Auto News Magazine

Posted Jul 31st 2008 4:27PM by Damon Lavrinc
Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Mitsubishi

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.

Mitsubishi has just released pricing on the all-new 2009 Lancer Ralliart and for $26,490, you can get behind the wheel of the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Evo Lite. Equipped with the same 4B11T/C as the Evolution X, the Ralliart is putting out 237 hp through a modified version of the Evo IX’s AWD system. That includes an Active Center Differential, along with front and rear mechanical LSDs and settings for Tarmac, Gravel and Snow. Active Stability Control is part of the package, as is Traction Control, but unfortunately, Ralliartists have to make due without the Active Yaw Control equipped on its big brother.

The optional Recaro Sport Package will set you back an additional $2,750, and includes front Recaro buckets, HID headlamps, a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate sound system with a six month subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio.

All the details are available in the press release below the fold.

Gallery: 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

PRESS RELEASE

July 31, 2008 - CYPRESS, CA - Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has announced pricing for its new 2009 Lancer Ralliart All-Wheel Drive, turbocharged sedan. The new Lancer Ralliart reinforces the sporty identity of the Lancer vehicle lineup with aggressive styling and driving performance, offering a unique balance between the Lancer 2.4 GTS and the Lancer Evolution models. The Lancer Ralliart features a modified version of the Lancer Evolution 4B11 turbocharged intercooled 2.0-liter DOHC MIVEC engine, producing 237-horsepower, and is teamed exclusively with Mitsubishi’s advanced Twin Clutch-Sportronic¨ Shift Transmission (TC-SST). The 2009 Lancer Ralliart will start at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $26,490.00.

“The 2009 Lancer Ralliart creates a perfect middle ground for the consumer looking for more performance than is offered in a Lancer GTS, but not quite to the extent of the rally-inspired and storied Lancer Evolution sports sedan,” said Dan Kuhnert, executive vice president for marketing and sales, Mitsubishi Motors North America. “The result is a unique model optimized for exhilarating yet balanced overall road performance.”

The full-time 4WD driveline features Mitsubishi’s Active Center Differential (ACD) unit, which employs an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch center differential, vectoring drive torque to the front and rear according to different driving conditions to realize the best balance between steering response and traction characteristics on Tarmac, Gravel, or Snow surfaces. Lancer Ralliart is also equipped with a front helical and rear mechanical limited slip differentials. Ralliart-tuned suspension and 18-inch alloy wheels with 215/45 R18 Yokohama ADVAN summer tires complement the high grip afforded by the full-time active 4-wheel drive, while Standard Active Stability Control (ASC) with Traction Control (TCL) contribute to safe handling.

The Lancer Ralliart exterior is distinguished by its more aggressively styled front bumper design, rear bumper cover, dual outlet muffler and a lightweight aluminum, ducted hood that delivers cooling air to the turbocharger. The interior design places greater emphasis on function and vehicle control. Lancer Ralliart is also equipped with FAST-Key, hands free telephone interface and easily accessible steering column mounted paddle shifters.

The optional RECARO¨ Sport Package, $2,750.00 MSRP, further enhances the Lancer Ralliart’s sporty appearance with Xenon HID headlamps, 650 watt Rockford Fosgate¨, Sirius Satellite Radio with 6-months subscription and RECARO ¨ front sport seats found on the Lancer Evolution GSR. A new 40-GB HDD navigation system is also available as either a port-installed option or as a dealer accessory.

Safety Features
Standard safety features in all Lancer models include an advanced dual front air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) with occupant sensors, standard front seat-mounted side-impact air bags and side curtain air bags, plus a driver’s knee air bag.

Premium Warranty
The new 2009 model year Lancer Ralliart also comes with a fully transferable 3-year/36,000 mile “bumper-to-bumper” new vehicle limited warranty. The Mitsubishi “3/36,” limited warranty is in addition to a 5-year/60,000 mile power train limited warranty and a 7-year/100,000 mile anti-corrosion perforation limited warranty. In addition, all Mitsubishi models come with 5-year unlimited miles Roadside Assistance benefits.

