Compact car is a largely North American term denoting an automobile smaller than a midsize car, but larger than a subcompact car. Compact cars usually have wheelbases between 2.54 metres (100 inches) and 2.67 metres (105 inches). Another definition specifies between 100 ft³ (2800 L) and 109 ft³ (3000 L) of interior volume.
In early 2011, Mitsubishi announced that it will be discontinuing one of the marquis economy sports cars of the last two decades, the Eclipse. The Eclipse lived a rather odd life, starting out with two nearly identical siblings in the Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon. After the elimination of the Laser, the Eclipse and Talon remained, turning into two of the most beautiful economy sports cars ever built, in 1995.
In 1998, Eagle folded and only the beautiful Eclipse remained, but the death of its sibling didn’t set too well with the Eclipse, as after just one year of being on its own, it morphed into a rather ugly and over-styled pig that required a V-6 engine to be even remotely fun to drive.
In 2006, Mitsubishi finally came to its senses and realized that the new body style just wasn’t doing the “Eclipse” name justice, so they went back to the drawing board and created a rounder Eclipse that more closely resembled the one from the late-90s. Oddly enough, this new sportier Eclipse is actually heavier than its predecessor, but that certainly does not take away from its beauty.
In the earlier years, when a car was on its last production year, the final model to roll off of the production line was kept by the manufacturer and stored. In more recent years, the last model typically ran off of the production line like any other model and became lost in the sea of models. Mitsubishi seized this opportunity to fully customize the final Eclipse, which is an SE model, so that it was truly a one-of-a-kind vehicle. Now this brand new Eclipse is up for sale by RK Motors Charlotte.
Click past the jump to read about this custom 2012 Eclipse SE final model.
The next generation Mini Cooper was caught testing for the first time at the end of 2011, and now our spy photographers have captured it yet again, this time cruising on public roads in Europe.
Codenamed "F56," the third generation Mini Cooper will share a chassis with the next-generation BMW 1-Series and will be offered in both FWD and AWD versions. Aside from the usual four-cylinder, turbocharged engines, BMW will also be adding a three-cylinder option.
These recent spy shots reveal that the new Cooper will grow slightly, adding a bit of width and length. The front grille, however, will be a bit shorter, while the hood and the front overhang appear to be longer than the current model. The front and rear windshields also appear to be more raked than the current Mini.
The new Mini Cooper will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2013, with the convertible following one year later.
One Lap America actually has roots dating back to the original Cannonball Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, known simply as Cannonball. Many of today’s enthusiasts think that Cannonball was simply a movie or plot, but this was actually a real-life cross-country race that included high speeds on U.S. highways.
The original Cannonball only lasted five runs until its organizer, Brock Yates, decided he had better quit this no-holds-barred race before the authorities decide to close it down. In 1984, the Cannonball returned, but was not about making it across the country as fast as possible, but about making it through a course that went throughout the lower 48 states and ended up with the amount of miles closest to Brock’s estimate.
In the modern era of the One Lap America, the race is now about following the rules of the road, as you drive throughout a predetermined course, and between these leisurely drives, you have track events. The scoring of this event is solely based on the track event results, but you and your co-driver(s) must also survive driving 24 hours on end, stopping only to enjoy a “gourmet” gas station hot dog or two along the way.
This 19-event, eight-day racing series just wrapped up on Saturday and we have your full list of winners in each class and we have also broken down a list of all of the oddest and most awesome cars to grace the 2012 running.
Click past the jump to read about the odd and awesome cars, as well as the winners from each class.
The top model Mini from the last generation was the JCW GP - a special edition with just 2,000 units. Now it seems history is about to repeat itself as Mini has just unveiled the official details on the new John Cooper Works GP, described by the company as the fastest Mini ever built: it laps the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 8 min. 23 seconds.
The new John Cooper Works GP will be offered with powertrain, chassis and aerodynamics technology inspired directly by motor sport, but Mini did not announced any specifications just yet. However, they did confirmed it lapped the Nurburgring ring in 8 minutes and 23 seconds - an improvement over the previous GP model by 19 seconds.
