Mazda will unveil a mid-cycle refresh to it’s award-winning CX-9 crossover SUV at the New York Auto Show. Mazda says the new 2010 model will be “heavily revised” from the 2009 model.

Included in the updates are a facelifted exterior as well as a revamped interior. Mazda also plans to add several new options and increase the overall safety of the vehicle with even more safety features.

Mazda’s press release says they also plan to further improve the “Zoom-Zoom” driving characteristics of the SUV. This might mean a revised suspension but it also might mean an optional V8 engine – we certainly hope so.

In addition to the new CX-9, Mazda will also have the 2010 CX-7 crossover on display – making it’s U.S.-debut after officially launching at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto in February.

The 2010 CX-7 also gets an exterior and interior refresh, as well as added safety and convenience features. One of the most notable new options is the new base engine. Previous models were only available with a 244hp turbocharged direct-injection 2.3-liter four-cylinder, whereas this new base engine is a non-turbo 2.5-liter four. Pricing has yet to be released but this new engine option should help make the 2010 significantly more affordable than the ’09 model.

We’ll bring you full details on both models with our New York Auto Show coverage starting April 8th.

If you’re looking at purchasing a new Lamborghini, now is the perfect time.

Wait times for exotic cars have been growing considerably over the past decade, but with the current recession, the trend is finally starting to reverse.

Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelann told the press at the Geneva Auto Show that the average wait time for one of the shockingly powerful new Lambo models is now just six months – down from the usual period of a year.

Interestingly, the demand isn’t entirely due to an individual’s personal financial situation. Besides the fact a that very few fortunes are being made these days and the sobering reality that some clients who had placed orders have been forced to cancel due to bankruptcy or a significantly decreased personal fortune, there is also the social factor.

That’s right, one of the main reasons to buy a Lamborghini has just become a reason not to purchase one – namely, that in-your-face ostentatious look and the message that it conveys. During an economic boom, people want to flaunt their wealth, but during a recession like the one we are currently in, potential Lambo clients are choosing not to purchase one of the outrageous Italian exotics (which, to make matters worse, so often roll off the assembly line in bright orange or lime green) because of the message it sends.

[Source: Reuters]

Cadillac has just announced that it will begin offering it’s best-selling CTS model with WiFi internet access. The new system, by Autonet Mobile, will be available in April and will allow passengers and those in close proximity to the car to have access full high-speed internet – perfect for passengers with laptops or mobile devices.

“Consumers today are frequently searching for WiFi access wherever they may be,” said Mark McNabb, North America Vice President, Cadillac. “Adding WiFi is a natural extension of the tech features already inside the CTS, such as a 40 gigabyte hard drive with USB port, a pop-up navigation system featuring real-time traffic and weather forecasts and the exclusive ability to pause and rewind live radio.”

The new system will also allow for several uses to use the WiFi at once, so passengers can watch YouTube videos or update their Facebook page. The system requires no special software and get achieve speeds of up to 800kbps.

The dealer installed option will retail for $499 with a $29 monthly subscription fee.

The new WiFi system for the Cadillac CTS will officially be launched April 8th at the New York Auto Show.

Can a gasoline engine best a diesel one in endurance racing? It can during qualifying, as Acura proved by claiming the pole for the 12 Hours of Sebring race, set to take place tomorrow.

Scott Dixon shocked pretty much everyone on Thursday by piloting the de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-02a to the pole with a time of just 1:45.27. Neither Audi or Peugeot (both favored to claim the pole over Acura) could post a better lap. Impressively this pole position is the first for Acura, during it’s first ever race in the top-level LMP1 class.

“I’ve watched this race for many years and it’s always been exciting so now it’s great that I get to race here,” Dixon said. “I’ve tested on the short track many times with IndyCar but never on the big track. So you can’t help but grin from ear to ear to be excited to drive here.”

“Overall it’s been a great week especially now having Acura on the overall pole,” Dixon said. “It was unexpected. We always shoot for the pole from the get-go. But realistically I thought we were only to be third or fourth. It was interesting when I heard I was going to qualify the car. I’m not sure why Gil picked me in the end, but I think all three of us could have done it.”

The battle for pole was a close one, however, with Tom Kristensen just 0.082 seconds behind in the new Audi R15. In fact, the fiels was so close that all top-five qualifiers were just 0.281 seconds apart.

The third fastest time was posted by Christian Klien in one of the Peugeot 908 HDi coupes.

