Lexus GX460/Toyota Land Cruiser pricing announced (U.S/UK)

Lexus has released new pics of its second-generation GX460 SUV, which was launched at the Guangzhou motorshow in China earlier this week. The new model is the Asian and Middle Eastern version of the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 sold in European markets. The Land Cruiser V8 is offered alongside the GX in the U.S.

Featuring a standard 7 seat configuration, Lexus positions the new GX between the brand's LX570 premium luxury utility vehicle and unibody-based RX SUV.

The GX470's replacement is fitted with a new 4.6 litre V8 petrol engine producing 301bhp and 329 lb-ft of peak torque, coupled to a 6 speed automatic transmission with sequential shift.

It comes equipped with standard full-time four-wheel drive using an electronically controlled transfer case and a TORSEN torque-sensing centre differential that distributes power 40:60 under most driving conditions and changes the ratio as needed based on steering input and wheel slip. The new Lexus GX also offers a low gear range for off-road driving while the Japanese automaker claims that it retains the same 6,500-lb. towing capacity as the 263bhp GX470 offered.

An optional Crawl Control system is also offered to help improve off-road performance. It automatically modulates the throttle and brake, allowing the driver to concentrate on the steering. Hill-start Assist Control also features, as does a Downhill Assist Control system.

According to Lexus, the new GX460 returns an EPA-estimated 15mpg town, 20mpg motorway and 17mpg combined.

For the first time, the GX will be offered in two trim levels, with the base carrying an MSRP of $51,970 and the Premium model priced at $56,765. Delivery, processing and handling fee is an extra $875.

Standard features include 10 airbags, power folding flat third row seat, electrically adjustable/heated and cooled front seats w/ memory, 4.2” multi-information display w/ rear-view camera, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and door mirrors, electric sunroof, Bluetooth, 9 speaker audio system w/ iPod connectivity and XM Radio, rain and light sensors, flip-up rear window, active front headrests, 3-zone climate control, leather & wood steering wheel w/ audio controls, HomeLink, front fog lamps, low-profile roof-rails, side-steps, 18” alloy wheels and full-time four-wheel drive. Options include a Pre-Collision System, adaptive xenon headlamps, 17 speaker sound system, heated steering wheel and heated second-row seats.

The new GX will make its first public debut in North America at the Los Angeles motorshow in December with sales starting towards the end of the month.

A Lexus source confirmed there are no plans to bring the GX460 to the UK, due to the Land Cruiser V8’s presence in this market.

The Land Cruiser in the UK meanwhile is offered exclusively as a 5dr model powered by a revised 4-cylinder 3.0 litre D-4D diesel engine that pumps out 173bhp and is linked to a 5 speed automatic transmission. Combined fuel economy is around 35mpg with CO2 emissions rated at 214g/km. The LC slots into VED band K.

Customers can choose from three different equipment levels; LC3, LC4 and LC5, with seven seats being fitted as standard on LC4 & LC5 but on the entry-level model, third row of seats are optional.

The LC3 (£29,795/£30,495 for 7 seats) comes equipped with DAB radio, electric power steering, 4-spoke height & reach adjustable leather steering wheel w/ audio controls, 6 speakers & AUX input, electric mirrors w/ plastic casing, plastic door handles, side-steps, vanity mirrors w/ illumination and cover, trip-computer, velour upholstery, alarm & immobiliser, 7 airbags, 40/20/40 split/slide/fold 2nd row seats with folding 3rd row seats (7 seater only), 17” 6-spoke alloys, roof rails, front & rear fog lamps, 4 electric windows, climate control w/ clean air filter, cruise control, full-time 4WD w/ centre Differential lock, under-body mounted full-size spare wheel, Bluetooth and Smart Entry and Start system as standard.

Pick the LC4 (£40,395) and you also get 3-zone climate control, 6CD/DVD autochanger, body-coloured door handles & mirrors, power-folding door mirrors, laminated privacy glass - rear windows, powered folding 3rd row seats, leather upholstery, electrically adjustable heated front seats, 2nd row reclining seats, rear Differential lock, dusk-sensing xenon headlights w/ pop-up washers, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rear parking monitor, Bluetooth, colour-coded front & rear parking sensors, 18” 5-spoke alloy wheels w/ locking wheel nuts, 17 speaker JBL premium audio package and a hard disc drive (HDD) satellite navigation system with a 10GB storage.

The range-topping LC5 (£44,795) adds to equation an Adaptive Variable Suspension with Active Height Control, electric sunroof, 3-spoke leather & wood steering wheel, centre console w/ wood-detail, Crawl Control, Multi-terrain Monitor, Steering Angle Display, Multi-terrain Select and a rear seat entertainment system for DVD playback and gaming.

