Toyota will not restart production of Camry Solara convertible

Toyota has confirmed that it will not restart production of the Camry Solara convertible, which it actually stopped building in December 2008.

Toyota last summer nixed output of the Camry Solara coupe due to record-high fuel prices. At that time, Toyota said that the convertible Solara will remain in production for at least two years since Toyota didn’t have another convertible in its lineup.

“It was a car that our customers demanded; they wanted it,” Steve St. Angelo, Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America Inc. senior vice president, said last summer .

However, when the U.S. automotive market started its historic downturn in December 2008, Toyota decided to stop building the convertible and had been considering restarting production.

“Certainly, since December, looking at the state of the industry, there is no indication there would be strong enough demand to warrant (that action),” Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. spokesman Mike Michels told WardsAuto.

Michels says that the Toyota Venza crossover has been filling the void left by the Solara at Toyota’s Georgetown, KY, facility.

Artisan Performance, Reed Speed team up to make 700-hp 2010 Ford Mustang GT

After bringing us a 600-hp SA-600 based on the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, Artisan Performance has teamed up with Reed Speed to offer a high-performance, modified 2010 Ford Mustang GT.

With a pair of GTK350 turbochargers, the V8 Mustang GT puts out an estimated 700-hp to the wheels. The tuning team will also offer upgraded brakes and a new body kit.

The modified Mustang will be sold through Randall Reed stores and will carry Reed Speed SE badge. Sales will begin in the second-half of this year. Look out for the Reed Speed 2010 Ford Mustang at the 2009 SEMA Auto Show.

Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger Coming to NASCAR? Camaro to Follow? - Car News

During NASCAR's annual media tour in Charlotte last January, Penske Dodge Charger driver Kurt Busch said he was looking forward to the new season, which, he hoped, would be better than Dodge's grim 2008 campaign. One reason concerned some new bits and pieces that NASCAR was allowing to be introduced throughout the 2009 season, including a new engine that is just now debuting mid-season.

Just as important, according to Busch, was that the Dodge Charger got a new, more aerodynamic nose piece this year, too. As an afterthought, he added, "Really, it's the Chevrolet nose with Dodge decals on it."

With all four participating manufacturers, even Toyota, cutting back on motorsports support this year, one of their longtime complaints seems ever more valid. That’s that the old "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" adage fades with every NASCAR body mutation that makes the various stock-car models look as androgynous as Indy Cars or NHRA dragsters. No one thinks that the Chevrolet Impala Mark Martin drove to victory at last Sunday's LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway is a real Chevrolet Impala, and the fact that the cars must be labeled in large letters on the front bumper says it all. How can you cheer for a brand, when the cars are so similar?

Keep Reading: Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger Coming to NASCAR? Camaro to Follow? - Car News

Saab Sale to Supercar Maker Koenigsegg Pending

Continuing its restructuring amid bankruptcy protection, GM has announced a tentative agreement to sell its Saab division to Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg. The agreement, if approved, would assist 72-year-old Saab in its reorganization that began on February 20, 2009, when it filed in Swedish court for protection from creditors. Saab Automobile AB would be owned and operated by a relative newcomer to the automotive industry, Koenigsegg Group, which was founded in 1994.

Like the recent sale of Saturn to Penske Automotive, the Saab deal is expected to be completed by the end of this year’s third quarter, subject to many conditions and government approval. One of those conditions is the Swedish government backing $600 million in funding from the European Investment Bank. Financially assisting in the purchase creates an ideal in-house alliance for the Swedish government, which has a vested interest in saving Saab.

Keep Reading: Saab Sale to Supercar Maker Koenigsegg Pending - Car News

2009 Artega GT - First Drive Review

Every year, new wannabe Porsches, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis turn up at the world’s motor shows, though most are incomplete and underfunded and never progress beyond the prototype stage.

The Artega is the exception. The GT was developed in secret by a respected auto-industry supplier. It took two years before it was ready, and there was no advance hype. The car emerged fully formed in 2007 at the Geneva show, ready for production.

And in October 2008, production began at a purpose-built plant in Delbrück, Germany. Clearly, there is a depth of planning and commitment here. The company behind the Artega is Paragon AG, an electronics supplier best known for the stopwatch/lap timers fitted to Porsches.

