Fornasari Thor UDV

Yet Fornasari shows up at every Geneva auto show, filling its floor space with outlandish vehicles, such as an SUV resembling a yacht tender. At the 2011 Geneva auto show, Fornasari put forth its wildest concept yet, a toy for very big boys, the Thor UDV.This vehicle, clad in bright orange bodywork, is hard not to notice. According to Fornasari, it came out of the company's Tactical Vehicles Group, and was developed in conjunction with Astro Bionix, an Austrian company that provides industrial emergency services, according to its Web site, and uses the slogan Air - Land - Sea - Space.
Fornasari Thor UDV
UDV stands for Ultimate Deployment Vehicle. Fornasari specifies tasks for it such as simulated planetary exploration, scientific and rescue operations, paramilitary urban security, and exfiltration/infiltration. To accomplish these tasks, Fornasari specifies options such as night vision, a pressurized occupant compartment, cryogenic organ transport equipment, a land mine detection system, and a 7.62 mm Gatling gun.

The 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STI

Perhaps it is unfair to consign the last-generation Subaru Impreza WRX STI to a place in history best occupied by the likes of New Coke and the Pet Rock. Yet when Subaru unveiled the 2008 STI--the replacement for its legendary, flame-snorting predecessor which launched in the United States in 2004--there was no escaping the feeling that its performance flagship might have lost as much as it gained along the way. And for what?

Yes, the 2008 STI was smoother and quieter. It also felt softer and easier to drive, even--and this was the depressing part--tame in comparison with the original. Some of that feeling was simply perception born from inevitable refinement, but it remained in place to some degree even as Subaru's engineers improved the car's suspension and engine for 2009, with even more suspension upgrades added to last year's STI Special Edition. Unfortunately for the product planners and the early adopters, this is often the case when an inspiring machine evolves, especially one that arrived on the scene providing a driving experience so genuine that it earned a diverse loyalist following spanning traditional gearheads, rally nuts and the sterotypical street-racer fan boys trained on PlayStation more than their local road courses.

Two and a half years later, Subaru does not feel a need to apologize for the last STI, as sales have remained relatively stable at around 3,000 to 3,500 cars sold per year. It does, however, acknowledge “a difference in [company] philosophy when that car was launched,” as one spokesman said on the eve of the 2011 model's introduction. “You can't please everybody.”

No, but first drives of the new WRX and WRX STI indicate that Subaru has come much closer to doing so this time around.

The most obvious distinction is the return of a sedan, which joins the five-door hatchback in the STI lineup. Subaru has always offered a four-door version of the WRX but binned the STI sedan for 2008 because it wanted to sell potential buyers on a direct link between the road car and the hatchback-based World Rally Championship contender of the time. Still, while the five-door's shorter overhangs made it easier for WRC driver Petter Solberg to know where his rally car's corners were, and therefore keep it in one piece at speed through the forests of Wales and the snow banks of Finland, the design failed to resonate with a fair portion of hard-core customers.

“Consumer feedback [said] that a lot of people didn't like the hatch; a lot wanted the sedan,” Subaru's spokesman said. “When we took that away, [some thought the car was] too mild, too mellow.”

There is far less chance of that now, even if you still feel that the latest design lacks the original's raw visual impact and apparent singularity of purpose. The WRX and STI sedans and hatches now share aggressive, wide-body panels. The appearance is all new to Impreza sedans, while revised lightly in the front on five-door versions. To distinguish the STI as the top-of-the-line edition, the sedan once again flaunts a tall signature rear wing, now noticeably convex in sculpting, and all STIs receive bigger wheels and tires and, of course, STI badging.

If you were hoping for increased power, you'll want to skip the following section, as engines and transmissions remain unchanged. The WRX's 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer four still features maximum boost pressure of 14.2 psi and produces 265 hp at 6,000 rpm and 244 lb-ft of torque at 4,000. The STI engine, with 14.7 psi of boost, remains rated at 305 hp at 6,000 rpm and 290-lb-ft at 4,000. Subaru engineers say that the WRX still runs from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, the STI in 4.9. Experience shows that Subaru's official acceleration numbers tend to fall into the conservative zone, though; as with the old cars, you should be able to shave 0.2 to 0.3 second from those times. Officially, the WRX tops out at 142 mph, while the STI sedan's improved aerodynamics bump its top speed to 158 mph, 3 mph faster than the hatchback.