On-the-road prices for the 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser range from £29,795 to £44,795 with first deliveries set to take place in early December.

Acura ZDX pricing announced (U.S)

The all-new Acura ZDX crossover goes on sale at Acura dealerships across the U.S on the 15th December with a base price of $45,495 plus a destination and handling charge of $810, making a grand total of $46,305.

The ZDX will be offered exclusively with a 3.7 litre VTEC V6 that produces 300bhp and 270 lb-ft of torque, and is mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, while Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system is also standard. According to Acura, the new ZDX achieves an EPA-rated fuel economy of 16mpg in the town and 23mpg on the motorway. Combined fuel economy will hover around 18mpg.

The 2010 ZDX will be available in three trim packages: the base ZDX, ZDX with Technology Package and the ZDX with Advance Package.

Priced at $46,305, the base model comes equipped with a panoramic glass roof - described as 'the worlds longest' according to Acura, hand-stitched leather dash, centre console and door panels and 4 electric windows as standard.

The ZDX with Technology Package that is priced at $50,805 (including destination and handling fees) gets a Navigation System with Voice Recognition, VGA display screen, multi-view rear camera, upgraded Acura/ELS Surround 415w audio system with a integrated 15GB media storage system, GPS-linked, solar-sensing dual-zone automatic climate control system and Keyless Access System.

The ZDX with Advance Package ($56,045 including destination and handling fees) adds a blind spot information system (BSI), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Collision Mitigating Braking System (CMBS), Integrated Dynamic System (IDS) active damper system, heated and ventilated front seats with Perforated Milano Premium Leather seats, premium brushed tricot headliner material and a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel.

2009 Saturn Sky Redline Roadster Sport Car

2009 Saturn Sky Redline Roadster Sport Car

First introduced as a high-performance version of the Sky roadster in 2007, the Red Line turns out decent performance from an Ecotec turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that produces 260 horsepower at 5300 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. of torque at 2500 rpm. These figures give this engine the notable distinction of having the best horsepower-to-displacement ratio of any GM engine and the most powerful motor in the Ecotec family. Gasoline direct injection technology helps the engine produce more power while maintaining the lower fuel consumption of a small displacement port-injected engine. With direct injection, fuel is delivered directly to the combustion chamber to create a more complete burn of the air/fuel mixture. Less fuel is required to produce the equivalent horsepower. EPA figures for the Redline are a decent 21 and 30 for highway driving. Despite those numbers, the Redline gets to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds.

2009 Saturn Sky Redline Roadster Sport Car

To compensate for the addition of more power, the car’s chassis has been tuned for better handling and its braking system has been upgraded for quicker stopping. Other technical highlights include a torque-sensing, limited-slip differential and StabiliTrak electronic stability control. Like all Saturn Skys, the Red Line model boasts a near 50:50 weight distribution, independent front and rear suspension, an extremely stiff body, and coil-over Bilstein monotube shocks.

Other modifications include a slightly stiffer suspension, a unique front fascia with a different foglight/grille treatment, as well as blackened headlamp surrounds and a rear bumper that has two fat rectangular exhaust tips, a single reverse lamp and a cute little "turbo" badge on its cheek. Inside, the Red Line gets leather wrapping for that still-too-big steering wheel, unique embroidery, metallic sill plates, stainless steel pedal covers and unique gauges with a digital boost gauge in the Driver Information Center.

2009 Saturn Sky Redline Roadster Sport Car

The Red Line also features several unique interior and exterior differences compared to the base Sky roadster including dual exhaust with chrome polished outlets, 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, and a redesigned front apron with large vents and black headlamp bezels.

The base price of the Saturn Sky Redline is $30,475, which doesn’t exactly sound cheap. It is afterall still a Saturn. But all things being equal, you have to wonder if the car simply had a different badge on the hood if 30 grand would seem quite reasonable.

2009 Saturn Sky Redline Roadster Sport Car

Next generation Mercedes C-Class to be built Stateside, CLC will be axed

Updated: 16/12/09

Mercedes will move U.S production to Vance, Alabama in 2014. World-wide production will commence at the Bremen plant in Germany.

Mercedes is set to add the fourth generation C-Class saloon to the list of cars already produced at its Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama as part of a program aimed at fighting slumped profitability in its second biggest market.


With the continued strength of the Euro against the U.S dollar eating into margins on models produced in Germany and sold in the U.S, Mercedes insiders say efforts are underway to provide protection from unfavourable currency exchange rates in the form of increased North American production.

