Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit/Car Fact-Files

There are a lot of cool real-world cars in the game, Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit and it's sequel. This article lists them all and gives a fact-file about the vehicles. All credit for the descriptions goes to Wikipedia.
==Ford Mustang==
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, acompact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, dubbed as a "1964½" model by Mustang fans, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A.The model is Ford's third oldest nameplate in production and has undergone several transformations to its current fifth generation.
The Mustang created the "pony car" class of American automobiles—sports car-like coupes with long hoods and short rear decks—and gave rise to competitors such as GM's Chevrolet Camaro, and Chrysler's Dodge Challenger.
In the game, The Mustang is driven by Mario.
==Chevrolet Camaro==
The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang. The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, also introduced for 1967.
Four distinct generations of the Camaro were developed before production ended in 2002. The nameplate was revived again on a concept car that evolved into the fifth-generation Camaro; production started on March 16, 2009.
In Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit, the Camaro is driven by Luigi.
==Volkswagen Beetle==
The Volkswagen Beetle, officially called the Volkswagen Type 1 (or informally the Volkswagen Bug), is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen (VW). It was 1938 and is still being made today in several forms: The NEW Beetle, and the Beetle A5. The original Volkswagen Beetle had a rear engine, unlike today's model, which has one on the front.
In the game, the Beetle's driver is Yoshi.
==Dodge Grand Caravan==
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. The Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager (1984-2001). In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase (LWB) model was introduced and sold alongside the short-wheelbase (SWB) Caravan. The SWB model was discontinued after the 2007 model year; and, since the 2008 model year, the van has been sold only under the Grand Caravan nameplate.
In the game, the Caravan is being driven by Bowser.
==Toyota Camry==
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size (originally compact) automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world. Between 1980 and 1982, the "Camry" nameplate was delegated to a four-door sedan, known as the Toyota Celica Camry.
The name "Camry" is an Anglicized phonetic transcription of the Japanese word kanmuri, meaning "crown". This follows Toyota's naming tradition of using the crown name for primary models starting with the Toyota Crown in 1955, continuing with the Toyota Corona and Corolla; the Latin words for "crown" and "small crown", respectively. In Japan, it is exclusive to Toyota Corolla Store retail dealerships. 
In Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit, the Camry is driven by Peach.
==Ford Crown Victoria==
The Ford Crown Victoria (or simply Crown Vic) is a rear-wheel drive full-size sedan marketed and manufactured from the 1992 to the 2012 model years over two generations. Discontinued in the 2012 model year, it had been in production since 1991 at Ford's St. Thomas Assembly plant in Talbotville, Ontario, Canada.
Dropping its previous LTD prefix, Crown Victoria revived a nameplate used by Ford on a two-door model sold in the North American market during the mid-1950s. The Crown Victoria shared the Ford Panther platform and major powertrain and suspension components with the Lincoln Town Car and Mercury Grand Marquis.
The first "Crown Victoria" appeared in 1955; it was a two-door six-seater coupe, part of the Ford Fairlane range. The Crown Victoria is driven by Toad
==Dodge Ram==
The Ram (formerly the Dodge Ram) is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucksbrand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks. The nameRam was first used in 1981 on the redesigned Ram and Power Ram following the retiring and rebadging of the Dodge D Series pickup trucks as well as B-series vans. The truck is named for the Ram hood ornament that first appeared on Dodge vehicles in 1933. The Ram Truck is in its fourth generation as of the 2009 model year.
Ram trucks have been named Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year three times; the second-generation Ram won the award in 1994, the third-generation Ram Heavy Duty won the award in 2003, and the fourth-generation Ram Heavy Duty won in 2010.
In Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit, the Dodge Ram is driven by Donkey Kong.
==Ford Econoline==
The Ford Econoline, formerly known as the E-Series or Club Wagon, is a line of full-size vans (both cargo and passenger) and truck chassis from the Ford Motor Company. The line was introduced in 1961 as a compact van and its descendants are still produced today. Although based on its own platform, since 1968, the Econoline has used many components from the F-Series line of pickup trucks. The Econoline is manufactured solely at Ford's Ohio Assembly plant inAvon Lake, Ohio—after the closure of the Lorain, Ohio plant in December 2005 and the consolidation of all production at Avon Lake.
