Toyota created a future version of the Prius and displayed it at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show and now has this plug-in on display at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. In all respects, this isn’t a Prius you’ve ever seen before. It has a 1.8l 97 bhp regular engine, mated to a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.

The engine can generate 97bhp and with the electric motor, an extra 79 bhp is gained. Aided by the Lithium-ion battery, the PHEV is recorded to have attained a top speed of 62 mph (100km/hour) in electric mode. When fully charged, the car can travel as much as 12.5miles (20km), which is six miles more than the current generation Prius. Let’s not get too excited yet about seeing this vehicle soon on our roads. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, car news, los angeles auto show, prius plug-in hybrid, prius plug-in hybrid la auto show, priusplug-inhybrid, Toyota, toyota news, toyota prius plug-in hybrid, toyotapriusplug-inhybrid
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If you want to personalize the 2011 Ford Fiesta, you certainly won’t go wrong with going by this one suspension-and-wheels approach. All the pent-up creativity would surely not be wasted here as the 2011 Fiesta can be personalized to your heart’s content.

When the car rolls into showrooms in 2010, nearly every styling component displayed on this white-hot Fiesta will be available from Ford Custom Accessories, Ford Licensed Accessories and Ford Racing Performance Parts. This gives you no reason not to be able to come up with a ride that’s as unique as you and the crowd you run with. But then again, getting the look perfected is only half the fun of building a sport compact. Also check the 2011 Ford Fiesta by H&R Special Springs or the 2011 Ford Fiesta by Ford Racing and Steeda Autosports. Photo after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, 2009laautoshow, 2011 fiesta, 2011 fiesta custom accessories, 2011 fiesta ford custom accessories, 2011 fiesta la auto show, 2011 ford fiesta, 2011 ford fiesta ford custom accessories, 2011 ford fiesta us spec, los angeles auto show, losangelesautoshow
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Kia unveils the 2011 Sorento CUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The car will go on sale in early 2010 as model year 2011. The car will be offered in base, LX and EX trim levels, with each of these three coming with 17-inch alloy wheels with 235/65R17 tires and wheel moldings. The LX adds body-color heated outside mirrors with integrated LED turn signal indicators while the EX also brings standard 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlamps, fog lamps (optional on LX) and a rear spoiler. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, 2009 los angeles auto show, 2011 kia sorento, 2011 kia sorento cuv, 2011 kia sorento la auto show, 2011 kia sorento us spec, 2011 kia sorento us version, 2011 sorento, 2011 sorento la auto show, 2011kiasorento, car news, Kia, kia la auto show, kia news, los angeles auto show
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At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Mitsubishi is expected to show several new projects that might go on sale in the upcoming years. One of the displays is the 2010 Outlander that will go on sale in North American stores later this year.

Pricing for the car begins at $20,840. The US-bound Mitsubishi Outlander will be offered with two engine configurations. Mitsubishi claims that each of them were tweaked to return the best possible fuel consumption but without neglecting power output. Continued after the jump!

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The world debut of the lightest Porsche – the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder — is at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. Sales will begin in the US next February, with prices starting from $61,200.

At a press conference for the auto show, Klaus Berning, Porsche’s executive board member (worldwide sales and marketing), said that the new Boxster Spyder is “distinctly different from its Boxster siblings.” Berning calls it the “quintessential purist Porsche.” He said that its designers were inspired by the mid-engine sports and race cars of the ’50s but that’s where the similarity ends because the car has Porsche’s most advanced technology. Powering the new Spyder is a 3.4l six-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection, allowing it to develop 320 horsepower. The Spyder has only 10hp more but it’s very significant because of the weight difference. The Spyder is 176 pounds lighter. Plenty of new photos after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, 2011 boxster spyder, 2011 boxster spyder la auto show, 2011 porsche boxster spyder, 2011 porsche boxster spyder la auto show, 2011boxsterspyder, 2011porscheboxsterspyder, car news, LA Auto Show, los angeles auto show, Porsche
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To go on sale in early spring is the 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI Special Edition model that is priced at $32,995 plus $695 D&D. Subaru of America, Inc. revealed that the new model is priced $2,000 lower than the base price of the 2010 WRX STI and will be limited in production.

