Alfa Mito Inspires Fashion Designers to Create a Line of Women's Jeans...

In an attempt to "Lancia-Ypsilon-ize" (...) the MiTo hatch and make it more desirable to female buyers, Alfa Romeo's UK arm joined forces with TV's fashion persona (or so the company claims) Louise Roe, to challenge two promising young fashion designers to create a line of women's jeans, and at the same time, raise money for charity. The result of the work of London-based designers Bjork and McElligott is a one-off series of limited edition skinny-fit jeans.

In the extremely rare case that some of you (hopefully, only female readers) are actually interested in the designer jeans that feature Alfa Romeo red stitching and badges embroidered on the rear pockets, you can order them through mitojeans.co.uk. Prices are set at £75 a pair.

If it makes you feel better, the proceeds are expected to raise funds for the girls in the pics Jeans for Genes, a charity that helps children and families affected by genetic disorders.

Lexus to Debut Facelifted 2010 LS460 and LS600h at Frankfurt Motor Show

The LF-Ch premium compact hatch concept will be joined on the Lexus Frankfurt motorshow stand by the world debut of the updated LS 460 and LS 600h models, both of which were prematurely revealed through a leaked JDM brochure a few days ago. On the outside, the LS range has been updated with restyled front and rear bumpers, reworked headlights and tail lamps, new front grille and mirror housings with integrated turning signals plus fresh alloy wheel designs.

Other changes for Lexus' flagship sedan include interior design revisions, updated standard equipment as well as suspension modifications.

Lexus has also further differentiated the LS600h hybrid from the gasoline-only LS460 models through bespoke exterior and interior styling cues that include a unique grille and bumper treatment. In addition, the Japanese automaker said that it has improved packaging, and numerous enhancements to the vehicle's Lexus Hybrid Drive system.

New Honda Accord Crosstour Unveiled, gets All-Wheel Drive System

The wait is finally over for the newest member of the Honda Accord family as the Japanese automaker today released an official set of photos of the Crosstour that will go on sale in the States as a 2010 model year sometime this fall. Honda skimped on the details but a close inspection of the photos reveals a "4WD" badge meaning that the Accord Crosstour will either be offered with all-wheel drive as standard or as an option.

The five-door Crosstour is based on the North American market Accord sedan with Honda claiming that it combines car-like ride and refinement with a Crossover Utility Vehicle's (CUV for short) increased ride height and all-weather potential.

"We know SUV buyers like the commanding view of the road that comes with a high eye-point and like the comforts of living with an SUV," said Erik Berkman, vice president of American Honda Motor Co. "This vehicle meets the needs of buyers looking for those attributes yet at the same time want an image that is different from a conventional SUV."

Maybe we're wrong, but we can't help thinking that the Crosstour looks like the weird offspring of an illicit three-way love affair between a BMW 5-Series GT, a X6, and a Honda Accord...

Thanks for the nod Mircea!

Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept Heads to Frankfurt

Ahead of its world debut on September 15 at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Toyota today released the first official photograph of the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept. While Toyota did not disclose any specific information on the car, the Japanese automaker said that in early 2010, more than 150 units of the plug-in version of the Prius will be leased to selected fleet customers as part of an extensive field trial in Europe.

The automaker's main objective with the road-test project that will also be deployed in Japan as well as in the USA is to investigate and further evaluate the technology and performance of plug-in hybrids in real life conditions.

We'll have more details on the plug-in Prius concept car closer to the Frankfurt Show opening.

Lexus LF-Ch: Premium Hatchback Concept with Hybrid Drive Revealed

In the run up to the official debut of the LF-Ch concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show and only a couple of weeks after the release of a teaser drawing, Lexus issued a single photograph of the premium hatchback that is believed to spawn a production model as early as 2010. The five-door hatch targets the C-segment premium market with rivals such as the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series.

"The LF-Ch combines stylish design and full hybrid technology in a practical 5-door compact package to fulfill the needs of the most demanding premium compact segment customers," said Lexus in a statement.

The concept model uses the Japanese firm's Lexus Hybrid Drive and according to the automaker, it benefits from an electric-only driving capability. But that's about all that Lexus will reveal until for now. More detailed information and a full set of photos are expected to go online on September 10 2009.