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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Economy , Japan , Hatchbacks , Nissan Click above for high-res gallery of the US-market Cube. Click here for the JDM car. Here it is. It's "tomorrow" in Japan, and Nissan has unleashed the motherlode of new Nissan Cube photos - including three showing the U.S.-Spec version that'll be rolled out at the LA Auto Show tomorrow. There's no accompanying press release at the moment, but the Japanese media is running their stories as we speak. JDM Cubes are equipped with a 107-hp/109 lb-ft 1.5L four-cylinder mated to a CVT transmission. Front- and four-wheel-drive versions are available. We'll get a different engine with more power that should deliver fuel economy in the Versa neighborhood. More on that tomorrow from our team in LA. The three shots of the U.S.-market bodywork show, as expected, the reverse of the JDM car. Kudos to Nissan for doing a second body for left-hand drive markets. Inside, the simple appointments of the current Cube...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Green , Hatchbacks , BMW , MINI Click above for high-res image gallery of the MINI E BMW board member Dr. Friederich Eichiner unveiled the first MINI E this afternoon at a press event in Beverly Hills, California. The company has built 500 of the battery-powered cars that will be leased to customers in Southern California and the New York City area starting in January. Each car is equipped with electric drive systems and battery packs provided by California's AC Propulsion. The 35 kWh packs are expected to provide a range of about 125-150 miles on a charge and accelerate the car to 60 mph in an very reasonable 8.5 seconds. BMW is using the MINI E as the first step of its Project I, which is focused on developing new innovations for urban mobility. A web site will be launched in the next couple of days where people will be able to officially apply for the program. For those who get selected, the MINI E lease will cost $850 /month and only last one year. Check...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Spy Photos , Economy , Japan , Hatchbacks , Nissan Click above for a photo gallery of the JDM Cube in the wild The redesigned 2010 Nissan Cube will be unveiled in the U.S. tomorrow at the LA Auto Show , but Nissan's boxy little wagon is already making its way to Japanese showrooms, as evidenced by these shots of a transporter loaded with them . What you see here is what you'll see in LA tomorrow, only with one major difference: we'll get a reversed version of the car's asymmetrical layout. Stay tuned. Gallery: 2010 Nissan Cube (JDM) [Source: Newcar-News via TTAC , Motive ] 2010 Nissan Cube breaks cover in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Economy , Wagons/Estates , Hatchbacks , Nissan , Toys Click above for a gallery of Tomica's new Nissan Cube die-cast Thanks to alert reader Galvin, we can verify that the 2009 Nissan Cube images we published back in September and (rolls eyes) were subsequently ordered to pull down are indeed accurate. The source? eBay -- in auctions for Tomica's new Matchbox-sized die-cast of the car. As you can see here, the toy shows off the restyled front and rear ends, as well as the roof details of cars equipped with panoramic glass (as seen on the early leaked image of the JDM car). Now, Tomica's a Japanese toy company, so the die-cast shows the JDM config. That asymmetric bodywork is reversed on the USDM car. Oh, and while we were forced to remove the shots we originally posted of the new Cube, you can still check them out at any of the dozens of sites that scrape Autoblog's web feed and repost it verbatim, photos included. Have a look and compare them...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Hatchbacks , Mazda Click above for high-res gallery of 2010 Mazdaspeed3 spy shots With the new 2010 Mazda3 on its way, the next logical question for any gearhead worth his driving shoes is when we'll set our eyes on the next Mazdaspeed version. Well, we have our answer already if the latest batch of spy shots are to be believed. The current Mazdaspeed3, also known as the Mazda3 MPS in Europe and the Mazdaspeed Axela in the Japanese domestic market, is a veritable barn-stormer and Mazda's performance engineers will be eager to follow up with an even hotter version of the new model. This prototype, bearing all the hallmarks of the new 3 coupled with all manner of performance bolt-ons, was spotted lapping the vaunted Nürburgring Nordschleife wearing a bit of camo and a lot of speed. The shots reveal the presence of a big ol' hood scoop, oversized alloys, a full aero kit and dual exhaust. Of course, the next question is what engine will be crammed...