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2010 Paris Lotus Concept

Lotus is, and has been, one of our favorite manufacturers for a long time. Keeping focused on lightweight and driver feel, the company has been successful in building a few dedicated cars. This year, Lotus had announced that they would be producing more cars and planning to cut into more market share. Some like it and some don’t. Some think that Lotus should stay a small company making cars that weigh in less than 2000 lbs. Others, like us, don’t care as long as they make them look great and perform better than anything out there!

So what did Lotus show us in Paris? Not just one or two new cars, but a total of five! Five new cars from Lotus in one year is an amazing feat. The design and direction used in all these cars doesn’t ring back to traditional Lotus, but they look fantastic! They are all using modern and updated powertrains from Toyota and the best the auto world has to offer in 2011.

Check out each model below:

2010 Paris Lotus Esprit Concept

2010 Paris Lotus Elite Concept

2010 Paris Lotus Elan Concept

2010 Paris Lotus Eterne Concept

2010 Paris Lotus Elise Concept

Renault Dezir Concept

As an auto enthusiast, we are always eager to see the great looking cars coming out of Europe. Most of these concept cars will never make it to production and out of the ones that do, we might not ever see them in the states. It’s always great too look at the design direction coming out of Europe, though, and concepts from Renault are ones we love to see.

The Dezir is the French company’s all electric concept that is as sharp as it is sexy. The doors on a concept car can never open like normal doors and that’s no different with the Dezir. The reverse-hinged, butterfly doors on this concept are wild and wacky and don’t really look to serve any purpose. The low, wide body makes this car look like a sports car dream. So what powers it? Well, Renault says that the EV powertrain in this car is completely developed and makes the a whopping 150 hp and 166 lbs-ft of torque. So a sports car, it’s not.

Hyundai i20 Sport Edition by Brabus

Brabus is a tuning company most know for turning Mercedes Benz luxury cars into crazy rocket ships. They have also tuned cars for other companies like Smart. This week, Hyundai showed off a Brabus tuned i20 Sport Edition. A new front skirt, wheels, and breaks are the only thing we can tell that has been touched, but knowing Brabus, it’s not the only thing changed on this i20. No official details have been released on the full tuning of the car yet. On the inside, you get the orange treatment with Recaro seats, new leather surfaces, and a seven-inch touch screen.

This is just another Hot Hatch to throw into the mix, and I like it!

Hennessey V700 Coupe

If you think the CTS-V is an amazing car, as most of us at txGarage do, then Cadillac knows you’ll love their new CTS-V Coupe. The boys at Hennessey didn’t waist any time scooping one up to equip it with one of their V packages. Now we are talking about a 700hp Cadillac coupe! 

Check out the video below and see the first dino run on the V700 Coupe!

[source:Hennessey]

Power:
• 707 hp @ 6,300 rpm
• 701 lb-ft torque @ 3,400 rpm

Performance:
• 0-60 mph: 3.3 sec.*
• 1/4 Mile: 11.1 @ 128 mph*
• Top Speed: 211 mph (with 6-speed transmission)
* With optional 20 inch HRE wheel upgrade & 305/45-20 Nitto drag radial tires.

The V700 Package Includes:
• HPE Cold Air Induction System
• Supercharger Pulley & Snout Upgrade
• HPE Engine Management Upgrade
• Long Tube 1 7/8 inch Stainless Steel Headers
• 3 inch Stainless Steel Mid Pipe Exhaust
• High Flow Catalytic Converters
• Intercooler Heat Exchanger System Upgrade
• V700 Camshaft Upgrade
• V700 High Flow Cylinder Heads
• 160 Degree Thermostat
• Hennessey Embroidered Head Rests
• Serial Numbered Dash Plaque
• Serial Numbered Plaque in Engine Compartment
• 1 Year / 12,000 Mile Warranty

Please Call Hennessey Performance at (979) 885-1300 for More Information.
Also Available as a Mail Order Kit.

Available for CTS-V Sedan, Coupe and upcoming Sport Wagon models.

