The latest Mercedes McLaren SLR Roadster will sell at auction in the U.S.

On North American internet site of Mercedes-Benz introduced the auction announcement, which will be sold last McLaren SLR. On the cessation of production of the superkara McLaren and Mercedes-Benz announced this spring, a conveyor stops in early 2009. As planned when you run the model, only 3.5 will be thousands of such vehicles.

Exclusive Roadster McLaren SLR, most likely, just kollektsionnoy become rare, because this is the last copy of an already rare car. To make sportkar even more unique, his body painted in a special color - brown metallic, known as Sienna Pearl, a salon obtyanuli specially currently providing skin Tobacco Brown. This is the only McLaren SLR with a trim and color of the body.

Registration for the auction will begin the first of November, and the auction will be open through 19 days thereafter. Buy a car can be only in the United States. The starting price set at $529.5 thousand. All the money earned by the company in excess of this amount will be transferred to the Research Center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, seeking treatment and prevention of cancers in children.

Paris 2008: Saab 9-X Air

Saab 9-X Air -Competitor BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 from Saab is preparing for production

Paris 2008: Mini crossover

Mini showed a prototype of crossover in retro-style! It's beautiful!

Honda updates European Civic range for 2009

The European versions of the three and five-door Honda Civic are being updated with refreshed styling and a more generous standard equipment list as part of the vehicle’s mid-cycle update. The 1.4L engine currently in the lineup will also be replaced with a new unit featuring Honda’s latest generation i-VTEC technology, which reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and increases power and torque.

The new engine also has improved noise, vibration and harshness levels, and is now available in both the three and five-door Type S models.


Manual versions of the latest Civic will gain a shift light indicator, which combined with the existing ‘Eco Driving’ light helps improve fuel economy. Diesel versions receive slightly revised gearing designed to help reduce CO2 emissions.

Changes to the Civic’s styling include a new grille, revised bumpers, and a new rear light cluster. Inside, the cars are available with an optional iPod connector and rear parking sensors. readmore

Isuzu plans U.S. truck comeback

Isuzu Motors Limited is planning to build a plant for mid-size trucks in Alabama, according to Nihon Keizai Simbun, a Japanese newspaper.
The Japanese truck maker recently purchased land for $7.8 million in Birmingham, which was previously occupied by a warehouse of Del Monte Foods, the story said.

The company expects to start operation of the new plant in 2010 with approximately 5000 units slated for initial annual production. There was no information about the specific models that will be produced at the new plant.

Isuzu once had a joint venture in Indiana with Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru automobiles, but sold out to Fuji in 2003. It was also affiliated with General Motors, which ultimately sold its entire 7.9% stake in Isuzu.

Isuzu's current truck sales in the U.S. amount to about 27,000 units of a truck which is a version of GM's compact pickup.

[Source: The Daily Auto Insider]

Federal loans could breathe new life into GM's RWD vehicles

Just this week the $25 billion federal loan package was approved for the car industry, and already insiders are hinting that the extra cash could revive plans for GM's rear-wheel drive Alpha platform. Movement toward more RWD models had been shelved on concerns over spending and efficiency regulations earlier this year, despite the large investments that had been made in that direction.

Bringing the Alpha platform back might help recuperate some of the R&D money that would otherwise have been lost on the project. If the reports prove true, GM won't just be barging forward with an outdated model of RWD excess, according to GM Inside News. Instead, they would be working to make the Alpha platform more flexible, so that it can accommodate a whole range of vehicles from compact coupe to full-size sedan. That's a smart business move in terms of maximizing the investment they've already made, despite the minor efficiency and cost issues of RWD designs when compared to easier-to-package FWD cars.

Last year, speculation about a possible RWD Pontiac G6 began to build, but the plan was later dashed on the grounds of cost and economy issues. A flexible Alpha platform vehicle may yet revive those hopes as well, however, since the G6 would be within the scope of vehicle sizes that are reportedly being considered. Similarly, the recently speculated end of the Kappa platform may see a migration to Alpha as well, meaning the Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky/Opel GT line of cars may yet live on as well. readmore

AC Cobra 212 S/C Sports Car 3506 cc V8 Twin Turbo (Lotus) Engine

AC Cobra 212 S/C

The AC Cobra 212 S/C used the ultra low weight of the advanced Formula One carbon fibre body technology pioneered on the AC Cobra MKIV CRS. High performance Avon tyres have been selected to create a special road/race package for the AC Cobra 212 S/C to ensure that the output of the Lotus V8 reaches the road.Powering the AC 212 S/C is a 350 bhp Lotus engineered 3.5 Litre, V8, Twin Turbo engine mated to a 6 speed gearbox all hidden under a carbon fiber body.
John Owen says,"With the AC 212 S/C we've been able to bring together three tremendous assets in the same package".
AC Car Group Limited's Chief Engineer and the man who earlier led the Lotus design team which conceived the V8 unit. "We've got the ultimate sports car looks of the iconic AC Cobra. We've developed the pioneering F1 carbon fibre technology from the CRS. And we've mated all of this to one of the most powerful engines available today - the Lotus V8."
The car develops 350 bhp at 6,500 rpm and 295 lb ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. It drives through a Tremec T56 six-speed manual gearbox and BTR Hydratrak final drive (ratio 3.73:1) to the rear axle. Power steering is standard together with AP Racing dual circuit servo-assisted ventilated discs all round.The specifications of the AC Cobra 212 S/C model reflects the power of the 3.5 litre Lotus engine with twin Garratt turbochargers.
"The AC Cobra 212 S/C is a hugely valuable addition to our line up of models which so proudly display their AC Cobra pedigree", said Mike Hall, AC Car Group Limited's Joint Chairman. "