In the tradition of launching higher performance versions of its cars for the domestic Japanese market, Suabru has just announced its latest limited edition performance version of the Impreza WRX STI. Called the WRX STI R205, the R stands for “Road Sport” and positions this model as the top STI in Suby’s lineup.

Under the hood there’s a new turbo and ECU, along with a new exhaust system to deliver 316-hp and 319 ft-lbs of torque.

The suspension has also been upgraded, as have the brakes, with new shocks and springs, as well as a a new front strut tower bar and lower arm brace. The brakes are six-piston front and four-piston rear units, with 18-inch cast aluminum wheels and special Bridgestone Potenza RE070 245/40/18 tires.

Outside the R205 gets some new aerodynamics include a new front lip spoiler, new rear diffuser and rear spoiler, while inside the car remains stock except for some R205 badging.

The entire package has also been tested on the Nürburgring, where Subaru ran an R205 spec STI at last year’s 24 Hour race.

Just 400 Impreza WRX STI R205 models will be offered in Japan at a price of 4,510,000 yen (roughly $49,000).

GALLERY: Subaru Impreza WRX STI R205

Official release after the jump:

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***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here***

The pieces of puzzle are starting to come together and it looks like Toyota is planning on launching a hybrid version of the iQ mini-car in North America, branded as a Scion. According to a report by InsideLine, the a concept version of this car is the “dedicated hybrid concept” that Toyota will unveil at the Detroit Auto Show next week.

The iQ Hybrid will be offered as both a five-door hatchback and as a sedan, with the hatch going on sale in 2011. Impressively, it will get over 60 mpg thanks to a 1.5-liter engine used as a part of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy drive.

In addition, the 3-door, currently sold in Europe and Japan will also be branded as a Scion in North America. The Smart fortwo-sized hatch will be powered by a 99-hp 1.3-liter 4-cylinder and be offered as a convertible as well. With the hybrid and non-hybrid versions, this will essentially add four new models to Scion’s product lineup.

Scion unveiled a concept version of the iQ at the New York Auto Show last year. See more of that car in the Gallery below.

GALLERY: Toyota iQ

GALLERY: Scion iQ Concept

[Source : InsideLine]

Reports continue to trickle out out an upcoming baby-SLS model from Mercedes-Benz’ high-performance AMG division, with the latest claiming the Porsche 911-rival could be called the SSK.

The SSK would be build on a shortened version of the SLS’s all-aluminum structure to keep weight to a minimum. The car will also do without the 6.2-liter V8 engine (which Mercedes has already said will be axed from the company’s lineup soon anyway) in favor of a turbocharged V8. Performance will still be impressive with a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds expected.

In a bid to lower the cost, the SSK won’t get the SLS’s trademark gullwing doors, but rather conventional units.

The decision to build the SSK is reportedly part of a larger plan by Mercedes to grow the high-performance AMG unit into a more complete brand.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here***

Just ahead of the Detroit Auto Show, Buick has decided to give us the goods on a pre-production (or concept) high-performance version of the new Regal. Called the Regal GS Show Car, it’s goal is to see if there really is a market for such a model in the U.S.

We have to say we’re a little disappointed… and confused. Based on the Opel Insignia, instead of that car’s turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 engine and 325-hp, this Regal GS Show Car uses a high-output version of the 2.0-liter Ecotec 4-cylinder engine that will normally be offered in the Regal, with 220-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque. In this car, says GM, the same engine will produce 255-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque - significantly less than the high-performance Opel model.

What has us confused is that at a live showing of the car, under the hood there is no such 2.0-liter Ecotec motor, but the Opel Insignia OPC’s 325-hp mill. Sadly, GM probably just didn’t bother to swap engines as this show car likely started its life as an Insignia and was just rebadged.

In other words, expect the Turbo 2.0-liter in the production version of this car, which hasn’t been confirmed yet, but is most certainly coming.

Still, we can’t really complain too much about the power ratings and Buick says the Regal GS will hit 60 mph in under six seconds! It also gets a six-speed manual transmission, AWD, 20-inch wheels with low profile rubber, four-pot Brembo brakes and a rear electronic limited slip differential! And to make the driving experience even more dynamic it features Buick’s new Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS), which will be offered on the CXL models, letting the driver adjust suspension settings, throttle response, shift points (automatic only) and steering sensitivity by selecting one of three driving modes: Normal, Sport and GS.

And along with a sporty exterior, the Regal GS has an amazing interior, including some highly-bolstered Recaro seats.

We’ll be sure to bring you more on this car with live coverage of the Detroit Auto Show starting January 1th.

GALLERY: Buick Regal GS Show Car

Official release after the jump:

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GMC has just released a teaser image of what it is calling the Urban Utility Concept. Set to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next week, word has already slipped out that this new model will see production under the name: GMC Granite.

According to the GM’s TheLAB website, the UUC is a new breed of truck, “that’s as efficient as it is chic, innovative as it is functional.” Previous reports have already stated that this new concept will be based on the Chevy Orlando MPV but target a the youth-market, competing with vehicles like the Scion xB, Kia Soul and Nissan Cube.

GMC echoes these comments in a statement saying that this new concept has plenty of flexible and functional space in a “urban-box” design.

We’ll bring you full coverage on the GMC Granite when its unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next week.

GALLERY: GMC Urban Utility Concept

[Source: TheLAB]

Pirates captured a vessel carrying a shipment of 2,405 cars including 2,388 units from Hyundai and its subsidiary, Kia, on New Year’s Day.

