Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, but we doubt it. With sales of the Ford Mustang poised to be surpassed by the Chevy Camaro for the first time in several decades, Ford will look to make its pony car more attractive next year.

So how can you make the new Mustang GT, complete with its impressive 412-hp 5.0-liter V8 engine even better? Easy: make it cheaper.

For 2012 Ford will drop the Mustang GT’s base price by $500 to just under $30,000 – $29,995 in fact. Unfortunately the Premium GT model goes up in price by $200 and the Premium GT Convertible gets a $700 bump.

Upgrades for 2012 include a new Lava Red color with new content including a illuminated vanity mirrors, a universal garage door opener and a three mode (Comfort, Normal and Sport) selector for the electric power steering system.

[Source: TheMustangSource]

Read AutoGuide’s Review of the 2011 Mustang GT by Clicking Here

The Audi A7 is barely on sale, but rumors are already starting about the high performance RS7 that many expect to appear in the next couple years.

With torque-vectoring all wheel drive, carbon ceramic brakes and an adjustable suspension, the RS6 should have the chassis upgrades to match the rumored 600 horsepower twin-turbo V8. With the next iterations of the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG destined to be some of the best luxury sedans ever, the A7 needs to be superb if it wants to compete with such rarefied company.

[Source: Road & Track]

If you own a 2011 Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain or Cadillac SRX this is not a recall you want to miss. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been busy recalling everything from Bentley logos to Suzuki gloveboxes, this latest recall regards seat belts that could fail.

In total, 97,800 of the three crossovers have been recalled for a seat belt anchor that could break, resulting in a seat belt that might not hold in place in an accident.

Owners will be notified with repairs set to start on January 18th, 2011. GM advises that owners who are concerned about the recall can contact the GM Owner Center or call one of the below numbers:

Cadillac: 1-866-982-2339

CHEVROLET: 1-800-630-2438

GMC: 1-866-996-9463

In the world of car designers, Henrik Fisker’s name is more recognizable than most. After all, his past credits include cars like the BMW Z8 and the current Aston Martin Vantage.

In 2005, Henrik decided to start his own designer car company and thus Fisker Coachbuild was born. His first car was called the Tramonto and it was based on the underpinnings of the Mercedes-Benz SL-model. Regardless of the engine you had on your SL, Fisker had an engine tune program for it. The most popular model for conversion was based on the SL55. Fisker had enlisted the help of the Danish tuner company Kleeman to do all the engine mods, and they were able to get 610-hp from a motor that originally had 493-hp. So it was fast, and thanks to a custom exhaust system, very loud also. We know this because we have driven this car, and know exactly how alluring it truly is.

The original plan was to make a limited run of 150 cars, but sadly only 13 ever got made, which makes them quite collectible and also very hard to find.

But we have found one that is up for sale in Needham, MA. This privately owned 2007 model has reportedly only covered just 1,609-miles, and has the Kleeman tuned SL55 supercharged motor.

The seller is asking $150,000 for it, which is a bargain when you consider that a brand new Tramonto was going for nearly twice that.

Since Fisker has now gone into the plug-in hybrid car business, this Tramonto will remain a very rare and unique car indeed.

[Source: Dupont Registry]

Ahead of its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show, GMC has revealed its new Sierra All Terrain HD Concept, giving a look at a possible off-road version of the big truck, while also previewing certain styling elements that will trickle down to the production model in the near future.

Combining the standard Crew Cab with the 5′ 8″ box currently not offered on HD models the All Terrain concept then gets a special front end with a massive front grille, custom matte-chrome accenting and LED lighting. A two-inch lift is also part of the package, with Fox Shox and custom control arms. To help the truck’s off-road capability, it has sculpted front end to deliver a maximum approach angle and the side steps that are retractable as well. In addition, the entire undercarriage is coated in a special hard composite for maximum durability.

Custom 20-inch 8-lug wheels give a real rig look to the diesel monster, as do flared fenders that house a two-inch wider track. Those 20s also help give excellent AWD capability when matched with a set of 35-inch-tall BFGoodrich KM2 “mud terrain” tires.

