The News for April 15, 2011
Welcome to CarGuyDad News 2.0; now new-er-ish and hopefully improved. This is the weekly recap on everything in the automotive industry that you should care about without all the fluff. We also throw in our opinion, just because we can. This week…
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New options for the 2012 V6 Camaros
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Camaro’s 45th Anniversary
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Mopar builds a rally car out of a Dodge Avenger
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Mopar adds muscle to the Charger
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Audi’s newest crossover
2012 Chevrolet Camaro and 45th Anniversary Edition:
Chevrolet is celebrating the 45th birthday of their iconic Camaro with plenty of new features and tweaks to the 2012 V6 models. Under the hood, the 3.6L V6 gets a nice 11 horsepower bump, good for an SAE-certified 323hp. Chevrolet claims the fuel mileage (30mpg highway) isn’t affected by the increased horsepower and the newest engine upgrades have also lightened it by some 20 lbs. The interior has also received some attention, with new graphics and trim pieces on the instrument cluster and a new steering wheel design (which hopefully fixes the need for a LEGO man-like grip on the wheel). Also new to the Camaro is the rear view camera which projects the image on the also new auto-dimming mirror. A new rear spoiler and “RS” taillights are now standard.
Of course, every automotive birthday deserves a special edition package; which is why Chevrolet announced a 45th Anniversary package available on the 2LT and 2SS trim levels (both coupe and convertible). The package comes with unique striping on the hood and rear deck to contrast the “Carbon Flash” paint, unique 20” wheels, 45th Anniversary badges everywhere, and red, white, and blue stitching throughout the interior.
No pricing has been made available for the 2012 V6 Camaros or the 45th Anniversary edition.
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Mopar Avenger Rally Car:
Mopar’s been on a roll lately, as they have been unveiling some radical new concepts, and this Avenger-based rally car is no exception. This one-off concept is Mopar’s way to celebrate their new partnership with Magneti Marelli, which built many of the go fast parts in this car. The two spent weeks tweaking a stock Avenger by adding Magneti Marelli‘s race suspension, a huge rear spoiler, and gutted about 200lbs out of it by removing unnecessary parts and adding carbon fiber door panels. Mopar also spent some time tweaking the 3.6L Pentastar V6 from 280hp to 300hp with a cold air intake and an improved exhaust system. The stock 6-speed automatic transmission was also modified with Magneti Marelli paddle shifters. Other rallying essentials like a rear brake system and a hand-operated “rally brake” were also provided by Magneti Marelli. An 8-point roll cage and race-spec seats top it all off.
Dodge plans to show off this rally-ready Avenger at the New York Auto Show and will seek feedback to determine which of the parts they’ll put into production.
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Mopar ’11 Charger:
Mopar has unveiled yet another high performance version of one of Chrysler’s road cars – this time it’s the 2011 Charger. The Mopar ’11 Charger features plenty of Mopar hardware that’s guaranteed to turn heads and tear up the drag strips. The 5.7L Hemi V8 has been tuned to 370hp and 395 lb-ft of torque which sends power to the rear wheels through the standard 5-speed automatic, which gets their truly badass pistol grip shifter. Mopar also added the “Super Trac Pac” option, which enhances the acceleration, handling, and braking capabilities. A new final drive ratio also helps boost acceleration, which is good enough for 0-60mph runs in the low 5 second range. Larger stabilizers and cross-car braces at the front and rear shock towers help to increase the car’s handling as well (the rear brace can be removed if you need more trunk space). On the outside, unique 20” wheels are fitted to super-sticky Goodyear tires and compliment the car’s “Pitch Black” paint. “Mopar Blue” pinstripes run all the way down the car from front to back and definitely add a muscular look. The same attractive color scheme is used on the interior too.
Chrysler only plans on building 1,000 examples, and they will start at $39,750.
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Audi Q3:
Audi has unveiled their latest and smallest addition to the Q lineup ahead of its Shanghai debut. This crossover will be initially launched with three 2.0L 4-cylinder engines – two gasoline, one TDI diesel. The horsepower and torque figures range from 140hp and 206 lb-ft to 211hp and 280lb-ft of torque. The 140hp TDI diesel is expected to achieve 45mpg when paired with front-wheel drive. Both gasoline engines and the stronger TDI diesel engine (which is available at launch) will send power through a 7-speed S-Tronic transmission and power all four wheels thanks to Audi’s legendary system, which will eventually be available with the weaker 140hp TDI engine as well.
On the inside, you can expect the same tech features you’d find on any other new Audi, including their advanced MMI navigation and entertainment system, Bose audio, and your own WLAN hotspot. Other Audi tech features such as advanced stability control and other driver assists are also included. Despite the Q3’s small size (the thing only weighs 3,307 lbs), Audi claims it can tow up to 4,400 lbs (those things come with trailer hitches?).
As of right now, nobody is truly sure if Audi will bring the Q3 to the U.S., but it seems pretty likely. The first units will go on sale in Europe by June, so we’ll have an answer soon. Pricing for German buyers is 29,999 Euros (or roughly 43,328 US Dollars, ouch!).
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