The 2010 WRX STI Special Edition is equipped with an upgraded performance suspension from the Japanese domestic market WRX STI spec C and spec C wheels and is expected to appeal to the driving enthusiast who is prepared to let go of a few amenities to get improved handling performance. Suspension for the new version of this high-performance machine is taken from the Japanese domestic market WRX STI spec C model, which adds a 1-millimeter thicker rear stabilizer bar, stiffer rear sub-frame bushings plus upgraded springs. The front springs are 16% stiffer, while the rear springs are stiffer by 29%. Only 125 units of the 2010 WRX STI Special Edition will be painted in exclusive Aspen White however, it will be available in Obsidian Black Pearl, WR Blue Mica and Dark Gray Metallic colors. All models will have the charcoal-colored 18 x 8.5 in. 14-spoke alloy wheels from the JDM WRX STI spec C. Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, 2010 subaru impreza wrx sti special edition, 2010 subaru impreza wrx sti special edition price, 2010 wrx sti special edition, 2010 wrx sti special edition pricing, 2010wrxstispecialedition, car news, LA Auto Show, los angeles auto show
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On paper, this partnership appears to be as solid as any team can get in order to provide an outstanding transformation of the 2011 Ford Fiesta. Ford Racing has partnered with Steeda Autosports for this project.

Steeda’s cold air intake improves airflow, while the Borla/Ford Racing Performance cat-back system keeps the 1.6-liter Ti-VCT (Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing) I-4 breathing easy. To give the customer track-inspired ride and handling, Steeda/Ford Racing upgraded the factory suspension. Just behind the Ford Racing multi-spoke Euro wheels are one-off Brembo front and rear brakes to give the driver full control. If you don’t like this, then check the 2010 Ford Mustang by Steeda which was recently introduced at SEMA Show! Photo gallery after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, 2011 fiesta, 2011 fiesta steeda ford racing, 2011 ford fiesta ford racing, 2011 ford fiesta steeda, 2011 ford fiesta steeda tuning, 2011 ford fiesta tuning, 2011fordfiestasteeda, car news, LA Auto Show, los angeles auto show, losangelesautoshow, tuning news
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Pricing for BMW’s first hybrid performance/luxury sedans has now been released. BMW made the announcement during the debut of the 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 models at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.

BMW will start delivering the cars in Spring 2011 with a base MSRP of $103,125 including destination and handling for the ActiveHybrid 7 and $107,025 for the long wheelbase ActiveHybrid 7L. The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Sedans are equipped with BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and hybrid electric motor. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, Bmw, bmw activehybrid 7, bmw activehybrid 7 la auto show, bmw activehybrid 7 price, bmw activehybrid 7 pricing, bmw activehybrid 7 us price, bmw la auto show, bmw news, car news, LA Auto Show, los angeles auto show
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One of the cars that stood out at the LA Auto Show was the Capstone CMT 380, a hybrid supercar with electric power from 96 lithium ion batteries and assistance from a 30 kw bio diesel powered micro turbine. Or what is essentially a jet engine. Designed by video game producer Richard Hilleman, the car is capable of an electronically limited 150mph top speed.

It is capable of accelerating to 60mph in 3.9 seconds. If in purely electric mode, it can go 80 miles but this extends to 500 miles when the turbine is brought into play. No figures are available for emissions but they are described to be “ultra-low.” Capstone is set to raise production next year, with 10 to 15 cars to be sold at £171,000, most likely in kit form. Potential UK customers shouldn’t be dismayed though since company boss Jim Crause considers it a simple process to convert the CMT 380 to a right-hand drive and eventually make it to the UK.

Tags:2009 la auto show, 2009 los angeles auto show, 2009laautoshow, capstone, capstone cmt 380, capstone cmt 380 la auto show, capstonecmt380, car news, los angeles auto show, losangelesautoshow
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These are the first official pictures of the US-spec Ford Fiesta that will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The car will be sold in America as a five-door hatchback and a four-door saloon and there will be one engine option available – a 1.6-litre petrol four-pot with 119bhp and 109lb ft of torque.

It can be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox or six-speed dual-clutch automatic unit that is operated via a standard shift stick. Although considered class-leading in the US, the vehicle’s capability to do 36mpg in town and 48mpg on the motorway can’t be said to be high by European standards. Ford has claimed that the US-spec is 40% different from the European car but the visual changes are minimal. What are readily observable are that the front grille is a new design and the fog lamps have been replaced with an LED strip. For its interior, the seats feature more bolstering, the dash shape has been mildly altered to meet crash test regulations (including the inclusion of a knee airbag) and there are styling changes, with less chrome styling on some models. Standard kit includes a four-inch LCD display, an MP3 socket, push start button, Bluetooth capability and climate control. Buyers can opt to have heated seats and side mirrors, powered seats, a sunroof and leather upholstery. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2009 la auto show, 2009 los angeles auto show, 2011 fiesta us-spec, 2011 fiesta us-version, 2011 fiesta us-version la auto show, 2011 ford fiesta us spec, 2011 ford fiesta us-version, 2011fiestaus-version, 2011fordfiestaus-spec, 2011fordfiestaus-version, car news, Ford, ford news, los angeles auto show
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