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If you’re feeling the pain at the pump but just can’t see yourself in a four-wheeled eco machine, there are plenty of efficient two-wheelers to help you choose the right bike to save a few bucks scooting around town. Just about every sport bike offers both spectacular performance and decent mileage. But the most effective way to be like a hypermiler on a motorcycle is to choose a bike with a small displacement engine and a light weight—characteristics crystallized in the pint-sized Kawasaki Ninja 250R we rode recently.

The Ninja 250R is playfully referred to as the Ninjette, and has been considered one of the better beginner bikes since its introduction over 20 years ago. This year’s redesign is radical, with new bodywork, more power, beefed up brakes, and—most tellingly—the inclusion of a gas gauge. The Ninja 250R is a great commuter bike for those willing to trade some horsepower for fuel efficiency. Best of all, the Ninja is priced at only $3499. —Basem Wasef

The Specs

One of the most important features to consider for new riders is seat height, and the 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R’s saddle sits only 30.5 in. from the ground. It has a rear cowl that can be replaced with a passenger seat for an extra $99. Hidden underneath its sporty bodywork—which is available in green, red or blue—is a carbureted, liquid-cooled, DOHC 249 cc parallel twin engine with exhaust routed through a 2-into-1 system.

The powerplant is now quieter and packs better low- and midrange power—oh, and a tastier exhaust note too. Retuned intake and exhaust ports smooth out the power delivery, and maximum torque is a modest 16.2 lb.-ft. at a stratospheric 9500 rpm. But with only 333 pounds to haul around (plus rider), that number becomes bigger than it sounds. The engine is mated to a traditional six-speed gearbox.

Slowing this tiny package is easy with a two-piston, 290 mm petal-disc setup mounted up front, and a 220 mm disc at the rear wheel. The 37 mm fork is nonadjustable, but the rear Uni-Track suspension has five-way preload adjustability. Larger 17 in. wheels not only accommodate the larger brakes, they also enable vast possibilities for tire fitment.

The Ride

Though it looks like a scaled-down superbike, the Ninja 250R is a rather diminutive and confidence-inspiring motorcycle to throw a leg over. The smallish seat positions the rider’s body at a forward tilted angle, and the adjustable preload settings on the rear suspension help keep heavier passengers from compressing the suspension too much.

Taller riders might find themselves folding their legs a bit because of the Ninja’s compact proportions, but the upside becomes apparent at speed. The parallel twin engine starts up with ease, but requires a slight tug of the choke lever (remember that?) on cold mornings, and a minute or so of idling to completely warm up. The clutch lever is light, and twisting the throttle yields modest but deliberate acceleration. You have to rev hard for maximum forward momentum and revs get somewhat buzzy at higher rpm. Since peak power is close to 10,000 rpm, it’s not uncommon to find yourself shifting at or near the bike’s 13,000 rpm redline.

Ridden with gusto, the Ninja squirts ahead with enthusiasm. Though it will never be confused with a larger displacement sportbike, careful gear selection will ensure that the stronger parts of the powerband are always within reach. The Ninja can accelerate fast enough to merge safely with traffic and ride on highways—if you ride it right. Our time spent on L.A. freeways routinely saw bursts of speed up to 90 mph—more than sufficient for keeping up with fast-paced traffic.

And speaking of traffic, the Ninja 250R is adept at dodging in and out of lanes easily, thanks to its small size and featherweight poundage. Winding up the small engine is fun, but jousting the Ninja through traffic or maneuvering it through canyon roads is a thrill. In fact, its power to weight ratio can be more fun to ride than bigger, heavier motorcycles. Our only beef with the Ninja’s performance was its balky shifter: occasionally we hit false neutrals, and a few times the gearbox was in neutral but the green “N” didn’t light up on the dash.

