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The Nissan Cube may be new to the U.S. market, but the miniature box shaped people mover has been on sale in Japan for over a decade. For 2009 Nissan has redesigned the Cube and decided that they can compete with other space conscious small cars like the Scion xB and the new Kia Soul. Our car came with a 122 HP 1.8 Liter four cylinder engine connected to a Xtronic CVT, continuously variable transmission...
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Subarus have always been a bit peculiar. From their exclusive use of horizontally opposed "boxer" engines and standard all-wheel drive to their trail-friendly wagons and turbo compacts with gigantic hood scoops and rear wings, the vehicles from Fuji Heavy Industries roll to the beat of a different drummer. As the automaker puts it, those characteristics are what make a Subaru a Subaru.
They're also what has helped make the small Japanese brand successful, especially during these current hard times. For 2009, Subaru's year-to-year sales, like all automakers,' are down, but only a scant 1.8 percent. Compare that to losses at Toyota (40.7 percent) and Honda (41.5 percent), and you can see why Subaru is feeling like the healthiest candy bar at the snack shop. With the launch of its all-new fifth-generation Legacy, Subaru is feeling even sweeter, as it finally has a flagship sedan that offers competitive performance, passenger volume, and fuel economy.
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Take a regular 2010 GT500 Mustang coupe, and have Shelby add their latest supercharger to the tune of 725hp and you'll be in for a good time, guaranteed. Suporting mods include an upgraded intercooler and radiator, a cold air intake, and a high-flow JBA exhaust system. A milder 630hp version, which replaces the JBA exhaust with a Borla cat-back unit, is also available.
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"Which brings me to the BMW Z4. To a racing driver, who is used to slick tyres and fish-sharp reflexes, it’s wallowy and slithery and horrid. But to me it’s brilliant. Mostly because you can drive for more than 10 minutes without your head coming off," says Clarkson of the redesigned 2010 BMW Z4.
Read his full review here. (Admittedly it's more about the experiences of driving an open-wheel race car, or rather, failing at driving it, and a one-paragraph review of the Bimmer, but it's quite a good story. Check it out.)
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TMZ reports: "We've just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50."
At the time of this writing, popstar Michael Jackson is known to have suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home. Paramedics were unable to revive him. (Details at TMZ)
The LA Times has a chronological account of what is known to have happened so far.
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The Land Rover LRX was shown at the 2008 North American International Auto Show and given the green light for production earlier this year. Reports now suggest that Land Rover will also develop a hybrid version of the small SUV.
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As it turns out, that BMW 7 Series we spied early this month wasn't a carefully disguised Jaguar, but an M Sport. 7post.com member "philp" posted these (reportedly) official pictures of the gussied-up, European-only luxury sedan today.
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If reports are correct, then Toyota has been working on its new sports car, Supra, even though earlier reports had suggested that the company had stopped work on this model, having shelved plans of making it. Speculation is now rife that work on the Supra continued and that the car may be debuting at the end of the year.
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It's not every day that the CEO of a car company takes you for a ride.
Especially if it's through the move-it-or-lose-it traffic of midtown Manhattan. In the rain. But Kevin Czinger seemed to enjoy it.
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DETROIT - Ford is pretty proud of its latest JD Power and Associates Initial Quality Score (IQS) results, released Monday.
The Ford F-150 scored just 88 problems per 100 vehicles, tying the Toyota Tundra in its segment for best pickup truck score.
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It's only been a few months into its U.S. market introduction and Kia is already rolling out special editions of its hipster Soul people mover. Meet the Denim Edition, the first in what is anticipated to be a long line of special edition Souls.
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HERNDON, Va., June /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced that the Rabbit has once again been named one of the "Top 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000" by Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com), a top rated consumer web-site that provides vehicle pricing and information.
The annual accolade acknowledges automakers for producing vehicles that emphasize performance, safety, fuel economy, interior size, and comfort. This year the editors also selected vehicles with a growing emphasis on personality, versatility, and technology.
"Volkswagen of America is thrilled that our Rabbit has once again been recognized by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com as one of the Coolest New Cars Under $18,000," said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America. "The Rabbit truly embodies the Volkswagen Brand--affordable German engineering in a stylish and fun-to-drive package," added Barnes.
