Here at LotPro.com, we’re always complaining, and rightly so, that Americans very rarely get to drive the good stuff – especially when it comes to some of the world’s best small cars.

But with a new mileage mandate from the feds and the gas price spike of two thousand and eight still on the minds of the world’s manufacturers, it appears that North American drivers will finally get the chance to join the rest of the world in enjoying some of the finest small cars on the planet.

And just as every journey begins with a first step; it appears that that first step will take place at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

L.A. 09

We should begin by stating that much of what is new to North American drivers will be old news to most folks in both Europe and Asia. Both the Mazda2 and the Chevrolet Cruze (not to mention the Ford Fiesta) have been around for a year or more on both continents. Nonetheless, they will soon be ours.

2011 Mazda2

Based on the DE platform which also underpins the Ford Fiesta, the Mazda2 (also called Demio in some markets) is the first B-segment Mazda since the Mazda 323 of the 90’s. Currently available in either a 3-door or 5-door hatchback body style, European Mazda2’s are available with the choice of a 1.3-liter four producing either 74 or 85 horsepower, a 1.5-liter four with 102 horses, or a 67 hp 1.4-liter turbo-diesel four.

The Mazda2 really is a good measure of the good stuff, as it was named the 2008 World Car of the Year.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

Badged as the Daewoo Lacetti in Korea and the Holden Cruze in Australia, it is known everywhere else in the world as the Chevrolet Cruze. Already available in Mexico (Mexico?), the Cruze will go on sale in the US of A in the third quarter of next year.

The Cruze will be available with a plethora of engines (with expected fuel economies of up to 40 mpg) including a 1.4-liter turbo four. Available amenities will include navigation, Bluetooth, XM Satellite radio, OnStar and a total of 10 air bags.

3d Carbon Mustang

Not your ordinary show

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (originally the Speed Equipment Market Association) was formed in 1963 by such automotive luminaries as Roy Richter of Bell Auto Parts (Cragar Equipment, Bell Helmets), Dean Moon of Moon Equipment Company and Ed Iskenderian of ISKY Racing Cams fame.

The association now consists of over 7,000 companies and annually sponsors the SEMA Show that is held every year in Las Vegas as part of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week. Unlike other auto shows, SEMA is reserved for manufacturers, buyers, exhibitors and members of the media and is not open to the general public.

Nonetheless, the annual SEMA extravaganza attracts more than its share of attention, in large part due to the many over-the-top concept vehicles that have become a mainstay of the show. So in that light, we present some of this year’s highlights:

Vaughn Gittin Jr Mustang

Ford

Ford is at the top of the list this year in no small part due to its position as featured automaker at this year’s show.

Paul's High Performance Mustang

Mustang

As part of the pony car’s 45th year, Ford recently launched a web site, www.the2010Mustang.com, that allows users to customize their own virtual Mustangs online. In just over 2 months, more than 1 million custom ‘Stangs have been created on the site.

At the SEMA show, itself, no fewer than eight Mustangs, customized by various companies, including Ford, will be present on the show floor.

mobsteel Taurus SHO

Taurus

The new 2010 Ford Taurus will appear at the show for the first time this year. Mobsteel of Brighton, Michigan has produced a menacing blacked-out version of the Taurus SHO, while MRT-Direct of Plymouth, Michigan has one that features a brilliant red exterior with candied cherry roof and a custom hood.

MRT Ford Fusion T4

Fusion

MRT-Direct also had a hand in customizing a 2010 Ford Fusion, giving a metallic blue model a black out roof, hood and spoiler while adding an intercooled turbocharger, coil-over suspension and six-speed manual transmission.

all images courtesy of Ford Motor Company

At LotPro.com we see where Ford Motor Company will be celebrating this year’s SEMA show, scheduled to run from November 3rd until November 6th in Viva Las Vegas, Nevada, by introducing the first rear-wheel-drive application of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6.

Delivering an estimated 400 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, the company’s latest application of its EcoBoost technology sets out to disprove the long-held belief that “There’s no replacement for displacement.”

