New Mazda Shinari Concept Unveiled in Milan, Italy

Based off of Mazda’s ‘Kodo’ design, soul of motion, the Mazda Shinari is a collective effort among its design studios in Japan, Europe and the U.S. This style of ‘Kodo’ is clearly and evidently etched into every part of the car. From the interior, which was designed in California, the Shinari is clean and futuristic. This sleek car is definitely an important car for Mazda.

Who is the genius behind this car?
Ikuo Maeda, Mazda's global head of design. Maeda was the chief designer of the RX-8 and the Mazda2 and has been with the company for nearly 30 years. His father, Matasaburo Maeda, headed the design of the first generation RX-7 back in the 1970s.

Autoblog.com calls the Shinari " Unlike other pie-in-the-sky concepts, the Sinari is a smart, well executed styling exercise that should be a solid design platform for future models." Even stating this car will put the highly praised KIA Genesis Coupe in the dark... its hard not to agree.

(click to enlarge)*

Since this is very recent, there hasn't been much to talk about besides its highly attractive looks. No engine specs to find... simply a four-door concept. But don't get me wrong, the looks definitely gives a buy-me-now! personality.

I'll update as soon as receive more information!
Thanks for checking out 4thGear!

*Images provided by Autoblog

Last Week's Poll Results

Last week, 4thGear posted up a poll asking you which nation you thought had the best automakers.

Results were Germans and Japanese receiving 42% of the votes each, Sweden 14%, leaving the Americans, Italians, Koreans, Britians, and Australians with nothing. So according to these results, Germany and Japan make the best cars, with Sweden in there following them. And I agree. But a tie between Germany and Japan? I think not.

Japan, even with Toyota dominating the market, with Nissan and Honda there to help back it up, just can't compete with German engineering. After all, Germany was the country badass enough to start two World Wars, both within a span of 50 years. They almost won, too.

The definition of Luxury Cars has been controlled by Germany for decades now. When one says luxury cars, first cars that come to mind are BMWs, Mercs, Porsches, and Audi (if you're a businessman). Never mind that Japan offers Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti. It's all about German automakers.

But what about the lower half of the economy? The layman's car, the commuter's car. Germany offers VW to the world. True, the VW Jetta and Passat ask for prices well above Honda Civics and Nissan Sentras, but they're well worth the price.

Onto the world of supercars. Normally the word "supercar" is reserved for cars like Lamborghinis. Italian engineering right? Wrong. Audi owns Lamborghini now. And Audi's also put out its own supercar: the R8. And practically every car Porsche makes is top notch, as it should be. BMW and Mercedes each have their own mess of hypercars, each model set against each other because no other car comes close. And topping it all off, the Speed King Bugatti Veyron, which is capable of reaching speeds of 243 mph. Plus, rumor has it that the new Veyron prototype is capable of speeds of 260+.

So, all in all, German cars are great. They look good, perform good, and will never fail. But that'll never stop me from buying a nice Toyota Prius.

The All New McLaren MP4-12C

Before I start, take a look at this video provided by MSN autos, listen carefully to the engine specs and the 'idea' behind this car...

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:b50b011a-0d2c-4e80-929e-1063a3c3bb49&showPlaylist=true&from=IV2_en-us_Autos_Articles&fg=gtlv2" target="_new" title="2012 McLaren MP4-12C">Video: 2012 McLaren MP4-12C</a>
The fresh look, and bold yet elegant curves of the new Mclaren make it stand out and special. The one-piece carbon fiber structure is really interesting.

But after watching this video, it seems that Mclaren wanted to say that they created something new and revolutionary... but is it a little too late? How about the Nissan GT-R R35?

A super car without super car limits? Well first off, I would like them to explain why they made the doors open in such a ridiculous manner, you would need a gigantic clearance just to open the door. The GT-R on the other hand has a simple and elegant door that opens properly. And if you didn't notice, it had the EXACT same engine configuration... a 3.8L twin-turbo. 0-60 mph was roughly the same, the GT-R at 3.5 seconds and the Mclaren at a little over 3 seconds.

What does all this mean?
In the end, true, you can say the GT-R is not a true super sports car, because it doesn't reach speeds over 200 MPH, but hey, it costs less than 100k out of door. (Which is something else I forgot to mention, the MSRP for the new Mclaren is roughly $265,000.) The GT-R still offers its spacious trunk space, and the ability to carry 4 passengers which is unprecedented in a super-sports car. It can also dash to 60 MPH in 3.5 seconds, which is highly comparable, and sometimes even faster than other desirable super sports car. Although I always keep an open mind, I look down upon the new Mclaren, the GT-R in the super car world is usually over-looked by many European car makers (except Porsche, haha). The GT-R will forever remain true to its name, Godzilla. And with the all new 2012 Nissan R36 coming out, I'm pretty sure Nissan's engineers will continue to expand that new "yard stick".

keep checking 4th Gear, as I will continue receive more information and publish them. thanks for your support!