As of the 2012 model year, the Econoline and the Transit Connect compact MPV (which debuted for the 2010 model year) are the only vans in the Ford lineup in North America. The Ford Econoline currently holds 79.6% of the full-size van market in the United States with 168,722 sales in the United States in 2007. Since 1980, it has been the best selling American full-sized van.
In Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit, the Econoline is driven by Petey Piranha.
==Lamborghini Aventador==
The Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 is a two-door, two-seater sports car publicly unveiled by Lamborghini at the Geneva Motor Show on 28 February 2011, five months after its initial unveiling in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Internally codenamed LB834, the Aventador was designed to replace the ten-year-oldMurciélago as the new flagship model in the Lamborghini lineup starting in 2011. Soon after the Aventador unveiling, Lamborghini announced that it had already sold over 12 months of the production vehicles, with deliveries starting in the second half of 2011. The suggested retail price is €255,000 in Europe, GB£201,900 in the UK and US$379,700 in the U.S. 
In [[Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit]], the Aventador is driven by Sonic
==Audi R8==
The Audi R8 (Typ 42) is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German automaker Audi AG in 2006.
The car was exclusively designed, developed, and manufactured by Audi AG's high performance private subsidiary company, quattro GmbH, and is based on theLamborghini Gallardo platform. The fundamental construction of the R8 is based on the Audi Space Frame, and uses an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium aluminium monocoque which is built around space frame principles. The car is built by quattro GmbH in a newly renovated factory at Audi's 'aluminium site' at Neckarsulm in Germany.
In the game, the R8 is driven by Diddy Kong.
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==Chevrolet Suburban==
The Chevrolet Suburban is a large, 3-row SUV from Chevrolet. It is the longest-lived continuous automobile nameplate still in production, dating from 1934 for the 1935 U.S. model year. The Suburban has been produced under the Chevrolet, Holden, and GMC marques until the GMC version was rebranded as the GMC Yukon XL. For most of its recent history, the Suburban has been a station wagon-bodied version of the Chevrolet pickup truck, including the Chevrolet C/K and Silverado series of truck-based vehicles. Cadillac offers a version called the Escalade ESV. The Suburban has traditionally been one of General Motors' most profitable vehicles although sales have gone down in recent years due to the cost of gasoline and the fuel economy of the Chevrolet Suburban.
In Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit, the Suburban is driven by Wario.
==Dodge Charger==
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler (DaimlerChrysler from 1998-2007). There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate. The name is generally associated with a performance model in the Dodge range; however, it has also adorned subcompact hatchbacks, full-sized sedans, and personal luxury coupes.
In Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit, the Dodge Charger is driven by Waluigi.
==Dodge Challenger==
The Dodge Challenger is the name of three different generations of automobiles marketed by the Dodge division of Chrysler.
The first generation Dodge Challenger was a pony car built from 1970 to 1974, using the Chrysler E platform and sharing major components with the Plymouth Barracuda. The second generation, from 1978 to 1983, was a badge engineeredMitsubishi Galant Lambda. The third, and current generation, was introduced in 2008 as a rival to the evolved fifth generation Ford Mustang and the reintroduced fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro.
In the game, the Challenger is owned by Bowser Jr.
Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by theFord Motor Company since 1998. Ford began sales of the Focus to Europe in July 1998 and in North America during 1999 for the 2000 model year.
In Europe, South America, North America and South Africa, the Focus replaced the various Ford Escorts sold in those markets. In Asia and Australasia, it replaced the Ford Laser. As of the first half of 2012, the Focus surpassed Toyota Corolla to become world's best selling model.
In Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit, the Focus is owned by Birdo.
Ford Expedition
The Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV built by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced in 1997 as a replacement to the Ford Bronco, it was previously slotted between the smaller Ford Explorer and the larger Ford Excursion, but as of the 2005 model year, it is Ford's largest and last truck-based, off-road and tow capable SUV. Ford currently offers the standard regular-sized model and the larger EL/Max model, succeeding the Excursion which was discontinued in 2005. It is the second Ford vehicle to use the Expedition name, as it was part of the Explorer Sport's trim models during the 1995 model year. All Expeditions were originally built in Wayne, Michigan. In 2009, Ford shifted its current third generation (2007–present) model production to Louisville, Kentucky when Ford converted the Wayne assembly plant to begin further production of the Focus.
In the game, The Expedition is driven by King Boo.
==Chrysler Town and Country==
The Chrysler Town & Country is a family minivan sold worldwide by the Chrysler division of Chrysler Group LLC. The model was introduced in 1989 as a traditional minivan.
