Straightline

Although Suzuki has not yet made a decision on whether to bring the next-generation Suzuki Swift to the United States, we do know that this car is being engineered to meet U.S. crash standards.

It's also apparent from these spy photos taken in Europe that the new car will be significantly larger than the current Swift. Most likely, though, it's still smaller the SX4, which is based on a stretched version of the existing Swift platform architecture.

Second photo after the jump.

Continue reading Spy Photos: Next-Generation Suzuki Swift.

Categories: Hatchbacks,Spy Photos,Suzuki

After its track day at Laguna Seca, the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR will be put on a truck and delivered to the 2009 LA Auto Show, where it makes its official debut.

Dodge released product details on the 2010 Viper ACR today. To start, the car's six-speed manual transmission has a shortened 5th gear ratio -- it goes from 0.74 in 2009 to 0.80 in 2010. "This improvement is a direct result of SRT's experience at the 12.9-mile NÃÆ'Æ'¼rburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, where it was found that a revised gear ratio would have resulted in a higher speed capability and potentially a shorter elapsed time," says Dodge.

The height of the shifter is also reduced by 35mm. The rear wing profile and end plates have been redesigned to improve lateral stability at speed on the track. And the wing's Gurney flap is revised. Together, these changes raise top speed 4 mph to 184 mph. The Viper's 8.4-liter V10 continues on with 600 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque.

Finally, the red wheels. The ACR running around Laguna Seca was wearing them for a time today, but they're actually for a Viper ACR special-edition model that Dodge will offer in 2010.

The name of this model is pending and will be decided at the end of the track day. If the Viper ACR manages a 1:32 lap time, Dodge will call it the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR 1:32 and build 32 examples. If today's fastest lap (1:33:915) so far stands, it will be called the Viper ACR 1:33 and 33 will be built. It's, uh, cool, yes? We now have confirmation that the special-edition Viper will be called the Viper 1:33 and there will be a production run of 33. 

Also, we should tell you that with that 1:33.915 lap, Dodge's Chris Winkler, a vehicle engineer and today's hot shoe, has officially taken back the fastest production-car lap "record" from the Viper-based Devon GTX (1:35.075). The Viper was on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, size 295/30ZR18 front and 345/30ZR19 rear.

The problem is that no records can actually be set here unless they're set during a race with an official sanctioning body on-site to confirm timing and scoring. So Helio Castroneves' 1.07.722 set in CART in 2000 remains the official track record.

More photos after the jump.

Continue reading 2010 Dodge Viper ACR Coming to 2009 LA Auto Show.

Categories: Dodge,LA Auto Show,Sports Cars

A mid-cycle refresh is coming for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, as shooters spotted this prototype on public roads in Germany. It's apparent that changes are in store for the front end of the car to bring it closer to the look of the current E-Class -- which is to say more rectilinear.

We're not sure we like this retouch, as the current C-Class is a fine looking car. The E-Class? Not so much.

Full Test: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Categories: Luxury Cars,Mercedes-Benz,Sedans,Spy Photos

We hear only 500 more Dodge Vipers will be built, so Ralph Gilles, president of the Dodge brand, is already arranging a proper send-off. Today, the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR was officially unveiled at Laguna Seca, where Dodge's hottest shoes will try to set the record for fastest lap time in a production car. Gilles is there with his own all-black '09 Viper ACR (nicknamed "Voodoo"), as is an in-house social media team.

Already Dodge has begun uploading videos of the Viper at Laguna, one of which we're posting here. You can follow the day's festivities on a special Test Ride website, and/or on a new Dodge Twitter account, Dodge Autos. There's also a photo gallery on Flickr.

The only changes we've spotted on the 2010 Viper ACR over the 2009 model are the spiffy red wheels. No official word on if the red wheels increase/reduce unsprung weight, but according to a recent tweet, "[we're] switching from the stunning red wheels to black to take the ACR out again for another spin around the track."

We'll let you know as we find out more, and certainly, if the lap record is broken. An '08 Viper ACR is apparently the current record holder with a time of 1:35.12. Or, if you count the Viper-based Devon GTX as a production car, the record is apparently 1:35.07. 

And, no, we're not sure how this track day works into the overall plan of building new, exciting and better-quality product.

2010 Viper ACR Test Ride

Dodge Autos on Twitter

Flickr

Categories: Dodge,Sports Cars

Categories: The Mechanic

Behold the 2011 Kia Cadenza, the Korean carmaker's newest and biggest sedan. It will replace the Amanti which bowed out of the lineup for 2010.

