MotoMonday: Fuel Magazine Shoots Dallas’ Yamaha

Our friend Luke Ray at Fuel Magazine had a chance to shoot this ultra cool Yamaha under the Citylink flyover at Flemington in Australia. It will appear in Issue 09 of Fuel Magazine, along with a couple of articles by yours truly. Keep an eye on their blog for info regarding release dates.

[Fuel Magazine]

MotoMonday: Ossa Copa 250 by Cafe Racer Dreams

Originally built in Spain in 1979, this Ossa Copa 250 was completely reworked by the folks at Cafe Racer Dreams/Cream Motorcycles. The frame is original but has been modified for extra rigidity. Bolted below the seat is a completely restored single-cylinder 250cc engine, fed by a gorgeous green tank with the CRD logo. More pictures below.

[Cafe Racer Dreams]

MotoMonday: Paranoia Racing Ducati SSS by Death Spray Custom Works

Though there is little available online about the bike, it is a wonderful piece of art to look at. More photos below.

[Death Spray Custom Works]

In the run of a week, I see so many different, beautiful motorcycles from around the world. And, starting today, I will be sharing them all with you on a weekly basis during MotoMonday here on shift+drive.

The first photo comes to us courtesy of Sideburn Magazine, Jared Mees at an indoor ice racing event. He won the event in style atop his #1 motorcycle the weekend before last.

[Sideburn Magazine]

After posting our round-up of the 10 Cheapest Cars In America, I wondered, “How expensive can you configure the Nissan Versa sedan?”

The new for 2012 Nissan Versa won (or lost?) on our list by a considerable margin. It is basic transportation in every sense of the phrase. Sure, you get air conditioning equipped as standard. But, almost everything else is an optional extra.

So, if we configured the Versa with all the convenience packages, how much more would it cost over the base price?

We started with the top trim line, the Nissan Versa 1.6 SL Sedan, which has a base price of $15,560. We tacked on the Technology Package, adding an extra $700. After that, it is mostly dealer installed options (see the build sheet below).

How much did it end up being? How about $19,951, including destination and before taxes? For a fully optioned econobox, that isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

The Devon Harrier, built by SE Service of Sweden, decorated in the best way possible. More on the motorcycle here.

This is the only Nürburgring infographic you will ever need.

[CarBuzz.co.uk via Inside Line]

Dani Sordo has balls the size of watermelons. This is why we aren’t all rally drivers.

And another view from below. Mental.

[Axis of Oversteer]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with basic motoring. Sometimes it can provide a lot of fun for not much scratch.

It wasn’t many years ago that you could pick up a Mustang for under $10K. However, those days are long gone. There is no vehicle today that can be purchased for under $10,000 in the United States. But, there are a number of options that come very close.

#10 – 2012 Toyota Yaris 3-door: $14,115

Toyota proudly proclaims “It’s A Car!” in their advertising of the diminutive hatch and the Yaris 3 door is just that. Styling has been evolutionary for the Yaris, sporting a more corporate facia, and the sedan bodystyle has been dropped from the line-up in the new generation. Carrying over is the 1.5L VVT-i DOHC 4-cylinder from the previous model, cranking out 106 hp. Connected with the standard 5-speed row-your-own transmission, the new Yaris will return 30 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

#9 – Kia Soul: $13,900

All the other vehicles on this list are sub-compacts at the bottom of their respective brand’s ranges. However, the Soul offers a lot more utility than many other vehicles here. It’s seen as a direct competitor to the Nissan Cube in the “quirky SUV thing” segment but offers a lot more drivetrain options. The base 1.6L 4-cylinder provides motion to the front wheels with 138 hp. Fuel economy doesn’t seem to be sacrificed due to the shape of the Soul either, returning 27 mpg city/35 mpg highway.

#8 – Chevrolet Sonic Sedan: $13,865

New for 2012, the Chevrolet Sonic replaces the outgoing and much unloved Aveo for sub-compact duties at the bowtie brand. Aggressiveness shows in the new design, looking like an angry Transformer after being zapped with a shrink ray. Between the front wheels is GM’s 1.8L ECOTEC 4-cylinder, producing 138 hp and returning 26 mpg city/34 mpg highway.

