Kia is set to replace its Spectra sedan and hatchback next year--but the lineup and name will change when the new car bows in 2009.
This morning's Automotive News reports what
Kia officials hinted at during this year's New York auto show: that the Koup concept shown above would eventually emerge as the brand's first coupe offering in the United States. The News reports that the coupe will effectively take the place of the Spectra five-door, which hasn't proven to be a strong seller. The coupe will join the Soul crossover as
Kia tries to draw in younger buyers.
The Spectra name may go away along with the five-door body style.
Kia will, however, still sell the hatchback in Europe under its cee'd nameplate.
Posted in : Coupes, Kia
Email this page to your friend:
Everyone should be so lucky as Jay Leno. He has essentially lifetime employment if he wants it, a chin that could double as billboard space, and the world's best garage, next to the Sultan of Brunei. So it's hard to feel jealous of the
Tonight Show host in this video that shows him taking possession of his new
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8.
Leno's
own Web site hosts the video, which Chrysler passed around to the world on its blog even though it's stuffed with ads for GM cars. Also starring: Leno's 1970 Challenger and a couple of telltale skid marks (the fun kind). Please to enjoy--work safe, but kind of loud, so use the iBuds:
Posted in : 2008, Celebrities, Coupes, Dodge, Videos
Email this page to your friend:
A new
Mercedes CLK prototype has shown itself in Germany to TheCarConnection.com's spies, giving you the first unobstructed look at the new coupe's split headlight design.
A similar (perhaps identical) headlight design is expected on Mercedes's next E-Class. But even on the very latest E-Class prototypes--which are running around with much less camouflage than this CLK--we haven't seen such a revealing look at the front lights.
From the looks of this roofed prototype,
Mercedes-Benz likely will stick with a fabric roof for its CLK
convertible. The new CLK is expected to bow at next year's Geneva motor show.--
KGP Photography
Posted in : 2010, Coupes, Luxury Cars, Mercedes-Benz, Spy Shots
Email this page to your friend:
The 2009 Porsche 911 arrives this September in the States, and for the first time Porsche's hallmark sportscar will offer a dual-clutch transmission--the type of semi-manual box that colleagues at Audi and Volkswagen have been installing in their cars for a few years.
While Porsche plays catch-up on gearboxes, it's pushing power and even fuel economy higher on the four new models in the 911 lineup--911 Carrera Coupe, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S Coupe, and 911 Carrera S Cabriolet. The standard cars still use a 3.6-liter flat six-cylinder engine with 345 horsepower, while the S versions carry on with a 3.8-liter six with 385 horsepower and a top speed of 188 mph, Porsche claims.
Direct injection on the engines helps improve fuel economy, as does the addition of the seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission, tagged by Porsche as the Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK). Pictured below, the PDK gearbox uses twin clutches and staged actuation to give smoother shifts and up to 13 percent better fuel economy across the lineup. It also replaces the Tiptronic transmission on these models, Porsche says. With the gearbox, the Carrera Coupe hits 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and the S in 4.3 seconds, about 0.2 second faster than with a manual six-speed transmission, Porsche promises. A Sport Chrono Plus package with a Launch Control feature that limits wheelspin can cut another 0.2 second from that time.
Among the minor mods for the 2009 Porsche 911 are bigger air intakes, LED driving lights, and bi-xenon headlamps. Porsche's touch-screen in-car controller is standard, while navigation, XM with NavTraffic, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, and an auxiliary audio jack are available.
Posted in : 2009, Convertibles, Coupes, Porsche, Sportscars
Email this page to your friend:
Earlier this year, we took you for a wild ride in the
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, and then showed you the significantly less hairy 2009 versions of the new two-door musclecar. Today, the Chrysler crowd's set a price on the 2009 Dodge Challenger lineup, and for fans of all-hat, some-cattle cars, it's good news.
At a base price of $21,995 including destination, the base version of the 2009 Dodge Challenger won't significantly outprice Ford's Mustang. The base car comes with Dodge's 250-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and a four-speed automatic transmission. It won't turn in 12-second quarters, but it will get 18/25 mpg, Dodge says. Standard features include curtain airbags, power windows/locks/mirrors, a CD player, and a telescoping steering wheel.
The
2009 Dodge Challenger R/T, shown here at its Chicago auto show debut, gets HEMI power and a sticker price of $29,995. Underneath its hood, the 370-horsepower HEMI 5.7-liter V-8 is paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, while a Track Pack offers a Tremec six-speed manual and a total of 375 horsepower to go with standard anti-lock brakes, stability control, and 18-inch wheels.
The Challenger SRT8 returns with a sticker of $39,995 and gets the manual-gearbox option too. The Challenger lineup includes marvy options like real-time traffic through Sirius Satellite Radio, Keyless Go pushbutton start, and Bluetooth.
Posted in : 2009, Coupes, Dodge
Email this page to your friend:
RSS
Send Feedback!
Marty Padgett June 30th, 2008
;)
Kia is set to replace its Spectra sedan and hatchback next year--but the lineup and name will change when the new car bows in 2009.;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
