Fox Marketing is back up to its old tricks again, as the company is now part-way through building a turbocharged, wide body Lexus IS350C for the 2009 SEMA Show. Fox built a burn copper IS-F for SEMA 2008 and so this new model gets a metallic green pain job called Carizzma Foxy Green.

Once completed, the custom Lexus will also feature a set of iForged 20-inch Sprint wheels, Toyota R1R tires and plenty of Seibon carbon fiber body parts (along with a long list of custom parts).

Much of the car has already been completed and we suspect a massively powerful Artisan turbo to go on the V6 engine just prior to the show. We’ll be sure to bring you more on the car, live from the SEMA Show in Las Vegas starting November 3rd.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

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GALLERY: Fox Marketing Lexus IS350C

Porsche engineers are working “intensively” on an electric sports car that could be brought to market in as little as five years says company head Michael Macht.

The comments were made to German magazine Welt am Sonntag, just after the Frankfurt Auto Show, where fellow German automakers Audi and Mercedes-Benz displayed electric concept cars.

Macht did say, however, that current battery technology does not allow for a vehicle that meets Porsches standards, saying that an electric Porsche would have to have a reasonable driving distance, while offering the same handling characteristics of a gasoline engine.

Macht also commented that while five years is a possibility, it could take twice as long to actually bring the car to market.

[Source: AutoCar]

I Legacy, the company responsible for the Lee Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang has just announced pricing o the completely custom pony car and it’s not easy to swallow. The coachbuilt creation, named after the man who first introduced the world to the Mustang 45 years ago, will start at $89,950 – more than even the Mustang GT500KR. And for the record, that price does not include the Ford Racing supercharger, which pums up the power to 400hp.

What the Iacocca Mustang offers is exclusivity, not just through its design but due to its rarity, with just 45 of the cars being built.

“The Iacocca Mustang embodies all the elements of a car that will be a future collectible,” said Keith Martin, publisher of Sports Car Market magazine. “It is stunning in appearance, will be built in limited numbers and has top-flight performance. Further, given its true custom-built nature, it is being offered at a very reasonable price.”

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.

The Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang is offered exclusively through Galpin Ford.

GALLERY: Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang

Official release after the jump:

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One of the stories you might have missed during all the recent hub-bub surrounding the Frankfurt Auto Show, was a piece that included Buick’s new marketing push.

With Bob Lutz now in charge of marketing for all of General Motors, he isn’t holding back, and while the new Buick slogan, “The new class of world class,” isn’t overly provocative, some of the individual ads certainly are.

Lutz promised “aggressive stuff” and now we’re starting to see what he meant as billboards have started to appear around the country.

Pictured above is a snapshot of just one of those ads, which targets Lexus’s slogan, “The relentless pursuit of perfection.” Similar ads include statements like “EX your Lexus,” and “Intelligent AWD. Smarter than the smartest Lexus ES.”

The plan, it seems, is to take on Lexus, the highly revered luxury arm of Toyota that has suffered significant sales setbacks in the recent recession and which some have accused of becoming the new Buick.

[Source: Automotive News via MotorTrend]

Around the world automakers are starting to adapt to the reality that consumers are looking for luxury in increasingly smaller packages. Buick has taken notice, setting its engineers and designers to work on a few ideas for a small premium car that could one day joint the Buick lineup.

In an effort to get feedback from consumers, Buick then went and posted images and a short video of this new Avant Concept on GM’s Lab website.

To show how early on in the process Buick is, there isn’t just one idea for this new car, but several, with a collection of different looking vehicles, from things that almost look like crossovers, to functional city cars, to stylish designs (like the one above) that seem to show influences of the Nissan 370Z and Bugatti Veyron.

As for the engineering side, the Avant concept has several unique features, including a trunk area that “presents” the luggage, to doors that can open normally as well as slide sideways for better use in congested urban areas. There is even a movable driver’s seat and steering column that can be shifted closer to the center of the car (for an F1-style feel) when there is no one in the passenger seat.

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GALLERY: Buick Avant Concept

[Source: GM Lab]

Last week Nissan sent out a teaser image of the 2010 Altima, playing the marketing game and trying to pump up interest before the new mid-cycle redesign was fully unveiled.

Between then and now the company also had to issue a recall notice. Unfortunately, in the process of sending out the recall, one image of the 2010 Altima, fully revealed, was shipped out, spoiling Nissan’s plans. Or perhaps, its an extremely brave marketing tactic aimed at moving interest away from the recall notice – but we doubt it.

Above is a photo of the 2010 Altima, with minor changes including a new grille, new headlights and a more sculpted body with a strong line running along the side of the car. We can’t say its much of a change (see 2009 Altima below), but we do like the new split-spoke five-spoke wheels.