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks At 9AM Eastern on Monday morning, a fleet of 23 diesel-powered Audis will roll out from Manhattan's Tavern on the Green on a trans-continental trek to demonstrate diesel efficiency. I'm in Manhattan this afternoon preparing to spend the next week in an Audi Q7 TDI on the way to Denver and will be checking in regularly from the road as we pass through Washington, Cleveland, Chicago, Memphis, Dallas and Amarillo along the way. Audi plans to launch its fifty-state-legal Q7 TDI in the US market next spring and it seems likely that some of the other vehicles on this trip may not be far behind. I'll be on the first two legs and Sebastian, Damon, Drew and Jonathan will take over for the second week of the trip to Los Angeles. You can also follow along at the Audi Mileage Marathon site where there's a Twitter feed following the participants as they cross the continent. There is also a live map showing our...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Paris Motor Show , Hatchbacks , Audi Click above for gallery of the Audi A1 Sportback Concept We'll start our live coverage of the Paris Motor Show in the wee hours of tomorrow morning, but in the meantime the embargo dam at Audi has broken a bit early and released some interesting details along with a few images of the new A1 Sportback Concept. Hinted at by the Metroproject concept from Tokyo, the new A1 is a bit shorter than the A3, which is currently the smallest member of the Ingolstadt family tree, and aims to fill the premium small car niche that is currently dominated by the MINI Cooper. The Sportback's ace-in-the-hole may be its five door body-style, offering up a dose of practicality not found in the standard BMW-based MINI. Don't expect too many styling changes to be made before the new A1 is released in Europe as an '09 model. The concept sports what appears to be a new mild hybrid powertrain with a 150-horsepower 1.4L TSI engine...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Spy Photos , Economy , Hatchbacks , Nissan Click above for more images of the 2010 Nissan Cube Many thanks to Autoblog reader Aaron, who appears to have been in the presence of printed materials pertaining to the 2010 Nissan Cube, which is set to be unveiled next month at the LA Auto Show . Aaron captured the moment with his camera phone, and thus, we have what may be the first unofficial official look at the U.S.-market Cube's design. Or it could be something else entirely, but it sure doesn't look that way. Up front, the new headlamps and grille form a thin line above the front bumper, giving the boxy little dude a face we expect to see start talking at any given moment. Follow the jump for more analysis, and check out the scans in the gallery below. Gallery: 2010 Nissan Cube [Source: Aaron] Continue reading Reader Spy: 2010 Nissan Cube is properly asymmetric! Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Etc. , Euro , Hatchbacks , Volkswagen Click above for gallery of Volkswagen Golf GT MkVI Since the GTI got its groove back with the MkV, fans of the original couple generations rejoiced. We're on the edge of our collective seats waiting for the official release of the MkVI version, and some images have found their way onto the internet tonight. Taking some inspiration from the awesome GTI W12 that attended Wörthersee , the front airdam echoes that car's wide maw. Foglamps are pushed out to the far corners to emphasize width, and out back the tailpipes follow suit. The look is fantastic in the refrigerator white the photo car is wearing; special but understated. Inside, the de rigeur plaid upholstery is in place, and things are spiffed up by metal accents and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Underhood is a 207-hp TFSI engine, and the car comes with an electronic limited-slip differential called XDS and the Scirocco's adaptive chassis. Of course...
