Ford has taken up the automotive product placement mantle in all Bond movies for the foreseeable future. Unlike the Mondeo, that Bond picked up of a Caribbean rental car counter, the Ka, that shares a platform in the Fiat 500, would apparently be tossed accessible by the super spy’s feminine counterpart. Ford hasn’t looking at any sign which it might shoot the Ka to the US market, but supplied newly drafted announcements approximately globalizing its products, a Stateside Ka unquestionably can not be counted out. In the meantime, we can see if the Ka can fly covet an Aston Martin DBS when Quantum of Solace hits theaters in November.

[Source: Ford]

Some nevertheless uphold overly the Alfa hatch should be founded on the same platform this adds force to the Fiat Bravo and Lancia Delta, regardless of Alfa representatives experience asserted so the 149 is able to spearhead its own weird platform. Either way, the platform can underpin the replacement for the 159 sedan and wagon, as far as the replacements for the Brera and Spider, additonally Alfa executives stay to deliberate during the chance of a crossover ideal as well.

[Sources: Autocar and Projetto 940]

Expect the new Alto to attain its record cash in on in India, along provided limited sells within the duration of Europe. For an industry car, it is a rather healthy looker based on how we can notify based on data from the two shots Suzuki’s released in the future of the show, and we imagine it serves to forward oodles of lendees appearing for a quite inexpensive way to get around.

SOURCE

Last month, Toyota announced the its Yaris five-door hatchback may at length be its U.S. debut in 2009. Perfect timing, as gaining gas price are building pitiful cars fancy the Yaris increasingly popular; particularly when properties can be had for a song… that brings us to the true shocker here. The ‘09 Yaris five-door serves to start on at clearly $13,305 for the base model, amongst the upper-level S example originating in at $15,125. Also new for ‘09 are median anti-lock brakes, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, driver and front passenger front part airbags, and front and rear part curtain airbags. Fuel mileage might be a enduring point, in 29 mpg city and 35 mpg highway when equipped amongst an automatic transmission and 29 city, 36 highway amid the manual transmission models. Now, if merely Toyota were able to take in a way to move the gauges in front of the driver at which properties when and if be, we would be all set.

As we reported earlier, Alfa Romeo handed for the duration of its Brera to Prodrive, that has for a while honed the hot hatch to what is making identified the Brera S. Prodrive fit the new Brera S in on Eibach coil springs and Bilstein dampers, and afterward conducted drastic testing to bring in the correct equate of spring and damper amounts for more capable handling without ruining the ride. The steering was too tweaked to take advantage of the car’s quicker reflexes, and 8C Competizione-inspired lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels wearing Pirelli rubber stay the car affixed to terra firma. Along among lighter wheels, hollow anti-roll bars and aluminum suspension elements more and more lower the car’s weight beneath the rest of the Brera range. Exterior mods are minimal, but the waste has kept on reworked and is capped through chrome guidelines featuring Prodrive’s logo, and there are now Prodrive-branded mud flaps up front and either ‘S’ or ‘SV6′ badges on the C-pillar. The Brera S has moreover kept on fitted provided new seats that, along amidst the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel and gear shift, feature red stitching. There are drilled aluminum pedals for your footsies and a limited-edition Brera S aluminum plate featuring the flags of every company’s real estate earth (Italy and Britain) is located in the headrest recess.

[Source: Alfa Romeo]

Fiat is in attendance the present week at the known Mille Miglia in Brescia, Italy and it brought amongst it a whopper of a pithy car to impress the crowd. On hand is the Fiat 500 Abarth Asetto Corse, a thorough race version of the tiny iconic car this sports a screaming 200-hp turbocharged 1.4L four-cylinder which as well produces 220 pound-feet of torque. Power is routed over a six-speed gearbox on its way to a set of 17-inch track grey ultralight racing wheels the completely watch the part. Make no mistake, this is a true race car and a special one-make championship line is making designed so may put it on the a good number of legendary race tracks every where in Europe consequently year. Only 50 should be made, however, so entry is exclusive.

