Honda CrossTour CUV spotted testing in the Smokies

It’s been some time since we’ve heard about the Honda Accord based CUV that will fit between the CR-V and the Pilot and will take on Toyota’s Venza crossover. Rumor now has it that the CUV, known as the CrossTour, will arrive in the U.S. later this October.

A VWVortex forum member was recently vacationing up in the Smokies and caught a pair of the Honda CrossTour prototypes undergoing high-altitude testing.

While rumor has it that the Honda CrossTour will be based on the Acura ZDX platform, the CUV is most likely to be built on the Accrod chassis. No word on the engine lineup but we’ll update you as we get more information.

Chrysler tried to sell Viper business for $10 million, had no takers

As Chrysler looks to sell most of its assets for $2 billion out of bankruptcy to a new company, the Auburn Hills automaker said that it did not receive an offer for its Dodge Viper business, which it priced at $10 million.

CEO Bob Nardelli said in a U.S. bankruptcy Court filing in New York that the lack of bidders for the Detroit factory showed limited value of the brands automotive assets in a liquidation. Viper is not among the assets that will be sold to Fiat SpA in the new company that will come out of the bankruptcy filing.

Chrysler has been looking to sell Viper since August of 2008.

It said that it received an offer for $5.5 million by Devon Motors Works to buy the Viper business and lease the Detroit plant for a year. According to the bankruptcy filing documents, Chrysler is looking to verify that Devon Motor Works has access to financing.

Source: Free Press

Lexus LF-A catches fire during Nurburgring 24-Hour Race

Just yesterday we heard updates on the Lexus LF-A that will make its production debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show later this year. It was reported that the LF-A is now reaching a top speed of more than 218 mph? Pretty hot right?

So hot that the Lexus LF-A race version that ran laps during the Nurburgring 24-Hour Race caught on fire.

BMW 755ih Hybrid production model spotted

One of the new models promised by BMW this year, the 7 Series Hybrid, was spotted by one of the readers over at our BimmerToday.de blog. Marketed under the 755ih name, the new 7er Hybrid production model will make its official debut at the IAA Auto Show in Frankfurt this fall.

The ActiveHybrid Concept was unveiled back at the L.A Auto Show, where we had the opportunity to spend some time with the car.  We also learned there that the BMW 755ih uses a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 petrol engine that delivers 407 horsepower and 442lb ft, working in combination with an AC electric motor that can add another 20 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque.

Being developed under the BMW EfficientDynamics program, the 7er Hybrid uses new technologies to improve even more the fuel efficiency, starting with the the Start/Stop technology and the part-time alternator, and continuing with the “Brake Energy Regeneration” system which conserves and reuses the braking energy to power the Hybrid vehicle.

Judging from these new photos, there seem to be no major difference between the Hybrid and the regular 7 Series models, of course, if we were to ignore the large Hybrid stickers found on the car. Inside, we can still see a laptop and cables used by the German engineers during the testing process.

The BMW 755ih will be available in late fall and the pricing is expected to jump over the $100,000 mark.

[Source: BimmerToday and Andreas ]

New BMW X3 to be unveiled at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Hot off the press: if nothing unexpected will occur in the next few months, the next and second generation BMW X3 will launch at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2010. In a way, we expected the new X3 to launch first at U.S. auto show and Detroit is definitely the best choice.  The official press release and marketing materials will be unveiled to public sometimes in December of this year.

The new X3 is already one of the most awaited new BMW models since many people believe a design refresh is absolutey needed, especially since the Audi Q5 is starting to look more and more appealing to all the consumers looking to purchase a smaller Sports Activity Vehicle.

We’ve said it many times before, but we’ll continue to remind you: the upcoming BMW X1 will move into the X3’s market segment and implicitly the second generation X3 will increase its size.

The rumor around this new model is that it will follow the X5’s design lines, more round corners and sportier look and it will have similar size as the first generation X5. The smaller SAV will measure 4.65 meters long, 1.85 meters wide and 1.68 meter tall, offering a more spacious cabin and cargo space. A refined and vastly improved interior design is also expected since many BMW owners saw the current interior design as a shortcoming.

Two petrol engines will be offered, along with four diesel choices, but at this time, it is unknown which powerplants will be used. The “usual suspects” are considered, but BMW might have a few surprises for us as well.

Update: Confirmed by a second source, Scott27 from Germancarzone.com