Honda S2000 Type S at 2007 Tokyo Motor Show

The Tokyo Motor Show is about to burst at the seams and manufacturers are dropping names left and right. The latest of these is the Honda S2000 Type S which is based on the highly praised S2000 but adds a huge spoiler and a new aerodynamic package. In fact, it seems to be the US Honda S2000 Club Racer which made its debut at the New York Motor Show.

The Type S is powered by Honda's 237 hp 2.2 liter 4-cylinder DOHC engine and is, as the US press office so nicely stated, 'The S2000 CR is the closest thing you can get to a Honda-built racecar with license plate holders and a horn'.

Pricing in Japan starts at 3,800,000 (just over 23,500 EURO) and Honda hopes to sell 100 units every month and can be had in ten different colours with black and yellow interior, just like its US counterpart.

[Source: WorldCarFans]

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2007 Ford Flex by Chip Foose

(from Ford Press Release) Star of Overhaulin’ and the hottest custom car designer on the scene, Foose gave the Flex a look of contemporary suburban luxury that accentuates its already stand-out good looks.

Riding on Foose Design 22-inch wheels and Eibach springs customized for a lower appearance, the Foose Flex exterior features a custom-mixed, tow-tone blue and cream pearl paint job.

Inside, this color scheme continues with three-tone blue, gray and tan premium leather surfaces by Katzkin Leather.

Custom front and rear fascias and rocker panels are complemented by a custom wrap-around chrome beltline. Additional exterior details include painted appliquй door handles and a relocated license plate. With custom upper and lower grilles and bold FORD lettering across the front and rear, the Foose Flex reflects the right amount of expressive luxury appeal.

“When Ford called, I was quite excited to be one of the first to get my hands on the Flex,” says Foose. “I didn’t want the individual pieces I added to be the most eye-catching parts. I wanted it to look as if it came from Ford’s design studio.”

© Source: seriouswheels
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2007 Fiat Punto Abarth

There are few things in motoring more appealing than a small, fast Italian car, and this new Grande Punto Abarth is one of the best ever.

All the ingredients are there: 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, light and sparky and free-revving and developing 155bhp, tight, well- honed chassis, good looks and plenty of chirpy Latin character. If you love cars, there's no way you could help but love a Punto Abarth, that's the bottom line.
The engine's powerful for a 1.4, but more importantly, it's torquey: 152 lb ft at 5000rpm, which increases to 170 lb ft at 3000rpm when you press the Sport Boost button in the middle of the dash. It's a good, useful button, that, firming up the steering at the same time. It transforms the nature of the car, with all of that boost punching in at lower revs.It really nails you into the seat: the 0-62mph time is 8.2secs, which is fairly brisk, and it's easy to zap through the six speed box because the change is quick and precise.

Throw it at a corner and the fun continues. There seems to be no understeer whatever, and the advantage of having such a small, light engine up front is obvious once you start changing direction in a manic fashion. You can turn the stability control system off, but it's never fully off, giving the fairly young potential buyers of this car a safety net. Idiotic hard-heads will be moaning at this, but it's a good idea - you can still have plenty of 'dorifto' fun before it cuts in.

So that's the standard Abarth - and then there's the Abarth Essesse kit. For Essesse (pronounced essay-essay) read 'SS' or Super Sport. That gives you a full 180bhp and 200lb ft of torque. Nice - it's a properly fast car and it's definitely the option to go for, judging by my brief run in a prototype. Expect prices to start at around £13K, with about £4K more for the SS, when the Grande Punto Abarth goes on sale early next year. That sounds like a proper bargain to me.

© Source: topgear
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Added diesel choice for Suzuki’s sport x-over

Suzuki’s SX4 sport crossover range, which blends the character of a sporty compact with that of a lightweight SUV, is now being offered with a second diesel option. The new 1.6 DDiS engine – supplied by Peugeot – complements the existing 120 PS 1.9 DDiS unit and its 90 PS output and 215 Nm of torque ensure lively, flexible performance characteristics matched by strong fuel economy.Mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox and driving through the front wheels, the combined cycle figure is a frugal 53.3 mpg and CO2 emissions are 139 g/km, yet the latest SX4 clocks up 0-62 mph in 12.2 seconds and has a potential top speed of 109 mph. Equipment levels are similar to the SX4 1.6 GL but adds manual air conditioning, heated door mirrors, 16 inch alloys, roof rails, front fogs and wheelarch extensions. The on-the-road price is £11,999 and, in common with petrol-engined models, the new model qualifies for a 6D insurance grouping. Like the rest of the SX4 range, the 1.6 DDiS offers an exciting small car alternative, combining responsive driving dynamics, high levels of practicality and styling that suggests a freestyle approach to life. The roomy interior includes 60:40 split rear seats which tumble to create an almost flat floor and a boot capacity of 625 litres. An extensive array of safety features include front, side and curtain airbags, plus front seat pre-tensioners. As well as the larger 120 PS diesel, the SX4 also offers a 107 PS 1.6 VVT petrol engine with either two-wheel drive or – in the 4GRIP model – intelligent All Wheel Drive.