“EcoBoost technology shows that there is a viable replacement for displacement,” said Dan Kapp, director of Ford Powertrain Research and Advanced Engineering, who will be part of a SEMA “Driving Green” technology briefing panel discussion during the show. “As consumers’ demand for fuel efficiency continues to grow, and our commitment to delivering best-in-class fuel economy remains steadfast, it’s important to show that performance does not need to suffer as a result.”

“Hot rod builds provide blank canvases for SEMA member companies and SEMA is uniquely positioned to demonstrate that horsepower and green power can coexist without sacrificing performance or the cool factor,” said John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of Vehicle Technology. “This ‘34 EcoBoost hot rod is a fantastic example of modern green technology being applied in a manner that any performance enthusiast would love.”

Australian Ford Falcon

The next application

Sometime next year, the first production rear-wheel-drive application of EcoBoost technology will appear on a more mundane but hardly less important platform, the Ford F-150. Further down the timeline, the next application of rear-wheel-drive EcoBoost technology will be in the guise of a 2.0-liter I-4, which will be offered in the company’s Australian-market Falcon sedan sometime in 2011.

’34 Ford

Built in collaboration with Detroit Street Rods, the rear-wheel-drive configuration that will displayed at SEMA includes the aforementioned 3.5-liter V-6 coupled with a Tremec five-speed manual tranny. The stock Honeywell turbochargers were repackaged to fit in the engine bay of the all-steel replica body, while the entire system dyno tested by Ford Powertrain. In addition to the production engine, the fuel pump, ECM, fuel pump module and processor as well as drive-by-wire throttle were all production units.

The body is from Steve’s Auto Restoration and both the body and fenders are from brand-new tooling that was designed, stamped and manufactured by Experi-metal in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The all-steel replica also features full fenders, running boards, electronic power windows, air conditioning and custom bumpers.

Generating excitement

At LotPro.com we realize that it isn’t hasn’t been that often, lately, that we get to report on any positive news coming from the Pentastar down the street. Aside from the Dodge Challenger and its iconic Jeep brand – including the new Grand Cherokee, scheduled to go on sale next year, most of Chrysler’s fleet is showing its age. Add to that the fact that the new offerings from its latest owner Fiat are nearly a year away and you have the specter of a company that is currently, for all intents and purposes, treading water.

But if the latest news from Auburn Hills is any indication, Chrysler is determined to make the most of what it currently has and this includes the vehicles it plans on displaying at this year’s SEMA show, scheduled to run from November 3rd until the 6th in Sin (what happens in, stays in) City, Nevada.

Here are the rides Chrysler will display:

Mopar Dodge Challenger 1320 Image Vehicle

Chrysler calls this particular exercise “exploring a street-legal Drag Pak Challenger.” Sounds fun to us.

Named for the 1,320 feet on a quarter-mile drag strip, this one-off Challenger features a 426 Hemi® V-8 that generates 556 horsepower and 540 lb-ft. of torque. Equipped with long-tube headers and a free-breathing exhaust system, electric outlets allow exhaust gasses to bypass the muffler system. Power to the pavement is supplied by a six-speed manual transmission via a Dana 60 differential with a selectable ARB locking mechanism.

Mopar police wheels (widened for the rears) are clad with Mickey Thompson street-legal drag radials, with all this power kept in place by four-corner Mopar adjustable coil-over kit. To ensure this Challenger is no shrinking violet, the 1320 is adorned with Acidic Hue, a non-metallic yellow paint and trimmed in matte black graphics.

Performance is enhanced by lightening the body with the following carbon-fiber components: bulged hood with Hemi scoop, front spoiler, and grille panel/headlight surround. And while the interior has been stripped of the rear seat, center console and radio, it also sports Dodge Viper seats, sports steering wheel and Hurst shifter.

Dodge Ram Bianco

The color may be vanilla, but the Ram Bianco is anything but. The extensive modifications to what was once a Ram 1500 Sport include a body kit, specially modified fender flares, hard tonneau and lowering kit, with everything, including the Mopar 22” wheels, painted using several coats of Arctic Ice pearl.

