Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile Downsizes, Now Based on MINI Cooper

This whole gas price thing is taking its toll on everyone – even Oscar Mayer who decided its time to put its famous Wienermobile into the dryer and base it on a MINI Cooper. These pictures were shot by our friend Michelle (you may remember her from the Nissan 280Z based Ferrari 250GTO replica) who captured the MINI Wienermobile on her way home in Gurnee Illinois.

Oscar Mayer’s modern interpretation of the Wienermobile is a far cry from the 2000 hot-dog car that measured a fearsome 27 feet or 8.2 meters in length and was powered by GM’s 5.7-liter V8 Vortec engine. Wonder what’s next; a Smart Fortwo Wienermobile? -More images after the jump

Thanks for the pics Michelle!

Scion Limited Edition xD RS 1.0 With DAMD Bodykit

The third limited-production Scion for 2008, the xD Release Series 1.0 (xD RS 1.0) is set to go on sale this June with prices set at $16,549 with a manual gearbox and $17,349 with an automatic transmission.

Scion has differentiated the RS 1.0 from its other siblings with a “hot-lava” exterior paint-job, a DAMD body kit, rear spoiler, lower springs and… unique hub-caps. Inside, the 2,000 units of the special edition xD feature Hot Lava accented seats and interior trim, a RAZO Release Series shift knob and an individual numbered badge. -Click through for the mage gallery

Erotic MINI Clubman Designed by Lingerie Maker “Agent Provocateur”

This one-off MINI Clubman was created by the naughty lingerie specialist “Agent Provocateur” and it made its debut today (May 17) at Europe’s largest AIDS charity event “Life Ball” which took place at Vienna’s City Hall in Austria. Inspired from the classic English MINI police van, the lingerie maker dressed the Clubman in its signature pink and black colours complete with a pink flashing light.

However, it’s the Clubman’s interior that “Agent Provocateur” put its kinky work into full action. Apart from the fully reclining rear seats and ankle cuffs for forensic investigations of the third type, the erotic Clubman also gets saddle stitched leather seat and bespoke compartments for various tools of the job –if you get our drift. And as “Agent Provocateur’s” founder Joseph Corre says, “This is an interior you really would want to get banged up in!” -Continued

If you agree with Corre, then you’ll be happy to know that this unique MINI Clubman will be put up for auction on eBay from June 5 -15, 2008, with all proceeds being donated to Life Ball.

Via: Motorpasion

Video: Chevrolet Ridicules Citroen’s C4 Transformer Ad

You probably all remember Citroen’s illustrious C4 Transformer TV spots a couple of years ago (click here). Well, GM woke up on the wrong side of the bed one day and decided that it was time to answer back with its new Chevrolet Aveo advert. Even though the car that transforms into a robot is in part a previous generation Ford Focus, it is evident that GM’s intentions are to spoof Citroen’s Transformer ads by addressing its vehicles’ electronic reliability issues. -Video after the jump

Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro Concept with 221Hp Diesel Engine

Set to be make its public debut at this month’s 27th annual Lake Wörther Tour in Austria, the “A3 TDI clubsport quattro” is a one-off race car powered by the most powerful incarnation of Audi’s 2.0-liter common-rail turbo diesel engine delivering 221 Hp and 331.0 lbs-ft of torque. Power is channeled to A3’s 20-inch wheels through a 6-speed transmission and Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system.

The German manufacture says the A3 TDI clubsport quattro can go from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 240 km/h or 149mph.

Honoring its racing pedigree, the concept is equipped with six-piston brake calipers and ceramic discs up front along with Audi’s driving dynamic system that allows the driver to change the throttle response, exhaust sound, the level of power assistance for the steering, ESP settings and the operating mode of the dampers that deploy Audi’s magnetic ride technology. -Continued

Since it wouldn’t have been much of a race car without any exterior mods, Audi has adorned the bi-colored A3 TDI clubsport quattro with a large DTM-styled roof spoiler, bolt-on wheel arch extensions that house 20-inch alloy wheels in 265/30 R20 tires, a different grille, new front and rear bumpers along with a rear diffuser that incorporates two large diameter exhaust pipes.

Inside the concept’s highlights include a pair of racing bucket seats, an open gear lever gate in aluminium form and Audi’s characteristic flat-bottom steering wheel.

The Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro

Engine
- Four-cylinder TDI with common-rail injection system
- Displacement of 1968 cc, output of 165 kW (224 hp) and torque of 450 Nm
(331.90 lb-ft)
- Optimized exhaust system
- 0 – 62mph in 6.6 seconds, top speed 149mph

Power transmission
- High-efficiency six-speed manual transmission with a lightweight casing, open gear lever gate made of aluminium
- quattro all-wheel drive with extremely fast-action multi-plate clutch

Chassis
- Four-link rear suspension for dynamic handling and good comfort
- Power steering with highly efficient electric drive
- Wheels measuring 9 J x 20, tyre size 265/30
- Six-piston brake calipers and ceramic discs at the front wheels
- Audi drive select driving dynamics system with Audi magnetic ride adaptive damper control

Body and interior
- Length 4,254 millimeters (167.48 inches), width 1,825 millimetres (71.85
inches), height 1,385 millimetres (54.53 inches)
- Motorsport-look design, large rear spoiler
- Racing bucket seats and extra aluminium components in interior

Honda to Develop New Minicar for India

Honda’s Indian arm, “Honda Siel Cars India Ltd” has revealed its plans to develop an all-new mini car in order to grasp a larger chuck of India’s booming small car segment which accounts for about 80 percent of the total market. "We plan to enter the small car market with a vehicle that will be manufactured at our new unit coming up in Rajasthan in two years time," Honda Siel Cars India's President and CEO, Masahiro Takedagawa told reporters earlier this week.

Via: TheHindu

Chinese-Made Dodge Breeze Scooped

Chrysler LLC’s Chinese-built minicar, the Dodge Breeze which is basically a rebadged Chery A1, has been caught… red-handed. As you can see in these scoop pictures that have been circulating in various Chinese forums, despite the manufacture’s attempts to conceal any “Dodge” or “Breeze” badges, someone overlooked the company’s logo on the hub-caps, thus revealing the car’s true identity.

According to reports, Chrysler LLC will start deliveries of the Dodge Breeze to the North American market and in particular Mexico, towards the end of the year. As for the U.S., it is still under discussion whether or not the Chery-built mini car -and consequently, Chrysler, is ready to enter the American market. -More pics after the jump

BMW M1 Homage Production Version Rendering

There’s still no word whether BMW is actually considering developing a production model of its well received M1 Homage Concept that was unveiled at last month’s Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este classic car salon, but there’s no harm in showing you how a production M1 could look like.

Though not the best quality, this scan from German car magazine “Auto Zeitung”, features a rendering of a toned-down version of the M1 Concept with a set of M6 alloy wheels. Not bad but if BMW does decide to give the green light, we’d prefer it if the Germans stay as close as possible to the original concept.

Pic: AutoZeitung

Roush Prepped Ford Fiesta ST Goes on Sale

The first batch of Ford Fiesta ST cars with the dealer-installed Mountune Performance upgrade packages are being handed over to customers in the UK this month. Roush Technologies, which owns the Mountune Performance and Racing brands, has just completed the first dealer training programme for the installations.

Mountune offers two packages for the Ford Fiesta ST, with the Stage 1 kit taking the standard car’s 2.0-liter engine from 150Hp to 165 Hp while the Stage 2 pack extracts 185 Hp from the 4-cylinder unit. Mountune’s packages are part of a new range of fully authorised Ford dealer pricelist options, which also include handling and appearance upgrades. -Continued

GM Considering to Export Chevrolet Models to South Korea

General Motor’s Asia Pacific executive director James Reymond told reporters in Seoul today that the American carmaker may add the Chevrolet brand in its South Korean portfolio. “Sales of imported vehicles are gradually growing, so it's natural for us to see an opportunity to increase our sales here,'' said Reymond.

In South Korea and apart from its domestic Daewoo brand, GM currently sells Cadillacs and Saabs. The reason why GM is thinking of adding mid-size Chevy’s in its range, is because sales of imported cars surged at seven times the pace of the overall market last year. Plus, there’s a huge growth potential as Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp still hold an amazing 75% of the total South Korean car market.

