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The clean exterior of this 1970 Chevelle hides a wicked little secret. If you take a look at the photo above, you'll see what we mean. The bundle of plumbing you see spilling out of the engine bay tells only part of the story. That's no overworked Chevy small block in there, it's a Duramax diesel that has been pushed to new heights via an outrageous custom twin-turbo setup. The stripped-out interior and racing slicks out back show the true purpose of this ride. It was built by Mike Racke and made Popular Hot Rodding's Top Ten Builds this year. We couldn't agree more.



Photos copyright ©2009 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

It looks like the open source model can work for building new cars after all. We finally managed to track down the Local Motors Rally Fighter here at SEMA, and it is even more awesome in person than in pics. The interior on this pre-production car obviously still needs some work, but the rest is really impressive. Looking like some crazy mashup of a fighter plane and a SCORE rally truck, we hope this is the vehicle Mel Gibson picks to replace the last of the V8 Interceptors in Mad Max 4.

We spent some time around the vehicle, soaking in all of the details, listening to the reactions of passers-by, and talking to the folks from Local. The passion of the principles is obvious and it's clear that the vehicle has been well thought-out. While much of the Rally Fighter is unique, they weren't bashful about borrowing off-the-rack parts where they knew good ones already existed – Ford F-150 uprights that have been proven at Baja, a Mercedes bumper support system, Fox off-road shocks, a healthy but frugal BMW diesel from the 335d, and the list goes on and on.

Local Motors CEO, Jay Rogers, also pointed out some of the fighter plane styling cues that made it into the final Sangho Kim design. We especially like the cockpit-like greenhouse and the P-51 Mustang-inspired underbody flaring. Jay says the company has already taken 34 orders and that customers will be able to help build their cars by June of next year.

That's right, you get to spend some time with the Local Motors gang, either at their current home in Massachusetts, or at a future facility in Phoenix. They'll spend two weeks with you teaching you how to build your own Rally Fighter, never assuming too much of the owners. We like to think of it as a type of Habitat for Humanity for car people where you put some sweat equity into your new property. We look forward to getting behind the wheel of this beast soon, heck, we'd love to build one ourselves, but until then you can read the press release and view the gallery below.



Photos copyright ©2009 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

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Alongside its production i-MiEV people-mover, Mitsubishi will be showing another baker's dozen of new vehicles in its display at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show next month. On display will be several production cars as well as two brand new concepts based on the i-MiEV powertrain, including the i-MiEV Cargo seen here.

Looking something like a larger, more modern Nissan S-Cargo, it's a smaller option for folks who might not need something as big as a Ford Transit Connect. Whether for small business duty or family recreation, the Cargo adds a big box of usefulness to the basic MiEV platform. And yet it's very funky, like a Citröen C15 for Mars. It's cute and functional and we can't see any good reason why Mitsu shouldn't build it. There's a rather short presser after the jump and a gallery of high-res pics for you to peruse below as well.



[Source: Mitsubishi]

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Mazda just dumped a bunch of info about their next generation clean engines that will be officially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October, and we have two words for you: direct and diesel. Along with its next-gen 'Mazda SKY Drive' high-efficiency automatic transmissions, visitors to the at 41st Tokyo Motor Show will get to see the 'Mazda SKY-G' direct injection gas engine and the 'Mazda SKY-D' clean diesel engine. The house of Zoom-Zoom is hoping to use these advanced technologies to boost their corporate average fuel economy by a whopping 30 percent between 2008 and 2015.

In typical Mazda fashion, they want everyone to know that they haven't given up on driving excitement in their move to more eco-friendly fare. Mazda is out to prove that 'fun' and 'green' don't have to be mutually exclusive terms. The Mazda SKY display area will be broken into "Technologies for Today, Tomorrow and The Future." The Today area will show off things like i-stop, the idle start-stop feature that debuted on the 2010 Mazda3. The Future area will host the rotary-powered Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid among other things. But the one we're really waiting to see is the Mazda Kiyora concept.

The Kiyora is a lightweight concept powered by a new 1.3L d.i. engine. It will travel 32 kilometers per liter of fuel (under Japan's 10-15 mode test cycle, about 75 mpg U.S.), and promises lots of smiles per gallon as well. Besides that new SKY engine, the Kiyora will also feature the new Mazda SKY-Drive six-speed automatic transmission, i-stop, regenerative braking, and super-slick aerodynamics. It also weighs at least 100 kg less than any other car in the current lineup. Follow the jump for more details and check out the gallery as well.


[Source: Mazda]

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Besides the potential feeling of environmental superiority, one of the great benefits to having a hybrid in California has been the availability of a magic little sticker set for a vehicle's rear bumper and fender. The "Access OK" tags have allowed its possessors to cruise in the carpool lanes even while driving solo. The special lanes – alternatively known as HOV lanes (High Occupancy Vehicle) or diamond lanes – have proven to be a great time saver on California's clogged freeway system, but not everyone can find a ride-share partner to grant them access. Thus, getting a hybrid with one of the highly prized yellow (or white) decals is like getting yourself a free passenger – without the annoying banter.