A cold air intake and dual exhausts add to the 5.7-liter Hemi’s performance, while the interior receives white and black Katzkin seats with matching door trim, Piano Black and Arctic Ice accents as well as a Kicker audio system.

Jeep Wrangler Overland

The Overland is Chrysler’s vision of the ultimate moveable campsite. One can almost hear the driver shouting as it flies across the desert, “RV! We don’t need no stinking RV!”

Cargo capacity for the Overland is increased by eighty-sixing the rear seats in favor of a large, flat, rubberized utility floor, while the cargo rack has been augmented with the addition of a two-person ARB Simpson II roof-mounted tent plus touring awning.

Clearing the occasional pesky boulder has been accomplished through the addition of an AEV Nth Degree 3-inch lift package and Full Traction rear sway bar. This customization makes the necessary room for aggressive 35-inch tires mounted to 17-inch Mopar off-road wheels.

With desert duty in mind, an AEV heat-reduction hood has been added and, to make those occasional river crossings safer, an AEV snorkel kit is also part of the package.

Jeep Lower Forty

Last, but certainly not least, the Jeep Lower Forty looks akin to something out of a Mad Max movie. With the goal of achieving additional ground clearance without altering the center of gravity of a production Wrangler Rubicon and sans a lift kit, the design team resorted to removing a great deal of the original vehicle’s sheet metal in order to augment the standard wheel/tire combo with 20” forged aluminum alloys and 40-inch x 13.5 inch tires.

Three inches were chopped from the windshield frame and a 10 degree rake was added. The front and rear fender flares are both 1” wider and located 4” wider than the stock body. A new carbon-fiber hood with power dome and drop-down “Jeep”-logoed tailgate top it all off.

On the inside, a new custom roll cage was tied directly to the frame rails and the spare tire relocated to the cargo floor. The console and instrument panel were color-matched to the Red Eye No. 3 exterior paint, while the seats received Katzkin leather skins while the carpeting was removed and replaced by spray-in truck-bed liner.

Mechanicals for the Lower Forty include a 5.7-liter Hemi mated to a Getrag 238 six-speed manual along with a Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear axles.

Green Car of the Year

In the world of automotive awards, GCOTY is a fairly new one. Established just four years ago, the first one was awarded to the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid. A year later, the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid was the recipient, while the following year the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid received the award that was presented, for the first time, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Last year, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI became the first-ever clean diesel to win Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year honor.

Requirements

In order to qualify for a nomination, a vehicle must, according to Green Car Journal, “exhibit characteristics that substantially raise the bar in environmental performance and be in production by January 1 of the award year.” In addition, each nominee is driven by Green Car Journal so that its driving characteristics can be observed first-hand. Nominee vehicles must also be in production to make sure they are readily available to the market during their award year.

The winner is selected by an 11 member panel that is comprised of both automotive as well as environmental experts. Past jurors have included such luminaries as Jean-Michael Cousteau of the Ocean Futures Society and Carl Pope of the Sierra Club as well as TV personality and major car aficionado Jay Leno and legendary race car driver and designer Carroll Shelby.

2010 Nominees

In alphabetical order, here are the 2010 nominees:

2010 Audi A3 TDI

Audi makes its first appearance on the list with the A3 TDI clean diesel. Equipped with a 2.0 liter TFSI turbocharged direct injection diesel, this smallest of Audis produces 200 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque.

Engine: 2.0-liter inline-four diesel
Emissions, EU5; PZEV or ULEVII
Horsepower: 200
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 21/30 (EPA) with manual transmission
Base MSRP: $30,775

2010 Honda Insight

The second generation Insight brings with it a new level of affordability to the hybrid sedan segment. Borrowing its name from Honda’s first production hybrid vehicle, the Insight is a completely new model from the ground up.

