Hyundai is planning to release five new models between now and 2012, according to a company info obtained by Autoweek.nl. Three of the five models are expected to make their way to North America.

The first model is the next generation Tucson, which will be based on the ix-ONIC concept that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show last March. It is expected to use a new turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and make 140hp. We captured a few spy photos (like the one above) of the new Tucson testing in California.

After the Tucson, will come two MPV versions of the i20 and i30, for sale in Europe and Asia.

In 2011, Hyundai is then expected to reveal the new Sonata (also known as the i40 in some markets). As well as a sedan, Hyundai is reportedly readying a wagon version of the car.

The final product will emerge at the end of 2011 and will be the “replacement” for the Tiburon. In fact, it won’t be much like a Tiburon at all and will actually be considerably smaller. Based on the Veloster concept, the car will feature a unique layout with two passenger doors but just one driver’s door and will be a hatchback. Power will come from either a 140hp turbocharged 1.6-lite four-cylinder or a 172hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder.

[Source: AutoWeek.nl via WorldCarFans]

We recently reported that Honda tuner Mugen was planning a version of the Euro-spec Civic Type-R and now that story has essentially been confirmed as Mugen has released photos and a short video of its front-drive hot-hatch.

Mugen still hasn’t release any details on the model, but it is expected to follow the format set by the 4-door Honda Civic Mugen RR. That means output from the 2.0-liter four-cylinder will be massaged to 237hp at 8000 rpm and 160 ft-lbs of torque at a lofty 7000 rpm.

The photos confirm a aggressive body kit, a dual-exhaust setup and what appear to be 18-inch wheels. What we don’t know is if the rear seats will be deleted, as reported.

Also up in the air are the Brembo brakes. We would expect to see them on this car (like on the RR), but in a short video of the car that Mugen released they appear to be absent.

It does appear as though that the car will be only offered as a right-hand drive U.K.-spec model, and while that is unfortunate for the rest of Europe, it is expected as the Honda following in Briton is much higher than on the continent.

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

GALLERY: Mugen U.K.-Spec Civic Type-R

[Source: 4WheelsNews]

Industry legend Lee Iacocca, the man who first introduced the world to the Ford Mustang, is now getting his own special edition of the iconic car. But this is far more than a badge and a decal packaged slapped on to a GT model, it’s a fully redesigned pony car by Iacocca himself, with help from designer Michael Leone,  the Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters and Galpin Ford.

Titled the Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang, just 45 of the coachbuilt creations will be available through Galpin Ford.

The car sits lower than stock and has a completely redesigned front end with a slanted grille and recessed headlights. The wheels are 20-inch Iacocca Design models with center caps that feature a bold “I” in the middle. Other markings, including an Iacocca Design hood badge and Iacocca lettering on the rear, will help distinguish this car as a rarity – as will the special Iacocca silver paint.

Inside the choachwork continues with special leather seats, a new leather wrapped steering wheel with an “I” badge, Iacocca-lettering on the door sills and a numbered dash plaque.

As for performance, the 45 cars will be outfitted with a Ford Racing handling package and optional 14-inch Ford Racing brakes.

Power will come from either the standard 4.6-liter V8, which boasts five extra horsepower for a total of 320hp, thanks to a Ford Racing air intake. An optional Ford Racing supercharger will also be offered with an output of 400hp!

The Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang will be offered exclusively through Galpin Ford starting in July.

For more info visit:

www.ilegacy.com

GALLERY: Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Subaru has just released its EPA fuel-economy numbers for the 2010 Legacy with some impressive figures. The base 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, when paired with Subaru’s CVT transmission, gets 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway for a combined total of 26 mpg. This rating is better, Subaru notes, than base-engine competitors including the Honda Accord, Mazda6i, VW Passat and Hyundai Sonata. What is particularly impressive is how the Legacy manages this feat with all-wheel drive.

In fact, the Legacy 2.5i CVT (priced at $19,995) is now the highest rated midsize AWD sedan in the U.S.

“We are thrilled that the all-new 2010 Legacy not only offers more space and a more rewarding drive than the competition, but it also delivers better fuel economy at a very competitive price,” said Tim Mahoney, senior VP at Subaru of America.

The Legacy 2.5i is also available with a six-speed manual transmission which achieves 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for a combined total of 27 mpg.

Follow the jump for a full list of EPA ratings for the different 2010 Legacy models:

Continue Reading…

The Toyobaru, in case you haven’t heard, is a secret car that, as the name would suggest, is being built as a joint project by Toyota and Subaru. Code named the 086A, the possibility that the two Japanese automakers might actually build the thing sounds like a dream – and yet the rumors about it keep surfacing.

The latest new reports come from 7Tune, which sources a Toyota insider who apparently has seen the car in the flesh. And according to this insider, the car will have styling that is not unlike that of the top-level LF-A supercar from Lexus.

Original reports of the car put it as an all-wheel drive vehicle using Subaru’s turbocharged boxer engine, but the consensus has now turned to the Toyobaru being an entry level front-engine, rear-drive compact sports-coupe.