Since 2003, Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com has announced the "Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000" to provide consumers a list of affordable and stylish vehicles. The editors at kbb.com compiled the list of qualifying vehicles using Kelley Blue Book's New Car Blue Book Values, which reflect real-world transaction prices and provides a useful comparison point as compared to the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP).
"The fun, refined and versatile Volkswagen Rabbit has found its way onto our Coolest Cars list yet again. This will be the last year, though, as a new, sixth-generation version of Volkswagen's venerable hatchback is set to show up for the 2010 model year and will again sport a 'Golf' nametag," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.
The 2009 Rabbit comes standard with a fun-to-drive 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine that delivers 170 horsepower and 177 lbs.-ft. of torque. The engine can be mated to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic®. Adding to the Rabbits fun-to-drive DNA is a multi-link rear suspension and an electro-mechanical power-assisted steering system that contribute to the vehicles agility and nimbleness. Regardless of which transmission is selected, the Rabbit's performance and fuel economy numbers add up to guilt-free fun. With the manual the Rabbit gets 29 miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway, and the automatic gets 30 mpg on the highway.
The Rabbit, like all 2009 model year Volkswagen's, is included in the no-charge Carefree Maintenance Program. Under this program all of the Rabbit's scheduled maintenance, as described in its maintenance booklet, is covered for the length of the new vehicle warranty--three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first.
For more information about the 2009 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, visit www.kbb.com/coolcars2009.
Source: Volkswagen
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The sporty Volkswagen Scirocco, a top star in this year’s Wörthersee tour, just emanates fun.
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06, 2009 - TORRANCE, Calif. -- The Honda CR-V, the top-selling CUV in the U.S., and the Honda Ridgeline pickup ranked highest in their respective segments in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Initial Quality Study℠ (IQS), American Honda Motor *** Inc., announced today.
Honda's East Liberty, Ohio manufacturing facility, which assembles the Honda CR-V, also received a coveted Gold Plant award, ranking it as the top factory in the Americas.
IQS serves as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle quality measured at 90 days of ownership and captures problems experienced by owners in two distinct categories - quality of design and quality of production (defects and malfunctions). The study ranked nameplates and vehicles based on survey reports of Problems Per Hundred (PP100 studied).
Honda vehicles averaged only 99 PP100, an improvement of 11 PP100 over 2008. The Honda CR-V ranked highest in the Compact Multi Activity Vehicle segment for the third consecutive year, with an IQS rating of 93 PP100, and the Honda Ridgeline truck ranked highest in the Midsize Pickup segment, with an IQS rating of 81 PP100.
Source: Honda
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Trust us: If there's one time you can get away with a not-so-green lifestyle, it's when you're dead.
Still, this Toyota Prius Hearse plans to unleash its green yuppie fury on Japan's funeral circuit.
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J.D. Power and Associates announced that Hyundai is the highest ranked non-premium nameplate in the 2009 Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) and is ranked fourth among all nameplates.
Hyundai owners had fewer problems with their vehicles than any other non-premium car or truck brand.
In addition to Hyundai’s strong overall showing, the Hyundai Elantra earned the award for the highest initial quality in the compact car segment. The all-new Hyundai Genesis significantly outperforms the average midsize premium car.
This year’s ranking marks the second time Hyundai has been the highest-ranked non-premium nameplate in the last four years, and the second time it finished among the top four overall nameplates, having also achieved these levels in 2006. Highlights this year include a top ranking for the Hyundai Elantra in the compact segment, and a top three segment performance for the Hyundai Accent, which ranked second in the highly competitive sub-compact car segment.
The IQS study measures 228 attributes, including the overall driving experience, engine and transmission, and a broad range of defect and design problems reported by vehicle owners.
“Outperforming all of our competitors once again is a reflection of the dedication of all Hyundai team members,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai's President and CEO. “We’re particularly delighted with the strong launch of Genesis, the North American Car of the Year, which surpassed several luxury competitors. We are also thrilled with how well the fuel-efficient Elantra and Accent scored.”
