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The closest we've ever gotten to driving a Corsa in the states is the older and larger Saturn Astra, which sold poorly in the U.S. and never offered more than a low-power 1.8-liter fourbanger. Therefore it's with great sadness we announce the smaller Euro-spec Vauhall Corsa VXR Nürburgring Edition boosts power to over 200 horses from its turbocharged 1.6-liter engine and adds a multi-plate LSD. More »
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Hot versions of mundane econo-boxes preceded the Rabbit GTI, but none became iconically emblematic of the breed as did the VW. Today, Nice Price or Crack Pipe wants to know if this '84 puts a rocket in your pocket. More »
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Last week we brought news of a harder-core Mugen-tuned Civic Type-R for the European market. This week we're presented with the fruit of Mugen's labor, the multi-winged and vented UKDM Mugen Civic Type-R 3D. More »
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Ford looks to have a winner on its hands with the 2009 Focus RS, as the company has taken approximately 1,000 orders for the 275 HP Matchbox car. No matter whether you're a fan of the scooptastic SEMA-style bodywork or not, you can't argue with 295 lb-ft of torque flowing through a 6-speed stick in a little rocket like this. Don't like it in green? Well, you're among the majority...but just barely. Ford reports that 40% of the preorders have opted for the eye-scorching emerald hue. More »
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Those Renault people are on their game — literally: The same day the official Twingo Renault Sport details come out, they've dropped a Twingo racing game onto their website. Now, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue it's not; however, it is pretty entertaining for a web application (which requires an .exe install, we expect to be deluged with Renault data mining efforts), and it pits your best track times against those who have gone before you. If the video game version is anything like the car itself, it'll sprint to sixty in about 4.5 seconds (which it won't), snap-transition from understeer to oversteer and brake like a maniac. Heck, try it out yourself at Renault.co.uk — you didn't have anything else to do, did you? More »
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The latest sporty Renault to hatch is the Twingo Renault Sport. The newest Twingo RS gets a whopping 33 HP boost from the most potent Twingo RS of yore, up to 133 HP and 117 lb-ft of torque from its 1.6 liter, 16-valve four. Combined with a 60mm wider track, 10mm lower stance, a set of stiffer springs and some bigger tires, it'll scoot to 62 MPH in 8.7 seconds and probably makes a pretty good dance partner at an autocross. Inside, the Twingo RS gets some style upgrades, but we're in love with the pedals — the clutch pedal gets a "pause" emblem, brakes get the stop logo, and gas gets the play symbol — how cool is that? If you're brave, the longest, most exhaustive press release we've seen in a while lies below. More »
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There are cars that are fun to drive, and then there are cars that, because you know you're a goner if you crash, are just scary to drive. But since most structurally unsound beaters aren't exactly capable of exciting speeds, fast and scary are often mutually exclusive. This, the Brilliance FRV 1.8T, may very well be an exception. More »
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Why you should buy the 2008 Mazdaspeed3: More »
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Exterior Design: *** More »
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Cruising the affluent suburban streets of the Chicago area in the 2008 Mazdaspeed3, I'm looking for trouble. The dimming evening light and warm weather has brought out all the usual suspects: everyone from boy-racers in tuned Hondas to middle-aged men in Ford GTs. Chirping the tires as I dart from stoplight to stoplight, I feel like a 17-year-old taking a joyride in his dad's sports car. But I'm not racing anyone — yet. I'm just trying to get the attention of someone else who wants to run me. It's usually not something I do, but with 263 HP under my right foot, and a 6-speed gearbox in my right hand, I'm in a juvenile mood. Chasing down a previous-generation Subaru WRX that's sporting some aftermarket wheels and a loud exhaust, I feel like I might be biting off just a bit more than I can chew. More »
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Spotted on the Nürburgring ahead of its debut at the Tokyo auto show next month is the one, the ugly Subaru STI. Scoobnutz have been sweating this car for months, ever since they took one look at the latest Impreza line this past April and hit the Dramamine. But every car looks good with a wider stance, a goose-slurping hood scoop and low-profile blackies. Thus, though the new, 300+-hp STI is still only an awkwardly shaped ghost spotted from the roadside by those with long lenses, its reveal nonetheless be one of the major auto-enthusiast events of 2008. [Auto Gespot] More »
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Earlier this year, we got a glimpse of the new hot mini-hatch in the way from the General's Teutonic outpost at Opel. Now, the company's revealed the Corsa OPC, the latest Opel (oh sorry, blokes, and Vauxhall too, as the VXR) to be so lettered. As a hot hatch, the Corsa has all expected accouterments, including 192 hp from a 1.6-liter turbocharged four and and a listed zero-to-60 time of 7.2 seconds — specs competitive with similar Peugeots and Seats of the genre. What's more, an "overboost" function provides a temporary torque upswing (hyperspace?) from 170 lb-ft to 191. If we were betting sorts, we'd lay odds this Corsa will never hit the states as a Saturn, like so many other Opels (and, soon, the base Corsa) have. But hope springs eternal, unlike some half-in-the-bag conventioneer's cash-advance card at the Sahara. – Mike Spinelli More »
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Now that the Gawker Illuminati has seen fit to give me the power of the post, I need to right a major Jalopnik wrong. Where's all the French cars at? Aside from tricky spelling and pronunciation, des autobus from the land of wine and cheese gave us the single spoke steering wheel, which to me ranks up there with flush toilets as one of the most important technical advancements of the last five-hundred years. The new Renault Mégane GT not only "meets the demanding expectations of customers seeking driving pleasure first and foremost," but emits only 144 g of CO2 per km. Sure, I have no idea what that last part means, but a hot hatch is a hot hatch is hot hatchness. Too bad the Mégane's Nissan Z rear-end graft makes Americans vomit. – les Loverman More »
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