"With the Cadenza, we have created an all-new, large sedan that will revitalize Kia's fortunes thanks to its exciting appearance, strong performance and luxurious cabin which will guarantee a much broader consumer appeal, attracting thousands of new customers to our brand," said Mr Hyoung-Keun Lee, President, Kia Motors Corporation.

Built on an all-new front-wheel drive platform, the Cadenza will use three different gas engines in its various world markets. The most powerful of those will be a 286-horsepower V6, the most likely engine for the U.S. market. All three powerplants will use a six-speed automatic transmission. 

Although slightly shorter in overall length compared to the Amanti, the Cadenza has a longer wheelbase and a revised rear suspension design for increased passenger room.

Production of the new sedan begins in January, but U.S. sales aren't expected to begin until either late 2010 or early 2011.

Categories: Future Vehicles,Kia,Sedans

The deal to purchase Saab is officially off. Koenigsegg, the small Swedish sportscar builder, has officially terminated the agreement it had made with General Motors.

Both companies have released brief statements, and Koenigsegg's is the more cryptic: "The time factor has always been critical for our strategy to breathe new life into the company."

We think that might translate to something like, "Saab has been in such a poor state for so long that it's too late for us to save it."

We suspect that Koenigsegg had been having doubts about this deal for some time. The future certainly didn't look cheery when it was announced that 81 Saab dealers in the U.S. would be terminated under the new ownership.

GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson had this to say in his statement: "We're obviously very disappointed with the decision to pull out of the Saab purchase. Many have worked tirelessly over the past several months to create a sustainable plan for the future of Saab by selling the brand and its manufacturing interests to Koenigsegg Group AB. Given the sudden change in direction, we will take the next several days to assess the situation and will advise on the next steps next week."

Reuters

Categories: General Motors,Saab

The 2010 Camaro goes on sale in Japan on December 5, and our friends at the Camaro5 forums have collected together various videos of the cars being off-loaded from freighters and arranged at promotional events. Both the V6 LS/LT/RS models and SS models will be offered.

Two things stand out in our mind: (1) No one succumbs to the lure of a burnout. (2) All the cars are left-hand-drive. You might think the Camaro would be easy to reconfigure for right-hand-drive given its Australian origins. But that would add cost, and if you're not going to sell many Camaros in Japan, what's the point? But we know from experience that the novelty of sitting on the wrong side of the car wears off in a day or so.

Three more videos after the jump. The last video shows a modified Yanase Camaro SS. Yanase Global Motors & Co is a dealer group that handles a big chunk of all the foreign-car imports coming into Japan. It hasn't been an easy year, though, since in addition to GM products, Yanase imports Chryslers and Jeeps.

Camaro5

Continue reading 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Heads to Japan.

Categories: Auto Industry,Chevrolet,Coupes

In September, the Obama administration announced the new fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks, as well as the first carbon dioxide emissions standard that would require model-year 2016 vehicles to meet an estimated combined average emission level of 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile.

Now The New York Times is reporting that the Obama administration is likely to announce an overall, nationwide greenhouse gas reduction target ahead of the climate change summit in Copenhagen December 7-18. Possibly, this would get at some of the other sources besides cars that contribute to the warming of the planet.

But no one is talking in specifics. And so far it appears unlikely that any treaty coming out of the December talks will be fully funded, much less legally binding. Now back to our usual reporting on cars.

The New York Times, Reuters

Categories: Trends

If you don't quite know your Subarus, your first reaction to the 2010 Subaru WRX STI Special Edition debuting at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show will be, "OMG. We're getting a Spec C."

Then, you'd look behind those spiffy, graphite-finish, 18-by-8.5-inch wheels and realize the STI Spec C's telltale gold brake calipers are nowhere to be found. Nor the stickier Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires. Nor the upgraded rear differential. Nor the coveted JDM Recaro seats. Nor the water sprayer for the intercooler. You get the idea.

So this isn't a Spec C, but weak as the dollar is against the yen, Subaru probably imagines that few of us would actually pay the price for the real deal.

But the wheels are real. And the 125 WRX STI Special Editions built for the U.S. market have a suspension "adopted from the Japanese domestic market WRX STI spec C," company officials tell us. And to that end, the STI Special Edition has 16-percent stiffer front springs than the regular STI, 29-percent firmer rear dampers, stiffer rear subframe bushings, and a 1mm thicker rear stabilizer bar.

All Special Editions will be painted Aspen White. They'll be available later, rather than sooner, in the 2010 model year. Subaru will release pricing next week.

More photos of and details on the STI Special Edition after the jump. 

Continue reading 2010 Subaru WRX STI Special Edition to Debut at 2009 LA Auto Show.

Categories: Hatchbacks,LA Auto Show,Subaru