Posted Jul 31st 2008 5:32PM by Michael Harley
Filed under: Aftermarket, Economy, Contests, Hatchbacks, Scion

Scion owners recently submitted pics of their personalized vehicles, including tC, xA, xB, and xD models, to the company for evaluation. The loyal owners were participating in Scion’s “United by Individuality” brand campaign, designed to put individuals’ modified vehicles in magazines, on billboards, even projected onto movie screens. More than 300 cars made the cut, and they soon found themselves in the Nevada desert for a photo shoot that included racing, tuning events, and even music performances. Shown above is a stunning aerial shot of more than 200 cars parked – very well we might add – at the event. The ad campaign launches in movie theaters July 21, while the other media won’t go live until August 4th.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Mitsubishi today announced US pricing for the new 2009 Lancer Ralliart All-Wheel Drive, turbocharged sedan that will go on sale for $26,490.00.

The Lancer Ralliart features a modified version of the Lancer Evolution 4B11 turbocharged intercooled 2.0-liter DOHC MIVEC engine, producing 237-horsepower, and is teamed exclusively with Mitsubishi’s advanced Twin Clutch-Sportronic¨ Shift Transmission.

The optional RECARO¨ Sport Package, $2,750.00 MSRP, further enhances the Lancer Ralliart’s sporty appearance with Xenon HID headlamps, 650 watt Rockford Fosgate¨, Sirius Satellite Radio with 6-months subscription and RECARO ¨ front sport seats found on the Lancer Evolution GSR. A new 40-GB HDD navigation system is also available as either a port-installed option or as a dealer accessory.

2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart

AUTO CENTRAL – July 30, 2008: The Caddy Maxi Life is the ingenious new people mover within the Volkswagen range. The Caddy Maxi Life can seat up to seven adults comfortably with ample leg and headroom. The Caddy Maxi Life is a neat blend of form and function to meet a range of people and luggage carrying needs. The Caddy Maxi Life effectively rethinks automobile tradition by setting new standards for utilizing clever space.

With a total length of 4.88 metres, a width of 1.8 metres, and a height of 1.8 metres, the Caddy Maxi Life has enough space to fit everything in your life. It features intelligent exterior equipment for true vehicle flexibility. The 700 mm wide and 1108 millimetre high sliding doors on both sides allow comfortable entry and exit. Both doors feature an inset sliding window.

The comfortable contoured driver’s seat is height-adjustable. To ensure safe handling and provide a clear view of the instruments, the distance and height of the steering wheel can also be adjusted.

The Caddy Maxi Life comfortably accommodates the whole family. Seven adult passengers pose no problem whatsoever with the standard rear seats installed. The 3-seater bench in the 2nd row provides plenty of legroom and is surprisingly comfortable. It can be double-folded in a 2/3rds or 1/3rd configuration depending on who or what you’re carrying.

The load compartment capacity in the 5-seater configuration is 1,650 litres. Even with the third row of seating fitted, the 7-seater boasts an impressive 530 litre load compartment. If you’re looking to carry even more cargo, the Caddy Maxi Life is capable of towing up to 1,430 kg.

The Caddy Maxi Life offers a huge array of storage options. There’s a storage compartment in the driver’s door and on the front passenger’s door that will take a 1-litre bottle, there’s a generous centre console compartment with an armrest, two cup holders in the front of the centre console and one single cup holder at the rear of the centre console.

Various pockets are found in the rear passenger compartment in the rear doors and in the 3rd row walls. For additional storage the Caddy Maxi Life also features small cargo nets located above the windows.

The most important thing the Caddy Maxi Life carries is people, so safety is of the utmost importance. Control systems like ABS (anti-lock braking system), TCS (traction control system), EBD (electronic brake-pressure distribution) and ASR (anti-spin regulation) come into play in critical situations by intervening in the brake or management systems. ESP (electronic stability programme) with Brake Assist can be ordered as an option. Driver and front passenger, front and side airbags are standard on the Caddy Maxi Life.

