While the new Cadillac One may look like a stretched Cadillac DTS, it’s in fact based on the gigantic GMC Topkick truck platform. Security tech likely includes five-inch thick bulletproof glass, ultra high strength ceramic armor and cellphone jammers, but the Secret Service is putting the kibosh on official details for security reasons. One tech item they are talking about are the LED spotlights that’ll illuminate the fender-mounted flags at night.
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Mazda has decided to kick off the New Year by introducing a new Tamura Special Edition package that will be available on hatchbacks versions of the Mazda2 and Mazda6 in the UK.

Mazda6 Tamura’s are based off the 2.0 5dr TS model and feature a sport styling package that also consists of new front and rear sports bumpers, side skirts and a rear spoiler. Other exterior changes include privacy glass, clear rear light bezels, and special 18-inch wheels. Power comes from a 2.0-liter engine that cranks out 147PS this allows the car to run from 0-62 mph in a leisurely 10.2 seconds. The price of admission is £16,695 or just £306 more than the TS.

The Mazda2 1.3 Tamura special edition can be ordered in either three-door or five-door guise and is based off the TS2 trim level. A sport styling package that includes new front and rear bumpers, a two-bar grille, side skirts and rear spoiler is the model’s biggest change but the company also threw in unique 16-inch dark grey wheels which help to make the special edition standout.

Under the hood is a 1.3-liter petrol engine that produces 86PS, it is connected to a five-speed manual and this combination allows the model to achieve 54.3mpg in the combined cycle. Prices start at £10,275 for the three-door and £10,775 for the five-door effectively making the styling package a £397 option.
via:World Car Fans

Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) — Chrysler LLC, pruning its lineup to save money, will stop building the PT Cruiser this year and is seeking buyers for the equipment used to make the model, President Tom LaSorda said.

Production “ends this summer,” LaSorda said today in a telephone interview. “Would we sell those assets? Yes. Do we have any offers to sell those assets? No. Would we be pursuing a buyer? Yes.”

The PT Cruiser, with a rounded body to mimic 1930s-style station wagons, would be the seventh model to be canceled since Cerberus Capital Management LP bought Chrysler in August 2007. The third-largest U.S. automaker is using $4 billion in federal loans to stay in business while reshaping operations to end losses.
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The new Boxster and Cayman, both of which debuted at the 2008 Los Angeles auto show last November, go on sale here in March, with the Boxster starting at $46,600 and the Boxster S at $56,700. The Cayman starts at $50,300 for the base car and $60,200 for the Cayman S. Those prices represent about a 1.8 percent increase from 2008 Boxster and Cayman prices.

Porsche, in a rather overt attempt to stay in the news during a week dominated by 2009 NAIAS coverage (the company abstained from displaying at the show), just announced retail prices for each of its revised 2009 Boxster and Cayman models, the most powerful iterations of the 10Best-winning sports cars yet.

Exterior changes for 2009 include new LED running lights and new taillamps, but more significant to us are the new engines. The now-2.9-liter flat six (up from 2.7) makes 255 hp in the Boxster and 265 hp in the Cayman, and the 3.4-liter in the S versions benefits from the addition of direct injection. The 3.4-liter now delivers 310 hp in the Boxster S and 320 hp in the Cayman S. All four models can be ordered with Porsche’s seven-speed double-clutch PDK gearbox.

Features added to the range include XM radio, Bluetooth connectivity, an iPod interface and Porsche Communication Management (PCM) with a touch screen. Porsche’s new 7-speed double clutch transmission called Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe or PDK can be ordered with any of the four models.

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There were some notable absences at this year’s Detroit auto show, including Nissan, Suzuki and Ferrari. Now comes word that all three major U.S. automakers are pulling out of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

It’s the latest sign that a bad economy and crashing sales are disrupting the industry on an international scale. Word of the three U.S. car companies’ withdrawal from Tokyo prompted speculation that the show might be canceled. But a spokesman for the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Assn. told reporters Wednesday that the show would continue.
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Later this year, SMS will reveal plans for a new 460 Mustang package based on the new 2010 Ford Mustang. While the car is still in the design stages, The Detroit News reports that it will come with a patented SMS Red Butterfly Induction hood over a supercharged V8 engine. Towards the end of the year, or possibly in early 2010, SMS will add a modified Chevrolet Camaro to its lineup.
Instead, the SMS label will be used for a new range of modified muscle cars, based around the new 2009 Dodge Challenger, 2010 Ford Mustang and upcoming 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. Based in Anaheim, California, SMS is currently building the first of its new hotted-up muscle cars, the Dodge Challenger 570 Series.