The Town & Country has evolved through five generations, offered variously in long-wheelbase (LWB) and short-wheelbase (SWB) versions — though currently only in LWB form. Anniversary editions have included the 1994 "10 Year Anniversary Edition" and the 2004 Platinum Series, marking the Chrysler twentieth year of minivan production. 
Chrysler group, LLC minivans (which include the Dodge Caravan and other variants) have ranked as the 13th bestselling automotive nameplates worldwide, with over 12 million sold.
An updated version of the fifth generation Town & Country debuted in late 2010 as a 2011 model. In May 2012, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed that Chrysler Group will drop the Town & Country minivan and replace it with a luxury crossover. It is unclear whether the new crossover will retain the Town & Country nameplate. Early designs were leaked in July 2012 and to date strongly resemble the dropped Pacifica.
In the game, The Town and Country is driven by Dry Bowser.
==Ford F-150==
The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company, which has been sold continuously for over six decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150. It was the best-selling vehicle in the United Statesfor 24 years, currently (2007) the best-selling truck for 34 years, and the best selling vehicle in Canada, though this does not include combined sales of GM pickup trucks. In the tenth generation of the F-series, the F-250 and F-350 changed body style in 1998 and joined the Super Duty series.
In Mario Kart: Hot Pursuit, it is driven by King K. Rool.
==Dodge Durango==
The Dodge Durango is a full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) from the Dodge division of Chrysler. It was introduced in 1998 as a mid-size SUV, a replacement for the Ramcharger which was discontinued in the North American market in 1993. It was redesigned as a full-size SUV for 2004.
The hybrid model, which was introduced in October 2008, and its twin, the Chrysler Aspen hybrid, were Chrysler's first production hybrid vehicles.
The Durango was produced at the Newark Assembly plant in Newark, Delaware until the end of 2008. It then returned in late 2010 and built on a crossover (CUV) platform shared with the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and is currently being assembled in Detroit, Michigan.
==Ford Taurus==
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American Ford lineup. It has had a more upscale Mercury branded version entitled the Sable (1986–2005; 2008–2009), as well as a performance variant, the Ford Taurus SHO (1989–1999 and 2010–); in addition, it served as the basis for the first-ever front-wheel drive Lincoln Continental (1988–1994). It was a front-wheel drive mid-size car until 1999, and has been a full-size car since 2000, and available in front- or all-wheel drive since 2008. It has been built on the D3 platform since 2008.
The original Taurus was a milestone design for Ford and the entire American automotive industry, as well as a very influential vehicle that brought many new features and innovations to the marketplace Since its launch in 1986, Ford had built 7,519,919 Tauruses through the 2007 model year, making it the fifth best selling North American nameplate in Ford's history; only the F-150, Escort, Model T, and Mustang have sold more units. Between 1992 and 1996, the Taurus was the best-selling car in the United States, eventually losing the title to the Toyota Camry in 1997. The 1986–1995 Taurus was built on the DN-5 platform, 1996-1999 Taurus was built on the DN101 platform. The 2000-2007 Tauruses were built on the D186 which was a modified DN 101 platform.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, sales of the Taurus declined as it lost market share to Japanese midsize sedans and as Ford shifted resources towards developing SUVs. It was discontinued in 2006, with production initially ending on October 27, 2006, and 2007 being the last model year. Ford had decided to replace the Taurus with the fullsize Five Hundred and midsize Fusion sedans, as well as replacing the Taurus wagon with the Freestyle crossover SUV. However, Ford revived the Taurus name during the 2007 Chicago Auto Show a few months later by renaming two new models that had been intended to be updated versions of the Five Hundred and the Freestyle, the "2008 Taurus" and "2008 Taurus X", respectively. A new model of Taurus was then released for the 2010 model year. This generation is currently in production. The 2013 model was unveiled at the New York Auto Show and will receive minor exterior changes, and interior technology options.
==Toyota Corolla==
The Toyota Corolla is one of a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, surpassing the Volkswagen Beetle. Over 39 million Corollas have been sold as of 2012. The series has undergone several major redesigns.
The name Corolla is part of Toyota's naming tradition of using the name Crown for primary models: the Corona, for example, gets its name from the Latin for crown; Corolla is Latin for small crown; and Camry is an Anglicized pronunciation of the Japanese for crown, kanmuri. The Corolla has always been exclusive in Japan to Toyota Corolla Store locations, and manufactured in Japan with a twin, called the Toyota Sprinter, sold at a specific Japanese Toyota dealership called Toyota Auto Store, then renamed Toyota Vista Store in 1980.
