2021 Lamborghini SC20 barchetta

 That’s the question posed by the Lamborghini SC20 by Squadra Corse, the automaker’s newest – and among its most rare – sports car that, though legal for the road, is really intended to make its mark on the track.

Lamborghini unveiled the mysterious roof-less supercar it has been testing on and off the track for the past few months. Called SC20, it's a one-of-a-kind model positioned at the intersection of road cars and track cars.

A one-off creation by Lamborghini’s motorsport division, it’s the design handiwork of Centro Stile in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Built to order for one lucky – and presumably wealthy – customer, it comes roughly two years after Squadra Corse’s last custom build, the SC18.

Where that car took the Aventador and re-envisaged it for even more potent track performance, the SC20 focuses on the advances in aerodynamics in the intervening years. At its heart is the 6.5-liter V12 engine, with 759 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque, combined with an optimized seven-speed Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) transmission.

All-wheel drive is included, along with a central electronic differential. The single-nut aluminum rims – 20-inches up front, and 21-inches at the rear – wear Pirelli PZero Corsa rubber.

The design, though, blends cutting-edge aero research from Lamborghini’s racing experience with some icons from the automaker’s back-catalog. Squadra Corse namechecks models like the Diablo VT Roadster, Aventador J, Veneno Roadster, and Concept S as among its inspiration, though the SC20 still manages to look like something different all on its own.

The body is made from carbon fiber, hand-polished and slicked down by Lamborghini’s aerodynamic engineers. There’s a sizable front splitter, flanked by fins, while the Huracán GT3 EVO gave inspiration for the functional air intakes on the hood. Lamborghini’s work building the Essenza SCV12 prompted the side body sculpting.

At the back, there’s a large carbon fiber wing, which supports manual adjustment to three different positions: Low, Medium, and High Load. As for the finish, the carbon fiber first gets a Bianco Fu white base which was specially created for the SC20, with Blu Cepheus blue livery to pick out and highlight details. The same blue continues inside, along with Nero Cosmus black and Bianco Leda white.

Though there’s no shortage of Alcantara, leather, real aluminum that was machined for details like the door handles, and even 3D printed air vents, Lamborghini still leaves plenty of exposed carbon fiber. That’s visible on the dashboard cover, rear all, door panels, center console, and on the steering wheel trim, while the same material is used for the racing seat shells.

As an exclusive one-off, this is the only SC20 that Lamborghini intends to build; the price tag hasn’t been announced.

2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class price starts at $111,900

 The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is finally here. Mercedes-Benz debuted the newest 2021 S-Class luxury sedan last September. And now, the German carmaker has unveiled the pricing and trim levels for its flagship vehicle. The base S500 4MATIC sedan has base prices starting at $111,900 (includes $1,095 destination) and will arrive at U.S. dealerships in the first half of 2021.

That’s not all. The newest seventh-gen S-Class will come in three curated trim models: Luxury Line, AMG Line, and Exclusive Line. The base S500 4MATIC is available in Luxury and AMG Lines, while the S580 4MATIC is available in the Exclusive Line.

The 2021 Mercedes S-Class S500 4MATIC has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six motor with 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque. All new S-Class models are mild hybrids and come standard with Mercedes’ innovative EQ Boost system. In the S500, EQ Boost adds 21 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.

As expected from an S-Class, even the base model is brimming with great standard features. The base S-Class has Airmatic air suspension to deliver a smoother, unperturbed riding experience. It also comes with 64-color ambient lighting, Nappa leather upholstery, adaptive LED headlights, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, soft-close doors, and a 360-degree surround-view camera, among many others.

Mercedes’ E-Active Body Control active suspension arrives in the S-Class next year. At the same time, rear-wheel steering is also available for better high-speed handling and easier low-speed maneuverability.

If you want a sportier S-Class, the AMG Line comes standard with bespoke AMG wheels, AMG body kits, and exclusive AMG floor mats. The S 500 4MATIC AMG Line starts at $115,150. Optional equipment includes rear-axle steering, a Burmester high-end 4D surround sound audio system, a choice between high-end interior trim options, and the 3D Technology package that includes Mercedes’ 3D instrument cluster and MBUX Augmented Reality Heads-Up Display.

Meanwhile, the top-tier S580 4MATIC starts at $132,500 and has a 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 engine with 496 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. It also has EQ Boost for 21 more horses and 184 more torques, for a total of 517 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of twist. Optional features include active multi-contour rear seats, electric rear adjustable seatbelts, four-zone climate control, rear-axle steering, and an MBUX rear-seat entertainment system offering up to five touchscreen displays.

