Autoblog

Toyo has tapped a handful of tuners to produce six SEMA creations to highlight its range of track-ready and dirt-friendly tires. Unfortunately, we've already seen the 800 hp, Bentley Continental-based Tetsu GTR, but joining that rolling abomination to tasteless consumption are a handful of rides that better represent what SEMA is all about.

To begin with, Bulletproof Automotive is trotting out a customer-owned Nissan GT-R, wearing limited edition (and GT-R specific) BBS LM-DBK-P wheels wrapped in Toyo's 20-inch Proxes R888 tires. An Amuse Super Tough Titanium exhaust, Endless monoblock six-piston front and rear brakes and a smattering of carbon fiber aerodynamic parts round out this track- and show-friendly package.

Vivid Racing will be joined by several other firms bringing tuned Mitsubishi Evolution Xs to the show, but Vivid should stand out with its Porsche GT3 RS paint job, 18x10-inch AME Tracer 02 wheels and 650 hp on tap. We'll be on hand in a few weeks to find out how Vivid went about freeing those extra 350 ponies.

Additionally, an unnamed sixth vehicle will be accompanied by a 2009 Toyota Tundra CrewMax SR5 built by Two Brothers Custom Trucks, along with Choppin' Block Custom Fab's four-door 1931 Studebaker Model 54, riding on a custom air suspension, Centerline Smoothie wheels and powered by a Chevy 350 fed by a trio of two-barrel carburetors.

Hit the jump for all the details and stay tuned for our SEMA coverage beginning the first week of November.

We've been eagerly awaiting the upcoming introduction of the 2010 Ford Taurus since we first laid eyes on the Mondeo-inspired clay mock-up that was leaked across the Internets. Ford already announced that Ecoboost technology would power at least one version of the 2010 model, and with a 350-hp twin-turbo V6 underhood, we're thinking it's finally SHO time again. The scribes over at World Car Fans have supposedly heard otherwise, though, at least when it comes to the name. Word from industry insiders has the nomenclature as Taurus ST.

World Car Fans got more than a scoop on names; they got some pics of the sporty Taurus, as well. It looks like Ford designers opened up the lower air dam to help feed the force-fed powerplant. The next generation of the corporate grille is partly visible, too, and it appears as though the bars got thinner and less cartoonish in execution. Headlights visible through the heavy camo appear to be of the LED kind, and they look far more modern than the current Taurus' 1990's design. Massive, MKS-like 20-inch rims help show this undercover Taurus has sporty pretenses, as does the duel exhaust out back. Also evident from the spy pics is the fact that the bulbous roofline from the current Taurus has been replaced with something far more shapely and contemporary. We're still a few months from seeing the 2010 Taurus in the flesh, but it's good to see that the high-performance version is well on its way.

[Source: World Car Fans]

At 9AM Eastern on Monday morning, a fleet of 23 diesel-powered Audis will roll out from Manhattan's Tavern on the Green on a trans-continental trek to demonstrate diesel efficiency. I'm in Manhattan this afternoon preparing to spend the next week in an Audi Q7 TDI on the way to Denver and will be checking in regularly from the road as we pass through Washington, Cleveland, Chicago, Memphis, Dallas and Amarillo along the way. Audi plans to launch its fifty-state-legal Q7 TDI in the US market next spring and it seems likely that some of the other vehicles on this trip may not be far behind.

I'll be on the first two legs and Sebastian, Damon, Drew and Jonathan will take over for the second week of the trip to Los Angeles. You can also follow along at the Audi Mileage Marathon site where there's a Twitter feed following the participants as they cross the continent. There is also a live map showing our location on the road along with two blogs, including one from Audi of America boss Johan de Nysschen. Twitter users can follow audimarathon to see what some of the 200 participating journalists are saying.


[Source: Audi Mileage Marathon]

Click the image above for a high-res gallery of the Seat Exeo

Our Spanish colleagues tell us that the Iberians are none too happy about SEAT grabbing a previous generation A4 out of the garbage bin to make a new sedan. Never mind the opportunity to make an easy(-ier) profit – something that would have any automaker quaking with giddyness right now – the word "Exeo" right now translates as "It just ain't right!" Those of you who have seen the previous A4 won't be surprised by anything here, except perhaps the richness and quality of the suede interior. We can assure you it was impressive. The mirror housings are neat, too, but standard fare for SEAT. Based on the approval ratings of the old A4 by the time it retired, our guess is that new customers the Exeo is meant to attract won't be disappointed that they found their way to SEAT through these four doors. Check out the press release that makes the old new again after the jump, and our gallery of high-res photos below.

The Euro-only Toyota Avensis is reminiscent of the Lexus IS350 in the same way that you'd tell someone, "You kind of look like someone I know, but not really." It's the rising linear sideline, somewhat high and compact profile, and squared-off rear that do it. But that's from a full-on side profile and around the back. Move around the front and it really just looks like a Toyota. The raked grille and molded lips in the front bumper are unexpected, as is the subtle sexiness of the wagon. Designed in France, the new Avensis grows a little over its predecessor by 5 cm in length and width. Under the hood, possibilities include three new Valvematic gasoline engines, and two diesels, while cogs can be swapped with a 6-speed manual or the dual-mode, Multidrive S automatic. Check out the exhaustive press release after the jump, and the high-res gallery of photos below.

