Thursday, September 19, 2013

The 2014 Corvette Stingray is on its Way to Dealers


Posted on 09.18.2013 15:00 by Simona









Chevrolet unveiled the seventh-gen Corvette - dubber the Stingray - at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, but it looks like the company needed another eight months to actually finish preparing the sports car and have it ready for the dealerships.



Chevy built approximately 1,000 Stingrays at its Bowling Green assembly plant, and they will hit showrooms within the next few weeks. A truckload of 2014 Corvette Stingrays left the assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky today, September 18th, 2013, so customers should expect their Stingrays pretty soon.



In order to develop the new Stingray, the Bowling Green facility required a $131-million upgrade, including a $52-million investment for a new body shop to manufacture the car's all-new aluminum frame in-house for the first time. Taking a look at the amount of this investment, it is pretty clear that Chevrolet is banking on the 2014 Corvette Stingray being a smash hit.



Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.


gallery: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray







The 2014 Corvette Stingray is on its Way to Dealers originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 18 September 2013 15:00 EST.



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Next-Gen Mustang Has Three Potential Debut Locations


Posted on 09.18.2013 16:00 by Justin Cupler










Okay, if you are a car nut, still have a pulse and are not excited or worried about the next-generation Mustang, then you may want to recheck your label as a car nut... I am not a big Ford fan and even I am on edge the edge of my seat about it.



This is a bang-or-bust redesign for Ford's resident muscle car, as it has the potential to be either the Mustang II debacle all over again or the Fox Body `Stang that swooped in to save the model's life. There is an ongoing debate on when and where the new Mustang will debut, and all of them are somehow centered around the model's 50th anniversary.



We have whittled the possible debut locations down two the three most likely ones, and our reasoning for picking these three.



Click past the jump to find out the three possible locations and why we picked them



Next-Gen Mustang Has Three Potential Debut Locations originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:00 EST.



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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

2012 Mazda3 SKYACTIV First Impressions


2012 Mazda3 SKYACTIV


LOS ANGELES, California - Every auto manufacturer is searching for the best way to go green and reduce fuel consumption in their vehicles. Some companies are embracing hybrid technology while others have opted to go electric with battery-powered cars.


Even as a 'car person', I find some of these approaches a bit confusing. I admit that I feel overwhelmed with all the information out there and I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to the average consumer.As exciting as some of the changes are, I know that most of us just want to get into a car and drive it. When you're looking for an investment that will service your needs - comfortable, functional, reliable and affordable - how your car does what it does is less important than the fact that it gets the job done.



Mazda is sticking to something more traditional. They have decided to introduce a new generation of affordable gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. Believing that the best solution for now is to reduce carbon emissions, and oil dependency is one of the ideas behind SKYACTIV technology.



Globally, the Mazda3 is the number one selling car in the Mazda line-up, selling over 3 million copies since it first hit the market in 2004, with just under 400,000 of them being sold here in Canada. These numbers are high for a good reason; anyone who spent time behind the wheel of the 3 will know that it is a wonderful car to drive. The one thing that Mazda needed to be very careful about was making sure that they kept this car appealing and only make it better.



I am in Los Angeles to take the new 2012 Mazda3, equipped with SKYACTIV technology, for a test drive. Mazda has stressed that even though the changes under the hood will produce an almost 30% improvement in fuel consumption, nothing has really changed in the way the driver feels behind the wheel of this compact car.



Their have been a few small changes in the styling. At first glance, it's not that noticeable, which is a good thing. In my opinion, the Mazda3 is still one of the best looking cars in this class. The exterior sees a few small upgrades like a new fascia and fog light design. The interior upgrades include new trim and tailored gauge displays (blue for SKYACTIV, red for Mazdaspeed3). A blind-spot monitoring system is a first in this segment, and is now available as an option on some trim levels.


Chevrolet Sonic and Cruze at 2011 SEMA


Chevrolet Sonic and Cruze at 2011 SEMA sema sonic 1




Chevrolet announced they have big plans for their small cars at this year's SEMA with new Dusk and Z-Spec models.



Chevrolet will be displaying different Z-Spec kits on the Cruze and Sonic to evaluate them for production. They are paying a special attention to the Sonic, to emphasize on the potential of this small car for customization.



There will be a pair of Cruzes, the Z-Spec concept with 18-inch custom wheels, an accessory spoiler and a high-flow grille on the outside and special seat inserts, a racing-style pedal kit, accessory shift knob and interior trim, as well as a new steering wheel for the inside, and the Cruze Dusk with a mild concept ground effects package, a unique grille treatment and dark-tinted wheels. The interior has custom seat inserts, along with an accessory shift knob, sport pedals, interior trim kit, a suede-trimmed steering wheel and a custom audio system.



Chevrolet Sonic and Cruze at 2011 SEMA sema sonic 2




The program for Sonic is more substantial, and includes four different packages:



Sonic Z-Spec #1 - Designers took a turbocharged Sonic five-door and dressed it with concept Z-Spec accessories. They added Z-Spec ground effects, a spoiler, unique grille and graphics package - then finished it off with a Torch Red exterior and Z-Spec concept 18-inch wheels. Inside, the Cobalt Red cabin features custom trim, including perforated black suede seat inserts, a Z-Spec sport pedal kit, sport shift knob and a racing-style flat-bottom steering wheel. Additional upgrades include performance brakes with four-piston calipers, a new high-flow exhaust system and performance suspension parts.



