This November's Los Angeles Auto Show is shaping up to be Mecca for enthusiasts. The 2010 Ford Mustang is due to be revealed in the City of Angels, Volkswagen will supposedly unveil a mid-engine roadster to rival the Elise and it's been all but officially confirmed by Nissan that the 370Z is on its way – two of them, no less.

So with all that rear-wheel-drive hotness on display, the redesigned Mazda3 sedan might have to struggle for attention. Then again, it might not. As suspected, spied and rendered, the next Mazda3 will be taking cues from the recently released Mazda6, including flared wheel arches, swept back headlamps and a gaping air dam. The illustration above (courtesy of AutoCar) is yet another derivation of a reoccurring theme we've seen before, and with the same C1 Ford Focus chassis, the 2010 Mazda3 will have the looks to back up its performance.

As for engines, European consumers will get a choice of gasoline powerplants ranging from 1.4- to 2.0-liters, along with 1.6- and 2.2-liter oilburners. In the U.S., we can expect engines ranging from 2.0- to 2.5-liters, while the Mazdaspeed version is expected to be packing the turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder from the Focus ST. The five-door will debut at the Bologna Motor Show in December, and sales are expected to begin in Europe and North America early next year.

Mitsubishi has just released pricing on the all-new 2009 Lancer Ralliart and for $26,490, you can get behind the wheel of the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Evo Lite. Equipped with the same 4B11T/C as the Evolution X, the Ralliart is putting out 237 hp through a modified version of the Evo IX's AWD system. That includes an Active Center Differential, along with front and rear mechanical LSDs and settings for Tarmac, Gravel and Snow. Active Stability Control is part of the package, as is Traction Control, but unfortunately, Ralliartists have to make due without the Active Yaw Control equipped on its big brother.

The optional Recaro Sport Package will set you back an additional $2,750, and includes front Recaro buckets, HID headlamps, a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate sound system with a six month subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio.

A wealthy Arab man, thought to be a Sheikh, recently had his black and gold Lamborghini LP640 flown 3,250 miles to London via Qatar Airways and trucked to a certified UK Lamborghini dealership last Friday for a fluid change, which cost him a paltry £3,552 compared to the £20,000 round-trip flight. That's a grand total of £23,552 ($46,644 USD) for a friggin' oil change.

Environmentalists are obviously not pleased with the owner's wanton display of conspicuous consumption. Airport workers at Heathrow also blasted the owner's excess after watching the car get the royal treatment on the runway. One commented, "This car doesn't have a carbon footprint - more of a crater," and another pointed out that it would've been much cheaper to just fly certified Lamborghini technicians to Qatar to do the service.

This type of behavior begs the question of how far one's personal choice extends in the face of the greater good. We're told the Earth is dying beneath our feet and it's all our fault, so should a Sheikh be allowed to ship his car around the world for an oil change while the rest of us stick compact flourescent light bulbs in our lamps and wait in line to buy a Prius? Perhaps the only act that could be more environmentally egregious than this is if he just threw out his exotic and bought a new one every 3,000 miles.

[Source: The Sun]

We're less than a day away from the official unveiling of the 2009 Ford Ka, but as is often the case, more cracks are appearing in the dam. This latest leakage comes courtesy of AM-Online, with two new images showing the Ka's new rear end and, more importantly, the interior.

Ford's "Kinetic" cues carry over to the Ka, with a slanted stance, large C-pillar and miniscule spoiler below the rear window. The interior has undergone a thorough update, including a new three-spoke steering wheel with brushed aluminum accents that tie into the door handles and curvaceous center stack. The new IP is a subtle blend of simplicity and functionality, with a high-mounted shifter similar to that found on the EP3 Civic Si, along with two-tone thrones that match the turquoise hue of the exterior.

Earlier reports suggest that motivation will be provided by a choice of three powerplants – a 1.4-liter or 1.6-liter gasoline engine or a 1.6-liter TDCi diesel – and a ST variant will likely follow, powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter.

BMW's lineup of M-fortified vehicles now numbers nine, which is the largest it's ever been in the sub-brand's 30-year history. Munich has tweaked the lineup for 2009, and while nothing groundbreaking has been added, the additions and changes are worth noting. For instance, the BMW M3 Sedan gets a new rear end that sports updated taillights with two LED light clusters, and the entire M3 line gets some minor interior tweaks, new colors and crash-active headrests. The M5 and M6 soldier on with larger sideview mirrors, though BMW mentions that regenerative braking and an uncoupling air conditioner compressor – both fuel saving technologies – are right around the corner.

