Ready to give the Lingenfelter Camaro a run for its money, the team at SpeedFactory will unveil a 440 cubic-inch Dodge Challenger SRT8 with as much as 700-hp. The power increase comes thanks to a supercharger, but that’s not all. The 440 cu.-in. (7.2-liter) engine is a big step up from the already huge 6.1-liter V8. And to make the package even better, it uses a Mopar block made of lighter aluminum – rather than the heavy factory iron block. The heads are also aluminum and the all-new internals are forged.

Getting all that power down is made possible thanks to a Mopar transmission and a new rear end that can handle up to 1,000-hp.

Other highlights on the car include a Corsa stainless steel exhaust, new 20-inch wheels with Bridgestone R Compound tires, 15-inch Brembo rotors, stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, as well as a chassis brace.

AutoGuide’s live coverage of the 2009 SEMA Show starts November 3rd and we’ll be sure to track down this monster machine for a few extra pics – especially some under the hood!

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

[Source: Car & Driver]

Mid-sized sedans aren’t exactly the type of vehicle that spring to mind when you think of the SEMA Show, but Ford will be presenting three versions of its impressive new family car in Las Vegas next week. Each of the three vehicles represents a different part of the Fusion’s spectrum, with a hybrid offering, a high volume four-cylinder model and a powerful V6 Sport model.

Seemingly the least exciting, the 4-cylinder Fusion might just be the opposite. The Ford Fusion T4 by MRT (pictured above) gets a turbocharger to help pump out a lot more power, but still retains a reasonable level of fuel economy – along the lines of Ford’s own EcoBoost setup. MRT estimates the car should make anywhere from 275 to 300-hp. Other modifications include an intercooler, a special exhaust system, an H&R Springs suspension setup and a set of 20-inch wheels.

For a more dedicated approach to fuel economy (performance be damned) the folks at MJ Enterprises modified the Fusion Hybrid. The car is now even greener thanks to: a reduced body weight (with lighter products); a more aerodynamic body; heat-reflective paint and the removal of petroleum-based products.

Finally, Ford will showcase the efforts of Aaron Vaccar Signature Series, and owner Aaron Vaccar. This 3.5-liter V6 Fusion also gets a turbocharger for what will no doubt be an SHO matching amount of power.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: Ford Fusion Show Cars for SEMA 2009

Official release after the jump:

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Lincoln has been hard at work refreshing its lineup over the past few years and the luxury arm of Ford has chosen to display three of its newest vehicles at the 2009 SEMA Show: a 2010 MKZ, a 2009 MKS and a 2010 MKT. But before the two luxury sedans and one crossover made their way to Las Vegas, Lincoln shipped them out to different tuning shops across the country to have each car individually stylized.

“Lincoln as a brand is continuing to attract younger customers to the showroom with products like the MKS, MKZ and the new MKT luxury crossover,” said Amy Marentic, Ford Car and Crossover marketing manager. “These customers place huge importance on style, design and technology, and these are areas where Lincoln plays well. SEMA gives customizers the opportunity to push the boundaries of design, while still focusing on the core strengths of the Lincoln brand.”

Ford’s SEMA Designer Melvin Betancourt echoes Marentic’s thoughts stating that, “Customization is about individuality and reflecting who you are. That is particularly true about the new generation of people who are buying cars. The vehicles at this year’s SEMA show prove that Lincolns have great personalization potential.”

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

See more on each of the three SEMA Lincolns after the jump:

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According to a report in Swedish business daily Dagens Industri (translated by the folks at SaabsUnited), Koenigsegg, the company’s prospective buyer, wants to take the company more up-market while selling fewer vehicles. This would presumably mean higher profit margins, but the proposed plan doesn’t seem to account for the Swedish automaker to turn a profit until at least 2017.

The plan, as laid out in the newspaper, would be set up in three phases. First, is the 2010-11 period where the company plans to sell 115,000 units at an average value of 189.000 SEK ($27,546). For the record, that number is apparently a “before taxes” price, meaning the actual dollar amount would be higher. Currently, the base price for a Saab 9-3 is $30,360 – so we can expect that $27,546 number to be a few thousand over the $30,000-mark. Regardless, the specifics aren’t the important part here, but rather the overall plan behind them.

