While many confusing car-related things have happened in the upper strata of the Autoverse over the last few years (Aston Martin and Ferrari both being impart owned by Middle Eastern concerns, Aston Martin not being bankrupt) perhaps the most shocking and disconcerting was Ford's sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to India's Tata. To many, the scheme seemed doomed from the get go and after a couple cash-hemorrhaging quarters coupled to the recent recession, the naysayers appeared right.

Turns out, Tata can say nay to the naysayers as its two prestige/luxury brands just turned a profit. A combination of cost cuts and attractive new models (LR4, XF) have helped catapult the long time money losers into the black. And while the $4.7 million in consolidated net profits last quarter is certainly nothing to jump for joy over, that nearly five million bucks is a nice change of pace from the usual Jag/Landy blood red ink. JLR sales rose 23% over the previous quarter. Rule Britannia! Er, India.

[Source: Gasgoo | Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images]

Did our friends in the great, frostbitten north just jump the gun by half a week and reveal the 2011 North American Ford Fiesta ahead of its upcoming LA Auto Show debut? Boy we kinda hope not. Well, specifically, we hope the the little five-door fire cracker we've come to know and love (largely thanks to the well-executed Fiesta Movement) doesn't get this new grille. It's by no means a deal breaker, but it's just not as uncluttered and sharp looking as the Euro-Fiesta's simple face. Meanwhile, the Fiesta sedan gets FoMoCo's three-bar grille up front, and resembles a Yaris sedan everywhere else.

There are also some enormous chrome scoops/intakes fore of the front wheels where the fog lamps on the Euro cars used to reside. Purpose? No idea, but we have to imagine that fog lamps would have served a more purposeful purpose. We have to say that we hope the loss of the fog lamps isn't an indication that the Fiesta is getting decontented for our market.

One of the reasons (admittedly of many) that we fell so head over heals for the Fiesta is that it provided big car sophistication in a little car package. American car companies have for decades been of the mind set that if you opt to buy a small car, you should suffer (quite literally) the consequences. The Fiesta looked to be a break from that mentality. Hopefully it still is.

There is a weird sliver of history that provides a silver lining. There is a longstanding tradition of releasing slightly different models in Canada than we get here in the U.S. This always struck us as weird since half of Quebec runs across the border to buy cigarettes in Vermont every week. Anyhow, remember the Pontiac Parisienne – a Chevy badged as a Pontiac with fancy seats that helped make Pontiac the number three selling brand in Canada for decades. Here's hoping we get the full Euro-Fiesta south of the 49th Parallel.



[Source: Autoblog Espanol via Google Translate]

Hey there, odd looking, what you got cooking? Yes, we're pretty positive you're looking (or about to be looking) at the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg caught without its robe on. Visually speaking, not much has changed. The front clip and hood look more in line with the sixth generation Golf/GTI. From behind, you can see an awful lot of Porsche Cayenne – which is not surprising as the two SUVs are very closely related – especially these days.

We're always liked the Touareg. It's one of those special Volkswagens built almost entirely out of Ferdinand Piech's adrenal glands, akin to the Phaeton and Bugatti Veyron. All three are cars built (largely) without compromise. Don't believe us? Allow us to suggest a weekend with the twin-turbo V10 TDI model – it really will bring you around to our way of thinking. 553 lb-ft of blown diesel torque at 1,800 rpm tends to have that effect on people.

The question now is, will this new 2011 Volkswagen Touareg be anywhere near as phantasmagorical as the last one? We can't say (yet), but we're thinking VW's going to probably dial the "hell yeah!" back a bit. That's just the way of things. Of course, they may not. Either way, we just hope they figure out how to make the next one more reliable. A tip of our off roadin' flap hats to Paul!

[Source: Secret New Cars]

Another day, another country that hates Jeremy Clarkson's guts. Or at least, another country that is seeking an apology from the Top Gear host for his no doubt rude, but no doubter funny comments about said country. In this case, it's the former Iron Curtain nation of Romania. Seems that during the series' season 14 opener, Jezza had some less than flattering observations about the country that shot former "Conductor" Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife before they could even be tied up and blindfolded.

