Spectra: Korean For "Take Us Seriously!"
Civic. Corolla. Focus. And now...Spectra? Kia's new-generation Spectra wants respect-and maybe it'll get it too, thanks to a longer wheelbase, a wider track and more horsepower, as well as six airbags with full-length side-curtain airbags and four-wheel disc brakes for its 2004 reinvention. A new platform gives the Spectra a longer wheelbase and more interior room (97 cubic feet) and trunk room (12.2 cubic feet) than in the last version. A new 2.0-liter DOHC engine incorporates continuously variable valve timing, and makes 138 hp and 135 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual is standard, an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission is optional. The Spectra LX has standard AM/FM/CD audio, tinted glass, and a rear window defroster; the EX adds air conditioning, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, heated power outside mirrors and front fog lights. It's in showrooms in late spring, with a hotter-looking five-door about six months later.
Acura Fantasizes About Speed with TL A-Spec
If the new Acura TL spawns a Type-S performance edition soon, it might carry some of the fancy features displayed on the TL A-Spec concept shown in L.A. The Acura fantasy ride sits on a track two inches wider than the stock TL, and is shod with 21-in wheels and a high-flow exhaust system that boosts its 3.2-liter V6 to more than 300 hp. A panoramic glass sunroof opens the red-leather interior to the sun, and the new rear end gets restyled taillamps and a spoiler. Brembo brakes with eight-piston calipers and Adaptive Cruise Control round out the package.
Mini Goes Micro: Mazda MX Micro Sport
The teensy MX Micro Sport could vie for the hottest microhatch on the market, if enough of you tell Mazda you want it. Based on the European-market Mazda2, the Micro Sport gets jazzy, almost retro-1980s styling with a relatively big 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, definitely big 17-inch wheels and other racing- and tuner-oriented styling cues. The Micro Sport is officially a concept, but Mazda is hinting a car very much like the Micro Sport is coming to a "major market" soon. Mazda has promised a raft of new models for this year, including sport wagons based on the bigger Mazda6. We'll keep you tuned in.
Mitsu Concept-E: Eclipsing the Future
Mitsubishi Concept E
What's the next Eclipse coupe gonna look like? Mitsu's squad of execs and designers tells ImportTuner it'll be a lot like this radically swoopy Concept-E. The concept two-door and the next Eclipse both ride on a version of the components that make up the new Galant sedan, so you can expect the coupe to be larger and roomier. One thing you shouldn't expect, at least when the Eclipse comes stalking dealers next year, is a hybrid powertrain and the all-wheel drive shown on the concept. The performance-oriented hybrid system isn't meant to sip gas, it's engineered to give the hot Mitsu even more power than current V6 versions and to improve weight distribution. In show tune, the Concept-E's gas engine spits 269 hp, while the electric motors spinning the rear wheels kick in another 200 hp or so for short times (until the battery runs out, that is.) Similar systems have been shown by Honda and Toyota, but Mitsu hasn't yet fielded a hybrid vehicle.
Mitsubishi Sport Truck Concept
Series 1.0 Makes Scion xB Version 2.0
Have computer geeks taken over Scion? If the xB Release Series 1.0 name gives you computer-virus nightmares, relax, it's just the newest edition for the boxy, foxy Gen-Ymobile. The Series 1.0 is splashed liberally with Hot Lava orange paint, wears an orange powder coating on its strut brace, swaps out its stock grille for a tuner-look billeted one, and finishes off the look with orange-trimmed black seats.
Holy Great Pumpkin! Scion will build 2100 of the special-edition, and expects to charge about a grand more than the standard xB.