2009 Focus RS info emerges after internet leaks

In the magical lands where the Focus looks cool, otherwise known as Europe, new images of the hotrod 2009 Focus RS have had enthusiasts atwitter the last few days. While the images are clearly 'chops - the wheels and backgrounds look like they're in high speed motion, while the tire tread is statue-still - they're reportedly legitimate mockups that were used to illustrate internally how the car might look. Ford confirmed their legitimacy today when it released two more photos of an actual Focus RS prototype along with a press release. The two new pics show the RS prototype racing around the Nurburgring where it's being tested ahead of its launch in 2009. The press release confirms that the RS will be powered by a Duratic 2.5L engine that's turbocharged to produce 280 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Ford also claims it's got torque steer for this pocket rocket in check with a new front-wheel-drive system and limited-slip differential. As for the design, we'll get to see it for the first time at the 2009 London Motor Show in late July. Check out both the photoshopped pics and Ford's two official pics in our gallery below and read the official press release for yourself after the jump.

Ford Fiesta snapped in the wild

For once, we don't have to stare at shots of an attractive compact Ford and wistfully complain that it won't be available here. The production Ford Fiesta hatch has been spotted in the wild, and with Ford's confirmation that we're getting the hatchback and sedan for 2010, the potential is there for this vehicle to be a common sight on U.S. roads. The Fiesta is a stylish domestic offering for a segment where the Fit beats all and the only domestic offering is the Aveo. A bigger choice of small cars is a good thing, and while the Fiesta's backlight looks a little pinched in a function-follows-form kind of way, it's still more handsome than the Yaris. Those hoping for a high performance SVT version should start making noise now. It wouldn't even have to be fast, just make it handle like the original Focus SVT and we'd be happy with that

BMW 123d hanging out in Michigan

Imagine, if you will, a compact rear-wheel-drive hatchback that runs from 0-62mph in a very respectable 6.9 seconds. Not to shabby. Now imagine that this same car could average 45 mpg (US)! Not possible, you say? Au contraire! In other parts of the world where they don't just use gasoline to power cars, this is not an unheard-of possibility. One shining example is the BMW 123d, which was launched in Europe last year. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder diesel cranking out 204hp and 295lb-ft of torque, the 123d scores 45mpg (US) on the EU combined test cycle. For now at least, BMW isn't offering American consumers any of its four cylinder engines, but fuel system supplier Bosch has a fleet of European diesel vehicles that they use for promotional purposes. AutoblogGreen has previously tested the Smart ForTwo, Chrysler 300, and BMW 535d from this fleet and will soon be getting its paws on the three newest additions to the fleet. One of those cars is the 123d that you see above. Reader Typhoon5000 spotted this one in Flint MI the other day and shared some photos with us. Stay tuned for full reviews of this 123d and two other really cool diesels that you (unfortunately) can't buy. Thanks to Typhoon5000 for the tip and photos.

Renault Megane leaked in French mag

Click to view more of the upcoming Renault Megane

Renault has been hard at work on the replacement for the current Megane. Following the new Clio, which came out three years ago, the Megane is an important model for the French automaker, designed to face off against volume leaders like the Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit and Ford Focus. French magazine Auto Plus has managed to obtain some undisguised shots of the car, presumably obtained from a Renault employee in exchange for a case of wine, a carton of Gauloise and/or a joke about Americans.

As promised, the new Megane will be substantially more subdued in its styling than the love-it-or-hate-it current model, with its curved upright rear window. The front end borrows heavily from the new Laguna, hinting at a common design language for the company. There's certainly some similarity between the production version and the Megane Coupe Concept unveiled at the Geneva show this year. Although the production Megane will predictably be considerably more conservative than the show car, the three-door appears further differentiated from its five-door stablemate with more sporting lines. See for yourself in the scanned magazine pages in the gallery below. The car looks just about ready to hit the market, so a debut at Renault's home-turf Paris Auto Salon this fall would be a good bet.

Ford confirms Fiesta hatchback for the U.S.

