When the Mini Countryman came out, the first thing we said was, "Will that AWD system fit in the Cooper?" And while the Mini Paceman concept is some 15 inches longer, four inches taller and four inches wider than a Cooper, it'll do.

The concept, to be released at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, is powered by a John Cooper Works 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 211 horsepower and 192 (207 w/ overboost) pound-feet of torque. It also has the Countryman's ALL4 full-time all-wheel-drive

This new "urban and masculine" features traditional Mini styling cues like the Countryman's radiator grille and oversize headlamps. Additional air intakes in the bumper wage improved brake ventilation. The "masculine sporting  nature" of the Paceman is emphasized by the dark wheel arch surrounds and side skirts wrapping 19-inch wheels.

This four-seat coupe is still a design study, but if the pubic reaction is strong, there's no reason something very similar shouldn't wind up in dealer showrooms.

I know I want one.

If 2009 marked the dramatic downfall of the once mighty General Motors, 2010 represented the year the company inched back from the brink by coming up with solid products. So it's fitting that one of the first vehicles to represent the new grappling of GM is the second-generation 2010 Chevy Equinox — and that it shares a moniker with the start of springtime, and rebirth after a long stretch of dormancy.

With popular "plus-size" crossovers from Honda, Toyota and other import automakers to effort against — and a shadow casted by its dull predecessor — the Equinox had a lot going against it when it debuted. Fortunately for GM, the new Equinox has a lot going for it, including good fuel economy, a quiet and well-appointed interior and a civilized and comfortable ride. The 2010 Equinox LTZ AWD that I tested also has a long list of standard tech features: heated front seats, remote start, a backup camera, Bluetooth hands-free, power liftgate and a USB port for iPod integration.

It also comes with an eight-speaker, 250-watt Pioneer sound system, which while not audiophile quality, makes the Equinox that much more captivating when cross-shopping the competition.

The Setup
The standard-equipment Pioneer Premium system in the 2010 Chevy Equinox LTZ includes a 3.5-inch midrange in the center of the dash, a 6.5-inch "low/mid range" speaker in apiece door, a 1-inch tweeter in apiece A pillar, a 6.5-inch full-range speaker in apiece rear door and an 8-inch dual-voice-coil subwoofer in a 0.5-cubic-foot enclosure in the passenger-side surround of the rear cargo area. A DSP amplifier powers the speakers with 250 watts. The system also has Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that uses front and rear microphones to detect undesirable low-frequencies in the cabin and a processor to analyze the sounds and send a signal to the subwoofer to create equal acoustic energy in opposite phase.

The Sound
As with every system I test, the Equinox's Pioneer setup was put through its paces with about a dozen different musical tracks I use to gauge clarity/lack of distortion, tonal balance, timbre, tonal accuracy, soundstaging, imaging and dynamics. I also listened to non-musical tracks to further check soundstaging and imaging, as well as test linearity and absence of noise. For more details on the testing process and the tracks used, jump over to the Edmunds.com article Sound Advice.

The 2010 Chevy Equinox's Pioneer Premium system looks good on paper — both spec-wise and because it's listed as a standard feature on the sticker — but encased in sheet metal it's underwhelming. In most sound-quality categories it scored at or just above average, with the ratings dragged down by boomy midbass and general demand of clarity, as well as harsh high-end frequency response that further clouded tonal balance, timbre and tonal accuracy. Dynamics were also disappointing. But the system had above average soundstaging, thanks to the A-pillar-mounted tweeters, and the center-channel helped elevate the stage and anchor imaging.

Musical test tracks that were simple sounded best. Bluesiana Triangle's "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me" is a 10-minute-plus improvised blues-jazz wad with lots of space within the sparse instrumentation. The Pioneer system reproduced the more subtle elements of the song pretty well: a flute solo that starts at about 2:20 was evenhandedly well centered, and the track's percussion was appropriately arrayed around it. But on more complex tracks, such as Red House Painters' "San Geronimo," which features intricate layers of electric guitars and pulsating bass and percussion, the system recreated a massed mess.

