Mitsubishi Outlander Roadest Special Edition

Mitsubishi has released a special edition Mitsubishi Outlander for the Japanese market where it comes with few additional features compared to the standard SUV.

The Mitsubishi Outlander “Roadest” Special Edition features new bodykit which consists of new front grille and chromed mirror caps at the exterior. The SUV stands on new seven-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels and it comes in 3 different colors, white, black and gray.

On the interior, the Outlander “Roadest” features dark colored sport cloth seats with aluminum trim.

The price for the Mitsubishi Outlander “Roadest” Special Edition starts from 2,877,000 yen.

Caption Contest!

Sure, the paint job is a little goofy, but something about the way this van's legs are positioned just creeps me out. Doesn't it kind of look like this beast is stalking something? Yikes. Anyway, you know the drill: come up with a caption for the picture below by noon PST next Thursday. If you submit the funniest one, we'll send you a great big bag of CarDomain swag. If you live outside the US, you'll have to pay your own postage. Don't forget to leave a link to your Ride Page so I can contact you. Good luck!

iPhone Nano, GPS Are More Important to Apple Than 3G: Analysis

3G? Video? That's old news. Rival companies tell PM's senior tech editor they're shaking in their boots over the prospect of Steve Jobs enabling iPhone 2.0 with GPS, and a stripped-down cellphone might even outsell the original. A modest proposal for June's WWDC keynote.

It's that time of year again, when rampant speculation from fanboys, "inside sources" and journalists alike (over)anticipates another Apple product launch. On June 9, as everybody who follows this stuff knows, Steve Jobs is set to unveil the 3G update to the iPhone. (We'll be live on-hand with all the details.)

Now there are plenty of theories about how AT&T's HSDPA network will effect the iPhone 2.0: Will the high-speed connection make the cellphone bulkier? What about battery life? Those aren't the only questions, of course. Bloggers have been obsessing over every potential tweak: Will the camera be updated? Will there be streaming video? Will a Wi-Fi antenna still be necessary? Will the Bluetooth spec finally be updated to allow for data streaming and wireless stereo headphones?

All these elements would be important—if incremental—improvements in the iPhone's functionality. But Jobs could make two announcements on June 9 that would have far bigger implications for the future success of the iPhone than even fast Internet may provide.

The first would be the addition of a GPS antenna. I recently sat down with the president of a GPS navigation system manufacturer to ask him how he felt about the prospect of a GPS-enabled iPhone. "Scared [expletive]-less," he said. Hardly a rarity in the handset world, GPS functionality is already used by many carriers to sell location-based services and for Emergency 911 (or E911). And the iPhone already does rough location positioning by cross-referencing tower triangulation with a database of known Wi-Fi hot spots.

Yet the iPhone has the potential to leverage true GPS functionality better than any other device. It already has a large, 3.5-in touchscreen interface, external speakers and an elegant Google Maps interface. All you'd need to add to a GPS-enabled iPhone is a suction-cup windshield bracket (sold separately, of course), and you'd have a fully-functional, pocket-portable car navigation device. People already pay hundreds of dollars in droves for this increasingly popular segment of devices, and the iPhone could essentially challenge an entire product category with one add-on feature.

The second huge announcement that Jobs could make would be that's he's introducing not one new iPhone—but two. He's stated that his goal is to sell 10 million iPhones in 2008, and a new 3G iPhone with better e-mail support for corporate networks could certainly help toward that goal (even old iPhones are supposed to get an upgrade to work with Microsoft's ActiveSync in June).

But I can't help wondering how long Apple will continue with a single-phone strategy. After all, what turned the iPod from a revolutionary product for a limited market into a true juggernaut was the addition of Minis and Nanos and Shuffles—in other words, a complete product line. The iPhone is a force to be reckoned with in the smartphone category, but a smaller, cheaper iPhone Nano with a couple of gigabytes of storage and basic music functionality has the potential for truly explosive sales. It may not happen next month, but its time will come.

