Cool BMW roadster
Look for an especially sleek BMW Z4 Roadster for 2010. As Car and Driver reports, a heavily revised Z4 will lose its cloth top and get a retractable hardtop to go with all-new sheet metal. Base versions of the two-seater will get the familiar 255-horsepower, 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine. The top-dog Z4 sDrive35i gets the 300-horsepower, twin-turbo, 3.0-liter six with a version of the M3's dual-clutch, seven-speed gearbox. No word yet on price.
Models discontinued
Car and Driver reports Ford's Taurus X SUV and Mercury Sable sedan will be discontinued after the 2009 model. Plus, plans for the 500-horsepower Acura supercar that was to replace the NSX model have been scrapped.
New Equinox
Chevrolet's 2010 Equinox has undergone its first redesign and, as Car and Driver muses, the SUV "emerges looking quite a bit like a Mercedes ML." Built on the same platform as the Saturn Vue, the Equinox has the same wheelbase as before but is slightly shorter and wider overall. Interior design mimics the Malibu. Two new direct-injection engines power the Equinox: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 182 horses, and 3.0-liter V-6 that cranks out 255 horsepower.
Visit MotorMouth blog
Are you a fan of collectible or classic cars? If you are, then check out the MotorMouth blog at Startribune.com/cars. MotorMouth Kris Palmer, freelance auto writer and editor, who also puts together this section's Weekend Garage column every Saturday, blogs about vintage cars, the collectible auto scene and just about everything else that goes vroom. And, as with any good blog, you can participate. You can post comments and converse with others about a variety of vintage car topics.