Straightline running, though, is not what will make this generation of cars memorable or significant to the lineage, as they feel identical to their predecessors when you crack the throttle in pursuit of pure velocity. And as nice as the wide-body design and mildly reworked interior are (there's a new audio system and instrument cluster, and STIs are now available with leather seats and power moonroof in Limited trim), that's not enough to earn them a new chapter in the Book of Impreza. But what lies underneath just might, as it positively improves the handling with seemingly no reduction in ride quality.

According to Hiroshi Mori, the cars' general manager, “all [mechanical] changes for 2011 [are intended] to improve driver confidence, handling and response.” Initial impressions from a day behind the wheel of the WRX and STI say that he and his team achieved their target.

The key modifications lie within the suspension, which features a wider track (by 1.3 inches in front, 1.5 rear) made possible by the flared bodywork. WRX wheel and tire sizes increase as well, with 17- x 8-inch wheels versus the previous edition's 17 x 7. Tires measure 235/45, up from 225/45. As for the STI, wheel size carries over (18 x 8.5), as does tire size (245/40). The WRX also receives firmer rear suspension subframe bushings, and our brief drive on Colorado mountain roads indicates that there is less body roll through corners to go along with more grip.

Extended time in the STI, though, reveals the real performance story. Mori's engineers fitted the front suspension with a feature well known to racers and aftermarket performance-part junkies. “Pillow ball” bushings—or spherical bearings, if you prefer—attach the aluminum lower control arms to the front suspension's subframe. Whereas the old STI used economical rubber bushings with steel sleeves, the new design's proper steel bearings provide twice as much resistance to fore/aft forces and improve camber and toe stiffness.

From there, it's a trickle-down effect throughout the suspension. Front spring rate increases by 15.6 percent, the rear by an impressive 53 percent over the standard 2010 STI and 18 percent versus the aforementioned STI Special Edition. Antiroll bars are slightly larger (21 millimeters versus 20 in front, 19 versus 18 out back), and the ride height drops by 5 millimeters. Mori says that the STI now generates 0.93 g of maximum lateral grip compared with the 2010's 0.90, and there is 33 percent less body roll. The collective changes and newfound rigidity make better use of the front tires, which previously suffered high wear on the outer third of their tread.

Your backside relays the message better than any numbers on a chart ever could. Our drive on the road indicated improvements in grip, dive, roll and corner turn-in, with the STI taking a quicker, firmer and more confidence-inspiring attitude through corners that will be apparent to drivers of varying skill levels—just as Mori said.

Back-to-back drives in 2010 and 2011 STIs on Aspen Motorsports Park's twisting layout confirmed those feelings. While the 2010 car's tires roared in tortured pain, the 2011's rubber only chirped, even during deliberate attempts to push harder and harder in order to unsettle the chassis, to find the spot when an inherent “softness” emerged as it did in the old car. Such a scenario never happened. Front-end bite is much better, with less understeer and improved grip through all phases of cornering. The new STI appears to handle lateral transitions significantly better than the old, and without doubt, the difference between the two generations was indisputably laid bare.

As this was a first drive, plenty remains to be discovered about the latest WRX and STI. There are many more miles to cover in the real world before we have a definitive sense of whether Subaru has taken a major step toward rediscovering the line's old magic. But if initial impressions prove correct, there's only one thing to say about the previous incarnation.

It's history.

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX

On Sale: Late August/early September

Base Price: $26,220

Drivetrain: 2.5-liter, turbocharged, 265-hp, 244-lb-ft H4; AWD, five-speed manual

Curb Weight: 3,208 lb

0-60 MPH: 5.4 sec (mfr)

Fuel Economy (EPA): 21 mpg

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

On Sale: Late August/early September

Base Price: $34,720

Drivetrain: 2.5-liter, turbocharged, 305-hp, 290-lb-ft H4; AWD, six-speed manual

Curb Weight: 3,384 lb

0-60 MPH: 4.9 sec (mfr)

Fuel Economy (EPA): 19 mpg

SR1 Concept Takes Peugeot Design in a New Direction

Peugeot says its SR1 hybrid concept "reveals the stylistic design trends for its future models", and to that Peugeot fans should be saying thank God. This is arguably one of the nicer concepts from the Geneva show, and a home run for the fugly French brand (barring the double-bubblized RCZ).

