Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Fit Sport

When Honda introduced the first generation Fit to the North American market in mid-2006, its timing couldn't have been better. The entry level hatchback appeared just as fuel prices in the U.S. were heading skyward. Ever since then, the Fit has been selling as fast as Honda can bring them in from Japan. The Fit (or Jazz as its known in some markets) debuted in 2001 and the second-generation model went on sale in Japan last fall. Honda showed the new U.S.-spec Fit at the New York Auto Show last spring and we had our first opportunity to drive it on the roads north of Ann Arbor, MI last week.

As is typically the case with new models, the updated Fit has grown a bit (about 4 inches in overall length), but it's only about 44 pounds heavier than the outgoing model. Also in the usual fashion, Honda strove to increase the refinement of the Fit while not losing any of the fun-loving qualities of the original. In the process, it has had to deal with rising raw material and shipping costs while keeping the price from getting out of hand. Read on to find out if the spiritual descendants of Soichiro Honda have succeeded.

Gallery: 2009 Honda Fit Sport


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Last week, General Motors' Bowling Green, KY assembly plant began manufacturing the fastest, most powerful production Corvette in its 55-year history. We got our first official look at the 2009 Corvette ZR1 at the Detroit Auto Show in January and, at that time, Chevrolet officials hadn't finalized the numbers. Over the intervening months, GM continued to tease us with bits of information, including the ZR1's 205 mph top speed, 638 horsepower, 605 lb.-ft. of torque, and 7:26.4 lap time at the Nurburgring. Throughout all of this, we've been waiting patiently for one of the most anticipated invitations of 2008: the ZR1 First Drive.

That wait finally ended a few weeks ago when we got the call to arrive at GM's Milford Proving Grounds. All we needed was cooperative weather. As the sun crested the horizon on the appointed day, the darkened skies threatened to put the kibosh on our time with the King. But a few hours later, the clouds dissipated and the fun was officially underway.

UPDATE: Video of Corvette ZR1 on the Lutz Ring added after the jump.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk / Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Click the DR-1 above for a high-res gallery of the C4 ZR-1

At the coming out party for the new ZR1 Corvette last week at Milford Proving Grounds, General Motors decided to bring out a handful of ZR-1s (note the dash to distinguish it from the new model) from the first go around in the early '90s to remind us all of how far things have progressed in the past 18 years. The original ZR-1 was built from 1990-95 and, as with the new model, its engine was the heart of the car. In the late '80s when the ZR-1 was conceived, GM owned Lotus. The British sports car specialist designed the LT5 V8 specifically for the ZR-1. Aside from sharing bore spacing with the regular small-block, they had nothing else in common. The LT5 was an all-aluminum, dual overhead cam, 32 valve V8. At the time of its introduction, the motor had an output of 375 hp (eventually bumped to 405 hp in the last couple years of production), which was huge for the day, though tame by today's standards.

Unfortunately, the C4 Corvette wasn't a great car to start with. Even with the beefed up sills that were added to to the convertible, the C4 wasn't particularly rigid. The car rode hard and the huge clam-shell hood quivered constantly on anything but glass smooth pavement. While the expensive ZR-1 never sold in huge numbers, it did spawn some interesting derivatives that GM keeps in its Heritage Collection. Among the ones brought to Milford were one of the active suspension prototypes. These used a fully active hydraulic suspension system with no springs, but the hydraulics reportedly consumed upwards of 40 hp. One unique car from the collection is the DR-1 (above). This was the only ZR-1 convertible ever built and was produced for Don Runkle (hence the DR), who at the time was chief engineer at Chevrolet. The other three cars were stock ZR-1s of various vintages.

Check back here at 12:01 AM EST for our First Drive of the new Corvette ZR1.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Two big British car magazines are reporting on some of Tesla's future product plans today following the latest promotional tour by SVP Marketing Darryl Siry. There isn't a whole lot new in the articles that hasn't already been reported here and on AutoblogGreen over the past year, but there were a couple of interesting items and errors. First of all AutoCar is reporting that Tesla is planning to use the platform of the Model S sedan (formerly known as WhiteStar) for future vehicles, which makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, they are also reporting that Tesla is planning an electric SUV off that platform, so we contacted Siry to check on this. Siry told ABG that there are in fact no plans to build an SUV. An SUV body style was just used as an example to demonstrate the flexibility of the platform.

Helping to achieve that flexibility is a reconfigured battery pack that lays under the floor rather than upright behind the seats as in the Roadster. This will allow for a modular configuration so that that the Model S can be offered with different range options. The base model is expected to get a 160-mile range for it's $60,000 base price, while 220- or 300-mile options will cost extra. The magazines did get a chance to see design sketches of the Model S, but Siry wouldn't release them. For now he will only show them in the same room, but we do know the Model S will reportedly have a coupe-like profile on its four-door hatch body style. If Tesla can avoid the launch problems it had with the Roadster, the Model S will be on the road in 2010.

[Sources: AutoCar, CAR, Tesla Motors, AutoblogGreen]

Click above for high-res gallery of the best foreigners on Woodward Ave.

Traditionally, when people think of cruising, they visualize American muscle cars, hot rods and classics. What they don't think of is Smart ForTwos, MGs, Austin Healeys, Citroens, Lotuses, Opels and Jaguars. The Dream Cruise, being the all inclusive event that it is, welcomes all comers. Saddle up to the gallery below and check out all the foreign models that mingled with American muscle on Woodward Ave. yesterday.

click for some high-res pics

In the category for best misuse of hydraulics, this car definitely takes the trophy. There were a couple of honorable mentions but nothing quite as extreme as this example. The S10 with the 30-degree starboard list might have been in the running had it demonstrated the ability to this sort of dog-next-to-a-fire-hydrant maneuver, but it was rather pedestrian by comparison. Plus, this one is all sparkly-shiny! I suppose if you're going to add this much bling to your car's normally unseen undercarriage, just have to show it off.

Click above for high-res gallery of classics on Woodward Ave.

Who could have imagined back in 1957 that so many contemporary Chevrolet Bel Airs would still be driving the roads of America a half century later. Something about those models seems to compel their owners to preserve them and then bring them out for cruise nights all these decades later. They aren't the only cars being preserved, as the classics that participated in yesterday's Dream Cruise clearly demonstrate. Check out the best classics we came across on Woodward Ave. in the gallery below.

click the V8 powered Isetta for a high-res gallery

Wherever you find people cruising, you will always find lots of fancy paintwork. These run the gamut from metallic finishes that change color depending on the viewing angle to all kinds of intricate designs along with the standard issue flame jobs. Woodward 2008 was no exception, so we present for you viewing pleasure (or pain depending on your tastes) some of the excellent and absolutely wretched airbrush work we encountered today.

As long as people have been willing to pay insane amounts of money for classic cars, there have been entrepreneurs and hobbyists creating reproductions of those cars. Unfortunately, the desire to reproduce a classic and the skill to do so in a faithful manner often do not go hand in hand. Such is the case with some of the machines on display along Woodward Ave. today. In some cases like the pseudo GT40 pictured above they copies end up looking more like something out of the movie Cars than the real thing. Any time you make a replica of a classic, the one thing it should never have is badges implying it is any other than a copy.

One of the cooler aspects of the Woodward Dream Cruise is that its completely open and unmoderated. It's the ultimate "run what you brung" event. Hundreds of thousands of people sit along the edge of the road and watch everything from bikes to trucks go by and the juxtaposition can be fascinating. Seeing a giant yellow high riding pickup truck with the front end of a Chevy Kodiak bearing down on a custom vinyl wrapped Smart is definitely an interesting sight.