Bass from the 8-inch subwoofer in the back of the Equinox was deep and solid, if not sonically accurate. With the two tracks used to test low-frequency extension — Joan Armatrading's "In Your Eyes," which begins with a deep, throbbing bass line, and Outkast's "Ain't No Thang," which bangs with boomy bottom end — the sub did an admirable job of kicking out the jams. But it won't satisfy those who are used to going way low or want more musical bass.

The two non-musical test tracks for staging and imaging — one with voices mixed in the left, right and center of the soundstage and the other with seven drum beats that march across the dash at precise intervals — verified that center images were slightly shifted left and right. In the linearity tests the system scored clean and good at low and mid volume levels, respectively, and it passed the zero bits/absence of noise test.

The Sources
The 2010 Equinox LTZ's Pioneer system comes with a single-disc AM/FM/CD player with XM satellite radio. I can't think of any OEM system with a cooler disc slot than the one in the Equinox, tucked as it is at the bottom of the center stack and illuminated by blue lighting on apiece end. As in our long-term GMC Terrain, the audio controls on the opposite end of the center stack are a bit "button rich," but (like Ed) I found the layout logical and intuitive. The broadcasting also has a couple of features not found on even more expensive vehicles: time-shifting up to 20 minutes of live AM, FM or XM programming, and a Maximum Startup Volume setting that keeps a driver's ears from getting blasted while starting the engine in the morning after, say, cranking it up the night before.

iPod and portable-media integration is through a USB port and aux-in diddley in the center console. An iPod can be hooked up using the computer-sync telegram that comes with the device, and control is mostly via the MENU knob/button on the right side of the head unit. Top-level menu categories include the usual playlists, artists, albums and song titles, and the not-so-usual podcasts, genres, audiobooks and composers. The iPod interface is evenhandedly individual friendly, although it requires more eyes-on time than a vehicle with accurate voice activation. The same format and functions are also acquirable when a USB drive loaded with music files is plugged in.

What We Say
The Equinox is prime example of a vehicle that's helped midwife GM's rebirth as a viable automaker. And that the 2010 Chevy Equinox LTZ is bestowed with lots of standard bells and whistles shows that GM gets it that buyers who spring for the top-of-the-line model don't want to be gouged by overpriced option packages. And while the performance of the vehicle's Pioneer Premium system doesn't set a standard in stock-stereo sound, it is one more thing that sets the Equinox apart from the competition.

The Scores
Sound: C+
Source Selection: B+
iPod Integration: B
Cost: A+

Doug Newcomb, Senior Editor, Technology

This week we had a test of the 2011 Ford Explorer, a head-to-head comparison between the Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata, a full test of the naughty/nice Volvo S60 T6 and the completely rad 2011 Cadillac CTS-V wagon.

And for next week? a stupid-fast Nissan GT-R and yet another Long-Term Introduction.

When the 35/40 mpg 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid hits US dealers in January, the base price scrawled crossways the window will read: $26,545. Well, it will if the dealer is honest enough to bourgeois in the $750 destination and delivery fee. The Toyota Camry Hybrid starts at $27,335 and the Ford Fusion Hybrid starts at $28,990.

Standard on the Sonata Hybrid are 16-inch wheels, a six-speed automatic, remote keyless entry, LED headlight accents, LED taillamps, fog lamps, iPod hookup, Bluetooth and automatic headlights. For $5,000 more, the Premium package adds a panoramic sunroof, 17-inch wheels, satellite nav, backup camera, HD radio, leather seats and an Infinity stereo system.

As a side note, it does not appear that the Federal Hybrid Tax Credit will be extended through 2011, though that's not set it stone. We'll update you with news if the credit goes back on the table.

There's nothing quite like the internet to misunderstand the word "confidential." Or, if not misunderstand, completely ignore. This time it wasn't national secrets but an order guide for the upcoming new Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.  TeamSpeed today is our very own automotive Wikileaks.