The Ninja’s official fuel economy rating of 61 mph is completely attainable (and some owners claim numbers as high as 80 mpg). But our aggressive riding produced fuel economy in the low 50s. In order to make decent acceleration, there’s a natural tendency to redline the engine, which makes the ride a lot more fun at the expense of fuel economy. Great cruising range comes courtesy of its 4.8 gal. fuel tank, another boon for commuters.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Here at the annual Concours d’Elegance car exhibit, Cadillac gives us a sneak peek at what lies beyond the full-size Escalade SUV. The Escalade has been a hit for Caddy, but with fuel efficiency on the minds of every buyer (even Cadillac buyers), the brand needs more wagons that can transport people and stuff—only with better gas mileage and a bit more poise when the road bends, too. So Cadillac has two truck alternatives on deck, ready for consumers looking to make that switch. —Ben Stewart

2010 SRX

The current SRX, which launched in 2004, did an admirable job of providing fuel-efficient and sporty transport. However, it hasn’t been the runaway hit Caddy was hoping for. It could have been the styling. To our eye, the SRX looked a bit like a Caddy wagon on stilts, instead of the cohesive crossover—a look pioneered by Lexus and adopted by Acura, BMW and even Lincoln.
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It’s tough playing second fiddle to a fire-breathing, rally-bred superstar like the Subaru WRX STi. The Impreza WRX has always been a trusty sedan with the utility to slog its way through brutal winters, but with 81 fewer horses than the STi—more than a Smart car’s worth of stallions—if you wanted brutal thrust, there was only one game in town.

Well, that’s changed a bit now.
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NEW YORK — Last year, there was only one flavor of Dodge Challenger available­—the raucous SRT8 version packing 425 hp from a 6.1-liter Hemi V8 and five-speed automatic transmission. It was quick, loaded with equipment and expensive—since Dodge built only 6400 cars. For the 2009 Dodge Challenger, we have three flavors and five powertrains to choose from, including the fuel-sipping SE model, the R/T with the “small” 5.7-liter Hemi engine, and, of course, the aforementioned SRT8, which returns with the option of a six-speed manual. Giddyap. —Jim McCraw

The Specs

The new entry-level SE Challenger, powered by the well-proven 3.5-liter V6 engine, churns out 250 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque, backed by a four-speed automatic. This combination is rated at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway even without a more desirable fifth or sixth gear to boost the highway mileage. And with a 0-to-60 time of only 7.8 seconds, this might be a very popular choice in these days of high-priced fuel. The SE is distinguished by its smooth body, no SE identifiers on the front or rear end, no rear spoiler, and simple five-spoke alloy wheels mounting P215/65R-17 tires. In other words, the look is clean. And SE prices start at a mere $21,995.
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Long-rumored but yet to show its face to the public is the upcoming convertible version of Audi’s game-changing super sports car, the R8. These beautiful and clear spy shots show us a lot about Audi’s next stunner, including its long, slinky, clean bodysides and the new front and rear grille treatments similar to, but more tastefully rendered, than those on the diesel-powered R8 V-12 Le Mans concept.

What we don’t see, however, is just as interesting. For starters, thanks to the prosthetic buttresses and rear window, we can’t tell for certain what the folding top actually looks like, but we’re relatively sure it’s made from canvas, not metal, since the dedicated sports-car chassis—at least insofar as it shares key engineering traits with the Lamborghini Gallardo coupe and its softtop Spyder variant—was not engineered to accommodate a folding hardtop.

Also missing are separate sail panels around the side air intake, or any sort of body panel that would easily lend itself to the contrasting paint schemes that are a signature element of the coupe’s design.

Finally, we still haven’t seen the soon-to-be-optional LED headlamps we’ve been promised since the coupe’s launch nearly two years ago.

We’re certain, however, that the R8 roadster will be as quick, and as sexy as the coupe. The softtop’s interior also is certain to lose some or all of its behind-the-seats cargo space, but with the top down, sight lines will improve dramatically.