Toyota has long been absent from the entry-level sportscar arena and apparently wants to get back into the game. In a recent interview with Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport magazine, the company’s new boss, Akio Toyoda, said that for too long they have neglected this segment of the market.

The car will apparently be sold as both a Toyota and a Subaru, similar to the way both GM and Toyota worked together to develop the Vibe/Martix. As for pricing, the 7Tune insider says Toyota is trying to keep the cost closer to 2 million Yen ($20,000). The price should give a clear indication of the amount of horsepower to expect and the latest speculation is that it will be just under 200hp thanks to a direct-injection four-cylinder.

With the unfavorable exchange rate between the Yen and the dollar, however, the car may never make it to U.S. shores.

[Sources: 7Tune & Autoblog]

The Corvette ZR1 is already one of the best road-going machines ever made, but that hasn’t stopped the Chevy engineers from adding a few updates for the 2010 model.

The main upgrade is a new traction control system that uses what Chevy calls Performance Traction Management (PTM). Essentially this works like a typical traction control system, limiting power delivery, except that it can do so right up to the maximum amount of grip available and without the driver having to modulate the throttle. Instead the PTM system handles that. When exiting a corner, the driver just needs to mash his right foot on the throttle and the car takes care of the rest.

Other new aesthetic offerings for 2010 include a new Torch Red paint color, a Cashmere interior color and optional Competition Gray wheels.

This new technology does, however, come at a cost, as the 2010 Zr1 will retail for $2,910 more than the ’09 model, for a total of $109,530. Still, it’s a bargain for the price.

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

A shuttered General Motors plant in Louisiana will reopen soon but under new ownership. V-Vehicle Co., a new U.S. car maker says it will soon start building environmentally friendly cars at the facility thanks to a major investment by Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens. The company has also hired on former Mazda design boss Tom Motano, the man who penned the Miata, to design the cars.

CEO Frank Varasano, a former VP at Oracle,  says the information on the new car will be released soon and that the production is scheduled to start before the end of 2010.

San Diego-based V-Vehicle Co. expects to hire as many as 1,400 workers in Louisiana to assemble the cars.

“The goal of the company is to provide the American buyer greater product value and a superior automotive experience,” the company said in a statement. ”VVC will produce a high-quality, environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient car for the U.S. market.”

Along with an investment from T. Boone Pickens, additional funding will come from venture capitalists Ray Lane and John Doerr. Plant-owner James Davison is also listed as an investor.

[Source: Automotive News]

Can you hear that? It might sound a lot like Monty Python’s John Cleese, but it’s actually Chrysler’s PT Cruiser screaming, “I’m not dead yet.”

That’s right, despite plans to scrap the retro-styled economy car, production will continue on. Pre-bankruptcy Chrysler had announced that it would cease production of the PT at its Mexico plant this summer, but under new Fiat ownership the U.S. automaker will extend the car’s life until 2011. The PT has, however, already lived well beyond the average life span of a modern auto and as of 2011 it will have been in production, mostly unchanged, for 11 years. 

According to a report on Edmunds, it is possible that Fiat is hoping to sell additional units of the car in international markets like Fiat’s European home turf, as well as in Brazil.

After the last PT’s roll out of the Toluca, Mexico facility in December of 2010, the plant will be retrofitted to produce the new Fiat 500 and the Fiat Panda (which will be badged as a Jeep) for the U.S. market.

[Source: Edmunds]

Until now the only decent photos of the upcoming BMW X1 have been the imitation spy photos that BMW released. And those pics hardly showed the car, with plenty of camoflauge used to cover up the front and rear. Now, thanks to the folks at WorldCarFans we have some exceptional pics that show the entry-level luxury crossover with very little of the secretive body cladding.

We recently had a chance to test a prototype version of te BMW X1 in Spain and we were impressed with its genuine car-like driving dynamics.

The X1 is based on the current 3 Series platform and will be offered with numerous engine choices in Europe. We drove the xDrive 23d model with 204hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque and lamented that it won’t be offered in North America. Instead we will get the standard 3.0-liter inline-six gasoline engine with 230hp and 200 ft-lbs of torque. 

The X1 isn’t slated to go on sale until 2011 or at least 2012, but we should know more about the crossover at this Fall’s Frankfurt Auto Show.

See our Review of the BMW X1 Prototype here:

BMW X1 Prototype Fist Drive

GALLERY: BMW X1 Prototype

[Source: WorldCarFans]

[Photo Credit: CarPix]

Those waiting for a drop-top version of Audi’s R8 won’t have to wait much longer. The car is set to debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September and it appears as though Audi is out doing some final testing – as these Nürburgring spy photos show. 

In Frankfurt Audi is expected to debut the 525hp V10-powered version of the four-ringed exotic as well as a 420hp V8 version.

A soft top, and not a hard top, is the top-down route Audi has chosen. Not only will it help keep weight down (always a problem with Audis) but it is better for packaging and cost. Besides, every other Audi convertible has a rag top. 

The only question remains, what will it be called? R8 Spyder? R8 Roadster? Or the R8 Convertible?

[Source: Car & Driver]

[Photo Credit: Car Spionage]