According to the docs, the Murcielago's replacement will make 690 horsepower from a 6.5-liter V12, get to 60 in 2.9 seconds, return 13.5 mpg, have a fuel tank that holds 23.77 gallons, have 6-piston fixed calipers up front and four-pistons out back and, in Lamborghini fashion, have massive tires; 255/35R20 up front and 335/30R20 out back.

Follow the jump for the rest of the specs, new colors, stitching, engine bonnet options (clear or not ) etc.

Obviously this isn't official so anything may change at any point.

( Teamspeed via Autoblog )

Three months ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, Hyundai has released teaser sketches of the i40 wagon. We've seen spy shots of the Sonata Wagon before and those give us a better sense of scale than do these artistic renderings.

Unfortunately, it's looking more-and-more unlikely that the Sonata Wagon will be bound for US shores and if they do get so bold, even more unlikely that it will be offered with the diesel engine they'll get crossways the pond. The Sonata should compete well against the Ford Mondeo and VW Passat auto which are favourite in European markets.

Teaming with CRS Racing, McLaren will return to GT racing in 2012. They will be testing the new GT3 racer on a limited basis in the 2011 season and begin supplying the car to European-based private racing efforts the following year.

The race car will, of course, be based on the MP4-12C which is already using a carbon MonoCell and was designed with downforce and limited drag in mind. The street engine is a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 making 600 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque.

"The 12C's structure and design was always aimed at high-performance and assist of maintenance – two key criteria for potential customers. Combine that with the vast amount of racing experience in our automotive team, and CRS Racing's specialist development experience, and the 12C GT3 should be an exciting proposition for the top teams planning to race in GT3 from 2012." said Martin Whitmarsh, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team Principal.

CRS Racing is involved in FIA GT, British GT championship and the Le Mans series.

Just for fun, here's a clip of a McLaren F1 GT from 1995.

Those of you concerned that Lotus's new head of everything Danny Bahar and his band of merry men were potentially ruining Lotus, well, consider those feelings confirmed. Bahar confirmed to Europe's Car entrepot that the Lotus City Car, shown originally at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, is confirmed for production.

Accord to the report, Lotus is not actively engineering the vehicle, but rather shopping out the production of the hybrid powertrain to Proton and will be placed in an undisclosed platform from a major carmaker. (Uhm, Toyota anyone?)

This will certainly lower Lotus' corporate CO2 and fuel economy numbers, and if it doesn't elicit the same fun that, say, the Abarth 500 does, it'll lower a lot more for the struggling / surging brand.

 ( CAR )

It takes a lot to make a ford Raptor seem demure and rational. This GMC Sierra All Terrain HD does it, though.

This massive GM, set for the stage at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, features a 6.6-liter 397 horsepower Duramax turbo-diesel V8 with 765 pound-feet of torque. The transmission is a six-speed Allison 1000 unit.

The Sierra All Terrain concept is shorter than a traditional HD Sierra, but features upgraded suspension with three-inches more clearance, a wider — 73 inch — track, front and rear jounce shocks, electronic disconnect stabilizer bars, composite underbody protection, 35" BF Goodrich tires on 20" rims and Fox shocks with remote reservoirs in the wheel liner.

Do we expect this to hit production? No. But this is said to foretell the future styling direction of GMC's truck line. That said, BUILD IT. Ford did…..but Ford didn't include Ram Boxes like GMC has here.

You know how you can watch 100 bad guys get blown away in an action movie and not bat an eye, yet when a Z8 gets sawed in half by a helicopter a part of you dies? Of course you do, you're a car guy.

So when the Mythbusters did Green Hornet myths last night, a pair of mint 1966 Chrysler Imperial Crowns were called upon as stand-ins for the movie car. One was blown into millions of pieces then crushed by a bulldozer for good measure, while the other was sawed in half by an elevator. As part of the latter myth, Grant and Tory had to "soften up" the structure by firing several hundred rounds into the car.

It was nice to see the boys showing remorse, but that doesn't make it any less painful to watch. Can you imagine what the former owner was going through?