2008 Chevy Impala 50th Anniversary Edition coming to Detroit

The Chevy Impala is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and to commemorate the occasion the Bowtie division is offering up a badge-and-trim special edition. What you have here is the garden-variety Impala LT, upgraded for anniversary-edition duty with an FE3 sport suspension, 18-inch alloys, commemorative "50th" Impala badges and a rear spoiler. Inside, the seats are leather and two-toned, with eight-way adjustability for the driver and anniversary embroidery on the headrests. Other edition-specific features include a multifunction steering wheel wrapped in contrast-stitched leather, slightly fancier floormats, and doorsill plates sporting the anniversary logo.

Tags: Saturn SW Parts, Sedans/Saloons, Chevrolet, GM.

BMW X6 to debut at Detroit

BMW's big Detroit debut will be the production X6 Sports Activity Coupe (unsurprisingly, BMW avoids the somewhat unbecoming "SAC" acronym), which will be arriving in US showrooms sometime during the second quarter of 2008. When it does, buyers get two flavors to choose from. The xDrive50i is powered by a new twin-turbo, direct-injected 4.4L V8 pumping out 400-horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. The xDrive35i, meanwhile, gets the automaker's acclaimed 300-hp TT inline six-cylinder. Dynamic Performance Control is a standard feature that can direct torque to either rear wheel, further aiding steering in both dry weather and sloppier conditions. Design-wise, the production X6 looks pretty much just like the hybrid-equipped concept version we saw earlier this year.

Tags: Saturn SL Parts, SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW.

Production version of the BMW X6

When the BMW X6 concept was revealed in Frankfurt in September, we had mixed reactions to its oversized hatchback proportions. BMW made no bones about the fact that the sleek CUV was close to its production reality, and after seeing the motion pictures on YouTube, we tend to believe them. Video of the freshly-unveiled X6 in production trim is sitting out there for everyone to see, and from what we can tell, it's almost a dead-ringer to its Frankfurt forefather. As the scribes over at Carscoop pointed out, the b and c-pillars are now predictably visible, the side view mirrors are now larger, and the tail pipes have been modified.

Tags: saturn parts, Frankfurt Auto Show, Videos, Crossovers/CUVs, BMW.

New shot of 2008 Dodge Challenger found

Are we that hard up for news on the 2008 Dodge Challenger that we'll do a post on one measly new photo of a part of the car we've already seen? Uh, yeah, in fact we are, so credit Autoblog reader Glenn who found this new shot on Dodge's website for the Challenger. It's slid in there with the rest ofo the teaser shots we've seen and shows the same grille we've seen before but from another angle. In fact, from this perspective it appears that the housing for the headlights is silver rather than black, but it could just as easily be crappy lighting messing with our heads. Check out the actual shape of the headlights, though, that give the impression they're peering out from beneath the hood even though they're not.

Tags: Pontiac Trans Sport Van Parts, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Chrysler, Dodge

Nissan releases another new interior sketch of Forum Concept

We bring you the third sketch of the Forum Concept to be officially released by Nissan ahead of the vehicle's debut at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. As we've reported previously, the Forum is a futuristic people mover that may or may not contain styling cues destined for production. It could forecast a replacement for the Nissan Quest minivan, or it could herald an altogether new vehicle, or it could be a designer's flight of fancy. Regardless, this is the second interior sketch released by Nissan, this time showing a pretty neat trick: the second row bench, the entire second-row bench, can swivel 90-degrees either way or 180-degress to face the third-row seats. Sure, you don't get the center aisle that two captains chairs would provide, but getting in the way back seats should be a lot easier with second-row turned 90-degrees. Nissan calls it "Turntable Seating", a name that sounds warmed over by marketing types, which is evidence enough that it's being considered for production.

Tags: pontiac safari wagon parts, Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Minivans/MPVs. Crossovers/CUVs, Nissan

Nissan FORUM Concept

Next month in Detroit, Nissan will show the world the FORUM, a minivan design study that probably hints at styling cues and features being considered for whatever's destined to replace the Quest. After reading Nissan's hyperbolic press release (it's pasted after the jump), one might think the FORUM is single-handedly capable of restoring the American nuclear family dynamic through its feature set alone. Seriously, there's a line in there that calls the vehicle a "unique family 'togetherness' space." I have one of those, too: it's called a house.

Tags: Westin X-treme Brush Guard, Concept Cars, Minivans/MPVs, Nissan.

Toyota Venza Crossover Sedan coming to NAIAS

Toyota's presence at the Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS) will be punctuated by what the automaker is calling a "crossover sedan" that incorporates elements of both a sedan and an SUV. The U.S.-designed and engineered 2009 Toyota Venza will seat five and be built alongside the Camry, Avalon and Solara at ToMoCo's plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. That pretty much means it's a go for production despite never having been glimpsed by the public.

Tags: Weiand Action Plus Series Intake Manifold, Crossovers/CUVs, Toyota