We’ll reserve judgment until we see the production version roll out during the fall auto show season, likely in Paris this October, followed by a start of production by the end of 2009. But based on what we see here, we’re thinking we’ll remain coupe fans when all the dust settles. Then again, on a gorgeous day and with the mid-mounted V-8 at full wail, we’d probably find no reason to complain about the lack of a roof. Bring it on.

In just its third model year since debuting for 2005, the Buick LaCrosse is still a relatively new vehicle. While a freshening was expected—and confirmed earlier this year—for 2009, we weren’t under the impression that Buick’s mid-size sedan was being totally redesigned so soon. However, in light of these leaked photos of a pre-production 2010 LaCrosse, it appears GM has put the car on fast-forward.

While grainy, these photos do give us the very first look at the car without camouflage and in near-production guise. Having first seen this vehicle in concept form earlier this year at the Beijing Auto Show as the Invicta Concept—and again last month via another set of leaked GM photos labeled, simply, “Buick Sedan”—the feeling at the time was that it may have been an all-new model for Buick.

Looking very similar to the Invicta concept overall, the new LaCrosse doesn’t have a typical Buick feel to it. Sporting an aggressive roofline—similar in profile to various “four-door coupes” such as the Volkswagen Passat CC and the Mercedes-Benz CLS—and smooth front end, the styling closely mirrors that of Buick’s new Enclave sport-ute. While the translation to production from concept appears to have taken the typical toll—smaller wheels, higher stance, less flash—the rest of the car stays fairly true to its auto-show roots.

The theme continues in the cabin, which—borrowing small cues from the also recently redesigned Cadillac CTS—looks just like illustrations Buick showed us earlier this year. Featuring a slick center console, modern instrument cluster, and curvaceous dashboard, this car may be on track to appeal to a wider market than the previous-generation LaCrosse.

While the hood looks to be popped in the main exterior spy shot, unfortunately no photos were taken of the vehicle’s powerplant. With the Invicta concept sporting a 2.0-liter direct-injected and turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, we would expect base versions to come equipped similarly. Another powerful and fuel-efficient possibility is the corporate direct-injected V-6, which makes as much as 304 horsepower in the CTS. With gas prices on the rise, this seems like a more palatable performance option than a V-8–powered “Super” model.

We’ll be sure to get any official photos to you as soon as we have them; we expect an official debut sometime in the near future—possibly at November’s L.A. auto show or in Detroit in January—with sales beginning next spring.

Fiat’s UK unit has introduced a ‘crossover’ version of its Panda model line, claiming the Cross, priced at GBP11,995 (about $24,000) is the most inexpensive new diesel 4×4 available here.

The new version combines the acclaimed 1.3 16v MultiJet turbodiesel engine (also used in some GM Europe models) with the standard Panda 4×4’s permanent four-wheel drive system and a major restyle.

New round light units front and rear, larger side protection strips in contrasting colours, roof-bars, 15-inch alloy wheels and new bumpers all give a ‘mini-off-roader’ look and there is also new two-tone interior trim.

The four-wheel drive system has a viscous coupling and electronic differential lock.

Standard equipment includes ESP, air conditioning,  steering wheel audio controls and electric power steering. One new colour is available, Rain Dance Green, which joins the existing Goa Orange, Cumbia Beige and Crossover Black.

The little 1.3 Multijet diesel is known for its fuel economy - this version gets 54.3 miles per gallon on the EU combined test cycle. CO2 output is 136 g/km.

* London Motor Show preview for exciting new Ford Focus RS
* Genuine RS performance with 300PS
* Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential and innovative ‘RevoKnuckle’, for assured handling and traction
* Expressive design exudes high performance intent

The legendary Ford RS performance car brand is returning in the shape of the exciting new Ford Focus RS, which will be previewed on July 22 at the 2008 London International Motor Show.

The new Focus RS will go on sale in early 2009 and is being created by a small team of dedicated engineers, under the direction of Jost Capito, Ford of Europe’s Vehicle Line Director for Performance Vehicles.