The Chevrolet Cruze is three kinds of car: small, American and important. And with the state of General Motors, it isn't even the individual words that mean the most: it's whether The General can combine them into a reliable, fuel efficient and cost effective package. True, we don't get to drive these things while they're parked under the lights, but to have a seat in the Cruze is to imagine a GM that begs the question, "Where was all this before the meltdown?" The studio imagery we've seen so far translates nicely into real life, and the center console looks and feels substantial – in fact, it looks like it could be foreign – even if the silver mesh treatment in the show car was a bit much. The car has a compact yet full-bodied stance, and will probably look even better on the road in a color other than scarlet, and not under klieg lights. Spring of '09 will welcome this first Cruze variant to Europe, after which other regions will get it, as well as a probable hatchback and wagon. It will be powered by a 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder that charts up to 140 hp and is said to return 40 mpg. Have a look at the high-res gallery of live shots below to get a better idea of what to expect when the Cruze goes on sale here in a couple years.

Speculation about Ferrari building a sedan has repeatedly cropped up over the past couple decades, and Ferrari denies it every time it does. As Aston Martin, Porsche and now Lamborghini have been working on four-door cars lately, the idea that Ferrari might has gained even more traction. It looks like the Sultan of Brunei will have to continue relying on Pininfarina and other coach builders for his four-door Ferraris. Today in Paris, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo applied full carbon brakes to that theory as he stated in no uncertain terms that as long as he was holding the top office at the sports car maker, "We will never do a four-door." Wtih Ferrari selling its sports cars and GTs as fast as they can be built, Montezemolo is content to let corporate sibling Maserati handle the task of building exotic Italian four-doors.

While Ferrari owners are by definition people of considerable means, they and the company are still not immune to modern realities when it comes to both fuel prices and environmental regulation. At this years Detroit Auto Show, Ferrari displayed an F430 Spyder that could run on E85 ethanol. Similarly, the F1 side of the house is currently developing a kinetic energy recovery (KERS) hybrid drive system that, like current semi-automatic transmissions, could migrate to production vehicles. According to Montezemolo, Ferrari will not be building a V10 engine either as an upgrade to the V8 or downgrade from the V12.

[Source: Automobile]

We were never particularly fond of the last generation Audi S4. With 4.2-liters of V8 hanging precariously over the front axle, it provided adequate thrust, but never delivered the dynamic thrills we used to associate with the twin-turbo'd V6 fitted to the B5 platform.

Apparently Audi agrees, and in a move to further differentiate its lineup – while also providing some competition to the all-conquering BMW 335i – it's fitted the new S4 with a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 putting out 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. With a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds and the Quattro all-wheel-drive system sending 60 percent of the power to the rear wheels, the 2009 Audi S4 is ready to do battle and we're truly looking forward to our time behind the wheel.

For all the details, check out our previous post on the 2009 Audi S4 and peruse our live gallery from the Paris Motor Show.

Audi's parent company Volkswagen already produces some of the cleanest-burning, most fuel-miserly diesel engines in the world. The Jetta TDI was recently released in the U.S. and has been making waves for its hybrid-like efficiency. So it's natural that Audi would want to show off its green credentials with a new diesel sedan of its own, and it has done so with the A4 TDI concept e, introduced at the Paris Motor Show. Based on the brand-new A4 platform, the new concept gets a 2.0L four-cylinder common-rail direct-inject turbodiesel derived from the unit powering the Jetta TDI. That mill sees tweaks to its valvetrain and cooling systems, lowering its power output a bit to 120-horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque, but increasing its fuel efficiency a great deal.

Added to the powertrain is a start/stop system that keeps the engine from idling when not needed and regenerative braking, which charges a secondary battery that keeps all your goodies running while the engine's off. The engine has also had its efficiency-robbing power steering pump removed and the rear brakes are now electrically actuated as well. All of this, plus many other small details, adds up to a remarkable 59 miles per U.S. gallon in EU combined testing! Its 10.5 second run to 60 won't win any drag races, but considering the cost of fuel and pending eco-legislation in the world's largest markets, we'd imagine that the technologies on this car will go from concept to production in short order.


[Source: Audi]

You've seen the whole Estoque shebang in Lamborghini's words, pictures, and videos. Let us add our own word to it: hmmm. It's a Lamborghini, so it's hard not to like it. And we hate to tread out the refrain, but it's much nicer in person. It feels, though, like they wanted to get this thing done in time for the show, and it needs a couple more drafts. The front aspect is spot on -- not a tough feat since it's Lamborghini's language. From the side, the it looks a little too stretched forward of the A-pillar, and there's more than one personality fighting for attention if you follow the car from snout to rear. And the back, while beautiful, is... yes... Challenger-esque... But don't take our words for it -- have a look at the high-res gallery below and give us yours.