Subaru Impreza WRX STI A-Line

For most enthusiasts, all-interest in the new Impreza WRX STI A-Line Carbon that will premiere at the Tokyo Show is probably lost upon reading the words "5-speed auto" but apparently Subaru figures that there's a crowd out there that's interested in a high-performance sport hatch with an automatic transmission. Bizarrely, the Legacy-sourced auto box in this model is combined with a carbon fiber roof that Subaru says helps reduce weight and lower the center of gravity for improved handling and performance. The two together don't make much sense, but whatev.
In addition, the special edition model's interior has been dressed in a suede fabric that covers most parts of the cabin including the dashboard top and the Recaro bucket seats.
The new Subaru Impreza WRX STI A-Line Carbon is scheduled to go on sale in the Japanese market sometime after the show.

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Honda Skydeck MPV with scissor doors

Honda’s new SKYDECK concept can seat 6 people in a three-row passenger configuration . Honda’s last 6-seater was the Honda Edix which has now been phased out, but that MPV had its 6 seats in a two row configuration, similiar to what Fiat did for their Multipla.
The styling cues are quite obviously inspired by the CR-Z, which leads me to believe this kind of look might become quite commonplace on future Hondas. The front doors have a scissor hinge like a Lamborghini while the rear door is of the rearward-sliding variety. The powertrain is of course a hybrid but no further details have been revealed.
More will probably be disclosed at the Tokyo show next month, so stay tuned, but for now you can look after the jump for hi-res images.

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GM halting Duramax production for 10 weeks

The revamped 6.6-liter Duramax V8 engine will go into production in April 2010 and the current Duramax, which doesn't meet emissions requirements that go into effect January 1, 2010, will cease production the day before the new year begins. In the interim, GM will be retooling the factory and won't be producing any of the engines to go in the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra.This has some dealers and outside observers wondering if GM will run out of 2009 Duramax engines before the new ones are built and installed in engine bays. One dealer says GM will take orders for extended cab models with the big diesel, but no longer accepts orders for Duramax regular cabs. Analysts believe that with the car and work truck market showing some recovery, that demand will grow just as GM is trying to play the inventory game.While the General prepares it's urea-infused powerplants, any engines that GM builds through the end of 2009 can be installed in vehicles even if those vehicles are ordered and built next year. For now, GM says it is padding its stocks of Duramax engines and is confident about being able to meet the need.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

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Lorinser package for Mercedes M-Class Facelift

Lorinser will not leave Mercedes-Benz ML customers in the lurch when it comes to keeping up with the official styling changes applied to the luxury SUV. The sportiness of the ML has been accentuated through the use of an aggressive body kit that extends from front to back.
Starting on the front end a new massive Lorinser four-fin grille was fitted. Then there are Lorinser-branded side skirts and wide wheel arches. Wheels pictured here are by no means the standard; customers will be given an extensive menu of light alloys to choose from in either black or silver.
The rear features an integrated spoiler with four tailpipes. Lorinser says a "startling whistle" is heard when the driver steps on the accelerator, regardless of whether it's a petrol or a diesel.
No power or performance figures were made available but a 2008 Lorinser package for the ML 320 CDI upped power to 192kW (261hp) and torque went up to 580Nm.

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Honda CR-Z Hybrid Sports Coupe

The CR-X lives on to tell another tale, or at least sort of. The spiritual successor to Honda's much missed small coupe, the gasoline-electric hybrid CR-Z, will be unveiled in near production form at next month's Tokyo Motor Show. Despite the fact that CR-Z carries a concept moniker, it's obvious that only a few changes will be made to the production model that is scheduled to be launched in Japan in February 2010 and the rest of the world sometime after.
At a first glance, the so-called "CR-Z Concept 2009" doesn't appear to be that different from the original CR-Z concept car that was displayed at the 2007 Tokyo show.
However, as you can see for yourselves in the photos that we've attached below, a closer look reveals that Honda's designers thoroughly reworked the sport coupe's front and rear ends as well as the profile.
Not surprisingly, the pre-production CR-Z's interior has nothing in common with the 2007 concept model, but sans the sportier trim, the dashboard's styling does bring to mind the Insight...
As of yet, there's nothing official on the CR-Z's hybrid powertrain, but recent reports suggest that Honda will ditch the Insight's 1.3-liter petrol engine for a more powerful 1.5-liter unit combined with a more potent electric motor.

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With Ferrari Alonso could earn 150m euros

Fernando Alonso's new Ferrari contract could see him race for the famous Italian team until the end of the 2015 season, and earn him 150 million euros, according to reports on Tuesday in the Spanish press.
The reports, in the newspapers AS and Diario Sport based mainly on the information of the radio station SER, said Spaniard Alonso, 27, is guaranteed three seasons at Maranello with an automatic option to extend in 2013 and 2014.
In addition to the terms of three years plus two, yet another conditional option to extend until the end of 2015 is reportedly also included. It is believed he will earn about 25 million euros every year.
The document has purportedly already been deposited with the Contract Recognition Board, and could be announced officially at 10am local from the Suzuka circuit in Japan on Thursday.
However, Italy's Corriere dello Sport claimed that while an announcement on Thursday is likely, the official news might also have to wait until Friday.
Former twice world champion Alonso, who has driven for Minardi and McLaren and is moving from his current team Renault, is also expected to take with him some of his preferred engineers.
His replacement at Renault will almost certainly be the Pole Robert Kubica, whose teammate will be the incumbent Romain Grosjean.