Panoz Rendering

Panoz is by far one of my favorite car manufacturers, namely because of their contribution to motorsports – more over putting an American company into the list of great cars – but also because of their mission statement as a company. The whole point of Panoz is to build great, race ready, luxurious cars right here in America. It has been a while, though, since Panoz has come out with a new car. The Esperante, their only production car at the moment has gone essentially unchanged since it’s conception back in 2000.
A decade later, Panoz finally has come out with an updated design! Or at least a rendering of one. The new “Abruzzi” as Don Panoz calls it, will debute to the public at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June. No details are known for now but except a front engine, rear wheel drive, and a Ford sourced engine. Despite the rumors of Panoz moving to Chevy LS motors, we believe that they will stick with Ford into the future.
As we here more, we’ll let you know!

Hennessey VelociRaptor 500

The Boys at Hennessey must be getting bored with 1,000 horsepower monster cars because today they announced their new monster truck, the VelociRaptor 500. That’s right, Hennessey Performance has taken a Ford F150 Raptor and bolted a Whipple supercharger on the already stout 5.4 liter V8. This fearse Raptor now produces 501 HP and 520 lbs-ft of torque at 9.1 pounds of boost. They also added a K&N intake, stainless steel exhaust and headers, tuned the ECU, and upgraded fuel injectors. Now look for the VelociRaptor to hit 60 in a staggering 5.6 seconds.

The Hennessey kit will cost around 14k installed with a one year warranty. They plan on producing just at 100 VelociRaptors a year.

VelociRaptor 500
500+ HP Supercharged Upgrade from Hennessey Performance
Power:

• 501 bhp @ 5,100 rpm
• 520 lb-ft torque @ 3,200 rpm

Performance:

• 0 – 60 mph: 5.6 sec.
• 1/4 mile: 14.1 @ 97 mph

The VelociRaptor 500 Upgrade Includes:

• Supercharger System (9 psi)
• K&N Air Filter
• Custom Fuel Rails
• Upgraded Fuel Injectors
• Stainless Steel Headers
• Stainless Steel Exhaust System
• Custom Engine Management Software Calibration
• All Necessary Gaskets & Fluids
• Exterior Hennessey Emblem on Tailgate
• VelociRaptor 500 Badging
• Serial-Numbered Dash & Engine Plaques
• Professional Installation
• 1 Year / 12,000 Mile Warranty

2010 Ford F-150 Truck of Texas

The Texas Auto Writers Association gathered together last weekend for their annual truck event known as the Texas Truck Rodeo. This year it was held in San Antonio where the trucks and SUV’s would be put through the test at the Knibbe Ranch.
Every year, the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) names the Truck of Texas after this event and for the past six years that truck has been the Ford F-150. This year was no different with the new Ford F-150 taking the big prize yet again. For 2010, the F-150 didn’t just get a new look, it got an all around new package. The interior is a nice place to be whether you are roaring down a highway or driving through an open field. The powertrain has been tweaked giving the new F-150 a boost in fuel economy by as much as 12% over the prior year model. The title for Truck of the Year seems to be well deserved for Ford’s hard work on the F-150 year after year.

Ford also earned the number one spot for Luxury Truck of the year with the 2010 Ford F-150 King Ranch. With its upscale and quiet cabin with plush leather seats, it isn’t hard to see why. This truck combines everything you would want in an upscale luxury car – including heated and cooled seats, navigation, cruise control, leather wrapped everything, and wood grain trim – with everything you would want out of a truck – including 310 horsepower, 4×4 capabilities, 8,200 pounds of towing capacity, and easy maneuverability. So if you are looking for a great truck around the 46k plus range, the King Ranch is for you.

Ford also took home awards for the 2010 Ford Flex EcoBoost (Full-Size Crossover Utility Vehicle of the Year), the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Supercab (Full-Size Pickup Truck of the Year), the 2010 Ford Expedition King Ranch (Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle), and the 2010 Lincoln MKX (Mid-Size Crossover Utility). They also claimed the Truck Line of Texas award and claimed the award for Outstanding Feature with its Ford Work Solutions.

