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Chinese automakers will be the direct beneficiary of everyone’s lack of interest in Detroit, as both BYD Auto and Brilliance will be moved out of the basement, otherwise known as Michigan Hall, and onto the main floor of Cobo for the first time. They’ll be occupying the space formerly reserved for Mitsubishi and be positioned elbow-to-elbow with mainstream manufacturers that actually do sell cars in the U.S. While Chinese automakers have displayed at the Detroit Auto Show for the past few years, the closest they ever got to the main floor was the lobby when Geely was the first Chinese automaker to exhibit there back in 2006. At this rate, we expect Cobo Hall to be fully owned by the Chinese by the end of next year.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

And so comes the announcement today that Mateschitz has re-acquired full stake in his B-squad, Scuderia Toro Rosso, which proved itself better than the A-squad by outperforming it all year and even winning a race. For next season, STR’s wunderkind Sebastian Vettel is moving up to the Red Bull Racing main squad to replace the retired David Coulthard. The announcement for Sebastien Buemi to join STR in Vettel’s seat is expected soon. Unless Mateschitz decides to buy something else.

[Source: Autosport]

The main advantage for the iQ has over the fortwo is the city car’s extra passenger seats. Unlike the smart, Toyota’s microcar manages to cram four belts into its tiny frame and a drop-top variant would make the iQ the world’s smallest-ever four-seat convertible. While a credible contender to the fortwo cabrio is surely in the cards, we’re still waiting to see the iQ rebadged a Scion and brought to the U.S. to truly give smart a run for its money.

[Source:Carscoop]

The SVT team entered with realistic expectations, hoping to simply finish a race that has a knack for providing unexpected challenges at every turn. Mission: accomplished. The SVT Raptor not only crossed the finish line, but it did so with flying colors by finishing third in the Class 8 division. This is especially impressive considering the Raptor is built for the lower-level Stock Full class in which it couldn’t compete because the production version is not yet for sale. For more details you can check out PickupTrucks.com’s live blog of the race, and we’ve also posted a short video of the SVT Raptor in action, along with the press release, after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Unfortunately, like the studio shots, Ferrari’s fastest roadster yet is bathed in rather unappetizing florescent light. But with all that carbon fiber, Alcantara and exclusivity, that’s not enough to make us want one any less. Follow the jump to check out the 3D view, unless you suffer from vertigo, in which case we’d recommend you take your meds and sit down… then follow the jump to check it out. Thanks for the tip, Demond!

[Source: Ferrari]

The rumored Z2 is currently in the works and could be available in both coupe and cabrio variants, and equipped with some form of BMW’s EfficientDynamics system. The 1-series-based two-door is expected to be powered by either a naturally aspirated or turbocharged 2.0-liter four, and there’s also talk of a hybrid version utilizing BMW’s eDrive system.

UPDATE: BMW has put together a Dexter-inspired teaser site for a new model set to be revealed in 19 days. We’ll know what’s up on December 14th.

[Source: GermanCarZone]

The Nissan GT-R has a relationship with the famed Nurburgring in Germany like no other modern car. It has brought the track back into the headlines by taking out much more expensive hardware with a blistering, though unofficial, lap time of 7 minutes, 29 seconds. That number has since been eclipsed by the Corvette ZR1 and Dodge Viper ACR, but remains ahead of the GT2 despite Porsche’s accusation that Nissan ran a less-than-stock GT-R. Well, the GT-R in Japan is getting some upgrades for 2010, and Nissan is reportedly headed back to the ‘Ring to see what it’ll do. The changes include a slight increase in power to 485 PS, or about a 5-horsepower bump, as well as a new compound Dunlop tire and suspension tweaks. Other mods include a larger fuel tank and some very minor cosmetic changes that won’t make a damn bit of a difference on the track. Will the GT-R be able to best its 7:29 lap time? We’re guessing they wouldn’t bother to make the trip if they weren’t certain there were at least a couple of tenths to shave off. Thanks for the tip, Sean!

[Source: 2009gtr.blogspot.com]

Toyota’s irritatingly slow leak of seemingly insignificant 2010 Prius teasers has shown us such riveting details as the hybrid car’s startup screen, power seat switch and some sort of all-knowing seeing-eye camera. A much more interesting set of leaks has also granted us an early but pixelated peek at the car’s external shape, along with detail shots like the rear LED tail lamp assembly and a few different looks at the interior. Now, we’ve discovered a set of YouTube videos that definitely don’t seem to have come from Toyota itself.

In the videos after the jump we see the new 2010 Prius spinning on a rotating stage, we see buttons on the steering wheel that change the digital readouts on the central dash and we see a brief glimpse of the car’s generous storage capacity via its hatchback body style - all of it set to wonderfully numbing elevator music. There is one interesting bit that we’ve recently seen: an air conditioning button on an old-school key fob that allows the climate control to run via rooftop solar panels even while the car itself isn’t running. Fortunately, we only have about two more months to wait for the car’s official debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show in January. Thank God for small miracles. Check out both videos for yourself after the jump. Thanks for the tip, everyone!

[Source: Prius Chat]

Things are moving along quite nicely with the development of the Chevy Volt. According to Bob Lutz, test mules of the extended-range electric vehicle are now being built atop the soon-to-be-released Chevy Cruze. This is a logical progression since the production Volt will share its Delta underpinnings with the new compact from General Motors when it finally goes on sale in 2010. Prior to these latest mules, the test cars used last-gen Malibu shells that Lutz and the team affectionately referred to as “MaliVolts.” Predictably, Mr. Lutz praises the new Delta platform, and we have every reason to believe that it will be leaps and bounds better than its Cobalt forebear, just as that model is light-years ahead of the Cavalier it replaced. Lutz goes on to say that the battery pack, motor and internal combustion engine are all working very well together, even in the freezing cold temperatures around Detroit these days. It all sounds rather promising, though it’d be even better if that first paragraph on the FastLane Blog weren’t necessary, right?

[Source: GM FastLane]

Although we’ve already seen the Audi Q5 in a variety of forms after its initial unveiling in Beijing this past July, the four-ringers decided to finally show off their cute ‘ute in North America for the first time at the LA Auto Show. The compact(ish) CUV is packing the award-winning 2.0-liter TFSI gasoline engine putting out 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque through the seven-speed, dual-clutch S tronic transmission, and Audi is quick to point out that with a drag coefficient of just 0.33 and a turbocharged four, the Q5 will be one of the most fuel-efficient offerings in its class. Check the galleries below for more and see our previous post for all the details.

Source:autoblog