Driving Sports

Subaru Introduces Radical Mountain Rescue Forester

Subaru of America, Inc. today revealed the Mountain Rescue Forester Vehicle, built for the National Ski Patrol (NSP). It will debut at the 2008 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show that runs at the Las Vegas Convention Center Nov. 4-7. Working with Subaru of America, Detroit-based Specialized Vehicles built the Mountain Rescue Forester Concept as the ultimate first responder vehicle, bolstering its trail-driving capability and equipping it with essential Ski Patrol rescue gear.

Based on the 2009 MOTOR TREND SUV of the Year Subaru Forester 2.5XT turbo crossover utility vehicle, the Forester Mountain Rescue Vehicle is designed to help Ski Patrol crews conduct rescues in difficult terrain and weather conditions. The men and women of Ski Patrol risk their lives in the mountains, fighting avalanches, performing daring rescues and keeping unruly skiers and snowboarders from endangering others on the slopes.

Alfa Begs Off U.S. Return - Cites Economic Woes

Fiat announced recently that they will delay the return of the Alfa Romeo marque to the United States and Canada until at least 2011. The Italian automaker cited the recent economic crash in North America as the primary reason for the delay.

"It would be simply crazy investing for returning Alfa in such a depressed U.S. market," said Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne according to a report in Automotive News.

Alfa was a mainstay of the enthusiast european import scene until 1995, when it sold the last of its model 164 FWD sedans and its venerable Spider two-seat convertibles here in America. A limited number of exclusive 8C Competizione coupes (sharing much in common with Maseratis) were sold in the U.S. in 2008, but these supercars are not the Breras, 147 hatchbacks, and Mi.To coupes that enthusiasts were hoping to see.   

Back to the Future with the Nissan 370Z

Nissan offers the first look at the upcoming 2009 370Z Coupe, which makes its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19th. The new car looks uncannily like the original accept-no-substitutes 240Z that took the world by storm in the fall of 1969. Driving Sports predicts it's going to be awesome.

The 2009 Nissan 370Z is the first full redesign of the Z since its reintroduction as a 2003 model. The new design solidifies the strengths of its predecessor with an unmatched balance of performance, style and value. The all-new Z will go on sale at Nissan dealers in early 2009. Pricing hasn't yet been announced, but expect to part with dollars commensurate to the cool factor.

Read on for more pictures...

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Suzuki Heads Up-Market - 2009 Suzuki XL7

Suzuki is celebrating its centennial in 2009 - believe it or not, the company got its start making looms for weaving cloth in 1909. Along the way, they’ve had a successful history, introducing their motorcycles to the United States in 1963 and bringing the first four-wheeled ATV to the U.S. in 1983. They introduced their first passenger cars here in 1985 with the popular Sidekick mini-SUV.

Fast forward to today and Suzuki has an impressive lineup of small SUVs, priced to move and designed to appeal to a wide swath of the market. We’ll talk about my favorite, the sporty SX4, in a couple weeks but right now we’ll focus on Suzuki’s flagship, the XL7.

Update: The good folks at Suzuki said that 2009 pricing will remain the same as 2008, and Suzuki dealers are offering smokin' deals on all '08 and incoming '09 XL7s. Checkitout!

Crossover Done Right - 2009 Mazda CX-7

Mazda cars are fun to drive – that’s the first thing to know. You know the RX-8 and the MX-5 are going to be a giggle when you first look at them, but even the little “minivan” Mazda5 is fun to drive once you’re in it. The CX-7 and its bigger CX-9 sibling are Crossover SUVs - meaning that they’re built to drive more like a car than a traditional truck-based SUV.

I’ve reviewed the Mazda5 and CX-9 before, but this was my first chance to take an extended drive in the CX-7 – and it included a trip to the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s off-road course near Seattle’s Pacific Raceways.

L'Estage Wins Pacific Forest Rally - Richard Takes Canadian Championship

Hyundai’s Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard earned their second win of the season at the Pacific Forest Rally, while Subaru Rally Team Canada has secured the championship title.

“We’re very happy to have won, and this puts us in a good spot for the North American Rally Cup,” said L’Estage. “We had some problems at this event, but thanks to our crew and sponsors, we were able to win again here.”

L’Estage and Richard, the defending champions, have suffered from reliability problems this year in their Hyundai Tiburon, preventing this normally dominant team from enjoying the success they have had in the past.

Photo by Andrew Harvey Photography

MINI to Electrify L.A. Auto Show

The BMW Group will be the world's first manufacturer of premium automobiles to deploy a fleet of some 500 all-electric vehicles for private use in daily traffic. The MINI E will be powered by a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor fed by a high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion battery, transferring its power to the front wheels via a single-stage helical gearbox nearly without a sound and entirely free of emissions.

Mazda to Unveil new Mazda3 at L.A. Auto Show

Mazda has confirmed that the sedan version of the all-new Mazda3 (known as the Mazda Axela in Japan) has been fully redesigned for the first time in 5 years. The new sedan will be revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19, 2008.

The covers will be pulled off during Mazda’s press conference from 12:20 to 12:45 (local time) revealing the all-new Mazda3, the latest evolution of Mazda’s Zoom-Zoom spirit.

Hybrid Technology comes to the WRC

With an emphasis on green racing becoming more prevalent in the motorsport world, more teams are switching to more “eco-friendly” solutions for their cars. Nevermind that in the grand scheme of things, the actual racing machines use a pittance of fuel compared to the transporters, shipping and logistics it takes to get a given team from race to race. Today, WRC.com reported that Citroen has unveiled a new, hybrid rally car. Powered by a turbocharged petrol engine in the front and an electric motor in the back, the car can be run on both engines at once, solely the gasoline engine or solely the electric motor. The advantages of such a powertrain being better fuel mileage, and a smaller carbon footprint. However, the underlying advantages are a better weight distribution and instantaneous torque from the electric motor. Click the jump for full story from WRC.com.