Thursday, September 25, 2008

AutoSpies.com Newsletter: Latest Spy News 09/25/2008

Latest Auto Show Gallery
2009 Cadillac CTS-V Photo Gallery
Top AutoSpies.com News
I think most of us can agree our readers are pretty much in the know when it comes to cars. Due to that fact, I would wager that a lot of you are asked by friends and family for car advice on a regular basis. Typically the questions you may ask the buyer would be how many doors, what type of mileage, and much do you want to spend? But what about those intangibles? When it came to sports cars though, Agent00J was left in a bit of a quandary after a friendly discussion on recommendations. Taking the Audi R8, Nissan GT-R, Porsche Turbo or a Chevrolet Z06 Corvette and placing them under the microscope puts things in a different perspective as he soon found out. With that in mind he turned to our readers, the best of the best so to speak, and asked you for your recommendations which one would choose?

Avid readers like you got a treat a few weeks ago when Agent001 snuck into an exclusive debut of BMW’s 7 Series in Moscow. You were the first to see the new 7 Series then, and finally almost two months later the rest of the world get a chance to see what you already knew. BMW finally released official pictures in advance of the Paris debut. As awesome as the 7 Series is, Agent009 couldn’t help and wonder if BMW was taxing its independent nature with so many new models. While sales are only slightly down against last year, it is also well known that BMW’s profits are taking a beating and expenditures are way up. Does BMW have what it takes, or will it have to learn the hard way?

With new CAFÉ standards coming into place, the whole industry is looking at downsizing in an effort to boost mileage. Audi may be one of the first to start that trend by introducing the new supercharged S4 for 2009. As we all know the S4 for 2008 was originally equipped with a 4.2 liter V8 that was be replaced in 2009 with a 3 liter supercharged power plant. While power output may be down slightly with the new motor, the new S4 will actually be a bit faster than the proceeding model, the bigger news here though is that gas miles is bumped an impressive 20%.

Agent00J stirred that pot again over the weekend. The target of choice was Audi’s claim that the A4 is faster and more efficient than either Mercedes or BMW. Pretty hard to swallow you say? You bet, even after reading the fine print, Agent00J was unconvinced and decided this type of advertising simply lacked class. Now whether or not Audi has the class or not, there are some reasons we simply do not like a brand. In this case it could be deceptive advertising, or simply the whole aura of a company that tarnishes the image. Agent009 gave us all the opportunity to air our views on why we simply don’t like a brand and set that record straight. Was it reputation, design or perhaps the dealership that turned you against a brand?




Spy Shots
500-hp Alfa 8C Competizione GTA spotted near Nurburgring
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:39:05 PM
( 10 ) Votes   ( 9 ) Comments

New Audi S4 piles on technology and performance
Submitted: 9/22/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:30:17 PM
( 12 ) Votes   ( 15 ) Comments

Spy shots of an Allroad Audi A4 variant
Submitted: 9/20/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 6:13:57 AM
( 16 ) Votes   ( 20 ) Comments

2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI First Details
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 12:32:17 PM
( 7 ) Votes   ( 6 ) Comments

Is Lamborghini's Latest Model Going To Be A Coupe Or Mid Engine?
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 11:27:12 AM
( 13 ) Votes   ( 12 ) Comments

Volkwagen's Stock Climbs An Amazing 42% In 4 Days!
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 11:07:07 AM
( 7 ) Votes   ( 7 ) Comments

Volkswagen Scirocco and Fiat 500 spotted in the US
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 10:22:27 AM
( 7 ) Votes   ( 5 ) Comments

Unmasked GTR V-Spec prototype at Nurburgring
Submitted: 9/18/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 8:19:48 PM
( 20 ) Votes   ( 21 ) Comments

Audi Prototype Crashes Outside Nurburgring
Submitted: 9/17/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 4:03:49 PM
( 23 ) Votes   ( 45 ) Comments

HAMANN releases package for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Submitted: 9/25/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 10:37:28 AM
( 6 ) Votes   ( 5 ) Comments

Cobalt Named Best in Class by Road and Track
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 1:59:19 PM
( 7 ) Votes   ( 5 ) Comments

2009 BMW Z4 Renderings
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 10:52:26 AM
( 18 ) Votes   ( 17 ) Comments

Spy News
2010 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing - More Details
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 8:36:16 AM
( 19 ) Votes   ( 19 ) Comments

