Auto News 5

Cadillac's sexy new coupe is getting even racier with the high-performance 2011 CTS-V Coupe that will debut at the 2010 Detroit auto show. Powered by a supercharged V-8 making 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque, Cadillac says the newest V-series car will run to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds.inline_mediumwraptextright26454545/features/news/0912_2011_cadillac_ctsv_coupe0912_01_z+2011_cadillac_cTS-V_coupe+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Hyundai plans to show off its Blue-Will hybrid concept to North America during the 2010 Detroit auto show next week. The Blue-Will debuted in Seoul last March, but the visit to Detroit will be the first time we've seen the concept in person.

Meet the P-NUT from Honda, the latest entrant in the strangely effervescent arena of pint-size pod cars. To the comely blonde models, slowly spinning turntables, and acres of cheap carpet, we can add tiny bubble-car concepts as an auto-show fixture. At the recent Los Angeles show, Honda presented the P-NUT. The too-cute name is an acronym for Personal-Neo Urban Transport. More than two feet shorter than a Fit, the P-NUT seats three and has its (hypothetical) powertrain located at the rear; Honda says it could use a gasoline engine, battery power, or a hybrid of the two.inline_mediumwraptextright27554755/features/news/1002_honda_pnut_city_cars1002_01_z+honda_p-NUT+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Sometimes it's not a bad thing, if you're an automaker, to have a vehicle in your lineup that's nearly invisible. Since nobody has any preconceived notions about the car, you can try to reposition it. In the case of the slow-selling Outlander, Mitsubishi hopes to stretch its appeal beyond the Honda CR-V/Toyota RAV4 class to mix with crossovers like the Subaru Outback. This is a reach, but what does Mitsubishi have to lose?inline_mediumwraptextright27592747/reviews/driven/1002_2010_mitsubishi_outlander_gt1002_01_z+2010_mitsubishi_outlander_gT+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Waiting for a new take on the M roadster? You’ll have to make do with the 2010 BMW Z4 sDrive35is. It may not wear that fabled “M” badge, but the new range-topping Z4 model is faster than the last Z4 M models produced.inline_mediumwraptextright26446085/features/news/0912_2010_bmw_z4_sdrive35is0912_03_z+2010_bMW_z4_sDrive35is+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The Mini Beachcomber Concept is the brand’s latest concept that will be shown at the Detroit auto show. But unlike its last two concepts, this one is unlikely to ever see production.inline_mediumwraptextright26444258/features/news/0912_2010_mini_beachcomber_concept0912_07_z+2010_mini_beachcomber_concept+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

A new 5.0-liter V-8 will endow the 2011 Ford Mustang GT with a dose of history and the performance to stand up to the Chevrolet Camaro. Making 412 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, the new V-8 will lend a serious performance boost to the pony car that was significantly refreshed for 2010, but didn't offer many powertrain improvements. With the new engine, the speedometer now reads up to 160 mph and the tachometer's redline is marked 500 rpm higher at 7000 rpm.

Along with the 5.0-liter V-8, Ford is resurrecting the legendary Boss 302 with a new track-ready Mustang that will be sold at dealerships. The Ford Mustang Boss 302R will feature a roll cage, race seats, safety harness, data acquisition, race suspension, Brembo brakes, and special tires, ready for racing in Grand-Am, SCCA, and NASA series. The Boss 302R will not be street legal. Power will come from the 5.0-liter V-8 paired with a six-speed manual. The return of the Boss recognizes the fortieth anniversary of Parnelli Jones' 1970 Trans-Am championship in a Boss 302.

Make no mistake, the Mazda Kiyora is not a concept car. At least, not as the term is typically used these days, when what is presented as an idea about the future is in fact a hastily restyled upcoming production car, presented to prepare public opinion in advance: "Wow, the new Thingamajig came from the Chimera concept car." No way will we see versions of the Kiyora on the streets anytime soon. Or ever.