Engine: 1.3-liter inline-four, gasoline-electric hybrid
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 98
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 40/43 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $20,510

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

The Mercury Milan hybrid is the mechanical twin of Ford’s Fusion hybrid. Under the hood, the Milan benefits from the same new 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine with intake variable cam timing as the Escape/Mariner hybrids, the green-friendly models produce 156 hp and 136 lb.-ft. of torque.

Engine: 2.5-liter inline-four Atkinson-cycle
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 156
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 41/36 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $26,280

2010 Toyota Prius

The new Prius is certainly the latest way for environmental fashionistas to wear their colors. It also represents the third generation of the most popular hybrid on the planet. Completely re-designed and re-engineered while retaining its unmistakable styling, Toyota has endowed the latest Prius with such cutting edge engineering features as a “Touch Tracer” display and an electric water pump, thus requiring no accessory drive belts on the engine.

Engine: 1.8-liter inline-four Atkinson-cycle
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2 Bin 3/SULEV AT-PZEV
Horsepower: 98
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 51/48 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $22,750

2010 VW Golf TDI

Here’s where the fun starts. The VW, it must be noted, is the antithesis of the Prius. It has terrific handling that engages the driver and a clean diesel engine that meets emissions certification in all 50 states. To top it all off, fuel economy is 30 city/41 highway, with many drivers claiming close to 50 mpg.

Engine: 2.0-liter inline-four, diesel
Emissions, EPA/CARB: Tier 2, Bin 5/SULEV
Horsepower: 140
Fuel Economy, city/hwy mpg: 30/41 (EPA)
Base MSRP: $22,690

Hyundai Genesis

NACOTY and NATOTY awards

At LotPro.com, we normally have to wait for the short list of candidates to be released by Automotive News. This year, Marty Padgett of The Car Connection (and also a juror) was kind enough to reveal the list just a bit early.

Patterned after the European “Car of the Year” award, the North American awards were first given in 1994. The jury is composed of no more than 50 journalists from the United States and Canada. In order to be eligible for consideration, a vehicle must be “substantially changed” from the previous model and be on sale shortly after the announcement of the award in early January. In addition:

•    Cars must have reasonably foreseeable annual sales in North America of 5,000 vehicles.
•    Trucks must have reasonably foreseeable annual sales in North America of 2,000 vehicles.

Ford F-150

From the short list of vehicles you see here, the three finalists in each category are announced in December and the winners are unveiled at a press conference at the beginning of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (although the show does not sponsor the awards in any way).

Award trivia: During the sixteen years of the car award, hybrids have been honored 4 times. Domestic automakers have garnered eight awards, Japanese automakers have won the award three times and European automakers have received the award four times (for Car of the Year), while 2009 marked the first year a Korean automaker was honored (the Hyundai Genesis for Car of the Year). In the Truck of the Year competition, domestic automakers have taken the award home 10 times (including the 2009 winner, the Ford F-150), Japanese automakers have won 4 times, while European automakers have won twice.

This year’s short list is comprised of the following vehicles:

Ford Taurus SHO

Car of the Year

BMW 335d
Buick LaCrosse
Cadillac CTS
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Fusion/Fusion Hybrid
Ford Taurus
Honda Insight
Kia Soul
Mazda3/MazdaSpeed3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf/GTI

Cadillac SRX

Truck of the Year

Acura ZDX
Audi Q5
Cadillac SRX
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Transit Connect
Honda Crosstour
Land Rover LR4
Lincoln MKT
Subaru Outback
Volvo XC60

Bigger than a breadbox, better than a toaster

May of us are big fans of small cars here at LotPro.com. But just like their bigger brethren, the small cars that most excite us are those that go above and beyond the run-of-the-mill transport appliances that seem to be the mission of so many.

Two manufacturers that regularly peg the fun needle to “full” are Mazda and BMW’s MINI brand. Mazda has taken its “zoom-zoom” philosophy to heart by building small, zippy, affordable vehicles that rival those costing nearly twice as much from other automakers.