On the exterior the new model will be distinguished by large front and rear aprons, striking side skirts, a bespoke roof spoiler and newly developed rear diffuser. This impressive package continues on the interior where the car has the rear seats removed in order to get a more racing appearance.
The new model will go on sale later this year in a limited run of 2,000 units.
Updated 05/12/2012: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs..
Japanese tuner, DuelL AG, has become synonymous with building some of the most awe-inspiring tuning programs on that side of the world. Their latest work on the MINI Coupe only adds to their already sterling reputation.
Using the MINI Coupe John Cooper Works Edition for the build, DuelL AG built a sick-looking aerodynamic kit for the German MINI that comes with a bevy of modded parts, including a louvered hood that has been set on both sides, just above the fenders. In addition, the components also include an aggressive new front bumper with fully integrated LED lights, redesigned side skirts, and a new rear diffuser.
DuelL AG opted to keep the MINI Coupe JCW’s performance numbers untouched, which means that you can expect the car’s 1.6 liter four-cylinder petrol engine to produce an impressive 208 horsepower.
For a car that looks as aesthetically endearing as the MINI Coupe JCW, DuelL Ag did a masterful job in giving the German vehicle some serious attitude. Dare we even say that this program is one of the best-looking aftermarket projects done on the MINI Coupe.
Just over 10 years ago, Hyundai was still pretty much the black sheep of the automotive industry. Despite the fact that the Hyundai Excel of the 1980s won several awards, Hyundai’s quality was still considered low and very few took them seriously. In the past 10 years, Hyundai has managed to dig itself out of the grave that it placed itself in and is now a legitimate competitor to import giants like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan.
Regardless of the brand’s recent resurgence, no one would ever suspect that the words “BMW” and “Hyundai” would ever be used in the same sentence, except in the case of someone saying “I can’t afford a BMW, but this Hyundai will do.” Well, that was until just now…
There are rumors being passed around the automotive world that Hyundai and BMW have been seen courting one another rather intensely, as reports indicate that Chung Euisun, the son of Hyundai’s chairman, and BMW brass were discussing sharing engine development costs.
These types of development sharing partnerships are not uncommon. Currently, we have Audi sharing its cost with VW, Toyota and Subaru joined up for the BRZ/GT 86/FR-S project, and in the past we have seen Ford and Mazda joining forces. However, those collaborations are all pretty much linear, as they are all on the same level with each other. With exception to the top-level Genesis sedan and Equus, Hyundai couldn’t be much more non-linear with BMW. In fact, Hyundai is pretty much the anti-BMW.
In reality though, Hyundai does build quality engines now and they still remain significantly cheaper than BMWs. With CAFE regulations becoming more of a reality every day, BMW needs to find a way to increase its vehicles’ fuel mileage without sharply increasing cost. Sharing some developmental cost with a company that produces quality and economically friendly engines just might do the trick.
As expected, both companies have adamantly denied any discussions of collaborating, but that means nothing in this day and age. Nearly every car company denies everything until they decide to officially release it.
We’ll keep you updated on this situation as more info comes out.
Image is of the 3.8-liter Lambda engine with direct injection (GDI) technology found in the 2012 Hyundai Genesis.
This is the kind of giveaway that can pretty much put a smile on just about everyone’s face. Rockstar has teamed up with Ford to give away one of three models as part of their "Drive like a Champion" giveaway. The winner can choose between the 2013 Ford Focus ST, the 2013 Ford Mustang GT and the 2012 Ford F-150, and all they have to do us head over to www.rockstar69.com/drive to enter.
Entering the contest is easy too. Contestants need to choose between Tanner Foust or Brian Deegan, then choose one of the three models, type in your contact information, and patiently wait until October 15, 2012 for the winners to be announced. We wish there was some sort of virtual race to win, but unfortunately, it’s all random. Of course, you have to be a United States resident and be at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of entry to be able to enter the contest, as well as read the official terms of the contest in all of its fine print glory.