The shipment was on board a car ship named the Asian Glory while on its way to Saudi Arabia from Ulsan, South Korea, when it was seized, 620 miles off the coast of Somalia. The Asian Glory is owned by Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd., a London-based international shipping company.

Hyundai does not expect any financial losses from the hijacking, as the cars were already both paid for and insured, but Hyundai and Kia have asked through Zodiac for the safe return of the 25 crew members of the Asian Glory which remains anchored off the coast of Somalia. Zodiac has received confirmation the Asian Glory’s crew members are unharmed.

According to the European Union Naval Force, Somali pirates currently hold at least 12 ships.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Ford ended 2009 with its highest sales month since May 2008 while gaining its first year-end market share gain since 1995.

Sales were up in every product category in December 2009 as Ford recorded a 33 percent sales increase compared to the same month in 2008.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales totaled 179,017 in December. Full-year sales totaled 1.62 million, down 15 percent, but Ford estimates it still managed to increase its U.S. market share by a percentage point to 15 percent, representing Ford’s first full-year market share gain since 1995.

“Ford’s plan is working,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing Sales and Service. “Customer consideration continues to grow for our high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles. In 2010, we will introduce an even higher number of new products, giving customers more reasons to Drive One.”

The Ford Fusion, recently named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, set a new full-year sales record at 180,671 units. Sales for the Ford Escape reached 173,044 units in 2009 for the crossover’s second-best year, including a 75 percent increase in December compared to 2008.

Ford’s F-Series truck had its best sales month since March 2008 with 48,209 units moving in December. The year-end tally of 413,625 units made the F-Series America’s best selling truck for the 33rd straight year, and top-selling vehicle, car or truck, for a 28th consecutive year.

Official release after the jump:

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OnStar has produced a new smartphone application providing Chevrolet Volt owners 24/7 connection to their cars.

Compatible with Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s Blackberry Storm and Motorola’s Droid smartphones, the app provides real-time data connection and control over vehicle functions such as programming charge times.

The OnStar Mobile Application retrieves information from the Volt such as battery charge level, odometer readings, miles per gallon and electric-only mileage, and displays them in real time on a smartphone.

Volt owners can receive text or email notifications for charge reminders, power interruptions and when the battery is fully recharged. Owners can also manually program the Volt to recharge at off-peak power usage times to take advantage of lower electricity rates.

Traditional OnStar features such as remote door lock, unlock, horn and light controls, typically available only by calling OnStar’s control center, will also be available for Volt owners through the application.

Volt owners with internet-ready phones other than the iPhone, Storm and Droid will be able to access the application through a mobile browser.

The OnStar Mobile Application will be available for the Volt’s launch. Online demonstrations for the Motorola Droid and Blackberry Storm are available at OnStarMobileDemo.com, while an iPhone demo app is available through the iTunes store.

Gallery: OnStar Chevrolet Volt App

Official release after the jump:

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A filing by Lotus at the U.K. Patent Office has revealed that the British sports car maker is working on a dual-clutch transmission. The quick-shifting unit is reportedly a lighter unit than anything on the market and is a simpler design although you’d never guess it from the details of the patent filing, shown above and listed after the jump.

It’s hard to tell from the drawings as well, but this is a seven-speed setup with seven-forward gears and one reverse gear.

News of a dual-clutch setup from Lotus is exciting, as the quick shifting and fuel-efficient transmission technology certainly fits with the company’s overall philosophy. The option of a dual-clutch automatic transmission setup will also make Lotus models more accessible to even more drivers, something that will no doubt help Lotus sell more units.

No doubt camps within the manual-transmission-loving Lotus faithful will resist this new technology. The good news, however, is that it allows the automaker to become a bit more mainstream while retaining the brand’s hard-core identity.

It’s possible that this new dual-clutch setup could be for the upcoming Evora, which is currently only offered with a manual transmission. Alternatively, this setup might not be for Lotus at all, as the company’s engineering division is constantly working on new innovative products for other manufacturers throughout the world.

[Source: UK Patent Office via Jalopnik]

Read the Lotus dual-clutch transmission patent filing after the jump:

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***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here***

Honda has yet to officially announce that its CR-Z Hybrid sports car will make its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show in just a few weeks time, but that’s just a formality now. We had already assumed as much with Honda announcing it would hold a press conference and with no other significant products on the way.

Now we have real reason to know the production CR-Z will bow in Detroit, with Honda UK posting a note to that effect on Twitter. The tweet, intended for the local U.K. media reads, “For those not going to Detroit for the motor show, watch this space on Monday for the first official pics of the EU-spec CR-Z sporty hybrid.”

It doesn’t take too much extrapolation to see that the production CR-Z will arrive in Detroit, unless of course Honda plans to unveil the Euro-spec CR-Z n the U.S., which of course would be ridiculous.

Details of the CR-Z have already leaked online, as have several photos in a brochure. What we know is that the CR-Z is powered by a more powerful version of Honda’s IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) powerplant, which consists of a 112-hp and 107 ft-lbs of torque 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline engine, which is mated to an electric motor, producing an additional 14-hp and 57 ft-lbs of torque. Honda claims a 0-62 mph time of 9.7 seconds.

As for fuel-economy, the CR-Z is rated at 52/59 mpg (City/Highway) in the Japanese test cycle. Those numbers aren’t expected to be nearly so high in North America once the EPA gets a hold of the CR-Z.

We’ll be sure to bring you full details with live coverage of the Detroit Auto Show starting January 11th.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Hybrid

[Source: Twitter]