Source: popularmechanics

Leave sunlight in the shade

Regulations for having windows tinted can be daunting, but with the Privacy Shades there are no such worries. The dark fabric fits over the rear windows from the B-pillar backwards, ensuring you stay legal.

The shades are model specific, but the maker claims it covers most new European and Japanese vehicles on sale.

Looking like in-car sun blinds, the rigid frame fits the window outline perfectly. They are secured by clips that slide between the glass and interior trim, and extras are included to give a tighter fit on heavily curved windows. Fitting and removal is simple, and we had them installed on our Kia Pro_cee’d within minutes. The roughest of roads didn’t disturb them and they were rattle-free, too. They can be fitted to lowered windows, although the maker warns against travelling at the limit with them in that state. Up close, the shades look like sun blinds, but from a distance they do a convincing impression of proper tints. Yet as many new cars come with tinted windows already, their appeal will be limited

L200 picks up the pace

Best-selling Japanese pick-up gets power boost, chassis tweaks and a racy makeover


Feast your eyes on the hottest Mitsubishi pick-up ever. This is the L200 Walkinshaw Performance – and as the name suggests, it’s a flat bed which has been tuned by legendary racer and motorsport team boss Tom Walkinshaw.

The 2.5-litre turbodiesel special edition gets a power upgrade from 134bhp to 166bhp, while styling changes include 20-inch alloys, plenty of chrome trim and a host of Walkinshaw stickers.

Inside, there are leather seats, DVD sat-nav, cruise control and an upgraded CD autochanger with Bluetooth compatibility. Prices start at £25,261 for the 2.5 DI-D Double Cab. A Walkinshaw Performance handling kit, featuring revised rear suspension, plus performance bushes and dampers, can be had for £3,049.

Edo Competition Maserati MC12

Edo Competition, car tuning specialist from germany, has released its latest tuning package for the Maserati MC12 apart from the Ferrari Enzo from the previous post.

The chassis for the Maserati MC12 is based on the Ferrari Enzo and the power output has been increase to 700 hp. The Edo Competition Maserati MC12 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds with the top speed of 370 km/h (stock is 330 km/h).

Below are the specifications of the Edo Competition Maserati MC12 from the press release.

Engine

Engine V12
Power est. 700 hp (514 kW) at 8200 rpm
Max. torque est. 715 Nm (527 ft-lb) at 5800 rpm
Performance

Top speed > 370 km/h (230 mph)
0 – 100 km/h (0 – 62 mph) est. 3.5s
0 – 200 km/h (0 – 124 mph) est. 9.5s
0 – 300 km/h (0 – 186 mph) est. 22.0s
Features

Power increase of 70 horsepower thanks to new exhaust headers like on the Ferrari FXX, highflow catalytic converter, performance muffler, modified intake system, new carbon fiber airbox like on the Maserati MC12 Corsa, high-flow air filters and ECU recalibration
Stainless steel muffler with adjustable remote-controlled butterfly-valve, new exhaust tips
Exhaust sound level adjustable at the push of a button
High-performance ceramic composite brake system with 396 mm (15.6 in.) front rotors and 360 mm (14.2in.) rear rotors, special brake pads front and rear
Wheels can be custom-painted on request
Tire pressure monitoring system displaying air pressure and tire temperature for each wheel
Makrolon headlight covers
Appearance modifications, for example different exterior color
Sport suspension for the road with adjustable compression and rebound damping like on the FIA GT MC12. Nose lift functionality is retained.
Air intakes in carbon fiber
Weight reduction of 100 kg (220 lb)!!
Special lightweight wheels with Michelin tires: front: 10 x 19 with 265/35 ZR 19 and rear: 13 x 20 with 335/30 ZR 20
New high-performance clutch. Extremely lightweight. Two different friction compounds selectable (strada/pista)
New rear wing, adjustable
New transmission control unit. Same shift times as on the Maserati MC12 Corsa

2010 Dodge Charger Coupe Concept

Michael Leonhard, an independent car stylist, has created his own version of the future Dodge Charger Coupe.

