With the new Mustang V6 now boasting an impressive 305-hp thanks to an all-new 3.7-liter engine, Ford has decided to launch a new Performance Package for the car aimed at improving handling, braking and acceleration.

In the acceleration department, with the more powerful engine already giving the 2011 model a big boost, the Performance Package comes with a new 3.31 rear axle to help down low. As for the brakes, they are upgraded with GT-spec calipers and Performance Friction pads.

The more significant modifications, however, have been made in the handling department. The long list of mods include Mustang GT front struts, rear shocks and springs, as well as front and rear stabilizer bars. There’s also a new strut tower brace. A set of 19-inch wheels with Pirelli performance tires will help get the power down and Ford even went so far as to donate the rear lower control arms from the Shelby GT500.

Another highlight is a new electronic stability control program with a Sport mode, that will allow for more slip in the corners. And of course, the Performance Package comes with a unique set of badges.

AutoGuide’s Live 2009 LA Auto Show Coverage Starts Here December 2nd

Official release after the jump:

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Ford has officially announced that it will debut an all-new V6 engine for the 2011 Mustang at the LA Auto Show later this week. The new engine is smaller, displacing just 3.7-liters compared to the old 4.0-liter mill, but power is up significantly. In fact, power is way up with the new motor getting a bump from 210-hp to 305-hp! Torque is up too, by 40 ticks to 280 ft-lbs. Full power comes on at 6500 rpm with full torque at 4250 rpm. Plus, Ford says the new engine will deliver 19/30 mpg (city/highway) with a six-speed automatic or 18/29 mpg with a six-speed manual. Yup, finally a six-speed for the Mustang.

And as though all this we’re good enough, the all-aluminum block weighs less than the old 4.0-liter engine.

To achieve all these improvements, the motor uses Ford’s Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT). Essentially, this is the same engine that Ford first used in the Lincoln MKS.

Perhaps most importantly, however, is the fact that this new engine trumps that found in the new Camaro – by 1-hp. That certainly isn’t much, but by being able to make the claim is certain to help Ford win back some sales from Chevy. And in Ford’s smaller and lighter package, performance will no doubt put the Mustang ahead of the Camaro.

As exciting as this new V6 engine news is, we are still awaiting confirmation from Ford on an all-new 400-plus horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine for the Mustang GT. Be sure to follow AutoGuide’s live LA Auto Show coverage starting December 2nd.

AutoGuide’s Live 2009 LA Auto Show Coverage Starts Here December 2nd

GALLERY: 2011 Ford Mustang

Official release and full specifications after the jump:

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Just a few days ahead of the car’s scheduled debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Chevy has drawn back the covers on the North American-spec version of its Chevy Cruze world car. This new compact model replaces the Cobalt in Chevy’s lineup. Like the rest of Chevy’s modern lineup, the car’s design flows from the latest generation Malibu, while the interior gets a high-grade cockpit inspired by the Corvette. And under the hood there are two new Ecotec engines, including a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder unit capable of 40 mpg on the highway.

That 1.4-liter unit will be standard equiment on LT and LTZ models and makes 138-hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque. A larger 1.8-liter unit will come standard on LS models and is expected to make roughly the same amount of horsepower but less torque. Both engines will be offered with either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmissions.

Chevy plans to take on the Corolla and Civic with this new car which it says will offer more interior room and cargo room. Chevy also says the car will have a surprising level of refinement with plenty of effort put into sound deadening. In addition, Chevy wants to position the Cruze as a segment leader in safety with standard equipment including ABS brakes, StabiliTrak as well as 10 airbags.

The Cruze is set to be built at GM’s Lordstown, Ohio plant with sales scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2010.

Other highlights include a MacPherson strut front suspension and Z-Link rear suspension, LED lighting for the instrument gauges, available heated front seats and optional 18-inch rims. We’re particularly interested in how the car’s interior looks in person and we’ll be sure to bring you photos when the car officially debuts at the LA Auto Show on Wednesday, December 2nd.

AutoGuide’s Live 2009 LA Auto Show Coverage Starts Here December 2nd

Get more Chevy Cruze news and info at CruzeTalk.com

GALLERY: 20110 Chevrolet Cruze

For more on the all-new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze see after the jump:

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Along with BMW’s futuristic Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, the German automaker will also showcase hybrid versions of the 7 Series and X6, both if which are slated to go on sale in the near future.

