Rumors & Spy News (Plus Pics)

[The Vanishing Boy]

This is a thread dedicating to to all the rumors of the auto biz. There are so many car rumors circling all over the place even I couln't keep up. Its open to anyone who has a news.

This thread is some sort of a car tabloid.

 

[cuefilez]

Ford has unofficially said off the Record , that the Fusion Is A POS ripoff of the RAV .

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

Car and Driver magazine said that there is a Honda coming out in the US this coming year, JDM & Euro's know this car it called the Honda Fit/Jazz. This car will be slotted below the Civic.

I wish the car would arrive here (I'm one of the people who anticipating for its arrival). It will become my next car (hopefully).

 

[Talentless]

the carconnection.com features spy photos and comments from brenda priddy.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by The Vanishing Boy
Car and Driver magazine said that there is a Honda coming out in the US this coming year, JDM & Euro's know this car it called the Honda Fit/Jazz. This car will be slotted below the Civic.

I wish the car would arrive here (I'm one of the people who anticipating for its arrival). It will become my next car (hopefully).

No. The Jazz won't come here. Why come here with a car in direct competition with another Honda (the Element)? Sounds absurd.

 

[Thio]

did nissan really bring the skyline to the states and named it the infiniti G35?

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by The Vanishing Boy
Car and Driver magazine said that there is a Honda coming out in the US this coming year, JDM & Euro's know this car it called the Honda Fit/Jazz. This car will be slotted below the Civic.

I wish the car would arrive here (I'm one of the people who anticipating for its arrival). It will become my next car (hopefully).

It went close to winning the Wheels (best Australian car magazine) Car of the Year award here - and they've been very down on Hondas lately.

I think it occupies the market space the first two generations of the Civic occupied - funny how cars grow.

The Jazz sits in a very different market segment to the Element - this is the first time I've seen one of those 'things' -

- grotesque.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by Thio
did nissan really bring the skyline to the states and named it the infiniti G35?

Yup! Read about it here: http://www.infinitig35.net/

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man


The Jazz sits in a very different market segment to the Element -

Not in the US - It'll be marketed to the same audience, and it will serve about the same purpose.

- grotesque.

Couldn't agree more. Though I love the wheels.

 

[Vasco]

Yech. First time i've seen an element...

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power


Not in the US - It'll be marketed to the same audience, and it will serve about the same purpose.

Couldn't agree more. Though I love the wheels. [/B]

Well, I think the Jazz would be considerably cheaper.

The wheels are nice - be even better with a tyre half the profile, hanging out the guards of a nice coupe or something, instead of that wretched Lego thing.

 

[MazKid]

Only news I currently can think of is Mazda JP news.

The MPV gets an Aeromix treatment:

There's a MPV advanced safety test vehicle(ASV):

Then we move on, and we have:
Roadster(Miata) SG Limited:

Laputa S-Turbo:

Familia S-wagon Sport20 Special:

Spaino Type M:

So there's the new cars from the past month.
I think that the Spaino would do good here in the US, not too sure on the Laputa, and the Sport20 would do exellent here(it's a turbo MP5 basicly, and some are AWD).

Curtesy the Mazda Media site.

 

[sn00pie]

Not another one!

 

[MazKid]

[Ralf from the Simpsons] I like Legos[/ralf]

It's a cool lil car, sure the aerodynamics are of a brick on another brick, but it's cool.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man
Well, I think the Jazz would be considerably cheaper.

Where's it made? Britain?

The wheels are nice - be even better with a tyre half the profile, hanging out the guards of a nice coupe or something, instead of that wretched Lego thing.

Did you know the Element has a floor which you can use a hose on to clean off? Now vat_man, think back: When was the last time you really wanted to hose off the floor of your Subaru? Perhaps the Element is the car for you!

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
Where's it made? Britain?

Did you know the Element has a floor which you can use a hose on to clean off? Now vat_man, think back: When was the last time you really wanted to hose off the floor of your Subaru? Perhaps the Element is the car for you!

Well, the Jazz we get here is made in Japan - but I see the Element goes for around $16 - $20k US, whereas the Jazz here goes for about $17-24k Australian, which would translate to about $8-12k US, and slot neatly in under the Civic.

Can't say I've ever thought of hosing the interior of the Super Sube out. I love the Honda ads for the Element - they actually mention that as a selling point! Geez - buy a cheap ute or something, people!

I don't know if you can still get it, but the Holden Jackaroo (which I think you guys get as the Isuzu Trooper) did recently have available as an option an all-vinyl interior you could actually hose out - which is great, until it's been sitting in the Australian sun for four hours, in 40 deg C heat, while you're at the beach. Ever had your Speedos melted on to your arse?

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man
Well, the Jazz we get here is made in Japan - but I see the Element goes for around $16 - $20k US, whereas the Jazz here goes for about $17-24k Australian, which would translate to about $8-12k US, and slot neatly in under the Civic.