Leonhard’s design was inspired by the legendary 1968-70 Charger with a touch of the 21st century vehicles to come up with the 2010 Dodge Charger Concept.

Audi Engine Strategy Through 2011 Leaked

Someone in the know over at Audiblog.nl has spilled forth a detailed list of all Audi brand engines for all models through the 2011 calender year — and the release dates for new models. In addition to the big engine news, the leakers claim that we'll be seeing the rumored Audi A7 model in June of 2010, as well as an S7 version following that fall, and a return to form for the next generation Audi S4. Look below for a detail look at what's coming up for Audi in the next three years.

Audi A1
Starting at the bottom of the grid, the Audi A1 will maintain the currently planned 1.4 TFSI, but will get an 86 HP 1.2-liter TFSI good for a little less power but will be quite a bit easier on European wallets.

Audi S4
It seems the B8 Audi S4 will be returning to its twin-turbo V6 roots, as early as this coming November. News of this respite from V8 shenanigans comes with virtually all positive notes, considering the engine is to displace 3.0 L but grunt out 330 HP, only 10 shy of the current iteration. Add in lighter weight and the same treatment for the Avant versions and everyone's happy.

Audi S5
In September 2010 the S5 will be dumping its current V8 mill for the same twin-turbo 3.0 L TFSI V6 in the S4. This will be a cut in power, but like we said about the S4, it's not giving up much and will lighten up that porky bottom line. What's perhaps more interesting is the introduction of an Audi RS5. It will retain the same 4.2-liter V8 in the current S5, but gets a whopping increase in power up to 450 HP. With such power on tap it's a good thing there will be a new 7-speed to keep it in check.

Audi S5 Sportback

The previously unknown S5 Sportback will be on sale as of September 2010 and will get the 3.0 L twin-turbo TFSI mated to a 6-speed manual, or a 7 speed auto. We're beginning to see a theme here with S-line engines, aren't you? Hopefully this new engine won't have many teething problems.

Audi A7 Sportback
Being called the Audi A7 "Sportback" leads us to believe this as-yet unseen and unheard of version of the A7 will have a certain wagony-goodness to it, but who knows. Perhaps it'll be a big old five door, swiping the hardware from the Skoda Superb. Anyway, we digress. The A7 Sportback gets a 2.8L FSI, a 3.0 L TFSI, and a bevy of oil burners. And now what's this? An S7 Sportback? Why yes, yes it is. And this one gets a 4.0 L TFSI with 395 HP! While that's no RS6 Avant, it's nothing to sneeze at.

Audi R8 Spyder

When we got the first images of that Audi R8 V10, we couldn't even speculate on a release date for the thing. Now we know the plan is for the hardtop version of the upgraded V10-powered R8 to roll out in June of 2009, and those wacky Germans are going to hack the top off and give you the R8 Spyder in March, 2010. The lesser 4.2 L V8 will follow a little later for the Spyder, just in case you were interested.

Audi Q7
While there's no earth shattering engine news on the Audi Q7 front, these docs report a facelift for the bulky-UV coming in August of next year. So, you know, if the looks are what keep you from taking the plunge, maybe wait a year and see if you like the changes.

There's an exhaustive breakdown of models, engines, and dates over at Audiblog, the original leakers. Good stuff fellas, now all the surprises are gone, thanks a lot (no, really). [via WCF]

The Reason for High Oil Prices

It's not a supply crisis that explains the sharp spike in oil prices. It's unregulated commodities markets and greed

"One of the things I think is very important to realize is that the growth in the world oil consumption is not that strong." —David Kelly, chief market strategist, J.P. Morgan Funds; The Washington Post, May 4, 2008

"...There is substantial evidence that the large amount of speculation in the current market has significantly increased [oil] prices." —U.S. Senate Staff Report, The Role of Market Speculation in Rising Oil and Gas Prices, June 27, 2006

On May 13, the price of a barrel of oil briefly hit a record of $126.98 on the New York Mercantile Exchange The reason was ostensibly that Iran was cutting oil production. But there is no gas shortage. So why are prices still going up?