Sonic Z-Spec #2 - The next Sonic concept - in Flat White with Torch Red accents - builds on concept Z-Spec accessories with a more aggressive ground effects package, unique grille, rear spoiler and graphics package. It rides on Z-Spec concept 18-inch wheels and also includes a re-trimmed interior with Z-Spec sport pedal kit, Z-Spec sport shift knob and a flat-bottom steering wheel. It also features custom racing seats with the Z-Spec logo. The factory powertrain features the 1.4L turbo engine and six-speed manual transmission. Performance upgrades include brakes with four-piston calipers, a high-flow exhaust system and suspension parts.



Sonic Z-Spec 4D Concept - The more formal look of the Sonic sedan lends itself to a touring car-style motif, which this Ashen Grey Metallic concept picks up with concept Z-Spec ground effects, rear spoiler, grille, "Chevrolet" graphics and larger Z-Spec concept 18-inch wheels. As with its five-door counterparts, this Sonic features a re-trimmed interior - in Dark Titanium with Cobalt Red accents - Z-Spec sport pedal kit, aluminum sport shift knob and a flat-bottom steering wheel (trimmed with Cobalt Red suede). The factory turbo 1.4L engine and six-speed manual transmission are complemented by performance upgrades that include four-piston caliper brakes, a high-flow exhaust system and suspension parts.



Sonic Dusk - The most subtle of the Sonic concepts is the Dusk. It features a Berlin Blue exterior, with a mild concept ground effects package, unique grille treatment and 18-inch concept wheels in dark Galvano Silver. Even the lights are tinted blue for a sophisticated statement. The Mojave leather interior has custom seat inserts, Z-Spec shift knob with satin chrome trim, Z-Spec sport pedals and accessory interior trim kit. The Sonic Dusk also features a suede-trimmed, flat-bottom steering wheel, custom audio system and brake and suspension upgrades.


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Mazda MX-5 Spyder & Mazda2 Turbo for SEMA Show



Mazda has announced it plans to introduce the MX-5 Spyder and the Mazda2 Turbo at the SEMA Showon Tuesday, November 1.



First up, the MX-5 has a new aerodynamic body kit, a lowered suspension, Brembo brakes, tinted headlights and Advan Racing wheels.



Next, the Mazda2 Turbo has a front lip spoiler, extended side skirts and a prominent rear wing and feature a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine with 260 hp.



Nissan releases first photo of completed Juke-R


Nissan releases first photo of completed Juke-R


The unveiling of the Nissan Juke-R prototype has been as slow and painstaking as the car's actual build. First we received initial details, a rendering and video of the project under way. Over the course of the following few weeks, Nissan continued keeping us on our toes with a series of videos showing the project coming together. Now that the vehicle has finally reached completion, the Japanese automaker has released a solitary image of the finished product.



Those unfamiliar ought to be impressed: Nissan took the drivetrain from its top-of-the-line GT-R - including its advanced all-wheel-drive system, twin-clutch transmission and 3.8-liter twin-turbo 480-horsepower V6 - and shoehorned it into one of its smallest vehicles, the Juke crossover. Of course, it wasn't as simple as all that, as the Juke had to be completely gutted down to its frame and rebuilt from the ground up to accommodate an engine more than twice the size of what it was designed for.



In the end, Nissan will build two of these prototypes: one in right-hand drive (for its own roads back in Japan and those where it was built in England) and one in left-hand drive (for the rest of the civilized world). The release of this solitary photo follows a surprise unveiling in front of members of the press at a demo event in Spain.



Nissan releases first photo of completed Juke-R




Nissan releases first photo of completed Juke-R


NISSAN JUKE-R UNVEILED: FIRST IMAGE OF THE ULTIMATE COMPACT CROSSOVER
NISSAN MAKES SHOCK JUKE-R UNVEIL DURING QASHQAI PRESS EVENT IN MALAGA



The world has been given its first glimpse of Nissan's ultimate compact crossover: Juke-R.



Unveiled at a Nissan Crossover media launch in Malaga, Spain, Juke-R shocked an unsuspecting audience when it was revealed as a 'surprise guest' at the end of the press conference. Shown for the first time in the metal, Juke-R continues to create a huge reaction, harnessing the bold design of Nissan's provocative Juke with the speed and power of the company's flagship GT-R...... creating the world's fastest, most innovative, crossover.



Just two versions of the Nissan Juke-R are being created, one in each of left-hand and right-hand drive. The cars have been developed by Nissan and are being built by leading motorsports outfit RML with input from Nissan Technology Centre for Europe (NTC-E). Testing of the car will begin in November.



For details on Nissan Juke-R and to learn more about the Juke-R story, visit the Nissan Juke YouTube Channel or Nissan Juke Official Facebook page:
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/NissanJuke
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/NissanJukeOfficial