Archive for October 2007
Written By: Seyth Miersma
October 31st, 2007 7:15 PM
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More than forty years after the first Corolla took the world by storm, Toyota has launched the 10th generation of its venerable small sedan today at SEMA.
The wraps were pulled off the 2009 Corolla this morning, revealing a car that has been substantially redesigned, but in the kind of evolutionary manner that is unlikely to rock the more conservative Toyota customer.
(Click on the thumbnails below to launch a gallery of 2009 Corolla images or through the jump to read more, including Toyota’s official press release.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
October 31st, 2007 7:00 PM
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Toyota has chosen SEMA as the venue for unveiling its new 2009 Matrix, and gotten into the spirit of the show by showing off a complementary tuner variant as well.
Toyota has grand aspirations for the new Matrix, and set ambitious goals while developing the new car. The aim was to make the 5-door hatch more coupe-like in appearance, while increasing the utility that customers have come to expect in the Matrix.
(Click on the images below to launch a gallery of the 2009 Matrix or through the jump to read more about the car, including Toyota’s official press release.)
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Written By: Phil Floraday
October 31st, 2007 6:00 PM
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It’s impossible to walk around the SEMA show and not experience a plethora of emotions. We see cars we love, cars we simply don’t understand, and some cars that make us sick to our stomachs. Which particular trends in vehicle customization do you think need to go away right now? Let us know in comments.
Written By: Phil Floraday
October 31st, 2007 5:45 PM
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Fisker is poised to debut a hybrid sedan at the North American International Auto Show in January. Prices start at $80,000 and deliveries are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The Fisker four-door premium plug-in hybrid sports sedan will be offered with gas or diesel engines and offers as many as 620 miles between refuelings. The plug-in charge is good for the first 50 miles and the hybrid drive can squeeze up to 100 miles per gallon out of fossil fuels.
(Click through to read more about the Fisker hybrid.)
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Written By: Phil Floraday
October 31st, 2007 5:15 PM
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Last year one of our favorite features of the SEMA show was the professional rock crawling display out in front of the convention center. Stars of the professional rock crawling series were able to flex the suspensions of their machines and inspire awe in spectators.
This year, the course was a little less intense. Of course there were also a couple of Toyota Tundras tooling around in the rock crawling area, so we imagine the course was designed to showcase the truck rather than the purpose-built rigs. It’s still fun to watch the professional buggies crawl around, but we were hoping for a few more challenging obstacles.
Check out the gallery of photos and let us know what you think in the comments section.
Written By: Seyth Miersma
October 31st, 2007 4:45 PM
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We’re all used to Hot Wheels shrinking our favorite cars down to glorious 1:84 scale replicas, but in the upside down universe of the SEMA show, the toys have grown to life-size.
The Hot Wheels stand is a crowd favorite here in Las Vegas, showing off a few of the toy maker’s wild creations side-by-side with full-scale counterparts. As a part of the company’s 40 years of providing pint-sized automotive thrills, Hot Wheels has turned three of its outlandish models into concept vehicles. A Toyo-tired stretch wagon, a twin-mill, shark-nosed race car, and a dragster all grace the far-out Hot Wheels display.
Aimed at the young and the young-at-heart, the Hot Wheels cars are a sure hit for anyone who’s ever done a burnout on the kitchen floor.
(Click on the thumbnails below to launch a gallery of Hot Wheels, big and small, images.)
Written By: Seyth Miersma
October 31st, 2007 4:15 PM
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Jeep showed off two interesting Wrangler variants on their SEMA stand this year, a skateboard-toting mobile gaming station, and a back-to-basics trucklette built to tote items of all stripes.
The Tony Hawk Wrangler, none too subtly decked out (literally) with skateboarding paraphernalia, allows show goers to try their hand at Mr. Hawk’s Xbox 360 game that’s stashed in the rear doors. Decks aside, the Wrangler looks awfully tough with matte paint, and massive red-lipped, blacked out wheels.
