Generous giving can be a sign of how the economy is doing, and if the auction of the custom SR-71 Blackbird Mustang at the EAA AirVenture show yesterday is anything to go by, then things are looking up. Built in collaboration with Ford, Roush and Shelby, the one-off pony car was sold for $375,000 to benefit the EAA’s Young Eagles program – that’s significantly more than $250,000 the AV-X10 ‘Dearborn Doll’ Mustang raised last year at the event.

Of course, the winning bidder was likely motivated by a little more than charity during the bidding. The one-of-one 2011 Ford  Mustang features an exterior designed after the legendary Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance plane, and it includes black and gray matte exterior paint, custom front and rear fascias, performance wheels and a unique screen-print glass roof. Performance has also been boosted thanks to a Whipple supercharger system and a slew of Ford Racing Performance Parts.

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Nissan’s all-new 2011 Nissan Juke has the subtlety of an atom bomb. Even cast against the increasingly avant-garde crossover segment, the Juke looks downright alien. Its styling is said to evoke rally cars and motorcycles (the center console resembles a fuel tank), but from our staff the face elicited comparisons begrudgingly accepting (Isuzu Vehicross) and downright hateful (Pontiac Aztek).

While the design is the most polarizing aspect, we reached agreement on performance. The 2011 Nissan Juke‘s turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four produces an eager 188 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. With the continuously variable automatic buzzing the engine’s top speed incessantly, the front-drive Juke we tested accelerated to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, and through the quarter mile in 15.2 seconds at 91.9 mph, which is right on par with the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T, mind you. Stopping distance is equally impressive, at a best of 124 feet from 60 mph.

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It’s not just a concept car for the auto shows anymore. Peugeot has announced the 3008 HYbrid4 - the first diesel-powered hybrid to hit the markets anywhere. The car will go on sale in Europe in 2011.

As Peugeot had previously announced, the 3008 will be the first vehicle in the French automaker’s lineup to feature this new powertrain set-up, which is slated to follow in the RCZ model too. The HYbrid4 features a 2.0 liter HDi diesel engine with 163 PS (120 kW) and 300 Nm of torque powering the front wheels while a 27 kW electric motor mounted on the rear axle powers the back wheels. The electric motor is fed electrical current from the nickel metal hydride batteries fitted under the trunk.

The rear-axle motor provides a constant 100 Nm of torque but can be called upon to deliver 200 Nm at its peak. The car’s maximum total output reaches 200 PS (147 kW) and 500 Nm of torque.

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Nissan’s Xterra, a throwback to when all SUVs were red in tooth and claw, may be swinging on the gallows sooner rather than later. According to Ward’s Auto, the gloriously upright off-roader faces an uncertain future amidst slumping sales and ever-tightening federal fuel economy regulations.

Ward’s data indicates that the Xterra has sold just 12,186 units through July, and even that modest figure is well ahead of last year’s glacial pace brought about by the stagnant economy. By comparison, Nissan shipped 88,578 new Xterras off to owners in 2000.

The Xterra hasn’t received more than modest changes since its redesign back in 2005, and although Nissan’s vice president of advanced product and product planning and stategy, Larry Dominique, says the automaker will try to build the SUV ‘”as long as we possibly can,” there isn’t a redesign in sight.

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Ford has officially unveiled the facelifted 2011 Ford Mondeo at the Moscow Motor Show.

On the styling front, the updated model features a revised grille, a modified hood, LED daytime running lights, chrome window surrounds (high end models only), and LED taillights.

Inside, potential customers will find higher grade materials, a redesigned center console, satin chrome trim, and a new overhead console with LED ambient lighting.

New options include Lane Departure Warning, Driver Alert, Auto High Beam, a Blind Spot Information System, a Speed Limiter, and a rear view camera.

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As trendy crossovers go, the Nissan Murano will be distinctly remembered as one of the first to hit the road back in 2003. While the 2011 Murano is technically still in its second generation, Nissan’s given it a mid-cycle refresh, complete with the addition of an SV trim and an updated exterior and interior.

Gracing the 2011 Nissan Murano’s exterior is an altered front end that has already debuted in other parts of the world and is finally making its way to the U.S. Nissan is going for what it calls a “modern art” feel and look. The front fascia features a new grille, more pronounced lines on the lower bumper cover, and redesigned foglight housings. The Murano’s signature chromed vertical grille bars are reduced in number and the net effect is a more defined nose that might earn a second look from the local valet.

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Engine downsizing has now come to the almost top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG with the adoption of AMG’s new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8. The new direct-injected V8 bumps output up from a mere 518 horsepower to 571 horsepower along with generating 663 pound-feet of torque between 2,250 and 3,750 rpm. That’s sufficient to propel this behemoth to 62 mph in just 4.5 seconds in normal trim or 4.4 seconds if you opt for the AMG sports package.

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz S63 also swaps out its previous torque converter automatic transmission for the multi-clutch unit from the SL63, a move which should lend it a more sporting feel. Just as other automakers get both performance and efficiency benefits from boosted direct-injected engines, the S63’s combine fuel economy numbers have jumped from 16.3 miles per gallon (U.S.) to 22.4 mpg on the EU test cycle. The EPA numbers aren’t yet available, but we would expect a similar real-world increase from the 2010 model’s 14 mpg, though perhaps a bit smaller since the EPA’s testing methodology won’t show any benefits from the S63’s new automatic start-stop feature.

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