#7 – Suzuki SX4 Sedan: $13,699

Suzuki has been letting the SX4 die a slow and painful death, with only minor updates since the models introduction in 2006. Of the vehicles on the list, it is the only sub-compact with available all-wheel-drive (on the hatch only). It also has the largest standard engine size of the lot: a 2.0L 4-cylinder mill producing 150 hp when married to the 5-speed manual. Now, if Suzuki would just give the SX4 a little plastic surgery to bring people into showrooms.

#6 – Kia Rio 5-Door: $13,600

Forget your earlier opinions on the Kia Rio. The new Rio is one of the best looking subcompacts money can buy these days, thanks to Peter Schreyer, former lead designer for Audi. The new Kia Rio 5-Door offers up the corporate grille of many of its brand siblings, surrounded by some of the best sheet metal Kia has ever stamped. Also shared is the 1.6L inline 4-cylinder, which sees life in a number of Kia models, including the Soul above. The little 4-pot produces the same 138 hp as it does in the Soul and a 6-speed manual comes standard in the base model. Fuel economy rings in at 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway, which is the best on the list.

#5 – Kia Rio Sedan: $13,400

At this point you may be wondering, “Why is the Kia Rio on this list twice?” Well, it comes down to the fact that while the nameplate may be the same, a lot of manufacturers treat the two body styles as different models and it is not uncommon for the hatchback variants of models to be significantly more expensive than their sedan counterparts. Hatchback variants of the Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Suzuki SX4, and Chevrolet Sonic don’t make the list for that very reason. While sedans can be had bare bones, auto manufacturers try to add standard features to the hatchbacks, driving the price up. So, it is worthy to note that the Rio Sedan and Hatchback base prices are only $200 apart. Take that, everyone else!

#4 – Ford Fiesta Sedan: $13,200

The Fiesta nameplate has been revived in North America to slot in below the ever growing Focus. And while the Fiesta hatch sports a nicely sculpted rear-end, the design doesn’t seem to transfer to the sedan in much the same way, looking a bit clumsy. A 1.6L Duratec I4 pulls the new, small car around with 120 hp, placing the Fiesta solidly in the middle of the pack for power output. But, if you are more interested in fuel economy, the base Fiesta gets 29 mpg city/38 mpg highway with the manual 5 cog on the EPA test cycle.

#3 – Hyundai Accent GLS (Sedan): $12,545

The kissing cousin to the Kia Rio, the Hyundai Accent provides a slightly less expensive option for car ownership. Again, forget what you thought you knew about the Accent, as the new model overshadows the faults made in the past. Other than exterior design, the Accent and Rio share almost everything, including the 1.6L 4-cylinder producing the same 138 hp. It also returns identical fuel economy at 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway.

#2 – smart fortwo pure coupe: $12,490

Since its introduction, the smart fortwo hasn’t changed all that much on the surface. A refresh in 2007 grew the city car and improved its crash worthiness. It is the least powerful vehicle on our list, milking 70 hp out of a 1-litre 3-cylinder engine. The fortwo is by far the smallest on the list as well, the only car limited to two seats. While it is rear wheel drive, don’t expect the fortwo to be a sports car, as it returns 34 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

#1 – Nissan Versa Sedan: $10,990

By a very considerable margin, the Nissan Versa Sedan is the cheapest car in America, sporting a base price of $10,990. In order to get the price so low, the Versa does away with almost every creature comfort a person could possibly want, providing a bare bones driving experience. The new design foregoes the sharp lines of the previous generation, instead looking bubbly and very awkwardly proportioned. The 1.6L 4-cylinder isn’t the worst on the list, generating 109 hp, good for 30 27 mpg city/38 36 mpg highway. However, if the Versa is on your list of possible purchases, be prepared to pay for everything as an extra, excluding air conditioning.

PistonHeads is reporting this morning that the Malaysian government has sold its 43% stake in automaker Proton, parent company of Lotus, to an industrial conglomerate.

More information at PistonHeads.