At the same time, BMW’s MINI division has resurrected a brand and brought a whole new level of style and luxury (at least here in the U.S.) to the minicompact segment.

Both automakers were in the spotlight this past week as BMW finally revealed its MINI Roadster Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show and Mazda detailed its plans to bring the Mazda2 to the U.S.

MINI Roadster Concept

We’ll start first with the sizzle. Prior to its unveiling, BMW had already confirmed that the MINI Roadster is slated to be produced alongside the current Hatch, Clubman and Convertible at the company’s Plant Oxford at the same time the MINI Coupé version will begin its model run.

But why produce a roadster when the MINI lineup already features a convertible? The obvious answer is the fact that, sans the rear seats, the MINI Roadster Concept allows for more storage room (who sits back there in the convertible, anyway?), and that in top-down mode, the look of the new MINI is far more appealing (the top stows neatly away as opposed to being stacked, accordion-like, behind the rear seats). As an added bonus, losing the rear seats means that the trunk now contains 8.8 cubic feet of storage space (up from 5.7 in the sedan and 6.0 in the convertible).

Mazda2

Earlier this week, Mazda North America president Jim O’Sullivan announced that the company would be selling its B-segment Mazda2 here in the U.S. beginning late next year.

“You’ve asked us for it for a while now, and we’ve been studying the market to make sure we can make a business case for it across North America,” O’Sullivan told the assembled dealers. “As consumers’ tastes and attitudes toward small vehicles have changed, we now believe strongly there is a place in our lineup for a car below our current least-expensive car, the MAZDA3. MAZDA2 will be true to everything that makes our cars stand apart from the competition: it will be stylish, fun-to-drive and a heck of a value. In short, it will be Zoom-Zoom.”

With Ford bringing its Fiesta over here next year and the fact that the two vehicles share the same basic architecture, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that, with the current dearth of  imaginative products in the B-segment available to American buyers, it makes sense to bring the Mazda2 to market over here, as well.

No further details were released, other than to note that the Mazda2 will make its debut at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Small and nifty

Even though the price of gas has hovered around $2.50 this summer, most of us here at LotPro.com don’t believe for a minute that it will stay this low forever. It turns out that most of the world’s automobile manufacturers also agree with us (either that or they’re being chased into a corner by the latest government mandates and we’d prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt).

To that end, many of the world premieres at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show were either electric/hybrid concept vehicles, or superb new small cars blessed with new engine technologies that promise to deliver 40+ mpg nearly immediately.

2010 Fiat Punto Evo

With Chrysler’s last best hope destined to begin to arrive from the mother ship in Italy within the next 2 years, keeping a weather eye on Fiat has become de rigueur for American motor journalists and car buyers alike and, hence, our interest in the Punto Evo.

If the lovely little 500 is the company’s halo car, then the Grande Punto represents Fiat’s high-volume sedan. This year, Fiat upgraded the interior materials and blessed the rechristened Punto Evo with seven airbags and a face-lifted front end, as well as new taillamps. If you squint real hard, you can almost visualize a Chrysler emblem above the new grille. The guys in Auburn Hills should be chomping at the bit to get this one.

2010 Fiat 500 Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari

Fiat started with a 500 Abarth – itself no slouch – and added Scuderia Red paint, 17 inch grey alloy wheels and a host of carbon-fiber trim pieces including mirror housings and front seat shells. The interior boasts leather trim, including the red steering wheel wrap (paddles behind the wheel control the manumatic transmission), and the pint-sized 1.4-liter four gets an extra dose of horsepower (50, to be precise).

2011 Ford C-Max

Based on the same architecture as the European Ford Focus (and our own Mazda3/5 vehicles here in the U.S.), the C-Max represents the production version of the Iosis Max Concept that Ford revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.

While Europe will be able to buy this latest version sometime in the latter part of next year, there is no word yet on whether the company plans on bringing it over here.

