Report: Skoda planning VW Up-based minicar?

According to Inside Line, Skoda is jumping into the minicar game with a little help from parent company Volkswagen. The Czech automaker is set to introduce a new model based on the same platform as the VW Up, with production gearing up toward the fall of 2011.

The vehicle doesn’t have a name as of yet, but according to the report, the pint-sized machine is slated to be built at Volkswagen’s Bratislava manufacturing facility. When it rolls off the production line, it will come packing an efficient 65-horsepower 1.0-liter gasoline engine, though a 75-horsepower 1.2-liter diesel mill will also be available at the time of launch.

Later down the line, there’s word that Skoda will bring an all-electric version to the party as well. The baby Skoda is being designed to lock horns with the Toyota iQ and Peugeot 107, and Inside Line is reporting that it will likely carry a price tag of around $9,300 when it debuts.

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[Source: Inside Line]

Fiat 500 to have no-haggle sticker pricing?

Haggling, ugh. Generally speaking (and with a few notable exceptions) it’s one of those unavoidable aspects of buying a new car from a dealership. If you’re good and you’re willing to shop around by pitting dealer against dealer, you may end up scoring something of a bargain. Thing is, if you’re not such a good haggler, you’re seemingly just as likely to pay more from a stealership than the next guy, which hardly seems fair.

According to Fiat’s brand spankin’ new United States arm, the younger car-buying generation isn’t particularly keen on the notion of haggling for a better price. As such, the company has directed its dealerships to adopt a no-haggle pricing policy, starting with the new-for-the-U.S. Fiat 500. “The pricing is the pricing,” said Laura Soave, head of the Fiat brand in North America to Bloomberg, much as it was with the now defunct Saturn brand. We think it’s a lovely idea and hope it sticks.

Report: Next Mini to undergo major styling overhaul

The minds at Mini may be itching to stretch their design legs with the next generation Cooper. According toAutocar, BMW design guru Adrian van Hooydonk said that the third-generation hatchback will be a bigger design leap than the current generation, though he wasn’t exactly willing to dive into more detail on the look of the vehicle. Hooydonk did say that his army of artists is approaching the car with a clean sheet of paper, with a special focus on the interior and its central-mounted speedo. Still, we’d be surprised if the company decided to walk too far away from the brand’s core image.

The original Cooper soldiered on with nary a design change for 40 years before finally getting the axe. To some degree, Mini has chained itself to that legacy, and while the addition of new models like the Clubmanand Countryman have helped the brand distance itself from the Mini mold, we’re guessing that future iterations of the Cooper will still be easily identifiable as members of the pint-sized family.

First batch of U.S.-bound Fiat 500s coming with manuals

Fiat dealerships are just about ready to swap your money for the keys to a brand-new 500. If you are planning on being one of the first to park one in your driveway, we hope that you know how to drive a manual transmission – the first units being shipped to dealers in February will all be equipped with manual transmissions.

If you can’t handle the three-pedal setup, you’ll be forced to wait a bit longer for your Fiat 500. Examples equipped with the six-speed automatic will begin arriving in March and April. Then again, you may have to wait that long regardless of your transmission preference, since currently, only 20 percent of the 130 Fiat dealerships are ready to open. The first one, Motor Village in Los Angeles, is set to open its doors later this month.

Photo Album from MINI's 50th Anniversary Festivities at Silverstone

This past weekend (May 22-24), the MINI celebrated its 50th birthday with a three-day festival at the Formula One track in Silverstone, England. More than 25,000 MINI aficionados from all four corners of the world made their way to the event with some 10,000 MINIs of all sorts and colors being displayed. The British automaker also unveiled three special edition MINIs at the event, including the limited run Mayfair and Camden specials plus a one-off interpretation of George Harisson’s 1966 Cooper S painted with psychedelic images. Follow the jump to check out the full gallery from the MINI United event.

Restored 1960 Morris Mini to be Raffled at UK Classic Motor Show

A fully restored 1960 Morris Mini with 56,600 miles on the clock will be raffled at the British Classic Motor Show to be held at Birmingham’s NEC from 13th to 15th November 2009. The red Morris Minor was restored to its former glory live on stage at last year’s classic motorshow by Edd China from TV’s Wheeler Dealers programme. The car will be given away in a text-to-win competition where participants are asked to answer a rather lame question of the sort “Which anniversary is the classic Mini celebrating in 2009″. For the record, the answer is ‘Mini Golden’…

VIDEO: MINI 50 Camden and 50 Mayfair Specials

MINI has released video footage of its special edition ’50 Camden’ and ’50 Mayfair’ models that were created in celebration of the brand’s 50th anniversary. Both cars made their first public appearance at the firm’s birthday party that was held in Silverstone at the end of May. Available in Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper D guises, the MINI 50 Camden and 50 Mayfair feature special color schemes along with unique design cues. Production will be limited to one year with deliveries set to start in September. Hit the jump to watch the videos or click here for more details.

