Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are finally back together for the fourth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise. It only took Hollywood eight years and two movies to make the sequel that should have happed all along.
Enjoy the first official trailer with all of its explosive goodness.
Hummer may have a new home, again. Right now, the most interest so far has come from the region of the world that has made it famous, the Middle East. General Motors is reporting today interest in the off-road brand from two separate Gulf Arab private investors.
Unlike the United States, the Gulf region is currently experiencing low fuel prices and rapid economic expansion. Buyers in that area of the world also currently have favorable credit terms. This all creates a situation where Hummer is a popular brand that sells well and has very important public stature. "The Hummer as a total volume is small, but in terms of growth it is going very fast," said GM Middle East Managing Director Terry Johnsson.
Hummer brand does not make the Humvee military vehicles (AM General does, and it is not owned by GM.) This is an important distinction because that means GM should have no problems from the U.S. Government selling the Hummer brand. Back in the mid-80s the then state-owned Renault was under pressure to sell AMC. The French company owned AMC, who were the owners of Jeep/AM General, and the U.S. Government was not happy that a main contractor was in the hands of a company owned by a foreign government.
Mazda today officially unveiled the Kazamai Concept at the Moscow Motor Show. The concept gives a strong hint at where Mazda might be going with a compact crossover SUV. Small, lightweight with dynamic styling, low-consumption, a next-generation Mazda powertrain, it is meant to appeal to young, upwardly-mobile Russians with a strong sense of style and urban lifestyle demands.
Kazamai means “swirling crosswinds” in Japanese, and was chosen to express the powerful yet nimble character of this crossover. Kazamai is part of the new flowing lines of Mazda concept cars like the Furai.
Mazda Kazamai will feature a DISI engine based on the current Mazda CX-7, with advanced technologies to minimize energy loss and vastly improved thermal efficiency. Mazda’s next generation 2.0-liter DISI engine also has combustion control technology and variable valve control that deliver strong torque throughout the rev-range for good engine response and fuel economy. A next-generation catalyst is used for good emissions performance.
The Indian truck manufacturer Mahindra is delaying its launch in the U.S. Mahindras were originally supposed to be sold on these shores in early 2009, but the company now has pushed that date back to at least the end of 2009. Part of the problem seems to be getting is network of almost 325 dealers ready for sales and service. Mahindra was once reported as a possible contender to buy Hummer. Now it may appear that the interest in the GM brand may not have been only for the product name, but possibly also for the dealer network.
Although trucks are not right now the hottest selling vehicles on the U.S. roads, Mahindra may be going in the right direction with its imports. The company is looking to sell four-cylinder diesel trucks to consumers, which may mean better mileage or the ability to convert to biodiesel. But this is a one step at a time process for Mahindra; the engine still needs approval from the EPA before any sales begin.
IMSA, a German tuner specializing in high-end sport cars such as Lamborghini, unveiled today its latest tuning kit for the Audi RS6 Avant. The new program consists in a power boost of 70 hp, a modest one if we think at the 715 hp Audi RS6 Avant by B&B or the 702 hp RS6 Avant by MTM. However, the vehicle can sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.3 seconds, that’s 0.1 seconds faster than the Kicherer Mercedes SL63 AMG. The sprint from 0-124 mph is made in 13.8 seconds.
In order to obtain these performance figures the tuner added new high-flow air intakes as well as a new exhaust system. A new suspension system was also added, lowering the car with up to 25 millimeters, providing better stability at high speeds.
A car that goes this fast also has to be able to well. To accomplish this, a new set of brake discs were mounted, measuring 14” in front and 13.8” the back as well as new 20” ultra-light alloy wheels.
Here are some pictures taken from the Kia Forte’s Korean brochure. The new compact car was launched in its home market of South Korea this week, but isn’t expected in the U.S. until the middle of next year.
Why are we excited about a new little Kia? Well, budget-friendly Kia seems to be starting to turn a corner. Its Euro-only Cee’d has been getting good reviews for style and performance. This Forte looks great inside and out compared to the Spectra it replaces, and so our hopes are high.
Here’s another hatch that Europe gets to tease the U.S. with. Renault has not been bringing cars to the United States for almost 20 years now. In that time they’ve put out some cars we may wish we’d had, including this new Renault Sport Twingo. The new car is based on the everyday Twingo, but it is given a 1.6-liter engine that puts out 133 horsepower. That kind of power in a tiny car combined with a sport chassis can make for a cool little car. If the car were sold here, the current exchange rate would put the price at around $23,000.
Enjoy some video of performance driver training given by Renault. The French company offers a training school for new owners for the reasonable price of €1.
GM today provided today the first glimpse of Buick’s upcoming 2010 LaCrosse, which reveals an exterior design strongly influenced by the Buick Invicta that debuted at this year’s Beijing Auto Show.
The new LaCrosse is expected to give a little more sporty feeling than its predecessor. It seems Buick might be on the right track considering the new LaCrosse will share the same platform as the upcoming Opel Insignia and the Saab 9-5 replacement. Buick officials announced that the all-new LaCrosse will make its world debut in November at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
When you drive a beautiful car like the Audi R8 you forget that you need to follow some regulations. And when you do this is what happen.
A 33-year old man from Netherlands took a brand new R8 for a test drive and decided to go 80mph in a 50mph zone, although some people claim he was going as much as 125mph. Apparently he hit a bump in the road and lost control of the car, which ended up in the river.
The driver is ok, but we can’t say the same about the car.
If you were wondering if people who drive alternative fuel cars are a little odd, this may confirm it. Dan Sze, a city council member in Falls Church, Virginia, was caught going three time the legal speed limit. The officer recognized Sze’s Honda FCX Clarity, and because the cop had a green mind (or recognized his council member,) he was going to let the hydrogen car go without a warning. But Sze insisted that he get issued the warning. "People are not about to take a hydrogen car seriously until it gets treated like a real car," said Sze.
If that’s the case I wish people would treat my car less seriously.
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