BMW’s new entry level car, the 1 series has shed its top. Whats more, it is said to be heading stateside by 2008. While there has been no information released yet on pricing, we can tell you that the convertible baby Bimmer, like its hard-top sibling, will come in a 128i trim. This means the car will be powered by BMW’s 3.0-liter, 230 horsepower I6 engine generating 200 lb-ft of torque. A twin-turbo 135i model will be released a few months after, boasting 300 horses and 300 lb-ft of torque.

BMW engineers tell us that the soft top can be electronically lifted in 22 seconds, and at up to speeds of 25 mph. Despite being a convertible, there is still going to be 8.48 cubic-feet of trunk space. Two golf bags will fit in the trunk of the new 1 Series Convertible - even with the top down!

BMW’s press release and more pictures after the jump.

[Sources: Autovisie and Winding Road ]

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It seems that Toyota and Subaru are jointly developing a lightweight sports car. At least that’s what the word on the street is. A test mule was seen zipping around Toyota’s test track in Toyota City, Japan. The chassis looked to be derived from a shortened Subaru Legacy platform, and powered by the Soobie 2.0L flat-four engine. There is a possibility that if the car actually gets built, It could be using the Impreza 15S’s platform instead. The actual production model may see a smaller engine, likely a Subaru sourced 108 HP 1.5-liter boxer, making use of a RWD drive train. Toyota plans on keeping the coupe extremely light to ensure the best combination of fuel efficiency and handling potential with a curb weight target of 2,450 lbs. (Roughly the same weight as Saturn’s SC2 models from a few years back.)

More information and pictures after the jump.

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Suzuki seems to be on a roll lately, with brilliant designs, vehicles that are extremely functional, well built, and stylish. The Suzuki Kizashi 2 concept pictured above is no exception. While this is still a concept, it is very clear that Suzuki isn’t joking around about building good cars. One look at the ride height suggests that this vehicle will be well capable of handling speedbumps, pot holes, and other roadside maladies that one might encounter in a daily commute. With an aggressive stance and wheels pushed to the corners, it is also pretty evident that this vehicle should be able to handle quite nicely. We really don’t expect those snazzy 20″ rims to see production though. Styling seems somewhat reminiscent of other manufacturers offerings of late, specifically with followdown on the headlights that seems so overdone these days. We are fans of the tastefully done 2 tone color scheme on this car. Overall, the Kizashi 2 gets a thumbs up for styling. Power is expected to come from a GM sourced 3.6L V6, likely the same one currently found in the Saturn Aura. The engine will presumably be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This means that the Kizashi will likely have the bite to match its bark. Suzuki press releases mention hybrid technology, suggesting that the Kizashi or future Suzuki’s might have hybrid versions. That ought to please the treehuggers among us.

More info, including Suzuki’s press release after the jump.

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You may recall a few weeks ago there was a post about the 5 coolest cars that you could actually afford.
We pegged the Saturn Sky Redline as one of those cars. We’d love to get our hands on one and review it ourselves, but alas, here in the City of Calgary, there’s a pretty hefty waiting list at Saturn dealerships to even get a test drive. So we’ve decided to sit back and let our industry peers over at CarTV do the hard fun work.
Enjoy!

Subaru intends to lift the veils off its high thrills WRX STI at the Tokyo Auto Show on October 24th. In the mean time, they’ve decided to torture us with darkened photos of the beast in an effort to keep us drooling. Well, we think they’ve succeeded.
The horsepower rating of the STi is expected to be up at around 320 and torque will top out at 320 lb.ft. The only transmission will be a six-speed manual that will propel the car to 0-60 in 4.5 seconds.

‘Scuse me while I grab a towel….

(See more pics below)

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Exclusive spy footage of the Corvette SS/Stingray/Blue Devil ( or whatever it will be called) driving at high speeds and looking sexy doing it. There is very minimal camoflauge; mainly the hood is covered. Rumors on the interweb suggest this is because the new ‘Vette is sporting a much more aggressive (and likely necessary) hood scoop to suck in cold air.

Enjoy!

[Video Courtesy of FastLaneDaily]

Fifth Gear, another brilliant British television show revolving around cars, has gotten their hands on the latest offering from BMW’s M division. Tiff Needell, host for the show, and retired race car driver puts the Bimmer through its paces in a brilliantly filmed piece of automotive pornography. Enjoy!