Several weeks ago we ran a few photos of a Ford Focus RS that was spotted in a suburb of Detroit. This of course led to speculation that FoMoCo was planning to bring its amazing hot hatch to the U.S.

Sadly, a Ford exec has confirmed that the RS will not make its way stateside. And to kill any hope for those still holding on to it, the executive just so happens to be Jost Capito, the new head of Ford’s global performance division.

Capito told the U.K.’s AutoCar that, “We’d like to, but the base car isn’t homologated for North America and that’s too costly a job to carry out just for a niche vehicle like the RS.”

That means North American consumers will continue to miss out on the aggressively styled Focus, which boasts a turbocharged five-cylinder engine with 295hp and 302 ft-lbs of torque.

[Source: AutoCar]

In an attempt to drum-up interest in the launch of the Fiesta in North America, Ford is putting on a serious publicity stunt by running two 800 horsepower versions of the economy car in the legendary Pikes Peak race.

Ford is eager to appeal not just to econonomically-minded individuals with the Fiesta sub-compact, but also to enthusiasts as it attempts to set a Pike Peak record with a sub-10 minute run up the mountain.

To do this not only will Olsbergs Motor Sport Evolution race team owner Andreas Eriksson be piloting one of the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder Fiesta racers, but so will rally legend Marcus Grönholm. In World Rally Championship competition Grönholm has won 30 races and clinched the championship twice. 

Both Eriksson and Grönholm will certainly need all 800 horses when they take on the 12.4-mile, 156-turn dirt and tarmac climb on July 19th.

“We’re pleased to have a top independent team like Olsbergs MSE coming to the U.S. with their Fiesta Rallycross cars to take on the challenge of Pike’s Peak,” said Brian Wolfe, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “This will be a great chance for enthusiasts here to see in this unique setting what a lot of the rest of the world is already talking about – that the Fiesta is a great road car and a great race car.”

Ford Motor Company’s director of Global Motorsport Business Development, Jost Capito, said: “The Pike’s Peak event is another step forward for the new Ford Fiesta as a core vehicle in Ford’s future global motorsport aspirations. We’re looking forward to seeing Andreas and Marcus in action on this unique event.”

GALLERY: Olsbergs Motor Sport Evolution Ford Fiesta Rallycross

Official release after the jump:

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MINI just released two new special edition models, but that isn’t about to stop Britishy-German brand from introducing yet another. The latest collectors item to be unveiled by MINI to celebrate the company’s 50th birthday is the new John Coper Works Championship 50 Special Edition model – which celebrates the Cooper racing team’s two Formula 1 world championships in 1959 and 1960.

In true British fashion the sporty “little” car will get a deep green paint job and white stripes. MINI calls the green “Connaught Green” and the white is “Pepper White,” – which is used not only for the stripes but also for the roof.

Inside the car gets black leather and red detailing.

Other than those details there isn’t a lot to differentiate the car from a standard JCW model – except maybe for the price, which is expected to be roughly $53,000.

That dollar sign is, however, irrelevant as the car won’t be sold in North America – just Europe and the U.K. Getting your hands on one won’t be easy either as MINI plans to produce just 250 JCW Championship 50 models.

[Source: Edmunds.com]

GALLERY: MINI JWC Championship 50 Special Edition

We’ve been waiting for Honda to come up with an Accord-based crossover since the moment Toyota pulled the wraps off its Camry-based Venza concept at the North American International Auto Show last year.

It’s no surprise that Honda would build a vehicle to go head-to-head with the Venza (pictured above) and apparently the company isn’t willing to let Toyota build up a dominating market presence, as the CrossTour (as it is reported to be called) will hit dealerships as early as October 26th. Some rumors, however, have the launch date set for early 2010. 

As expected the CrossTour will be based on the Accord platform, and will be just 2.5-inches taller that the popular sedan. It will also be 7-inches longer than the Venza, opening up the possibility that it could have a third row. Considering the Venza doesn’t however, the CrossTour will most likely stick to just to rows of seats.

The added space will allow the rear of the CrossTour to function more like a truck bed. And Honda will offer a hard plastic bed liner as an option.

Unlike the Venza the CrossTour will not be offered with a four-cylinder powerplant – just the V6. There will aso be no manual option.

Most likely the reason for the lack of a four-cylinder is due to Honda pushing up the car’s launch date. As the curb weight is certain to be a few hundred pounds over that of the Accord, the Accord’s inline-four would most likely not be up to the task. After all, the four-cylinder in the Venza is a larger and more powerful motor than in the Camry. That being said, there’s a possibility that a four-cylinder will be made available in the future. 

Both a front wheel drive an all-wheel drive model will be offered as well as options like a power liftgate.

[Source: Temple of Vtec]

According to two more than one reliable source, Audi is set to unveil the roadster version of its awesome R8 at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September. But that isn’t the only R8 set to debut.

The R8 Roadster will be available in both V8 and V10 versions with 420 and 525 horsepower respectively. 

A drop-top version of the R8 has been in the works for some time and rumors that Audi would build such a car emerged just shortly after the original V8-powered machine launched. Having a convertible version would not only allow the R8 to take on cars like the Porsche Carrera Cabriolet and 911 Turbo Cab, but it would also allow Audi to capitalize on a successful platform by building more (even higher priced R8s) but in a different class of vehicle so the car will retain its exclusivity.