Click above for high-res gallery of the production Ford Fiesta

In a press release today officially announcing that the new Fiesta will be built at its Cuautitlán Assembly Plant in Mexico starting in 2010, Ford confirmed what we all expected: in addition to the Fiesta Sedan, it's going to build the Fiesta Hatchback for U.S. customers, as well. Previously, Ford has said it would only build the sedan version of the Fiesta for the U.S., perhaps believing that hatchbacks were still a hard sell in the U.S. Rising gas prices have erased most of the negative stigmas associated with hatchbacks, which are generally perceived to be both highly practical to own and fuel efficient to drive. Curiously enough, the Cuautitlán Assembly Plant that's being converted to build Fiestas used to build full-size F-150 trucks for the Mexican market. Now it will build small cars for all of North America.

Ford also announced that its Chihuahua Engine Plant in Mexico that currently makes four-cylinder engines will add diesel engines for light- and medium-duty trucks to its assembly lines, and that a brand new transmission plant will be built in Guanajuato in a joint-venture with Getrag. All told, Mexico will be getting a $3 billion investment from Ford and its suppliers, the largest ever automotive investment according to Ford, and around 4,500 new jobs will be created as a result.

Cross-bred Caddy: Volkswagen Caddy Carrera Cup Edition 2.0TDI R

Click above for a gallery of the VW Caddy Carrera Cup Edition 2.0 TDI R.

The link between Volkswagen and Porsche is about to get stronger, but VW's Swedish contingent has already created a special edition to honor the alliance. The VW Caddy has lived a staid life as a popular work truck in Europe, but the Swedes apparently think it could be so much more. So it's releasing 250 Carrera Cup Edition Caddies outfitted with black, 17-inch wheels wrapped in 225/45 R17 rubber, a new body kit, red-on-white paint scheme with Porsche's signature "Carrera" text, two-tone leather sport seats, a leather steering wheel and shifter. The 2.0-liter TDI mill is putting out 140 hp and 236 lb.-ft. of torque and with a fire extinguisher mounted on the diamond-plate floor boards, we think we might have found the perfect track-day accomplice to join that GT3 RS we've been building in our dreams.

2009 Ford Ka unofficially revealed

The Ford Ka has been a prime example that the Blue Oval can be successful at making make little cars, even if they kind of look like basketball shoes. After 12 years of service, it's time to shake things up a bit. The next Ka shares mechanicals with the stylish Fiat 500, and after scoping the first unofficial pics from Auto Express, the Ford will be just as cute as its Italian sibling. Designers did manage to heavily differentiate the Ka from the 500, skipping the rounded lines in favor of edgier lines and details that reinforce Ford of Europe's styling language. Think micro-Fiesta, and you've got the picture.

Since it's for European consumption, it'll have no less than three powertrains from the get-go, with a 68 hp 1.2L, a 100 hp 1.4L, and a 1.3L, 50 mpg diesel. Rumor has it that a hotter Ka ST is on its way as well, with 150 hp coming from a turbocharged 1.4L engine. Interior refinement over the outgoing model comes courtesy of better materials and improved ergonomics.

We're still a few months away from the Ka's official unveiling at the Paris Auto Show in September, but we like what we see so far. Besides, if it's good enough for Bond, it'll be good enough for us. The Ka will be produced in Poland and it'll go on sale in Europe by the end of the year.

Spy Shots: BMW 3-Series facelift

For
those fond of delving deep into E90 minutiae, these are the best shots
yet showing off the subtle changes coming to the BMW 3-series. For the
rest of us, the tweaks are largely inconsequential. World Car Fans has
unearthed some of the clearest shots yet, and the change that most
people will notice are the taillamps, which look to get a slightly
different shape. It even appears that the cutlines between the taillamp
pieces on the trunklid won't line up with the rest of the cluster
mounted in the quarter panel - asymmetry. The mirrors look to gain
large repeaters for the blinkers, possibly just a camouflage ruse, and
minor updates likely go on inside and underhood, too. Also likely to be
quite noticeable once the wraps come off is a reshaped front fascia,
which appears to place foglamps next to the license plate. Overall, a
mild refreshing until a new 3-series can be whipped up. In the
meantime, the new 7 will set the template for BMWs to come.

Volvo C30 R-Design priced from $26,445

Following up on our story about the Volvo C30 R-Design at the New York Auto Show, Volvo announced pricing today for its sporty hatchback tunerish trim level. MSRP will be $25,700, plus destination charges of $745. Doing simple math, you can put one of these hot turbocharged Swedes in your garage at a base price of $26,445. Of course, most of you will want to add available goodies such as the DVD-based navigation, bi-xenon headlights, or the Dynaudio premium sound system...and they'll cost you extra, which will balloon the price into what many consider too dear for a Swedish hatchback.

