wordl cars: March 2012

Thursday, 15 March 2012

honda civic 2012 North American International Auto Show

When we previewed the latest-gen Honda Civic Si around the time of the 2011 North American International Auto Show, we liked the styling, comparing it to the Accord Coupe and saying that we felt like the Civic looked to be growing up a little; no more massive rear spoiler of the outgoing model, no more severely canted forward stance—just taut lines and a purposeful shape.

Our original thoughts were confirmed when we first saw it in person; Honda has managed to turn the Civic Coupe into an almost junior-Accord—especially from the B-pillar rearward. The nose is still a little more canted forward than that which is seen on the Accord, but the rear treatment is very similar. Which is a good thing, because that Accord is a handsome design exercise. Details like the subtle rear spoiler (which has been reduced for this gen. A good thing, too, as the item on old models made for some challenging parking manoeuvres), brash 17-inch alloys and oval-shaped exhaust, meanwhile, help the Civic stand out from its more conservative big brother.

Having driven it, we can safely say that new, grown-up appearance of the car has been matched by the goings-on under the hood as well. Don’t get me wrong; the most manic of Honda’s bread-and-butter Civic lineup is still willing to dance the dance when it comes to high revs and VTEC showmanship, but the manner in which it gets there is different from last gen’s model.

honda civic 2012

Monday, 12 March 2012

ford Alton F 650 XUV

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We've seen some outrageous F-650-based vehicles like this before (the DeBerti for one), but for some reason, the Alton F-650 XUV jumped out at us at the Chicago Auto Show. Perhaps we were already focused on Ford's Work Solutions trucks in the vicinity, but this insane beast just put our DSLRs on autopilot. The F-650-based XUV was built by Alton Manufacturing and carries a GVWR of 25,999 lbs. That makes the 660 ft-lbs of torque generated by its 7.2L Caterpillar engine seem paltry. Besides the big-rig-meets-Excursion bodywork, your nearly $200,000 expenditure for this XUV will get you hardwood floors, custom captains chairs, a 42-speaker sound system, two drop-down 16-inch TVs plus a 42-inch plasma, four computer workstations, plus a train horn. Oh, you'll also get bragging rights for the biggest, baddest truck in 99% of the world's neighborhoods

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Alton F-650 XUV1

Alton F650 XUV

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Ford Alton F 650 XUV

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