Clarkson's offending remarks? He referred to Romania as "Borat country." He also donned the silly-looking pork pie hat above and stated, "I'm wearing this hat so the gypsies think I am one. I'm told they can be violent if they don't like the look of you." He also called Romanian water "Communist water" and mentioned that Romanians like to express their sense of humor with guns. Pretty innocuous stuff if you ask us. Especially compared to cracks Clarkson's made about other non-British places. Like Germany, America and Malaysia. Regardless, the Romanian government is apparently expecting an apology. We think they'd have a better chance at satisfaction by issuing a Whamber Alert. In any case, you can see the offending footage in its entirety by clicking through to the jump.

[Sources: Telegraph; YouTube]

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If you read publications about cars long enough, you'll no doubt catch on to our pro-wagon bias. In fact, if us auto-journo types ran things, SUVs, CUVs and sedans would be banned, and all passenger cars would either be mid-engined, 500 horsepower coupes or 600 hp wagons. With manuals and roll up windows. No, really. This is the type of thinking required to join our vaunted profession. However, one of the many reasons we want mega-burly wagons isn't to haul one ton of dope around.

Seems that a twin-turbo, Lambo-V10 engined Audi RS6 Avant (good for at least 580 hp) was busted outside of Seville, Spain for not only going 133 mph, but for carrying 2,000 pounds of pot. Twenty-seven bundles of hashish to be specific. Value? €120,000, or about $180,000 USD. That's a lot of grass, man. And probably about one thousand pounds more than a RS6 sedan could have carried. Er... umm... we mean.... "Bad RS6 Avant, bad!"



[Source: Motor Pasion]

The Dodge Viper is many things to many people. An object of unparalleled lust to some, a big-mouthed, truck-engined Corvette ripoff to others. And an ankle burner to still others. But no one ever thought of Dodge's V10 quarter-mile thug as a serious track car. Until the Viper ACR showed up.

Lighter (especially in Hardcore Package guise) and producing ten times as much downforce as the "regular" SRT10 Viper, the ACR model set off some pretty big waves when the big-winged snake debuted (especially in the Nurburgring record community), even though most of the rippling came from the street-legal slicks. But never mind all that, the new 2010 Dodge Viper ACR is here, and it's even better than the 2009 version.

Why? Well, it's faster (top speed is now 202 mph) and quicker (it can reach said top speed a whole 14 seconds sooner than the 2009 model). How? Gearing, specifically 5th gear, which has been revised from 0.741 to 0.796. Also, the end caps on the giant wing have been revised, resulting in that higher top end. Some new colors, too. We have tons of videos of it rumbling/blasting around Laguna Seca for your perusal, after the jump. Hat tip to Ryan!

UPDATE: Looks like Dodge, the Viper ACR and driver Chris Winkler just broke the Laguna Seca single-lap record with a time of 1:33.944. Those of you with longish memories will remember that a Devon GTX (powered by a Viper motor) recently set the (now) old record at Laguna -- 1.35.075. In other words, the new Viper ACR just beat the previous record by more than a second. Impressive. And yet another video, after the jump.

UPDATE 2: Gallery of images from the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR's day at the track added.

UPDATE 3: Chrysler just twittered: "To honor Viper's record-breaking lap at Laguna Seca, Dodge will rollout a Laguna Seca Special Edition Viper." Now that's planning product on your feet!




[Source: Red Letter Dodge]

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Our pals over at Car and Driver, now helmed by our esteemable buddy Eddie Alterman, just released their 2010 10Best Cars. Quite an undertaking. As they put it, "58 contenders. $2.5 million total. 12,000 test miles logged." For those keeping track, this is the 28th time C/D has published their 10Best. Surprises this year? No not really. The BMW 3 Series continues its unabated drive of dominance to 10Best history with an impressive, will-probably-never-be-duplicated 19th straight win. Not to be too outdone, the Honda Accord also makes the cut for a 24th time, though not consecutive.

Also note that while the Audi S4 makes the grade, the run-of-the-mill (so to speak) A4 does not. We're also pleased to see the Ford Fusion Hybrid getting its just dues (again, it's interesting that the gas-only version doesn't). And of course, you've got your yearly appearance by the Mazda Miata MX-5, Porsche Boxster / Cayman and Volkswagen GTI. Falling off the list this year? The Chevrolet Corvette, Infiniti G37, and the Jaguar XF.