Via: Bloomberg

Suzuki Swift “Black and White” Special Editions

Available in the German market from June 2008, the Suzuki Swift “Black and White” is a special edition model with a limited run of 1,200 units. As its name suggests, the limited version of the Swift 1.3 will be offered exclusively in two special metallic colors – pearl black and pearl white.

The vehicle’s standard equipment includes among other things, new 16-inch, 7-spoke alloy wheels in 195/45 R15 tires, “Black and White” special decals on the outside and matching mats on the inside along with a Clarion DVD/Navigation system with a large 6.9-inch color screen and a 30 GB hard drive. Optionally, Suzuki also offers a subtle bodykit that's pictured in the black Swift. Prices in Germany start from 16,900 euros. -Continued

Infiniti Launches European Pre-Order Site

If you live in Europe and you want to be one of the first ones to own an Infiniti, the Japanese premium car brand has launched a new dedicated site at “Infiniti.eu” where potential customers can sign up and pre-order their vehicle of choice. Infiniti’s European reservation list will only be open for a limited time until 30 September 2008, with the first deliveries set to start from October 2008.

At launch, Infiniti’s European line-up will comprise four models, the EX37 and FX crossovers and the G37 Sedan and Coupe, all of which have been tweaked for the European market. According to Infiniti Europe’s Marketing Director, Bastien Schupp, almost 10,000 people have already signed up on “infiniti.eu” to be an Infiniti Insider. “We’re pleased to see that excitement and anticipation are building even faster than we expected,” Schupp said. -Continued

The first European Infiniti Centers will open their doors in nine countries from October 2008, including the major markets of France, Spain and Italy. From January 2009, six more countries will join the Infiniti stable, followed by a further six countries from April 2009, including the UK and Germany.

Saab 9-5 Turbo Special Edition

Swedish car manufacturer Saab has announced the launch of a new Special Edition version of its 9-5 model for the UK market. Called the “9-5 Turbo Edition”, it features a number of added extras including 17 inch, five spoke alloy wheels, leather sport seats heated both front and rear, electric driver’s seat, and headlight washers.

There are two specifications available, the 9-5 Turbo Edition -offered with a choice of three engines: the entry-level 2.0t, the high power 2.3t and the 1.9 TiD diesel, and the top-of-the range 9-5 Aero Turbo Edition with a 260Hp 2.3-liter turbo engine that goes from 0-60mph in just 6.5 seconds. The Aero model features additional equipment including DVD satellite navigation and dual electric seats, as well as the traditional Aero features including performance brakes, Bi-xenon headlights, metallic paint and sport chassis. -Continued

Prices for the 9-5 Turbo Edition that’s available in both Saloon and Estate bodystyles, start at £19,995 while the Aero model, that’s also available in both Saloon and Estate bodystyles, prices start from £24,995.

Alfa Romeo Spider Mille Miglia Special Edition

If you’re searching for the rarest version oAlfa Romeo Spider then look no further; in all, Alfa will build a mere 11 units of the Spider Mille Miglia that was unveiled today at the “Mille Miglia 2008” race in Italy. The extremely limited special series was built to mark Alfa Romeo’s 11 victories in the Mille Miglia race.

Based on the Spider 3.2 V6 260Hp, each special edition model is equipped with a silver plate bearing details of one of the victories won by Alfa Romeo between 1928 and 1947. Other features that distinguish the 2-seater roadster are the exclusive body color ‘Rosso 8C’ and a ‘Quadrifoglio’ logo on the wing, while inside, the Alfa Spider Mille Miglia cars boast special interiors trimmed with black leather with red top-stitching. -More images after the jump

AC Schnitzer MINI Cooper S Clubman with 226Hp

German tuning firm AC Schnitzer has got its hand on the not so mini, MINI Cooper S Clubman which has receiver a power upgrade boosting output from 170 to 226 Hp while torque is up to 285 Nm. The sport package also includes a sport spring kit and if you’re up to it, a height-adjustable racing suspension is also available.

Optionally, AC Schnitzer offers a limited slip differential (up to maximum 75 percent) that promises to apply power to the right wheel when cornering. Other goodies from AC Schnitzer include a front spoiler, a larger hood dome, twin sports rear silencer with chromed tailpipes and bicolour 17- or 18-inch wheels. –Pics after the jump

Via: Autoblog.it