Top Gear: American Challenge

Seven Parts, Emjoy :D

The Big J3s

Made this a couple weeks ago, I was bored at the time :)

Featuring: Lexus LFA 1st Gen Concept, Nissan GT-R R35, Acura NSX Concept

(click to enlarge)

B16Skyline: Company of the Decade Nomination

Now, as you know, I have nominated the Toyota Prius for Car of the Decade. But does that mean Toyota is my nomination of Company of the Decade? Maybe. After all, it rightfully deserves it. It overtook GMC's top spot of Automotive King. It dominates the hybrid market, on the edge to dominate the minivan sector, and pushes a competitive luxury line, which is about to release a Audi-Ferrarri-Lamborghini-Corvette-Porshe killing machine called the LFA.

But it lacks something. It lacks a power-pushing pocket-rocket. It used to be the Supra, Celica, and MR2. There was a brief span where Toyota had pulled all of it's sports cars of the market, and put in the MR2 Spyder, which looked like a prototype Porsche. From 15 years before. Froggy headlights, undersized side scoops, and an ugly convertible. It was replaced in 2005 by Toyota's new line-up, the Scion's tC. It looked great, sounded great, loaded with great standard options, and had the right price tag. But it was soft (161 bhp out of a 2.5), and couldn't lay down the firepower like a Acura Integra Type-R. Toyota has tried to get back on track with the FT-86, and right on Toyota is, except for the fact that we'll have to wait until 2013 (or later) to see these cars on the road.

So. Where does that leave us?

Honda maybe? No, not until it brings back a NSX that can blow the GT-R and LFA out of the water.

How about BMW? Nope. Not when everyone in CA has one just to look rich. (Personally, I wish Americans would adopt the attitude the Europeans have when it comes to BMW's; buy'em for the sheer horsepower+ superior handling, not for the plush leather seats)

Mercedes Benz? Ditto.

Nissan? Now we're talking. Nissan sets itself apart with competitors with it's impressive Infiniti line-up, sport Z line, all headed by a GT-R. But especially because of the Z-line. Each one has left a lasting impression on the automotive world, all the way back to the days of the Datsun's. Each one became an instant hit, bolstered by media hype, and as soon as the next Z came out, became a trendy classic.

Backing this up is Nissan's luxury lineup, the Infiniti series. First off, with a name like Infiniti, you can't really go wrong. Each car in the modern Z line has its counterpart in the Infiniti, 200sx/240sx to the G20, 350z to the G35, and now, the 370 to G37. Even the SUV's have their own counterparts; Rogue to the EX35, and Murano to the FX35.

Every one of those Infiniti models always look classy whenever and where-ever they want to go, whether it be a weekend cruise on the freeway, to road-rage mountain downhill touge races (if those racers could even afford one). Infiniti chose to drape all its cars in a showcase gunmetal gray, which just seems right. I could never image an Infiniti showcased in anything other. White would look cheap, and piano black would push it into the mush pot that is known as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Any other color is just... well, weird.

And the king atop this all, the Nissan GT-R. 485-horspower-twin-charged-3.8-liter-V6. Nissan's Proprietary ATTESA ET-S AWD system. Dual-clutch six-speed automated manual transmission. Suspension with adjustable dampers. Blistering fast 0-60 speeds under 4 seconds. And topping it all off, and amazing system that Nissan fondly calls, "launch control". (Which was so powerful, Nissan had to redesign it for 2010 so it wouldn't tear rear axle off)

The GT-R spawned from the legendary Skyline series, which in the 1990's took the racing world, threw it into a black hole, and parked itself where it used to be. Back from the R33, the Skyline has been an icon of touge inspired animes, mangas and movies, and still is common on track scenes everywhere. Now, Nissan has taken all it's learned from the Skyline, and created the 2009 GT-R. It's rumored that in developement, the GT-R was code named LK-35, which supposedly stands for Lamborghini Killer R35. So now you can get a Italian-bull-slaughtering machine for somewhere around 100k. Seriously, doesn't get much better than that.

Top Gear: V-8 Smoothie!