So was there anything left to give out after Ford grabbed up its eight awards? Well yes, GM racked up two awards with one vehicle. The 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8 Liter Turbo beat out the competition for Luxury Crossover Utility Vehicle of the year and took an overall victory with Crossover Utility Vehicle of the year. The 2010 SRX 2.8L Turbo is a great 2.8L V6 turbocharged to 300 horsepower with a 6-speed transmission. The powertrain hooks up to an All-Wheel Drive system and 4-channel electronic stability control system with rollover mitigation. It also has luxuries like front and rear ultrasonic parking assist, power liftgate with memory height, adaptive remote start, 10 speaker Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound system, navigation, rearview camera, and a laundry list of more. This CUV with its Cadillac sleek looks and premium luxury most definitely deserved these awards.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC also brought home two awards winning the Sports Utility Vehicle of Texas and Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle of the Year. This premium 7 passenger SUV is all Mercedes, the pinnacle of luxury. Coming in at a price just under $60,000 the only complaint I’ve heard about this luxury SUV is that its Navigation system and radio don’t split screen. The BlueTEC has a 3.0 liter V6 producing 210 horsepower with a 7-speed automatic transmission affording you 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.

Lexus won out for the Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle with its 2010 Lexus R450h. The “h” of course is for the hybrid drivetrain that now produces 295 hp (27% better than last year). Everything has been re-looked at on the RX, including the sheetmetal used. The sheetmetal used on the 2010 RX is slipperier than before with a 0.32 coefficient of drag. They also updated the interior including an “iDrive” like information center called “Remote Touch”. This is something Lexus has needed to really compete in the luxury market.

The 2010 Subaru Outback claimed the Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle title. The Outback has grown over the years but always remains true to its nature, a 4×4 off-road machine. Probably the first to be able to claim the rights of being a Crossover Utility Vehicle the Outback has always been a great ride. The 2010 is larger, more fuel efficient, and higher up than its predecessors. You have the choice between a 2.5 liter 4 cylinder boxer engine with a 6 speed manual transmission pushing 170 hp or a 3.6 liter 6 cylinder boxer engine with a 5 speed automatic transmission pushing 256 hp. Both come with Subaru’s great all-wheel drive system as standard.

Now we have Chrysler getting into the mix with an award for the 2010 Jeep Patriot Limited 4×4. The Jeep won in the Compact Sport Utility Vehicle class. Although no one knows the future of the Jeep brand or what the Patriot might look like with some Fiat infusion, we can say that the 2010 is worth a look. The 2.4 liter inline 4 makes 172 hp and gets 23mpg city and 28 mpg highway; not bad at all. We also get to see the two trucks picking up awards for Chrysler. The 2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab TRX4 took home the Mid-Size Pickup Truck award and the 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 took the Heavy Duty Pickup Truck award.

Last but not least, the 2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition picked up an award for Mid-Size Sports Utility Vehicle of the Year. We first saw the 2010 4Runner at the debut at the State Fair of Texas media day. I knew from that day this was going to be a great new SUV, especially for the younger audience. Features like “party mode” allowing the 4Runner’s sound system to be concentrated toward the rear of the vehicle for tailgating parties is just one of the many details Toyota has looked at while making the new 4Runner. The reason the Trail Edition made it to the top of the list for Texas is for the cleaver off-roading capabilities of the 4Runner.

For more information on the Texas Truck Rodeo check out the TAWA site:

Toyota FT-86 Concept

Today, in anticipation of the Tokyo Auto Show next month, Toyota has released the first images of the new FT-86 concept. This would be the Toyota/Subaru machine meant to bring a rear wheel drive setup back to Toyota and using a boxer-four power plant from Subaru in both cars, at around $20K sticker price. This has been a hot issue for a long time and has been rumored to have been killed, then back on, then killed again, but with the new pictures being released from Toyota we have no doubt that we’ll be seeing this tie-up on the streets soon.
The styling of this concept is said to be inspired by the Corolla-based AE86 sports coupe of the 80’s but it really looks like a modern and sleek sports car, almost resembling the lines of the Lexus IS-F. It defiantly looks aggressive and fast, if they pull this off with a low starting price they will finally be giving Mazda and Hyundai a run for their money.