Three weeks before its official introduction at the Geneva auto show, Mercedes released pictures and information on the 2010 E-class coupe, which will replace the snazzy but none-too-macho CLK coupe in June of this year.

The new E coupe is not really a two-door version of the E-class sedan, but rather a blend of C- and E-class mechanical components. It hews to the styling of the 2010 E-class sedan—which also makes its official debut in Geneva but was previewed at an off-site event during media days at the Detroit show last month—closely enough that no one will question the relationship.

Unlike the Sedan, Elegance Prevails

Indeed, pretty much every styling element found on the new E-class sedan is present and accounted for on the coupe, including the quad polygonal headlamps, LED taillamps, forward-canted rear deck, and thick bodysides with rising character lines and swollen rear fenders. Somehow, the overall look is far more elegant than that of the sedan. The E coupe mimics the latest CL-class in its arching, B-pillar-less roofline, although a small, fixed quarter window is needed to allow the rear windows to fully retract. A split, full-length moonroof will be standard. Want an even more alfresco motoring experience? The E-class convertible (which replaces the CLK convertible, natch) is scheduled to appear about a year from now, according to Mercedes.

Japanese minicar manufacturer Takeoka Jidosha Kogei's Milieu R is the perfect car for anti-social folks, featuring only one seat and a range of 50km that's just enough to make your commute while being limited enough to get you out of going to the bar afterward. Thus far those who socialize only with (very) small animals have been left out of the company's offerings, but that all changes with this new prototype, the T10. It's ever so slightly larger, gaining 90mm in length and 40mm in width, making room for a shelf to the left of the driver's seat intended for some sort of pet (we're guessing hamster, possibly a petite guinea pig). The other specs, including that 50 km range and top speed of 55 km/h, stay the same, meaning there'd still be no concerns about getting to work early or having to socialize afterward, but we're not sure its charming looks make up for a price tag set to be somewhere north of ¥856,000 (about $9,520); awfully close to that of a "real" car. At least it looks a little safer than the HUVO.

Mitsubishi's iMiEV is a sweet little electric runabout that's fun to drive, but no one would ever look at it and think "sporty" or "cutting edge." It's just too cute. Mitsubishi clearly hopes to change that with the iMiEV Sport Air concept, which takes the jellybean-shaped EV and throws it, oh, about 15 years into the future. The concept has been the subjected to the kind of now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t speculation normally reserved for software rollouts and Dean Kaman projects, and now Mitsubishi says it'll unveil it at the Geneva auto show in March. So what's the Sport Air got that the regular iMiEV - which hits the road in Japan this year, Europe the next and America, well, eventually - doesn't? Mitsubishi goes out of its way to stress the “sport” part of the little EV's ponderous name, which is odd for something that bears more than a passing resemblance to the BMW Isetta and Messerschmitt KR-200.

(We love the look, by the way, but then we're suckers for post-war microcars.) Says the company, "The i MiEV Sport Air explores the future possibilities for zero-emission vehicles, placing a greater bias on exhilarating driving pleasure." Wait, what was that? "Placing a greater bias on exhilarating driving pleasure." Exhilarating driving pleasure is not a term generally associated with EVs - or at least not for very long, given the constraints battery range puts on your ability to really flog a car. Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive are among the companies changing that perception, but the guys making urban commuters like the iMiEV typically slant their ad copy toward, "It's cute. How can you not love it?" That's what makes EVs such tough to sell to the gearheads.

Mitsubishi teases us with a line about "the balance between environmental and dynamic performance implied in the tagline Drive@earth," whatever that is, and spells out the benefits of its electric drivetrain: Powerful, instant torque from a beefed-up electric motor. Stable driving and handling and a low center of gravity, due to the in-floor lithium-ion battery. Zero on-road CO2 emissions. What? That’s it? This is a sport model, no? Why not at least tease us with some specs or performance benchmarks? Thank you, Mitsubishi, for telling us your electric car will offer great torque, a low center of gravity and zero emissions. (We can hear you back there, skeptical reader, muttering that most electricity is generated from coal. Guess what? It's still cleaner than burning gasoline in our cars.)

