MOTORSHOWS 2008

 

Lexus has chopped off two doors and the roof from the IS250 to create the IS250C, due to arrive in Europe in the summer of 2009, and the U.S. shortly thereafter.

Sri

 

It's hard to do battle with MINI in the premium compact segment. The Cooper and its derivatives bring style and nostalgia to the game, proving that consumers are okay with spending some hard-earned scratch on an iconic coupe.

The Audi A1 Sportback – designed to fill the slot left by the discontinued A2 – lacks the MINI's wistful sensibilities, but it comes packing an extra set of doors, four usable seats, some handsome sheetmetal and an multimedia interface that ties in with the driver's mobile phone to provide navigation, music and an internet connection. Oh, and it can make calls too.

A 1.4-liter TSI engine equipped with both a turbo and supercharger puts out 150 hp to the front wheels through Audi's S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox, and a 27 hp (and 111 lb.-ft.) electric motor drawing power from a lithium-ion battery pack can motivate the A1 in start-and-stop traffic. Look for the production A1 to debut early next year, with sales beginning in late 2009.

 

 

The Honda Insight concept took a hushed bow under the lights of Paris today. It's Prius-esque, but in person the car is less evocative of its Toyota challenger. The Insight's width and rather low height give it a substantial presence, and there's a bit of attitude out back with the hatch sliding into a flick of a tail. We imagine some of the more complex elements, such as the headlights reminiscent of shards from Superman's home planet of Krypton, will not make it to production. We hope the interior, however, is left untouched -- it is just the right blend of tech and common currency. The production version will be introduced to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in January and pricing is rumored to be just under $19,000 when it goes on sale. (autoblog)

Sri

http://www.autocarindia.com/new/autocar_forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2400&PN=4

(WCF)

Cheers,
Sri