Nissan 370Z video

Pretty stunning...

2010 Acura NSX

We finally get a glimpse of what the all new NSX will look like when it comes out next year.
And it's nothing spectacular, really.
Sure, it will have a big V10 with 560hp.

But really, how many people would really trade their European exotic (and great looking) cars for this???


Good luck...

More US Nissan Cube photos

Using the Versa's 1.8 Liter engine, with either a CVT or a 6 speed manual.

All new Mazda3

What a great looking compact.
And the timing couldn't be better.At least for a while, cars like these might become more popular than most mid sized sedans.
Both a 2.0 Liter and the new 2.5 Liter engines are available in the US market.

I guess we'll see the hatchback version in Detroit...

New US Cube

Here is the interior of the US version of the Nissan Cube.

A bit better than the weird bench seat offered in the Japanese version. But that dashboard seems really short.
Like you'd feel right against the windshield.
Maybe it's just the picture, but it might be one of those weird rides....

2010 VW Jetta

The Jetta will get a few changes for the 2010 model year.
In order to make it looks just a little bit more like the new Golf/Rabbit we are getting in the US next September.

That means an all new Jetta is years away, I guess...

2010 Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Hybrid video

At least on pictures and videos, that black Fusion interior looks really cheap.
We'll have to see that "in the flesh"....

2010 Ford Mustang GT Video

With the convertible.

I know, I know... these are really, really boring videos without my usual amazing and inspiring "Burlapp Soundtrack".
But I am under a deadline...

More 2010 Mustang interior pictures

Looking pretty nice.
This is a car that starts at just over $20 000. So we shouldn't expect Audi type quality.
I can't wait to see it.

Ford will have a pretty nice line up of cars within a few months. With the Mustang, revised Fusion, redesigned Taurus and the new Fiesta.
Things are looking good.

2010 Mercury Milan

To me, this is a repeat of the same story. I think the Milan does look better. Especially inside. Even though the interior design is the same, the trims and colors used make it look much better.
That cheap looking piece of silver plastic on the Fusion dash looks really bad, at least on pictures.

The Mercury does look more upscale. And the rear end comes together much better than on the Ford.

Let's hope the Hybrid model will put Mercury back on the map. A good looking car with what seems to be a killer powertrain.
They really need to let people know about this car.

2010 Ford Fusion

The sport model pictured here does look really nice.
But the real news is the all new Hybrid.

You can now get the 3.5 Liter V6 in the sport model. Other engines include an upgraded 3.0 Liter V6 and a slightly larger 4 cylinder. No doubt the most popular choice.

The front looks really aggressive, while the new rear looks really bland. even more so than before...

All new Nissan Cube

There it is.
These pictures are of the japanese version, but ours should be pretty much the same.
Sure, not nearly as original as.. Well.. The "original" one.
This just looks like a copy of itself. Buit still we never had the previous one over here.

So this is all new for us.

New Ford Fiesta Sedan

Ford is expecting this version to be the most popular one over here.
The first market will be China.

It does look like a little wale from the back. And it looks quite big.I wonder what will happen tothe Focus when this comes out, for less money.
Even though our next Focus will be the same as the 3rd generation Euro model.

Infiniti G37 Convertible

This looks great.
So far at least, much better than the new Lexus IS Convertible.

Let's just hope they don't price it too high...

2010 Ford Mustang V6

The most popular, and the cheaper one.
Looking quite a bit cheaper too, than the new GT...

But the bad news is really the engine. Again, the ancient, and big, 4.0 Liter with 210hp is the base engine.
Not the 3.5 Liter. Not even the upgraded 3.0 Liter they use in the Fusion.
What gives???

And the V8 GT has 315hp. Not much more than what Chevrolet offers in the base V6 Camaro with 300hp.

I really think they missed an opportunity here. The new V6 Camaro seems like such a more modern car.

2010 Ford Mustang

... Hard to say.
It does look quite nice, but almost in a sort of conservative kind of way.
The quality of the interior does seem much higher.

A more mature Mustang, it seems...

US Auto industry and the Ripple Effect

That's a tough one....
On one side, sure, it sound much better to bail them out with a $25 Billion loan than over $100 Billion loss later.
On the other hand, they built a lot of crap for too many years, and never listen to anyone who told them one day people would get tired of they gas guzzlers...

What to do? What do you think????

I'll tell you later what I think.

Peugeot 3008

The all new 3008 will be a crossover version of the 308.
It comes out in 2009 with a Hybrid version appearing in 2011.

Pretty much the straight production verion of the concept they showed us just a couple of months ago at the Paris auto show.

Chevrolet Volt Interior

I haven't seen this particular shot yet.
I guess GM is releasing a few things to make sure people know the Volt is still on schedule.
The latest casualty is the Camaro Convertible. It is now officially delayed by at least 6 months.
That is just too bad, I can't wait to se it.
Some of the European press even think the car might by just plain canceled.
I hope not, and I don't think so. It seems a bit too late to fully cancel it.

Let's hope it just comes late...

Lincvolt!

This is great.
Neil Young turned an old Lincoln convertible into an electric car.
What a cool way to enjoy a classic!

Another 2010 Ford Mustang Teaser picture

This is supposed to be the last one.
We'll see the whol thing in a few days.

From what I've seen, it doesn't look that diferent than the 2009.
At least outside. I wonder if the average person will even be able to tell this is the "new" one...

Chinese Honda Accord

Not sure, but it looks like they already revised it for the Chinese market. Unless it was always different.

But I think this front end looks much better than what we have over here.
It does take much.

