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Rumormill: Mazda working on CX-5?

Filed under: Crossover, Mazda, Rumormill

Mazda Kazamai Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mazda spoke of expanding its line with a small crossover as far back as 2008, with such talk led by the appearance of the Kazamai Concept. According to Autocar, Mazda is preparing to have said “new small SUV” prepped for sale at the end of 2011. When it was mentioned two years ago, the idea was that the vehicle would help position Mazda as an aspirational brand; now it sounds like it could be extravagant design meeting frugal economy.

For Mazda, a CX-5 would provide an option in a segment it knows consumers are moving toward, and the vehicle being discussed could be a gas mileage champ. Mazda is reportedly boasting of a 100kg weight savings vs. the competitors (that’s a not-insubstantial 220 pounds), as well as power from the company’s already frugal Sky engines. Some whispers about three- and five-door versions have been recorded, but remember, for the moment these are all still whispered rumors, not facts.

Gallery: Mazda Kazamai Concept

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Mazda working on CX-5? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Jaguar working on aluminum X-Type successor

Filed under: Sedan, Jaguar, Luxury

Tata Motors chief executive Carl-Peter Forster has acknowledged that Jaguar needs a smaller, higher-volume vehicle and it appears that just such a car is already under development. Unlike the less-than-stellar X-Type which was based on the second-generation Ford Mondeo, the new car should actually be a real Jaguar.

Jaguar is reportedly working on a new modular aluminum platform that would be shared between the new smaller car, the mid-sized XF and the next-generation XK. In renderings posted by AutoExpress at least, the baby Jag bears a strong resemblance to the XF but with curvier rear haunches and XJ-style taillamps. Of course, what the real thing will ultimately look like is anyone’s guess.

Power will likely come from downsized and boosted four-cylinder gas and diesel engines, with the current 3.0-liter diesel V6 as a range-topper. Also look for a hybrid to enter the mix. All of this will help Jaguar meet the new EU CO2 emissions limits once the new smaller Jaguar debuts, which could happen as soon as soon as 2012.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Rumormill: Jaguar working on aluminum X-Type successor originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Smart Roadster to make a comeback

Filed under: Convertible, Budget, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Renault, Rumormill

The internets are abuzz with word that the recent partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Renault may allow the the long dead Smart Roadster to be revived. The folks at Autocar report that a source within Smart says the company has had its eyes on bringing the roadster back to market for awhile now. Evidently, the purveyor of pint-sized transportation is interested in branching out from its city car roots – something that the recent partnership with Renault just might facilitate. Renault has a host of experience producing inexpensive small cars that Smart just might be able to capitalize on.

Autocar doesn’t say exactly which Renault model Smart would use as the basis for the reborn Roadster, but there is some indication that other products may be part of the company’s plans as well. The article even made mention of a potential Mini Countryman competitor, meaning that Smart is eying jumping into the CUV fray. Either way, any new blood in the Smart portfolio is bound to help. With fuel prices down, American buyers aren’t interested in making the kind of sacrifices that the ForTwo requires, but an ultra-compact convertible? That has some potential.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Smart Roadster to make a comeback originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Next Focus RS to get all-wheel drive with electric motors

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Hatchback, Ford, Rumormill

Despite driving only the front wheels, reviewers have heaped praise on the current Ford Focus RS’s handling and its ability to put 300 horsepower to the road thanks to some nifty suspension and driveline tricks. However, when the next-generation RS rolls into town (assuming that it becomes a reality) it may well have all-wheel-drive courtesy of an electric motor driving the rear axle.

According to Autocar, the proposed car would use a higher output version of the Blue Oval’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder driving the front wheels and an electric motor at the rear. This would allow for both on-demand all-wheel-drive and electric-only drive at low speeds. If this plan proceeds, it would be Ford’s first through-the-road hybrid, although French automaker Peugeot has firm plans to introduce at least two vehicles with a similar configuration in 2011.

Other alternatives reportedly being studied by Ford are an even higher output gasoline engine (sans motor assistance), or use of the next-generation power-split hybrid that debuts in 2012. However, both of these options would involve sticking with front-wheel-drive and could be problematic if Ford wants to surpass the output of the current RS.

[Source: AutoCar]

Rumormill: Next Focus RS to get all-wheel drive with electric motors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG to bring 270 hp to the party

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

A few months back, word began to spread that AMG is working on a performance version of one of Mercedes’ smallest cars. If true, it would not only mean giving the hi-po treatment to a segment hitherto untouched by the gents at Affalterbach, it could entail swapping a front-wheel drive hatch for a RWD platform. A month later, this small car’s benchmarks were found out: the Golf R, Audi S3 and BMW 1 Series. And a month after that the rumors began to coalesce around the B-Class as AMG’s subject of choice.

It turns out that the A-Class will be the first in line for an AMG makeover and the Ford Focus RS is also one of its targets. The diminutive Benz will get a four-cylinder, direct-injection engine with a pressure-wave supercharger that’s looking at an output of somewhere around 270 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. That gumption will reportedly get to the wheels through a dual-clutch gearbox and then navigate yet more clutches in the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system.