2007 Jay Leno E85 Chevrolet Corvette

(from General Motors Press Release)LAS VEGAS – “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno’s predilection for performance cars is no secret, but many fellow enthusiasts may not know that he is keenly interested in alternative fuels.

To prove that red-blooded power mixes easily with a touch of green, Leno partnered with Pratt & Miller – the engineering company that builds and campaigns C6.R Corvettes – to develop a modified Corvette Z06 that is capable of running on E85 ethanol. It was unveiled at the 2007 SEMA Show.

More than merely a conversion of the stock LS7 engine to E85 capability, Leno’s alternative-fuel supercar is powered by a custom, 8.2L (500-cubic-inch) all-aluminum small-block V-8 that pumps out approximately 600 horsepower and 585 lb.-ft. of torque.

The engine is built around a custom aluminum cylinder block that was CNC-milled from a single block of billet aluminum. And while the cylinder heads, intake system and dry-sump oiling system are stock LS7 components, the engine – which has larger bore and stroke dimensions than the 7.0L (427-cubic-inch) LS7 – uses a one-off reciprocating assembly, including a forged steel crankshaft, forged rods and forged pistons. Katech Engines, the company that builds engines for the Corvette C6.R racing program, developed the engine.

The fuel system and engine control computer were modified to accommodate E85, and spent gases exit through a Corsa exhaust system. Supporting the 600-horse engine’s power is a blueprinted and strengthened T-56 six-speed transmission and a high-performance Centerforce dual-friction clutch.

© Source: seriouswheels
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Take That on tour with Volkswagen

The British pop band, Take That, have chosen a Volkswagen Caravelle to use on their current European tour promoting their new album, Beautiful World. The Volkswagen Caravelle is the perfect people carrier to take on tour, not least because the middle row of seats can swivel to face the rear. This creates a sociable lounge area with a multi-functional table for Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange to relax in before and after each concert.‘The Caravelle is stylish, comfortable and safe,’ commented Gary Barlow. Many other artists, including the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Chris de Burgh, have also found the Volkswagen Caravelle a popular choice for their recent tours. Apart from being the chosen vehicle for celebrities, the Volkswagen Caravelle is equally at home as a family vehicle or luxury limousine with seven seats, luxury SE and Executive specifications and the choice of 130 PS or 174 PS TDI diesel engines. Full details of the Take That Beautiful World Tour are available at www.takethattv.com; for information on the Caravelle, please visit www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/caravelle.

Kia Unveils Spectra5 SX Concept at 2007 SEMA Show

Kia Motors America (KMA) displayed its sporty new concept vehicle, the Spectra5 SX concept, at this year's SEMA Show today in Las Vegas. A product with influences from KMA's design team, the Spectra5 SX sets the stage for future concept and production vehicles to be shown throughout the upcoming auto show season by putting into action some of the styling cues that will soon become part of Kia's new overall design language."Spectra5 SX concept hints at some subtleties of Kia's new design language," said Tom Kearns, chief designer of KMA. "This concept vehicle is only the tip of the iceberg of what is to come from Kia in the near future." The Spectra5 SX concept is finished in an edgy three-stage Amped Amber exterior color that changes shades and color depending on the vantage point. Based off of the production Spectra5 SX, the Spectra5 SX concept displays a more aggressive stance -- dropped 1.4 inches in front and 1.2 inches in the rear -- further accentuated by a unique front fascia with an expanded opening and mesh inserts, which also hints Kia's new design philosophy. A similarly- styled rear fascia and rear diffuser round out the back end of the vehicle, atop a catback exhaust with a 2.25-inch outlet. The headlamps and tail lamps are also tinted to complete the look. This spry Kia ride sits on 18-inch wheels fitted with 235/45R18 performance tires with a twin-spoke wheel design and black chrome finish. To demonstrate its abilities, the Spectra5 SX concept is outfitted with high- performance cross-drilled and slotted four-wheel disc brakes with front Rotora four-piston aluminum calipers and rides on a performance suspension with high- performance Eibach springs.