General Motors mid-size sedans going all four-cylinder

by Damon Lavrinc

Straight from the "No Surprise" department comes word from GMInsideNews that all of General Motors mid-size offerings will come equipped with four-cylinder engines as the only available powerplant.

GM has made it clear for the last few years that a large part of its future product strategy is to downsize its engine line-up in preparation for the new 2015 CAFE standards. The shift has already begun with the introduction of the 2011 Buick Regal, available with either a 182-horsepower direct injected 2.4-liter or a turbocharged 2.0-liter putting out 220 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque.

The next model to go all-four-banger will be the next generation Chevrolet Malibu, slated to arrive late next year and likely packing – to begin with – the same 2.4-liter four. A range of direct injected engines, both naturally aspirated and turbocharged, are in the works, so the General won't be hurting for options, but expect the V6 to stick around for GM's larger offerings, including the next Impala.

Suzuki Kizashi topples 200 mph at Bonneville for new Land Speed Record

by Zach Bowman

The crew from Suzuki and Road & Track officially hold the new Land Speed Record for the Blown Gas Coupe Category. The team wheeled out their modified 2010 Suzuki Kizashi to the Bonneville Salt Flats and managed to average an impressive 203.720 mph across two high-speed runs, besting the previous record by a little less than a second and a half. R&T commissioned legendary engine builder Richard Holdener to rework the engine in the Kizashi before it hit the salt, and as a result, the car wore forged internals and a beefier turbo that shoved a full 16 pounds of boost into the four-cylinder as the Sam Mitani-helmed Suzuki headed down the dry lake bed.

Now that the Kizashi has one record under its belt, Road & Track is planning to try for a second, naturally-aspirated record by unbolting the turbo and going hog wild. Now all we have to wonder is how much it's going to take to convince Suzuki to offer those slick seam-welded steel wheels as an option on the Kizashi Sport. Hit the jump to take a look at a video of the car during its record-setting run, as well as a press release detailing the occasion.

Volkswagen releases initial pics, details on all-new Caddy

by Zach Bowman

It's been nearly six years since Volkswagen took the knife to its workhorse Caddy, but starting next year, buyers can expect a host of changes. The company has just dished the details on its next-generation van before the vehicle gets its official unveiling at the IAA Hanover Commercial Vehicle Show this November. Don't expect anything too wild to crop up design-wise. The Caddy will swipe a few cues from the rest of the VW family up front, and new taillights will pop up as well. VW says that it will also offer roof rails for the first time on the new generation.

Take a peek under the hood, and you're likely to see one of four turbo-diesel engines, all of which are 13 percent more efficient than their predecessors. The range starts with two 1.6-liter mills producing either 75 or 102 horsepower depending on which model you choose, both of which come with start/stop technology. If you click off a little higher up the option sheet, you'll wind up with one of two 2.0-liter engines. Those produce either 110 or 140 horsepower depending on your needs and your budget. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Chrysler to set up separate Fiat dealers

by Chris Shunk


When Fiat and Chrysler merged, it was assumed that Fiat and Chrysler-branded products would be sharing a common showroom floor. Well, you know what happens when you assume. The Detroit Bureau reports that when Fiat-badged vehicles arrive Stateside at the end of the year they will be sold in an all-new showroom bereft of any manner of Chrysler product. The news reportedly comes from none other than Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who adds that a total of 200 Fiat stores will come online in an undetermined time.

While Chrysler dealers are likely a bit upset that they won't have Fiat products to sell in their dealerships, they will reportedly get first dibs to claim one of the 200 stand-alone stores. And those dealerships must be equipped with both sales and service departments as well. The first Fiat to enter the Fiat-exclusive showroom will be the diminutive 500, which has been very well-received overseas. And more product is undoubtedly also on the way, as the 500 alone is not a big enough carrot to warrant buying a new dealership.

Opening 200 new dealerships will not be cheap, as a new full-service dealer can cost $1 million or more. There are also the costs associated with marketing a new brand in the U.S., which will likely cost well over $100 million. Since Fiat vehicles haven't been available here in States in a couple decades, the folks in Turin, Italy will likely have a lot of work to do to spread the word. Those who actually remember the Fiat brand in the U.S. market will likely need the most convincing, as horrible quality woes were a main factor in the brands failure.

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HKS Racing Controller for PS3 just makes sense

by Jonathon Ramsey

A steering-wheel-and-pedal setup for your PS3 starts at around $50, but you'll spend at least double that to get into the good stuff. HKS has teamed with InterWorks on a game controller solution that stays at the $50 mark but could work just as well as a wheel while being a little less intrusive.

The hot-coal red Hipermax III replaces the analog joysticks with a thumb wheel on the left side and throttle and brake buttons on the right side. The wheel has center stripe to aid steering, and the precise inputs of the throttle and brake controls are registered in the digital readout in the center of the controller. For the moment this is PS3-only, and while HKS hasn't released a price, it's pegged to come under $55.

U.S. safety bill could triple cost of automotive black boxes to $5,000

by Zach Bowman

When word first came down that Congress was looking to mandate that all new vehicles to be sold with Event Data Recorders, we knew that the added tech was going to be pricey. According to Automotive News, if legislators have their way, the new automotive black boxes will need to be both fire resistant and waterproof. Add in a significant amount of recording time before and after an accident, and suddenly the price tag per unit could soar up to a lofty $4,000 to $5,000. Currently, the EDRs track about five seconds worth of information just before an accident, though some legislators are pushing for up to 75 seconds of recording pre-crash. Between the fire insulation and added recording time, analysts believe the devices will swell to shoebox size, also creating a new packaging issue for automakers.

And who's going to be shelling out the cash for the indestructible, mammoth recorders? The short answer is the automakers, though you can bet they won't just be soaking up the cost out of the goodness of their hearts. Odds are that $4,000-per-box price tag will be passed right along to consumers if such devices become law, so don't be surprised to see sticker prices climb if the boxes become mandatory in 2015.

McLaren gives Button and Hamilton extra bling for good luck

by Noah Joseph

We've seen F1 teams pulling all kinds of shtick in an effort to edge out the competition. But embedding diamonds into the helmets and steering wheels? Well, it seemed to work in 2008 for Lewis Hamilton, and he, for one, is hoping it'll work again this year at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix.

McLaren has partnered with Steinmetz Diamonds to carry off the bedazzling, creating commemorative wreath emblems for both its world champions. The results were unveiled on Wednesday at Steinmetz's villa in Monte Carlo, and both Hamilton and Button will be using them during this weekend's race. Only in Monaco, kids. Details in the press release after the jump.