Source: Hyundai
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The Odyssey has been at the top of this category for quite some time now, and no one has managed to topple it for 2009. Check out Truck Trend's conclusion on the review of the minivan segment and see the other contenders and how they fared against the 2009 Honda Odyssey here
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They say pictures are worth a thousand words, but videos are worth a hell of a lot more when it comes to something like this -- A V10 Audi R8 convertible ripping through the corners on the Nurburgring at full-throttle needs to be seen... And heard. Enjoy!
YouTube Video: Spyvideo Audi R8 Spyder
Source: AutoWereld
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Seen here is Mugen's upcoming European-market only Civic Type R done up with the tuner's latest go-fast goodies. We first got wind of it last week, but we've only recently had the chance to show you its meaner demeanor.
By the way, a pretty penny -- try between $57,000 and $65,000 -- will be needed to get you one of these come this summer. We'd much rather spend half that amount for a turbo Ford RS if we lived in Europe, but that's just us. Honda heads and naturally-aspirated sport-hatch enthusiasts pretty much got it made though. Check out what all the fuss is about here
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Motor Trend has put a top-notch 'Vette up against a military jet twice before. Long before Top Gear thought of it, they got their hands on one of 14 500-hp twin-turbocharged Corvettes built by Chevrolet and capable of 200 mph, and pitted it against a Northrop T-38 Talon. That was 1986. Twenty years later, they sent a 800-hp Lingenfelter Corvette after the Blue Angels and their F/A-18 Hornets. Now, it's time for a rematch.
The video:
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Last February, we got a look at the nearly finished clay model of Specter Werkes/Sports' latest riff on America's Sports Car, the C6 Corvette GTR. The car is now up and running and we just took it for a spin before its public unveiling at Greater Detroit's annual Eyes on Design Fathers' Day car show. First impressions?
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The man behind the Terrafugia Transition, dubbed "The Flying Car," says you could see his vehicle on the road and in the skies as early as 2011.
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Nearly 20 years after Lee Iacocca retired--and 45 years after he helped launch America's first pony car--the former Ford and Chrysler exec is attaching his visage to this: the Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang
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It seems like it has been forever since Chrysler has been planning a replacement for the slow-selling Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger. According to Automotive News, Chrysler’s new management is now wrestling with that very decision.
Sources say that Chrysler Group LLC is now planning a replacement based on the Chrysler 200C EV, a concept that made its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January.
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BMW continues testing with its upcoming BMW 7 Series Hybrid which will be sold under the 755ih name tag.
Just last month, we were able to bring you the first spy photos of this new hybrid which seems to be kept out in the open by BMW.
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Rolls-Royce has yet to take the covers off of the production version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost but has already launched a new microsite where interested buyers can customize their own version of the baby-Phantom.
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GM may not build a new Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, but the folks at Hennessey Performance Engineering have a suitable substitute: The 2010 HPE550 Camaro.
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The Ford Taurus SHO is back. And its return brings new approaches to the all-American heavyweight paradigm.
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BMW will, as part of a class action lawsuit settlement, begin an inspection-and-repair process for potentially faulty subframes in fourth-generation 3 Series models, the automaker announced this week. Commonly known by its E46 development code, the fourth-generation 3 Series saw production from 1999 to 2006.
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Today, Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off a new special edition for the CLS 350 CDI -- yep, it's Europe only.
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Too bad we don’t live in Arizona otherwise we would have been chasing down a heavy camouflaged Nissan Fuga, otherwise known as the Infiniti M35/45 in the United States.
Spies have spotted a very stylish Fuga redesign driving around in Arizona, which will make its official debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.
Continued at eGMcarTech.com
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Let's cut to the chase: The 2010 Porsche Panamera is big, fast, and comfortable; a genuine four passenger Gran Turismo capable of loafing across continents in giant 130 mph bounds, leaving you relaxed and refreshed at the end of the day at the wheel. Press a few buttons, stiffening the suspension, quickening the seven speed PDK transmission's responses, allowing the deep-throated dual exhaust to breathe easier, and the Panamera is ready to tackle a snaking mountain pass with the panache of...well, a Porsche.