2012 Ford Grand C-Max

If Ford is still unsure about bringing over the C-Max, American small car buffs should take heart in the fact that there is no such vacillation when it comes to the Grand C-Max. Based on the platform that spawned the versatile Mazda5, the “Grande” Max will feature the same sliding rear doors with room for seven – although, just as in the Mazda5, the rear seat is reserved for either two children or two consenting adults.

Expect to see the Grand C-Max in Ford showrooms here in the states sometime in late 2011.

Coupe and new model to be unveiled

In a press release this morning, Dr Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW, announced that the two new MINI models will be built at MINI Plant Oxford.

One of the vehicles will be based on the MINI Coupé Concept that was revealed last week, fifty years to the day after the first classic Mini went on public view. The second vehicle, referred to as a “second concept”, will likely be a two door roadster version of the Coupé Concept.

It’s also rumored that the production versions of both vehicles will be nearly identical to the concept versions. According to the press release, both vehicles will likely be powered by the 1.6-liter turbocharged MINI John Cooper Works power train.

Production site

MINI’s two newest models will be produced alongside the current MINI Hatch, MINI Clubman and MINI Convertible at the company’s Plant Oxford.

According to Business Secretary (equivalent to the U.S. Secretary of State) Lord Mandelson “The production of the two new MINI models is very good news for Oxford, and for the UK car industry. It is a demonstration of BMW’s long term commitment to the UK as it celebrates its 50th birthday this year. “British drivers have had a long love affair with the MINI and I’m sure that this will continue for many years to come.”

Dr. Juergen Hedrich, Managing Director of MINI Plant Oxford, said: “The fact that Plant Oxford will be building these exciting new models shows the high level of flexibility of the plant and its associates.  The MINI family has a bright future.”

Production start dates for both the MINI Coupe and MINI Roadster will be confirmed in the near future and both will be slated for export to the U.S.

Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

Late last week BMW released images of its latest concept vehicle, the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, which will be revealed to the public for the first time at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Vision, executed in a 2+2 body style, uses plug-in full hybrid technology and, in the words of BMW, “combines the performance of a BMW M vehicle with a standard of fuel efficiency and emission management that exceeds even the current levels achieved by the latest small cars.”

To accomplish this feat, BMW used a “clean-sheet” design and engineering process for the Vision. A three-cylinder 1.5-liter turbo-diesel that produces 163 hp (109/liter) and 214 lb.-ft of torque and is supplemented by two electric motors, one for the front axle and one for the rear axle. Much like a mid-engine vehicle, the diesel is fitted forward of the rear axle with an electric motor positioned between the engine and a 6-speed double-clutch transmission (DCT).

Power and performance

Power output for the rear electric motor is constant 33 hp with a possible peak of 51 hp. Maximum torque is 214 lb.-ft. either supporting the engine or in all-electric mode. The second electric motor on the front axle offers a continuous output of 80 hp and peak torque of 162 lb.-ft. with 112 hp available for up to 30 seconds and 139 horsepower available for 10-second “bursts”.

In total, the overall output is 356 horsepower with a peak torque rating of 590 lb.-ft. (a maximum output for passing and quick acceleration situations). Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, with a 0-62 mph time of 4.8 seconds. Fuel consumption is excellent, with an EU test cycle equivalent to 62.6 mpg.

Energy is stored in 98 lithium-polymer battery cells (with a total weight of just 187 lbs.) which can be charged via regenerative braking or, as the need arises, through a plug-in solution (the European 220 V, 16 Amp system will fully charge the Vision in 2.5 hours or less). A 6.6 gallon fuel tank gives the Vision Concept a 400 mile range, while in all-electric mode it will travel up to 31 miles, giving the vehicle a total range of nearly 431 miles.

Style

As for its styling, suffice it to say that the BMW Vision Concept makes the current generation of Lamborghinis look quite tame in comparison. The menacing look of the vehicle’s snout morphs into flowing curves along its flanks that terminate with a flourish of curves surrounding delicate floating taillamps. Given BMW’s “clean sheet” philosophy for the Vision, it will be interesting to see of any of its design cues make their way into the brand’s production vehicles in the future.

Images courtesy of BMW