If a cosmetically-enhanced C30 is just your thing, however, we suggest you act fast. With a production run limited to just 400 examples, the exclusive R-Design will probably roll quickly out of showrooms starting in April.

Saab launches Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection

Saab has embraced E85 as an alternative fuel in Europe as a way to offer good performance and relatively good emissions using small turbocharged engines. Because ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, boost pressure can be raised, allowing for a higher specific power output. It also helps that Saab already had a history of being quirky and using turbocharged engines in their vehicles. As an added bonus, it also gets to capitalize on the "green" aspect of the biofuel, and is leaving no eco-stone unturned. For the New York Auto Show, the Swedish brand be showing off its 9-X BioHybrid concept and the 9-4X BioPower concept. But its latest foray into being eco-friendly is the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection, which was created in conjunction with the Swedish clothing design firm Reflective Circle.

The Saab/Reflective collection, which currently includes T-shirts, button-down shirts, jersey shirts, a ladies shirt dress and tennis shirts (more coming soon), is made from 100 percent ecological/organic cotton certified by Skal International, an independent inspection and certification organization. One highlight of the collection is the use of the Coroso nut, which comes from Palm trees found in rain forests, for their buttons - as opposed to molding them from plastic.

Pininfarina confirms Ferrari, Brembo and Sabelt as new shareholders

Pininfarina has confirmed the three new shareholders who will take stake in the company as part of its 100 million euro capital increase. As we reported previously, Piero Ferrari, son of the late Enzo Ferrari and vice-chairman of the eponymous Maranello sportscar firm, and Alberto Bombassei, chairman of the Brembo brakes company, will take shares, in addition to the Marsiaj family at the helm of Italian seatbelt manufacturer Sabelt.

The increased capital will finance the development and production of the upscale electric minicar Pininfarina will produce together with French industrial group Bollore and Indian automaker Tata. The car is expected to begin production in 2010 with 2000 units, ramping up to a full capacity of 15,000 units by 2012 with sales in the United States, Europe and Japan. Although the size of each new shareholder's stake has yet to be confirmed, the shares will come out of the Pininfarina family's 55% ownership.

Fiat buys Zastava to build new Topolino microcar

If you told us a year ago that Fiat was going to sign a deal with the government of Serbia, we'd have laughed. But that was before the country announced that it was accepting tenders for investment in the state-owned automaker Zastava, makers of the famous Yugo (aka Skala 55). The process started back in December when the Serbian government made the announcement, sparking interest from various automakers. But even as recent as last week, the Fiat stance was that it was still considering the proposition. Well, it appears the Italian auto giant has done thinking, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with Serbia to establish a joint venture that involves Fiat investing a staggering 700 million euros (!) into Zastava's manufacturing facilities in exchange for a majority stake in the company, known in full as Zavodi Crvena Zastava. The Serbian government, meanwhile, will contribute some 200 million euros through tax incentives and similar measures.

Fiat has revealed that it will use the Zastava plant to produce the upcoming Topolino microcar. The vehicle will be based on the same platform as the 500 and Panda, but even smaller and positioned below either model, and share the same name as the concept car that previewed the new 500 and originally used on the 1936 runabout pictured above. According to reports, the new Topolino will be a compact two-seater measuring just 3150mm (124 inches) in length, slightly longer than the Smart ForTwo at 2692mm (106 inches). A four-seater version is expected to follow, in addition to an upscale version for the Lancia division.

Loder1899 builds off Jaguar XF's strong points

Unlikely the atrocity that Galpin performed on the new Jaguar XF, the German tuners at Loder1899 recognized the cat's strong points and built a set of tasteful mods around it. The package from Loder comes equipped with a new front bumper, rear diffuser and trunk lid wing, a suspension setup that lowers the XF by 35mm and a choice of either 20- or 21-inch rollers. Across the pond, buyers can opt for the 2.7-liter V6 diesel, so Loder has employed a few tweaks on the oilburner to increase output to 249 hp (from 207) and torque to 385 lb.-ft. All that kit will cost you a cool 8,000 euro in Germany, not including assembly and painting. Hit the jump for the full press release.