Is it, as some purists grumble, another Porsche too far; another unnecessary detour from the company's core values, like the Cayenne SUV? Well, the front engine, V-8 powered Panamera is certainly not a four door 911. The Panamera has a personality all its own. Yet Porsche DNA seeps from every pore...Continued
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Top Gear conducts the seemingly unlikeliest of driver/car tests -- A somewhat average track/race driver in a new Ford Focus RS is pitted against the Stig in a new Ford GT on a twisty canyon road... How bad does Stig walk Mr. Ford in the sporty but outclassed RS? Let's just say this: the RS is one hell of a sports car, and nowhere is it more apparent than on a tight canyon road with no straightaways, only back-to-back turns. The GT is as close to a racecar as any street car (well, except the Ariel Atom), and certainly more racey than the RS, and it's the Stig driving it for crying out loud, but you'll be surprised at the result!
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The day of reckoning has arrived: Chevy's new Camaro has left the assembly line keen to butt heads with the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and other pretenders to the pony car throne. We tested two SS V-8s to find if the long wait has been worthwhile.
The day of reckoning has arrived: Chevy's new Camaro has left the assembly line keen to butt heads with the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and other pretenders to the pony car throne. We tested two SS V-8s to find if the long wait has been worthwhile...
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We’re getting pretty sick with the on and off about this light-duty Cummins diesel engine for the Dodge Ram 1500 (honestly, it’s the last thing on our minds and we could care less). Last we heard, the diesel Ram was delayed until 2011; however, today it’s been reported that Chrysler disclosed the termination of its diesel deal with Cummins as a part of a group of supplier rejections filed Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
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Mahindra is poised to throw its diesel pickup trucks into U.S. market later this year, along with a diesel SUV to follow in 2010. Hoping its entry-level diesel pickup can find a home in the U.S., the Indian auto manufacturer is looking to preempt the seemingly systematic hostility aimed at oil-burners by organizing a Tour Across America event that will provide an early look at the upcoming trucks.
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Expect to see smaller engines and more hybrid options for future Mercedes Benz models, as high fuel prices and greater environmental concerns push buyers – even luxury oriented ones - towards more efficient vehicles.
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Once the toast of the town, the Corvette Z06 has recently been overshadowed in the news by its two stable mates, the supercharged 638-hp Corvette ZR1 and the new 2010 Corvette Grand Sport. But that doesn't mean the Corvette Z06 performance and looks have been diminished in any capacity.
Far from it.
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Now that sports car and motorsport enthusiast Akio Toyoda is running the show at Toyota Motor Corp, it has reportedly been full steam ahead with the automaker's planned performance models -- most notably the Lexus LF-A supercar and this, the jointly-built Toyota-Subaru 2+2 coupe.
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Our BMW fiend friends over at BMW Blog just get their hands on the new diesel X5 (or xdrive35d as its called) that goes for sale here in the U.S. very soon, and a full review is in short order. They haven't yet driven it much, but early reviews (by them and everyone else) are nothing but positive.
Some of what they're saying about it:
"The exterior design has always been one of our favorites among other BMWs, including the older style X5 which fit perfectly in the line-up when it first launched. The white painted xDrive35d sports that aggressive look that makes you fall in love with BMW’s first Sports Activity Vehicle and as crazy as it might sound, it looks quite interesting with the flashy EfficientDynamics marketing painted on the car.
I know in the past many of you had your objections against the BMW diesel engines, especially those of you that live in Europe and are used to seeing them all the time, but for us, the non-diesel trained Americans, those engines are something special. And this twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel engine with 265 horsepower and a stunning 425 lb-ft of torque at just 1750 rpm, doesn’t disappoint at all." Continued
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When the Scion xB subcompact made its debut in 2004 (along with Toyota's Scion brand itself), America got its first real taste of undiluted Japanese eccentricity. A barely altered version of the domestic-market Toyota bB, sold in Japan since 1999, the xB stood out on American roads like a Bento box in a Texas steakhouse. Tiny, austere, and so unabashedly square it was actually cute, the xB won a loyal following among young (and old) drivers who admired its purity of purpose and uniquely unstylish style. Toyota sold more than 47,000 xBs in 2004; by 2006, that figure jumped to more than 61,000 annually.