For performance road car enthusiasts, the new model will mark a welcome return for the Ford RS badge. This will be the second Focus model to carry the RS mantle and promises another exciting chapter in an exciting 40-year story that began in Germany in the late 1960s and gained momentum across Europe with the launch of the 1970 Escort RS1600.

Capito said: “We want the new Focus RS to be a serious high performance car – as much a car for driving enthusiasts as the one before it and classic Ford RS models of the past. We’re staying true to the core RS principles of an exciting, yet affordable performance road car you can live with every day.”

Authentic RS presence and style

Before it even turns a wheel, the new Focus RS exudes the presence, sporty style and lowered, ‘meaner’ appearance expected of a genuine Ford RS. Overt performance styling details mix with subtle revisions to create a planted, powerful stance and the promise of an exciting drive.

The London show car previews the design intent for a final production vehicle, though as development work continues, some final details may change before volume production begins.

The vehicle is finished in a special bright green paint with inlaid metallic flake, a striking, modern interpretation of the 1970s Le Mans Green of the Escort RS1600 era.

The vibrant exterior colour is contrasted with a number of performance styling details highlighted in gloss ‘piano black’, including the strip at the leading edge of the bonnet, the deep housings for the integrated front fog lamps and door mirrors with integrated side indicators.

Front and rear quarter panels have been revised to incorporate wider wheel arches and a wider track, complemented by revised, deeper side rocker mouldings. In another visual reminder of the car’s performance potential, triangular, RS-badged vents sit behind the front wheel arches. Two classic-style bonnet louvres are both a styling hint at the power beneath and a practical requirement, maintaining correct system temperatures.

The completely new front bumper design for Focus RS incorporates a deep front airdam with a large, mesh lower grille in an extended trapezoid. Stylish and practical, this prominent feature represents the latest Ford ‘kinetic design’ face and also is finished in piano black. Above, chromed xenon headlamps stand out like cat’s eyes and are framed by matt-black housings with unique additional vents running underneath.

At the rear, a deep new rear bumper incorporates a large venturi tunnel to its lower edge with small vents at each corner of the bumper, emphasizing the car’s width. Two impressive chromed exhaust tailpipes sit each side of the black venturi, creating a purposeful rear view for the car.

Above, a unique, twin-element, black RS rear spoiler sits at the Focus RS’ roofline, echoing both RS models of the past and the World Rally-winning Focus WRC that has been its inspiration.

“We believe it’s vitally important that a Focus RS looks like both a Focus and an RS – it needs to be individual, distinctive and overt in its performance styling, but it also needs to show a clear progression from and relationship to Focus ST”, said Stefan Lamm, Chief Exterior Designer, Ford of Europe.

High performance interior

Inside, this theme continues with a unique and appropriately performance-oriented interior, dominated by bespoke, sculpted Recaro high-performance sports seats, specially designed and trimmed for excellent support, even when driving enthusiastically. Each is colour-matched to the exterior, with ebony leather accents and ‘RS’ and ‘Recaro’ logos stitched into each backrest.

Elsewhere, colour brings new excitement to the Focus interior, building on the sporty interior theme of Focus ST with more use of accents matched to the exterior colour, brushed aluminium highlights and overt performance styling. Even the rear seats feature higher side bolsters and a microfibre finish to echo those up front.

The centre console is finished in a stylish gloss, carbon-look trim and metallic highlights abound, from air vents, door grab handles, switchgear and gearshift surround, to unique RS-branded scuff plates on the door sills. These highlights contrast with a black-trimmed roof lining, emphasising the sporty, cockpit feel.

The driver is reminded this is a special Focus at every touch, with a gear lever finished with a six speed gear shift graphic in RS blue, a sporty, three-spoke steering wheel, finished with ‘Ford’ and ‘RS’ logos and even aluminium foot pedals. The performance driving environment is completed by three additional gauges from the Focus ST, including turbo boost pressure, sitting atop the centre console and angled toward the driver’s eyeline.