Under the hood continues to be GMC’s new 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V8 making 397-hp and 765 ft-lbs of torque.

GMC has just given us a sneak peak at the truck in person at a preview of its Detroit Auto Show products. Execs wouldn’t comment on the production likelihood of the truck or if design elements will make it to market, although both the Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD are due for a mid-cycle refresh quite soon and are expected to receive major design changes to help compete with the more aggressive looks from Ford and Dodge.

Be sure to check back for more news and info with live coverage from the Detroit Auto Show starting January 10th.

GALLERY: GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 GMC Sierra HD Review by Clicking Here

Official release after the jump:

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143,8003 Honda Fit hatchbacks from the model years 2007 and 2008 are being recalled in North America due to a defect that could cause the low beam headlights to stop working.

Plating on the vehicle’s headlight connector has been identified as the culprit, with the automaker stating that it “can become warn after repeated use … and cause the connector to overheat and fail, resulting in a loss of low-beam headlight functionality.”

Dealers will begin notifying owners of the affected vehicles, but owners can also have their cars inspected at a dealership for potential signs of trouble.

[Source: CNN]

Hot on the heels of Mitsubishi’s joint venture announcement with Nissan comes word that the Japanese conglomerate is developing all of their future products with the ability to use hybrid or electric drive technology.

Mitsubishi’s German spokesman, Helmut Bauer, would only give a cryptic statement to a German magazine, claiming that “Every new car we develop will also be able to be driven by electricity”. Nothing more was said about the planned electrification of Mitsubishi’s lineup, but with the company fading fast into irrelevance, a drastic measure like this might be a shrewd move in light of their much touted i-MiEV electric car.

[Source: Automotive.com]

If you’ve ever taken an auto shop class, you’ll remember the shop cars as being anything but desirable. K-Cars, T-Body GM’s and Ford Panthers involved drug related homicides often littered the garage area, while a crusty old teacher instructed you on the finer points of rebuilding a 3-speed automatic transmission.

For some lucky kids in Orange County, California, their new shop car isn’t an old junker, but a Nissan Altima heavily renowned by Nissan legend Steve Millen. Millen sold the car to the school for $1, leading us to believe that it was in no way street legal and unable to be titled. While there might not be any joyriding in the new shop car, learning to work on a modified car must be a treat for the teenagers in the auto shop class.

[Source: Orange County Register]

We have to think that Nissan corporate didn’t sign-off on the decision to have Michael Vick appear in a commercial for its Woodbury Nissan dealership.

Then again, the star QB for the Philadelphia Eagles will certainly bring the New Jersey dealership plenty of publicity and sales – just probably not from dog lovers.

To be honest, the ads are pretty funny and Vick seems to have won back the loyalty of critics through by proving his worth on the field.

Check out the video after the jump:

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Automakers know how important customer loyalty is to the success of their companies. That’s why the good ones concentrate not only on making a safe and reliable vehicle, but one that’s fun to drive as well, and then back it up with great service. And J.D. Power is on top of which automakers are doing just that with their 2010 Customer Retention Study that shows which car buyers coming back for more.

New-vehicle owners are increasingly citing fun-to-drive vehicles as a top reason to remain loyal to their brand, while shifting away from expected resale value. Topping the list are Ford and Honda in a tie with a 62 percent rate of customer retention. Following close behind are Hyundai, Lexus and Toyota with a rate of 60 percent each.

The study shows that import manufacturers have the edge on the domestics but that gap is closing, thanks in part to customers realizing that American automakers are producing a greater number of good products. In the study, nine of the top 10 automakers are imports.

The automaker with the biggest jump is Kia, which has climbed the most compared to the 2009 study. They have jumped 21 percentage points, and is now seeing a retention of 58 percent (that’s 10 points above the industry average).

In addition to customer retention, the study also looks at the rates at which automotive brands capture customers from their competitors (this is known as conquesting). The importance of a fun-to-drive vehicle has also risen as a reason why brands conquest new customers from their competitors, as has vehicle styling.