* Someone at Ford cares about us. At long last, Americans can say goodbye to the antiquated Ford Focus we've had to endure while Europeans have been feasting on the good stuff. The next generation of Focus will be a truly global model, with production taking place in the U.S. Just one problem; we'll have to wait until the end of 2010. Sigh.
* Rumors of a rear-wheel-drive Silvia replacement from Nissan continue unabated, with sources suggesting that the new coupe could come out as early as 2010. Reportedly built on a shortened version of the Z's FM platform and powered by either a 1.6- or 1.8-liter turbocharged four, Nissan is aiming to keep both weight and cost at a minimum. A 2.0-liter engine is also under consideration, utilizing both direct injection and Nissan's Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) system. When partnered with a small turbo, this could produce between 140 and 215bhp to balance performance and fuel efficiency. And don't be surprised if a hybrid option is available.
Spocom Invades Long Beach
For the second year in a row, the SpoCom (as in, sport compact) car show opened its doors, this time at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif. The show, billed as "the premiere sport compact automotive event", had on hand loads of display cars, parts, and girls.
But, it really wouldn't warrant appearing in these pages if it didn't have anything to do with going fast. Scantily clad import models and show cars with anodized and polished underbodies are cool and all, but we leave that kind of stuff to the guys at Super Street and Import Tuner.
Because you read Sport Compact Car, we know the biggest reason you'd attend SpoCom (besides the girls, even if you wouldn't admit it) is for the industry presence. Having more in common with the now-defunct open to the public International Auto Salon, previously put on by SEMA, SpoCom had booths and representatives from many of the most popular vendors in the aftermarket industry. If you had any setup or application questions for the guys from Energy Suspension, Five: AD wheels, Nitto Tires, K&N, HKS, Hasport, DC Sports, or many other guys on hand, you could just ask them in person and in the same place. It's the easiest way to get all of the questions you may have about your parts handled in person in one day. At least with the SpoCom show, you won't have to print up fake business cards and try to sneak into SEMA.