Kuwait orders 150 Dodge Charger police cars

Choosing them for their portrayed image of "strength and power," officials in Kuwait have ordered 150 Dodge Chargers to be modified as police vehicles. As the Charger is the leading volume vehicle for Chrysler LLC in the Middle East, the choice doesn't come as much of a surprise. Delivery of the cop cars, however, isn't expected to take place for another couple months. In the meantime, the lot of them are heading to Canfield Equipment Service in Michigan where they'll be fitted for their new Kuwaiti roles in traffic, security, and emergency response.

[Source: Chrysler]

HKS Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Hyundai made a huge splash at the New York Auto Show this year with its Genesis Coupe, and it's looking for a repeat performance next month at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The Koreans are working with several aftermarket tuners to create special coupes for the tuner show and they just passed along a photo of one of them. This example was created by HKS USA and includes the usual array of body work mods along with plenty of mechanical upgrades. Hyundai hasn't provided details on the engine re-work yet other than noting it's got an HKS GT Turbo package, so presumably this car will use the 2.0L turbo four-cylinder as its starting point. Since the guts of the engine are being beefed up, we can safely assume this thing will be running considerably higher boost than a stock Genesis. Hopefully the HKS Hipermax III fully-adjustable suspension will help make all this power usable on the street as well as the track. The Genesis Coupe may just yet prove to be a very formidable competitor to all those new Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers appearing over the next few months, and we can't wait for our chance to drive one.

[Source: Hyundai]

It's electrifying! Chrysler to show dealers three EVs with production in mind

While everyone is aware of what GM, Honda and Toyota have been up to when it comes to fuel-saving technology, Chrysler has been playing it close to the chest. The Auburn Hills-based automaker, however, will show its dealers three new all-electric cars at the end of this month that are said to be production capable. Jim Press, the Chrysler exec who came from rival and current hybrid-leader Toyota, added that Chrysler's future platforms were being designed with electrification in mind and that is still has access to technology from its previous owner, Daimler.

Like General Motors, Chrysler seems convinced that its EVs need to have plug-in capability. The goal, says Press, is 300 miles of range. To make that a reality, a very good set of batteries will be necessary – likely lithium-ions – and Press assures us that his company is working with multiple suppliers. Will any of the production-ready models be anything like the concepts shown off last year in Detroit?

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

Hyundai i20 and i-blue concept coming to Paris Auto Show

Hyundai will unveil at the Paris Auto Show the i20 that is set to go on sale at the beginning of 2009. Next to it the company will also display the i20 i-blue concept, the ix55 SUV and a hybrid concept version of the Santa Fe.

Based on the all-new i20, Hyundai’s latest i-blue car concept incorporates a number of modifications to reduce emissions. The i20 i-blue concept is fitted with Hyundai’s all new 1.4 CRDi diesel engine, which produces 90 hp.

GM releases first official photo of 2010 Chevy Camaro SS

Regardless of the fact that over a dozen official looking images of the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS showed up on the web early last week, this single high-res image of the modern muscle car is notable for the fact that it is the first overall shot that GM has officially released. It showed up on the automaker's media site yesterday evening all by its lonesome with no accompanying details, but what else is there to know besides the fact it's packing a 6.2L LS3 V8 producing 422 hp and 408 lb-ft of torque? And for those who were wondering before, the nostril vent does appear to be part of the production package. Perhaps this picture's sudden appearance portends more information to come.

Stop by AmericanMuscle and check out our selection of 2010 Camaro Parts.

Rendering of the 2010 Kia VG

So the Kia VG mule that has kept spy photographers busy the last few weeks has now been given a computer animated face and body. It's a nice looking ride, though has a surprising amount in common with the Hyundai Genesis... which means we also see, well, a lot of other cars in it. But that's not a bad thing, really, because the result is a tasty little creation, especially coming from Kia. The lines are a touch more forceful than those on the Genesis, which goes along with Kia being the sporting brand, or so they say. If the final version looks even close to this rendering, and they give it performance to match... well, then Kia will have taken a giant leap forward.

[Source: Kia World]

2009 Honda Legend reveals de-shielded Acura RL

Remember when Superman chose to relinquish his super powers for love in the Man of Steel's first sequel? Without that 'S' on his chest, Clark Kent quickly got the crap kicked out of him by a truck driver. If the 2009 Acura RL with its giant shield grille is Superman, then the Euro-only 2009 Honda Legend is surely Clark Kent. So many people have decried the new shield grille that we thought it'd be interesting to gauge reaction to the new Legend, which is basically the same car as the RL without the Acura overtones. To our eyes the Legend's new face is as boring and uninteresting as Acura's new grille is obnoxious, which truly does it make it the Clark Kent of cars

PRESS RELEASE

Extensive Updates for the Honda Legend

• New 3.7 litre V6-engine with more torque, lower CO2 emissions and improved fuel efficiency
• Faster acceleration
• Extensive styling updates
• Revised automatic gearbox with faster shift times and more responsive paddle-shift
• Even greater refinement for noise absorption to enhance Active Noise Cancellation system

At the Moscow motor show, Honda has revealed the look of the re-styled Honda Legend to Europe.

This revised model gives a new edge to the top of the range Honda and responds to customer feedback on the current model. The most noticeable change is to the exterior style of the Legend, with new lights, bonnet, front wings, boot lid, bumpers and the adoption of standard 18" wheels.

Under the restyled bonnet is one of the most powerful V6 engines in this sector, giving the power of a V8 engine, while retaining the smoothness and fuel economy inherent to this layout.

The new engine has an additional 200cc that helps to give the new Legend greater torque across the whole rev range. Complementing this increase in capacity the 3.7 litre V6 has VTEC added to the exhaust valves, joining the system already fitted on the inlet side. These realised a 20% increase in torque in the mid-range. The result is an enhancement to the feeling of power, as well as the improved acceleration.

Coupled to this revised engine, is an all-new 5-speed gearbox that helps the driver exploit and enjoy the revised power unit. The new box has switched to a straight gate and empowers the driver with additional control over gear selection with revised steering wheel mounted paddle-shifters and new gearbox software. The new transmission reacts faster to changes in driver input even in the normal automatic mode and so gives the driver access to power when it's most needed.

The combined effects of the improved transmission and increase in torque mean that the new Legend can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than before. Fuel economy and CO2 have also improved over the previous model, despite the improved acceleration performance.

Central to the concept of the current Legend is the cabin refinement which reduces the stress of modern motoring. This theme has been taken a stage further with the new car by equipping it with a suite of NVH reducing technologies. The most advanced of these is the Active Noise Cancellation system (ANC), which cancels out low frequency noise by playing the opposite wave form through the Bose sound system. New to the flagship is a new form of sound deadening mat that has improved noise reducing properties and is lighter than conventional materials. An acoustic windscreen and improved bushing complete these improvements to the already very refined Honda flagship.

Safety is a cornerstone of the Legend, and adds Active Head Restraints to its already impressive safety equipment. The new head restraints are similar in principle to the items found in the Civic and Accord models and compliment the reassuring ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) body structure. Optional in some markets are the Adaptive Cruise Control and CMBS systems, which use millimetre wave radar to detect and help reduce the risk of collisions.

The chassis of the Legend has also received some attention to further enhance the Legend's rock solid, yet entertaining handling. Although the very advanced SH-AWD system remains unchanged the settings for the suspension have been altered to improve the ride and handling.

The already well equipped Legend gets some more revisions to compliment the new model. Rear seat passengers can now enjoy the benefits of heated seats, while the Bose Audio system now has a USB socket, to enable the easy connection of an iPod.