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And… after a lengthy hiatus, we’re back. New Year’s Eve marks the return of Knight Rider. It’s the 9th episode, there are nine episodes left, and in a few hours we all ring in 2009. Huzzah.

Knight Rider’s New Year’s resolution is to not suck as much, so starting with next week’s episode, they’re going to try and make the show better. As if. My New Year’s resolution is to watch less Knight Rider, which NBC should make simple for me when it throws dirt on KITT after the February 25th episode.

Tonight’s episode (synopsis via Knight Rider On the internet):

KNIGHT FEVER: Kitt might have met his match when he falls victim to a computer virus — Mike must stop the spread of a personal virus that threatens a total global meltdown. The job gets much harder when KITT is infected. Meanwhile, Mike’s jealousy begins to show when Sarah reconnects with an old flame, who may be the key to solving the latest mission.

That ticking sound you hear is the slow, steady countdown to cancellation. Go grab a beverage and meet me after the jump at 8PM Eastern.

Continue reading Knight Rider: The Liveblog – Season 1, Episode 9

Knight Rider: The Liveblog – Season 1, Episode 9 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Hatchbacks

There are few concoctions in the automotive industry as bonkers as the mid-engine hatchback. The concept takes the most exotic layout and wraps it in the bodywork of the most mundane and commonplace, creating a paradoxical sub-segment that makes you wonder what their designers were smoking. (Turns out it was rubber, incidentally.) And while incarnations of the mid-engined hatch are a bit of a rarity, the years have produced a considerable number of these most insane of auto types. We’re celebrating the holidays with our ten favorites, and invite you to come along in our gallery by clicking on the image below.

Top 10 Mid-Engined Hatchbacks originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, SUVs, Porsche

9ff has established itself as a serious player in the pursuit of toppiling OEM’s top-speed records, but the German tuner’s range of modifications for Porsches spans the spectrum from mild to wild. Wild, in this case, includes the 9ff Vantage GTR. It’s based on the Cayenne SUV and has nothing to do with the 911-rivalling Aston Martin, but the 9ff sport-ute packs a mighty punch. With a whopping 725hp on tap, the Vantage GTR leaves other altered Cayennes in its dust – make that a large cloud of dust – and straight into Gemballa territory, which is an insane place to spend any amount of time.

To match the power output, 9ff has decked out this Cayenne in Tumbler-worthy bodywork and sinister matte black finish, and is apparently even offering a revised front end to replace the stock model’s angular headlights with round 911 units. See for yourself in the gallery below.

[Source: autoblog.nl via Motorpasion]

9ff hits the dusty trail with Cayenne Vantage GTR originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Government/Legal, Green, Bentley, Celebrities

Britain’s royal family might not have the power to legislate any new initiatives, green or otherwise, but the heads of state still wield influence over public thought and have taken up the cause of environmentally-conscious motoring. Following the lead of her son and heir Charles, the Prince of Wales – who had his Aston Martin converted to run on old wine and his Range Rover, Jaguar and Audi to run on discarded cooking oil – Queen Elizabeth II is having her bespoke Bentley limos converted to run on bio-fuels.

The Bentley Say Limousine is based on the Arnage, but custom-crafted in-house by the company’s Mulliner coachbuilding division. Only two were ever made, at a reported cost of over $14 million a piece, one of which was presented as a gift to Her Majesty upon her Golden Jubilee in 2002, while the second was commissioned by the crown as a back-up. The four-ton armored automobiles, continuously maintained by Bentley, are powered by the company’s perennial 6.75-liter V8 producing 400 horsepower, and will be converted to run on bio-fuel. Bentley says the royal family are large supporters of Crewe’s initiative to switch to bio-fuels, as Bentley aims to offer all its models with flex-fuel capacity by 2012.

[Source: The Daily Mail via Luxist]

From Royal Blue to Green: the Queen retrofits her Bentleys to run on bio-fuel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossovers/CUVs, Hatchbacks, Suzuki

Following in the footsteps of its European twin, the Fiat Sedici, Suzuki is slightly reworking its SX4 Crossover for next year. You’d be forgiven if you didn’t notice – all of the revisions are quite subtle – but the whole front fascia has been slightly remodeled. The most obvious change is to the grille area, which now has a slightly smaller opening that’s flanked by new concave recesses for the fog lights. Apparently, the faux rear skid-plate has been redone as well. Like we said: minor, discreet changes.

Inside, the Sedici has been upgraded with dual zone climate controls, so it would make sense that the SX4 would benefit from this new feature as well. We don’t anticipate any powertrain changes, which is just fine with us. We thought that the SX4 was plenty peppy with its standard 2.0-liter DOHC engine’s 143 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque when we’d the sedan model in our garage earlier this year.

[Source: Carscoop]

Spy Shots: Suzuki SX4 getting facelift too originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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