European Hyundai Veloster Coupe Shows its Face, will get 1.6-liter Turbo with 208HP

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know by now that Hyundai unveiled its Veloster coupe at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show. So, what's with the 'scoop' title of our post, we here you ask? Well, this here example is the European spec Veloster and it was caught undisguised by our spies in Germany ahead of its debut at the at the Geneva Salon in the beginning of March. The only visible styling changes over the North American model concern the use of clear indicators up front, all-red tail lamps at the back and the newly styled alloy wheels. Unfortunately, our spies couldn't get close enough to the prototype to snag the interior, but don't expect to see any significant modifications other than trim and color options.
Up until now, we were in the dark about the engine lineup of the European model. However, we just learned from an official source that the Veloster will be offered with two gasoline engines including a flagship turbocharged four banger.
The Veloster will launch in Europe with the same 1.6-liter direct-injection four-banger as the NA-spec model, producing 140-horsepower and 167 Nm of peak torque for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of under 10 seconds. Power is transferred to the front wheels through a standard six-speed manual gearbox, or an optional dual-clutch transmission.
Europeans will also get a Blue Edition version that pairs the 140-horse motor with a start-stop system and some additional fuel-saving features, which help drop CO2 levels from 138 g/km to 129 g/km.
The crown jewel of the Veloster lineup will be a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with direct-injection technology and an output of 208-horsepower, allowing the car to complete the standard sprint in around 7 seconds. We don't know if or when Hyundai will offer this engine in North America.
The naturally aspirated models will go on sale in most European countries this April, with the UK following later in the year. The Veloster 1.6 Turbo will be added to the range in early 2012.

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Canada's Most Stolen Vehicle is the 2009 Toyota Venza, Pontiac Aztec Makes Top 10

Who would have ever guessed that car thieves in Canada have a thing for the Toyota Venza? Yet, the 2009 model year version of Toyota's crossover topped the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s [IBC] top 10 most frequently stolen vehicles this year. The 2009 Venza takes the crown from the 2000 Honda Civic SiR Coupe that was last year’s number one stolen vehicle but dropped to third place in 2011, just below the 1999 Honda Civic SiR Coupe.
The Japanese carmaker's models prove to be very popular among Canadian thieves as the 1998 and 1999 Acura Integra Coupe also made the list taking the 9th and 10th spot respectively.
In between, you will find the 2006 and 2007 Ford F350 trucks, the 2002 Cadillac Escalade, the 2006 Chevy Traillblazer and –wait for it- the 2001 Pontiac Aztec…
IBC said that many of the stolen vehicles are showing up in the local market and are not necessarily being exported out of Canada.
“Consumers need to be aware when they’re in the market for used vehicles or parts,” said Rick Dubin, Vice-President, Investigative Services, IBC.
"We’re doing a good job of stopping stolen vehicles at the ports. Our data indicate that we are not seeing many of these vehicles there. We have to conclude that stolen vehicles are being re-sold locally. But because the stolen vehicles are in these local markets, buyers need to be careful,” Dubin added.


The top 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in Canada are:

1. 2009 Toyota Venza 4-door
2. 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
3. 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
4. 2006 Ford F350 Pickup Truck 4WD
5. 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT 4-door AWD
6. 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS 4-door 4WD
7. 2007 Ford F350 Pickup Truck 4WD
8. 2001 Pontiac Aztek 4-door AWD
9. 1998 Acura Integra 2-door
10. 1999 Acura Integra 2-door

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Honda Issues a Single Number Recall on 2012MY Odyssey Minivan

If you happen to follow the automaker recall notes, you may notice that quite often they involve a specific batch of models, be that for a parts defect or an error during the assembly of a car. In Honda's case, the safety recall involves only nine Odyssey minivans from the 2012 model year, built from October 31, 2011, through November 30, 2011.
The reason why the Japanese automaker issued this recall is that the retention nut for the front right lower suspension damper bolt may not have been tightened to the proper torque, which could allow the nut to loosen.
Honda says that if that were to occur, the front hub assembly would only be attached by one bolt, allowing the wheel assembly to shift to an extreme inward angle resulting in a loss of steering – and that's something you don't want to happen on the road…
The Japanese company says it contacted all nine owners by phone on December 19. Nevertheless, if you own one of the affected models and have more questions, you can contact the company directly at 1-800-999-1009.

TRD Spices up New Toyota Aqua / Prius C Hybrid

Toyota is losing no time in pushing out its aftermarket proposals for the all-new Aqua hybrid that will be marketed as the Prius C in markets outside of Japan and which will make its North American debut at the forthcoming Detroit Motor Show in January. On the same day that the regular Aqua went on sale in its home market, Toyota's TRD racing and performance division announced a slew of tuning upgrades for the sub-compact hatchback.
Starting with the exterior package, TRD's offerings include a new front apron with additional air vents and optional LED daytime running lights, matching side skirts, a roof spoiler, and a rear apron that incorporates a diffuser in a matte black finish.
For the interior, there's a new TRD push-button start while performance mods are limited -for the time being- to a sports exhaust system with a pair of chrome tailpipes, larger alloy wheels and a suspension package with new springs and shock absorbers that lower the car's ride height.
TRD said that it will release more styling accessories and performance mods in the near future.

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Cars Wallpapers And Pictures

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Audi R8 LMS Ultra to Compete in Next Year's FIA GT1 World Championship as Well

Only a month after the introduction of the improved R8 LMS Ultra and Audi has revealed plans to compete in the FIA GT1 World Championship next year with two examples of its latest GT3 racecar, which will be independently fielded by Team WRT. The announcement comes after a recent decision by the FIA GT Commission and World Motor Sport Council to develop uniform regulations between the FIA GT1 World and FIA GT3 European Championships, thus allowing the R8 LMS Ultra to fight for a world champion’s title of its own for the first time.
"We very much welcome the decision of the FIA World Motor Sport Council on December 7th in favour of the GT3 cars," said Werner Frowein, Managing Director of quattro GmbH.
"In the future, this vehicle class will not only stand for high-calibre national and European customer sport but also for the world’s pinnacle in GT racing. We are delighted that Team WRT has submitted its entry for the World Championship and will be representing the colours of Audi Sport customer racing."
WRT said that it is planning to select and announce its drivers for the championship before the end of December.
The provisional race calendar for the championship follows below.
2012 FIA GT1 World Championship
Round 1: Apr 08 Nogaro (France)
Round 2: Apr 22 Zolder (Belgium)
Round 3: May 27 Navarra (Spain)
Round 4: Jul 08 Algarve (Portugal)
Round 5: Aug 26 Peking (China)
Round 6: Sep 02 Ordos (China)
Round 7: Sep 16 Moscow (Russia)
Round 8: Oct 07 Zandvoort (Netherlands)
Round 9: Nov 25 San Luis (Argentina)
Round 10: TBA

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