Even if you don’t end up winning one of Ford’s pride and joys, you can still win a few other prizes, including a year supply of Rockstar. That’ll get your engines revving!
Let us know which of the three models you would like to win in the comments section below! But remember, in order to be entered into the contest, you must head over to www.rockstar69.com/drive!
It is no longer a secret that Opel has been working on a new model to be placed under the current Corsa. At this point, the new vehicle is being called the "Opel Junior," but it is believed that the future model will be called Allegra and that it will debut in 2013 as a competitor for models like the Volkswagen Up and the Fiat 500.
Be it Opel Junior or Allegra, the new model has been caught testing for the first time outside a test facility while driving on public roads. The model will be about 3.7 meters long and will only be offered in a three-door variant.
As far as power is concerned, Opel has yet to officially announce the engine lineup for the Junior/Allegra. However, it is believed that it will be powered by a new family of engines, which we may also be seeing in the next generation Opel Corsa. Considering the fact that Opel is already preparing an electric powertrain for the Rak, expect to see an electric version of the Junior as well.
UPDATE 03/23/2012: Opel will unveil its new Junior model in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. The car will use a small engine family of three- and four-cylinder units co-developed with Opel’s China partner, SAIC. The engines will have displacements from 1.0 liters to 1.4 liters and will all feature direct injection and turbocharging capability. The new engines - next to a 1.6-liter diesel and a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline unit - "will have replaced a substantial amount of our current engines by the end of the decade," said Jeff Lux, Opel’s head of powertrain engineering in an interview with Automotive News.
UPDATE 05/07/2012: Opel has officially confirmed that their new model will be called Adam and that it will make its official debut in autumn at the Paris Auto Show.
Just recently we showed you how Peugeot was using a painfully limber dancer to help sell its newest vehicle, the 208. Peugeot has now released that there has been a new model of the 208 that has been in production since it became a concept. This new model is the 208 R2 Rally Car.
What’s better is that Peugeot is not only using this model as the replacement for the 207 Super 2000, but the French automaker is also offering this FIA-approved rally car for sale to the general public. That’s right, if you are looking to get into rally racing, you can walk into a Peugeot dealership, actually the Peugeot Sport Racing Shop, lay down a large sum of money and walk out owning a “rally ready” hatchback.
With some certainty we can say that the chances of the 2013 208 R2 Rally Car having the exact same specifications as Peugeot’s actual rally model are very low. Having said that, this model comes already certified and you can jump into lower level rally races and possibly take home some cash prizes.
It’s rather obvious that we love cars, duh… But do you know what we love more than normal old everyday cars? We love custom monsters that make us go “what the?” What we love even more than that are factory-produced models that give us those same feelings, like the Morgan 3 Wheeler company.
Morgan manufactures three different 3-wheel cars – Standard, Bespoke, and Superdry Edition – and each one is cooler than the one before it. The standard Morgan 3 Wheeler is pretty slick on its own, featuring a 1,990 cc V-twin engine that propels this three-wheeled contraption to 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds and to a top speed of 115 mph.
It’s sweet enough to just talk about these beasts, but it’s even more fun to watch them in action. We don’t mean a leisurely Sunday cruise with grandma and the kids. Nope, we mean screaming this bad boy through Goodwood hill, breaking the ice land speed record, and doing a massive burnout. Okay, the first video is, in fact, a more leisurely Sunday drive, but it has some awesome V-twin audio and some really nice shots of the car to compensate for the lacking adrenaline.
Regardless of the video type, any car/motorcycle buff will not only love these videos, but will likely need a tissue to wipe the drool from his or her computer screen. What’s best about these awesome machines is that they are actually fairly affordable, as the Standard model bases out at just £25,000 ($40,345) plus VAT.
So crank up those computer speakers and enjoy the sights and sounds.
