Men Free Blog

The current styling of the Mazda MX-5 could well be described as just a bit boring with very round corners that play it safe. Mazda would like to change the image of its iconic little roadster and revised styling is certainly on the way. We have an early shot of the changes courtesy of the interwebs and, while they are a welcome refresher, the design team didn’t quite go far enough. The only real changes visible to the naked eye are in the front fascia, which sports styling inspired by tweaks made to the latest rotary-powered RX-8. Front and center is a gaping grill that features five distinct corners instead of the old oval opening. Flanking that new mug are angled fog light surrounds and swept-back headlights above. The changes are mostly design elements seen on Mazda’s latest batch of concept cars, though overall it’s a safe update for an already safe design – and very close to what we were expecting – but we’re still hoping for more from the next-gen MX-5.

It was rumored yesterday, and it’s real today. Come September 13, Japanese enthusiasts will be able to order up the hottest Civic Type R yet. The already-impressive R gets the full once-over from Mugen, and the result is the Honda Civic Mugen RR. Designed to be perhaps the ultimate front-engined/front-wheel-drive performance car, the Mugen RR sheds an additional 10kg (22 lbs) off the standard Civic Type R’s weight, coming in at 2733 lbs. In addition to the weight loss, the freer-breathing Mugen RR picks up 15 horsepower over the regular Type R. It’s rated at 240 horses at 8,000 rpm and 160 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm.

Complementing the added power and and decreased weight are a new bodykit, upgraded brakes all around, a retuned suspension, new wheels and tires, and logo-emblazoned Recaro sport buckets. Availability is limited to 300 cars, all in the Milan Red finish shown, and the pricing in Japan has been set at ¥4,777,500 ($38,750 USD).

Mugen’s official website has a video of the car lapping Japan’s Tsukuba circuit in 1:06:68, which is worth a look if you’re interested in seeing it in action.

[Source: MUGEN via Carview]

Those incorrigible folks over at 1addicts threw up several more “official” pics of the 1-series coupe, along with BMW USA’s press release (dated for 6/30/07 - oops!), which is posted below the fold.

Now that we’ve got some official information to work off, we know that BMW will be debuting the 1-series in Frankfurt this September, with sales to begin in North America sometime in the spring of next year. We’ll be getting two different versions — a 128i and a 135i – the former producing 230 HP and 200 lb.-ft. of torque, while the latter, turbocharged mill will be making 300 HP (at 5,800 RPM) and 300 lb.-ft. of torque (at least). The 135i is obviously the range-topper and is the central focus of the press release, with performance stats that are truly impressive (0-62 in 5.3 seconds, 155 MPH top speed, 50-75 MPH in five seconds in 4th gear), placing it a step beyond the Porsche Cayman S for outright acceleration.

On the handling tip, the 1-series will have an ideal 50:50 weight distribution, keeping with BMW tradition, while MacPherson struts in the front and a five-link arrangement in the rear keep things suspended. Driving aids are included, but a variable diff isn’t. Plus, 18-inch rollers are standard on all four corners, with 7.5 inches of width in the front and 8.5 inches of rubber in the back.

BMW’s doing a lot to tie the 1-series to the 2002 of yore, but they also draw parallels to the M-division, it styling cues and general philosophy. BMW still maintains that there won’t be an M1, but in the meantime, we get the closest thing to an original M3 that we’ve seen in well over a decade.

And the grand winner is not surprisingly an engine from BMW, just like it has been for the last three years going back to 2005. The Bavarian automaker’s 5.0L V10 won the award that year and in 2006, and BMW’s luscious 3.0L twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine won it in 2007 and has repeated its performance by winning the International Engine of the Year Award again for 2008. We get it, BMW makes really good engines.

There were 11 other categories in which engines from around the world were honored, and no less than five of those were also won by BMW. Check the list below to see what other automakers were able to wrest an International Engine of the Year Award from BMW.

Best New Engine of 2008
BMW 2.0L twin-turbo diesel (123d)

Green Engine of the Year 2008
Toyota 1.5L Hybrid Synergy Drive (Prius)

Best Performance Engine 2008
Porsche 3.6L Turbo (911 Turbo, 911 GT2)

Check out the rest of the awards for individual displacement classes after the jump, and visit the source below for a lot of good information on why each engine was a winner.

[Source: International Engine of the Year Awards]

We’ve been debating whether or not this is a real photo or an expert rendering, but if it is a photoshopped image of a BMW M1 prototype, then it is very convincing. According to FreshTarmac.com, this photo was taken in a hangar in Spain. It shows a sleek two-door, probably mid-engined coupe with attributes of the new M3 incorporated into its design, especially the front fenders and hood. With BMW introducing the M1 Hommage Concept at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este last week, we hope this means that is already considering a production version. Come on BMW, build it! Thanks for the tip, John!
[Source: FreshTarmac.com]

The current Prius is baked from a refined recipe that results in a roomy, practical and efficient vehicle lurking under an eco-statement exterior, or at least we thought so. Five years on, it’s still the most popular way to conspicuously consume under the guise of saving the planet. Toyota hasn’t been resting on the success of its green badge of targeted consumerism, so we’re going to see a new Prius at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in January, according to Toyota President Watanabe. The 3rd-generation Prius will grow in size, and engine displacement will be bumped to 1.8 liters to increase performance. Despite the increase in size and sprightliness, weight will reportedly hold steady. Further changes are in store after the launch, with plug-in and Li-Ion updates to come.

