Autoblog

Now that the 2009 Mini Cabrio has been unleashed onto the interwebs, expect to witness a full-court advertising press as the automaker tries to keep up the positive momentum in sales over last year. MINI has always had clever ads for its retro hatches, and that trend will continue with the latest 2009 Cabrio, which is officially set to debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month. Previous marketing attempts have humorously suggested that it's never a good idea to lower the top, and a similar theme is being used again, except in a much more eye-catching manner. Seriously, how disturbing is the ice-covered guy? That's the stuff of nightmares.

Besides print materials, some screen captures of upcoming UK commercials indicate that lowering the soft top is never permissible, even in the face of freezing temperatures, monumental rain puddles or, um, the occasional Ninja attack. Take a look for yourself in the gallery below.


[Source: MINI Forum]

To go along with the recent addition of Alternity Convoy, a version of Optimus Prime in Japan that transforms into a Nissan GT-R, comes another new toy in the same series by TakaraTOMY. What bot would be a better followup to Prime than Megatron? Instead of the classic weapon shape that we've grown accustomed to for the ultimate Transformer baddie, Alternity Megatron's alt-mode is a Nissan 370Z. Here we have a problem, as Megatron's car mode takes a decided back seat to Prime's GT-R. Still, the GT-R and Fairlady Z (what they call the 370Z in Japan) are both made by Nissan and the two leaders are actually brothers in the Transformers universe.

No matter, as diehard Transformer fans are sure to overlook the obvious Decepticon snub. What they may not forgive, however, is Megatron dropping his cannon for a pair of swords.

Like Alternity Convoy, Megatron is officially licensed from Nissan and die cast in metal. Those wanting to get their hands on the latest Alternity bot can choose from silver or blue. Thanks for the tip, 94 Taurus owner!



[Source: TFW2005]

While Ford, General Motors and Chrysler all submitted plans to Congress yesterday that detail how much sacrifice they're willing to make in order to secure government loans, the United Auto Workers union waited until today to announce how it plans to contribute. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger met with leaders of his local Detroit 3 unions today and emerged with a plan to suspend the controversial Jobs Bank program that allows laid off workers to receive up to 95% of their standard pay. Gettelfinger also said that Detroit automakers could postpone making payments into the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association, a union-run fund that was scheduled to assume responsibility for retiree healthcare after automaker contributions in the tens of billions were made.

Gettelfinger will once again take a seat next to GM CEO Rick Wagoner, Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli in front of Congress tomorrow. After their admittedly weak showing on Capitol Hill last month, the CEOs and Gettelfinger now have detailed plans to offer Congress on how they would use government loans to ensure their long term viability.

Oh, and while each of the Detroit 3 CEOs will be driving down to DC after being lambasted by Congress for their previous travel aboard separate private jets, Gettelfinger, who never had a private jet, will still be using a commercial airline to reach his date with destiny.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd, Jalopnik, Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty]

We've been seeing camouflaged photos of the 2010 BMW Z4 tested in various locales for well over a year, but the first, almost fully exposed image has popped up online this morning. The car was apparently in a BMW dealership during filming of a new Michael Douglas movie. We should be getting a full online reveal on December 15 and we'll see the car in person next month at the Detroit Auto Show. The new car cleans up a lot of the Bangle flame surfacing that marred the last car with the front bumper picking up hints of the latest 3-Series. The Z4 will also reportedly have a retractable hard-top in place of the current car's soft top. If that happens, the coupe will likely be consigned to history. Thanks to everyone who tipped us on this!

[Source: e89.zpost.com]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That old saying once again proves true as some early pricing information for the new 2010 Ford Mustang has leaked out, with the latest 'Stang continuing its tradition of offering an excellent value proposition when compared to its new peers. Base price for a standard V6-powered 2010 Mustang is reportedly $21,845, including delivery charge. For comparison, its biggest competitor will surely be the Camaro, which starts at $22,995. The other revived pony car is the Dodge Challenger, which in base SE form begins with a $22,545 sticker price. Each of these entry-level models comes equipped with a standard V6 engine, though the Challenger comes only with a four-speed automatic while its competitors offer a stick. Anyone wanting an open-air experience has no choice but to opt for the Ford, as the Blue Oval's offering is the only modern musclecar with an optional drop-top.

Stepping up to a V8-powered Mustang will reportedly run you $27,995 – quite a bit cheaper than the V8-powered Camaro's $30,995 sticker. Dodge's entry runs $30,545 for the base R/T model and its HEMI V8. It's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison, of course, as the Mustang GT is down a bit on horsepower compared to its rivals, but we think the GT's cut-rate pricing should be more than enough to keep Ford's pony at the top of the sales charts. For more options information (bereft of pricing), download Ford's .pdf here.



