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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Pontiac Click above for hi-res gallery of the 2009.5 Pontiac G6 Convertible There's not a whole lot going on for General Motors at the LA Auto Show , but the company's making some minor announcements via press release before the shindig in la-la land gets underway tomorrow. The Pontiac G6 receives a minor facelift as a 2009½ model, with updated front and rear fascias and some interior tweaks. Those interior improvements bring the G6 up to par with its platform-mate brethren and include new trim bits, the standard GM radio (in a 2007 G6 I drove, the radio had this ridiculous ribbing on the dials -- a very 90s-Poncho feel), "all-new" (read: GM partsbin) HVAC controls, and an optional MY LINK communication package that includes Bluetooth, a dash-mounted USB port and related tech. You can also get a more attractive 2-tone interior with leather or cloth seats as an upgrade over the standard (and...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Convertibles , Sedans/Saloons , Crossovers/CUVs , Lexus Our friendly neighborhood Toyota/Lexus spokesman, Curt McAllister, dropped us a note with an official announcement of what's coming to the Lexus booth at next week's LA Auto Show , and as expected, the big reveal will be the reworked RX luxury crossover. Like the current crossovers, the RX will come in two prescription strengths: the conventional RX350 with a 3.5L V6 and the hybrid flavored RX450h. The bump in nomenclature from the current RX400h likely implies some enhancements to the powertrain including a bump from the current 3.3L V6 to the 3.5L engine used in the 350. It's assumed the RX400h will also boast enhancements to the hybrid drive system with tech pulled from the 2010 Toyota Prius . The photo above, taken of the Japanese brochure, appeared online showing an evolution of the current design rather than a revolutionary redesign. In addition to the RX, LA will host the North American...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Sedans/Saloons , Audi Click above for gallery of official Audi renderings According to Motor Authority, Audi has released official sketches of some upcoming vehicles that are currently gestating in the German brand's product pipeline. The first is the A5 Cabrio , though we don't need a sketch to know that it will look exactly like the A5 Coupe but with a folding soft top. Next up is the A5 Sportback , a four-door coupish type thing that we expect will get in the way of A4 sales just like the CC does for the Passat over at Volkswagen. Then we have the A7 , which is a four-door coupe like the A5 Sportback, just larger and with a normal trunk instead of a rear hatch. And finally we have the car you see above, the next-gen A8 , which looks much more aggressive than the current model with "angry eye" headlights, a large singular grille and sharp creases all around. Still up for Audi after these models come to market are more versions of the R8 supercar...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , Plants/Manufacturing , Hatchbacks , Supercars , Earnings/Financials , Alfa Romeo Dang. And everything was looking so good for a return of the Alfa Romeo brand to the United States. Too bad, it seems, 'cause the latest reports indicate that the Italian purveyor of stylish automobiles such as the Brera , 159 and the drool-worthy 149 will be pushed back to 2011 at the earliest. Fortunately for the very well heeled, the Alfa 8C Competizione has been made available through an assorted group of Maserati dealerships, though it's already sold out . Such a quick sellout indicates that there are plenty of enthusiasts anxiously awaiting the marque's entrance Stateside, but our current horrible economic climate will likely dictate otherwise. Alfa's owner, Fiat, is having difficulties of its own as it attempts to stem the tide of falling sales figures along with rest of the industry. Apparently, the only way for Fiat...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Etc. , Tech , BMW , Lifestyle BMW Assist -- essentially the Bavarian's version of GM's OnStar -- has made BMW Search using Google Maps available on the 1 and 3 Series. Previously, it was only available on BMW models from the 5 series up. If you subscribe to the BMW Assist Convenience Plan, you can use BMW Search to find businesses, then input the information directly into the navigation system, or call with your Bluetooth phone over the service's AT&T Mobility Network (you don't need to have AT&T, though). BMW Search joins BMW's MyInfo service, which allowed customers and businesses to send listings and street addresses directly to the car. BMW Assist is standard on 5, 6, and 7 Series, and included in the Premium Package or as a stand-alone option on all other models. Continue reading Google Maps-powered BMW Search added to 1 and 3 Series Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Cadillac , Rumormill Despite