“The most exciting thing for me is that an automotive company has embraced a project like this. It’s very non-automotive for car designers to be given the opportunity to sit down and focus on something like a bespoke picnic set. It shows a vibrancy in the brand and make us unique.” Alex Innes – Rolls-Royce Motor Cars bespoke designer

Fiat fans attending the annual convention of the Club Fiat-Lancia Unlimited were given a special surprise when the head of Fiat North America arrived at their closing dinner and made them an exclusive offer. These long-time enthusiasts of the Fiat brand and vehicles, some for almost 27 years, were given the first opportunity to place reservations and select their vehicle build number for the unique Fiat Cinquecento ‘Prima Edizione’ (First Edition) model. A total of 500 of these collector-edition Fiat 500 models will be sold in the United States.

BMW of North America has announced three BMW Performance aerodynamic accessories for the M3 Coupe, Sedan, and Convertible. The new rear deck lid spoiler[1], mirror caps, and front splitters are constructed of ultra-rigid carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite material, matching the standard CFRP roof panel of the M3 Coupe. Each component is shaped based on advanced research conducted in one of BMW’s Munich-based wind tunnels. This ensures compatibility with the overall aerodynamic “signature” of the M3, serving to reduce lift and minimize drag. Such characteristics are appropriate to enhance the vehicle’s high-speed stability while maintaining fuel efficiency.

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced pricing for the 2011MY Subaru Impreza (non-turbo) models.  Pricing for the 2.5i, 2.5i Premium and Impreza Outback Sport are held to 2010 model year levels. Subaru of America continues to enjoy record sales after its best-ever sales year in 2009, with sales up 40 percent year-to-date.  The Subaru Impreza is also showing a sales increase year-to-date due to its unique blend of fun-to-drive performance, safety and functionality with Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive technology. The Impreza has been an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick for three consecutive years, making it an unmatched value in the compact vehicle segment. The 2011 Subaru Impreza is scheduled to arrive at dealerships in July. 

WRX model pictured

MAZDA2 is the latest in a line of stylish, insightful and fun-to-drive small cars from Mazda, and will bring an all-new level of refinement to the segment. MAZDA2 is a car that only the engineers at Mazda could have created.  It was designed and engineered from scratch to be a pure Mazda, offering the sort of driving experience that could only come from the company that developed the timeless MX-5 two-seat roadster, and it brings a combination of athletic design and dynamic performance to the subcompact class.

Subaru of America, Inc. today announced pricing on new mid-year 2010 Impreza® WRX® Limited Models. The 4-door WRX Limited will be priced at $28,495 while the 5-door model will be priced at $28,995. The Limited models are priced $1,000 more than the Premium models, and are enhanced with High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights, SIRIUS(®) Satellite Radio and leather-trimmed seats.

This year, Subaru is the only manufacturer with a 2010 IIHS Top Safety Pick for all models, more than any other brand, and a winner in all 4 vehicle classes in which it competes. “We are extremely pleased to be the only manufacturer with a TOP SAFETY PICK winner in every vehicle class in which we compete. This is an outstanding success and a tribute to the engineering that goes into Subaru products,” said Tom Doll, executive vice president and COO, Subaru of America, Inc. “To have this recognition by the IIHS reinforces to our customers that we maintain the highest standards when producing vehicles that are safe, durable, reliable as well as fun-to-drive.”

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO), in cooperation with General Motors (GM), debuted two new fitments on GMC and Cadillac concept vehicles at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, which started Jan. 11 in Detroit. The GMC Granite sports concept Dueler(tm) 245/40R20 tires. The Granite is a small, highly versatile, premium four-door crossover. The U.S. designed and produced Dueler tires feature a unique asymmetrical tread pattern that provides solid traction while also complimenting the vehicle’s ultramodern style. The Granite won the EyesOn Design Award for Best Concept Vehicle during the show’s opening media days.

As an exciting example of its EfficientDynamics engineering philosophy, BMW announced the North American debut of the 7 Series with a twin-turbocharged inline-6 engine. Featuring BMW’s award-winning inline-6 engine that produces V-8 power on six-cylinder fuel consumption, the new BMW 740i and BMW 740Li achieve a remarkable balance of power, efficiency, and sporty driving dynamics. Both models will go on sale in the United States as 2011 models in Spring 2010. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

Once again, MINI achieves all this by consistently expanding the model range and through the unconventional creativity of MINI design. Just a few months prior to the launch of the brand’s fourth model announced for autumn 2010, MINI is now demonstrating its potential for further enhancement of driving pleasure and diversity through another spectacular concept car: the concept of a brand-new type of vehicle proudly presented by MINI at the North American International Auto Show (16–24 January 2010) in Detroit. The MINI Beachcomber Concept is a four-seater concept car designed consistently for maximum driving pleasure, taking up the enhanced options of the new MINI and combining these potentials with the vision of a radically open body concept.

The heart of every Mustang is its engine, and beneath the hood of the new 2011 Ford Mustang V-6 beats a technological tour de force. Displacing 3.7 liters, the dual-overhead-camshaft (DOHC) 24-valve V-6 uses Ford’s Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) to produce 305 horsepower and 280 ft.-lb. of torque and is projected to deliver up to 30 mpg highway – a combination unbeaten by any other vehicle in the industry.

BMW M GmbH now offers a truly outstanding performer based on the BMW M3 Coupé also ideal for Clubsport events – exactly the right car for the truly discerning customer demanding the very utmost in terms of power and performance. The BMW M3 GTS is largely hand-built by the most skilled craftsmen at BMW M GmbH as a perfectly harmonised package of outstanding modifications, with production exclusively to the customer’s personal order. Focused on motorsport, the modifications comprise both the drivetrain, the suspension and the body of the car, as well as its interior. Market launch of the BMW M3 GTS will be in spring 2010.

The 2010 Ford Taurus has won in the ‘Best New Family Car over $30,000’ category at the annual Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s (AJAC) Car of the Year TestFest. The Ford Taurus was put through its paces, undergoing strenuous road and track testing by teams of skilled drivers who performed uninterrupted comparisons of each vehicle under the same conditions. Through the ratings of a panel of judges from AJAC’s TestFest, the 2010 Ford Taurus came out as the winner.

Ford Motor Company, as the final phase of its research into the cause and effects of distracted driving, is utilizing high-tech goggles that measure the amount of time drivers take their eyes off the road to help validate in-vehicle technologies such as GPS navigation systems. The special “occlusion” goggles are used in testing at Ford’s Human Machine Interface Verification Laboratory – or “Distraction Lab.” Ford engineers and technologists use the data to accelerate the safer design of telematics systems that keep drivers connected and informed.

Ford Motor Company’s fuel efficient EcoBoost™ engine will be honored Thursday evening with a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award at a ceremony at the Hearst Tower in New York City. The Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards, now in their fifth year, recognize products and celebrate innovations poised to change the world, and the passionate, smart creators behind them. Ford is the only automaker this year to receive a Breakthrough Award.