[Source: Ford, Inside Line]

Mazda has officially taken the wraps off its five-door hatchback version of the redesigned Mazda3 at the Bologna Motor Show today. As you can see in the gallery of new high-res pics below, the Mazda3 five-door gets the same swoopy sheetmetal as its four-door brethren, including the super happy smiley front end face. What's new is an extended roofline that drops down at a steep angle to create a wagon-esque profile. With a D-pillar that kinks up at a swept back angle, the look is very similar to that of a Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix that's been stepped on by a giant. The new cargo capacity will no doubt be appreciated by families who can put every extra cubic foot to good use, and if the current generation Mazda3 is any indication, this will also be the basis for the Mazdaspeed model.

At the moment, all the specs for the new Mazda3 five-door hatchback are for the European market, so don't expect its new 2.2L and carryover 1.6L turbo diesel engines to be available in the U.S. Europeans will also have a choice of 1.6L and 2.0L gas engines, though we expect the U.S.-spec model to offer the same 2.0L and new 2.5L four-cylinder engines as the sedan. Check out the official press release from Mazda after the jump for more details and the high-res image gallery below for more shots of the new Mazda3 five-door hatchback.


[Source: Mazda]

Click above for high-res version

Today we've given another glimpse of the production Honda Insight before it debuts next month at the Detroit Auto Show. Aside from the minor details (e.g., door handles and exterior mirrors) that go from concept stylized to production practical, the official photo reveals an Insight that looks nearly identical to the concept that was shown at the Paris Motor Show in October, and the Los Angeles Show two weeks ago. Honda is expecting to sell about 100,000 copies of the Priu... err, Insight in North America once it goes on sale in the spring of 2009 with a base price expected to come in below $20,000.

[Source:Honda]

Back in September we reviewed the V6-powered Dodge Challenger SE, and our conclusion was that an uninspiring engine and benign handling was trumped by terrific curb appeal and an affordable price tag. The R/T model we reviewed yesterday fared even better, with a near perfect combination of brawn and beauty. It was fun spending time behind the wheel of both the SE and R/T models, but we knew we had to get our hands on a fire-breathing, 425-hp 6.1L HEMI V8 to see how capable the Challenger could be at full tilt. After all, there are few things in life better than classic muscle car looks combined with a brute-force V8. And if there are two available V8 engines, it just makes sense that we'd prefer the Challenger with the most powerful powerplant. Did Dodge hit the mark with its top Challenger? We welcomed the Challenger SRT8 into the Autoblog Garage to find out for ourselves.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.

Before landmark films American Graffiti and Star Wars, George Lucas was just another film student at the University of Southern California. During his time at USC, Lucas and 13 other film students put together an eight-minute-long film called 1:42:08. The title contains no words, and the film has no dialog. What does appear on the screen is racing legend Peter Brock as he speeds through Willow Springs Raceway near LA. The movie's sound track? The sound of a Lotus 23 race car at full throttle. Hit the jump to see Lucas' 1966 short film for yourself. It's no Empire Strikes Back, but it's damn good cinematography. If you aren't a big Lucas fan, there's still Peter Brock and a Lotus 23. It's a win-win.

[Source: YouTube]

The Pontiac Trans Am has always been a bit over-styled, to put it mildly. As the ultimate expression of the Firebird, the TA was always adorned with all manner of scoops, wings and bulges, setting it off from more mundane versions of Pontiac's pony-fighter. In the late '90s, the last-gen F Body got its final restyling before heading to the great automotive graveyard in the sky, and its overwrought design left very little room for external customization. Where there's a will, there's a way, though, and Automotive Services in Sterling Heights, Michigan managed to add some extra pizazz to the car's swoopy shape with a Kammback rear hatch. A Trans Am Wagon? Sign us up! All it's missing is a huge Screaming Chicken on the hood.

The one-off machine, known as the Hurst Hauler, has made it to auction on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $35K. Originally introduced for the Y2K SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the car went on to star in the 2001 Hot Rod Power Tour driven by the guys at Year One. Based on a 2000 WS6-equipped TA, the ram air-fed 5.7L LS1 small block has seen some extra tuning in the form of a Corsa exhaust, custom-ground Erson camshaft, Accel fuel injectors and custom ECU tuning from TTS Power Systems. The result is about 370 horses according to The General's official press release from back in the day, which we've gone ahead and pasted after the break. Be sure to check out our gallery of pics, including the car posing with Miss Hurst herself, Linda Vaughn. Thanks for the tip, Ron!


[Source: eBay Motors]