Suzuki Equator 2009 Pickup Truck
Suzuki Equator 2009 has been launched by Suzuki as the midsize pickup truck at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. With no pricing information being available yet, the 2009 Suzuki Equator will be launched on the US market in the fourth quarter of this year. There’s a choice between two engines for the 2009 Suzuki Equator: a 4.0-liter, V6 DOHC engine with an output of 261 hp with 281 lb.-ft. of torque, or a 2.5-liter DOHC inline four engine developing 152 hp and 171 lb.-ft. of torque.
(Via WWW.YOSAX.COM.)
Spy Shots: 2009 Infiniti FX
Click image for photo gallery
The official unveiling of the 2009 Infiniti FX in Geneva is just a few weeks away, but prototypes are out and about as we speak, and one of Brenda Priddy's minions caught a copper-colored example in Los Angeles yesterday. While the head and taillights are taped off, not much is left to the imagination. The car's basic overall shape remains the same, but a more pronounced grille opening dominates the protruding nose. It's flanked by angry-looking reshaped headlamps that stretch backward onto the fenders. It's certainly a departure from the more reserved look of the current one's schnoz. The tape running the length of the body obscures a character line that's been seen in other photos. 
Out back, pointier taillamps mimic the reshaped lighting up front, and the integrated spoiler on the rear hatch is now body-colored, as opposed to the blacked-out piece on the current car. Brenda also reports that the new FX is slightly longer than the one it's set to replace. An FX37 with at least 300 horsepower is expected, as is as a step-up model sporting a 5.0 or 5.5-liter V8 making something in the vicinity 375 - 400 horses. We'll be in Geneva to bring you the news as it happens.
(Via Autoblog.)
Land Rover developing new 5.0-liter V8
Land Rovers have run Jaguar's rorty AJ V8 engine since Ford got tired of sourcing engines from BMW. CAR magazine has dug up information on some mules running around in Finland with a new 4997cc engine underhood. Their photographers also caught the vehicles while they hung out in a parking lot full of tantalizing 2 and 7 series Volvos. While the AJ is a great motor, it's well into its design life. Range Rover's new engine is being developed with Bosch, and sports direct fuel injection to boost efficiency while keeping power up and emissions down. Output is rumored at 350 horsepower in naturally aspirated form and 460 ponies come to the party when a supercharger pressurizes the intake. The new engine will wind up in the engine compartment of Land Rovers, Range Rovers, and Jaguars, and will be part of a freshening of Landies and Rangies expected to drop soon.
(Via Autoblog.)
Chicago 2008 video: Hyundai brings the i-Blue to North America Gallery: Chicago 2008: Hyundai i-Blue (Via AutoblogGreen.)
Click on the i-Blue for a high-res gallery
One of the North American debuts at the Chicago Auto Show was the Hyundai i-Blue concept car and, as you can see in the video above (I hope), this thing looks a lot better in person than in the pictures we'd seen from the car's real introduction at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall. The facts behind the hydrogen-powered fuel cell cal are that same as back then: Hyundai's third-gen fuel cell stack sits under the center of the floor and a 10,000 psi storage tank holds 115L of compressed hydrogen. All these components give Hyundai's first dedicated fuel cell vehicle a range of 370 miles. While nothing on the car has changed, we're glad to change our opinion of it based on a little face time. Check the video after the jump
Geneva '08 Preview: Suburu officially brings diesels to the Legacy and Outback
From what we've heard, the new 2.0L Boxer Diesel engine from Subaru is quite a powerplant. We've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of these cars in the U.S. Unfortunately, we don't have any hard data on its arrival in the States to report, but we do have confirmation that the Legacy and Outback with the diesel will be shown off in Geneva at the upcoming Motor Show. Autoblog will be present at the event and we'll be sure to bring you all the goods and live photos of both the Legacy sedan and the Outback wagon. There are no real changes to the looks of the car, but under the skin is an engine which makes plenty of usable power while returning as much as 41 miles per gallon. We're salivating at the thought of getting this engine in the new Forester SUV. An affordable, high-mileage vehicle with plenty of versatility in the form of storage and human space with standard all wheel drive will surely fill the needs of plenty of green-minded individuals.
