Corvette ZR1's LS9 inspired by BMW M V10?
It used to be that American muscle cars were competing against themselves when it came to power. But rumor has it that, in the case of the Chevrolet ZR-1, the domestic horsepower war has a new international benchmark: the BMW M-division V10.
Word is that "German competition is driving the higher horsepower and torque numbers coming to the Corvette." Chevy engineers said that the new LS9 was created to "match up favorably" with the V10 found in the M5 and M6. The supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 has 620HP and 595 lb-ft of torque, with 535 lb-ft available from 2,600 RPM and a 6,200-RPM redline. The high-revving, naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V10 has 507 HP and 385 lb-ft of torque, and goes all the way up to 8,250-RPM.
Tags: Acura OEM Parts, Tech, BMW, Chevrolet, GM
Buick Riviera Concept debuts in US
At the Max Fisher Music Theater in Detroit yesterday, GM VP of Design Ed Welburn and Buick Design boss Dave Lyons showed off the Buick Riviera concept for the first time in the US. Yes, we know the Riviera is hardly new. It debuted at the 2007 Shanghai Motor Show and was in fact designed and built by GM's Shanghai Tech Center. This concept is important, however, for a number of reasons. First, it shows that while Chinese manufacturers may largely have their heart set on creating cheap knock-offs of established designs from the west, Chinese designers are actually capable of creating some great designs.
Tags: Honda Parts, Concept Cars, Coupes, Buick
Volvo XC90 Sport gets sportier with the R-treatment
Volvo's limited presence in Detroit will be punctuated by the expansion of its in-house customization line with the release of the XC90 Sport R-Design. Volvo connoisseurs can R-ified their 'ute with either 19- or 20-inch matte wheels, dual exhaust pipes, brushed sill moldings and the removal of the CUV's roof rails. Inside, a blue-lit instrument cluster joins some additional badging, a leather wrapped steering wheel and an aluminum center stack to boost the premium feel of the XC90. They're all nice touches, but we still maintain that anything sporting the letter "R" should involve upgrades to both the visual appearance of the vehicle and its performance.
Tags: volkswagen golf, SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, Volvo
2009 Dodge Ram breaks through the gate
Since both The New York Times and AllPar.com have already broken the embargo, we don't mind telling you all you need to know about the 2009 Dodge Ram. The look is as aggressive as a Ram should be, but slippier through the air than past models. Instead of upping the ante with an even larger grille, Dodge designers instead tipped the angle of the grille forward to impart the face of their truck with a solid presence. Another interesting styling touch is molding the rear bumper around the two chrome tipped tailpipes instead of having the pipes just poke out beneath.
Tags: volkswagen, Trucks/Pickups, Dodge
Fashion, Music, and a few cars, It's GM Style
For the second year in a row, General Motors kicked off the North American International Auto Show festivities with its celeb-studded GM Style Event. The show this year featured music from Mary J Blige, Maroon 5 and Detroit-area native Kid Rock. The star of the show, however, was the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. The 620hp+ sports car was the finale of the runway fashion show that featured an assortment of GM production and concept cars. We'll have more on the rest of the GM Style Event later, but for now, just enjoy the ZR1.
Tags: nissan pickup, Detroit Auto Show, Etc., Supercars, Chevrolet
Ford Verve Sedan concept
The rise in gas prices has increased demand for smaller, more fuel efficient cars in the American market, a call to which Ford has so far only paid lip service. The debut of the 2008 Focus at last year's Detroit Auto Show following the debut of several recent European market models like the Mondeo also caused people to call on Ford to bring its European Kinetic design to the U.S. Ford has finally responded on both counts, or at least it will for 2010 when the production version of this concept finally goes on sale here.
Tags: nissan frontier, Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Ford
2009 Ford F-150 looks to keep its crown
The full-size pickup market may be shrinking in sales, but it's more competitive than ever. With the introduction of the 2009 Dodge Ram and this truck, the 2009 Ford F-150, the segment is filled to the brim with modern, next-gen pickups. The best-selling F-150, however, is looking to keep its crown with the introduction of the 2009 model. Like any next-gen truck worth its salt, the '09 F-150 is pretty much better in every way.
Tags: nissan pathfinder, Detroit Auto Show, Trucks/Pickups, Ford
Lexus LF-A Roadster
Motive dropped Lexus' bomb on the unsuspecting masses a few minutes ago, showing the roadster version of the LF-A premium sports car concept. The high-po roadster is made up of carbon fiber and aluminum, supposedly maintaining a high amount of structural rigidity even without its roof.
Pulling both design and (assumed) engineering from the LF-A coupe, the roadster will be packing approximately 5.0-liters in its front-mounted V10, sending over 500 hp down to a transmission fitted between towards the back for optimal weight balance.
Tags: Exhaust Sytem, Concept Cars, Convertibles, Supercars, Lexus
2009 Mazda RX-8
Mazda's redesigned RX-8 has officially been released into the wild and, surprise, it's exactly the same as the RS model that debuted at the Tokyo Auto Salon, right down to the wheels. Mazda admits that the 2009 RX-8 is simply a mild evolution of the outgoing model, with a few changes to the exterior and interior, along with a couple of mechanical revisions and a new suspension package.
On the outside, the RX-8's shape is largely unchanged, with a new front and rear bumper, restyled front fascia and larger exhaust pipes. Inside, Mazda has redone the instrument panel and included a "variable red-zone" on the tach that indicates when the Wankel is up to operating temperature (similar to BMW's M-powered products).
Tags: Engine Parts, Detroit Auto Show, Coupes, Mazda
Malibu and CX-9 win North American Car/Truck of the Year
Though four out of the six finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards were GM vehicles, only the new 2008 Chevy Malibu managed to earn the honor of 2008 North American Car of the Year. On the truck side of things, the Buick Enclave and Chevy Tahoe Hybrid lost out to the Mazda CX-9.
The Malibu was competing for North American COTY honors against the new Honda Accord and 2008 Cadillac CTS. The judges use a point system to determine the winner, and the Malibu achieved the most among the cars at 190, with the CTS fairly close behind at 165 and the Honda firmly in third with 95.
Tags: Electrical Car Parts, Chevrolet, Mazda
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Corvette ZR1's LS9 inspired by BMW M V10?
Buick Riviera Concept debuts in US
Volvo XC90 Sport gets sportier with the R-treatment
2009 Dodge Ram breaks through the gate
Fashion, Music, and a few cars, It's GM Style
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