In late April the American Association of Petroleum Geologists held its annual invitation-only dinner in Dallas for, as my source put it, "the bigwigs" of the energy industry. During this meeting, influential and knowledgeable CEOs reached the consensus that "oil prices will likely soon drop dramatically and the long-term price increases will be in natural gas." Of course, despite the pedigrees of those in attendance, their forming a consensus on the direction of energy prices does not mean that it's written in stone or is even going to happen. The group is clearly bullish on natural gas. But petroleum keeps getting more expensive.

The energy executives' prediction about the future price for crude oil had sound backing. Just a few days earlier, Lehman Brothers (LEH) investment bank had said that this current oil pricing boom was quickly coming to an end. Michael Waldron, the bank's chief oil strategist, was quoted in Britain's Daily Telegraph on Apr. 24 as saying: "[Oil supply] is outpacing demand growth." Waldron added, "Inventories have been building since the beginning of the year. The Saudi Khursaniya field has just opened, with 500,000 barrels a day of production, and the new Khurais field will start next year with a further 1.2 million b/d [barrels a day]."

No Lines at the Pump

Waldron's assertion rang true. In the U.S. alone, stockpiles of oil climbed by 11.9 million barrels in the month preceding the Energy Information Agency's (EIA) May 7 inventory report; they were up by nearly 33 million barrels since Jan. 1. At the same time, MasterCard's (MA) May 7 gasoline report showed that gas demand has fallen by 5.8%, while the government suggested that gasoline consumption might have fallen by slightly over 6%.

We do know that refineries in the U.S. again cut back their utilization to 85%. That's down from 89% a year ago, in a season when production is normally 95%, only because they're trying to draw down gasoline inventories to bid gasoline prices up. Yet despite the reduced refinery runs, the EIA said, the U.S. managed to put another 800,000 barrels of gasoline in stock. The American Petroleum Institute put the gas gain at 1.4 million barrels. The point is that neither organization is in disagreement that gasoline was added into our active stocks; it's just a question of exactly how much.

Only the day before, the EIA had released its monthly Short Term Energy Outlook report, concluding that U.S. oil demand is expected to decline by 190,000 b/d in 2008. Chinese consumption is expected to rise this year by only 400,000 b/d—hardly the "surging oil demand" usually blamed on China in the media. Last year China imported 3.2 million barrels per day, and its estimated usage was around 7 million b/d total. The U.S., by contrast, consumes around 20.7 million b/d.

The May 8 report from Oil Movements, a British company that tracks oil shipments worldwide, shows that oil in transit on the high seas is quite strong; almost every category of shipment is running higher than it was a year ago. The one exception was oil shipments to the West during the previous 30 days. Even there, on page three of that report, comes the cryptic line, "In the West, a big share of any [oil] stock building done this year has happened offshore, out of sight." Oil Movements' Roy Mason qualified that line: "Oil in temporary floating storage offshore is hard to pin down, and we don't have useful info on that. Whenever this happens it generates market noise—and we don't hear any!"

Still, the consensus of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the energy executives may be right: No supply crisis justifies the way the world's oil is being priced today.
The Truth and Nothing but the (Partial) Truth

So how to explain the May 6 report from Reuters (TRI) that Goldman Sachs (GS) announced that oil could in fact be on the verge of another "super spike," possibly taking oil as high as $200 a barrel within the next six to 24 months? Forget the fact that few other oil analysts agreed with that position, "$200 a barrel!" was the major news story on oil for the next two days. Arjun Murti, Goldman Sachs' energy strategist, predictably laid the blame on "blistering" demand from China and the Middle East, combined with his belief that the Middle East is nearing its maximum ability to produce more oil. While the outside chance exists that Murti is right, his prediction certainly isn't backed up by the EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook, or by Lehman Brothers' report from 10 days earlier. As for the Middle East being tapped out on oil production, there might be one more thing to consider.