“We’ve reached a window of opportunity where we can now consider producing the next C-Class in the U.S,” a source revealed. “We’re mid-cycle on the W204 (the current C-Class) and need to decide if we want to push ahead with its successor at Tuscaloosa.”

Mercedes already produces the M-, R- and GL-Class at Tuscaloosa – a plant that opened in 1997 and expanded in 2005 to meet growing demand. While nothing is official, annual U.S production of the C-Class would likely reach 80,000 units.

During a press conference, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said "It's no secret that a decision for the new C-Class has to be made in the near future".

But with sales of large SUVs down in most markets owing to the miserable state of the economy, the currency balancing effects of U.S production are not as significant as they have been in recent years, leading the German car maker to consider the addition of other models.

The earmarking of the next C-Class saloon, due in 2014, for North American production is significant as it could ultimately pave the way for other mechanical similar models, including the GLK to be built there. However, it would come as major blow to Mercedes-Benz’s worker union which fought hard to ensure production of left-hand drive versions of the current C-Class saloon remained in Germany despite high labour costs.

Additional North American production would unlikely affect the UK as right-hand drive versions of the C-Class saloon are supplied from Mercedes-Benz’s East London plant in South Africa, while the GLK is only available in left-hand drive form owing to difficulties in re-engineering its four-wheel drive system for right-hand drive markets, although Mercedes is still trying to find a way.

An official decision is set to be made in January 2010.

Meanwhile, in related news, Mercedes is preparing to axe the CLC to make way for a new C-Class coupe in 2011. The C-Class coupe will be the second two-door car based upon the existing C-Class but the first to take its name into production.

Set to go on sale in the UK at the same time as facelifted versions of the existing saloon and estate reach showrooms in early 2011, the new C-Class coupe has been conceived to replace the CLK, discontinued earlier this year after 12 years and two model generations.

The introduction of the C-Class coupe spells the end for the CLC, a small sports hatch that was only recently updated. Sources indicated the model will be phased out and will be replaced by the new coupe.

The forthcoming two-door will avoid having a unique bodyshell and individual styling that made the CLK such a success for a comparatively upright look that draws heavily on the silhouette and detailing of its four door siblings.

“We went back and studied what made our coupes so popular in the past. If you look at some of the more successful two door models Mercedes-Benz has produced you can see a direct relationship between them and their four door stable mates,” said an insider describing the new coupe’s appearance. Don’t expect the new Mercedes-Benz to have a very long life, though. With engineering of the fourth-generation C-Class already underway at the German car maker’s R&D centre near Stuttgart, the new two door is planned to be sold for a maximum of four years before it is replaced by a much more curvaceous model that’s likely to follow the example of the CLS in boasting a more practical four door layout.

The upcoming C-Class coupe will be the second two-door model to be based on today’s C-Class. Unlike the E-Class coupe, however, the C-Class version will not be modified and offered in cabriolet guise.

“We did look at an open top version but in the end the costs were too high given the short model life,”

News in brief

The U.S spec Chevrolet Cruze will debut at the forthcoming LA motorshow. 10 airbags, XM Satellite Radio & Bluetooth will be standard. Powering the car will be a 1.4 litre turbo petrol 4-cylinder engine delivering upto 40mpg. Sales start Autumn 2010.

A Porsche dealer from the Netherlands decided to drape a brand-new 911 Carrera S in smooth milk chocolate. 3kg of white chocolate was used to cover the headlamps, fog-lamps and tail-lights. 175kg (386lbs) or 1,100 bars of chocolate were melted down and used on the exterior.

The car will be on display untill the end of the year and will be kept at tempretures of under 27°C to prevent melting.

Volkswagen's forthcoming Amarok pick-up truck will be supplied to the 2010 Dakar Rally as an official event vehicle. A total of 35 Amarok units are to be used, with 20 going to the organiser and 15 scheduled for press and shuttle services.

The 2010 Dakar takes place in South America from 1st - 17th January. It starts off in Argentina, goes through parts of Chile and ends up back in Argentina. The race course covers about 9,000km (5,592 miles).

The 2011 Mazda2 supermini will also debut at the LA autoshow on the 2nd December. "Bringing Mazda2 to North America completes the bookends in our line-up," said Jim O'Sullivan, president and CEO of Mazda North America. The newcomer will hit showroom floors late next year with either a 1.3 litre or 1.5 litre petrol engine.

Mercedes-Benz is set to launch a smaller, two-seater, affordable version of the SLS AMG supercar in 2013. "The feedback we've received since showing the car at the Frankfurt motor show has been extremely encouraging. A second model that will project a similarly exclusive image but be more accessible in terms of its pricing is already in planning." - Via Autocar.