Yet like everything American, or Americanized, the xB wasn't destined to remain tiny. The second-gen model, unveiled for 2008, grew by 12 inches in length and roughly 600 pounds. At the same time, it lost the original's neo-architectural physique, instead wearing more conventional sheetmetal fashioned like a melting bar of Lifebuoy. It also lost, it seemed to us then, much of the first xB's charming Japaneseness. The xB had grown up, yes, but in the process it had become a safe, tepid California Roll compared with its predecessor's serving of deliciously horrific sashimi...Continued
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Kia has taken the wraps off its all-new Sorento at the recent Seoul Motor Show.
Longer and lower, the new Sorento brings sleek styling and a futuristic touch to the world of the urban crossover urban vehicle (CUV). Details
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"The Lexus ES 350 is seriously bland and unsporting. It offers an entirely forgettable driving experience, elicits no emotions, and serves as little more than a tool for getting from point A to point B. Yet there are plenty of people that want just that, which has led to continued sales success for what is considered the benchmark for comfort-oriented, entry-level-luxury sedans."
Sound like Motor Trend is ripping on the ES? Well it is, kind of. But it's still an excellent near-luxury car (as long as you're not a sporty driver).
The complete review
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In 1989, Detroit's sexiest and best-selling family sedan got a potency "enhancement" far more effective than the ones clogging your spam filters these days. So smitten were we by the performance-envelope enlargement a rev-happy twin-cam Yamaha V-6 engine and starchy suspenders provided that we actually described the Taurus SHO as "America's BMW." That may sound like the sort of hyperbolic overstatement one came to expect from a Craigslist erotic-services listing, but indeed most SHO track-test numbers approximated the BMW 535i's for well under half the price. While the SHO's restrained Q-ship exterior drew praise, the rest of the car was boy-racer brash-all snarling engine, harsh impacts, and wiggling torque steer. Over 10 years of development and 106,465 sales, the refinement improved steadily, but even the final V-8 variants still treated their BMW-taunting drivers to a cacophony of enthusiastic noises and vibrations.
Those original SHOwners are all at least 10 years older now, and Ford reckons they've outgrown wild-'n'-crazy sport sedans, so the new-millennial SHO is a suave sophisticate. As we noted last month, the entire Taurus lineup now sports almost a third again the length, girth, and mass of the aero-sleek original. Fortunately, the new SHO is nearly two-thirds again as powerful, producing 365 well-mannered horses and 350 pound-feet of twist (the first-gen made 220 and 200)...Continued
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"I won't parrot the company line about the E-class being the heart and soul of the brand, except that it is. The E-class is a "business saloon," the standard-issue Mercedes -- stout, reliable, comfortable and enduring. This is the stainless-steel Rolex of cars, steadily elegant and appropriate for any occasion, and you have to admire the alacrity with which the E-class can go from being a tan airport taxi drone in Berlin to being a valet-park star in Beverly Hills."
That, along with, "to save you the suspense, I'll tell you now: The new E-class is a fantastic car but for one huge, agonizing, inexcusable error that baffles me like a Rubik's Cube the size of the Seagrams Building. More on that in a moment. For now, consider a short list of some of the more fun safety systems available on the E-class as standard or options...." sum up Pulitzer Prize-winning Automotive journalist, Dan Neil's, review of the new Mercedez-Benz E250 Diesel sedan.
Full review over at the LATimes
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Remember the gold BMW M5 from Russia? Well if the new M5 gets the shiny treatment, so must its little bro apparently. (Yes, this is from Russia as well.) We can't decide which looks worse better, but we're not fans of either one, quite frankly. Although it is cool in some sense -- shiny things catch peoples' attention, so it's impressive in that regard.
Check out the walk-around video and some excited Russkie chatter in the background: Bmw m3 chrome painting by Dereiter Racing
Thanks M3post!
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Peugeot first showed the 308 RC-Z Concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, and while it does bear a certain resemblance to the previous-generation Audi TT, Peugeot does not seem to be fazed much by this perception.
The word is it should be making it into production, and these latest spy pictures from Spain showing it almost undisguised go along with it.