On May 2, the Friday before this prediction made news, Bloomberg had reported that Iran is again storing its heavy crude on tankers in the Persian Gulf because the country has run out of onshore storage tanks while awaiting buyers. Further, Saudi Arabia has extended discounts on its sour crudes to $7.45 for Arabian Heavy. Doesn't sound like there's any real supply problem with that grade of crude, does it?

It is an understatement to say that over the last five years the media have rained reports predicting an impending energy Armageddon. But those reports have tended not to disclose their sources—which often were individuals heavily invested in the oil futures market.

For example, Goldman Sachs was one of the founding partners of online commodities and futures marketplace Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). And ICE has been a primary focus of recent congressional investigations; it was named both in the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations' June 27, 2006, Staff Report and in the House Committee on Energy & Commerce's hearing last December. Those investigations looked into the unregulated trading in energy futures, and both concluded that energy prices' climb to stratospheric heights has been driven by the billions of dollars' worth of oil and natural gas futures contracts being placed on the ICE—which is not regulated by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.
Deceptive Practices

In case you've forgotten, it was only 2001 when BusinessWeekreported that some Wall Street firms were hard-selling to the public stocks that their companies were quietly divesting—and/or pushing questionable stocks for companies in which their affiliated banks had a financial interest. In a nutshell, some individuals with a specific vested interest in a certain financial outcome used the media to enrich themselves and their companies, leaving the public investor holding the bag.

Once that deception was uncovered (after the stock market collapsed), and after the congressional hearings in 2001 proved beyond any doubt that these things had happened, the national media swore that they would never again be taken in by this type of corporate deceit. Then came 2004 and oil.

As the second quote at the beginning of this column makes clear, the Senate pointed out in its 2006 report that oil reserves (not including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) were at a 20-year high during the time that report was written; therefore, there was no shortage of oil whatsoever. This seemed to confirm a Jan. 10, 2007, article in Reuters that quoted Tony Nunan, a risk manager at Mitsubishi: "We've got a short-term [oil] oversupply problem." Yes, an oil oversupply problem in fall of 2006.

Then, as now, that certainly isn't what we were being told. Instead we were being bombarded daily in the media and analysts' reports with justifications for the high price of oil: The "terrorism premium" on each barrel of oil, the rising demand of China and India, troubles in the Nigerian oil patch, oil pipelines' being blown up in Iraq, wider war in the Middle East, T. Boone Pickens' warnings that the world was on the cusp of Peak Oil, "surging demand" for gasoline in the U.S., the weak dollar—and so on. (Peak oil is described as the world crossing the halfway mark for extracting its oil reserves. It is not maximum production.) However, the Senate took a dim view of those excuses, particularly the ones about Peak Oil or diminished capacity for oil production: "There's a few hedge fund managers out there who are masters at knowing how to exploit the peak [oil] theories and hot buttons of supply and demand, and by making bold predictions of shocking price advancements to come, they only add more fuel to the bullish fire in a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy." (The Role of Market Speculation in Rising Oil and Gas Prices, U.S. Senate, June 27, 2006).

Yes, this line suggests that persons invested in the oil futures market are purposely driving even more money into oil to raise the prices even higher, even though the market's actual supply and demand in no way justifies their claims. On a side note, Enron is named frequently in both investigations as exemplifying this type of energy market manipulation.

And, although both the Senate and the House have already investigated why oil is selling for more than supply and demand dictate, on May 12 we found out that the House Energy & Commerce Committee will look at this issue once again this month and into June.

Let's give Congress a little direction.
Covering Their Losses?

Commodities have often been the refuge for investors who have lost money on equities or fixed-income investments. Moreover, the commodities rush today is not limited to oil; now we also have runaway food and feed prices. Could it be that all the financial losses on subprime mortgages, plus the anticipation that the option ARM mortgages about to reset could be an even bigger problem, combined with the huge losses in securities last year, are why investment money today is flooding into often unregulated commodities, where the demand pricing of the final goods is inelastic?