All electric cars offer great torque, a low center of gravity and zero emissions. Even the iMiEV we drove last fall. You say this is going to be a “dynamic performance” experience? How dynamic? How quick and for how long. C’mon, let us know that, and then we can talk more. A test drive would be nice too.

Feel that breeze? It's the draft coming through the front door. The door that was opened a crack to let in the banks and Detroit Three but has been pushed wide open. The latest industry to claim distress is from another automotive sector, the rental car business. Yes, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that rental car agencies are now seeking Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, too.

The backstory goes like this: As the economy has tanked, business and leisure travel has slowed and demand for rental cars is now at its lowest point since the 1970s. The agencies aren't selling off their used fleet vehicles as easily, either, so times are tough indeed at the rental counter. That's why Enterprise, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and others are asking Congress to let them tap into TARP money. The House of Representatives has already added a clause that would allow the government to back loans for rental-car companies and other fleet buyers, and now the issue goes before the Senate.

The thinking behind all of this is that America needs the Detroit Three to sell more cars, so allowing fleet purchasers easier credit will result in additional sales by the thousands. Critics suggest that what the plan fails to consider is that fleet sales tend to be extremely low margin sales that don't add much to the automakers' bottom line. Further, if fewer people are renting these new cars, it doesn't make sense for agencies to be buying them in the first place. Thus, opponents believe that most rental companies are more likely to forgo updating their vehicles in favor of maintaining their existing fleet. Us? We just want to see more Hertz ZHZ Corvettes available on the cheap.

Porsche's sales for the first six months of its fiscal year (August 1, 2008 through January 31, 2009) have decreased by 27.3% for a total of 34,000 units sold. The resulting financial effect is a 14.3% drop in revenue, or around three billion euros (just under $4 billion US). Although Porsche execs admit that the automaker isn't immune to the global economic downturn, it has no plans cut jobs. However, it will reduce the number of days worked at the Zuffenhausen plant in Stuttgart by 19 days this summer.

According to Porsche, one of the major factors contributing to the sales slump is a change in its model mix, specifically an increase in 911 variants leaving dealer lots and a decrease in Boxster sales – one of the marque's largest sellers. Strictly judging by our First Drive of the 2009 Porsche Boxster, we'd expect things to improve by the end of July. Hit the jump for Porsche's press release.

Mitsubishi finally announced what we've known all along: the five-door Lancer Sportback is coming to the States for the 2010 model year and sales will begin this summer.

The 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback builds on the already competent Lancer sedan, although the overall length is slightly longer to accommodate the new hatch. One-touch auto-folding rear seats split 60:40 to make room for "active lifestyle" parcels and Mitsubishi dropped the rear cargo area floor by three inches to create 52.7 cubic-feet of space when the rear thrones are folded flat.

The Sportback will be available in two trims, beginning in GTS form and equipped with Mitsubishi's 168 hp, 2.4-liter inline four mated to either a five-speed manual or CVT with six "virtual" ratios. More importantly, the Sportback will be offered in Ralliart guise, with the detuned Evolution X's turbocharged 4B11 2.0-liter four putting out 237 hp and 253 lb.-ft. of torque. Power will be doled out to all four wheels through Mitsubishi's All-Wheel Control (AWC) system with Active Center Differential (ACD), and buyers can opt for either the six-speed Twin Clutch-Sportronic Shift transmission (TC-SST) or CVT gearbox, both of which are manipulated by a set of magnesium-alloy paddle shifters.

Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but once all the options boxes are ticked on the Ralliart, expect the price to still be under $30k. Make the jump for the press release.

My family has fallen in love with Bruno. Yes, we named it. Clearly, the Honda Pilot has left an impression. Size is the first thing you notice, solidity the second – there's not a whiff of the gelatin-jiggles that afflict most of this CUV's body-on-frame competitors. The Pilot is also loaded up with thoughtful, family-friendly touches everywhere you look. It's big, accommodating, and solid. What else? Follow the jump to find out.

