AutoLemming

Next Generation Toyota Prius

We all know about the Toyota Prius, but we really don’t know anything about it, except for the fact that it is a hybrid car. They say, it will make the world a cleaner, drier, silenced and relaxed place. If it will bring world peace, I will buy 2. We will see if all these things are true in 2009, when the new generation of Prius will be launched at the Detroit auto show.

The next gen will be bigger and stronger so even the Americans will love it, with a 1.8 liter hybrid performance.

January 2009, will be a stepping stone for the Toyota Prius, when it will go from a one of a kind model, to having brothers and sisters. Toyota will come up with different models of the Prius, hoping to achieve 1 million car sales per year by 2010.

Toyota 5-door Yaris

Because the fuel price is getting higher and higher each day small cars became a fashion. That’s probably why Toyota will add a 5-door Yaris for the U.S. lineup for the 2009 model year.

This car is available in Canada since day one and they consider it to be very practical. Rumor is that it will be equipped with an optional sport appearance package already available for 3- and 4-doors. Other features include the addition of standard front side airbags and rear side curtains and the availability of cruise control on the hatch.

For now, there is no information on pricing or photos of the U.S. spec Yaris 5-door but most probably Toyota will provide these details as soon as possible.

2009 Dodge Ram 1500 R/T

A few days ago, Mike Levine went in Chelsea, MI and tested the new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 R/T. Under its hood it hides a 5.7L HEMI V8 tuned to 390 horsepower and 407 pound-feet of torque and a 5-speed AutoStick transmission. On the exterior it boasts with a front bumper, dual exhaust, blacked out grille, chrome 5-spoke wheels and body-color everything.

According to Chrysler, the engine will reach 60 mph in less than 6 seconds. Compared to a normal automatic, the torque converter allows less slip and that’s great for a pickup with less than 400 horsepower. 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 R/T features more aggressive shifts and the unique torque converter increases the fuel consumption.

2010 Chevy Camaro

Here it is, a photo of a 2010 Chevy Camaro, a production version, not just a prototype. It was taken on the set of a TV show that features Christian Slater. Looks great, and it’s all thanks to a member of Camaro5. 2010 is still two years away, but this one is worth the wait.

Audi R8 V10

Audi is working intensively to develop its performance models, German engineers managing to make a series of tests in Nurburgring with Audi R8 V10. In spite of several failed attempts  with the R8 propulsion unit of 5.0 liters, it seems that Audi has managed to eliminate problems caused by the overheat emitted by the giant engine.

If the engine of the RS6 Avant develops up to 580 HP,  some sources say the same propulsion will be limited to 500 HP on the R8 model.

Even if caught in testing, the model appears to be in production version, so far we don’t have the date of the launch for Audi R8. Although the following Auto Show will be held in London, the German auto manufacturer could wait until autumn when the big show will start in Paris.

New Fiat Fiorino Qubo

In the Geneva Auto Show, Fiat has revealed the concept Fiorino People-Carrier, a vehicle which predicts a future model series that combines utility with the appearance of a family vehicle.

Named Fiorino Qubo, the new Fiat model will appear in showrooms in Europe starting next week, at a starting price of 13.000 euros for the Italian market.

The compact MPV will be powered by a multijet 1.3 liters diesel engine and 75 HP and a 1.4 liters gas engine and 73 HP.

The new Fiorino People-Carrier will be launched for the first time this month in France, followed in July and August in Austria, Poland and Hungary. Autumn will be reserved for countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Belgium and Switzerland. In Great Britain and Denmark it will be launched only in the spring of next year.

Dacia Sandero SUV Spy Photo (Not A Logan Car)

Coming from the AutoPlus french car magazine is a spy photo of the 2009 Dacia SUV, taken at a secret presentation event from inside the Renault company. The model has the Renault badge on it and it’s not based on the Dacia Logan as we thought it will be, but on the Dacia Sandero.

The prices will probably be 10.000 euros for the 4×2 base version and 15.000 euros for the 4×4 top version, with components borrowed from Nissan cars.

Production date for the Dacia SUV is set to begin in 2009, at the Romanian plant and will probably be sold as Dacia cars, not Renault cars.

Official Photos Of The New Porsche Carrera 911

Here is the first official photo of the future Porsche 911. As you can see, it comes with a new grille and front bumper, while the indicators, tail lights and revised headlamps get LEDs.

The Porsche 911 S gets a 385HP engine which does the 0 to 62mp/h in 4.5 seconds. And best of all (well, not best, but close) is that the car now consumes 12% less fuel.

BMW 7 series

According to the latest information from BMW area fans,  a new generation of the 7 Series will be released on July 7, the day in which we will see the first official photos of the German model. The information was published first on the BMWBlog.com and taken over by the international press.

Besides the launching date, we found out other extremely interesting details related to future engine options and equipping of the most luxurious  BMW: the basic version will be able to rely on the twin-engine turbo V8 that we found on X6, while the top of the range will be motorized be a V12 engine.

The first presentation of the model will be at the Auto Motor Show in Paris in September.

Audi A7 Preview

In the two photos below you can see a preview of the future Audi A7. The Audi A7 is a 4 door coupe, in the luxury class. It will also have S7 and RS7 variants, that are being prepared right now.

There will also be a hybrid version that is being worked on right now, and it’s based on Li-Ion batteries.