B16Skyline: Car of the Decade Nomination

When I was first started thinking of a potential nomination, nothing really came to mind. I was thinking, "What car deserves this? What car is a monumental feat of engineering?" that sort of line. Maybe a Bugatti Veyron? Most would agree. A 8.0L W16 quad-charged engine is no easy feat. But no. Bugatti is nice and all, but let me ask you; have you actually seen one before outside of a showroom? What good is a 243-mph-capable car if it stays in your garage for your entire life? VW made it to have 1,001 bhp for a reason. For the buyer to actually USE it. VW intended this thing to tear up the Autobahn, and smash every time record in every track ever made in the world. But no, this car is only owned by rich people who just bought it to have it, and who will most likely never take this car past 100mph, less than half of its top speed.

But enough about that. So I returned back to my train of thought. What of the other side of the spectrum? Say, a SmartCar? It represents the new attitude towards cars; smaller is better, not that "If a small engine can do it well, then a bigger one can do it better" nonsense GMC was banded under at the start of the 21st century SUV-trend kick-off. The SmartCar is relatively spacious and fairly comfortable, gas-efficient, and a unique zang in the automotive market. Plus its starting to become common to see one on the road these days. But again, no. If you're a petrol-head like myself, you've probably seen the SmartCar head-on test crash with a Mercedes E350. The SmartCar was literally no more. What a gruesome way to go; steering wheel jammed in your bollocks and the head rest mashing your face into the dashboard. So no, the SmartCar doesn't have what it takes to be the Car of the Decade.

So eventually, I came to my final conclusion. The Toyota Prius. Now, most of you would be sitting there thinking, "But the Prius is so..." and yes, you'd be right. And wrong. Because, for all of its faults, the Prius is an iconic symbol of the 2000 decade. It represents the dying of the SUV-trend, and the rise of the compact car. It links itself to a key global issue, the energy crisis, and there is not a more perfect example of the automotive industry's attempt to go green that easily surpasses over other attempts, like Ford's pathetic, silly EcoBoost. Like it or not, it has clawed (with neatly manicured nails) its way up to top spot of the hybrid game. It's fuel-effiecent, ergonomic, comfortable, spacious, and in its own way, sort of a pretty car. When you blink. What I like about it though, is that it seats 5 in comfortable, roomy seats, while preserving the ability to have everyone's luggage in the trunk. It has enough space to rival most compact SUV's, and is a quite viable eco-friendly option over most 2-row SUVs.

So, in the end, the Toyota Prius is my nomination for Car of the Decade. It is the king (or queen) of the hybrid market, and every single Californian and movie star has one. Plus, I find the idea that a 4000lbs eco-green machine having the ability to hit 137 kpm (while getting 27 mpg) quite pleasing.

Porsche.... What the Derp?

California's Roads... so this is what it has come to.

Turn of the Decade Spotlight: Audi

Audi rocked the automotive world when it pulled out it's big gun, the Audi R8. It's sleek, powerful, and deadly-serious. It's the type of car that Batman would have parked in his favorite spot in his underground lair. Even looks a little like a Batmobile too, slightly reminiscent of a stealth fighter jet.

Its showcase color is the classic Audi glossy black, with massive carbon fiber panels that screams "I'm a fast, rich f***er and there's nothing you can do about it," at you. If you pop the hood (in this case, the trunk), you are greeted either with a 4.2 V8 making 420 hp, or a meaty 5.2 V10 belting out 525 hp. That's enough power to get you from 0-60 in 4.74 or 3.8 seconds respectively. And mated to those beastly engines is Audi's famed Quattro drive system, sending 420/525 hp to the front and rear wheels. Buyer has option of a 6 speed manual, or a 6 speed R tronic automatic transmission.

So what can all this power do, especially stacked against super car competitors? Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson took it upon himself to find out.

And again, with a ZR1:

So it boils down to this: a slow car in a straight line, but a bolt of lightning on the track. A car that is pleasing to the eye yet lacking something. A car that has the capability to be luxurious, but all of it locked out to options. Personally, it's refreshing to have something not a Lamborghini or a Ferrari stuck to a teenage gear-head's wall. It is elegant and refined, with the power, speed, and handling to stick it to any other car it likes without needing a 8.0L W16 quad-charged engine to do it. But the side panels? Those need some major cosmetic help.

Car of the Decade Nominations

4thGear Authors will be nominating cars for the "Car of the Decade" title and a Automotive Company for the "Company of the Decade" title. We will be accounting everything from sheer performance, to the symbolic value the nominations have to the 2000's decade. After our nominations we will post up a poll to see which car/company you think deserves the title. May the best Car/Company win.