Debuting in the new S-Class is the brand’s latest MBUX infotainment system with voice control. It includes a 12.3-inch OLED touchscreen display and a 12.3-inch 3D digital instrument cluster with Attention Assist. Standard across the lineup is adaptive cruise control with route-based adaptation, intelligent hands-off detection, active steering assist, active blind-spot assist, and active stop-and-go-assist, to name a few.

German-French ACC battery cell project

 Opel is promoting the Joint Venture Automotive Cell Company (ACC) for the production of electric car battery cells along with its parent company PSA and French subsidiary Total Saft. The schedule announced in February for the Franco-German project has already been confirmed.

As planned, ACC will begin battery production in 2023 and will already produce eight million kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery cells next year. This was announced by ACC manager Jean-Baptiste Pernot at an online event hosted by the Federal Ministry of Economy, which was reported by industry portal Energate Messenger. The goal is for the capacity to reach 48 million kWh by 2030. This will be achieved with two large plants, the so-called gigafactors - one in Germany (Kaiserslautern) and France (Douvrin).

The Federal Ministry of Economy announced in February that the project should create up to 2,000 new jobs in Germany. In France, in addition to the plant in Douvrin, ACC plans to include two other areas: a research and development center in Bordeaux and a pilot area in Nersac, both of which, according to Energate, have already started operating. They want to produce high-quality, durable and affordable batteries for electronic mobility, Pernot said. The products are currently still very expensive in the market.

Pernot stressed the focus on sustainability. ACC will supply its batteries, among others, with a low CO2 footprint. 60 kilograms of the target CO2 equivalent per kWh is 25 to 35 percent less than the current standard. To this end, they rely on efficient factories and the use of renewable energy. Batteries are also designed for easier recycling and the goal is to disperse with controversial raw materials like cobalt.

In the future, the goal is to reduce Europe 's dependence on electric car batteries, Pernot said. Battery cells are currently mainly supplied by companies in Asia, as German carmakers - with the exception of VW - and their local suppliers have not yet given priority in this area. According to Energate, ACC also wants to develop new generations of batteries, including solid state batteries. As a "Significant European Common Interest Project" (IPCEI), the company receives state funding for this, with only Germany and France wishing to contribute 1.3 billion euros. According to the Federal Ministry of Economy, the total volume of investments is almost five billion euros. About two billion of these are planned for the Kaiserslautern location.

Freedom that soon super electric car

 Elevation says the handmade Freedom will have a carbon fiber chassis and will be equipped with three electric motors. There will be all-wheel drive and a two-speed gearbox.

However, there is also a possibility for a fourth engine that would increase engine power to an incredible 1,400 kilowatts, or 1,903 horsepower. The three-engine version has a target weight of 1,650 kilograms.

The interior of the car is inspired by the cockpit of a fighter jet. There is a digital display, a minimalist and very carbon center console and the company will allow customers to choose some interior details themselves, in the form of leather seats, precious metals or precious stones.

The offer will include batteries of 100 and 120 kilowatt hours, which will enable a distance of 482 to 644 kilometers. Accelerating from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour, "Freedom" will reach 1.8 seconds, and the maximum speed it can reach will be 418 kilometers per hour.

For those who do not want to drive electric cars, "Election" is also preparing "Freedom Iconic", which will be equipped with a 5.2-liter V10 engine accompanied by a seven-speed Es-tronic transmission, with a dual clutch and all-wheel drive.

It is an "Audi" engine that will develop more than 750 horsepower and will accelerate to "one hundred" in two and a half seconds. It is expected to have a top speed of 386 kilometers per hour.

The price of the basic version of "Freedom" will be 1.7 million euros, and the gasoline version 1.9 million. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.

The world is a new hypercar manufacturer richer. It is the all-new American Elation Hypercars that immediately presents its firstborn: the Freedom. The Elation Freedom is an electric extremist with not one, not two, but three electric motors.

Carmen Boulogne car from the Spanish brand Hispano Suiza

 Carmen Boulogne, the super luxury car of the Spanish brand Hispano Suiza

Hispano Suiza, a Spanish automobile firm, unveiled Carmen Boulogne's second model in Madrid on Wednesday.

This car is a sportier, lighter, more powerful and more expensive version than the first model Carmen, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last year.

The engine of this car has 1,114 horsepower and can reach a top speed of 290 km / h.

From 0 to 100 km / h it reaches in 2.6 seconds.

The price of Carmen Boulogne is 1.65 million euros.

The name of this car is named in honor of the victory of this Spanish brand in a race held in France, near Boulognes, in the distant year 1921.