Florida man cancels Nissan GT-R order due to 'black box'
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:00:35 PM
( 28 ) Votes   ( 40 ) Comments

Cobalt Named Best in Class by Road and Track
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 2:14:13 PM
( 13 ) Votes   ( 16 ) Comments

New Cars
Volkswagen Pickup
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 4:15:33 AM
( 11 ) Votes   ( 13 ) Comments

GEM Peapod
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 4:10:56 AM
( 6 ) Votes   ( 8 ) Comments

2009 Elfin Type 5 - World First Images and Details
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:58:04 AM
( 2 ) Votes   ( 0 ) Comments

VW Concept Pickup Unveiled, production model coming in 2009
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:35:32 PM
( 11 ) Votes   ( 11 ) Comments

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Race Car Debut
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:44:29 AM
( 2 ) Votes   ( 1 ) Comments

Ford Focus Convertible and Ford Kuga coming to the U.S.
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:42:30 AM
( 11 ) Votes   ( 10 ) Comments

Amuse takes Nissan GT-R to 602-hp
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:41:04 AM
( 15 ) Votes   ( 14 ) Comments

Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:28:23 AM
( 16 ) Votes   ( 21 ) Comments

HARTGE BMW 1.35i
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:20:21 AM
( 13 ) Votes   ( 17 ) Comments

Fiat 500 by Diesel
Submitted: 9/22/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:25:05 PM
( 3 ) Votes   ( 3 ) Comments

New 2009 Skoda Yeti
Submitted: 9/21/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 10:53:41 PM
( 6 ) Votes   ( 5 ) Comments

Lebanon's First Supercar: The Frem F1
Submitted: 9/20/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 6:05:40 AM
( 15 ) Votes   ( 16 ) Comments

MTM Audi A5 3.0 TDI, The S5 alternative
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 8:01:20 PM
( 11 ) Votes   ( 13 ) Comments

GM cancels plans to bring production Chevy Orlando to U.S.
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:36:48 PM
( 2 ) Votes   ( 1 ) Comments

2008 Mercedes SL500 by Lorinser
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 1:44:33 PM
( 21 ) Votes   ( 24 ) Comments

GM thinking about extending Volt technology across brands
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 10:23:16 AM
( 6 ) Votes   ( 6 ) Comments

Electric Mini Cooper coming to the LA Auto Show
Submitted: 9/18/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:39:03 PM
( 6 ) Votes   ( 3 ) Comments

GM unveils Pontiac G3, coming in spring 2009
Submitted: 9/18/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:36:09 PM
( 14 ) Votes   ( 13 ) Comments

Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid Bound for U.S. in Late 2009
Submitted: 9/17/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 4:09:47 PM
( 3 ) Votes   ( 2 ) Comments

BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid
Submitted: 9/22/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:49:41 AM
( 10 ) Votes   ( 12 ) Comments

Toyota close to putting A-BAT concept in production
Submitted: 9/22/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:41:27 AM
( 10 ) Votes   ( 9 ) Comments

New GranTurismo MC Corse Concept Car
Submitted: 9/25/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 4:16:29 AM
( 3 ) Votes   ( 2 ) Comments

Lamborghini Four-Door coming to Paris, Not called Urus
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:29:14 PM
( 18 ) Votes   ( 21 ) Comments

Toyota bringing CNG Camry Hybrid Concept to LA Auto Show
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 10:19:16 AM
( 5 ) Votes   ( 4 ) Comments

2009 Ford F150 SFE
Submitted: 9/18/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 1:30:35 PM
( 9 ) Votes   ( 9 ) Comments

Misc News
How Will The Financial Meltdown Affect Your Next Car Loan?
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:25:01 PM
( 25 ) Votes   ( 28 ) Comments

Lorinser-Tuned Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Makes World Debut
Submitted: 9/22/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:04:26 PM
( 9 ) Votes   ( 8 ) Comments

F1 Singapore Preview , Lewis Hamilton Ready
Submitted: 9/21/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 11:55:40 AM
( 13 ) Votes   ( 19 ) Comments

BMWUSA Marketing: What we built vs. what you built
Submitted: 9/20/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:42:26 PM
( 20 ) Votes   ( 32 ) Comments

Rendering of the Honda CR-Z Hybrid Production Version
Submitted: 9/20/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 6:16:17 AM
( 7 ) Votes   ( 5 ) Comments