The nameplate will also move beyond a single model and become a sub-brand during the reign of Prius the III. More body styles are coming, and if you think the Prius is a roachy-looking thing, the concept hints Toyota has given us are possibly even weirder. The sub-1,000 pound 1/X might offer a glimpse at another type of Prius, though more realistically, the sad-eyed Hybrid X vannish concept suggests the way things are headed without the ridiculous pronunciation of its featherweight companion. If things go according to Toyota’s plan for world domination, the Prius will become one of the pillars upon which the marque is built, next to the Corolla and Camry institutions.
[Source: Auto Observer]

The Chrysler employees who entered the prototype Dodge Challenger in this year’s One Lap of America may have taken the car’s Vanishing Point theme a bit too seriously. Just like in the classic film, the stark white Challenger came face to face with a solid object. The car met its demise in Round 2’s time trial event at Road America after getting loose through turn 1. It then left the track and came to a stop perched atop a tire-wall. This course of events departs slightly from the original movie plot, where the Challenger did not meet its destructive fate until the final frames. The film version also somehow managed to survive its own slew of off road adventures without much harm, proving that Hollywood doesn’t necessarily mimic real life. Fortunately the Challenger driver, Erich Heuschele, came away from his off track excursion unscathed. The crew has reported that the car will be out for the remainder of events, though it was spotted leaving the track under its own power so a return might be a slim possibility. Check out the source link below for more images of the carnage.

[Source: Car Domain Blog]

BMW’s supercar icon, the M1, blew out the candles at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este this weekend. In honor of the car’s thirtieth birthday, BMW rolled out the new BMW M1 Homage, a concept/design study that pays tribute to the original M1 and shows what could be possible if BMW were to produce a new mid-engined sports car. Follow the jump for the breakdown.The BMW M1 Homage blends a wide, aggressive stance with intentionally retro/modern twists on the key visual elements that defined Paul Bracq’s original BMW Turbo concept and the Giugiaro-designed M1 homologation special that followed. It is instantly recognizable as an M1, particularly in profile,

 where the M1 Homage’s basic shape clearly mimics that of its forebear. BMW’s stylists also incorporated similar nods the particulars of the original,

 such as the louvered rear window; the badge placement in back; the line extending aft from the side glass; and even the wheel design, which is an exaggerated take on the ones you’ll find on the original road car. Poring over the details of the Homage is akin to going on an Easter Egg hunt.

The greatest departure is seen in front, where BMW has given the M1 Homage a sinister, imposing face. Naturally, BMW’s prominent double-kidney grille is front and center. Its joined by outboard intakes and a trapezoidal lower opening designed to swallow and direct air for both cooling purposes and aerodynamic effect. The car’s four round headlights lurk behind thin slits in the front fascia, remaining essentially invisible until they’re illuminated — a tip of the cap to the hideaway nature of the classic M1’s flip-up lamps.

There appears to be no interior, and BMW doesn’t even bother mentioning specific powertrain possibilities. The M1 Homage is strictly a design exercise meant to celebrate an icon, but it also reminds us that Munich can do the supercar thing, too. Maybe one day it will again.

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Next month in Chicago, GM will finally pull the wraps off the 2009 HUMMER H3T pickup that’s received an unceremonious early debut today thanks to Truck Trend. Built on a modified version of the H3’s basic architecture, the H3T’s 134-inch wheelbase is a whopping 22 inches longer than the 111.9-inch wheelbase found on its SUV sibling. Like the regular H3, both the 3.7L 5-cylinder and 5.3L V8 are available, the latter a part of the top-level Alpha trim. The H3T is a real truck with a separate bed, and is sized in-between the Canyon/Colorado and Silverado/Sierra. By comparison, the short-bed H2 SUT has the same basic dimensions as its enclosed stablemate and relies on an Avalanche-like midgate to create more cargo room.

No such problem exists with the H3T, whose cargo area has standard bedrails as well as additional storage compartments. As you’ll see in the enclosed gallery, it can haul a dirt bike with no problem, and when equipped with the V8, it has a maximum towing capacity of 5,900 pounds. Two suspension packages will be offered, one oriented towards off-roading and another that’s biased more toward on-road use and trailering. Inside, it’s no different than the regular H3 in terms of comfort and instrumentation, and the rear seat of the crew-cab H3T flips down to provide an additional flat cargo space when necessary. Having driven both flavors of H3 as well as the H2 SUT, the H3T (particularly the Alpha) sounds like it might just be the pick of the litter, offering the best balance of power, comfort, and practicality to go with its off-road credentials. We can’t wait to try one out for ourselves.

[Source: GM via Pickuptruck.com]

This year’s Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este has its public day tomorrow, which is when the world will presumably get its first look at the new BMW M1 concept, a stunning, modern take on Munich’s original supercar that is part of Bimmer’s 30th anniversary celebration of the classic machine. The private exhibition took place today, however, and the guys at Asphalte.ch — they were the first with live shots of the Lamborghini LP560-4 earlier this year — have once again scored a coup, snapping the new, copper-colored M1 concept in all its glory, both alone and alongside its forebears. We expect to have a lot more on this car tomorrow (assuming a press kit will be released sometime overnight), but for now, head to Asphalte.ch to see more shots of the car under the lights. Hey BMW, just pull the trigger and greenlight a production version already, because this thing is awesome.

UPDATE: Rear view (plus more photos) at Supercars.net.

[Source & Photo: Asphalte.ch]