If you're hot-to-trot on this new Bimmer, you'd better head over to your nearest dealer soon. All factory orders for 2008 have been spoken for—from the manufacturer to dealers—that is. That being the case, '08 X6s may be hard to come by in the not too distant future.

I know the X6 is a somewhat controversial vehicle, as the more "practical" AWD X5 can do just about anything this AWD SUV, er, sorry, AWD coupe can do. But that's not the point; it's about styling which is what this coupe and every coupe is all about—and has always been about. Yeah, it's jacked up, but so what. It's still more practical than any conventional coupe, no matter how you slice it—and it looks great; at least I think it looks great.

Don't forget, Infiniti has done pretty darn well with their equally jacked up AWD coupe, the FX. Can you blame BMW for not wanting to get a piece of the action here?

Full story here and here.

Images of arguably the best looking and most exciting Caddy coupe ever, the CTS-V, have hit the Net. The supercharged coupe is sure to light a fire within the hearts of Caddy fans—and likely Euro-coupe and Asian-coupe fans as well.

Here's Inside Line's take: Supercharge Me: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

For anyone who's anxiously awaiting the 2010 Ford Mustang, here's a sneak peek at its new headlight design. It's not much, but clearly Ford's designers are making some changes.

Yep, it's another Nissan GT-R blog entry, but this time with a twist. This time we have Jay Leno commenting on the vehicle—and yes, you can learn a few new things about the car as well.

Full story here at Autoblog.

It's the battle of the Bavarians.

We put our long-term 2002 BMW M3 against two of the latest BMWs: the 135i and 335i.

How did it play out?

Read the Comparison Test on Inside Line.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

 

I remember very clearly the very first Mustang I ever saw in person. It belonged to Joe Benezra, who was the older brother to one of my high school buddies. Joe, who was maybe a year or two out of high school, swung by the high school one day to show off his new ride. It was a bright orange Mustang convertible, with a pathetic (by today's standards) 105 hp 6-cylinder engine, three-on-the-floor, and skinny whitewall tires with full wheel covers. As I recall, the Mustang had just gone on sale—like just a few days before! So Joe was clearly the first on the block to own on. Heck, he was probably the first in our small town to own one.

The most impressive thing to me about Joe's Mustang was not the looks (pretty good) or the specs (not so pretty good, as it was based on the wimpy Ford Falcon chassis). Nope, what stood out to this testosterone-charged youth was the fact that it was an absolute chick magnet—like I had never seen before! Now Joe did okay with the ladies on his own, but boy that Mustang sure must have driven up his batting average to MVP status.

So fast-forward to spring of 2008, and Ford has just built Mustang number 9,000,000. It's still a chick magnet—but the specs sure have improved! As to Joe? Who knows, but I bet it's safe to say that he hasn't aged so gracefully.

From Ford's Press Release: Ford Motor Company announced today it has built its 9 millionth Mustang. The GT Convertible Mustang is heading west to be delivered to a dealership in Iowa.

The Ford Mustang, approaching its 45th anniversary on April 17th, 2009, is one of the most widely recognized vehicles in the world. Today, one of every two sports cars sold in America is a Ford Mustang. The Mustang is also Ford Motor Company’s longest-running nameplate. Mustang was introduced on April 17, 1964, at the New York World’s Fair.

Mustang sales hit an astounding 419,000 in its first 12 months on the market, and topped the 1-million mark in the first two years, shattering the sales records of any single model in the history of the automobile. Mustang leads the nearly $1-billion aftermarket parts and accessories industry as the most personalized vehicle of all time, and has been recognized by SEMA as the most accessory-friendly new vehicle.

The 2009 Mustang offers a Glass Roof option and a new Warriors in Pink Package, available this summer.

Many within FHI (Subaru) worry that a RWD Subaru coupe could dilute brand's AWD image. Well, duh... Of course it will—and I've been saying this from the very moment I got wind of this news...

"We may lose our longstanding territory, or we may lose the great niche brand image. The potential risk is there. We have to be very smart on marketing strategy," states Mat Nagato, chief of overseas sales at Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries. He goes on to also say, "a potential question could be cannibalization."

It's a bad idea. No, make that an awful idea, that being a RWD Subaru coupe. I'll go even further: It's the stupidest marketing idea I've yet heard from Subaru—and that going some, as they have long history of making bonehead marketing decisions—and this is coming from a diehard Subaru fan (we've got three in the family, one being a WRX).

Can you imagine this dynamic duo—a Toyota and Subaru that are identical except for a different grille and taillights? Think Pontiac Solstice/Saturn/Sky clones; or better yet, the ill-fated Saab 9-2x/Subara Impreza fiasco.

That's what they'll end up with; two virtually identical cars fighting each other for customers. I say give the Toyota version RWD and keep the Subaru version AWD. That way the vehicles will be distinct from one another, and will appeal to different customers.

But you say you want a RWD Subaru because it will be cheaper, lighter, slightly more fuel-efficient and simpler than any AWD version?

I say go buy the Toyota then—and leave the Subaru AWD for those of us who want and appreciate that configuration. And hey, Subaru will make money regardless which one you buy, as they both will be built using the Subaru boxer engine, and will be built in a Subaru factory.

Finally, if you're wondering why I'm even mentioning the possibility of AWD being offered, my understanding is that has not yet been finally determined. So an AWD possibility is on the table, at least for now it is.

Full story here. And for those who can't log on to AN, you can find the article here.

UPDATE: In a related story (here). Nick Senior, Subaru of Australia's managing director says no to this coupe, as Subaru Australia won't import it. Here are a few quotes from Senior on this topic:

“From my understanding of it, it doesn’t fit within our brand strategy.”

“But more realistically and more credibly, our DNA is boxer engines and all-wheel drive. I haven’t seen that lose impetus in the last 10 years, so why should we stray from that strategy?”

On the subject of the similar Toyota model, Senior stated: “It gets back to the whole debate about badge engineering and we aren’t interested in that."

Maybe you remember the name Geely? It was the first Chinese car company to show a car at the Detroit auto show in 2006. The display vehicle was a pathetic attempt at a sedan that left many wondering if it was a serious car company.

Now take a look at this Geely concept. It's called the Tiger GT and it's the one car at the show that always has a crowd around it. Sure, the models hanging on it help, but most of the credit goes to the Italian-looking bodywork that makes it look like a misshapen Maserati.

According to the brief spec sheet, the Geely GT has a 3.5-liter V6 up front that produces 225 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque. It sends power to the rear wheels that measure 19 inches in diameter and wear 255/40ZR tires. The suspension is only described as "multilink" front and rear.

It will be a long time before a car like the Geely Tiger GT ever hits the road. The fact that it even exists in concept form is probably a triumph for Geely's designers and accountants. The company is moving fast, though, so don't be surprised if Geely's next Detroit concept gets more claps than laughs. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line

Sketches of the upcoming RWD Subaru coupe are posted along with some info on UK's Autocar.com.

It's been known for some time that Toyota and Subaru are doing a joint coupe, using the Subaru boxer engine, and that the Toyota version would be RWD. Now this article is stating that the Subie version would also be RWD.

As comedian Redd Foxx used to say on his TV show, Sanford and Son: "This is the big one! You hear that, Elizabeth? I’m coming to join ya!..." and then fake a heart attack. Well, if this comes to pass, that being a RWD Subie coupe, I too expect to have a heart attack...

Full story here.

The 2009 Chevrolet Camaro has arrived at the Nurburgring. These pictures were just shot at the famous German test track, so expect to see video of it burning up the Nordschleife shortly. Note the Brembo calipers up front. Could this be the often rumored SS version? We’ll know soon enough.