As for the recall (No. 09V358000) it affects 26,398 Nissan Maximas and Altimas, which have strut housing that could crack causing damage to the suspension and possibly cause an accident. Nissan is required to notify all owners by law, including those who purchase one of the new 2010 Altimas, even though very few 2010 models got the problem parts. Nissan has even said that the part was replaced in all 2010 Altimas before they left the factory.

[Source: MotorTrend]

When the U.S. government first released its list of the most popular Cash for Clunkers vehicles traded in as well as those purchased there seemed to be no surprises. It looked like consumers were getting rid of their Ford Explorers for Priuses. But after taking a longer look at the data, it seems that might not have been the case after all, as two trucks, the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado, were actually among the top ten vehicles purchased under the Clunkers program.

The reason for the change is that the initial listing classified vehicles specific to their drivetrain, meaning that a rear-drive or four-wheel drive pickup would count as two separate trucks. But by looking at just the vehicle model, the Silverado takes now takes the 8th spot, while Ford’s F-150 sits in 10th. Another winner was the Honda CR-V, which moved from outside the top 10 to sixth place.

As a result, three vehicles that are no longer in the top 10 are the Honda Accord, the tiny Honda Fit and (gasp!) the Toyota Prius.

These new numbers suggest that the Obama Administration’s plan to promote the sale of fuel-efficient vehicles might not have worked as effectively as planned, with the average fuel-economy of the new vehicles rated at 19 mpg, as compared to an average of 35 mpg for the three vehicles dropped from the list. No one can argue that the CARS legislation did, however, give a significant boost to the auto industry – if only temporarily.

[Source: LeftLaneNews]

Fisker Automotive, the company that beat both General Motors and Toyota to market with a plug-in hybrid, has been awarded a $527 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop affordable plug-in hybrids.

The majority of the loan will go towards building a new generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that will cost $39,900 after tax credits. The remainder will go towards final development of the Karma PHEV. The Karma uses a technology similar to the Chevy Volt, but is considerably more powerful, allowing the 403hp luxury car to hit 62 mph in six seconds while getting 67 mpg. It can drive on pure electric power for up to 50 miles, with a total extended range of 300 miles.

The loan is part of the Department of Energy’s $25 billion Advanced Technologies Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program.

Fisker is calling its new initiative Project NINA, after the ship belonging to Christopher Columbus, symbolizing a move from an old word to a new world.

“This conditional loan represents a significant step in America’s future,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO. “With it Fisker Automotive can rapidly develop affordable clean cars that satisfy our passion for driving and help restore the U.S. as an auto industry leader.”

Fisker says the project will create or save at least 5,000 jobs among U.S. auto suppliers and in manufacturing the hybrids.

[Source: Yahoo]

With the expected launch of the LF-A grand touring supercar at the Tokyo Auto Show in two months time, Lexus was out recently doing some last minute tweaks at the Nürburgring. The folks over at AutoCar snapped these photos of what appears to be an undisguised production ready version of the LF-A.

Lexus recently revised its expectations for the LF-A, saying that it wouldn’t make 500, but 550hp from a 5.0-liter V10 engine that will rev all the way to 9000 rpm. According to AutoCar the LF-A will have a carbon-composite structure, and will also use carbon-composite brakes with big 20-inch wheels.

Just 500 LF-As are scheduled to be built with a price of almost $500,000. Owners will reportedly be flown to a private track in Spain to be acquainted with their cars, with driving instruction being given by famous Toyota racing drivers.

GALLERY: Lexus LF-A Spy Photos

[Source: AutoCar]

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With the debut of the new R8 Spyder at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week, Audi has just released two videos of the drop-top exotic. The second one is a montage of clips showing a delicious brown R8 Spyder comfortably cruising in Miami. The first bit of video is a shorter promo clip of the drop-top being expertly thrashed.

The R8 Spyder is powered by the Lamborghini sourced 5.2-liter V10 and makes 525hp. It can hit 62 mph in 4.1 seconds and blast on to a top speed of 195 mph!

What might be most impressive about the drop-top R8 is that the exotic German sports car only weighs 13.23 lbs more than the Coupe, thanks in part to the R8’s already stiff chassis and a light-weight soft-top instead of a retractable hard top. The total curb weight of the car is now 3,792 lbs. Additional weight savings were made through the use of carbon fiber for not only the side blades but also the rear tonneau cover for the soft top.

As for the soft-top, it opens and closes in just 19 seconds at speeds u to 31 mph and Audi claims the interior noise with the top up is almost identical to that of the coupe.

As for the style of the R8 Spyder, it is certainly stunning, with a bold chrome grille, gloss black detailing and a rear tonneau cover with large vents. Special Y-spoke wheels in a 19-inch fitment complete the design with 235/35/19 tires up front and 295/30 tires out back. For added grip, Audi also offers the R8 Spyder with 305-wide rear tires.

No U.S. Pricing has yet to be set, but in Europe it runs 156,400 euros.

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GALLERY: 2010 Audi R8 Spyder