Listening to Chrysler's long and rambling 2010-2014 Business Plan, it was clear that the company and its dealerships are very much looking forward to finally getting the fuel efficient Fiat 500 in North America. Much like what happened when BMW launched the Mini brand eight-odd years ago, it's hoped that the cute little 500 will attract a whole new customer to the Chrysler fold.

In order to properly court those new wallets buyers, Chrysler plans to open "specific interior showroom branded salons" in select dealerships, mostly in metropolitan areas. A dedicated set of salespeople will be assigned to sell the Fiat 500 in the States... ya know, since they otherwise wouldn't know how to sell the important car to American consumers.

There will also be a full line of accessories made available to customize the new car, which we would expect will include unique color and stripe packages both inside and out along with a slew of optional wheel designs. Whatever, make ours an Abarth and we're good. Expect all of this to take place before the end of 2010 as the Fiat 500 finally starts to show up in those selected dealerships.

Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. While some cars seem to be almost universally loved for their gorgeous lines and undeniable sense of style – the Lamborghini Miura and Shelby Daytona Coupe certainly come to mind – others, such as the new Honda Crosstour and even the latest Nissan GT-R – not to mention nearly everything currently wearing the Acura badge – sport more debatable duds.

And what of the car that's most commonly associated with the green movement? Of course, that would be the Toyota Prius, and we know that some happen to find the car rather attractive... whether that's for its slip-through-the-wind styling or the high fuel mileage – made possible in part by that styling – that its owners happily enjoy. According to BusinessWeek, though, the second-gen Prius is one of the 50 Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years. Not a distinction any owner wants their car to carry.

Take heart, Prius owners. There are a number of questionable vehicles on the list. For instance, the classically boxy Volvo 240 isn't ugly at all... it's purposeful and practical. Neither are the Lamborghini LM002, 2002 BMW 7 Series, Tata Nano or Toyota iQ deserving of inclusion on this unflattering list. Lastly, does anyone really think the DeLorean is that unattractive? Unabashedly '80s? Sure. Ugly? Nah.



[Source: BusinessWeek]

Rear-wheel drive, two seats, short wheelbase, sequential manual gearbox, available in either closed-roof or convertible body styles... sounds suspiciously like a sportscar, no? Yet nobody in their right mind would conclude after driving the Smart Fortwo that it is in the least bit sporty. Fuel efficient? Sure. Exciting? Not in the least.

No matter, a well-trained driver can make just about anything on four wheels respond the way in which he pleases. And that includes drifting extraordinaire Sam Hubinette, who tells his fans in a recent blog posting that he's traveling to Spain to film a "pretty intense" car/motorcycle chase scene for an upcoming flick called Night and Day, starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. Must be nice.

As you've likely surmised by now, Hubinette's chariot for the stunt will be a Smart Fortwo. Hubinette says he's never tried drifting a Smart... maybe the producers will be willing to shell out some of their $130 million budget to put something with a bit more power under the Fortwo's rear bonnet. Nah, probably not. And so we have what may be the World's Most Fuel Efficient Drift Car. Quick – someone better call Guinness.



[Source: Toxic Drift]

Proving once again that the way you drive is equally as important (and perhaps more so) than what you are driving is the Suzuki Alto. While the little Japanese runabout is certainly a fuel miser in its own right, we wouldn't have guessed that it could achieve over 100 miles per gallon no matter how light its accelerator were pressed, but that's exactly what happened at this year's Global Green Challenge.

In fact, the Suzuki Alto managed to churn out 117 miles from each and every U.S. gallon of gasoline (this equals 141 mpg in the UK with carbon emissions of 89.9 g/km). The route took the little car a total of 1,900 miles in seven days from Darwin to Adelaide in Australia. That performance was good enough that the Alto took home top awards in the Light and Small categories as well as the scoring the Best Urban Cycle trophy.

[Source: Suzuki]

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We often hear debates about the merits of riding motorcycles and scooters for environmental reasons. For sure, older bikes manufactured before emissions equipment were prevalent are significantly more polluting than most modern automobiles. On the other hand, motorcycles are nearly always more fuel efficient than their four-wheeled counterparts and new motorcycles are pretty clean when it comes to emissions.

Ty van Hooydonk from the Motorcycle Industry Council has some input on the topic, and he highlights points such as the drastic reduction in raw material usage – including metals, plastics and engine fluids – and a major reduction in overall vehicle traffic.

These facts, coupled with the aforementioned low fuel consumption and greatly improved emissions controls make motorcycles, as Hooydonk calls them, "green machines." Somehow, we doubt this will be the last time we hear about this long-running debate, especially since Hooydonk says that motorcycling's green angle "is a message we're working harder to deliver out there."