A two-car line-up is planned: a five-door hatch and a CLS-like sedan. But we won’t see any of this until 2012 or so, when the next-generation A-Class arrives. And the U.S. is only expected to get the sedan version, which will wear the name CLC, salvaged from the C-Class sport coupe that ended production not a moment too soon.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Mercedes-Benz A-Class AMG to bring 270 hp to the party originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Three-door Mini Countryman to gun for Land Rover Evoque?

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Crossover, Mini, Rumormill

It looks like Land Rover may have accidentally kicked over a hive of hornets by rolling out its new two-door Evoque. We recently heard all about BMW musing as to whether or not to build an X4 to compete with the crossover, and now Auto Express is reporting that Mini may be game to take on the newcomer as well. We’re not talking about the Countryman here, either. The site claims that the head honchos at Mini are mulling bringing a two-door version of the high-rider to life, and that it will be called the Canyon when it arrives.

Auto Express doesn’t cite any sources or point to any hard evidence of this decision (no surprise there). Instead, the site has chosen to rely on the fact that the company has been kicking around the idea of a vehicle like the Canyon since 2005. Now that the Countryman is headed for production, the logic is that it wouldn’t take too much effort to slim the platform, throw on two doors and bolt up one very coupe-looking roof. Thing is, until we hear word from Mini itself, we’re going to have to approach this one with a whole heap of skepticism.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rumormill: Three-door Mini Countryman to gun for Land Rover Evoque? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Touareg-based SUV, V8 Gallardo [w/poll]

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Performance, SUV, Lamborghini, Rumormill, Luxury

Lamborghini LM002 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hold on to your butts, Lamborghini fans. Word from Car and Driver’s German correspondent is that the bullish Italian automaker is strongly considering re-entering the hardcore SUV segment. Considering that the brand’s last effort into such uncharted territory brought us the Hummer-esque LM002, you can officially color us intrigued.

If the machine does make it past the planning stages, it will reportedly be based on the platform shared by the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, but we imagine it would get a powertrain more suitable for Lamborghini use – we can only hope that means a V12, as was the case with the LM002.

Another market Lamborghini is said to be considering is the entry-level V8 supercar segment. If a production model does indeed come about, it would slot below the V10-powered Gallardo. As with the aforementioned SUV, this would not be the first time Lambo has dipped a toe in these waters, as its Urraco, Silhouette and Jalpa played in the exact same market in the 1970s and 1980s before the Italian manufacturer pulled out in favor of traditional range-topping supercars like the Diablo and Murcielago.

Sadly, rumor has it that Lamborghini will not pursue the Estoque concept, leaving the Maserati Quattroporte as the only Italian to do battle with the likes of the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. Still, the company must at least be considering the Estoque since it went ahead and produced a concept to gauge reaction. So, which of these new Lamborghini rumors would you most like to see fulfilled? Take part in our totally unscientific poll after the break.

Gallery: Lamborghini LM002

[Source: Car and Driver]

Continue reading Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Touareg-based SUV, V8 Gallardo [w/poll]

Rumormill: Lamborghini developing Touareg-based SUV, V8 Gallardo [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Nissan considering Leaf-based EV sportscar

Filed under: Performance, Infiniti, Nissan, Rumormill, Electric

Nissan is reportedly considering building a sports car based on the electric drive hardware from its new Leaf EV. From a business perspective, it would likely make sense for Nissan to follow the same path set forth by Toyota/Lexus with premium hybrid models, and indeed, the Leaf is already pegged to get a pricier sibling at Infiniti. A premium battery electric vehicle could be sold a significantly higher price point, helping to subsidize the cost of more mainstream models like the Leaf.

The big question is what platform to use. Mercedes-Benz and Audi are both developing electric versions of their respective supercars. Nissan could do a battery powered version of the 370Z, which has both its positives and negatives. The Z is relatively lightweight for a modern car, although its small size could make packaging the battery problematic. A more likely scenario might be a version of the 2009 Infiniti Essence concept which was originally shown as a hybrid. The larger car would allow for more battery and range.

A third possibility that might actually be the best option is a new car based on the Leaf platform but with the motor moved to the rear axle. The compact size of the electric motor could make packaging easier than with an internal combustion vehicle, and much of the rest of the hardware could stay the same.

[Source: Inside Line]

Rumormill: Nissan considering Leaf-based EV sportscar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Chevy Corvette production to leave Bowling Green for… Lansing?

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, Rumormill

2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though it was just named the Official State Sports Car of Kentucky not even a month ago, a story from WLNS speculates that Chevrolet Corvette production could move from Bowling Green, Kentucky to Lansing, Michigan. The UAW president and economist who brought it up apparently didn’t suggest that it would happen, they were really just throwing out possibilities to the WLNS reporter.

General Motors’ Corvette rep David Caldwell, though, has doused any idea of this happening. When Autoblog asked him about the story, Caldwell told us that there had been a roundtable about what the Lansing Grand River plant might produce, and various cars were mentioned, including the Corvette. However, as Caldwell notes, “Corvettes are born in Bowling Green,” and “nothing going on in the foreseeable future changes that long-time fact.”

In other words, all of you in the Bluegrass State can relax now.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

[Source: WLNS]

Rumormill: Chevy Corvette production to leave Bowling Green for… Lansing? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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