In the LMP2 class, Acura also claimed the top spot with Adrian Fernandez in the Lowe’s Fernandez Racing Acura ARX-01b posting a 1:49.686.

As for the remainder of the classes, Corvette clinched the GT1 pole with a Oliver Gavin behind the wheel in what will be the last Sebring race for the C6.R as it retires later this season.

The final class, GT2 saw a Porsche on the pole with Dirk Werner in the Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3 RSR running a time 2:03.051.

Complete qualifying results after the jump:

Continue Reading…

It’s baaaaack! After the SLR recently bowed out with it’s last (Stirling Moss) iteration, Mercedes hasn’t wasted any time in producing a new supercar – with gullwing doors!

No photos sans-body camo are available but we do have all the details on this new beast.

Called the SLS AMG, the new model from AMG seems to finally be something that driving enthusiasts and magazine bench-racers alike can enjoy.

For starters, it uses the awesome 6.2-liter V8 engine found in all of AMG’s 63 models, but with even more power. Thanks to reworked internals the engine now makes 563hp and 479 ft-lbs of torque – enough to propel the SLS AMG all the way to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 196 mph.

Hold on.. it gets better! The engine uses a dry-sump lubrication system (great for serious abuse), as well as a transaxle and a double-clutch seven speed transmission. Finally, a Benz that doesn’t come with an automatic!

That tansaxle layout means that the tranny is located out back (for an ideal weight balance of 48/52) and it attached to the engine by a carbon fiber driveshaft.

Want more? How about launch control and an average fuel economy of 18 mph combined.

But there is still one important thing missing.. the weight. But once again with this new car,  AMG hit it right on the nose. The projected curb weight is just 3,571 lbs, due mostly to the fact that this is the first model Mercedes has ever produced with an all aluminum chassis and body.

Weight is also saved by using carbon ceramic brakes and light weight wheels, that measure 19×9.5-inches up front and 20×11-inches in the rear. Tires measure 265/35/19 front and 295/30/22 rear.

“Mercedes-Benz is presenting an exhilarating super sports car in the guise of the new SLS AMG, which is bound to set the pulses of all car enthusiasts racing that extra bit faster. The SLS AMG is emotion pure and simple for the Mercedes-Benz brand and is set to become one of the most alluring sports cars of our era,” says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

As for AMG Boss Volker Mornhinweg, he had this to say: “Our customers will experience with the SLS AMG the expertise of our sports car manufacturer Mercedes-AMG, built up over 40 years of motor racing, along with the kind of scintillating design that only a top athlete from the Mercedes-Benz stable can offer.”

The SLS AMG will be launched in the Spring of 2010.

GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

More on the SLS AMG after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC Hybrid Concept

The state of Michigan is getting a boost from the auto industry in an unexpected source – Germany.

Mercedes-Benz has just announced that it will build a new hybrid research and development facility in Ann Arbour, just outside Detroit.

“The project will generate a $9.9 million investment and create 454 total jobs, including 223 directly by the company,” said Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm in a statement.

Mercedes decide on the location after Michigan made the German automaker an offer it couldn’t refuse. The state of Michigan will give the company a $7.5 million tax break over the next 10 years – a deal that was apparently sweeter than the ones offered by the states of California or South Caroline (where Mercedes also looked at building it’s facility).

[Source: Edmunds InsideLine]

Concorso Italiano is set to regain some of its past glory with a new venue for 2009, the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch.

Last year the even moved from it’s usual location at the Bayonet Blackhorse Golf Course to the Marina City airport – a move that prompted a wave of complaints from exotic car owners. The Concorso Itlainao event was sold to 2008 and the new owners have come through on a commitment to ensure classic and exotic cars are displayed on freshly cut grass – in true “concourse” fashion.

The new location is situated half way between the world famous Laguna Seca raceway and the Monterey airport.

It will take place on August 14th and will run from 9:30 to 5 p.m.

Tickets are $85 for spectators and include parking. Owners of Italian vehicles can register for $125 and non Italian vehicles can be signed up for $175. These prices run until May 31st, after which costs will increase.

For more information visit:

www.concorso.com

The next generation BMW M3 will be powered by a turbocharged six-cylinder engine, says Ludwig Willisch, the man in charge of BMW’s M division. But there’s more to the story than that, according to an article on MotorTrend.com after staff of the magazine sat down with Willisch and other journalists in Munich.