Electric front windows, central locking, semi-automatic air conditioning, a dust and pollen filter, two vents on the centre console, and the radio with CD / MP3 and six speakers are standard in every Caddy Maxi Life.

The Caddy Maxi Life comes with a 1.9 litre TDI engine delivering 77kW/250Nm with a choice of manual or DSG transmission. Thanks to optimal interaction of the components with DSG transmission, very short gear change times are achieved with, at the same time, the highest level of comfort from an automatic.

The 1.9 TDI engine features unit injector or “pumpe düse” technology. Optimal utilisation of the fuel quantity is assured through this direct injection significantly improving consumption and reducing emissions. This power plant is closely related to the very same 1.9 litre TDI that is fitted to the Golf A5 which is also developing 77kW at 4000rpm and 250Nm of torque at 1900rpm. The 1.9 litre TDI meets the stringent EU IV emissions standard whilst maintaining a fuel consumption of 6.3 litres/100km with the 5-speed manual and 6.8 litres/100km with the 6-speed DSG (according to ADR 81/01).

The Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life, versatility and practicality, and the Volkswagen brand experience for 7 people from only $34,990* for the 1.9 litre TDI manual and $37,990* for the 1.9 litre TDI DSG.

Mercedes plans to give the C-Class and GLK SUV a new 2.2-liter diesel engine in North America by 2010. Because of emissions regulations, Mercedes needs to re-engineer the engine to accept BlueTEC technology. A company spokesman said, “The 2.2-liter in the GLK already averages 34 miles per gallon U.S. With BlueTec that will improve to just under 40.”

The decision has been made first because of the rising fuel prices and also because of the weak dollar.

You can read all about BlueTEC technology from when Mercedes gave TopSpeed an exclusive look.

Porsche revealed the first promotional video of the newly launched 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera.

911 Carrera is powered by a 3.6-litre power unit with an output of 345 hp (up by 20 bhp). Carrera S is powered by a 3.8-litre power with an output of 385 bhp unit (up by 30 bhp). The Carrera S Coupe now offers a top speed of 186 mph.

It’s Porsches on open-winding roads. So, just sit back, relax, and pretend it’s you driving.

Bewerp Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS may seem nothing more than a funny name to you now, but it may make your heart race in a few years. It is a sports car concept designed by Emile Pop and Justin de Boer, two designers from the Netherlands. After spending five years with the design process, the two guys started to work on the first fully operational prototype at the beginning of 2008.

The Savage Rivale Roadyacht GTS is a 4 door, 4 person, sports car which aims to give the comfort of a GT and the performance of a supercar.

It is powered by a front mounted GM sourced LS7 supercharged V8 which develops 601 bhp @ 6,200 rpm, and over 550 ft lbs of torque @ 4,800 rpm. This is mated to an automatic transmission mounted toward the rear of the car driving the rear wheels. Basically it’s the running gear from the C6 Chevrolet Corvette.

The first prototypes are scheduled for 2009.

Posted Jul 31st 2008 1:28PM by John Neff
Filed under: Maintenance, Etc., Supercars, Lamborghini

A wealthy Arab man, thought to be a Sheikh, recently had his black and gold Lamborghini LP640 flown 3,250 miles to London via Qatar Airways and trucked to a certified UK Lamborghini dealership last Friday for a fluid change, which cost him a paltry £3,552 compared to the £20,000 round-trip flight. That’s a grand total of £23,552 ($46,644 USD) for a friggin’ oil change.

Environmentalists are obviously not pleased with the owner’s wanton display of conspicuous consumption. Airport workers at Heathrow also blasted the owner’s excess after watching the car get the royal treatment on the runway. One commented, “This car doesn’t have a carbon footprint - more of a crater,” and another pointed out that it would’ve been much cheaper to just fly certified Lamborghini technicians to Qatar to do the service.

This type of behavior begs the question of how far one’s personal choice extends in the face of the greater good. We’re told the Earth is dying beneath our feet and it’s all our fault, so should a Sheikh be allowed to ship his car around the world for an oil change while the rest of us stick compact flourescent light bulbs in our lamps and wait in line to buy a Prius? Perhaps the only act that could be more environmentally egregious than this is if he just threw out his exotic and bought a new one every 3,000 miles.