Another SEMA Jeep takes a more utilitarian form of modification; the Wrangler JT adds the kind of short truck bed that Wrangler owners have wanted for decades. Looking stripped and military-like with a desert sand finish and full-size spare hanging out back, the JT recalls an era in which the Jeep name became legend.
(Click on the thumbnails below to launch a gallery of Wrangler images.)
Written By: Steven J. Ewing
October 31st, 2007 3:45 PM
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We’re only a few months away from being able to sample Pontiac’s new G8 sport sedan for ourselves. The G8 was formally introduced at this year’s Chicago Auto Show and enthusiasts were grinning ear to ear when we heard that General Motors would be introducing a true V-8 sedan with rear-wheel-drive.
Here in Las Vegas, the G8 put on a fancy suit for the crowd at SEMA with a custom orange exterior paintjob, an orange-accented interior, lowered suspension, twenty-inch wheels, and an enhanced brake package with slotted rotors. Under the hood lies the production 6.0-liter V-8 which will produce an estimated 361 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque.
Click through the jump for Pontiac’s official press release and click the photos below to open a high-resolution gallery.
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
October 31st, 2007 3:17 PM
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WINDING ROAD readers with racing aspirations take heart; the Mustang FR500S has been unleashed for public consumption.
The FR500S from Ford racing is at the heart of an all-new Mustang spec series sponsored by the automaker and Miller, and aimed at providing a slightly less than trust fund required price point for potential racers. The Mustang is built on the production line at Flat Rock, MI and revolves around the hearty 4.6-liter V-8 producing 325 horsepower. Expect the FR500S to go on sale for the quasi-reasonable sum of $75,000.
Calling the new ‘Stang a bargain might be stretching it for some, but as a track ready car that Ford calls, “durable, reliable and competitive” the F500S offers an intriguing motorsport proposition.
(Click on the thumbnails below to launch a gallery of F500S images or through the jump to read Ford’s official press release.)
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Written By: Phil Floraday
October 31st, 2007 2:45 PM
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It’s no secret that Jack Roush and his team of engineers like big displacement and supercharging. We got a chance to speak with Jack for a while and get a glimpse of his future product plans, and we also spent a few minutes wandering around his booth examining the various Roushchargers and engines, like the 351 shown above, on display.
This gallery is certainly eye candy for fans of muscle cars, drag racing, or high-performance in general. Take a look at the gallery and let us know your thoughts in comments.
Written By: Steven J. Ewing
October 31st, 2007 2:00 PM
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We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Chevrolet Camaro in the first quarter of 2009 and we’ve even had the chance to drive the concept, leaving our mouths watering with anticipation. Having had a starring role in the movie Transformers earlier this year, the Camaro is getting a lot of press, and it’s only right that GM brought the iconic muscle car to this year’s SEMA show.
We can only hope that the production model looks just as beautiful as the concepts and we can’t wait to see how they fare against the forthcoming Dodge Challenger. Enjoy these live images direct from the show floor in Las Vegas.
Click the images below for a high-resolution gallery and click through the jump for GM’s official press release about the Camaro Convertible concept.
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Written By: Phil Floraday
October 31st, 2007 1:22 PM
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We managed to steal a few minutes of Jack Roush’s time yesterday at the SEMA show. We were able to get some rough ideas about his plans for future vehicles and chat about the state of NASCAR and the Car of Tomorrow.
We learned that Roush is currently working on a performance Ford Fusion. He wasn’t able to provide any specific details for us, but if his other offerings are anything to go by, we’re expecting it to corner better, accelerate more quickly, and stop more rapidly. Jack currently has a Fusion and a Lincoln Zephyr in his personal fleet and enjoys both cars. That should also mean he knows the platform pretty well and has an idea of what is possible in a tuned version. Since a common complaint about the Fusion is a lack of power, we’re hoping a Roushcharger finds its way underhood. We’ll bring you more information on this project as soon as we hear any details.
(Click through to learn more about our interview with Jack Roush.)
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