Mini Acura NSX Back on the Table

Shrunken Supercar Rumored to Get AWD, Mid-Engine Layout

While the stillborn, V-10-powered NSX was being developed, Honda was also working on a related and obscure project referred to internally as the Small NSX. At the time it was just one of several advanced R&D ideas sitting in the design room. Then the financial crisis hit, causing Honda to kill the NSX and shelve all other sports car projects. But Honda has since rebounded, and as we know, the NSX has been reborn as an all-wheel drive hybrid. Now we're hearing the Small NSX may be back on the drawing board as well.While the words "Small NSX" may conjure up visions of a successor to the S2000, our inside source tells us this is not the case, and that it will look much like a shrunken version of the big-boy NSX, something along the lines of the car you see in this artist's impression. Our source also tells us that like the NSX, it will be equipped with a version of Honda's SH-AWD system.Power will likely be provided by a turbocharged direct-injection engine. Honda currently has a number of engines that could fit the bill, including the 3.5-liter V-6, 2.4-liter I-4, and 2.0-liter I-4 already offered in several of its American-market products. Given Honda's America-focused development, overseas engines such as its 660cc and 1.0-liter mills are unlikely to be considered. Of the possible three, the 2.4-liter is the most likely candidate. There's also the possibility that it will be fitted with some kind of hybrid drivetrain.Our source also tells us the Small NSX will make use of a number of parts from the NSX to help recoup development costs. Given that both cars will be developed at Honda of America's R&D center in Ohio (we're told that in July Honda HQ assigned several of its top test drivers and engineers to the facility for a five-year stint), it's a logical move. The NSX remains on track to return for the 2015 model year. If it's indeed green-lit, the Small NSX could follow a year or two afterward, before the drivers and engineers head home in 2017. Don't expect it to be a bargain sports car, however. Given the amount of DNA it's likely to share with the NSX, the Small NSX would likely cost between $50,000 and $60,000.

 

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Ford to slash price of Focus Electric by $4,000 for 2014

Pure-electric Focus will now start at $35,995

Ford will be reducing the price of its Ford Focus electric by $4,000 for the 2014 model year, InsideEVs.com is reporting. The 10 percent price cut will lower the starting MSRP from $39,995 (including a $795 destination charge) down to $35,995.

This move by Ford is seen as an attempt to keep the electric car competitive since its release back in 2011. Admittedly, Ford and its competition haven't made much progress since the Focus Electric was revealed, either in terms of sales, making the electric powertrain technology cheaper to implement, or significantly extending a given model's range.

We tested the 2012 Ford Focus Electric back in December, and came away very impressed with its smooth, single-gear powertrain as well as its range. We also liked the regenerative braking system in the Focus Electric, a feature that some other manufacturers need to spend some more time tinkering with. We were so impressed with the overall package at the time that we said that it was the best pure-electric car out there, given how few concessions the car made to its all-electric powertrain compared to other pure-electrics. About the only thing we didn't like was the $40,000 price tag, which at the time placed the car into compact or midsize luxury sedan territory.

The 10 percent reduction in MSRP will perhaps make a Focus a little more popular with consumers, especially given the American car buying public's relatively slow acceptance of pure electrics. It's too early to speculate whether the reduction in price will be the deal breaker for most pure electric car shoppers, though it's worth noting that price-wise the Focus Electric will now be located at almost the precise midpoint between the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf.

The Ford Focus Electric is now $4,000 cheaper for the 2014 model year

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Hennessey tunes C7 Corvette Stingray

Supercharged 'Vette available in October

Hennessey Performance and its gang of Texas tuners are planning upgrades for the 2014 Chevrolet Stingray Corvette before the car even hits the market. We're sure Corvette engineers working on the next ZR1 are taking notice, presumably with a chip on their collective shoulders.

In October, the Hennessey HPE700 Corvette is expected to debut packing a claimed 700 hp, with help from an Eaton TVS R2300 supercharger. It adds 8 psi of boost through custom CNC-ported factory cylinder heads, working with proprietary intake and fueling systems. Hennessey says it will also recalibrate the ECU. Like the factory C7, a seven-speed manual or six-speed automatic can be specified.

If asked, Hennessey says it will also upgrade the exterior of the new C7 with the company's CarbonAero body treatment that consists of a new front splitter, notched rear spoiler, side sills and hood. The new hood gets a larger power dome bump with a larger central vent for extracting heat.

Unlike many body kits, the Hennessey says the pieces actually increase downforce -- it isn't just for looks.

“We're only interested in changes that deliver a measurable increase in performance, period,” said John Hennessey.

Other special touches include 10-spoke alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, interior upgrades that have yet to be finalized, optional coilover suspension with Penske double-adjustable shocks and Brembo brakes.

The HPE700 will eventually be the middle child of the lineup. Hennessey plans to offer a naturally aspirated HPE500 version, another supercharged version with 600 hp, a twin-turbocharged 800-hp version and the monster, a 1,000-hp Vette that receives upgrades from head to tail.

The HPE700 will cost $18,450 on top of the $52,000 sticker price of a C7 Corvette. The HPE800 package costs $54,950, and the HP1000 costs $67,950. Check out hennesseyperformance.com for more information.