Groom crashes £233k Lambo (UK)

Any wedding, another supercar, another Lamboghini and another British driver. This time, it's a Murcielago Roadster, not a Gallardo.

A bridegroom's dream drive to his wedding ended in catastrophe when he crashed the £232,990 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster that his bride had hired for him.

David Gallucci and his best man walked away from the wrecked car with nothing more than bruising after crashing on a roundabout near Bradford. The car suffered more than £160,000 worth of damage and has reportedly been written off. Gallucci's new wife, Abi also lost the £5,000 deposit that she'd paid to cover the insurance excess for hiring the car.

Mr Gallucci opted not to tell his wife-to-be about the damage until after the ceremony, instead saying that the supercar had broken down. When he eventually came clean, his new wife saw the funny side. She said: 'I get in trouble with him if I get the slightest scratch on an alloy. It cost me £8,000 to hire the car for 1 hour but thankfully I paid the excess insurance, otherwise we'd have to sell the house.'

The hire company refused to comment on the incident.

2010 MV Agusta F4 updated to fit more with modern tastes

2010 MV Agusta F4

Expectedly, the 2010 MV Agusta F4 is based of Massimo Tamburini’s iconic design, and is updated to fit more with modern tastes, echoing the same fantastic, aggressive design ethos with a detailed reengineering down to the smallest detail, resulting in a new F4 that does the impossible by improving upon perfection. But MV has also changed the bike underneath the hood. With a 998cc motor, the new F4 makes 3hp more than the comparably displaced 2009 MV Agusta R 312.

The new 2010 MV Agusta F4 is a lighter, faster and stronger superbike. Already world-famous for a beauty surpassing all other superbikes, MV Agusta has provided a fresh look to the iconic sensual lines of the new 2010 MV Agusta F4 while still preserving its design spirit. Set to debut the all new F4 in Milan this evening, MV Agusta has also taken special care to deliver a lighter, faster, stronger motorcycle that pushes the limits of performance either out on the street or track.

2010 MV Agusta F4

Ergonomics for the new 2010 MV Agusta F4 have also been redesigned, enabling riders to achieve performance limits more safely while harnessing the brand new, more powerful F4. To improve handling, the new MV Agusta F4 features a lightened framework and chassis with revised geometry that significantly improves riding comfort. The 2010 F4 is 22 lbs. lighter than its predecessor, weighing in at a lithe 423.5 lbs. total weight.

Like the Brutale, a new engine, chassis, and swingarm have been designed for the 2010 model. These changes make the 2010 MV Agusta F4 4cm narrower, while making the chassis more rigid. Riders should find the new chassis more comfortable, and will be able to make use of the F4’s new 8-way adjustable traction control unit and twin-map ECU. Helping get the power to the ground is bike’s Other changes include:

Power supply with TSS variable length intake system

TC MK II traction control system, adjustable on 8 levels

Two injectors per cylinder

New electronic injection system with 49-mm throttle bodies

New Magneti Marelli 7 SM ECU

New 4-1 exhaust system with valve

2010 MV Agusta F4

"With the introduction of the new 2010 F4, MV Agusta has improved one of the most sought after motorcycles in the world on every level from an engineering, design, and performance aspect. And now, with the new 2010 F4 unveiled alongside our new Brutale 990R and 1090RR models, we feel our company is in a position to show the industry why MV Agusta is known for creating incomparable works of motorcycle art," says Larry Ferracci, Director of U.S. Operations for MV Agusta USA.

2011 DUU CR&S Premium 1,916 cc V-twin Concept Bike

 DUU CR&S Premium 1,916 cc V-twin Concept Bike

The DUU from CR&S is a premium motorcycle with a modular layout that amalgamates a European chassis and styling with American-made V-twin power (2.0 liter). Touting an aggressive design with stylish details, the two-seater presents a variety of styles, options and features which can be attached or removed from the motorbike to create a personalized and customized machine. Powered by a 1,916 cc V-twin engine wrapped in bodywork and frame, the motorbike promises an enthralling ride for biking enthusiasts.

DUU CR&S Premium 1,916 cc V-twin Concept Bike

The DUU extends this concept, now synonymous with the CR&S brand. In addition to technical and aesthetic options, the DUU allows different configurations. The CR&S DUU begins with a single or two-seater base module, which provides the main needs of the rider while offering countless configuration options, without affecting functionality or the aesthetic form.

An innovative motorcycle, “modular and muscular”, built from high quality, durable materials and best components, with a powerful, rugged and reliable engine.

CR&S expects to deliver the first DUU in Europe by 2011. Target price, for the base model, is € 20,000.00 on the road, with a production volume of a few dozen units per year.

DUU CR&S Premium 1,916 cc V-twin Concept Bike