The ActiveHybrid 7 uses the same twin-turbocharged V8 as found in the 750i, but pairs it with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack to make 455hp and 515 ft-lbs of torque – that’s an increase of 25-hp and 35 ft-lbs of torque over the standard gasoline engine. The result is impressive performance and modest fuel economy. The ActiveHybrid 7 gets a reasonable 25 mpg average fuel-economy rating, which is a 15 percent improvement over the standard 750i. It can also race to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds.

Due to the use of a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery pack, the unit measures just 14.6 x 8.7 x 9.1 inches and only weights 59.5 lbs, making it just slightly heavier and larger than a conventional car battery. BMW has located the lithium-ion unit under the trunk floor, keeping an adequate amount of trunk space

The new ActiveHybrid 7 also features regenerative braking, as well as a start-stop system. Impressively, even when the engine is shut off at a stop light, the air conditioning continues to run as is it powered electronically, not by the gasoline engine.

No official EPA fuel economy numbers are available yet but BMW says the car should get an average of 24 mpg. It should be noted that BMW’s estimates for the X6 ActiveHybrid proved to be far removed from the EPA’s ratings, so perhaps the same will hold true for the 7. (So far, in independent testing, the car has achieved an average rating of around 21 mpg, which is on par with the Lexus LS hybrid).

The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is set to go on sale in the Spring of 2010 as both a conventional wheelbase and an extended wheelbase version (in order to perfectly compete with the Lexus LS600hL). Pricing is expected to be just over $100,000.

AutoGuide’s Live LA Auto Show Coverage Starts Here December 2nd

GALLERY: BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Debut in Frankfurt

When BMW first introduced its X6 model, one of the many questions surrounding it was, “who wants a vehicle like this?” Apparently the answer is BMW engineers.

The X6 platform seems to be a favorite for the German automaker’s latest and greatest technology. After introducing two standard gasoline versions of the CUV, it was then handed over to BMW’s M department where the power-hungry group delivered a 555-hp X6 M. Since then, the platform was sent over to the “green” engineers responsible for BMW’s Efficient Dynamics philosophy, who have turned the X6 into a hybrid.

First debuting at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the X6 ActiveHybrid is now set to make its U.S. debut at the LA Auto Show, just as sales of the green crossover begin.

Using a 400hp twin-turbocharged V8 engine from the X6 and combining it with two electric motors, the X6 hybrid achieves a massive 480-hp and 575 ft-lbs of torque, enabling it to hit 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. By comparison the X6 M makes just 500 ft-lbs of torque. It, however, can hit 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.

As a two-mode hybrid system, the X6 ActiveHybrid will be able to travel on pure electric power up to a speed of 37 mph. Unfortunately it can’t drive on electric power long, just 1.6 miles at speeds up to 37mph, before the gasoline engine kicks in.

Interestingly the X6 ActiveHybrid makes use of a 7-speed automatic transmission that can be shifted by the driver. BMW says the tranny is “based on” a CVT transmission and works in two separate modes. There is one mode for around town where one electric motor operates and when the speed is increase or more power is called for the second electric motor kicks in an engages the gasoline engine. That second electric motor then powers the vehicle’s electric systems (power steering, radio, etc.).

When the hybrid crossover debuted in Frankfurt BMW claimed a fuel-economy rating of around 23.8 mpg (average) on the European cycle. The EPA’s numbers aren’t so impressive, at just 17/19 mpg (city/highway), which is only slightly better than the V8′s 13/18 mpg rating.

The X6 ActiveHybrid is priced from $89,775.

AutoGuide’s Live 2009 LA Auto Show Coverage Starts Here December 2nd

GALLERY: BMW X6 ActiveHybrid Debut in Frankfurt

Chevrolet has announced major plans to expand not just its product offerings but also its sales totals in Europe over the next five years. The Chevy brand in Europe is planning the introduction of six new models in the near future and believes these new offerings will help it double its current sales totals in the region.

The list of new vehicles includes the Spark city car (above) and Orlando seven-seat MPV (below left), as well as the Cruze compact and Volt (below right) and a new version of the Aveo. All five of these models are also scheduled for the U.S. market in the near future. In addition, Europe will also get a Cruze hatchback.

Currently Chevy has just eight vehicles in Europe and according to Chevy Europe president Wayne Brannon, the market can sustain 12 or 13 different vehicles. (Some of the new Chevy offerings will replace outgoing models). The doubling of sales by 2015 should see Chevrolet selling as many as one million units a year in Europe.