Leaked memo from Ferrari containing specs on the 'FX150'
Submitted: 9/20/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 6:15:15 AM
( 13 ) Votes   ( 13 ) Comments

Mazda will cut weight by 200kg on next-generation models
Submitted: 9/20/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 6:06:34 AM
( 14 ) Votes   ( 16 ) Comments

Top Gear Australia Video Preview
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 7:59:48 PM
( 2 ) Votes   ( 1 ) Comments

Texting is worse than driving drunk
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:35:36 PM
( 9 ) Votes   ( 9 ) Comments

SOUND OFF: What Makes You Dislike Certain Brands?
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 1:23:35 PM
( 69 ) Votes   ( 145 ) Comments

Washington May Wipe Out Driveway Car Washing
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 1:03:09 PM
( 18 ) Votes   ( 15 ) Comments

25,000 Miles In Toyota's Tundra: Does It Live Up To The Billing?
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 12:53:23 PM
( 13 ) Votes   ( 15 ) Comments

Top 10 best selling cars in the UK
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 10:53:01 AM
( 15 ) Votes   ( 15 ) Comments

GM Kills Plan For New MPV For North American Market
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 10:50:21 AM
( 2 ) Votes   ( 1 ) Comments

2008's Worst Selling Cars in the UK
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 7:49:36 AM
( 18 ) Votes   ( 24 ) Comments

Jaguar patents confirm new XE model and C-XE concept
Submitted: 9/18/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 8:18:26 PM
( 8 ) Votes   ( 5 ) Comments

Pagani C9 supercar coming to North America
Submitted: 9/17/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:37:59 PM
( 2 ) Votes   ( 1 ) Comments

SOUND OFF: Are You You Being Branded By The Car You Drive?
Submitted: 9/17/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 2:22:07 PM
( 62 ) Votes   ( 116 ) Comments

BMW fastest in Jerez as teams test 2009 setups.
Submitted: 9/17/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 1:55:05 PM
( 9 ) Votes   ( 13 ) Comments

VW Releases The Full Monte On The New GTI
Submitted: 9/25/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 12:31:39 PM
( 16 ) Votes   ( 20 ) Comments

Corvette ZR1 finally dyno tested
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 8:08:24 PM
( 3 ) Votes   ( 1 ) Comments

Another Hyundai Genesis coupe for SEMA
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 8:10:12 PM
( 14 ) Votes   ( 22 ) Comments

2009 VW Golf GTI revealed
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 8:01:43 PM
( 14 ) Votes   ( 16 ) Comments

Mercedes-Benz Adaptive High-beam Assistant
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 9:16:26 AM
( 11 ) Votes   ( 13 ) Comments

Bailout Madness: Should Bad Auto Loans Be Bailed Out Too?
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 12:19:10 PM
( 14 ) Votes   ( 17 ) Comments

Toyota Assigns Idled Tundra Workers To Community Service Programs
Submitted: 9/24/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 11:31:17 AM
( 10 ) Votes   ( 10 ) Comments

Is BMW's X6 Just The Wrong Vehicle At The Wrong Time?
Submitted: 9/18/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 12:36:39 PM
( 57 ) Votes   ( 91 ) Comments

Report Cards
Reviews
2009 Ford Mustang review
Submitted: 9/22/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:46:37 AM
( 10 ) Votes   ( 9 ) Comments

GT-R vs Porsche at Thunderhill Park Raceway
Submitted: 9/22/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 12:54:48 AM
( 25 ) Votes   ( 39 ) Comments

2009 Subaru Forester Diesel First Drive
Submitted: 9/21/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 2:57:00 PM
( 1 ) Votes   ( 0 ) Comments

Tiguan Proves To Be Nice, But at What Price?
Submitted: 9/19/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 12:56:27 PM
( 10 ) Votes   ( 11 ) Comments

Videos
Ford Fiesta Review by Fifth Gear
Submitted: 9/23/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 3:09:55 AM
( 5 ) Votes   ( 4 ) Comments

Rumors
Reports That Toyota Has Shelved Diesel Tundra Don't Add Up
Submitted: 9/22/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 4:22:08 PM
( 10 ) Votes   ( 13 ) Comments

New & Future Cars: Honda S3000?
Submitted: 9/25/2008 OFFICIAL BELL & ROSS TIMESTAMP: 1:59:26 AM
( 17 ) Votes   ( 19 ) Comments




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