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Toyota has released the special edition Toyota iQ Collection at 2009 Frankfurt Auto show. The Toyota iQ Collection focuses on the cabin, with the white pearl finish of the body carried through to trim details such as the center console, instrument binnacle and door panels. The leather upholstery is a matching white shade, with a [...]

Lotus today revealed its first push into the hybrid market by unveiling what it calls a “Range Extender Engine.”

Yrs trly has finally gone south—south of the border, that is, to take up residence in this lovely land and become Oaxaca’s Car Guru of record. Not that I intend to talk only about car stuff from this part of the world, but as I get to know the car stuff better, so will you. I moved here to get a different perspective on life in this hemisphere, and it was personally time to shift gears, as it were.

One of the first things that strikes you here is how large and awkward big SUVs like the Grand Cherokee and trucks like the F-250 appear next to the ubiquitous smaller cars. They don’t fit the streets. They spew (or appear to spew) lots of pollutants. They tower over the Beetles and the Kas, as their owners no doubt intended.

The small-car world will eventually make inroads into the U.S.A., which forever has resisted its appeal and rationale. One of the companies betting heavily on this is Kia. It just introduced the Forte Koup (above) at $16,595 ($1,100 more gets you leather, a moonroof, plus 17 more hp – a great-deal upgrade). You will, we predict, be hearing more about this car, even as certain humorists make fun of its ridiculous multinational, misspelled name.

Kia is also an interesting company, with some real successes to crow about (the Soul from Seoul, even if we don’t like its looks) and, more recently, its high rating among franchises in the UK and elsewhere, we presume. Hyundai owns 40 percent of Kia, now South Korea’s second-largest carmaker. Kia Motors America is on a big push into the U.S., having built a billion-dollar factory in Georgia three years ago.

I know you all have your opinions about cars like the Sportage, but you’ve got to admire the way Kia is pushing ahead, bringing new people to their cars. Yup, they are all over Mexico.

Could Whitacre (right) oust Henderson?

This is what I like to see!

Finally, we’re getting a little take-charge-or-get-out attitude from a boss at GM. Rick Wagoner sure couldn’t do it, and now Fritz Henderson doesn’t seem to have the ability, or desire, to step up and lay down the law either.

I’ve been thinking GM is doomed to repeat bankruptcy someday, only next time it’ll be the liquidation kind. That’s the most logical outcome when leaders refuse to hold their employees accountable for a company’s products, performance, and profits, something Mr. Henderson has thus far not publicly done.

I guess it’s easier to sit back, remain complacent, and assume the government will come to the rescue again and keep the cozy exec positions at GM intact.

Well, thank goodness for Ed Whitacre, Jr. GM’s new chairman has delivered a harsh, blunt, and very much needed message to his executives: Make changes quickly, a lot of them, or face the consequences.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Whitacre, in a meeting with executives, was

“frighteningly direct” in conversation, making it clear that every top executive’s job at the automaker is on the line, and that heads could roll in the next two or three months if there’s not significant progress in vehicle sales, market share and profitability.

So in just three short months we’ll see one of two things from the General: Big changes or heads rolling out the front door.

There is a third possible outcome, I guess: that Whitacre’s threat is nothing more than a bluff to inspire change that is very unlikely to actually happen.

You see a minivan. Teens see a bedroom.

Ahh… the annual rituals of September. Leaves start turning colors, the morning air smells of the coming crisp autumn, and teenagers drag race each other on the way to school.

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Parents, I have advice you must heed. Letting your kids drive to school is risky enough, but send them in the wrong car, and you risk much more than increased insurance rates.

First of all, I’m pretty sure teens have a scientifically proven miswiring in their brains. To them, 60 miles per hour feels like 30, and they must achieve that speed as quickly as possible in order to impress the other teens who are riding with them. As parents, all we can do is make sure they are driving vehicles that don’t actually reach 60. Any early ’90s Subaru Legacy will do nicely.

It’s also very important that teens continue to live. Even if they believe their lives are over if no one responds to their Facebook status within 3 seconds, it’s our job as parents to make sure the teens of today turn into adults with the teens of tomorrow, mostly just so we can have a good laugh.

Regardless, in an effort to protect the lives of teens, make sure they don’t drive to school in a Jeep Wrangler that is missing doors and a roof, two imperative parts of a car that function to, you know, keep people inside of it.

Now, you might be thinking a minivan would be a perfect option. It has doors, a roof, and won’t hit 60 too quickly. But a minivan is a terrible idea, because teens are smart. While many of your teen’s peers might at first make fun of the van, your enterprising teen will soon realize he’s not driving a minivan at all. He’s driving a private bedroom on wheels. Enough said.

It’s also important to consider your teen’s psychological well being when deciding what car he or she drives to school. It needs to be cool enough to gain respect of friends, but boring enough that those friends don’t want to be seen in it. (You don’t want a minivan-load of hungry teens showing up and tearing through your just-unloaded Costco groceries.)  The new, utilitarian but butt-ugly Honda Accord Crosstour is a good example.

Finally, in an effort to give teens the thrill of sitting behind the wheel while removing the risk of actually going anywhere, consider buying this, the perfect car that will guarantee an autumn full of bus rides:

We buy cars because something about them speaks to our personalities. Our cars are little windows into our spirits – windows that give others a quick glimpse into who we are and what we value.

