Straightline

The car enthusiasts news blog from Inside Line

Caption Contest: The Winner

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Yep, ol' Ed is just a regular guy.


Honorable Mentions:

"So, how YOU doin?

"What brand should I kill next?"

"What a coincidence- I don't know anything about building cars either!"

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Video: Hennessey Cadillac CTS-V V700 Runs Claimed 11.17 Quarter-Mile

C'mon now, you haven't truly gotten your fill of Hennessey, yet, have you? Here's Hennessey Performance Engineering's Cadillac CTS-V V700, essentially a ZR1-powered CTS-V, with a supercharged LS9 V8 making an alleged 700 horsepower and 701 pound-feet of torque.

HPE claims a 10.9-second quarter-mile is possible, though in this video it manages only an 11.14 at 129.95 mph. (Yep, 11.14 instead of 11.17 if the timer at the dragstrip is to be believed.)

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Diesel Subaru Impreza XV to Debut at 2010 Geneva Auto Show

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Subaru announced today that it will show a new production version of the Impreza at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. Called the Subaru Impreza XV, it will be offered with Subaru's boxer diesel four-cylinder (or a gas engine) and go on sale in Europe this summer.

geneva_subarustand.jpg The engine meets the Euro 5 standard, but don't start getting hopeful about a diesel Impreza, or a diesel anything else, coming to the United States. Subaru would need to contract with an AdBlue system supplier and then figure out how to still make money on the car.

Based on the current five-door hatchback, the Subaru Impreza XV is said to offer "crossover styling" with special detailing on the fascia and wheel arches, plus a standard roof rack. So it could be a diesel Outback Sport then. Which means it probably won't be pretty.

Not that we know for sure, though. Subaru has released no photos of the XV hatch, just a couple computer renderings of its Geneva booth layout. As you can see, the Impreza XV will share the stage with the Hybrid Tourer unveiled in Tokyo.

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Spy Photos: 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class

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Remember the Mercedes-Benz B-Class? It's a tiny little hatchback thing that almost made it to the U.S. a few years ago. The prototype you see here is the next-generation version, and like its predecessor, it has a chance of coming to the U.S.

Not a very good one mind you, mostly because Mercedes-Benz is a little unsure whether Americans are ready for such a small vehicle with a three-pointed start on the back. Then again, it would be a big help in terms of lowering the company's fleet-wide fuel economy numbers, so that could convince Dieter that's its worth the trouble.


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40th Anniversary Nissan 370Z Revealed in the U.K.

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We caught an early glimpse of the Nissan 370Z 40th Anniversary Edition last week and now it's been revealed in full courtesy of Nissan UK. Over there it will be called the 370Z Black Edition, but it's loaded up in the same manner as the version we'll get.

According to the U.K. press release this 370Z will get unique seats, extra red stitching throughout the interior and a premium navigation system.

Exterior upgrades include 19-inch Rays wheels, red brake calipers and, of course, 40th Anniversary badges. Only 370 units will be sold in all of Europe, no word yet on Nissan's plans for the U.S., but we'll get a full download next week at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.

More pics after the jump.


Continue reading 40th Anniversary Nissan 370Z Revealed in the U.K. .

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More Details Leak on the 2011 Shelby GT500

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Last week we brought you a partial list of the upgrades in store for the 2011 Shelby GT500 courtesy of an order guide leak. This morning, some crafty members at TeamShelby noticed a video of the upcoming GT500 on one of Ford's media sites. The pictures you see here are screen grabs from that video which has since been taken down.


Continue reading More Details Leak on the 2011 Shelby GT500.

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Toyota Recall Update #7: Akio Toyoda Apologizes

Think this will help?
 

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You Write the Caption: New GM CEO Ed Whitacre Chats With the Troops

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GM's newly appointed CEO chats up some employees at one of GM's plants in Flint, Mi.

Care to guess what they talked about?

And don't forget about our long-term car caption contest.

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Ford Issues "Customer Satisfaction Program" for Fusion Hybrid

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What do you know, the Ford Fusion Hybrid might suffer from the same predicament plaguing the latest Toyota Prius. Rather than wait for customers to complain, however, Ford is instituting what it calls a "Customer Satisfaction Program."

The program involves loading revised software to the Fusion Hybrid's brake system controls to smooth out the transition between conventional and regenerative braking. This is essentially the same issue Toyota is contending with on the Prius. In that situation, customers have stated that the brakes actually quit working for a split second while the transition is made. Ford claims that none of its customers have complained about a loss of braking. Instead, the Fusion complaints have focused on a "different brake feel" that Ford hopes its new software update will cure.

None of this is surprising. Anyone who has driven a Fusion or a Prius knows that both cars have an odd brake pedal feel that could confuse customers who are not used to driving a hybrid.

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Help Get a Racetrack Built: Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park Needs Our Help

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This is a shout out to all of our readers in the Southern California area. There's a new racetrack on the verge of final approval and those involved are asking for help.

The proposed facility is called Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park and it would be built in Palmdale about 60 miles north of L.A. You can get all the details on the Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park website

The last public hearing is scheduled for this Saturday at the Lancaster Public Library, anyone that can attend and show support would help immensely. You can also help the cause by submitting a letter or email of support to the County of Los Angeles.

For more information click here: Fairmont Butte Motorsports Park

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