The surprising bit of news is that Audi will be launching yet another version of the R8 – an electric version. This car will no doubt be a concept and will likely see the same fate as the R8 TDI. Still, it will be interesting to see what the Audi engineers can come up with.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport and L'Automobile via Autoblog]

When Lexus initially brought out the LF-A concept it boasted about the car’s engine power and top speed. With a 500hp V10 capable of 199mph the genuine exotic sounded unreal back then.

Since the concept car was displayed at the North American International Auto Show back in 2007, it has had an uncertain future. But now the car is scheduled to meet the streets and will debut at the Tokyo Auto Show this Fall.

Performance expectations have also changed since ’07 and so Lexus has done some tweaking to not only the engine but also the aerodynamics to add a little extra.

When the car is officially revealed it is expected to make 550hp and hit a top speed of 218mph!

According to a report in AutoExpress the LF-A will also look considerably different from either the concept car or the Nürburgring racers, with new headlights and a new grille. The U.K. auto pub is also reporting that only 500 units will be made, including an even higher performance version with a wider aero kit which will give the car a look more like the Nürburgring racer.

As for how the car will perform on the track, the 7:13 second lap time during the Nürburgring 24 Hour race should give an indication of what this car is capable of.

[Source: AutoExpress]

The upcoming Lotus Esprit may be powered by a 500hp Lexus V10 according to a report in the U.K.’s EVO magazine. Lotus has a long time partnership with Lexus parent company Toyota, using its Celica-sourced 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine for the Elise and Exige, as well as its the Camry-sourced 3.5-liter V6 for the Evora. According to EVO this relationship extends not just to the Toyota powertrain department but also to the Lexus division – and Lexus just so happens to be readying its LF-A exotic with a 500 horse V10. There is also the possibility that the IS-F’s 417hp 5.0-liter V8 could be an option, as well as an entry-level 300hp direct-injection V6 motor. 

The new Evora platform, which is to be the basis for the Esprit’s chassis, is capable of holding engines in either a transverse or longitudinal layout – giving more credence to the possibility that several different engines could be made available to buyers.

Lotus doesn’t plan to bring the Esprit to market until 2012, but it is dedicated to delivering a true exotic capable of taking on the Lamborghinis and Ferraris of the world.

There is also a strong possibility that Lotus could offer the Esprit with an electric powertrain.

The design sketch, above, gives a hint at what the upcoming Lotus Esprit may look like.

[Source: EVO]

It appears as though Mazda will offer its RX-8 sports car with a rotary engine in the future and as the all-new second generation model is just around the corner, the Japanese automaker has been busy making improvements to the pistonless wonder.

Last October Mazda filed for a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a new twin-spark, direct-injection rotary engine, which was approved last month.

According to the patent it’s possible the new motor will be of a slightly larger displacement and we expect a little extra power. The new twin-spark direct-injection system should also help in the power department, although its main benefit will be in terms of fuel-economy.

GALLERY: Mazda Twin-Spark Rotary Patent Application

[Source: Sidelaw and US Patent and Trademark Office]

Red Bull’s new Cola beverage might not be as popular as the brand’s energy drink, which is strange considering it’s addictive ingredient. No, not caffeine. Try cocaine.

That’s right, during recent tests on the beverage it was found to have trace amounts (4 micrograms) of the illegal drug, prompting officials in six German states to force retailers to pull the products off their shelves.

The amount of cocaine found is too low to be a health concern, however, it is still not permitted in food or drink in Germany. Red Bull has said that is uses coca leaf extracts for natural flavor and said that no cocaine was found in the company’s own testing.

Coca-Cola is known to have once used cocaine in its drinks, however, that practice stopped in 1903. The amount used back then was significantly higher at 9 milligram.

Red Bull currently advertises its new cola drink on its Formula 1 cars.

[Source: BBC News]

Oddly, it seems as though Saturn is far more interesting and far more loved as the up-for auction arm of a doomed for bankruptcy company than it ever was as regular old car brand. To date the Penske Automotive Group, automaker Nissan/Renault and investment firm Telesto Ventures have all been cited as potential buyers. Now we can add Mitsubishi to that list.

According to a report in the Detroit News the Japanese automaker is in talks with GM to supply its vehicles to the existing Saturn dealership network. The move would see Mitsu expand its number of dealerships in the U.S. by 380 – up from the current 430 dealerships.

The move seems unlikely as Mitsubishi is suffering in the current economic downturn. In April the company sold just 3,919 vehicle in the U.S., down 55.9 percent from the same month in 2008.

Mitsubishi is, however, eager to gain a larger percentage of the U.S. market and until recently was even engaged in talks with Chrysler to bring a small electric car called the Peapod Mobility to the U.S.

The company does appear to be beefing up it’s product line and rebranding its existing products. Company representatives have made it clear that the i MiEV electric micro-car (pictured above) will come to North America and a coupe version of the car has been explored in concept form. Additionally, Mitsu recently launched the Sportback version of the Lancer. As far as rebranding, the company is finally picking up on the success of the Lancer and Evo models and is giving that look to the rest of its line. We’ve already seen it with the 2009 Eclipse and the next generation Outlander promises to have an Evo-style nose.

[Source: Detroit News]