For starters the engine will not be the same twin-turbo inline-six found in the current 335i. In fact, it might not be a twin-turbo at all. Even more shocking, it might not be an inline-six. That’s right, BMW is currently looking at the possibility of using a V6 for the next M3.

While the BMW faithful will abhor the idea (like they did with the amazing V8 that powers the current M3), a V6 would allow for the engine to be located in a more central position in the car. Unfortunately, it would most likely be heavier.

Interestingly Willisch defied convention by stating that the next generation M3 wouldn’t necessarily have to be more powerful, so long as it was lighter. And BMW intends to focus on decreasing the weight of their vehicles across the board.

The discussion also raised the possibility of an M for the 1 Series, and while it won’t be called an M, BMW is planning a high-performance version of the second generation 1 Series. It will, says Willisch, be more in line with one of the most iconic BMW’s of all time, the E30 (the original) M – sort of.

By today’s standards this high performance 1 Series will be light with a curb weight of 2,860 lbs – which is still a significantly larger number than the roughly 3,200-lb curb weight of the E30. Willisch said that BMW engineers are currently working on a twin-turbo four-cylinder engine to power such a car, but noted that with the weight it would still need at least 300hp in order to be an ideal package.

As for when these new cars will come out, both models are slated for 2014, so expect concept cars and pre-production models throughout 2013.

With all this talk about turbos for the new M3, we shouldn’t forget that with the new 5 Series and 6 Series due out next year as 2011 models, the following year will bring M versions of those cars – and you can be sure the V10 is a thing of the past.

In related news, stay tuned for our coverage from the New York Auto Show starting April 8th, as BMW plans to take the wraps of its M version of the X6.

[Source: Motor Trend]

For the first time in 15 years Lexus is not the most dependable brand according to J.D. Power & Associates. The torch has instead been passed on to luxury competitor Jaguar as well as to GM’s Buick brand.

Both Buick and Jaguar came from well behind in the pack to eclipse Lexus in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, which ranks reported problems of 3-year old models.

Buick, which ranked 6th last year, and Jaguar, which placed a distant 10th in 2008, are tied for the top spot this year.

Lexus continues to hold on to the second spot, with Toyota and Mercury following closely.

David Sargent, J.D. Power’s VP of auto research told Automotive News that, “Part of GM’s historical challenge has been that the customer’s perception of GM’s vehicles has been not in line with reliability.  Maybe 10 or 15 years ago their vehicles weren’t as reliable as some of the imports, but I think today they’ve virtually caught up.”

In fact, two years ago Buick actually tied Lexus for the top spot.

The J.D. Power research shows that owners of Buick and Jaguar models reported an average of 122 problems per 100 vehicles, compared to 126 problems per 100 vehicle for Lexus owners.

Lexus can, however, still lay claim to the most reliable vehicle, the LS430, with the fewest problems reported – just 61 for every 100 vehicles.

J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study is even more important this year as with the current recession owners are opting to hold on to vehicles rather than purchase new ones. According to J.D. Power, owners of new vehicles are holding on to their cars for an average of 73 months, up from 66 months in 2006.

WORST PICKS

As for the worst brands in the industry, GM may have the nefarious distinction of having six of its brands below average 170 problems per 100 vehicles, but none of those are the worst offenders. The least reliable brands are Mazda, Isuzu, Land Rover and Volkswagen with Suzuki in last position.

[Source: AutoNews]

It’s official, there will be no British Motor Show for 2010.

A message posted on the Show’s website states that, “Following a thorough consultation with the UK motor industry, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has taken the difficult decision to cancel the 2010 British International Motor Show.”

“SMMT, with the support of the UK motor industry, remains committed to showcasing the achievements and products of the automotive sector. However, the economic downturn and the unprecedented challenges facing the industry both in the UK and around the world, have made it impossible for exhibitors to commit to a 2010 event.”

SMMT boss Paul Everitt released a statement saying that, “The British International Motor Show (BIMS) is the UK’s largest consumer exhibition, hugely popular with the public, and has been attracting increasing numbers of visitors over recent years, making the decision to cancel the 2010 Show an extremely difficult one. However, the global credit crunch has placed the automotive sector under unique pressure and has created a level of uncertainty that deters manufacturers from committing to large-scale, international events,” he added.

The Show’s joint managing director, Rob Mackenzie, also commented that he approved the decision to postpone holding a show until it can be a truly world-class affair.

No one from the SMMT commented on when the BIMS (which, like the Frankfurt show, is held every two years), will return.