NY Auto Show notebook: Subaru shows off electric car

Subaru of America Inc. showed off the automaker's R1e electric car Thursday, saying it's fun to drive while also being easy to charge and emissions free.

The R1e has a range of 50 miles and can post a top speed of 65 mph. It can charge to 80 percent capacity in 15 minutes using a dedicated charger, or be fully charged overnight with a regular domestic outlet, Tim Mahoney, Subaru of America's chief marketing officer, told reporters at the New York International Auto Show.

The vehicle's lithium-ion battery has an estimated life of 10 years or 100,000 miles, largely eliminating battery replacement problems, Mahoney said.

"We at Subaru just don't talk about green issues -- we put our talk into action," Mahoney said. "The R1e is being readied for delivery to customers in Japan and now Subaru is looking at world markets such as the U.S. as part of that global outreach."

As part of the vehicle's evaluation in the U.S., Mahoney said the New York Power Authority, which runs power plants across the state, is putting two of the vehicles in to service and their performance will be monitored over the next few months.

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American supercar maker Saleen has a new concept car that runs on ethanol.

The S5S Raptor was unveiled Thursday at the New York International Auto Show. The Raptor has a 5-liter, supercharged V-8 that gets 650 horsepower.

"This car is both mean and clean," Saleen President and Chief Executive Paul Wilbur said.

Wilbur wouldn't say whether the car will be produced, saying the Troy, Mich.-based company wants to get some consumer reaction first.

Saleen also unveiled a limited-edition Mustang named for American racing legend Dan Gurney and designed to reflect the Trans Am he drove in 1969. Only 300 of the cars will be made, and they'll feature a 4.6-liter, 465-horsepower V-8 engine that Gurney and his sons helped tune. The Gurney edition will be available this spring.

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg says a new $10 million prize to develop more fuel-efficient cars will help reduce the country's dependence on oil.

Bloomberg was at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday to help introduce the Automotive X Prize, which will award $10 million to teams that develop production-ready cars that get 100 miles to the gallon or more.

"We really need some new thinking. We need some innovation," Bloomberg said. "I don't think there's any bigger threat to our world and to our country than global warming and our dependency on oil, and the automobile is really at the root of both of those things."

X Prize Foundation Chairman and Chief Executive Dr. Peter Diamandis stressed that the competition will focus on cars that people really could drive.

"We're not talking about concept cars. We're talking about real cars that can be brought to market in the near term that consumers will want to buy," he said.

The Santa Monica, Calif.-based X Prize Foundation said 64 teams from 10 countries already have signed up to participate in the competition, which will include cross-country races in 2009 and 2010. Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. is funding the prize.

Bloomberg, who is a billionaire, joked that he might want to fund a prize of his own someday. The X Prize Foundation is best known for prizes promoting space flights.

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BMW AG's Mini brand on Thursday showed off its new John Cooper Works Clubman, saying it brings the best in racing performance to everyday drivers.

The new Clubman, which debuted along with a hardtop version at the recent Geneva auto show and goes on sale this summer in the U.S., includes the same 1.6-liter engine used in the Mini Challenge race car that delivers 208 horsepower and 192 foot-pounds of torque.

"Interestingly, when we first started development on the John Cooper Works hardtop, we instantly knew that we couldn't hold a good thing back -- we simply had to share the same level of performance with our Clubman owners," Jim McDowell, vice president for Mini USA, told reporters at the New York International Auto Show.

The hardtop version, which is expected to retail at $29,200, goes from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, while the Clubman, priced at $31,450, takes 6.5 seconds. Both can reach a top speed of 147 miles per hour.

The cars also feature high-performance brakes, a sport suspension and a specially modified six-speed manual transmission, Mini said.

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Kia Motors America unveiled its Koup concept vehicle Thursday, saying a version of the sporty red car could end up in dealer showrooms sooner rather than later.

Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia Motors America, said the production-ready model represents the future of the Kia brand.

"With the Kia Koup, we set out to create an emotional design that attracts young people that are moving up," Kearns told reporters at the New York International Auto Show.

Kearns said the Koup's unique "check-marked" shape gives it a feeling of high performance that is backed up by a 2-liter, 290 horsepower, turbocharged engine. It's complimented by carbon fiber and black chrome enhanced LED lamp lenses, and 19-inch aluminum wheels.

The cockpit-like interior features a juke box stereo system with eight speakers, Bluetooth navigation and a three-spoke steering wheel with audio, mobile phone and cruise controls, Kia said.

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American Suzuki Motor Corp. unveiled a new version of its Kizashi concept car Thursday, saying that the updated vehicle takes the sport sedan one step closer to production.

The Kizashi 3, like its two predecessors, is designed to reflect the vision of an athlete in motion, combining a toned physique with strength and style, said Gene Brown, Suzuki vice president for marketing and public relations.

Brown said the automaker is committed to bringing a Kizashi-influenced sport sedan to the U.S. market by 2010.

"This vehicle will be the catalyst that ignites the Suzuki brand with the hearts and minds of the American driver," Brown told reporters at the New York International Auto Show.

The sparkling silver Kizashi 3, which was displayed alongside the original Kizashi and the Kizashi 2, features a 300 horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, paddle shifters and all-wheel drive.