Forum find: 2010 Audi A8?

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Euro, Audi

Click above for a gallery of possible 2010 Audi A8 images

The Audi A8 is understated and elegant…but its design is a little long in the tooth. It stays as is for model year 2009, but a significant revision is due for 2010, and we should expect to see that car unveiled sometime during the upcoming show season. Thanks the Gulf4Cars forum, we might have our first look at what to expect. Our Arabic’s a little rusty, so we don’t know where these scans (at least they appear to be scans) came from, but they look fairly solid, so let’s comment on what we can see.

[Source: Gulf4Cars]

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Possible sketch of Lamborghini’s Paris concept leaked

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedans/Saloons, Paris Motor Show, Supercars, Lamborghini

Lamborghini has now released three official teasers of the Urus, Estoque or whatever the Italian automaker is rumored to be calling its four-door concept for the Paris Motor Show these days. Now it seems that a sketch of the complete concept may have been posted in a thread on FerrariChat. While someone could have easily faked these sketches, they do show elements of the concept that we’ve already seen in Lamborghini’s official teaser shots, particularly the taillights. The Paris Motor Show is this week, so we’ll find out soon enough what it looks like, as well as what it’s called.

[Source: GlobalMotors.net]

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Note to Subaru: whoops, your agency doesn’t know your product

Filed under: Time Warp, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Subaru

It’s a fact that the English language is currently being sliced to ribbons. Spelling and grammar have gone out the window, and elocution is such a lost art that we’re amazed when a speaker can manage a paragraph. It’s interesting to see where these shortcomings manifest themselves. One would assume that an advertising agency, being in the business of communicating, would double- and triple-check a message before sending it out for the world to see. Imagine our surprise, then, when across our digital desks slid a memo from Carmichael Lynch trumpeting the Minneapolis, MN agency’s relationship with Subaru of America.

It didn’t start well. The subject header of the email read: “Subaru 360 Goes Airbourn (sic) To Find Home on 10th Floor.” Interesting capitalization, and a very creative spelling of airborne. Bush league for an agency that handles Harley Davidson, Jack Link’s, Cargill, and Toys ‘R’ Us, to name a few. Intrigued by the mention of a 360, Subaru’s diminutive first stab at automobiles, we read on. Carmichael Lynch, upon landing the Subaru of America account in 2007, located a 360 and had it spiffed up for display in the company’s 10th floor lobby. While small, the only way to get the little Subie ten stories up was a crane, which hoisted the car through a window last Saturday. Delightful little story, and we were inclined to give the wacky subject line a pass until we read the last sentence, which started: “Today’s Subaru Forrester…” Whoa. If we were SoA, we’d be incensed. Spelling bee time: Forester. F-o-r-e-s-t-e-r, Forester. Forest is a chronically misspelled word, but it’s still intolerable when it’s the very firm being paid to represent the actual product.

Well, now we feel better. Check out the pictures of the 360’s crane ride in the gallery, and hit the jump to see the original text of the email from Carmichael Lynch.

[Source: Carmichael Lynch]

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2009 MINI Cooper Convertible photos hit the web

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles, Economy, MINI

Click above for a gallery of the 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible

MotoringFile, ground zero on the web for all things MINI, has the scoop on the long-awaited 2009 MINI Cooper Convertible. Someone slipped MF seven official shots of the Detroit-bound R57 Cooper ragtop along with some additional inside information. Obviously, it’s based on the current chassis and powertrains, so you know what you’re going to get there. Additionally, the JCW package is supposedly going to be available at launch as well.

One of the most obvious visual changes in the new convertible is the use of pop-up roll hoops instead of the fixed units featured on the old car. This, in addition to looking cleaner, should improve rearward visibility with the top down. Speaking of the top being down, the new car includes a cutesy little gimmick called the ‘Always Open” gauge. Located next to the tach housing, it tells the driver the percentage of miles driven with the top open. Look also for new paint and top colors outside, plus a new black chrome interior trim package inside. MotoringFile says we’ll see the car in showrooms come Spring 2009. Look for more info on the new MINI convertible as we get closer to the Detroit Auto Show. In the meantime, hit up MotoringFile for their full preview report. Thanks to Gabriel for the heads-up.

[Source: MotoringFile]

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First Ride: 2009 Saleen Dark Horse Mustang

Filed under: Sports/GTs, Saleen

Click above for high-res gallery of the Saleen Dark Horse

“A dark horse, which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James had never even observed on the list, rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph.” Beautiful words from the quotable Benjamin Disraeli, and inspiration for the name of the latest Mustang to come from Saleen’s stable. Due to the car’s name it may sound like our title is a clever play on words, but the truth is our seat time was limited to the passenger seat. We can’t blame Saleen for being careful with the car – the 2009 Dark Horse Mustang you see here is the first one off the assembly line and is the only one built so far. To their credit, Saleen did take us out to Willow Springs Raceway outside of Los Angeles for some flying laps, so we were able to experience the full capabilities of the car’s performance. Follow the jump to hear about our day at the track with perhaps the most fearsome production Mustang ever built.

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

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