Mitsubishi Releases 2.0-liter Versions of New and... Old Outlander in Japan

As a rule, when an automaker goes ahead and facelifts one of its vehicles, the previous version is expelled from the range. Apparently that's not the case with Mitsubishi and its Japanese domestic market Outlander. The company has just released two new variants of the compact crossover, one called Roadest that's based on the new model with the EVO snout featuring a sporty body kit, and the other on the pre-facelift model.

Both variants are fitted with a new entry-level 2.0-liter gasoline engine producing 148PS at 6,000 rpm and 20.1kgm of peak torque at 4,200 rpm.

The base Outlander 20E (pre-facelift body) is available with 2WD or AWD and is priced from 1,995,000 Yen, which comes to around US$21,800 or €15,100.

The Outlander Roadest 2.0 with the sporty aero parts, also offered with 2WD or AWD, starts from 2,475,900 Yen, or about US$27,100 / €18,800 at today's exchange rates.

GM Recalling 22,000 Corvette C6s Because... Targa Top Could Fly Off

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Owners of Chevrolet Corvette Coupes from the 2005-2007 model years and Corvette Z06s from the 2005-2006 model years equipped with a detachable roof panel will soon have to pay a visit to their local dealers as GM is recalling approximately 20,090 Vettes over a problem with the top.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the adhesive between the roof panel and the frame may separate either partially, in which case the driver may notice one or more symptoms, such as a snapping noise when going over bumps, wind noise and poor roof panel fit, or worst case scenario, the targa top may completely detach from the vehicle - no need to explain the dangers in this case...

General Motors said that the safety recall on the Corvette C6 is expected to begin sometime in January 2010 with dealers installing a newly designed roof panel free of charge. For more information, owners can contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or at www.gmownercenter.com.

New Honda Beat: Next-Generation Kei Roadster Speculated

Remember the original Beat, Honda's pint-sized, two-seater roadster with the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of the 1990s? Well, Japan's Best Car magazine is doing what it does best by speculating on the return of the Beat in Honda's car range.

Our knowledge of the Japanese language is non-existent so we can't share any details from the article (any help would be hugely appreciated) but we assume from the side air-vents that the design proposal is for a rear-engined roadster - something like the poor man's Porsche.

We don't know if the rendering / story is based on actual inside information or pure speculation, but it would be interesting to hear your say about whether or not a model like this could be successful in markets outside Japan in today's world of downsizing and greener cars.

Via: Best Car

BS of the Day: GM Planning to Rebadge the 2010 SAAB 9-5 as a Buick in the USA

The folks over at Saabsunited were quick to pick up an article from Swedish business daily Dagen Industri claiming that, according to an unnamed inside source, GM will re-badge the 2010 SAAB 9-5 sedan as a Buick in the USA and use some of the tech on a future flagship Opel sedan in Europe. The author of the fable story, Ian Wadenal, goes on to tell us how well the 9-5 would fit in Buick's range, sitting atop the new 2011 Regal a.k.a. the U.S-spec Opel Insignia.

You'll probably read the same story elsewhere, and if you're a car guy, you'll shake your head with stupefaction because Buick already has a similar-sized model in the States, the new LaCrosse that shares the same Epsilon II platform and possibly other hardware with the 9-5.

A more compact version of the Epsilon II is also used on the Opel Insignia - Buick Regal.


We're not saying that there's no place for a re-badged Saab 9-5 in GM's global portfolio, but we can't see it being done for Buick in the States (obvious why) nor for Cadillac and Opel (at least in their core markets) simply because both of these brands have spent money and time to create their own design language.

We're all in for saving SAAB and we respect the efforts of enthusiasts, but if anything else, some common sense is necessary when re-telling / reporting stories...

Source: Dagen , Via: Saabsunited

VIDEO: 2011 Ford Mustang GT V8 Rollin' on its 5.0

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Now that you've seen the photos and read the (official) specs on the highly anticipated 2011 Ford Mustang GT, here's some audioluscious video footage of the reborn 5.0. The first clip contains driving and static shots of the pony car while the second video shows a dyno test of its 412-horsepower 5.0-liter 32-valve V8 engine. Watch both clips after the jump.

New Ford Mustang BOSS 302R: A $79,000 5.0 GT Track Racer

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Along with the new 2011 Mustang GT 5.0-liter V8, Ford also took the covers off a track version of its updated pony car called the BOSS 302R in honor of the 40th anniversary of Parnelli Jones' 1970 Trans-Am championship in a Mustang BOSS 302 prepared by Bud Moore Engineering.

Set to replace the Mustang FR500C, the BOSS 302R features the GT's new 5.0-liter V8 engine coupled to a six-speed manual transmission and comes equipped with a roll cage, race seats, safety harness, data acquisition and race dampers/springs, and a Brembo brake and tire package.

The base Mustang BOSS 302R racer retails at $79,000.

If you're looking for something more hardcore, Ford also offers the M-FR500-BOSS R1 that's eligible to compete in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series (formerly known as KONI Challenge), starting with the season-opening race in Daytona on Jan. 29, 2010.

Priced at $129,000, this version features a sealed high-output race engine with an upgraded cooling system, a close-ratio six-speed transmission with integral shifter, a seam-welded body, race suspension/KONI dampers and ABS brake tuning, race performance exhaust and a high-speed balance one-piece driveshaft.

Ford said that a total of 50 BOSS 302R Mustangs will be built by the firm's racing division with first deliveries anticipated in the third quarter of 2010.

2011 Ford Mustang GT with 412HP 5.0-liter V8 Officially Revealed

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The Mustang 5.0 or as purists prefer to call it, the 302, makes a comeback for the 2011 model year with the presentation of the new GT that will be shown to the public for the first time at next month's Detroit auto show. No thanks to Ford's special relationships with certain media outlets, we already know the basics of the 2011 Mustang GT.

To recap, the GT's new 5.0-liter V8 engine employs 32-valves and Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) delivering 412 horsepower and 390 ft.-lb. of torque, compared to the outgoing 2010 Mustang GT 4.6-liter V8's, 315HP and 325 lb-ft.

Ford says that the V8 engine, as shipped, weighs 430 pounds or 195 kg representing a weight savings of more than 20 percent over the previous 5.0-liter offering.

The new 5.0-liter Mustangs also replace the previous GT's five-speed transmissions with either the 6R80 six-speed automatic transmission or the MT82 six-speed manual gearbox.

With the automatic transmission, the 2011 Mustang GT will deliver up to an estimated 25 mpg highway and 17 in the city, up from 23 mpg highway and 17 city for the 2010 model. The Six-speed manual transmission Mustang GT models are projected to deliver 24 mpg highway and 16 city, matching the 2010 model.

Ford has not disclosed performance figures, but just to get an idea, the current 315HP GT hits 60mph (96km/h) from standstill in just 4.9 seconds. In other words, the new GT should give the 426HP Camaro SS and 425HP Challenger SRT-8 a run for their money.

Along with the new engine and transmissions, the new GT also gets a specially tuned Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS), 11.5-inch front and 11.8-inch rear vented disc brakes, and an enhanced suspension featuring an improved rear lower control arm and stiffened rear stabilizer bushings.

There's also an optional Brembo brake package upgrade that includes 14-inch vented front discs from the GT500 Mustang, specific 19-inch alloy wheels and summer performance tires.

Other updates include the 5.0 fender badges, the speedometer that increases to 160 mph and the tachometer redline that climbs from 6,500 to 7,000 rpm.

More information on the 2011 Mustang GT will be released at the Detroit Motor Show in mid-January 2010.