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Let all the hearsay and rumor cease, the puppet masters at VW have released the complete details on the Audi R8 V10 just in time for Christmas the Detroit Auto Show . The R8 V10 is a 5.2-liter affair generating officially, 517 HP at a heady 8,000 RPM and 390 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 RPM. All that grunt serves to deliver a 0-to-62 MPH time of 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 196 MPH. But the engine isn't the only place getting enhanced. More details and the press release below. galleryPost('Audir8V10press2', 6, 'Audi R8 V10 Is The New Audi Hotness'); Suspension upgrades come in the form of magnetic ride control aimed at improving both ride and at the limit grip. It rides on new 19-inch ’10-spoke Y design’ wheels hiding 14.9 inch brakes up front 14.0 inches at the rear. The styling gets tweaked with a modified sideblades with bigger intakes in gloss clear finish over carbon fiber. The rear end gets a modified diffuser and oval exhaust tips, all designed to look pretty while...
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Following yesterday's hind end reveal of the Fisker Karma Tesla-killer, today we get a low-resolution peek at its nose ahead of an official reveal at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show . Again we see the production-intent car mimics the concept car almost identically, though the grille is revised nicely for a much sleeker look. But what of the details of this unique luxury automobile? The price has been revised from the original $80,000 upwards to around $87,900 but along with the price we get specs. The Karma will get not one, but two electric motors as part of its "Q-drive" powertain system, and they augment a 265 HP GM Ecotec turbocharged four cylinder for a grand total of 408 HP and 959 lb-ft of torque. In full sport mode that car will scoot from zero to 60 MPH in only 5.8 seconds, top speed is pegged at 125 MPH. Switch it down to miser mode and you can go 50 miles in all electric mode, drawing power from the lithium-ion battery pack. Production is planned for 15,000 cars a year...
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If we take out our crystal ball and look forward two months, the big three will have their precious loans in hand, Barack Obama will have solved global warming and given everyone a puppy that craps rainbows, and the 2009 Fisker Karma will be fighting the 2010 Toyota Prius and the 2010 Honda Insight for bragging rights as press darlings of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show . Considering this preview image looks pretty much exactly like the original concept right down to the solar panel roof, it's going to be tough for the decidedly less sexy Prius and Insight to keep up. The car will be debuting at the Detroit Auto Show just one year after it rocked the boat with its debut and ambitious production timeline. We can already see where this is going. Looking deeper into that crystal ball, we can already hear the sensationalist articles spouting off about how the Karma is proof of the ineptitude of the Not-So-Big Three — look what they were able to do in only one year after all! That'll...
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We were breaking stories like madmen at Detroit, after our world exclusive drive through Cobo we went to see the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 to have the world's first tailgate using the awesome new RamBox feature. And who volunteered to down the first bottle? Why that would be Dan Bodene of Chrysler Communications. Drink it down boys. galleryPost('ramtailgate', 3, 'World Exclusive Dodge Ram Tailgate');
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Today GM officially unveiled the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. Yes, the same CTS-V that we have seen again and again . Don't fret, we're still salivating over it. The CTS-V delivers 550 horsepower at 550 lb.-ft of torque with its 6.2-liter supercharged V8. It is available in six speed manual transmission or automatic with paddle shifters. For the suspension, Magnetic Ride Control ensures that all shocks of the road are absorbed and the Performance Traction Management system should keep all wheels on the road. It will be launching in the fourth quarter of 2008. galleryPost('cadillacctsvdasexterior', 5, '2009 Cadillac CTS-V Live Shots'); galleryPost('cadillacctsvexterior', 18, '2009 Cadillac CTS-V Exterior Press Photos'); galleryPost('cadillacctsvinterior', 3, '2009 Cadillac CTS-V Interior Press Photos');
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Detroit Auto Show : No one on planet earth -- save the Loverman -- likes the looks of the 2009 Honda Pilot .
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The 2009 Borrego marks Kia's first entry into the mid-size SUV market. Featuring body-on-frame construction and an optional 4.6L, 333bhp V8, it should offer serious competition to vehicles like the Ford Explorer. It also features three rows of seats, optional air-suspension, hill descent control and a high- and low-range 6-speed automatic gearbox. With the V8 it can tow 7,500lbs. The Borrego goes on sale early this summer. galleryPost('09KiaBorrego', 6, '2009 Kia Borrego Unveiling'); galleryPost('09kiaborregoleak', 6, '2009 Kia Borrego');
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Speaking at today's 2009 Pilot launch, Takeo Fukui, Honda's President announced his company is producing a new stand-alone small hybrid for the 2009 model year. The Vehicle, which will use their new IMA compact hybrid system, will retail at a cheaper price than any Honda hybrid yet. The company intend to produce 200,000 units of the hybrid, with 100,000 of them coming to North America. By 2010, Honda want Hybrids to account for 10% of their global sales. They're also planning a production version of hte CR-Z concept shown in Tokyo, it'll be a hybrid too.
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Honda have just announced that their new i-DTEC will debut in North America in a 2009 Acura model. The engine will follow in a Honda the following year. No specific figures were given, but the company claims this diesel with be 25-30% more efficient than an equivalent gasoline-powered unit.
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The 2009 Honda Pilot shares a platform with the '07 Acura MDX, starting at a lower price, with simpler features, seating 8 people. It also features a new Variable Cylinder Management system, which means the engine, can run on 6, 4 or 3 cylinders. The looks draw heavily on classic American SUV design themes, but improve upon them in a clean, contemporary way. Just look at the area behind the C-pillars for instance; it resembles what the Jeep Liberty should have looked like. Inside, the central instrument binnacle is highlighted by a clear, lighted cover that certainly looks much better than the shabby black plastic you'll find there on most vehicles.
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Aside from adding yet another word to it's name -- it's now known as either the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GLK Vision 320 CTDi Bluetec Freeside Concept, or the 2009 Mercedes-Benz GLK Vision 320 CTDi Blutec Townside Concept, the latter loses off-road pretensions -- the most notable thing to occur at this second official unveiling was the creepy flirting taking place between Dr. Z and Kim Catrall. Seriously, after watching Kim speak of her "admiration" of Dr. Z's "tight package" we had to put up with his promise to "show her around afterwards." Trust us, it sounds creepier in Gerglish. We had to leave when Dr. Z promised to "heat it up in here." If Ray wasn't such a slave driver, we'd be well on our way back to the hotel to take a scalding hot shower. galleryPost('glkexterior', 12, 'Mercedes GLK Vision Freeside Exterior Photos'); galleryPost('glkinterior', 6, 'Mercedes GLK Vision Freeside Interior Photos'...
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