Future Car Trends

Thursday, October 30, 2008

CDC's SEMA Show Widebody 2009 Dodge Challenger

Since this is the first SEMA Show after the introduction of the new Challenger in Chicago this past February, we're expecting to see Dodge's muscle car -and we're not kidding- in the dozens. We'll be informing you about as many custom Challengers as possible prior to the show's grand opening next Tuesday. One of the latest modded Challengers that we found comes from Classic Design Concepts (CDC). The Michigan-based tuner has readied a widebody version of the muscle car that gets composite front fenders and "billboard" rear flares with a larger that life HEMI logo. -Continued

Other styling mods performed by CDC include a stainless wire front grille, an alluminum hood that boasts a cold air "shaker" system and sequential tail lights as well as new alloy wheels.

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Nissan Releases New KIX Mini SUV in Japan

Product sharing is a fairly common practice in Japan when it comes to vehicles that belong in the mini and the so-called "Kei car" segments. The new Nissan KIX that went on sale today in Japan is a rebadged Mitsubishi Pajero Mini with a few minor styling changes. The mini SUV is offered with Mitsubishi's miniscule 0,6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that delivers an output of 64HP and is mated to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The KIX features a standard 4WD system that allows changes between 2WD and 4WD operating modes by a transfer case shift lever. -Continued

According to Nissan, the 4-seater KIX boasts ample road clearance with an approach angle of 38°, departure angle of 46°, and minimum ground clearance of 195 mm. The Japanese automaker has set a domestic sales target of 300 units per month. Prices for the KIX begin from 1,402,800 yen which comes to about $14,500 at current exchange rates.

Video: 2009 Audi S4 3.0 TFSI V6 Test Drive

The past week or so Audi has been inviting automotive journalists to test drive its 2009 S4 that was previewed at the Paris motorshow in early October. The S4 sedan and S4 Avant are both equipped with the firm's brand-new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine that produces an output of 333HP and a maximum torque of 440 Nm (324.53 lb-ft). Click through to watch the new S4 in action through a fixed camera inside the vehicle. -Continued

Via: Autoblog.it

Dodge Challenger Convertible from NCE Heads for SEMA Show

Newport Convertible Engineering or NCE for short will be the second tuner to debut a drop-top conversion for the new Dodge Challenger Coupe at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. But unlike Coach Builders Limited that released a set of real life photos of their Challenger Convertible, NCE which has chopped anything from a Prius to a GMC Yukon, has preferred to tease us with a few "photo-chopped" pictures of a factory Challenger SRT8. -Continued

Apparently, we'll have to wait for the SEMA Show opening on Tuesday, 4 November to see how NCE's version has turned out. Until then, either check out the rest of the faux Challenger Convertible pics or click here to read about Coach Builders' proposal.

BMW 135i by Hartge

German based BMW Group tuning specialist Hartge first showed us off-the-shelf parts for the 1-Series coupe when it was first released, and then shortly followed with the aerodynamics kits. Now Hartge have developed an ECU upgrade for BMW's already potent 3.0-liter bitrubo engine in the 135i coupe releasing an additional 44hp.

The result is a total of 350hp at 5660 rpm and 480 Nm (lb-ft 354) at 2950 rpm. The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) arrives in 4.8 seconds – a half second faster than its standard 5.3 seconds. Also, an unrestricted top speed allows 280 km/h (174mph).

Hartge states that a 135i fully equipped with the entire suite of components will cost in Germany € 48,162.14, excluding VAT.

Mercedes-Benz CLS Facelift by Inden Design

The German tuning firm Inden Design has introduced an new suspension and tire package for the recently facelifted Mercedes-Benz CLS. Inden Design's subtle tuning proposal includes a set of 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped around in 255/30 ZR19 rubber up front and 305/25 ZR19 at the back complemented by a lower suspension setting that gives the CLS a more aggressive stance. Hit the jump for the image gallery.

2009 Daewoo Lacetti -aka Chevy Cruze- Goes on Sale in Korea: 42 High-Res Photos

Remember the Chevy Cruze that was launched at the Paris Show in early October? Well, a rebadged version of the compact sedan has just gone on sale in Korea under the Daewoo brand as the Lacetti. And yes, just like you, we are also completely dazzled by the fact that a product of an American company can go immediately for sale in a less significant market like Korea but it will take -for whatever reasons - another two or maybe even three years as some speculated recently, for the same vehicle to come to the States. Until then, American consumers can either go for the Cobalt or other proposals (mostly) from foreign automakers. -Continued

Maybe we're missing something here, but it doesn't quite make sense how a car that Chevy and GM needed two years ago in the States will take another two years to arrive but it's already on sale somewhere else...

But anyway, back to the Lacetti, the new compact sedan will be offered in Korea with a 1.6-liter engine that produces 114HP and is available with a standard five-speed manual gearbox and optionally with a six-speed automatic transmission. Prices in Korea will start from 11.5 million won or about $9,200 at current exchange rates.

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