All About Japan Autos

Daily Auto News

Among the most buzzworthy cars expected to make their debuts at this week’s L.A. Auto Show is the 2011 Ford Mustang. According to several sources, Ford is replacing the pony car’s previous base V6 engine with a smaller 3.7-liter V6 that makes 305 horsepower — a huge power improvement over the outgoing model.

Autoblog reports, “While the 305-horse figure only allows the Mustang to pip the crosstown Camaro by a single all-important stallion in the pony car bragging wars, Ford says the powertrain will be good for 30 miles-per-gallon on the highway when paired with its new six-speed automatic, also one notch better than the Chevy.” Other performance upgrades include electric steering, larger brakes and a standard limited slip differential.

Some auto experts question why Ford waited until 2011 to implement these changes when it could have rolled them into the redesigned 2010 Mustang. However, no one’s disputing that the changes are necessary. Edmunds Inside Line says the “massive powertrain improvements could not only lift the lesser Mustang out from the land of ridicule but also actually put it in direct competition with the excellent 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V6.”

Another L.A. Auto Show debut is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, a more fuel-efficient and larger replacement for the automaker’s Cobalt compact that is already on sale in Europe. Though it’s at least nine months away from its U.S. sales debut, the Cruze has already created plenty of buzz. Motor Trend concludes that “based on the models we’ve driven so far and the U.S. version’s impressive set of features and options, the 2011 Cruze may indeed have what it takes to stay out of rental lots and roll into the garages of customers countrywide.”

The Cruze will be powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged four cylinder or a 1.8-liter engine with similar power but less torque. The turbo model is expected to achieve a 40 mpg EPA highway rating. Automobile Magazine reports the Cruze should cost about the same as the Cobalt, which puts it at a base price of around $15,000.

The L.A. Auto Show runs from Dec. 4-13, 2009. If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars, as well as this month’s best car deals.