Meant to be an all-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering GT of the HYbrid4 caliber and packing a combined output of 313 horsepower (while releasing 119g/km in emissions), the SR1 accomplishes one very important goal: it sets a new course in the world of design for a brand that, frankly, has been aesthetically sinking for quite some time.

Inside, there's a funky 2+1 three-person setup which, if someone has a child, ends up making just a bit of sense; consumers driving around with two kids stuffed in the back seat of a GT are trying way too hard. Another nice feature is the custom Bell&Ross watch integrated into the dashboard that's removable.

The HYbrid4 technology, which mates a 218 horsepower 1.6 liter THP 4-cylinder to a 95 horsepower electric motor at the rear, should debut in the highly-unexciting 3008 in 2011. Now, if that same tech were to ever appear in a production version of an SR1 that returned 48 mpg US (4.9L/100km), people would need to get very interested in Peugeot in a hurry.

General Motors did not say which platform the concept

Meet the Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept that made its world debut at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Officially, the XTS is just a design study that showcases Cadillac's emerging top-of-the-line Platinum series of models, but unofficially, it previews the Detroit firm's DTS replacement in the full-size sedan segment that's pegged make its way onto the market by 2012.

General Motors did not say which platform the concept is based on, but judging from the XTS' wheelbase length of 111.7 inches or 2,837mm that is identical to the new Buick LaCrosse, we'd say that it rides on a modified version of the Epsilon II.

Even though it shares the same wheelbase with the LaCrosse, the XTS is 6.6 inches longer at 203.5 inches (5,170mm) and 1.7 inches wider at 74.8 inches (1,900mm).

You may have noticed that we haven't said anything about the XTS' exterior design. That's because we can't decide if we find it elegant or boring. We're probably leaning towards the second, but feel free to tell us what you think in the comment section below.

The concept's interior is a bit more intriguing style-wise, but nothing groundbreaking - or at least not for anyone under the age of 50...

Moving on the XTS Platinum concept's hardware, Cadillac fitted the full-size sedan with a plug-in hybrid electric propulsion system (PHEV). It combines a direct-injection V6 petrol engine and electric motors to drive all-four wheels. The system delivers an estimated output of 350 horsepower (260 kW) and 295 lb.-ft. of torque (400 Nm).

CADILLAC XTS PLATINUM CONCEPT SPECIFICATIONS

Vehicle type:	luxury sedan concept
Wheelbase (in / mm):	111.7 / 2837
Length (in / mm):	203.5 / 5170
Width (in / mm):	74.8 / 1900
Height (in / mm):	59.1 / 1500
Track (in / mm):	62.6 / 1589 (front); 62.8 / 1594 (rear)
Powertrain:	plug-in hybrid system with 3.6L Direct Injection gas engine (with variable valve timing); lithium ion battery
Suspension:	four-wheel independent with Magnetic Ride Control.
Brakes:	four-wheel disc with electric park brake system
Wheels:	20-in front / 20-in rear
Estimated power:	350 hp (260 kW) / 295 lb.-ft. (400 Nm)

Denali treatment adds new features

The 2011 GMC Acadia Denali made its first public outing at this week's Detroit motor show. Scheduled to arrive in GMC's dealerships in the third quarter of the year, the Denali treatment adds new features and unique styling cues to the firm's crossover model that can seat up to eight passengers.

The exterior package adds a chrome honeycomb grille, 20-inch two-tone alloy wheels, unique lower front and rear fascias, body colored cladding, rocker moldings and fender flares along with dual chrome exhaust tips and chrome accents.

Inside, the Denali model comes with all the bells and whistles including but not limited to, perforated leather seats with matching leather door panel trim, head-up display, chrome, lighted sill plates with the Denali logo, Dual SkyScape sunroof system, with sliding front sunroof and fixed rear section, leather-wrapped steering wheel with mahogany wood inserts, navi, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and a tri-zone automatic climate control.

There are no changes under the hood as the Denali model is powered by the same 288HP 3.6-liter V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission as the other Acadia models.