With its winning combination of pleasing looks, high-end features, and fun-to-drive dynamics, the present Mazda3 continues to win comparison tests despite being on the market mostly unchanged since 2004. Even so, going on five years is a long time in the car world, and now Mazda is readying its all-new, 2010 Mazda3 to keep the compact fresh. Official photos of the new 2010 Mazda3 sedan hit the Web recently, stirring up a lot of excitement, but lacking any specs or additional info many enthusiasts were left wondering -- what about a new 2010 MazdaSpeed3?
Spycam: 2010 MazdaSpeed3 Caught at the 'Ring
Porsche 911 Bi-Turbo by DKR Tuning
Those owners of the Porsche 911 Turbo who aren’t entirely satisfied that their car really is the powerhouse Porsche claims it is, can turn to German tuner DKR for a €5,529 power upgrade. DKR Tuning optimises the ECU software and fits a new sports exhaust system to garner a forceful 540 bhp/ 402kW and 775Nm from the car’s twin-turbo 3.6-litre boxer engine.
After having upgraded the engine one might feel a little more adventurous and go kit mad. For that DKR provides 19-inch Cargraphic RS alloy wheels on 235/35 tyres in front and 305/30 at the rear. A functional front lip spoiler and larger rear wing gives that macho appearance that accompanies all this power. It’s a 911 so handling needs no introduction, even at full 540 horses on the throttle.
Sport/Utility Of The Year: Subaru Forester
It would be easy to say that this year's winner is a knee-jerk reaction, that the editors of Motor Trend responded to the skyrocketing cost of gasoline like the rest of the driving public by abruptly abandoning the traditional SUV formula for something smaller, more fuel-efficient, greener, more, well, forest-y. It would be easy to categorize our selection of the Subaru Forester as Motor Trend's 2009 Sport/Utility of the Year as a choice made solely at the pump, but it wouldn't be true.
Sure, our Subaru Forester 2.5XT contender posted the best observed fuel-economy numbers (16.0 mpg) for an all-wheel-drive SUV in this year's competition, but that's not the whole story.
JMS Audi A3 Sportback Body Kit Released
German tuner JMS has released a wild tuning package for the humble Audi A3. The “Racelook Exclusiv” kit provides an aggressive, tuned appearance to the hatchback A3. To take the conservative family hatchback over the styling edge, JMS now provides a coil-over suspension kit that lowers the A3 by 55mm at the front and 45mm at the rear. Massive nineteen-inch eta-beta tettsut wheels in black with stainless steel inlays give the show car a race-ready stance.
To finish it off, JMS provides a full body kit, including a rear roof spoiler, a rear apron, side skirts and a deep front spoiler with cutouts for air intakes that can be screened with silver or black alloy mesh. The full kit costs about 5700 Euro. For more information, check out JMS’ website at www.racelook.de.
Porsche Roock celebrates Le Mans win with RST 600 LM
About a decade ago, Roock Racing was one of the most dominant GT racing teams at Le Mans and a short time later in the ALMS with their Porsche GT2 race cars. Since then they have focused their attention on tuning street Porsches, the latest of which is the RST 600 LM that commemorates their victory in the GT2 class at the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans. The package includes upgraded turbochargers, a titanium exhaust system, and an upgraded ECU good for just over 600 horsepower and 611 lb-ft torque. Performance numbers are a claimed 3.1 second sprint to 60 mph and a top end of 211 mph. Roock also adds a carbon fiber clutch, fully tuned suspension, and massive 380mm drilled and vented brakes. Inside, the RST 600 LM gets carbon fiber trim, oil and temperature gauges, and custom seats with four point harnesses. Finally, subtle exterior modifications are added including a new front splitter, rear diffuser, rear spoiler, and lightweight aluminum racing wheels. Full details are in the press release after the jump and high resolution photos can be found in the gallery below.
Paris Motor Show 2008: Live shots of the Ford Focus RS
Ford's new Focus RS has made its second European debut and we've managed to snag some live shots of the new car on the stand. Covered in Ultra Green paint as it is, we could hardly miss it. The new hue is meant to be "a modern interpretation of the 1970's Ford Le Mans Green." In that case, perhaps it should be called Grabber Green? Powered by a turbocharged Duratec 2.5L five-cylinder producing about 300 horsepower and 325 ft-lbs of torque, the new Focus RS is the fastest European Ford ever produced and can hit 60 mph in under six seconds. Front-wheel drive was chosen in lieu of all-wheel as the Blue Oval's 'RevoKnuckle' front suspension system along with the Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential is said to remove all traces of torque steer. Expect to see the new Focus RS in European dealerships sometime in 2009.
Paris Motor Show 2008: Chevrolet Cruze meets an eager Europe
The Chevrolet Cruze is three kinds of car: small, American and important. And with the state of General Motors, it isn't even the individual words that mean the most: it's whether The General can combine them into a reliable, fuel efficient and cost effective package. True, we don't get to drive these things while they're parked under the lights, but to have a seat in the Cruze is to imagine a GM that begs the question, "Where was all this before the meltdown?" The studio imagery we've seen so far translates nicely into real life, and the center console looks and feels substantial – in fact, it looks like it could be foreign – even if the silver mesh treatment in the show car was a bit much. The car has a compact yet full-bodied stance, and will probably look even better on the road in a color other than scarlet, and not under klieg lights. Spring of '09 will welcome this first Cruze variant to Europe, after which other regions will get it, as well as a probable hatchback and wagon. It will be powered by a 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder that charts up to 140 hp and is said to return 40 mpg. Have a look at the high-res gallery of live shots below to get a better idea of what to expect when the Cruze goes on sale here in a couple years.
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