Gallery: 2008 Subaru Legacy 2.0D and Outback 2.0D
(Via AutoblogGreen.)
Mitsubishi testing upgraded i-Miev in Japan
Mitsubishi has been developing an electric version of their i mini-car in collaboration with Tokyo Electric Power Co. since 2005. Early drives of the car by some European journalists have been largely positive so far. The Japanese carmaker has just delivered the latest development iteration of the car that they hope start selling in the next couple of years to their utility partner. The upgraded model has a new lithium battery pack which now sports a 16kWh capacity. Apparently that's enough for 100-mile range. That's quite impressive considering that GM is looking for a 40 mile range from the same battery capacity in the Volt. Of course the Volt is a significantly larger car than the iMiev and is being designed to meet U.S. regulations and customer expectations. The 23-mile improvement is achieved through a smaller, lighter and more efficient motor, a smaller inverter and reduced rolling resistance from the wheels. Tepco has received 10 of the upgraded iMiev models for a test program that should run through March of next year.
(Via AutoblogGreen.)
Mean and Roofless: Noble M12 roadster concept by Salica
click above to view gallery
Chopping the top off of a supercar is usually a pretty good way for a small carmaker to increase interest in a dying model, but Noble evidently thought there wasn't enough interest when it shelved plans for an M12 GTC. The gents at Salica Cars think that was a mistake, but they're glad to pick up the ball.
Salica has taken on several former Noble employees to offer an open-air conversion for existing M12 owners. The ₤20k chop-job is undertaken at Salica's workshop in Bristol, England, and consists of fitting a one-piece lightweight removable roof that can be stowed under the car's rear clamshell, and a new front-end with a proper luggage compartment. Salica also fits a new intercooler and radiators. Although it has yet to materialize into anything beyond some sketches, the result promises to be a marked improvement over the stock M12's closed cockpit. But Salica isn't going to stop there: the company has plans to release a more thoroughly modified version, called the Salica GT, also based on the M12 but taking the idea further with new mechanicals and a 460-hp twin-turbo V6, which Salica hopes to offer by August with a £65,000 sticker price. Considering the final 352-hp GTO3R version of the M12 cracked 60 in three and a half seconds, the Salica GT should be one mighty fast dose of wind in your hair.
(Via Autoblog.)
Chicago Auto Show: Toyota Corolla, Meet Dave [Chicago Auto Show]
We don't remember seeing this at SEMA, because if we had, we would have made fun of it there as well. Nonetheless, the placard claims this Toyota Corolla SE Prototype was first shown at the infamous tuner show, and we claim it was first seen somewhere in a Ford studio run by Dave 'Big Balls' Horbury. Seriously -- check out that grille, somebody falling in love with the Ford Fusion much? Perhaps this is a new salvo in a developing grille wars. Whatever. We feel like maybe we should be on the look out for a restyled Ford Taurus sporting a Klingon forehead grille.
(Via Jalopnik.)
Chicago 2008: the Lexus RX 350 Pebble Beach Edition
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lexus RX 350 Pebble Beach Edition.
Lexus showed up in Chicago with two special edition cars from a different time in a different state. Lexus has been making limited edition vehicles for the Pebble Beach glitterati since 2003, which up to now has always been a Lexus SC 430 unveiled at the concours' Vogue fashion show. This year marks the first time the line has expanded beyond the hardtop coupe, and the RX 350 gets its chance to try on a swanky paint job and some of them there special features. In case you're wondering what color that is, it's Truffle Mica -- but it comes in two others, in case speckly fungus isn't exactly your flavor. Buyers will even get to choose from three packages that come with the special edition -- which would make them even more special. But we won't spoil the surprise -- the full press release is after the jump, and check out the gallery of hi-res photos below.