There are four power options for the Hennessey Stingray 

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Subaru Continues to Break Away From The Pack

The Little Four, Redux

Subaru is the car company Saab always wanted to be: a niche automaker with a loyal, growing following. It relies on horizontally opposed four- and six-cylinder engines and all-wheel drive, save for the new rear-drive BRZ sports car. Its deal with Toyota, which bought 8.7 percent of parent Fuji Heavy Industries after GM dumped its 20 percent, goes a long way toward Subaru's sustained success in the U.S. and globally. Even before the BRZ was launched, Subaru was making a profit in all its regions.Local production helps. With the Japanese yen running at historic highs against the U.S. dollar ($1 = 78.32 yen at presstime, versus $1 = 146.25 yen on January 2, 1990), selling cars built in Japan is a costly business. Back in February, we asked, "How long can Japan's niche brands survive?" Nine months later, the picture is a bit clearer. For the first half of 2012 versus the first half of '11, U.S. industry sales were up by 15 percent. Add another month of sales, and you have these year-to-date changes for the little four through July:Subaru: 189,487/+23.2%The only automaker that didn't lose sales in 2009-'10 is on track for another record. Full-year sales rose 1.2% last year, despite tsunami.Mazda: 163,115/+13.9%Near-average increase. Mazda needs North American production capacity for its new '6 and its best-seller Mazda3.Mitsubishi : 37,067/-28.8%Company says the decrease is deliberate with brooming of Eclipse, Galant to concentrate on C-segment and electrics. Best-selling Outlander Sport is built in Normal, Illinois.Suzuki: 15,260 /-3.7%The next Isuzu? BMW's X3 outsold the entire Suzuki lineup in the first seven months of 2012. Swift B-car never will be imported so long as Suzuki has no North American production.Source

Is this the car that spurred the Mazda-Alfa deal?

The Alfa Romeo 2uettotanta may have prompted Fiat to find a Partner for a 21st-century Duetto Spider.

Rumor and speculation say that Pininfarina's 2010 Geneva auto show concept, the Alfa Romeo 2uettotanta, prompted Fiat to find a strategic alliance partner that would supply a small rear-drive platform for a 21st-century Duetto Spider. Mazda and Alfa Romeo have announced that a new, small Alfa roadster will be built off the next MX-5 Miata platform.The next Mazda Miata is expected in the 2014 model year, while the Alfa, with unique sheetmetal, interior, and a Fiat-supplied engine, will go on sale in the '15 model year.The Alfa almost certainly won't be this car, though some of its design cues might be applied. The 2uettotanta's proportions are a bit off, with a hood and dash-to-axle that's too long for the next-generation Miata.More important, Alfa Romeo's design staff isn't likely to cede responsibilities for such a high-profile car to a supplier, even if it's named Pininfarina.
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Hyundai Plans Fuel-Cell Tucson

Hyundai intends to put its fuel-cell Tucson into what executives call, oxymoronically, "small-scale mass-production." By 2015, total production will have reached 1000 units, mostly for Europe. After 2015, the aim is to ramp output further, the company's European boss saying it could be "up to 10,000 units a year after 2015, mostly for California and Europe, provided the market and infrastructure are up to it."The car will be built on the regular Tucson assembly line in Ulsan, Korea. It will be lease-only to selected fleets, at launch. After 2015, it will be made available for private buyers, at a projected $52,000.It has a 100-kilowatt stack, and the company claims it's capable of 100 mph, with a 12.5-second 0-62-mph time. The range on a full tank of hydrogen is 367 miles on the European test drive cycle. The tank capacity is 12 pounds of hydrogen, at 10,000 psi. Refueling takes "a few minutes" at that pressure and the refuelling nozzle adheres to the global standard for filling stations. The stack gets its oxygen from ambient rather than compressed air, which means, Hyundai says, lower parasitic power loss. Passengers hear less noise because there is no compressor. The stack feeds a lithium-ion buffer battery like that used in the Sonata Hybrid.Motor Trend has driven a prototype of the vehicle, and it's EV-like in its silence and smoothness. Passenger space is uncompromised, and the trunk floor is only a few inches higher. Hyundai joins Honda, Daimler, Nissan, and Toyota in working with European local and city governments to get a hydrogen refueling infrastructure in place.Source

Chrysler recalls some vans, cars and SUVs for airbag problem

Occupant restraint control module to blame

Chrysler announced two recalls last week, both for the potential of improper airbag deployment.

On certain model year 2013 Chrysler Town & Country minivans, Dodge Grand Caravan and Ram C/V Tradesmen models, a software error could result in the wrong airbag deploying in the event of a crash. For example, a left-side impact would cause the right-side airbags to deploy.

Chrysler is conducting a voluntary recall to reflash the occupant restraint control module that governs deployment. The company will notify owners in August.

Another group of cars including certain model year 2011-2013 Sebring and 200 models, 2011-2013 Avenger models, 2011-2012 Nitros and 2011-2012 Jeep Liberty models are being recalled for the same part, but for different reasons.

In those cars, the active head restraints may not deploy in a rear crash accident, which could increase the risk of injury.

Chrysler will notify owners of those cars in August as well. Until then, try not to stop short or get t-boned in an intersection. Concerned owners can call Chrysler at (800) 247-9753 or contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at (888) 327-4236.

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