[Source: The Sun]

If rumors are correct, Fiat and BMW may be joining forces to create a new small car platform. In fact, the BMW Isetta and Fiat Topolino might be born as twins, with their own distinctive styling cues of course. The cars will be rivaling the Volkswagen Up! and Toyota iQ. Both cars will be economical on fuel and meet ever increasing emission requirements both in the US and European countries. There is further talk of making fully electric versions of both models.

The Fiat Topolino will be sold in Europe exclusively, while the rear-engined BMW Isetta will most likely come to the states by 2011 or 2012. The release date will correspond with California’s laws that would require major car manufacturers to produce a certain amount of zero emission vehicles.

WOLFSBURG - July 30, 2008: The Volkswagen Showcase on the “Olympic Green” is now ready to welcome guests to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. As the exclusive Automobile Partner of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) and national sponsor, Volkswagen Group China has already handed over 5,000 vehicles, all complying with the Euro IV emissions standard, as logistic support for athletes, the media and Olympic guests. Furthermore, Volkswagen is providing a fleet of very low-emission, low-consumption vehicles christened the “Green Fleet” to the BOCOG’s Main Press Center. Complementing the vehicle fleet, the Volkswagen Showcase is the second main pillar of Volkswagen’s Olympic commitment. “The pavilion gives our guests to the Olympic Games the opportunity to experience the Volkswagen Group and its brands in the unique environment of the world’s biggest sporting event,” Lutz Kothe, Head of Sponsoring & Events at Volkswagen AG, commented. The company expects to welcome four million guests, or around 160,000 visitors per day, to the Volkswagen pavilion at the Olympic Games.

The design of the pavilion features three interlinked themes: the automobile, the Olympic Games and the host country China. The exhibition center and meeting place is housed in a two-storey building which also contains service rooms and two lounges. Under the Volkswagen Group’s motto of “Driving Ideas,” the future vision of sustainable mobility is presented in a transparent showcase. A fuel pump nozzle made of straw symbolizes the Group’s strategy to support second-generation “Sunfuel” biofuels. A second, real-life, nozzle represents present-day fossil fuel supplies. The yin and yang symbols reflect the host country’s traditional culture as well as symbolizing a solution combining both technologies.

The Group showcase is surrounded by six transparent brand boxes, presenting two vehicles from each of the Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda brands. “Each of the models on show is combined with an Olympic sport associated with the respective brand. The Skoda brand, for example, teams up with cycling,” says Kothe, explaining the showcase concept. The aerodynamic form of the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans connects with swimming. For Volkswagen, the chosen sport is soccer. The six brand showcases also present different time worlds. Each model stands for a particular phase in the brand’s history. The Volkswagen Passat CC represents the present, while the Space up! Blue symbolizes tomorrow’s mobility. Audi and Skoda celebrate their wonderful brand history with the Monte Carlo old-timer and the Auto Union racing car, while the Octavia represents Skoda’s present model range and the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans embodies the trendsetter of tomorrow.

The pavilion also features a 70-meter long, 3-meter tall high-tech media banner with nine mobile LED panels bringing guests the “Olympic Loop” designed by Volkswagen. Seven different thematic sections make the connection between China, the Olympics and the Volkswagen Group and its brands. A newscrawler brings visitors the latest competition results. The banner also serves as the moving background to a live performance by high-wire acrobats taking place up to ten times each day.

190 exhibition stand builders used approximately 500 metric tons of steel and around 1,600 m of concrete to build an area measuring approximately 2,700 m, 2,000 m of which is taken up by the pavilion alone. Some of the materials were produced locally in China. Some 890 packages weighing 256 metric tons each were shipped by air and sea to China from Germany. “We are very proud of the Volkswagen Olympia Showcase, which will be our home base over the next few weeks. Together with our guests and the athletes, we are looking forward to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,” Kothe added.