While we do not know the levels yet, your bag of Euros should get you a 500 that is kitted out in on an aerodynamic package the present adds a front spoiler, big rear wing, fender flares at all two corners and two new hood-mounted air intakes to feed the turbo. The interior has been heard stripped to save weight, that now stands at only 2,050 lbs., and a racing roll bar has carried on installed to cover the driver who now sits closer to the core of the car to raise weight distribution and driving feel. The Asetto Corse becomes big Abarth badges all across and a pastel white among red striping livery. The one on hand at the Mille Miglia is No. 00/49 and a pre-production prototype, so there are nonetheless loads left for people who have presistently wanted a 500 race car.

 [Source: World Car Fans, Italiaspeed]

The MINI Clubman is not how we would demand too practical, or outstandingly pretty, but AC Schnitzer has finished its highest quality to address the biggie-sized MINI’s faults. AC’s interpretation of the Clubman S begins provided an increase in value in output courtesy of a new sports squander this aids breathing and increments power to 226 hp and 210 lb.-ft. of torque. A “twin sports rear silencer” ensures too you will not be irritating the bordering communities on your way to Macy’s, and a selection of either a uncomplicated spring kit or a height-adjustable racing suspension offers the Clubman a other sporting stance additonally ensuring too details keep planted if you regularly find out to tackle the twisties. AC Schnitzer is producing a option of 17×7.5- or 18×7.5-inch wheels, a new hood in on a bulging fuel dome and aluminum pedals to sweet out the appearance package, along through a limited slip differential to craft guaranteed that peg-leg burnouts are kept in inspect additonally darting for stop-light to stop-light. Hit the jump to looked through AC Schnitzer’s flowery prose roughly its reworked Clubman S.

Giving credit where credit is due, however, the special edition Vauxhall VXR edges out its Opel OPC counterpart with an extra 14 horses unbridled by a Remus sport exhaust. Aside from the grille and the tailpipes, however, the package is just about the same. Lightweight 18″ alloys – shod with Dunlop rubber, mounted on a widened track and barely hiding 321mm front and 278mm rear ventilated discs with signature blue VXR calipers – come in white, complimenting the white paint job. That’s the only color this special VXR offers, and is accented by checkered-flag graphics (like those seen on special-edition Renaultsport hatchbacks from across the Channel) and faux-fiber accents on the B-pillars and wing mirror housings. Step inside and the special touches continue, including leather-trimmed Recaro racing seats embossed with the Nürburgring track layout, carbon fiber door trim and an individually-numbered plaque. The price of exclusivity for British customers comes in at £21,295, a £1,575 premium over the standard VXR.

[Source: Vauxhall]

Kei cars. To know them is to love them, or to tower over them in Gulliver-like wonder. Both the iridescent colored Moco and Otti feature the 0.66-liter engines common to the Kei class, meaning each also boasts 54 thundering mares beneath their ridiculously tiny hoods. Once up to speed, they run nicely, and they’re pretty quiet. But these are not cars to take when you’re late for anything.

They have lots of room inside and enough controls to operate them on public roads. They are both fine cars. The Otti adds to that with a chic little IP featuring good looking materials and colors, a power rear sliding door on the passenger side that you can open from the driver’s seat, a seriously neat set of cupholders, and the world’s smallest tailpipe.

Regarding the Moco, a rebadged Suzuki MR Wagon, Nissan says “the current generation model features a stylish exterior and interior.” The Otti is Nissan’s version of the Mitsubishi eK Wagon. It’s described as a minicar “for daily living,” and “has experienced extremely strong sales in the Japanese market.” Yes. What they said.

You can check out the Nissan 360 event site for more details on all the vehicles in Nissan’s lineup. In the mean time, be sure to check out the gallery of hi-res photos below.

The IIHS has put the 2008 smart fortwo through its frontal offset crash test, and the video is on YouTube even though the IIHS hasn’t released its results yet. For everyone who points out the benefits of the smart’s miniscule size, there are a number of others who say they wouldn’t want to go up against a normal American car in a smart. Even the NHTSA had some concerns when it tested the fortwo’s crashworthiness. Based on the video after the jump, however, it looks like the smart acquits itself quite well with no deformation of the A-pillar and not even a crack in the windshield. We’ll have to wait for the IIHS to give its final, official word, however. Sure, we wouldn’t want to be driving a smart fortwo in an accident… but that’s only because we don’t want to be in an accident. Follow the jump to watch the video for yourself.

Read