[Source: AutoCar]

Earlier this week General Motors produced its last Pontiac for the U.S. market, ending the brand’s 82 year run. The final vehicle to roll off the assembly line at 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25th at the Orion Township plant was a rather unspectacular white G6 sedan which is scheduled to be sold to a fleet. It’s hardly the sort of send-off one might expect for a brand that has produced such memorable legends as the GTO and Firebird.

There was no pomp and circumstance as the last 100 vehicles rolled off the line and no GM executive was on hand.

The Pontiac brand was highlighted for elimination on April 27, as a part of General Motors’ viability plan. GM agreed to kill-off Pontiac and try and find buyers for Saab, Saturn and Hummer in exchange for a bailout by the U.S. and Canadian governments. To date, both the Saab and Saturn deals have fallen through, leading to the scheduled elimination of Saturn with the same fate likely for Saab. The sale of Hummer to Chinese heavy machinery company Sichuan Tengzhon is still pending.

Watching the Pontiac brand come to an end isn’t an unfamiliar event for may of the plant workers, as many of them were building Oldsmobiles when GM decided to retire than brand in 2000. For workers there is a glimmer of hope as GM has announced that in 18 months it will begin producing a new small car at the same facility.

In the mean time, the plant will stay open as it wraps up final production of the Pontiac G3 Wave, which is sold in Canada.

Since the brand’s inception in 1926 it is estimated to have sold as many as 41 million cars.

[Source: TheDetroitNews]

MINI may be preparing to launch a line of high-performance diesel models in Europe in the near future. The speculation comes as both a Cooper and Clubman were spotted at MINI’s test facility in Germany. Both cars happened to be dressed up like the more performance-oriented S models, but had typically diesel exhaust notes.

MINI’s lineup of base models diesels has proved quite successful in Europe and a line of S Diesels would certainly make sense. Volkswagen has certainly seen that there is a market for high-performance diesels having launched the Golf GTD earlier this year. That GTI-inspired diesel makes 170-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque while getting 44 mpg.

With the current lineup of diesel MINIs making about 110-hp, we’d expect a Cooper D S to run pump out roughly 140-hp and a solid 200 ft-lbs of torque.

Follow the link below for more spy photos.

[Source: Autoblog]

Mercedes’ AMG division is always one step ahead when it comes to performance, but recently the engineering division has made it clear it also wants to be first when it comes to more “green” technologies including reduced weight and alternative fuels – or even fuel alternatives.

The brand’s flagship Black Series cars are already moving in the right direction in terms of reducing the weight of vehicles to achieve improved performance and more recently the focus has turned to what will power the cars of the future.

AMG has made it clear that over the next few years it will develop and then release a electric version of the SLS – the first ground-up vehicle ever built by AMG. But that’s not all, according to one AMG product manager, Oliver Weich, the company hasn’t ruled out diesel engines. Diesels certainly make plenty of low-end torque and have become increasingly popular options in motorsports over the past few years. And if you’ll recall, in 2008 German rival Audi even went so far as to build a concept version of the R8 sports car using a V12 TDI engine that made 493-hp and a whopping 738 ft-lbs of torque.

Still, Weich said that while the future of AMG could see diesels being used, he also said that, “if you look at our announcement on the electric SLS, you can see what is in the future.”

[Source: WhatCar]

Ford’s sale of its Swedish Volvo brand to Chinese automaker Geely has moved one step closer to completion with news that the two companies have reached an agreement on intellectual property rights issues.

The agreement will see Geely take over control of all technology developed exclusively by Volvo, and still allow Volvo to use any Ford technologies that are vital to developing the brand as a safety leader and in helping it meet increasingly strict environmental regulations.

The step is seen a a huge move forward as it had potential to become a roadblock. Earlier this year the sale of GM’s Opel unit to China’s Beijing Auto was reported to have fallen through due to intellectual property rights issues.

Just last month Ford named Geely as the preferred bidder for Volvo, a deal that is reported to be worth roughly $2 billion, significantly less than the $6.45 billion Ford spent to acquire Volvo in 1999.

Geely has said that its plans for the Volvo brand include doubling the automaker’s production capacity, with huge sales increases projected in Geely’s home market of China. Geely has also said it expects to add several new premium models to the Swedish automaker’s lineup.

[Source: Automotive News]