being priced to compete with the smaller BMW 3 Series sedan, the Cadillac CTS is as large as the German marque's 5 Series. Similarly, the STS competes with the 5 Series in pricing but matches the top-level 7 Series in size. Rumors of a smaller Caddy to zig alongside the benchmark 3 Series in size have been running rampant for over a year and now we hear the sedan may have finally been green-lighted. Expect the new entry-level Cadillac to be built atop GM's upcoming rear-wheel-drive Alpha platform. We have had nothing but good things to say about the latest Cadillac CTS , so we naturally have high hopes for the new, smaller Caddy sedan, which could also sprout a coupe and a convertible. To this point, GM has never quite hit the sweet spot with the premium division's smallest offering in Europe, the Saab 9-3-based BLS , and we are anxious to see how the new Alpha Dog can compete. Thanks for the...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Saab Hooray - the Saab 9-3 2.0T Sport is getting XWD, the Swedish automaker's cross-wheel-drive system. Boo - you're going to pay more for your Saab whether or not you get XWD. The rear-wheel-driving traction-enhancer was previously available only on upper crust models like the Aero and SportCombi, but Saab has announced it will hobnob with the hoi polloi on the 2.0T for 2009. Any XWD models will also come with a moonroof, the Winter Package and an automatic transmission, though a 6-speed manual is also available. The Convertible will not be offered with XWD, since its platform can't accommodate the necessary mechanicals. As we mentioned, the Saab range also gets price bumps. A new 9-3 2.0T Sport Sedan (without XWD) goes up $420, to $29,610, while the 9-3 SportCombi adds $680 to hit $31,040. General Motors did not list a price for the XWD option alone, but it appears to add a hefty $5,000 surcharge - the 9-3 2.0T XWD...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Green , Rumormill Click above for high-res gallery of the Fisker Karma Fisker Automotive is going to have its work cut out for it when it comes to meeting its self-imposed deadline of bring the Karma sedan to market by the fourth-quarter of 2009 . To complicate matters even further, the automaker is now rumored to be working on three more plug-in hybrids. That would represent a truly serious undertaking for such a small automaker. To ease matters slightly, all four models would use the same basic underpinnings -- including the most important piece of all, the lithium ion battery and its assorted bits. Fisker has recruited Quantum Technologies, a company which has seen success building vehicles for the military, for help in creating the drivetrain for its electric vehicles. Reportedly on the drawing board are a coupe, a convertible and an SUV, all of which should go a long way towards meeting Fisker's...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Sedans/Saloons , Audi , Rendered Speculation The blokes at Car say they've got the scoop on the upcoming Audi A7, including a convertible version depicted in the rendering on the right. Power is rumored to start with six cylinders across the range, with a V10-powered S7 and a twin-turbo V10-motivated RS7. Expect a variety of transmissions to be on offer as well, including manuals, automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes with six or seven speeds, along with the availability of quattro all-wheel-drive. Sources have suggested that, while Audi will be behind the game in bringing a four-door coupe in the Mercedes CLS mold to market in the first half of 2010, it's got another segment-busting trick up it's sleeve: a full four-door convertible. And according to Car 's illustrators, the A7 cabrio will feature a full retractable hard-top. Many have toyed with the idea of a four-door convertible - most recently arch-rival Mercedes with the Ocean Drive concept...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Sedans/Saloons , Lexus Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Lexus IS-F The higher-ups at Toyota may have decided to axe the replacement for the Lexus SC convertible , but don't get too used to the idea of a world without a wind-in-your-hair Lexus. Word has it they've given the green light to a convertible version of the current IS sedan . Of course, lopping off the doors and roof of a four-door is hardly unheard of, as that's just what Audi did to make the A4 convertible, but while that 'vert is set to be replaced by the A5 cabrio, Lexus is going the opposite direction. The IS cabrio is tipped to come in 250 and 350 varieties, with Lexus reasoning that there'd be no market for an IS-F convertible. But fret not, as the same reports suggest that a lightweight IS-F sedan is on its way, again going the opposite way of the Germans as BMW just canceled the M3 CSL program . Things are about to get a whole lot busier at the Lexus plants in Tahara...