As a result of their rarity and ultility, used cars with those decals usually command a premium. Heck, we've even reported on sticker thefts. The problem is that the benefits of those stickers were originally set to run out by 2009. The government intervened and extended those limits through January 1, 2011, but some would like to see them extended further – like through 2016.

Naturally, as more people move towards more efficient vehicles, some think the program should be halted altogether, while others (especially those with stickers themselves) continue to think that hybrids and other "clean" vehicles deserve the added benefit of solo access.You can be sure that this debate will continue right up until the deadline – unless California's legislature steps in to extend the program before then.

[Sources: The Los Angeles Times; California DMV | Image: David McNew/Getty]

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Is GM really considering a hybrid Corvette? Tom Stephens says it's a possibility. Who is Tom Stephens? He's GM's vice chairman of global product development, so he should know. To be fair, he says that a hybrid would only be considered if the Corvette's very livelihood depended on it. Now that CAFE standards are ratcheting up to a corporate average 35.5 mpg by 2016 though, it might be the 'Vette's only hope.

With Porsche, Audi, Mercedes and others showing electrics and other alternatively-powered sports cars, and some companies doing nothing but plug-in hybrids or electrics (like Fisker and Tesla), it's not that hard to imagine an electrically-boosted fiberglass flyer. The question is whether or not Corvette buyers would even consider a hybrid. We think the idea will grow on them.

For now, GM thinks they have a good enough plan to keep the Corvette electron-free. Until a hybrid is the only option, expect future 'Vettes to be made lighter, and equipped with low rolling resistance tires, direct injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactivation to make them more fuel frugal. Even electric power steering can boost mileage by half a gallon. So, although a hybrid Corvette hasn't been ruled out, Stephens does say that we shouldn't expect a six-cylinder engine in that engine bay anytime soon.

[Source: Auomotive News - sub. req'd]

Fiat is confirming that the U.S. will be getting four versions of the Fiat 500 by 2011. The tiny 500 is the only Fiat model that has been officially greenlighted for American consumption under the Fiat banner. Other models will likely show up as Chryslers or Alfa Romeos. The 500 will make up for that by coming in four different flavors when it reaches these shores: hatchback, convertible, station wagon and sporty hatchback. There's also an outside chance that a micro-CUV, Outback-like version of the wagon will be coming along as well, according to an Automotive News piece.

While the news makes no mention of the new Fiat 500 hybrid that debuted last year in Goodwood, it's possible that this version could be part of the offerings, too. What we do know is that the "sporty hatchback" mentioned will be the Abarth, Europe's 2008 Car of the Year. Chrysler/Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne calls it "our iPod." Wonder if it's too late for some co-branding. The 500 family should be in U.S. dealerships by the first half of 2011. The American-market cars will likely be produced at a Chrysler plant in the United States or in Toluca, Mexico. No official word on pricing yet. We can hardly wait.




[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd.]

Even supercar and luxury GT makers are finally starting to think green. Bentley is trying out E85 and possibly working on a hybrid. Same goes for Ferrari. Lamborghini is even adopting solar power, at least for its factory. The latest premium brand to step to the plate is Aston Martin. Sure, the fine folk from Gaydon have already used E85 in some of their racecars, and Prince Charles is even driving a wine-powered Aston, but we just got news that the firm is taking a big step down in order to lower their carbon footprint.

Aston Martin has announced the world's first super luxury supermini. Having blown their development budget on the V12 Vantage RS, Rapide and One-77 hypercar, they turned to an unlikely partner for some help: Toyota. Aston Martin has taken the Toyota iQ 3+1 commuter and given it a tailored suit from Savile Row. The result is the new Aston Martin Cygnet you see above. In case you're wondering, "cygnet" is a baby swan.

Although technically just a concept, word has it that the vehicle will be put into limited production and sold exclusively to existing Aston Martin owners, at least initially. There's a full press release after the jump, but the Cygnet should sell for around £20,000 when it goes on sale late next year. The car will retain the iQ's unique 3+1 seating but will be tailored to the individual customer's needs when it is assembled in Gaydon. We only have the one photo for now, but from what we can see it doesn't look half bad with that distinctive Aston Martin grille, hood cutouts, side vents, and of course, the winged badge. Follow the jump for the presser.

[Source: Toyota via Autocar]

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A little while ago we told you that Mazda had begun taking orders for its Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid. Well, today they delivered the first one to a Japanese energy company, Iwatani Corporation. As we told you before, the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid takes the basic powertrain from the Mazda RX-8 Hydrogen RE and adds an electric motor in series, adding a healthy dose of zoom-zoom while extending the range.

Hydrogen fuel range is twice that of the RX-8 at 200 kilometers. Not only that, but the rotary mill can switch to running on gasoline if hydrogen isn't handy. The powerplant and its lithium-ion batteries are then mounted in the oh-so-versatile Premacy microvan, which is better known as the Mazda5 on these shores.

Iwatani Corporation has had an RX-8 Hydrogen RE in their fleet since March 2006 and this Premacy will join it at the company's offices in Western Japan for a while, before heading to the Kansai International Airport in Osaka. There it will be used at the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project's (JHFC) Kansai Airport Hydrogen Station. The full press release is after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]

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