Powerful RS heart

At the heart of the all-new Focus RS is a specially developed, turbocharged version of the Duratec 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine. Significantly revised for high performance, this powerplant is targeting an impressive power output of 300PS and over 410Nm of torque, contributing to an excellent power-to-weight ratio.

Such significant increases are not simply the result of altering engine management or boost pressure: starting with the Duratec 2.5-litre block, Ford RS engineers developed unique camshafts, a revised cylinder head and gasket and revised intake and exhaust manifold system for the car.

Although the car is still in development, prior to its launch in early 2009, early performance testing indicates a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time of under six seconds.

A traction ‘Revo’-lution

Throughout Focus RS’ development, Capito and his team have been keeping a sharp focus on creating a car that delivers excellent performance and traction.

Various innovations, developed as a result of customer feedback from previous performance Fords, have allowed engineers to keep the new Focus RS as front-wheel drive, with a limited-slip differential, while still achieving demanding targets for traction, handling and steering.

The new Ford Focus RS is equipped with an innovative front suspension system known as a ‘RevoKnuckle’, which is designed to reduce unwanted steering disturbance and torque steer, the impact of torque on steering in front-wheel driven vehicles. Torque steer occurs during hard acceleration, cornering or driving on uneven surfaces, when torque on the driven wheels exceeds grips levels. It is characterised by sudden turning force on the steering wheel and can be exacerbated by vehicles with wide tyres and limited-slip differentials.

In Focus RS, the RevoKnuckle works in conjunction with a Quaife Automatic Torque Biasing limited-slip differential. Ford Team RS engineers have worked closely with Ford’s Advanced Research Centre in Aachen, Germany to develop the RevoKnuckle technology specifically for the high performance Focus RS. It allows the simplicity of a traditional McPherson strut arrangement, but with geometry settings that minimize steering disturbances and torque steer, principally a reduction in steering offset.

“The Ford Focus is an excellent base for a high performance car – agile, responsive and stable,” explained Capito. “We studied at length how best to enhance these qualities for a high performance model. Our work has shown clearly that our approach in combining a tuned RevoKnuckle with the Quaife differential is an ideal solution for a high performance front-wheel-drive road car like Focus RS.

“As you would expect, we gave all-wheel-drive careful consideration, but by combining and tuning these elements and learning from Ford’s expertise in industry-leading handling, we have managed to eliminate the weight of AWD from the car and still have been able to target a class-leading balance of traction, handling and performance.

“The result is a lightweight set-up, that will deliver the right blend of traction and razor sharp controllability – in a way no one would have expected from front-wheel-drive, and we believe we have made the right choice,” Capito concluded.

Dynamic, agile and responsive

A genuine Focus RS must maintain and enhance the reputation for responsive, precise handling for which Focus is acclaimed and considerable engineering effort has ensured that the new Focus RS will do just that.

Driving quality developments for Focus RS include a 40mm wider track, stronger, longer driveshafts, revised springs and dampers and a thicker, longer rear anti-roll bar. At the same time, the steering system has been retuned to provide an even sharper steering response and very precise feedback.

Brakes also have been uprated, with 336mm ventilated front discs and 300mm rear discs generating vice-like stopping power on road or track. Large calipers peek out from behind unique 19-inch wheels, wrapped in 235/35 low profile Continental tyres.

A special version of Ford’s ESP system has also been developed for Focus RS, designed to allow a very sporty driving style before activating. Intensive work to refine the natural handling abilities of the car has allowed the ESP system to carry a full de-activation option for enthusiast drivers and especially for track use.

“We are refining all the handling characteristics of Focus RS without ESP, to hone its natural responses, rather than use ESP to help its handling. In Focus RS, ESP is a pure safety device”, explained Capito.