Paragon’s CEO is Klaus Dieter Frers, a prominent historic-car racer with an enviable collection of Porsches. So perhaps it is not surprising that Porsche was the inspiration for his very own sports car. The Artega is a lightweight, two-seat, mid-engined coupe with a transverse-mounted VW/Audi V-6 and DSG six-speed, double-clutch, automated manual transmission. It is short (157.9 inches), wide (74.0 inches), and low (46.5 inches). The closest equivalent is the Porsche Cayman S, although the Artega is more than a foot shorter.

Keep Reading: 2009 Artega GT - First Drive Review

2011 Dodge Circuit EV - First Drive Review

Automakers aren’t usually receptive to the idea of us driving their concept cars, as most of these are little more than million-dollar auto-show paperweights that may not even move under their own power. The case of the Dodge Circuit EV, however, is different. Lou Rhodes, president of Chrysler’s electric-car ENVI division, had no qualms about giving us the first chance to wring the neck of this electric-powered sports car on a road course—the 1.7-mile handling loop at the company’s proving ground in Chelsea, Michigan.

Shown last fall for the first time, the Circuit is a not-sold-here Lotus Europa (itself a slightly swollen version of the Elise) that’s had its powertrain replaced with a 268-hp, 295-lb-ft electric motor and a large, 35-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Comparisons with the Lotus Elise–based Tesla roadster are inevitable.

When looking for a place to dock a 600-pound battery pack, a front-engine platform is all wrong from the perspective of weight distribution. And finding a mid-engine chassis from a manufacturer that will entertain inquiries for low-volume orders quickly trims the options down to one: Lotus. Its lightweight Elise and Exige S sports cars provide a tiny annual sales footprint in the U.S. (less than 2000 units), but the company is set to expand with its larger, more passenger-friendly Evora.

Rhodes touts the versatility of electric powertrains: A lower-power version of the Circuit’s motor can be shared with various other mainstream vehicles such as the Chrysler Town & Country minivan and the Jeep Wrangler and Patriot; the company has well-sorted running prototypes of each. While the Circuit is battery-only, the other variants are of the range-extended electric variety, as in Chevy’s Volt, which is powered by an electric motor but has a gas engine onboard to generate electricity if needed, which prevents occupants from being marooned when the juice runs out.

Keep Reading: 2011 Dodge Circuit EV - First Drive Review

2010 Subaru Legacy

The previous-generation Legacy was a great drivers’ car, especially within the family-sedan market. Standard all-wheel drive offered all-weather security and the chassis felt lively, but the car suffered from weak fuel economy and a tight backseat. Indeed, the shortcomings made it seem as though Legacy buyers were making a sacrifice simply by purchasing the car, opting to join a secret Subie society instead of purchasing a more sensible, practical model from another manufacturer.

The new fifth-generation Legacy retains Subaru’s now-trademark all-wheel drive—but is larger than its predecessor by every measure of the tape. We won’t bore you with every dimension change, but noteworthy is the 3.2-inch stretch in wheelbase (now 108.3 inches) with only a 1.4-inch bump in overall length (now 186.4).

Surprisingly Good CVT

The same 170-hp flat-four that powered the previous Legacy carries over as the base engine in the 2.5i; in the latest car it couples to either a new six-speed manual or new CVT. While the six-speed’s sloppy shifter disappointed us—blame cable-actuated shift linkages versus the old rod-actuated type, says Subaru—the CVT surprised us. It manages to keep the revs low when cruising and the droning, golf-cart-style acceleration typically associated with a CVT to a minimum. Also, according to the onboard fuel consumption gauge, the CVT delivers on Subaru’s 31-mpg highway claim (the CVT is rated at 23 in the city). The CVT also has a manumatic feature that allows for the selection of dedicated ratios via steering-wheel-mounted paddles. We consider fake “gears” to be a bit hokey, but it is handy when descending a steep grade, as the transmission will do some of the braking for you.

Few will remember, but this is not Subie’s first attempt at a CVT. The 1987 Justy featured one, but it was poorly received by U.S. consumers. Subaru claims this new CVT, dubbed Lineartronic CVT, is extremely durable, and also says that the fluid will never need to be changed over the life of the transmission.

Keep Reading: 2010 Subaru Legacy - First Drive Review