Corollas are manufactured in Japan and in Brazil (Indaiatuba, São Paulo), Canada (Cambridge, Ontario), China (Tianjin), India (Bangalore), Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa (Durban), Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela. Production has previously been made in Australia (Victoria) and the United Kingdom (Derbyshire). Production in the United States (at NUMMI in Fremont, California) ended in March 2010.
The Corolla's chassis designation code is "E", as described in Toyota's chassis and engine codes.
Early models were mostly rear-wheel drive, later models were mostly front-wheel drive and some models were four-wheel drive. Its traditional competitor almost from the very beginning has been the Nissan Sunny also introduced the same year as the Corolla in Japan.
==Chevrolet Impala==
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United States, competing against the Ford Galaxie 500 and the Plymouth Fury when full-size models dominated the market.
The Impala was distinguished for many years by its symmetrical triple taillights. The Caprice was introduced as a top-line Impala Sport Sedan for the 1965 model year becoming a separate series positioned above the Impala in 1966, which itself remained above the Bel Air and Biscayne. The Impala continued as Chevrolet's most popular full-size model through the mid-1980s.
Between 1994 and 1998, Impala was revived as a muscular 5.7-liter V8–powered version of the Caprice Classic sedan. In 2000, the Impala was re-introduced again as a mainstream front-wheel drive full-size sedan.
==Toyota Sienna==
The Toyota Sienna is a family minivan currently manufactured by Toyota at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton, Indiana, United States for the North American market. It replaced the first-generation Previa van in 1997 with a more conventional front wheel drive layout and shares a heavily revised platform with the Camry.
Both the Previa and original Sienna were smaller than the other minivans they competed against, but a redesign in 2004 increased the dimensions to match those of its competitors. The Sienna is currently the only minivan in its class to offer all-wheel-drive. It was redesigned a second time for the 2011 model year. The third generation Sienna was put on sale in the US in February 2010 and is the first Sienna to ever receive a "Top Safety Pick" award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
==Honda Odyssey==
The Honda Odyssey is a minivan manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda since 1994.
The Odyssey had originally been conceived and engineered in Japan, in the wake of country's economic crisis of the 1990s – which in turn imposed severe constraints on the vehicle's size and overall concept, dictating the minivan's manufacture in an existing facility with minimal modification. The result was a smaller minivan, in the Compact MPV class, that was well received in theJapanese domestic marketand less well received in North America. The first generation Odyssey was marketed in Europe as the Shuttle.
Subsequent generations diverged to reflect market variations, and Honda built aplant in Lincoln, Alabama, incorporating the ability to manufacture larger models. Since model year 1999, Honda has marketed a larger (large MPV-class) Odyssey in North America and a smaller Odyssey in Japan and other markets. Honda also offered the larger North American Odyssey in Japan asHonda LaGreat between 1999 and 2005. Both versions of the Odyssey were sold in Japan at Honda Clio dealership locations.
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois (it was also assembled in Hazelwood, Missouri until the plant closed on March 10, 2006). The Ford Explorer was instrumental in turning the SUV from a special-interest vehicle into one of the most popular vehicle types on the road.
Model years through 2010 were traditional mid-sized SUVs, with the redesign for the 2011 model year classifying it as a full-sized crossover SUV. It is slotted between the larger Ford Expedition and the smaller Ford Escape. Although outwardly similar, the Explorer and Ford Edge do not share platforms.
==Nissan Quest==
The Nissan Quest is a minivan manufactured since 1993 by Nissan, and is now in its fourth generation. The first two generations of the Quest were a joint venture with Ford, which marketed a rebadged variant as the Mercury Villager. The vans debuted at the 1992 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Both vehicles were initially powered by the 3.0 L Nissan VG30E V6 until 1998, when the Quest received the 3.3 L version of the same engine and a few minor updates, including a driver side sliding door, and grill and rear redesigns. The Quest was later completely redesigned for 2004, while the Villager was discontinued and replaced with the Freestar-based Mercury Monterey. The third generation model was built on the FF-L platform, which it shares with the Altima, Maxima, and Murano. It also shares the award-winning 3.5 L VQ engine with those cars. The fourth generation model is built on the same platform as the 2011 Nissan Elgrand.
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