Consider this: You may not buy gasoline or even eat today, but by next Monday you'll probably have to do both, no matter what it costs. Basically, besides enabling the Fed to bail out Wall Street and our banks again, every time you gas up or eat you may be paying investors to cover other financial losses. We know that investors can't control their losses on mortgages, securities, or bad loans. But, demonstrably, if not restrained they can drive up the price of goods that we can't get out of buying. Odds are, that's what's really been going on.

Ed Wallace holds a Gerald R. Loeb Award for business journalism, bestowed by the Anderson School of Business at UCLA. His column heads the Sunday Drive section of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and he is a member of the American Historical Society. The automotive expert for KDFW Fox 4 in Dallas, Wallace hosts the top-rated talk show Wheels, Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 570 KLIF AM in Dallas.

Via: BuisinessWeek

Disgruntled 70-Year-Old Rams Cop Car By Mistake After Being Ticketed

And just as this old fella thought that things couldn’t get any worse after receiving a ticket by a Buffalo Grove officer for driving 58 mph in a 35 mph zone, in his haste to drive away, 70-year-old Henry Raskin forgot that his Camry was in reverse and the result was, well you can all see how it (rear) ended…

Luckily, neither Raskin nor the police officer were injured despite the fact that the one of the Camry’s rear wheels penetrated the squad car’s windshield. Even though this incident seems to be the result of a foolish mistake, police are reviewing the squad car videotape to see what Raskin might also be charged with. -More pics after the jump

Via: Jalopnik , Pics: MotiveMag

Superexclusieve Falen supercar met 800 pk sterke V10

We hadden vandaag al een nieuwe supercar die het daglicht nog niet heeft gezien en hier hebben we er nog één voor je. Maak kennis met de Falen supercar, ontworpen door designstudio Dowdeswell and Hardie uit het Britse Gleneagles.

Nu zou je meteen kunnen denken dat deze mix van een Koenigsegg en een Lamborghini weer één van de vele schetsen is, die er waarschijnlijk nooit echt zal komen. Niets is minder waar, want het project is serieus opgezet en motorenbouwer Judd reeds betrokken is bij de ontwikkeling. Men is dus al een paar stappen verder dan het pennen van een paar vloeiende lijnen. Begin volgend jaar zal er volgens planning in Genève een rijdend prototype staan.

Het wordt een superexclusieve bolide, aangezien er slechts vier zullen worden gebouwd. Allen uitgerust met een 5,5 liter V10 middenmotor, goed voor 800 pk en gekoppeld aan een versnellingsbak met 5 versnellingen. Het betreft hier de Judd GV5 S2 motor welke erg populair onder de Le Mans prototypen. De motor weegt slechts 130 kilo en wordt momenteel bijgeschaafd, zodat deze ook geschikt is voor gebruik op de openbare weg. Met een lengte van 4,2 meter is ‘ie korter dan een Porsche 911 en men mikt op een gewicht van maximaal 1.000 kilo. Daar komt dus weer het gebruik van een flinke portie carbon om de hoek kijken.

Tot slot moet het een echt Brits product worden. Men zal proberen om zoveel mogelijk gebruik te maken van onderdelen van Britse leveranciers. 1 juli gaat de website dowdeswellhardie.com online en daarop kan de ontwikkeling worden gevolgd. (via: evo)

Hot Scirocco is go, go, go

Racing really does improve the breed! VW unveils stripped-out comptition version of new Scirocco.


Is this the car that will confirm Volkswagen’s place in the supercar elite? Meet the Scirocco GT 24 Concept.

Taking its inspiration from a trio of special motorsport Sciroccos, the GT 24 is the ultimate roadgoing version of the company’s soon-to-be-released coupé. And it points towards a hot Scirocco R, which is expected to break cover in 2009.

The car was unveiled at the annual Worthersee Tour tuning show in Austria, alongside the new Club-sport editions of the Audi TT and A3 (Top Story, Issue 1,013). Power comes from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TSI petrol engine, which produces an impressive 296bhp at 6,500rpm. A six-speed twin-clutch DSG transmission sends drive to the front wheels.