Would we have done things much differently? Probably not much, though we must admit we were pulling for the highly impressive Suzuki Kizashi to make its debut and we're a bit surprised to not see one of the new crop of pony cars on the list. Maybe next year. Alphabetical list of winners after the jump.

[Source: Car and Driver | Image Source: R.S. Owens]

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Mitsubishi presented its best and brightest rides for us to drive over the course of an eight-hour event in the parched desert oasis of Palm Springs, CA. Everything from a tuned, 290-hp Lancer Sportback Ralliart to an electric i MiEV. And drive them we did. We rocketed up winding mountain roads and down gravel-caked trails. If they brought it, we pounded on it. Fairly hard, too. Odd then that the focus of this particular review – and in many ways the star of the party – isn't some carbon fiber body kit-enhanced EVO X, but rather the new 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT.

Yup, an SUV. Actually, a CUV, albeit one with lots of ground clearance. Mitsubishi first introduced the second generation Outlander in 2006 (replacing the more wagon-esque first gen.), and 2010 marks a major refresh. In GT trim, almost everything has changed, from the exterior to the interior to the quantity and quality of gadgets to the engine output to the transmission and finally, most importantly, its all-wheel-drive system. The 2009 Outlander was a fine, competent, utilitarian machine – perfectly adequate for schlepping kids and groceries. But let's be frank, it didn't set hearts on fire. And while the new Outlander GT won't necessarily do that either, it's most definitely not just another sedan on stilts.




Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

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When the automotive history of the last ten or so years is written, one of the most curious chapters will be why big, flush with cash American car companies purchased relatively diminutive, relatively oddball Swedish brands. Ford and Volvo, while still not a match made in heaven, at least gave it a go, sharing platforms and technology. The merger has yielded some good results, too. Anyone that's driven cars like the Flex or new Taurus can attest to how well Ford skin draped over a Volvo-based chassis works – especially when motivated by a twin-turbocharged, direct-injected motor.

General Motors acquisition of Saab on the other hand, was basically a complete and total disaster. Saab suffered mightily at the hands of the General, being forced to accept Opel underpinnings with hard points that prevented hatchbacks and therefore alienated the brand's five-door loving base. The 9-5 (formerly the 9000) languished and essentially died on the vine. The Saabaru (9-2X) proved the no one wanted to pay a $5000 premium for a WRX with nice seats, and the 9-7X was for all intents and purposes a Chevy Trailblazer with the ignition key stuck between the seats. Worse, with Saturn morphing into the American branch of Opel, Saab was the afterthought after the afterthought.

According to an article in Sweden's di, GM lost $5,100 on every Saab it has sold over the last eight years. The how is murky, but the why is that they spent a lot of money to purchase Saab and then didn't sell very many of them. Moreover, it's costing GM a pretty penny to unload Saab. Just about $900,000,000 to put a number on it. All in, General Motors lost nearly $6 billion dollars with Saab in the eight years they spent together. A total waste on both sides of the Atlantic. Here's hoping for better things from the (still pending) Koenigsegg marriage.



[Source: di.se via TTAC]

We'll admit up front that this news item is minimally car-related, but bear with us. In response to News Corp's Rupert Murdoch's repeated threats to bury all of his content behind a pay-for-it-wall, the UK's Guardian conducted a poll asking readers which online columnists they'd pay for. The not so shocking result: Jeremy Clarkson, number one. Number two is Charlie Brooker, who we've heard of. The next eight? Not so much. But here's the point.

Jeremy Clarkson writes about cars. The other day, we were arguing with a burned out (and nameless) colleague about our mutual chosen profession. Eventually he blurted out, "You're still working under the delusion that writing a good car review is somehow noble." Not that Clarkson is particularly noble, but the notion that the writer most people (well, British people...) want to read spends his days scribing about powersliding the tires off half-a-million dollar cars is quite heartening. Almost ennobling, really.

[Source: The Guardian | Image: AFP/Getty]