Panoz Abruzzi Spirit of Le Mans Teased

I hate teasers but I guess we just all have to live with such things. American car firm Panoz Auto Development has just unveiled their new sports car that will be showcased at the next Le Mans 24 Hours.

The car is powered by a 4.6L Ford V8 tuned to dish out 300 bhp. The engine’s mounted at the front and is built upon an aluminum chassis from Panoz’ own Esperante.

Even with a V8, the car’s sort of green. The body’s made from recycled materials and the special cooling system is expected to make the car run more efficient.

As for the styling, the car is said to be inspired by “a classic era” when racers can compete in Le Mans with the car they drive getting to and going from there.

“We are truly excited about the Panoz Abruzzi – not only about the design and performance of the car, but by the whole concept it represents,” said company boss Don Panoz.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee to Jumpstart Chrysler

Fiat has got quite a lot to do in order to turn things around for Chrysler.

The addition of all of Chrysler’s marquees into the Fiat fold gave the company a heck of a lot of work to do to make sure that the product lines don’t quite interesect as much. The last thing they need is competition among its brands.

While several of Chrysler’s models and makes have been axed in the streamlining process, Fiat hopes that the Jeep brand will soldier on in the SUV range.

Check out the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee which is set to go on sale. Fiat hopes that the vehicle would start turning things around and chip away at Chrysler’s image of shoddy workmanship and gas-guzzling.

Jeep CEO Mike Manley is confident that the brand will be able to pull through especially since theirs is a loyalty brand. Jeep sales rose 5% worldwide in the Q1 of 2010.

Mountune Ford Focus RS MP350

Here’s another tuning goodie from Ford specialists Mountune – their take on the Ford Focus RS. If your looking for a performance RS but haven’t put your name down for the limited edition RS500, then the Moutune MP350 offers to be an alternative.

The MP350 dishes out 345 bhp thanks to engine mods that rival the RS500. The 45 bhp increase is obtained through a larger intercooler, a larger airfilter, a larger exhaust downpipe, uprated fuel pump and a tweaked ECU.

The upgrades will be made available through Ford dealerships and opting for a package will not invalidate Ford’s warranty on the stock RS.

The car is considered a notch lower than the RS500 but it the numbers give it a fighting chance in a dog fight.

Dodge Viper SRT10 Final Edition

The Dodge Viper run is nearing its end and to give it one final hurrah, Dodge has decided to make 50 Dodge Viper SRT10s specially dubbed as the Final Edition.

The 50 units will be distributed among 20 coupe versions, 18 roadsters and 12 America Club Racers. Aside from the structural differences, the cars will be powered by the massive 8.4L V10 that dishes out 592 bhp and 560 lb-ft of torque.

Given that power, the Viper is pegged to sprint to 60 mph from standstill in less than 4 seconds and go all the way past 200 mph.

Dodge and Chrysler have been planning a Viper replacement that’s set to come out by 2012 and no word yet on whether the replacement will bear the Viper name.

Ford Sells Volvo to Geely

One less car badge that would have a “Made in the USA” tag. Ford officially announced that it will be selling Volvo to Zheijang Geely Holding Group. The deal is expected to close by the third quarter and has to go through all the necessary bureaucratic hoopla.

Anyway, Geely will be shelling out $1.8 billion for Volvo which Geely will be paying in form of a note worth $200 million and the rest by cash. Jeez. How rich are the Chinese these days? Richer than you, that is.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally says that the sale will allow Ford to focus more on its brand.

While the most profitable of the Detroit Three (Chrysler’s even questionable now that it’s owned by the Italians), Ford is struggling to keep pace with other automakers. Hyundai overtook Ford as the world’s fourth largest automaker last year.

I wonder if ever being Chinese-owned will affect Volvo’s track record of safety. Maybe they’d start painting the car with lead-based paint and use panels made up of toxic plastic.

General EN-V Concept for Urban Mobility

It’s quite interesting how automakers are now exploring things that are just above the Segway. Toyota has their i-Real. Honda has their 3R-C. Here’s General Motor’s take on personal/urban mobility – the EN-V Concept.

“EN-V reinvents the automobile by creating a new vehicle DNA through the convergence of electrification and connectivity. It provides an ideal solution for urban mobility that enables future driving to be free from petroleum and emissions, free from congestion and accidents, and more fun and fashionable than ever before,” said GM China Group President Kevin Wale.

The EN-V, unlike the Segway and the i-Real, features a closed cabin that “protects” two passengers. Though we’d like to know how much protection that cabin can actually give you. It also has room for a bit of cargo.

The EN-V is powered by electric motors that drive two wheels. Juice is stored in lithium-ion batteries that give a toral range of 25 miles on a full charge.