[Source: Dealer News]

Honda made a pretty big splash at the Tokyo Motor Show a few weeks back by showing off a number of eco-friendly concepts, though many of them were decidedly short on actual details. The automaker finally seems ready to talk a bit about the EV-N, EV-Cub, EV-MONPAL and U3-X and how they fit into its vision for the future. According to the automaker:

The EV-Cub is a nimble, approachable motorcycle that invites people to enjoy riding on a daily basis. EV-N is a cute but very promising car that suggests the possibility of true friendship between person and automobile. EV-Monpal is a helpful and friendly vehicle that assists people with special needs. The U3-X operates in harmony with people and suggests a future full of wonder. Designed to be enjoyable to ride, pleasant just to have around and easy to imagine in the scenes of one's life, these products create a picture of a future that's bright, and are kind both to people and to the environment.

Sounds all warm and fuzzy, no? We happen to be particularly fond of the cute-as-a-button EV-N and the EV-Cub, which takes Honda's original nonthreatening two-wheeler and readies it for duty in today's environmentally-conscious society. Click here for the full story from Honda.



[Source: Honda]

Stick with what you know. That seems to be Toyota's new mantra going forward, as the Japanese automaker has reportedly diverted its attention away from large trucks like the largely unsuccessful and slow-selling Tundra pickup and back to hybrid vehicles – possibly all wearing the Prius badge, including a minivan and something smaller than the current Prius – and returning to its previous levels of unquestionable quality.

Atsushi Niimi, executive vice president for North America and global manufacturing, tells Automotive News that Toyota will try to build more longevity into its current lineup, addressing issues such as excessive rust and corrosion and introducing new "fail-safe functions" designed to minimize the possibility of "tragic accidents." We suspect that means push-button ignitions that can more easily shut down the car and floor mats that can't bunch up under the accelerator pedal.

In addition, Toyota will focus on the North American market, giving U.S. engineers a larger say when it comes to new vehicle design and the choices of which models make the overseas trek. To speed up the new model renaissance, Toyota will hold back on midcycle refreshes, instead working to get more substantial updates ready in less time.

On the manufacturing side, Toyota believes that it expanded too rapidly over the last decade and will attempt to slow down and restore the trust that customers had in the brand. Apparently, that slowdown will indeed affect the recently-built and still-idle plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi.

[Source: Automotive News (products, manufacturing) (quality) - Sub. Req'd]

Speculation is fun, right? Our friends from Asphalt and Rubber are doing just that in regards to a possible electric motorcycle from Italian motorcycle manufacturer Moto Guzzi. What makes anyone think Guzzi might give up its well-known fascination with across-the-frame air-cooled V-twins? The Piaggio Group, which owns the classic manufacturer, has announced that it will invest 12 million euros into the fabled marque as part of a widespread new business plan.

Back in December of 2008, Piaggio accepted a loan from the European Investment Bank worth 150 million euros, and that very well may be where Guzzi's newfound funding will come from. That money, though, was loaned with the understanding that it would be used solely to fund new hybrid and fully electric vehicles. Put two and two together and it seems possible that we could see an electrically-driven Moto Guzzi sometime in the near future.

[Source: Asphalt and Rubber]

It's long been suspected that Ferrari was hard at work developing a hybrid powertrain for its line of supercars and grand touring machines, especially since a series of patents were located proving that the Italian automaker had at least sketched plans for such a system. Still, Ferrari had never confirmed such rumors.

But, according to Autocar in the UK, an unnamed source tells the British magazine that the hybrid drivetrain will debut on the next-gen 612 (could the recently-spotted long-wheelbase 612 be a hybrid mule?) with a pair of torque-laden electric motors that will be connected to the front wheels. Ferrari's traditional V12 or possibly a turbocharged V8 engine would send power to the GT car's rear wheels.

As befitting an automobile wearing the coveted Prancing Horse badge, Ferrari is said to be using the system to benefit handling and not to improve fuel efficiency. Whatever the case, we'll surely know more by 2014 or so when Ferrari is actually expected to have the hybrid ready for production.



[Source: Autocar]

If you'll please forgive us our one tired cliché of the day... BMW has big plans in store for its smallest brand. In this case, quite literally as the next model that comes from Mini will reportedly be the long-expected Countryman crossover, which we can expect to hit the market in the first quarter of 2010. All-wheel drive will make an appearance on the soft-road 'ute, and – drumroll please – we hear that a diesel engine is under consideration for the U.S. market... but don't hold your breath just yet.

On the concept car front, BimmerFile reports that Mini is working up a Moke revival that will be shown at an undetermined auto show sometime next year that's described as a small Jeep Wrangler and known internally as the SpaceBox. We're also told to expect a more mainstream concept built off the four-door R60 Countryman platform that would theoretically go up against such respected players as the Volkswagen GTI hatchback. The last concept that is rumored to be in development would share its inspiration with the BMW Vision Concept and feature technology from the automaker's eco-friendly Project i initiative.

Finally, the crystal ball tells us that the well-liked Coupe Concept and Roadster Concept seen earlier this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show have been green-lighted for a hopeful 2012 debut. One year later, the stalwart Cooper hatchback is scheduled for its second major redesign since the Mini brand was first launched back in 2001, very possibly getting a new range of powerplants that will include three-cylinders for the very first time.



[Source: BimmerFile]