But it’s not only under the bonnet where VW’s engineers have been busy. The body has been made 61mm wider than the standard Scirocco’s to stretch over the GT 24’s ext-ended track. Lower and stiffer racing dampers drop the ride height by 75mm, providing the car with an aggressive, nose-down stance.

Stopping power comes courtesy of massive six-piston brakes – 362mm in diameter at the front and 255mm at the rear – housed inside the lightweight 18-inch alloys. What’s more, the standard Scirocco’s interior has been replaced entirely.

Gone is the Golf-inspired dash, and in comes carbon panelling, plus a special square racing wheel, a bank of toggle switches next to the gearlever and a digital instrument binnacle.

Two Recaro bucket seats hold driver and passenger firmly in position. All in all, the changes save 178kg of weight over the standard Scirocco, which means that the GT 24 tips the scales at a feather-light 1,120kg. Also on display at Worthersee was a GTI Concept developed by students at VW Coaching, the firm’s staff training arm.

It has an extra-wide bodykit, Lamborghini-style gull-wing doors, and it promises amazing pace, too. The 2.0T FSI engine offers a huge 349bhp – that’s 154bhp more than a standard GTI. It also gets 4MOTION all-wheel drive and 20-inch alloys.

Small car and crossover sales up 50% on 2007 levels

Although fuel prices in the U.S. are low by global standards, recent price rises have brought the cost per gallon up by nearly 25%, precipitating strong change in the vehicle preferences of many Americans. In a pattern that intensified sharply in the past two months, buyers have been moving away from SUVs, pick-up trucks and large luxury vehicles and toward smaller, less-expensive - and most importantly, fuel-efficient - vehicles of all types.

Data collected by Edmunds shows that the change toward economical transport had been gradual and consistent until March, when a spike in fuel prices drove a big shift toward more small-car purchases. Crossover SUV sales climbed to 6.3% market share, a nearly 50% rise over 2007 levels. Compact car sales have also risen, up 36% to hold 20% of the market, an increase of nearly 10% over 2007. Large car sales held steady, showing a small rise in market share over 2007.

Compact pick-up trucks, minivans and large SUVs are the big losers, with the compact pick-up segment leading the way with a 37% drop in sales to just 3.1% market share compared to 2003 levels of 4.9%. Minivans fell 25% from 2003 levels to 4.9% market share, down from 5.1% since last year. And large SUV sales fell 20% through the first five months of 2008 to 4.1% market share from the 4.6% share the segment held in 2007.

With fuel prices continuing to rise in many parts of the country, and remaining steady in others, the trend doesn’t show any signs of slowing, either. However, carmakers are fully aware of the trend are preparing for the launch of a new generation of high-quality compact vehicles. Ford has already revealed its new Fiesta range, destined for a U.S. launch in 2010, and GM is still working on its next-generation Opel (Saturn) Astra. Even Chrysler is in the picture with plans to add a rebadged versions of Nissan’s Versa compact to its line-up.

All-new Subaru rally car hatches out

The wraps have finally come off the all-new Subaru Impreza WRC2008. Bosses opted to unveil the car ahead of schedule, and bring its competition debut forward to Greece’s Acro­polis rally at the end of May, in a surprise move to get the team’s disastrous season back on track.

As you can see, the five-door bodyshell of the latest showroom model has been adopted. But the car also benefits from a new colour scheme. While the distinctive metallic blue paintjob remains, it’s now joined by an eye-catching silver and white graphic at the rear.

It’s the technical changes which factory drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson hope will have the biggest impact, though. Better aero­dynamics and mechanical packaging should make the WRC 2008 more nimble on the stages.

Under the bonnet, the proven turbo boxer engine and symmetrical four-wheel-drive transmission are carried over from the previous generation, and should ensure the car is reliable as well as fast.

Team chief David Richards is pos­itive about the Impreza’s chances. He said: “We are very excited to be able to launch the new car ahead of schedule. And I’m confident we will be competitive in Greece.”