Unfortunately, some people modify their cars to the point where the only personality trait we see is a complete lack of common sense.

Some of the most pointless and all-out worst mods ever made to cars are:

LED ground effects

“Headlights aren’t good enough for me. In fact, I don’t just want to project light forward, I want to ride on a cushion of light… yeah, that would be cool….”

Umm, no, it isn’t. It just looks like you’re trying to impersonate a low-flying starship. It’s only okay if you’re on a mission to find the guy who invented these ground-effect lights and administer a very uncomfortable exam to him.

Wings and spoilers

Does high school teach nothing about aerodynamics these days? Probably not. Even if it did, I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t stop kids from gluing what appear to be park benches to their trunks. Here’s a quick lesson: True spoilers and wings direct force downward at really high speeds. This helps keep tires stuck to the pavement. I’m talking really high speeds… speeds higher than your Civic or Camry is even capable of reaching. All your “wing” does is make it look like you don’t know anything about cars.

Exhaust systems on 4-banger imports

It’s really bad when the guy with the wing adds an exhaust system that makes his car sound like a weed wacker. Why would you want to accelerate away from a stop light only to sound like you’re doing yard work?

Rolls-Royce grille on a Beetle

At least you don’t see this one anymore. I’m just waiting for the day when I see a New Beetle rolling around with a Rolls-Royce grille.

Camo on a Bentley

This is what happens when rednecks get money.

Spinners (even worse are hub-cap spinners)

Spinners are so turn-of-the-century. The first time you saw them, they were a cool novelty. These days it’s like, “Okay, you’re stopped, and your wheels are still spinning. Got it. Glad you spent $2K each on a sight gag.”

The guys with hub-cap spinners… you almost have to feel sorry for them. At least they are disposable (the hubcaps).

And whatever this is…

Some guys make a choice in life: Pursue a love for R2D2, or meet girls. This guy went the droid route. Ouch.

Ford’s new Scorpion

The 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty has a turbocharged surprise: an all-new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine.

Ahh… it’s even fun to type.

Codenamed “Scorpion,” this new engine is completely Ford-designed and built, meaning Ford will no longer rely on a diesel engine supplier for its Super Duty pickups.

According to Ford’s massive press release on the engine,

the new diesel engine will deliver significant improvements in torque, horsepower and fuel economy while adding more fueling flexibility and easily meeting stringent new emissions requirements.

Stay tuned for more on the next-generation Super Duty as its debut comes closer!

If family hauling is more appealing to you than trailer towing, you might be excited by this: an all-new 4Runner.

According to pictures snapped by Car & Driver, the next-generation 4Runner is going blunt and boxy. The official debut happens on Sept. 24 at the Texas State Fair, but expect an exterior more like the latest Honda Pilot. Surely, more interior volume and more power will accompany the boxy new looks.

While Toyota models after Honda, Honda has been busy trying to one-up Toyota. Its new Venza-fighter, the Honda Accord Crosstour, was revealed this week ahead of its official launch, coming later this Fall.

All-wheel drive and old-fashioned Honda loyalty are in the Crosstour’s favor, but I think its looks could be a deal-breaker for many. Whatever happened to conservative-but-cool Hondas that got great gas mileage? Honda is going further down the ugly path toward Acura with every new debut.

Hyundai, though, is a company going in the other direction: from mild-styled and boring to super-cool and sleek. As evidence I present the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Anyone else thinking Hyundai is ending up in the place Honda should be in now?

The new Sonata launches in Korea on Sept. 10 and will arrive in the U.S. sometime in 2010.

Believe it or not, according to a new Consumer Reports survey, 81 percent of respondents looking to buy a new car are likely to consider a domestic brand.

Yeah, that news came as a surprise to me, too, considering the negative press the domestics have received over the last year.

Looks like a little patriotism goes a long way, because less than 50 percent of folks will consider an Asian or European brand.

Sounds good for the domestics so far, doesn’t it? Well, not if you’re Chrysler. While interest in Ford increased 17 percent from last year and interest in GM increased by 6 percentage points, interest in Chrysler was down 28 percent among all respondents.

While those numbers appear good at first glance for Ford and GM, the survey says only 9 percent of the people interviewed are likely to buy a new car in the next year. Ouch.

Looks like a recovery of the new-car market won’t happen anytime soon, especially for Chrysler. Let’s hope Fiat can turn those numbers around with some desirable cars!

DealFinder can help you find a great used-car deal

On the other hand, among people considering a car purchase, 61 percent are looking specifically to buy used. That seems like a smarter choice for a lot of people in times like these.

If you are one of those 61 percent, or just curious about used-car prices, check out a cool new tool called DealFinder that allows you to search for cars for sale in your area and even tells you if the price is great, fair, or too high compared with national averages. Even if you’re not looking to buy, it’s neat to see what car prices are doing in your area. You can even list a car for sale there for free.

The upcoming MINI Coupe and Roadster concepts may be the worst-kept secrets of the 2009 Frankfurt auto show , but they’re no less interesting for their familiarity. The first video missive from the MINI Coupe/Roadster camp had us scratching our heads, but the second, released today, has us looking over our shoulder. Abstract, arty …

When the Wiesmann MF5 went into production last year, the world took notice, as the latest iteration of the potent and wildly styled coupe is the sort of car that commands attention. Now that the company is getting ready to unveil the Roadster version of the MF5 at next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show , it’s only fitting that an image of the …