Reliable and durable

In creating the new Focus RS, Ford’s Team RS engineers have had to meet the same stringent targets for durability and reliability as those set for the rest of the Focus range.

Despite its many bespoke engineering and styling elements, Focus RS will be built entirely on the main Focus production line in Saarlouis, Germany and offered with a standard Ford of Europe warranty.

A great heritage

The new Focus RS represents a significant moment in the heritage of both the Focus and Ford RS brands.

It is 10 years since the Ford Focus was first revealed to the world at the Geneva Motor Show in 1998, paving the way for a range of Ford vehicles whose exciting design was matched by class-leading driving quality. Since this time, more than 5.3 million Ford Focus models have been built in Europe, including Russia, with the car also built and sold in North America and Asia.

At the same time, the new Focus RS marks the return of the famous but rare Ford RS badge, last seen on the first-generation Focus RS in 2002 and with a distinguished heritage stretching back 38 years including Fiesta, Escort and Sierra models.

“RS is uniquely important to us in terms of our performance heritage and World Rally Championship success, while the Focus has played a major part in establishing Ford’s excellent reputation for driving dynamics,” said John Fleming, Ford of Europe President and CEO. “The all-new Focus RS will embrace and celebrate both of these – it will be a genuine RS and a genuine Focus and I’m confident it won’t disappoint in either area”.

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced pricing for the 2009 MAZDA6 sports sedan will start at $18,550 for a MAZDA6 i SV, equipped with a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter I-4 engine and a six-speed manual transmission.  Pricing for the 2009 MAZDA6 s, powered by a 273-horsepower V6 engine and six-speed Sport AT automatic transmission begins at $24,130.  Destination charges for all 2009 model-year Mazda vehicles are $670, $715 in Alaska.  The 2009 MAZDA6 will be available at dealers across the U. S. starting in late August, 2008. The highly anticipated 2009 MAZDA6 is the first of Mazda’s “Zoom-Zoom Evolution” second-generation vehicles, building on a heritage of sports sedans and sports cars that no other manufacturer can boast, and bringing a combination of sports sedan, sophistication, build quality and product insight not currently found in the market.

“This is the most important new vehicle Mazda has launched in a decade,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO.  “Bringing any new car to market at a competitive price has always been critical, but seldom more-so than today.  Customers are looking for that rare combination of style, dynamics, economy and a great price, and the all-new 2009 MAZDA6 delivers on all levels.”

The 2009 MAZDA6 will be available as a four-door sedan and in four trim levels: SV (I-4 models only), Sport, Touring and Grand Touring, and with varying levels of standard and optional equipment.    All models, regardless of engine or trim grade, will include as standard equipment: air-conditioning, power windows, mirrors and door locks, anti-lock brakes (ABS), dynamic stability control, traction control, frontal and seat-mounted airbags for driver and front passenger, side air-curtain airbags for front and rear seat passengers and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

Power for the 2009 MAZDA6 will be available from an all-new Mazda-designed and developed MZR 170-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a 273-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, as used in the 2008 CX-9, Motor Trend’s 2008 Sport/Utility of the Year and the 2008 North American Truck of the Year.  Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or five-speed Sport AT automatic with manual-shift mode (2.5-liter engine) or a six-speed Sport AT automatic with manual-shift mode (3.7-liter V6). I-4 models equipped with the Sport AT are certified at the ultra-clean SULEV level, and PZEV in California-emission states.  All V6 models meet ULEV standards for all 50 states.

As it has been since the first MAZDA6 launched in 2002, all North American MAZDA6s will continue to be built at AutoAlliance International, in Flat Rock, Mich, a joint venture with partner Ford Motor Company.

Lorinser, one of the best Mercedes tuning companies, unveiled its first sketches of the future customized Mercedes GLK. The new kit consists in a new front bumper with integrated daytime LED’s, new side sills, a re-designed rear bumper featuring an air diffuser and integrated exhaust system and a new roof spoiler.