With styling via a framing square, "pretty" is not a word that springs easily to mind when admiring the 2009 Honda Pilot. Aerodynamic improvements increase efficiency and quell noise, and the facelift looks surprisingly pugnacious. The chromey fangs are a ruse, though, as the Pilot is all pussycat. This is an easy-driving box. It's steering is light and would be considered numb in the sedan world, but if nothing else, it brings that trademark Hondaness to the realm of large CUVs.


The rest of the chassis lives up to the name on the tailgate, as well. A tightly snubbed ride might run the risk of liquefying occupants when the going gets bumpy, but the Pilot just eats up scarred macadam without drama. No doubt the structural improvements that Honda has effected on the updated Pilot play a role in the vehicle's aplomb. The Pilot glides over roads that make you wince, and despite carting around 4,000-plus pounds, this eight-seater feels light on its feet.



The engine bay is still occupied by Honda's 3.5-liter V6 delivering 250 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque, a marginal improvement over earlier versions. The V6 augments its ability to deactivate cylinders by adding a four-cylinder step, thereby eking out better fuel economy. Engine noise is muted, even when you wind it so hard the tachometer screams in protest. Despite its weight, and the fact that it packs "only" 250 horsepower, we were never able to catch the Pilot flat-footed. Its five-speed automatic transmission is always in the proper gear and obediently follows the command of the driver's foot. Clearly, the Pilot is no drag racer, but power levels are more than adequate.


Things are well thought out for the inevitable family duty. There's a convex mirror for keeping an eye on who's throwing what, and the second-row seat is wide enough to accommodate a rare trio of LATCH anchors that allows three very solidly mounted kidlets to ride just behind your shoulders. A center console with big, no fuss cupholders and a gigantic storage bin make it easy to stow everything but the kitchen sink, which will likely fit in the door pockets or on the shelf in front of the passenger.

In the interest of keeping things quiet, there's a DVD entertainment system for those long hauls through uninteresting scenery. A power liftgate seems like unneeded frippery until the first time you come upon the Pilot with full hands, barely able to press the fob button. The back seat, too, is easier to get in and out of with a sliding second row and extra wheelbase. Real people actually fit back there, as opposed to the kneecap-munching lack of legroom in similar steeds.

The Touring trim level our tester carried does not come cheap, carrying a price tag of $40,095. For that price, thankfully, there's little else to want in the Pilot. The Touring is loaded to the gills with the stuff you'd expect on luxury CUVs – the power liftgate, the DVD system, three rows of seats, surefooted performance, navigation, the works. The interior styling and execution, however, are disappointing from an automaker that's served as a benchmark. While it's quieter than before, it's still not luxury-quiet inside, but at least Consumer Reports' reliability ratings offer peace of mind to supplant the peace and quiet.

According to BMW, the reception to its MINI Crossover Concept from the Paris Motor Show was so positive that the automaker approved the project for production in 2011 just four weeks after it debuted. The production version of the jacked-up MINI CUV is slated to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, which is right on schedule with earlier projections. Don't expect to see the concept's trick rear doors or the side-hinged driver's side portal on the production model, which will instead rely on four normal front-hinged openings and a standard tailgate.

Also on the menu is an optional four-wheel drive system complete with low range when drivers want to tackle the Rubicon, which is, of course, never. According to sources at MINI, the car will retain the brand's trademark kart-like handling, in spite of the ample ground clearance and meaty rolling stock that will be required on a vehicle with off-road intensions.


In any case, the biggest MINI won't come cheap. Expect the 2011 MINI Crossover to pick up where the current range lets off, with a base price of around $29K. MINI also promises a full range of available options, so consider that figure nothing more than a vague starting point for the customizers among us.


photo gallery --
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mini-crossover-concept/1029036/

Porsche has released photos of the new 2010 911 GT3 ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and the revised model features a host of upgrades that make it even more potent than its predecessor. The naturally aspirated flat-six has been enlarged to 4.0-liters, and now produces 435 horsepower good for a 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 193 mph.