Continue reading Chicago 2008: the Lexus RX 350 Pebble Beach Edition
(Via Autoblog.)
Spy Shots: entry-level Maserati sportscar
To the untrained eye, this might look like the Maserati GranTurismo. It's wearing no camouflage to tip it off as a test mule, but if you look closely, you'll notice that it's a fair bit shorter than the expansive GT we already know. The roof is clearly fixed, ruling this out as the anticipated convertible version of the GranTurismo. Sources suggest instead that this is a developmental version of the 911-fighting new sportscar that Maserati CEO Roberto Ronchi recently alluded to.
Maserati insisted all along that the GranTurismo was not a replacement for the Coupe/Spyder/GranSport range, and indeed the two models ran alongside each other for a short while before the aging model was discontinued. Although Ronchi claimed his company had yet to decide definitively over which new model would join the Trident marque's line-up, these spy shots could indicate otherwise. Whether the new model takes styling cues, however, from the upcoming Chicane concept remains to be seen.
(Via Autoblog.)
PPI puts Porsche on notice with Audi R8 Razor
Click to view in our high-resolution image gallery
If the Audi R8 put 'old luxury' on notice with its Super Bowl commercial, then PPI is putting Porsche tuners on notice with its modified R8 Razor. Initially shown at the Essen Motor Show last year, the PPI R8 Razor aims to dramatically increase the performance of the stock Audi supercar with a series of modifications.
Just because we love our readers so, we'll give you the best part first: PPI has coaxed an extra 40 horses and 26 little torques out of the R8's 4.2-liter FSI V8, bringing total output up to 460 and 343 respectively. PPI claims that's enough to drop over half a second off the car's run to sixty, down to four seconds flat, with a top speed of 192mph. Pretty impressive, but as you can tell from the pictures, PPI didn't stop with the engine. The German tuning house has fitted a full carbon fiber aero kit, available in glossy or matte finish, consisting of a lip spoiler, larger air intakes that help airflow and facilitate brake cooling, along with sills, blades, a diffuser and an adjustable wing to keep this puppy glued to the tarmac. PPI also used carbon fiber to create 19-inch two-piece rims, complete with black magnesium spokes, and wrapped in ultra-low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport Cup rubber. Inside the CF love-in continues with trim pieces galore, and PPI will also reupholster the interior in custom leather, suede and Alcantara at the customer's choice.
Press release after the jump and images in the gallery below. Consider yourself put on notice.
[Source: PPI]
Gallery: Audi R8 Razor by PPI
Continue reading PPI puts Porsche on notice with Audi R8 Razor
(Via Autoblog.)
Chicago 2008: Alton F-650 XUV makes a big statementUPDATE: Video of the Alton F-650 is available after the jump
click above for high-res gallery of the Alton F-650 XUV
We've seen some outrageous F-650-based vehicles like this before (the DeBerti for one), but for some reason, the Alton F-650 XUV jumped out at us at the Chicago Auto Show. Perhaps we were already focused on Ford's Work Solutions trucks in the vicinity, but this insane beast just put our DSLRs on autopilot. The F-650-based XUV was built by Alton Manufacturing and carries a GVWR of 25,999 lbs. That makes the 660 ft-lbs of torque generated by its 7.2L Caterpillar engine seem paltry. Besides the big-rig-meets-Excursion bodywork, your nearly $200,000 expenditure for this XUV will get you hardwood floors, custom captains chairs, a 42-speaker sound system, two drop-down 16-inch TVs plus a 42-inch plasma, four computer workstations, plus a train horn. Oh, you'll also get bragging rights for the biggest, baddest truck in 99% of the world's neighborhoods.
Continue reading Chicago 2008: Alton F-650 XUV makes a big statement
(Via Autoblog.)
