Auto Sources

Filed under: Spy Pics, Wagons/Estates, Cadillac

Click above to enlarge

A Jalopnik reader purportedly got hold of a Harris Thought Survey about the upcoming CTS wagon, and assuming it’s on the level, it brings forth a treasure trove of information. For example, as you can see above, it seems we now have a first look at official imagery of the CTS in 2-box guise. We like what we see…perhaps even more than we like the CTS Coupe. We especially digthe way those super-tall taillamps look from behind. We’ll reserve final judgement for whenever Cadillac officially unveils the vehicle, but things appear to be proceeding very nicely.

Underhood, the doc tells us that it’s going to be direct-injected engines only. A 3.0L V6 producing 260 horses replaces the current, non-DI 3.6 as the base mill, with the now-familiar 304-horse 3.6L again assuming the top spot. Both will be connected to 6-speed automatics, and highway mileage is stated to be 27 mpg. 25 cubic feet of your stuff will fit behind the second row, and if you flip those back seats down, cargo capacity increases to 58 cubes. A power liftgate ensure you will not strain yourself opening the rear hatch. According to the leaked materials, pricing will range from $37,500 to $42,500.

Will Americans embrace a new luxury wagon? We’re gonna find out soon enough.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Porsche, Lifestyle

One thing some luxury-goods makers are missing out on are male-centric fragrances. Yankee Candle should come out with an entire “Garage Line” of scents like “Winter Ether,” “Hydrocarbon Bliss,” or the more subtle “Mustang Interior,” and “Exhaust.” There’s a veritable treasure trove of olfactory delight just waiting to be mined by a master nose. Porsche Design isn’t waiting for someone else to cash in on this brilliant plan, and the company is releasing its own line of products called “The Essence.” Porsche Design is a separate unit from our friends who screw together conveyances, and the firm focuses on industrial design when not fiddling with esters and bergamot. The scents are described as having a combination of cold metallic and warm organic tones, and will be available in aftershave, hair gel, body wash, and deodorant. Now, you can get all dolled up in your Porsche odorificness, slip on a Porsche polo shirt, and go drive that Boxster to the golf course while wearing Porsche sunglasses. Once there, of course, you’ll use Callaway clubs. Thanks for the tip, Tony!

[Site: Acquire]

Filed under: Euro, Marketing/Advertising, Crossovers/CUVs, Dodge

Click above for a gallery of the Baby Made on Board promo materials

var digg_url = ‘hxxp://digg.com/autos/Chrysler_promo_tells_Belgians_to_get_laid_in_Dodge_Journey’; When we read the tip from reader Thijs B. telling us that in Belgium, Dodge is planning a Journey launch promo centered around backseat baby-making, we thought it was a massive joke. So we started using our Google powers to see what else we could dig up. And guess what? It’s legit.

If you go to babymadeonboard.be, you will be greeted by the screen above, which features a play on those annoying “Baby On Board” window signs that were ubiquitous during the 80s. It’s paired with a countdown timer that’ll zero out on the weekend of June 14, which is when the Dodge Journey officially launches in Belgium. A swift WHOIS lookup on DNS.be reveals that the site’s domain name is registered to someone at the Brussels office of Proximity BBDO, a BBDO partner. BBDO is Chrysler’s ad agency.

More Googling led us to a Dodge press release posted on a Belgian media portal. The car is being targeted toward men, and its launch slogan roughly translates to “Become a father, stay a man.” According to the PR, Dodge suggests that “everyone try out the back seat of the Dodge Journey in a tiny unorthodox manner.” Well, that is one way of getting folks to look past Chrysler’s lamentable interiors. People whose “backseat trial” is successful and subsequently produce a newborn child 9 months after the car’s launch weekend have a opportunity to win themselves a new Dodge Journey.

We don’t think that Dodge really wants people taking special test drives out of Belgian dealerships for the purpose of steaming up the windows the old fashioned way (we can imagine porters quitting en masse on June 13th if this were the case). This particular assignment can probably be finished at home, too. To help encourage people to take action, however, all Journey floor models will have those “Baby Made on Board” signs in their windows. If you are in Belgium, are planning a family, and are in the market for a new car, you might want to (ahem) get to work on or around June 14. Maybe earlier. After all, a tiny practice never hurts. Thanks for the tip, Thijs!

[Source: Dodge Belgium]

Continue reading Belgium: Dodge wants you to steam up the windows in the Journey

Filed under: Spy Photos, Euro, BMW

For those fond of delving deep into E90 minutiae, these are the ideal shots yet showing off the subtle changes coming to the BMW 3-series. For the rest of us, the tweaks are largely inconsequential. World Car Fans has unearthed some of the clearest shots yet, and the change that most people will notice are the taillamps, which look to get a slightly different shape. It even appears that the cutlines between the taillamp pieces on the trunklid will not line up with the rest of the cluster mounted in the quarter panel – asymmetry. The mirrors look to gain huge repeaters for the blinkers, possibly just a camouflage ruse, and minor updates likely go on inside and underhood, too. Also prone to be quite noticeable once the wraps come off is a reshaped front fascia, which appears to place foglamps next to the license plate. Overall, a mild refreshing until a new 3-series can be whipped up. In the meantime, the new 7 will set the template for BMWs to come.

[Source: World Automobile Fans]

Filed under: Economy, Euro, Hatchbacks, Ford, UK

The Ford Ka has been a prime example that the Blue Oval can be successful at making make little automobiles, even if they kind of look like basketball shoes. After 12 years of service, it’s time to shake things up a bit. The next Ka shares mechanicals with the stylish Fiat 500, and after scoping the first unofficial pics from Auto Express, the Ford will be just as cute as its Italian sibling. Designers did manage to heavily differentiate the Ka from the 500, skipping the rounded lines in favor of edgier lines and details that reinforce Ford of Europe’s styling language. Think micro-Fiesta, and you have got the picture.

Since it’s for European consumption, it’ll have no less than three powertrains from the get-go, with a 68 hp 1.2L, a 100 hp 1.4L, and a 1.3L, 50 mpg diesel. Rumor has it that a hotter Ka ST is on its way as well, with 150 hp coming from a turbocharged 1.4L engine. Interior refinement over the outgoing model comes courtesy of better materials and improved ergonomics.

We’re still a few months away from the Ka’s official unveiling at the Paris Auto Show in September, but we like what we see so far. Besides, if it’s good enough for Bond, it’ll be good enough for us. The Ka will be produced in Poland and it’ll go on sale in Europe by the end of the year.

[Source: Auto Express]