The only problem is that Americans are seriously wary of any car costing under $10,000 with that space recently being occupied by bottom-spec Kias and Daewoos.

Can't say I've ever thought of hosing the interior of the Super Sube out.

Exactly. Has anyone, ever?

I love the Honda ads for the Element - they actually mention that as a selling point! Geez - buy a cheap ute or something, people!

In all the ads the car is black, too, in an attempt to try and hide the ugly grey body panels on the side of the car. I still haven't seen one, but I might just cruise on down to our local Honda place and see what the white ones look like.

I don't know if you can still get it, but the Holden Jackaroo (which I think you guys get as the Isuzu Trooper) did recently have available as an option an all-vinyl interior you could actually hose out - which is great, until it's been sitting in the Australian sun for four hours, in 40 deg C heat, while you're at the beach. Ever had your Speedos melted on to your arse?

We got the Trooper, but only in really well-specced versions with leather seats, alloy wheels, power stuff, and alarms. It was never a great car, and was finally forced off the market when sales dimished to next to nothing because Consumer Reports labeled the car as one that tips over easily. From there it earned the nickname 'the Isuzu Tipper.'

And if the seats get hot... just hose 'em down!!

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by M5Power
[BIn all the ads the car is black, too, in an attempt to try and hide the ugly grey body panels on the side of the car. I still haven't seen one, but I might just cruise on down to our local Honda place and see what the white ones look like.
[/B]

Yeah - I noticed the black doors on the picture I posted - I see all the literature seems to have the cars parked at such an angle that you can't see the doors clearly.

Take a digital camera, I'd be interested to see one. I bet they're parked WAY down the back of the dealer lot!

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man

Take a digital camera, I'd be interested to see one. I bet they're parked WAY down the back of the dealer lot!

Ask and ye shall receive! I'm real interested myself. Have you heard about Toyota's Element-competitor? Looks about the same (slightly more Japanese-looking) and will warrant an entirely new brand as Lexus did in 1990 called Scion.

EDIT: Picture!

 

[vat_man]

That would be because senior management don't want Toyota badges on it.

 

[MazKid]

Welp, Honda comes through again. A prototype car, looking much like the Nissan CubeX from GT2, is called "That's". Not joking at all, That's a car.

Purty sad....

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by vat_man
That would be because senior management don't want Toyota badges on it.

If I were in Toyota senior management, I would deny all associations and business dealings with this "Scion" guy. That thing's horrid.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man
That would be because senior management don't want Toyota badges on it.

Yeah. Because of the Camry and the Camry only, U.S. kids think Toyota is for old people. The MR2 doesn't sell because nothing can take down the Miata's reign in that segment, and the RAV-4 is mainly sold to 40+ year-old women. Scion is aimed at people born since 1977, but oddly their division head is 41.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by Hooligan
If I were in Toyota senior management, I would deny all associations and business dealings with this "Scion" guy. That thing's horrid.

They've got a convertible/coupe, too:

It doesn't look as bad as the Box on Wheels shown earlier (called the bbX) but still isn't beautiful.

 

[vat_man]

Apart from the 'molten Focus' rear end, that's not too bad.

It's amazing how different the market is there. Car sales for the big four (Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon, Toyota Camry and Mitsubishi Magna) are pretty much driven by corporate and government fleet sales, and these four dominate those because they're locally made.

The Camry's seen here as the non-car person's car, the MR2 suffers similar issues (although the Astra convertible has kicked some pretty big goals lately, probably because it's a bit cheaper and a four seater), and the RAV4 tends to sell to young couples, particularly the wretched two door.

 

[bigwhlkid]

i just went to the honda dealer today to pic up molding clips for me car and saw a Element in white and was er ever a disgusting sight. though i think it mite sell well in the US with people getting lazier and being able to take a hose to the interior will be a great advantage over other cars in its market.

and about the eh Isuzu Tipper, i have been in one with a uhh driver who whould take right hand turns in one at around 35-40 and never noticed a problem with the ah "tipping" though it would lean over a tremedous amount.

hmm Scion, Doesnt sound like Toyota got the youth oriented name they were looking for.

 

[Hooligan]

Originally posted by vat_man
Apart from the 'molten Focus' rear end, that's not too bad.

Yes! Totally molten Focus! That, or a clay model Focus that got clotheslined. Oh, and I think it's horrid.

 

[Vasco]

The rear does look like a focus...hmmm.

 

[darknite_23]

that hoda is ugly!!!!!!!!

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by vat_man


Take a digital camera, I'd be interested to see one. I bet they're parked WAY down the back of the dealer lot!

These are the stock wheels if you don't order the alloys...

...I think it's a good bet to order the alloys.

And the rear may be one of the ugliest rears to a car, ever.