Of course, all M models are now offered with the latest generation of the automaker's much maligned iDrive control system. We haven't had the opportunity to sample the new version yet, so we'll refrain from making fun of its user interface for now. A new, impressively large 8.8-inch nav screen is, however, available with the optional Professional navigation system package and each system has moved from being DVD-based to storing all the info on an in-dash 80GB hard drive. This fall, BMW will also be offering ConnectedDrive, the first application of unrestricted internet access in a car, across the M lineup and iPhone integration has now been worked out, as well.

Perhaps the most significant addition is the arrival of a Competition Package for the M6 Coupe. The Competition Package includes a newly tuned performance suspension that lowers the car 12 mm up front and 10 mm in the rear, an adaptable suspension control system and double-spoke forged alloy wheels. BMW claims this will be the most athletic M6 you can buy and that there will be visual distinctions to set it apart from a standard M6. Unfortunately, BMW refrained from showing us what those visual distinctions will be.

In the highly competitive world of Formula One racing, the only thing teams can agree on is money -- they want more of it. To that end, they've set up the new Formula One Teams Association.

Unlike the previous Formula One Constructors Association – which represented only the independent teams and came, somewhat ironically, to be dominated by Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley when they were team owners – the new group has the backing of all the teams (both independent and manufacturer-owned). The association was founded this week in a meeting of team representatives at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, also including the participation of Formula One rights holders Bernie Ecclestone and Donald McKenzie. The Formula One Teams Association will represent the interests of the constructors (grand prix-speak for teams) in negotiating the final terms of the new Concorde Agreement, which determines profit sharing among the parties involved in the sport. Speaking with one voice, the teams surely hope to be able to secure a bigger share of the revenues from the grands prix. Little wonder then that Ferrari, in the short statement after the jump, called the meeting "extremely constructive".

[Source: Autosport and Ferrari, Photo: Lluis Gene/Getty]


PRESS RELEASE

F1 teams meeting at Maranello

Maranello, 29th July 2008 - All the Formula 1 teams met today in Maranello and held an extremely constructive meeting, in the presence of Bernie Ecclestone and Donald McKenzie.

The teams have subsequently agreed unanimously that they will establish the new Formula 1 Teams Association to work with the FIA and FOM to agree upon regulations and commercial conditions which will provide a framework for a strong and dynamic sport.

It's official folks. Those of you that picked up a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX have been had. The road-going rally rocket gets an update for 2009 and with it comes a retuned 2.5-liter boxer four-pot producing 265 hp and 244 lb.-ft. of torque – a 41 hp and 18 lb.-ft. increase over the outgoing model. Power will be sent to all four wheels through a five-speed manual – the only transmission available -- with low-profile 225/45R17 summer tires replacing the 205/50R17 rubber of the 2008 model.

The suspension has been revised to include stiffer springs, uprated dampers, upper strut mounts cribbed from the STI and larger anti-roll bars fore and aft. The Aero package is no longer an option – it's standard – and includes an STI-inspired grille on both the sedan and hatch, while the five-door receives the STI's rear spoiler and underbody diffuser.

Impreza obsessives that ran out to buy a 2008 model might be miffed, but Subaru had to make adjustments to keep the WRX competitive, particularly with the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart becoming a serious contender in the turbo'd sedan segment.

After announcing that its plant in Alabama would be slashing production of its slow-selling SUVs, Mercedes-Benz has decided to cut overall output by more than 40,000 units over the next four months. While the slowdown of SUV sales are anything but surprising, even the top-of-the-line S-Class sedan has been hit with a downturn of sales. Reportedly, the German plant in Untertürkheim will also be reducing its output of V6 and V8 engines.

In order to remain profitable in these tough times, three-pointed-star prices are expected to rise and the brand's smaller models are being considered for the U.S. We'd imagine that Dr. Z and the rest of the board's future plans for Mercedes-Benz, which includes a switch to boosted engines, hybrids and electric cars, can't come soon enough. We also wouldn't be a bit surprised to see an even larger shift to diesel power from the German automaker.

Anybody who wants to know why Formula 1 teams are reconsidering using the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, or KERS need only watch the video embedded after the jump. So far, there have been two incidents of KERS failures, the first requiring the U.K. Red Bull team to make a call to the local Fire Department and the second, as seen in the video, sending a BMW mechanic to the ground. The KERS system recovers energy that would be lost to braking so that it can be reused on the next straightaway. We aren't in the business of finding enjoyment from the suffering of others, but since the mechanic was basically unharmed, let this be a reminder that high voltage hurts.

