini coupe will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the autumn before finally going on sale later this year.
Although this car is sharing its plantation with the Cabrio, the Roadster and Coupe will be different. The Roadster and Coupe will be only a two seaters car, but will has a bigger space for your luggage. Moreover, the front end and the doors is similar with the Mini Cabrio, but with a new windscreen around it and a much more heavily raked screen. The interesting thing is that this Roadster and Coupe will be the first model from Mini which has an Audi TT style popup rear spoiler.
Mini Roadster Shown Up On the Internet is a post from: Automotive News and Review
Mazda Suspend U.S. Dealers for Japanese Cars
Mazda Motor Corp. was suspended U.S. dealer’s order for Japanese vehicles on Friday because they want to shutter their plants after a brief reopening. Mazda’s spokesman, Jay Amestoy said that this suspension will affects to their May allocation for the U.S. sales network. He also said that it was still uncertain on when will the dealer’s order will resume.
Some Japanese automakers have been forced to shutter their factory after the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear tragedy earlier this month. Those events have disrupted the part supplies and forced rolling blackouts in order to conserve electricity. Amestoy said that this is only about when will the dealers start to order the cars for May’s allocation. Currently, Mazda imports Mazda2, Mazda 3, MX-5 Miata, CX-7, CX-9, RX-5, and Mazda 5.
For your information, Mazda’s plant in Hiroshima and Hofu were stopping their production from March 14 to 21 before finally resuming using their stock parts. The plant is scheduled to be stopped again tomorrow. Amestoy only said that Mazda is currently still in a decent shape with U.S. stockpiles. However, he can’t tell us the details and prefer to say that they have a good supply and mix of models, trims, and colors.
Mazda Suspend U.S. Dealers for Japanese Cars is a post from: Automotive News and Review
GTI35.com Celebrating The Hatchback Anniversary
Actually, it is not a common thing for an automaker to introduce a new special edition for anniversary, while the brand or a specific model is also celebrating a milestone. However, Volkswagen doesn’t come from Wolfsburg themselves. An independent firm is marking the 35th birthday of the company’s Golf GTI is behind that effort.
The GTI35.com website is partnering with a German tuning house named Wunschel Sport to outfitted the hopped up Golf GTI. They are boosting the car with 50 more horsepower to 260 hp, lowering the suspension, and giving the 19 inch OZ Quaranta wheels on the rubber. The result is as you see on the picture above that is able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h or 62 miles per hour on 6.4 seconds with an equipped DSG and has a top speed of 158 miles per hour.
The car was colored with titanium, added with some decals that emulating a racing number which is also repeated with the keychain, parking sign, and the t-shirt which is coming with €32,800 for the whole package. It is also available for an individual component.
GTI35.com Celebrating The Hatchback Anniversary is a post from: Automotive News and Review
Nuclear Disaster Will Dampen Electric Vehicle
Some people in the United States are panic after the activists and analysts question the nuclear infrastructure on their country. The Congress also considers doing a further examination to the existing facilities. This is because of the nuclear tragedy at Fukushima power plant. Automotive News is looking for the possibility that it could dampen the electric vehicles prospect.
Europe was planning for about 1 million electric vehicles to hit the road at 2020 and it will followed by the increasing number of nuclear power plants. It is logical as if the EV is charged with the electricity from an oil or coal burning plant, it won’t do much to decrease the usage of fossil fuels. Now as the nuclear facility is dangerous and expensive, wind and hydro electric is more logical.
So, if the tragedy at Japan leads the U.S. government to question the safety of nuclear power plant, then the possibility for a new plant is very low. Moreover if the consumers know that they are driving a vehicle that burn the same CO2 emitting fossil fuels, then why should they buy that same dirty vehicle with more expensive price and harder to fuel up?
Nuclear Disaster Will Dampen Electric Vehicle is a post from: Automotive News and Review
Buick LaCrosse Lowered its Trim Level
In addition to the eAssist on its four cylinder engine, there will be some other changes to the 2012 Buick LaCrosse. General Motors is reordering the car’s package instead of having style and content tweaks. Buick will be dropping the CX, CXL, and CXS trim level design to bring a large option packages to bring all the available amenities.
For the 2012 model year, the standard powertrain will be the 2.4 liter Ecotec engine with its eAssist technology. That four cylinder engine is able to bring 182 horsepower and 172 pound feet of torque for having 37 miles per gallon in the highway. The eAssist ready car won’t looks different from other LaCrosses, only with 17 inch wheels for efficiency optimized tires.
They will still made the 3.6 liter V6 engine with 280 horsepower with the new HiPer Strut front suspension to keep the torque steer to a minimum. But now, the buyers is able to bring it as a no-cost option and also has an all wheel drive. The information for the final pricing has not been released, but Buick said that the entry level LaCrosse will start at $ 30,000.
Buick LaCrosse Lowered its Trim Level is a post from: Automotive News and Review