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Launched Hyundai EQUUS Stretch Edition

Hyundai certainly has come a long way in the past two decades. Here they are now competing with the Mercedes S-Class and the BMW 7-series.
The Korean automaker has released an extended-wheelbase version of the Equus full-sized sedan. The stretched Equus is 30 centimeters longer than the standard model and outsizes the competition in most of its dimensions.
The Equus Limousine measures in at 5.460 meters in length, longer than the Mercedes S500L, the BMW 750Li and the Lexus LS460L - each a stretched version of those respective brand's flagship models. At 1.495 meters in height, it is also the tallest.
Under the hood, the ambition is just as great. The Equus limo comes with two engines, either the Lambda 3.8 liter 6-cylinder or the Tau 5.0 liter V8. The latter sports a healthy 400 hp that is the equal in strength of the competition too.
The Equus limousine will distinguish itself with its looks as well, just in case one's eye cannot gauge the extra 30 centimeters. The stretched Equus comes with a new grill featuring horizontal bars and a special emblem in the middle.
Still, with a price tag starting at 135 million Korean won ($113,000 or €77,200) it may just be a 'stretch', pardon the pun, to convince consumers that this Hyundai is a deserving rival to those premium German brands.

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Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV Hybrid Could Preview New Compact SUV

Mitsubishi will be showing an all-new compact crossover concept model called the PX-MiEV at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show in late October. At 4,510mm (177.6-in.) long, 1,830mm (72-in.) wide and 1,655mm (65-in.) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,630mm (103.5-in.), the PX-MiEV Concept is shorter (-130mm / 4.3'') but wider than the current generation Outlander SUV.
The concept is motivated by a new plug-in hybrid drivetrain that combines a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and Mitsubishi's all-new S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control), that utilizes E-AYC (Electric-powered Active Yaw Control) to transfers torque to the rear left and right wheels, with a pair of electric motors (one at each axle) and a battery.
The battery can be replenished either through regenerative breaking, the gasoline engine or via a regular household plug or a high-power quick-charging station.
Mitsubishi said that at low to middle speeds the PX-MiEV relies on the front electric motor to move the vehicle. If the driver is confronted with snow, rain or any other low surface friction situations then the system automatically switches to four-wheel drive mode by feeding power to the rear electric motor.
When the battery is low on power, the system starts the gasoline engine to generate electricity and automatically switches to the series hybrid mode using the electricity generated to power the two electric motors.
At higher speeds the gasoline engine drives the front wheels but if necessary, the system switches in both front and rear electric motors to provide additional power and assist the petrol unit engine, providing high acceleration.
The PX-MiEV's exterior styling is rather simple while the futuristic-looking interior is said to have been designed to give an image of an airplane cockpit in order to improve the driver's concentration - or so Mitsubishi claims.
Other notable features on PX-MiEV include the electronically-controlled air suspension that gives the driver the choice of three ride height modes (auto, high and low) and a new "Multi-Around Monitor" that uses cameras located at strategic points on the body to provide the driver with a combined image of the full perimeter of the vehicle.

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Honda's retro-styled electric cars

The Honda EV-N Concept is surprisingly retro-styled in a sea of very futuristic Honda concepts being released in the past 2 to 3 years. Like you can probably expect from its name, the EV-N Concept is an electric car, though for the moment Honda has not released any details on its motor and battery specifications. It’s probably got a pretty short range though, designed to be used for short commutes in cities like Tokyo.
After you reach your destination and park but you’re feeling a little lazy, you can take out one of the U3-X Segway-like unicycles which is smartly strapped to the passenger door. At first I thought it was some really big and hardcore speaker system or something.

The EV-N Concept is part of a larger display called the “HELLO!” (Honda Electric mobility Loop) display, where Honda will be showcasing a total “ecosystem” of mobility products. You have products that supply electricity, vehicles that run on electricity and products with innovative electronic technologies.
There will be solar panels that supply electricity and battery electric vehicles that emit zero emissions in use. The HELLO showcase is pretty much a preview of the potential of a low-carbon society of the future of course centered around Honda products. In addition, each HELLO! vehicle features communication technologies that showcase fun ways in which mobility devices can interact with people and society.
Look after the jump more shots of the Honda EV-N Concept.

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Mazda SKY-D Clean Diesel Engines Set - Mazda SKY-G DI Petrol for Tokyo Debut

Mazda plans to introduce the next generation Sky-G and Sky-D engines at next month's Tokyo Motor Show. The two engines will appear alongside the Mazda Kiyora, a concept first introduced in Paris last year.The company's "Sky" approach is to use technologies that improve performance and efficiency simultaneously. The programme's name comes from the idea of providing people with an "everlasting blue sky" no matter how many drivers are on the road. Thus, the company has pressured their engineers to "employ unconventional thinking to achieve optimal performance in every vehicle that bears the Mazda nameplate," according to a press release.On display in Tokyo will be the latest, direct-injection Sky-G petrol engine, and the next-generation clean-diesel Sky-D. Both are getting their world debuts alongside the next-gen Sky-Drive automatic transmission.In its Japanese debut, Mazda will bring out the Kiyora. Rumor has it that the Kiyora is the basis for the next version of the Mazda 2. In Paris, the vehicle was shown with a 1.3-liter direct-injection engine mated to an electric motor. Using a start/stop system, the car manages an impressive 32 kilometers per liter of fuel (75 miles per U.S. gallon), while emitting only 90 grams of CO2 per kilometer

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