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Filed under: Economy , Hatchbacks , Pontiac Click above for a hi-res gallery of Pontiac G3 Wave For a little while there, it looked like Pontiac was getting its mojo back. The G8 is terrific, the Solstice GXP Coupe is ready to join the roadster , and the even more awesome G8 GXP is waiting in the wings. All rear-drive. All meant to be fun. And then GM goes and does this. Behold, friends, the 2009 Pontiac G3 Wave. Yes, that's an Aveo5 with Poncho nostrils, and it reeks of product strategy that's more 1989 than 2009. Why not just call it G3 Le Mans? You know, in honor of the last Daewoo-sourced trashback that helped turn that whole "We Build Excitement" thing into a punchline. By comparison, this makes the equally distressing Pontiac G5 look like a Corvette ZR1 on the cool meter -- and trust us, this is the only scenario in which you'll ever see those two models mentioned in the same sentence again. The press release after the jump explains that, "More than ever...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet , GM Click above for high-res gallery of 2011 Chevy Volt Everyone who has been waiting with bated breath for the past year and a half to see the production version of the Chevy Volt can now breathe a big sigh of relief. After some extremely unflattering press shots shots were accidentally released last week, people were extremely disappointed with what appeared to be little more than a Prius clone. Anyone who spends time photographing cars knows how hard it can be to make them look good and how easy it is to make them look really awful. Unfortunately, those shots that were unapproved and never supposed to be released anyway fell into the latter category. The car that GM rolled out this morning as part of its centennial celebration in Detroit is a much more attractive machine that while different from the concept is still very attractive. Rather than the egg shape look we saw, it's actually much more like...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Hatchbacks , Honda , Paris Motorcycle Show Click above for a high-res gallery of the Honda Insight Concept digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/New_Honda_Insight_unveiled_Prius_fighter_on_the_lot_in_2009'; Honda is reviving an old name for its new Global Hybrid that goes on sale next spring by calling it the Insight. The new five-door hatchback "Prius-Killer" will be the most direct competitor yet for Toyota's iconic hybrid. Learning from the lesson that hybrid buyers apparently prefer their cars to be recognizable as such rather than being derivatives of existing models, Honda has modeled the new Insight after its low volume FCX Clarity fuel cell car and will be debuting it as a concept at the Paris Motor Show next month before it goes on sale as the least expensive hybrid in the world in 2009. Recent comments by Honda have hinted at a price starting at $18,500 for the Insight, which goes on sale 10 years after the original...
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Filed under: Economy , Hatchbacks , Honda , First Drive Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Fit Sport When Honda introduced the first generation Fit to the North American market in mid-2006, its timing couldn't have been better. The entry level hatchback appeared just as fuel prices in the U.S. were heading skyward. Ever since then, the Fit has been selling as fast as Honda can bring them in from Japan. The Fit (or Jazz as its known in some markets) debuted in 2001 and the second-generation model went on sale in Japan last fall. Honda showed the new U.S.-spec Fit at the New York Auto Show last spring and we had our first opportunity to drive it on the roads north of Ann Arbor, MI last week. As is typically the case with new models, the updated Fit has grown a bit (about 4 inches in overall length), but it's only about 44 pounds heavier than the outgoing model. Also in the usual fashion, Honda strove to increase the refinement of the Fit while not losing any of the...
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Filed under: Euro , Hatchbacks , Volkswagen Click above for gallery of the new VW Golf VI Volkswagen was planning to unveil the sixth generation of its popular Golf model this week, but the internet strikes again with a preview of the new people's hatch ahead of its official reveal. Information is limited so far and comes primarily from bloggers who don't speak the Queen's English, but from what we can tell the next-generation Golf will be larger than the current model. Indeed, it does appear to be a bit wider and maybe even lower than the current model. Might we even see some hints of the Scirocco in its design, as well? Our source indicates that the range of engines available with the Golf VI will include a 1.4L TSI, 1.8L TFSI and maybe even the 2.0L TFSI, while diesels will include the company's 1.9L and 2.0L TDI motors. A manual, automatic and DSG transmission will also be on the spec sheet. Contrary to some reports, VW of America has said that the new Golf will be sold...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Sports/GTs , Hatchbacks , Subaru , Special/Limited Editions Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Subaru WRX STI spec C It looks like a regular STI , right? Well, according to the spies at KGP, it's not. This is actually the forthcoming Impreza WRX STI spec C out for a cruise in some approipriately sloppy weather. Note the white wheels and reworked rear diffuser, which are the visual giveaways in this case. When the spec C arrives, it should tip the scales at around 150 to 200 pounds less than the regular STI and be further augmented with engine upgrades and improved braking. That'll make for a nice neighborhood rally car, indeed. All you'll need is a little snow, some studded rubber, and someone yelling directions at you in Finnish from the passenger seat to really bring that WRC experience home. For the rest of you, just ask your wives to ride shotgun. They'll be shouting directions at you (though probably not in Finnish) in no time. Check out...
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