J.Ma On: Honda CR-Z

As we know, the Honda CRX was a great classic. It was marked as a economic sports hatchback back in the 85's. In the 1989 Honda CRX model, fueleconomy.gov rates the Honda CRX as 41/50, which is very fuel economic. Even the Prius only gets a 48/45. The amazing aspect is that the Honda CRZ was not in any way designed to be a hybrid of some sort. I guess now we know why we're being screwed over by our modern heavy gas drinking cars.

Now another example, the 2010 Honda Insight is designed to be a hybrid. But it only achieves a not-as-pro 41/43. Despite its aluminium unibody, it still is not as good a Prius, and possibly the CRX.

So what does the CRX and the Insight give you? Well, say hello to the new 2010 CR-Z.


Being brutally honest, it's MPG is not even close to the CRX or the Insight. it only has a 31/37 (6-speed manual model), which doesn't even touch the 4's digit yet (even the CVT model). However, Honda claims that this car is a sporty hybrid. So have they done that? Possibly.

Lets take a look at the image of the CR-Z above. It's not exactly horrible, now is it? It does have this futuristic sense to it. The CR-Z's two door look gives it a sporty feeling, and that low, sleek body does seem to give the CR-Z a sharp look. Well, how about the interior?






That dashboard does look extremely futuristic with all those bright blue LED lights, but otherwise, nothing too special.

The Honda CR-Z comes with a set of delightful modes. There are three modes to choose from: Normal, Sport, and Economic. All these three (blue) buttons are located to the left of the wheel.


What's the point of this? Well, lets take an example. You're stuck in traffic and you have Normal mode on. Well, just press the Economic button, and the engine's responsiveness and fuel intake is turned to optimal economy, since you wont be moving much anyways. Now saw the traffic starts to clear up, and you want to reach some triple digits. Well, just press the Sports button, and the CR-Z will be flying... with its 122 horses.

Despite the Honda CR-Z as a "slow" sports car, there is a possibility that Honda will create a Type R version of this car with a beefed up 200 mph. So for now, if you consider hitting 100 mph on the streets fast, then this is the hybrid car for you. If not, wait for the Type R version (or Si). Bottom line is though, this car is just brilliant. It's a geeky hybrid. It passes as a decent hatchback. And what a wise choice for Honda as well. Since the drop of the S2000, the Civic Si is possibly the only sports car that Honda produces at this time. However, with the CR-Z, they just might be able to climb back into the sports car industry.


Now, lets hope Toyota can do the same.

**Images courtesy of motortrend.com and carbodydesign.com

I finally got a poll up! So every time you see this arrow, there is a new poll!

2013 Nissan GT-R R36 Sneak Peek

It has been confirmed by Nissan's President that Nissan will be rolling out a completely revised GT-R; dubbed R-36. Rumors say even with some financial trouble, the R-36 project is still on track.

GM's Come-Back Car: The Malibu

Ahhh yes, another failed attempt to make a comfortable mid-sized sedan from Government Motors... but not so fast... could it be?

At first glance the car is very modern looking, it radiates comfort and style. Hmmm... where have we heard of that before? Maybe Japanese cars?

The Chevy Malibu first appeared in 1964, with its first generation Malibu. It continued to what you see today, the 7th generation. I'm actually quite astonished when I first saw this car; I had to give it a walk around to actually take it in, this is an American made car! GM finally built something that is pleasing and something highly comparable to its foreign competition. Because for a long time, american cars have been the ugliest and dysfunctional cars in the world. I would go onto Youtube and read comments like "Be American, Buy American." now the MAJOR issue in that idea is that why should I buy a poorly designed car when I spend a little more and get a import car that gets better gas mileage and better looks.

I'm happy to say that the long wait is over, it costed GM bankruptcy to turn things around. The Chevy Malibu comes in 4 trims- LS, 1LT, 2LT, and the LTZ. The base set-up is a 2.4L in-line 4 cylinder engine that produces 169 horsepower. With a pretty efficient 22/30 (city/highway) MPG, this car proves its worth. This car also supports a 3.5L V6 that produces 217 horsepower.

Although the Malibu weighs about 3,500 pounds, the in-line four-cylinder version reaches 60mph in less than 10 seconds. The 3.5L V6 version reaches 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds.

Take a look at the graph (click):


So far the car is doing very well, even against the stacked competition coming from Ford and Japanese imports. People liked the car so much that Kelley Blue Book awarded the 2008 Malibu the 2008 Best Redesigned Vehicle Award. Edmund's Car review repeatedly praised the cars new and fresh interior, that feels and looks luxurious. GM also boasts its 100k miles/ 5 year warranty trying to attract customers in making the "switch".