Pending white collar cuts and dismal sales data have resulted in morale problems at General Motors. That's going to put a damper on the Detroit automaker's centennial celebration, so the General plans on showing employees a near-production-ready Chevy Volt to give workers hope. The (hopefully) game-changing extended range electric vehicle will be shown internally around the September 16th centennial, and employees who see the Volt will, of course, have to check their cameras and phones at the door. That doesn't mean the public won't soon get an eyeful of the car, as GM sources report that it'll be shown in production trim at this year's LA or Detroit Auto Show. Don't forget also that it's also been rumored that Volt could show up in Paris in October.

GM has 200 engineers and 50 designers working long hours to make the ER-EV happen by its late 2010 production target, and there are another 400 people working on components. GM is also constructing a new 530,000 sq-ft facility to build the Volt's 1.4L engine and working on getting incentives for the planned construction.

Although Daimler is the name of Mercedes-Benz’s corporate parent, it is also a prestigious English car brand. Tata acquired the rights to this brand when it bought Jaguar. At one time Daimler made its own separate cars, but for the last forty years, Jaguar has mainly used the Daimler name for ultra-low volume premium versions of the XJ cars and aristocratic limousines. Now Tata may use this name to give Jaguar it own ultra-premium brand in the same way Mercedes has Maybach or BMW has Rolls-Royce.

The quick history of the brand is that at the end of the 19th century, a British company acquired the local rights to sell engines developed by German engineer Gottlieb Daimler, under his name. British Daimlers became competitive in racing and the preferred transportation for British royalty. By 1960 it was acquired by Jaguar, and British Motor Company acquired Jaguar a few years later. Since then Daimler has lived on mainly as a company that sells thinly re-badged Jaguars at a premium price. Meanwhile, Gottlieb Daimler’s own company, over a succession of merges, became the present-day Daimler AG, the parental conglomerate of Mercedes as well as other vehicle manufactures. As an interesting note, when DaimlerChrysler divested Chrysler and wanted to call the company only Daimler, they had to get permission from Ford who acquired rights to the name when it bought Jaguar.

It's been a while since we heard anything about the Caparo T1 supercar. One of the most extreme applications of the "F1 for the road" theme, the project originally began independently under the name Freestream before being acquired by component manufacturer Caparo as a rolling demonstration of the latest in automotive technology. Part of that tech is now finding its way into another British sportscar: the Aston Martin DB9.



Reports now indicate that Aston Martin will be upgrading the brakes on its V12 sportscar with units developed for the Caparo T1. In the place of the 355mm front discs currently employed will be a set of 378mm discs, gripped by four-pot calipers each machined from a solid piece of cast aluminum. The new stoppers, developed by the 18-man team at Caparo AP Braking, promise to deliver a 24% reduction in fade while reducing peak temperatures by 18% in return for 30% less pedal force required. Interesting that Aston Martin decided to outsource a new set of brakes for the DB9 instead of adopting the carbon-ceramic units from the top-of-the-line DBS.

The Acura NSX is two years away from its official launch, but we can already imagine how it look like, and more than that what engine will get and what price will have.

Inside Line reports the car will have a price somewhere around $160,000, right on top of its rivals: Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Maserati Gran Turismo and Jaguar XKR.

The NSX will get a 5.5-liter V10 generating upwards of 600 horsepower and 433 pound-feet of torque. At low speed the V10 deactivates five cylinders to save fuel and lower emissions. The V10 is bolted to a quick-shifting six-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the rear wheels, while a revised version of Honda’s Super Handling AWD system generates the car’s prodigious grip levels, enabling such a quick ’Ring lap time.

The first image of the redesigned Ford Ka has leaked out ahead of its official debut in Paris this October, and as expected, the new microcar takes all the right cues from Ford's European design language. The headlamps, front fascia and accent lines all ape the new Fiesta to good effect, and with a platform shared by the Fiat Panda/500, the new Ka should still be an engaging means of puttering around town.

Engine choices will initially be limited to two gasoline powerplants (a 1.4- and 1.6-liter), along with a 1.6-liter TDCi oilburner. Further down the line, expect the Ka ST to receive the Fiat 500 Abarth's turbocharged 1.4-liter engine, some suspension tweaks and a redesigned front clip.

Sales will begin in Europe early next year and expect the Ka to make a cameo in the new Bond flick, Quantum of Solace.

In addition to getting the coolest Buicks which are not available in America, individuals in China are about to get the best vehicle that Buick has to offer in the States. In a deal which was initially inked ten months ago, the attractive Enclave CUV, built at GM's Lansing Delta Township assembly plant, is headed for China. The U.S. assembled 'utes will make their way by means of Shanghai GM. The exportation of the Enclave to China is only surprising in that it took so long for the General to get the model there in the first place. After all, Buick sells more vehicles in China than anywhere else in the world, with the nation consuming over half of all Buicks worldwide. We can only hope that Shanghai GM returns the favor and sends some of its best designs our way... and soon.