Geneva Preview: Hyundai i40/Sonata wagon gets officially rendered

Hyundai is preparing to launch a new European D-segment model at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March that will compete against such vehicles as the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat, and it’s released a slew of advance renderings of what we might expect.

Filling the slot in the Korean automaker’s European line-up that’s filled in North America by the Sonata (with which it is a very close twin), the i40 has been designed and developed in Germany by the company’s European R&D center in Rüsselsheim. The design closely follows those of recent Hyundai design studies, the Genus concept most closely.

The i40 is slated to go on sale shortly after its debut in Geneva in wagon form, with a sedan version expected to follow. The engine range is expected to include a 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder producing 170 horsepower and a 1.7-liter turbodiesel with outputs ranging from 115 horsepower to 136, with more powerful versions to follow. In the meantime, take a stroll through the image gallery below for a closer look, as the i40 is almost certainly what a Sonata wagon would look like were Hyundai ever to launch it in the States.

Toyota recalling 94,000 2011 Sienna minivans over brake light bracket issue

Toyota has issued a voluntary recall for approximately 94,000 2011 Sienna minivans produced before the beginning of November 2010. The recall is a result of a Stop Lamp Switch Bracket placed near the parking brake. When the parking brake is fully applied it may deform the switch bracket. This could result in the brake lights remaining lit or even partial engagement of the brakes resulting in a reduction of brake effectiveness over time.

No other vehicles have been affected by the issue and no accidents or injuries have been reported as of a result. Owners of affected vehicles will receive a notice in the mail by the middle of January, which contains instructions on how to handle any affects they might feel if their switch bracket has been deformed. A second notice will be sent out in February to inform customers that replacement parts are now available and appointments can be made with local Toyota service departments. Hop the jump for the full details.

New Stratos unveiled in retro Alitalia rally livery

The New Stratos has been drumming up a world of enthusiasm. And with good reason: the original was one of the most iconic rally machines ever devised, and the modern tribute looks to be living up to the legend in the grandest of style. That hasn’t stopped some from saying the design doesn’t look enough like the original, but that could very well come down to the paint scheme.

No, what we really need is to see it in the same livery displayed on the original in its heyday. Fortunately that’s just what they brought out (as a mock-up from the looks of things) at the car’s debut at Paul Ricard HTTT in the South of France. Want to see more from the unveiling? Follow the jump and feast your eyes on the video footage there to be viewed.

Honda teases 2012 Civic before Detroit debut

Here’s our first official glimpse at the face of the next-generation Honda Civic. This sketch is intended to give the world an idea of what we can expect from the Civic show car Honda will display at the Detroit Auto Showin January. From the looks of things, the compact coupe will take the look of the current Civic and throw in some additional attitude. Along with some aggressively swept headlamps reminiscent of the European Civic Type R, the sketch also shows off a fascia with more menacing proportions. A large air inlet down low and slit fog lights help pull the car from the throws of anonymity.

Of course, it’s always difficult to tell what will survive the transition between design sketch and reality. We don’t expect to see those huge wheels nor the wildly flared hips make their way to production. Speaking of production, Honda has a long history of rolling out concepts that are nearly identical to the real deal, so keep your eyes on Detroit for what could be the first look at the next Civic.

GM Perfomance Parts let you build your own 700-hp Camaro

It’s that time of year, kids. Horsepower-crazy General Motorsfans are anxiously dancing around their mailboxes waiting for the latest edition of the company’s performance parts catalog to arrive. As with past years, the glossy pages are packed from margin to margin with everything you need to give your Bow Tie a little extra giddy up. For 2011, the catalog has fully embraced the Camaro, and a pair of dealer-tweaked versions of the Chevrolet muscle car show exactly what you can do with little more than a crate engine and some spare time.

DeNooyer Chevrolet in New York decided to plop an LSX454 in their orange Camaro, coupled to a six-speed manual transmission via the same clutch used in the mighty Corvette ZR-1. The car turns over 520 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels thanks to a tune-port fuel injection system.

But that’s downright child’s play compared to what the minds at NeSmith Chevrolet in Georgia cooked up. Those wrenches plopped an LS9 behind the Camaro’s headlights. With minor tweaking, the supercharged V8 is kicking out right at 700 horsepower, and NeSmith threw in beefier axles and a Baer brake system to bring the whole party to a stop. Hit the jump to check out the press releases.

Honda CR-Z gets the K-Series engine it was meant to have

It was only a matter of time before some inventive soul set about curing what ails the 2011 Honda CR-Z; namely, the anemic hybrid drivetrain. It looks like the crew at LHT Performance have gutted the electrified bits and swapped in an honest all-star from the Honda stable – the K20. If you recall, these guys were among some of the first to pull a similar stunt with the first-generation Honda Insight. According to LHT, their creation is the first successful K-Series CR-Z swap to have every vehicle system work as it should, including power steering, air-conditioning and cruise control, along with stability control and the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system.

Well, nearly every vehicle system. The integrated motor assist didn’t quite survive the transplant, but something tells us we won’t be hearing any sobs over that loss. Right now, the shop has only served up a quick video, and there’s no footage of the car actually tearing up the street or a track, but we’re told more photos are on the way soon. Now, would you rather have this beast or the much rumored 1.6-literturbocharged CR-Z that Honda is supposedly cooking up? Hit the jump to check it out and decide for yourself.

Senate unanimously rules in favor of noisy hybrids, electric cars

Regardless of whether or not there’s an actual need for pedestrian warning systems for hybrid and electric vehicles, the U.S. Senate has voted unanimously to approve a measure that would make the noise-adding setup standard on all vehicles that can operate – even if just momentarily – without the burble of an engine.

The measure, called the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010 and backed by Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, aims to establish standards for alerting pedestrians of the possible danger of an approaching vehicle that moves in near silence. With the Senate voting in favor of the bill, it will now head off to the House of Representatives, where it’s expected to pass with ease.