Citroen Reveals MINI Challenging DS3's 'Insides': Photos and Video Included

Taking advantage of the news-thirsty internet media, Citroen is slowly revealing new bits and pieces of its MINI rivaling DS Inside hatch that will be called DS3 when it enters production during the first quarter of 2010. Although the premium hatchback made its world debut as a thinly disguised concept at the 2009 Geneva Show in March, this is the first time that we get a chance to see the car’s interior which is for the most part, production ready. The French automaker has yet to release details, but it is clear from the photos that the designers have tried to give the DS3′s interior a contemporary and upscale feel.

Highlights include the two-tone leather sports seats, a neat instrument panel with three deeply-dished instrument dials, the flat bottomed three spoke steering wheel and the decorative chrome trim. Following in the footsteps of MINI, Citroen will offer DS3 buyers the chance to customize the interior with various individual options.

The DS3 that will not replace the C3 in Citroen’s range, will be offered with a variety of four cylinder gasoline and diesel engines including the BMW and PSA Peugeot-Citroen developed 1.6-liter petrol unit in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms.

Via: Worldcarfans & Citroen

Shanghai Clone Wars: Lifan 320 aka the Chinese MINI Cooper

Take a close look at the sign behind the Lifan 320, it reads “Innovation Lifan, Quality Lifan”. Now gaze upon the 320; what an innovative -and poorly executed- ripoff of the MINI! The 320 is one of the many China-made clones that filled the booths of various automakers at the Shanghai Show. Lifan’s minicar that pays an undesirable tribute to the new MINI’s design has been on sale in China since 2008.

It is offered exclusively with a 1.3-liter gasoline engine producing a puny 80-horsepower and 110Nm of torque that launches (…) the British flared five-door hatch to 100km/h from standstill in 14.5 sec. The car’s top speed is electronically limited -just kidding- to 155km/h or 96mph.

AC Schnitzer MINI Convertible Performance Package with up to 226HP

The new MINI Convertible has caught the attention of engineers from famed tuner AC Schnizter that have developed a comprehensive sport package for the drop top. The German firm started by tuning the MINI’s 1.6-liter turbocharged engine to produce a reported 208HP for the domestic market model and 226HP for the export model, up from the standard unit’s 175HP. At the same time, the Cooper S and JCW models get a limited slip differential and a sport exhaust system.

Sans the JCW model, the rest of the MINI Convertible range can be upgraded with a sport spring kit and height-adjustable racing suspension. Customers can also choose from a variety of alloy wheel designs available in sizes 17-inches, 18-inches and 19-inches.

Those not content with the MINI Cabrio’s exterior looks can opt for AC Schnitzer’s bodykit that includes the usual front and rear aprons and side skirts along with a set of decals available in white, black or chrome-black. For the interior, the German firm offers an array of accessories such as gear knobs, handbrake handle, pedals and foot rests in aluminum and special floor mats.

MINI Clubman with Airstream Trailer Concept: First Official Photos

These are the first official photos of a one-off concept of a specially modified MINI Cooper S Clubman and a 6.80-meter or 22-foot Airstream trailer that was created in collaboration with Danish furniture producers, Republic of Fritz Hansen. The design study will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the INTERNI Design Energies exhibition that takes place in Milan on 22 – 27 April 2009.

The concept behind the project is the creation of a mobile base for surfers and beachgoers alike. As such, the designers of Republic of Fritz Hansen kitted out both the American travel trailer and the MINI Clubman with unique features.

Design details include the use of what MINI describes as “surfer-dude wetsuit” neoprene, fresh colors and flower prints which are common on both the Clubman and the Aistream trailer.

The trailer comes with a waterproof interior that is outfitted with numerous chairs, a table and even two surfboards halves, which double up as shelving. A special feature of the trailer is that it fully opens on one side revealing a built-in sun-bathing bed.

In the Clubman, the designers of the Copenhagen-based Republic of Fritz Hansen removed the rear seat bench and stripped out the boot to fit four specially made securing shells with purpose-built mounts that can accommodate diving gear equipment, including flippers, a mask, wetsuit and oxygen tanks.