The next period stretches from 2012-15, where Saab would sell 80,000 cars at 208.000 SEK ($30,311). According to the paper, this phase would include a special 9-5 Koenigsegg Edition. (Probably without an 806-hp twin-supercharged V8 though). The final phase is from 2016 onward and has a planned retail volume of just 65,000 units but at a steeper 280.000 SEK ($40,804) amount. According to the Dagens Industri source, Koenigsegg wouldn’t plan to make a profit at all during this period.

To justify the higher vehicle cost Saab’s will presumably become more luxurious and more high-performance vehicles, although some of the increased MSRP will be the result of pricey electric and hybrid versions.

[Source: Dagens Industri via SaabsUnited]

It’s official: all that talk by Ford about how improved the company’s quality is, is more than just marketing spin. In the most recent Consumer Reports Annual Car Reliability Survey (2009), Ford made huge gains, with the Fusion mid-sized sedan out-ranking both the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

“It’s rare for Consumer Reports to see family sedans from domestic car makers continue to beat the reliability scores of such highly regarded Japanese models as the Camry and Accord,” said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports’ Automotive Test Center, with the last domestic sedan to do so being the Buick Regal back in 2004.

As a whole, 90 percent (or 46 of 51) Ford/Lincoln models scored average or better reliability. Dragging that number down were the all-wheel drive versions of the Lincoln MKS, MKX, and MKZ, which all scored below average.

As for domestic competitors General Motors and Chrysler, the General has 20 or 48 vehicles that scored average reliability, while Chrysler continues to falter with one third of its vehicles below average and only one recommended product – the Ram 1500 4WD.

Despite losing out to Ford in the mid-sized segment, the Japanese (and now Korean) automakers continue to dominate as the most reliable vehicles, with 36 of the top 48 models being Asian. All Honda and Acura products rated average or above average, while out of Toyota, Lexus and Scion, just one model (the Lexus GS AWD) rated below average.

Like the American automakers (Chrysler excluded) European car manufacturers are improving. Mercedes has made the biggest improvement with most models now rated average or better. BMWs brought mixed results with the 535i sedan and X3 SUV declining, while the 135i rating below average. Only the 328i lists as “Recommended” by Consumer Reports.

As for Volkswagen, the Golf and CC earned top scores, while the diesel Jetta is now listed as the only diesel with a “Recommended” rating. Unfortunately for VW, the least reliable car from the CR survey is the Toureg.

As for the impeccably reliable product from Porsche, that reputation has been sullied somewhat for 2009 with the Boxster slipping in reliability, causing it to be removed from the “Recommended” list.

Consumer Reports’ 2009 Annual Car Reliability Survey is based on responses from more than 1.4 million new vehicle owners or leases that subscribe to Consumer Reports.

Read more on the Consumer Reports 2009 Annual Car Reliability Survey after the jump:

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Set to officially debut next week at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, next to a selection of other modified Lexus vehicles, Fox Marketing has decided to jump the gun, revealing all there is to know about the extremely custom IS350C. While the bright green paint (in true Fox Marketing style) might be the most obvious, the most impressive mod is easily the ProCharger blower under the hood that helps the 3.5-liter V6 pump out 405-hp.

Other performance modifications include an F-Sport exhaust and set of Yonaka coilovers, to help the drop-top Lexus sit low on a new set of custom 20-inch iForged wheels. Inside those wheels there’s even a big set of F-Sport performance brakes.

Inside, the car gets Lexus’s cream white hide, while a Classic Design Concepts light bar helps give the car a sporty flare.

Outside, it’s more than just a few coats of green paint. The car received a custom 2-inch widebody conversion with new fenders, a new front lip spoiler, rear bumper and a Seibon carbon fiber rear wing. As for the paint color, Foxy Green, it’s even been named after the company known for building some of the wildest SEMA creations.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: Fox Marketing Lexus IS350C

See the full specs after the jump:

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Hyundai is introducing the R-Spec version of its Genesis Coupe 2.0T at the SEMA Show, Nov. 3-6 in Las Vegas.