Ford Fusion Hybrid

Getting ready to be the pace car for the 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
The first time ever for a Hybrid car.

The car will officially be unveiled the week after at the Los Angeles Auto show.

2010 revised Camry?

All I know is that this picture was taken in the US.
the Camry is scheduled to receive a few changes for the next year. Including the new 2.7 Liter engine .
We'll see in a few months....

Sent by a reader.

Subaru TC???

It seems that the Toyota version of the upcoming new RWD coupe designed with Subaru couldl be sold in the US as the new Scion TC in 2010.
The engine would be a 2.0 Liter with 200hp.

We'll see...

Tiguan based Seat SUV?

Why not, I guess.
After an "old A4" based sedan, Seat looks like it's ready for more slightly changed VW models.

I am not sure how popular the Tiguan is in Europe, but I sure don't see many of them around here.
I guess a cheaper version might help. Or not...

Prius Coupe coming up???

This new rumor comes from Motor Trend.

And I would love it to be true.
The new 2010 Prius is supposed to get a larger 1.8 Liter engine. Perfect for a little sportier ride.
A Prius coupe would be great as a 21st Century Celica.

As far as the design is concerned. This illustration shows a straight 2 door, sportier version of the upcoming 2010 5 door model.
But Toyota has been known to surprise...
Remember how many though the 1st Lexus coupe was going to look like a 2 door version of the 1st Generation LS sedan???
Toyota fooled everyone with the 1st generation SC.
It was a great looking car that didn't look at all like the sedan.


So maybe....

Hyundai ???

This is probably what is referred to as the new Hyundai i70.
The larger than genesis Equus replacement.

But I have seen recent pictures of the next generation Sonata that looked very similar. With 3 side windows.
Although this car seems pretty large.

I guess we'll know. Some day....

2010 Renault Scenic

Plus the 7 seater "Grand Scenic"
I think...

Not 100% this is totally real. But it pretty much looks like what's expected.

Mazda Miata test drive

Finally I got to actually drive the Miata for a week.
I was really curious to compare it to the Solstice Turbo I drove a few months ago.
The model I had was a "Special edition".
That comes only in a blue/silver color with a very dark brown interior leather.

-HOW DOES IT LOOK?

The Miata has always been quite a good looking car to me. And I would say the current one is the best looking of all.
But even though it is the largest ever, it is still a very small car. It really shows when you walk up to it: it is just so low and tiny.
The design is modern and tasteful at the same time.
But to me, not as modern, striking and good looking as the Solstice.
But again, I understand this is just a matter of taste.




-HOW IS IT INSIDE?
Well, of course, it seats pretty low, like any other cars in this class. But once inside, it's actually OK. Not great, but OK.
The flat dashboard across in front of you makes the interior feel smaller than the Solstice.
It does have "super small car" feel when you're inside. Again, more so than the Pontiac where the dashboard is design to angle away from the driver. Not as flat as the Mazda.
I was told by many readers how much better the interior would be, compared to the Solstice.
And I was quite disappointed.
Just like in the Pontiac, I couldn't find any area, besides the door armrests, where any kind of soft plastic was used.
Sure, the cup holders are in the console. And the little compartment between the seats is lockable. But still no map pockets and hard plastics everywhere.
Plus, I actually like the dashboard design in the Solstice much better. And the radio in the Pontiac accept my iPod.
Although the Mazda will next year.
The major difference is the trunk. The Miata does have one. And a pretty useful one. Large enough for this kind of car.



-HOW DOES IT DRIVE?

-Ride
I was surprised of how hard the ride was. My car had the 17 inch wheels. I'm not sure if it had some kind of sport suspension option, but it was one of the hardest riding cars I've ever driven.
And on our bad L.A roads, I got tired of it, really quick. The car is low and handles great, there is no reason for such a punishing ride.
Plus it made the car weird to drive past 65. It just didn't feel stable. Not a car I would want to drive fast.

On the otehr hand, the Solstice had a near perfect ride: firm yet still very comfortable.
I just would drive the Miata on a long trip. The noise inside with the top up doesn't help either.
You really need to crank up the radio. A lot.

-Steering
Just like the ride, I thought the steering was too hard for this kind of car. It made the Z feel like a Lexus.
there is just no reason for it. I like a firm, or even very firm steering, but this is just too much.
And again, the Solstice steering was near perfect.

-Engine
The 2.0 Liter engine had plenty of power. Pretty much all the time. Again, it didn't sound as refined as I was told it would be.
But it did get the job done...

-Transmission
The 6 speed manual is smooth and very easy to use. This one is quite a bit better than the one used in the Solstice.
But I only averaged a bit over 23MPG in my week of driving. Which included about 35% freeway.
Not bad bust not great.
I did a bit more highway driving with the Solstice and got an average of 27MPG. With a 260hp engine.

-SO???
Well, I have to admit I was disappointed by the Mazda Miata.
It does feel like you are driving a very tiny car, all the time. It's cute, but it's really not something I would take on a long drive across the state. The hard ride and the noise would drive me crazy. (Something I really do not need right now...)

And yes, I have to say, I still like the Solstice much better. I think it looks fantastic, but also drives much better.
While still being sporty.
Sure, there is no trunk.
The interior is a bit cheap. But I thought the interior of the Mazda wasn't great either. And looked much more generic.
So nothing on earth is perfect.
Compromise is what we need to learn to live with. Or not.

I'm sure I will be getting lots of hate from Miata owners and lovers for this.
But hey, this is just what I think.