Handling is improved as well, with a modified stability management system that allows for graduated settings for both stability and traction controls, along with enlarged carbon ceramic brakes that improve stopping distances.

On the outside, the GT3 gets several subtle revisions including a redesigned rear spoiler, more angular LED taillights, new bi-xenon headlights, modified air intakes on the front bumper, and a new front spoiler that can be adjusted from the cockpit.

When the curtain rises on the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Bentley will take a large share of the spotlight with the vehicle you see above. It has no name yet, and no technical specifics have been released, but what Bentley has revealed is that this will be the marque's fastest, most powerful production car yet... and it runs on biofuel. Visually, the grilles all have a blackout treatment, and sizable vertical intakes occupy the front bumper's outer edges. The hood also sports a pair of vents, presumably to help extract engine heat. Given that the 600-horsepower/553-lb-ft Continental GT Speed currently owns the "most powerful production Bentley" title, look for more extreme ratings on this new, obviously Continental-based monster.

As for the biofuel half of the equation, we expect to see an ethanol-drinking version of the twin-turbocharged W12 that propels the rest of the Continental range. In any case, a new Bentley's coming and it's fixin' to open up a plus-sized can of whoop-ass. We'll learn more closer to the Geneva festivities. UPDATE: One more thing we can tell you: if you happen to not be going to Geneva, but still want to see it in person, head to the Big Apple in April. The car will be displayed at the New York Auto Show.

The Grand National Roadster Show celebrated its 60th year this past weekend in Pomona, CA with a gathering of the most beautiful hot rods, customs and motorcycles in the world. The show is the longest running indoor car show anywhere, and over 600 show cars were there competing for various awards, plus another 100 historic vehicles on display including a recreation of the show from 1959 when it was located in Oakland, CA. Visitors could also view the Mach 5 from Speed Racer, the Dukes of Hazzard's General Lee and a restored Munster Coach.

The highlight of the event comes when the title of America's Most Beautiful Roadster is crowned on Sunday afternoon. This year, Harry Willett's 1932 Ford Roadster (above) won the prestigious award, beating out 13 other highly-qualified contenders. The completely hand-built hot rod was also one of the "Great 8" competing for last year's Ridler award at the Detroit Autorama and features a stretched body, custom rail and tubular chassis, and a Viper V10 mated to a 6-speed transmission. Willett joins last year's title holder, Rudy Necoechea's 1932 Ford Roadster, and 2007's Iowa Radster as one of the few AMBR winners.

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-grand-national-roadster-show/1314191/

California start-up Better Place and Danish utility Dong Energy said Tuesday they have lined up financing to bring an electric car charging network to Denmark by 2011.

The two organizations have secured almost $103 million in equity and convertible debt that will go toward constructing stations where drivers can swap in fresh batteries for electric cars.

(Credit: Better Place)

Better Place's business plan focuses on building a network of automated battery-swapping stations along driving corridors. Places to rapidly charge or get fresh batteries will address the range limitations of existing car batteries, according to Better Place.

Although Better Place has announced customers with the governments of Israel, Hawaii, Portugal, and San Francisco for its network of charging stations, Denmark appears to be the first to secure financing to build the charging infrastructure.

Once a network is set up, state-controlled Dong Energy said its excess wind power capacity can be used for charging electric cars. Denmark now gets 20 percent of its electricity from wind turbines, but a portion of that electricity is exported because it can't be stored economically.

"Our goal in investing in Better Place Denmark is to help reduce CO2 emissions and increase the consumption of sustainable energy by capturing and leveraging wind power more efficiently," Dong Energy CEO Anders Eldrup said in a statement.

The structure of the deal underlines the pieces auto industry executives say need to be in place before electric cars can be used by large numbers of consumers.

Utilities need to be involved to understand and manage the shift in power-grid load that electric cars bring. Government incentives need to be in place to overcome the higher cost of battery-powered vehicles. In Denmark, the government does not levy a sales tax on electric cars to promote their use.

The start-up also announced that it has hired former Microsoft Europe executive Jens Moberg as CEO of Better Place Denmark.