Fisker provides sneak peak of new Karma coupe
Of all the auto shows and random events we attend throughout the year, it never dawned on us to book a ticket to San Francisco to scope out the J.D. Power Roundtable meeting. Too bad considering that Henrik Fisker showed off a “top secret” photo of the bespoke automaker’s next project.
According to Automotive News, Fisker flashed a picture of the concept on stage and said that it would use the same lithium-ion plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the Karma sedan. Fisker went on to say that the four-seater convertible would go on sale around the same time as the Karma sedan, sometime in late 2009. A spokesman said that it’s expected to be unveiled sometime this fall.
Unfortunately, Fisker wouldn’t provide us with an image of the 2+2 cabrio, but if you happen to have a subscription to Automotive News, you can see a shot of the two-door convertible with plenty of styling cues pulled from the Karma, including the flared fenders, elongated hood and patented Fisker haunches.
[Source: Fisker, Automotive News – Sub. Req.]
Chicago 2008: Lexus ES 350 Pebble Beach Edition
If you saw our preview of the Scion tC Release 4.0 and want more, you’re in luck ’cause we’ve spotted it here in Chicago. We already knew pretty much all there was to know about the machine, including the DAMD body kit and Galactic Gray Mica paint. As is often the case, though, live photos seem to show more detail than official pics from the manufacturer, so be sure to check out our live photos in the gallery below. If you like what you see, perhaps you should act fast, only 2,300 of the 4.0s are going to be built. We’re sure that Scion will sell all of them, but we think the tC is in need of a bit more freshening than this version 4.0 offers.
2008 Chicago Auto Show: Day One is a wrap
Our traveling troop of intrepid Autobloggers have retired to their respective bars gentlemen’s clubs hotel rooms after a long day of covering the Biggest Little Auto Show in North America. We figured that now’s a good time to reflect on all the reveals that took place over the course of the Chicago Auto Show’s first day of press events, so we’ve compiled all the debuts and their respective galleries below for your reading and viewing enjoyment. We’ll be back on point tomorrow, but now, it’s time to rest.
Acura RL
Audi A4 Special Edition
BMW M3 ALMS Race Car
Chevy HHR FlexFuel
Chevy Traverse
Dodge Challenger
Ford Edge Sport
Ford Transit Connect
GMC Denali XT Concept
HUMMER H3T
Hyundai Elantra Touring
Hyundai Sonata
Lexus ES350 Pebble Beach Edition
Lexus RX350 Pebble Beach Edition
Scion tC Release 4.0
Suzuki Equator
Toyota 4Runner Urban Runner
Volkswagen Routan
YES! 3.2 Roadster
Chicago 2008: 2009 Chevy Traverse makes it a Lambda superfecta
Let’s cut right to the chase. Everything about the 2009 Chevy Traverse that will be unveiled later today in Chicago is stuff we pretty much already know. As the fourth Lambda-platform crossover from General Motors, the basics have been introduced already in the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave. The Traverse is a roomy seven (or eight)-passenger crossover with a well-organized cockpit, whose details differ only slightly from its platform sibs. That’s been GM’s M.O. thus far, so why should the Traverse be any different? Power, like the other Lambdas, comes from the 3.6L V6 with direct injection, which makes 281hp/253 lb-ft or 286hp/255 lb-ft in the Bowtie version depending on whether the vehicle is equipped with a single or dual exhaust. GM promises “best in class” fuel economy (final numbers are still TBD), but our experience with the other Lambdas (non-DI 3.6 VVT models) has been that they averaged in the mid teens during real-world driving.
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Chicago 2008: Alton F-650 XUV makes a big statement
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.
Chicago 2008: Porsche Cayenne GTS meets North America
Following breakfast here at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, Porsche took the cover off its new Cayenne GTS for the first time on our shores. After emphasizing how well the updated 2007 Cayenne has done in the market, the Stuttgart-based automaker talked about running the 2007 TransSyberia Rallye with what is essentially a stock Cayenne S. In the hands of rally veteran Rod Millen, the Cayenne with added safety equipment and spare parts finished first overall in its first attempt at the 4,000 mile race. Porsche NA marketing VP David Pryor proclaimed the GTS, however, as the best handling SUV in the world thanks to its 21-inch wheels, 20mm lower ride height and Porsche Active Suspension Management. Its 4.8L V8 has direct fuel injection to help it put out a stout 405 hp, and it’s mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. If you’re up for it, the 405-hp GTS model goes on sale now in the U.S. with a base price of $69,300.
Chicago 2008: Mitsubishi shows off 2009 Eclipses
Subaru has gained itself quite a cult following with performance Imprezas. Based on its victories in the World Rally Championship, the WRX and STi versions of the Impreza have been a big hit with the gonzo street-racer crowd. With the introduction of the latest STi, Subaru left a gaping hole between the mighty fast 224-hp WRX ($24,350) and the super-fast 305-hp WRX STi ($34,995). Since more customers will want to upgrade from the WRX than can afford the $10k+ leap to the STi, Subaru is reportedly considering slotting a new model in between the two, which could come in a little under $30k and offer about 265 horses under hood.
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Chicago 2008: Reskinned 2009 Mitsubishi Galant seen with new nose
Subaru has gained itself quite a cult following with performance Imprezas. Based on its victories in the World Rally Championship, the WRX and STi versions of the Impreza have been a big hit with the gonzo street-racer crowd. With the introduction of the latest STi, Subaru left a gaping hole between the mighty fast 224-hp WRX ($24,350) and the super-fast 305-hp WRX STi ($34,995). Since more customers will want to upgrade from the WRX than can afford the $10k+ leap to the STi, Subaru is reportedly considering slotting a new model in between the two, which could come in a little under $30k and offer about 265 horses under hood.
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Chicago 2008: International introduces the LoneStar Class 8 big rig
We give International full credit this daring design that we spied uncovered earlier this year. Still, it appears as though it’s taken a giant leap back three decades with the new Class 8 International LoneStar. International said its mission was to create a big rig that married aerodynamic efficiency with a unique look and a wide range of customization. Having asked truckers what they wanted, apparently customization means ‘more cowbell lights and chrome.’ As upright and retro Lite Brite as the design might be, it still gets gas mileage as good as the best aerodynamic semis on the market, according to International.
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Chicago 2008: It’s here - 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8
Just over two years after debuting as a concept at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the Dodge Challenger is now ready to hit the streets for real. The Challenger is reviving a name last used in the late ’70s and early ’80s on a compact, four-cylinder Mitsubishi-built coupe. This time, though, Chrysler is going back to the roots of the brand with a big muscular rear-wheel-drive coupe, initially available exclusively with a 6.1L HEMI V8 that will power the new Challenger 60 mph in the low 5-second range, according to a very conservative Chrysler. It shares the automaker’s LX platform with the Charger and Chrysler 300, and in final form, the car has changed remarkably little from the concept. The most noticeable differences are up front and include the loss of the cross-hair grille and a slim black air dam at the bottom of the bumper. Other changes are pretty subtle, such as some reshaping of the lower air intake.
Out back, the rear bumper is now more prominent and the detailing of the taillights has been revised. A flat black lip spoiler is now mounted on the trailing edge of the deck lid while the Challenger badges on the rear fenders have been dumped. The rear driver side fender now also features a prominent chrome fuel filler cap. The wheelbase of the LX platform has been shrunk from a gargantuan 120 inches for the sedans to a merely large 116 inches for the Challenger. That puts the span between the axles at 9 inches longer the Mustang, which aids interior volume. Read on after the jump for more.