The tuner-friendly version of the Genesis Coupe 2.0T will be the first production R-Spec model to arrive in the U.S.

Priced at $23,750, the R-Spec features the same core performance equipment as the 2.0T Track model but with non-essential equipment removed to reduce cost and weight. The result is what Hyundai calls a “perfect black canvas for tuners”.

The R-Spec has the same tuned suspension, 19-inch gunmetal finish alloy wheels, performance Summer tires, Brembo brakes, Torsen limited-slip differential, all core equipment on the Track model. The R-Spec also receives a set of front strut camber adjustment bolts and R-Spec badging.

Gone are non-essentials such as Bluetooth connectivity, automatic headlights, cruise control, trip computer, chrome interior accents and steering wheel audio controls. The result is a $3,000 savings from the 2.0T Track model. The R-Spec will only be available with manual transmission.

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec will be available in three colors, Karussell White, Bathurst Black and Tsukuba Red.

Official release after the jump:

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Along with a simply massive display of 2010 Mustangs for this year’s SEMA Show, Ford will showcase the tuning expertise of four shops (and one in-house project) that have chosen the F-150 as their vehicle of choice. And just as the Mustang is the most customized overall vehicle in the $31.8 billion aftermarket industry, the F-Series of pickups is the most popular pickup to modify.

“The F-150 is the ultimate all-around ‘do everything’ truck, and it is available in 10 different distinct versions, everything from an XL work truck to a Platinum luxury edition to the latest edition – the SVT Raptor – for the ultimate off-road experience,” said Mark Grueber, Ford F-150 marketing manager. “People can personalize the F-150 to meet any need and do just about anything with it.”

Ford’s SEMA Design Manager Melvin Betancourt agrees and says much of the F-150’s success with tuners is due to its broad appeal. “Some people use the F-150 as a work truck. For others, it’s a luxury truck,” he said. “And everyone is always looking to create something that’s new that no one else has ever seen.”

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

See the full list of custom F-150 trucks after the jump:

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The 2010 Mustang is here and its only fitting that the most customized car in the world will be the focus of attention at the 2009 SEMA Show. Ford will have eight Mustangs, modified by tuning and race shops on display. Plus, there are certain to be  numerous others at the show. Tuners like 3dCarbon and Galpin Auto Sports will showcase their creative sides, using the 2010 Mustang, while dedicated performance shops like Steeda Autosports and Paul’s High Performance will cater more to the performance traditionalists, focusing on making power and putting it to the ground.

Ford is also using the show to promote its 2010 Mustang Customizer, where alread one million people have visited to create their own custom Stang. Make your’s here:

http://www.fordvehicles.com/the2010mustang/

For a full list of the 2009 SEMA Show Mustangs, see after the jump:

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Slowly, Honda appears to be learning how the hybrid marketplace works. In a recent interview Honda CEO Takanobu Ito said that the company is working on more powerful two-mode hybrid systems (like the one used by Toyota) that will allow for the car to operate using either gas, electricity or a combination of both. Currently, Honda’s IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) setup does not allow for electric-only driving and as a result the system isn’t nearly as efficient as Toyota’s – although it is much cheaper to produce.

A more powerful two-mode hybrid setup would also be a viable drivetrain for larger vehicles, like the Accord, Pilot and Odyssey – which is rumored to have a hybrid version in 2011. Honda isn’t rushing the new two-mode setup to market, however, and is reportedly waiting on a lithium-ion battery pack to help deliver optimum fuel economy.

From 2005 to 2007, Honda made the Accord Hybrid (above). Honda built the car as more of a performance vehicle than a fuel-miser, however, and it showed. The car’s fuel economy rating wasn’t overly impressive and sales were even worse.

A two-mode hybrid setup would allow for significantly improved fuel economy, with a Hybrid Accord once again a possibility, along with a hybrid Odyssey, or Pilot or CR-V, or…

[Source: Automotive News via GreenCarReports]