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Pontiac , Rumormill Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Pontiac G8 GT A quick glance at Pontiac's (rumored) future product plans reveals just how much fuel prices have affected plans for an all rear-wheel drive lineup . Let's see, we've got the Solstice and the G8, and, um... that's it. Sure, we're expecting the G8 ST soon, but the El Camino-come-lively will never sell enough to keep bean counters happily sliding their abaci beads in their cubicles. The Solstice also plays to a relatively small crowd, so its future could be up in the air, as well. As for the rest of the brand's lineup, the Grand Am G6 will remain on the same front-wheel drive platform for the foreseeable future as there's just not enough funds to switch it to a rear-wheel-drive platform. Meanwhile, the G5 is tied to the Cobalt and the future Cruze from Chevrolet that uses the FWD Delta platform. The Vibe comes from Toyota...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Infiniti , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for a high-res gallery of Infiniti in Monterey. Infiniti ramped up its presence in Monterey this year with the new G37 sedan and G37x coupe , the latter equipped with the automaker's advanced ATESSA E-TSO all-wheel-drive system and seven-speed automatic gearbox (a close-ratio, six-speed manual is still an option). We're looking forward to seeing if the AWD coupe can retain the engaging driving characteristics of its RWD counterpart, while providing the security of all-wheel-drive for those of us that like to make a run into the mountains during the snow season. Infiniti also used its time on the peninsula to show off the first image of the G37 convertible (we curbed our urge to take a picture of the picture), along with the release of the revised M35 and M35x. The 2009 model benefits from the automaker's scratch shield paint, new seven-speed auto 'box and an increase in output to...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Lexus Click either image for a high-res gallery. Another year, another limited edition Lexus. But this year's Pebble Beach Edition SC430 (the sixth consecutive variant) is joined by the first-ever LS 600h L Pebble Beach Edition. We know, the excitement is palpable. Only 50 LS 600h Ls will be made available in Callaway Golf Experience, Travel Package or Epicurean Encounter trim levels, swathed in Truffle Mica exterior paint and featuring two-tone Alabaster and black leather trim interior, with Dark Grey Bird's-eye maple wood trim. Both models receive all the prerequisite badging to stand apart from the rest of the Lexi in the golf-course parking lot, and are equipped with a host of standard equipment that you can read all about in the press release after the jump. One of the 300 2009 SC 430s can be yours this September, while the Pebble Beach Edition LS 600h L will hit dealers the following month. Gallery: 2009 Pebble...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Nissan Click above for high-res gallery of the G37 Coupe Nissan has finally confirmed in writing what many of us had known all along... the 2009 model year will bring the new G37 Sedan , G37 Convertible , and the G37x Coupe to Infiniti showrooms. The G35 sedan gets a bump from 3.5-liters (306 hp) to 3.7-liters (328 hp) as it now shares its engine with the coupe. Rebadged the G37, an optional brake package adds 4-piston front/2-piston rear brakes and larger rotors to the sedan. A new 18-inch wheel design and standard Scratch Shield paint (self-healing) round out the upgrades. The all-new G37 convertible marks Infiniti's first drop-top since the 1992 M30 was discontinued, and the first open-air G. Based on the G37 Coupe, it features a three-piece automatic retracting hardtop. Finally, the new G37x is a G37 coupe fitted with Nissan's ATESSA E-TS Ô all-wheel drive system. While the G37 Sedan and G37x will go on sale in September...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Convertibles , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Supercars , Lexus , Toyota Sales of the bulbous Lexus SC 430, one of the vehicles that kick-started the current hardtop convertible fad in the U.S., have slowed so significantly that Toyota's luxury brand has reportedly canceled its replacement. The four-place, V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive vehicle never fit well into any specific niche, as it boasted neither the sportiness of the ragtop Jaguar XK and Porsche 911, nor the snob appeal of the BMW 6 Series. Through the first six months of this year, Lexus sold only 1,230 SC's, down 40% from last year. What fans the Lexus sport coupes/convertible does have need not worry, however, as the brand will be launching the much more potent (and substantially more impressive) LF-A supercar at some point in the future. According to Inside Line , the SC isnt the only Toyota product without a future. The Avalon entry-level Buick luxury sedan is also on the chopping block. Fans of...
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