Starting at $60,000 for a complete car, the SMS prepped Dodge Challenger 570 delivers more than 500hp (373kW) from a highly modified 5.7L V8 engine. Also on offer is a 700hp (522kW) version, which is priced at $70,000.

At the start of last year American performance workshop Saleen announced plans to establish its new SMS Limited brand. The company then rolled out a stunning supercar concept to coincide with the launch of the brand, but unfortunately financial hard times put an end to plans for production of the mid-engined concept.
via motorauthority

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 7, 2009 — Scion announced today that its first limited-production vehicle for 2009, the xB Release Series 6.0 (xB R.S. 6.0), will be available at dealer showrooms in February.

Only 2,500 units of the xB RS 6.0 will be built. The xB RS 6.0 model will carry a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,743 over the base price of the xB. The base MSRP for the standard xB with a manual transmission is $15,750, while the standard xB with an automatic transmission model carries a MSRP of $16,700. The available Absolutely Red spoiler has a MSRP of $320, not including installation.
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The new Renaultsport Megane will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show on 3 March. UK sales have been brought forward and the new car will be available by late summer, or even slightly earlier.

The new Renaultsport Megane is expected to be seen as a direct rival for the forthcoming more extreme versions of the new Volkswagen Scirocco.

The new Renaultsport Megane will be based on the dramatic three-door Megane coupe, and a five-door version based on the regular Renault Megane hatchback has been ruled out.

The hot version will get unique styling, with a completely different nose based on that of the new Megane Trophy race car (pictured) that was unveiled at the Paris show last September.
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Honda has put an end to the next generation Honda S2000 in a restructuring plan meant to flex the company’s green muscle while bringing them back to basics. A halt to the S2000 will no doubt leave many fans of the roadster disappointed.

Honda CEO Takeo Fukui has made company objectives clear: 500,000 hybrids built by 2012, including the Honda Insight and the 80mpg Honda Jazz. It is too bad they could not figure out a way to keep the Honda S2000 in the fold. Hopefully, they will take another look at the project when the economy recovers.

The plan was first announced in an end-of-the-year speech by Honda CEO Takeo Fukui. In that speech, he directly addressed the need to cut projects like the Honda NSX (Acura NSX, in America), as the need to be sustainable outweighed the demand for sports cars. The new direction was a result of the rapidly declining economy, and sudden -yet massive- fluctuations in oil pricing. Fukui believes products that larger audiences want, and are capable of paying for, will insulate the company from any more exposure to a global economic crisis.
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KTM, the Austrian purveyor of both two- and four-wheeled motoring lust, has made it clear that it’s a force to be reckoned with as it branches out into other enthusiast markets with such ridiculously awesome products as the X-Bow roadster and its RC8 superbike.

Two things that remain a constant feature through all of the firm’s recent products are the orange, black and white color pallette and its angular design language. These features, along with KTM’s race-ready heritage, makes conceptual vehicle design for the company extremely interesting and proof comes in the form of six concepts designed by industrial design students at FH JOANNEUM University.

This is an instance where pictures speak louder than words, but we’ve copied the designer’s stated vision for each machine with captions in our gallery below. Each of these concepts was designed in conjunction with KTM, so they may offer an early glimpse into what’s coming from the company. In a word: awesome. We’ll take one of each. Thanks for the tip, Marc!

* KTM AX – A radical off-road four-wheel vehicle concept
* KTM sr 85 Deuce – An environmentally-friendly lightweight vehicle
* KTM CX – A racing vehicle that brings motocross to the water
* KTM 360° – A super-light, silent electric bike
* KTM Ascender Flight Vehicle – A gas turbine-propelled flying vehicle
* KTM Barracuda – A hydrofoil boat
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