Audi will invest 15 billion euros in electric and hybrid cars by 2025

 The Volkswagen Group increased its investment in future technologies to 73 billion euros in November. The Audi subsidiary will play a central role in the Wolfsburg-based company's next focus on electric mobility. The Ingolstadt brand has now announced that it will strengthen its budget for electronic mobility by 2025.

With its investment planning for the next five years, Audi is accelerating the shift to a networked and sustainable premium mobility provider: “With a total of around € 35 billion, advances, especially for future vehicle projects, remain at a high level, despite the difficult economic environment. "About 17 billion euros, and thus half of the investment, will go to future technologies alone," a press release said.

As with the entire Volkswagen Group, Audi is also strengthening its electromobility advance payments. To this end, the premium manufacturer plans about 15 billion euros along with hybridization, thus underlining the importance of its "electrical guide". The necessary financial freedom would create synergies in the Volkswagen Group through an e-platform strategy and also in software development. Moreover, there would be improvements in fixed costs at Audi, a structuring of the product portfolio and savings on non-vehicle investments.

"With the investment planning that has taken place now, we are strengthening Audi for the future transformation of its core business. Technological leadership in electrical and fully networked management is the aspiration of the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board. We are equipping Audi with the power it needs, ”said Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen Group and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Audi AG.

10 billion for electric cars

According to Audi, the focus of investment planning for the years 2021 to 2025 is on a large-scale offensive with fully and partially electric models. Of the roughly 15 billion euros earmarked for electrification, 10 billion are reserved for electric cars, while 5 billion are available for hybridization. Audi plans to expand its e-portfolio to around 30 models by 2025, about 20 of which are purely electric-batteries. To do this, the brand uses the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) along with its sister company Porsche, as well as the Volkswagen Group Platform Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB) Manual. Further technology will be developed in the next Audi project "Artemis".

To digitize the offer, Audi chief Markus Duesmann is taking over the chairmanship of the new organization Car.Software, in which Volkswagen's brand expertise will be merged and further expanded. The Group's own software unit develops a uniform operating system with basic functions for all Group vehicles. Area of ​​responsibility of the car. The software organization also includes the further development of automated driving functions.

"Our investment planning speaks a clear language: We do not compromise on the substance of the product and clearly give priority to advance payments for electromobility and software development," says Duesmann, who is responsible for research and development at the Volkswagen Group. Audi management. "Sustained focus on group synergies on these key topics of the future is an important key to success."

New Mercedes without steering wheel

 The Vision AVTR is a future concept car from Mercedes-Benz.

Here is Vision AVTR, the futuristic concept of the Mercedes car, inspired by the movie "Avatar". The car replaces many basic controls to be better with the driver.

This car does not have a steering wheel and pedals, and instead of the steering wheel it has an interactive control similar to me in the central legislation, reports Lajmi.net Inside AVTR, the car starts when the driver is placed on the central control lever. Equipment used by drivers to accelerate, brake and straighten the car.

Instead of one or more screen infotainment, the progress section of the cab is just a giant curved screen module that projects real-time views of the road ahead. You can choose to light up with 3D graphics in ‘Pandoras’, the world invented from the 2009 film in ‘Avatar’. To access various features for the car, remove the hand from the center lever and so that a control menu appears that you can switch with gestures.

The body of the car uses the model and one with Mercedes with a bow, like much before other concepts of automobile manufacturers, if you use a massive glass and do as transparency. The all-electric concept features four motors, one on each wheel, which together makes a combination of 469 horsepower. The battery and it manages a total output range of up to 600 kilometers.

Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG

The SL63 AMG is the high-performance version of the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class luxury hard-top convertible. With the demise of the V12-powered SL65 AMG, this grand tourer sits at the top of the SL lineup with a mellifluous and potent 6.2-liter V8.

Though replaced throughout much of the rest of the AMG range by a smaller-displacement, twin-turbocharged motor, this V8 makes stirring noises along with plenty of power - 518 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel the roadster from zero-to-60 mpg in a claimed (and likely conservative) 4.5 seconds. This powerful V8 is mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT seven-speed multi-clutch automatic transmission, which sends the power exclusively to the rear wheels - as it should.

The SL63 features the same new styling that dresses up the rest of the latest SL roadster lineup. Rounded dual headlamps are out, replaced by angular bi-Xenon lamps that Mercedes says are more efficient and powerful than LEDs. With a black background to the lamps and a simplified grill, the SL's face is substantially changed with the facelifted model.

The SL chassis uses a fully independent, double-control-arm front suspension and the standard Mercedes-Benz five-link rear suspension. All SL models come with second-generation Active Body Control (ABC), the Mercedes-Benz active-suspension technology that attempts to eliminate body roll in cornering, squat under acceleration and dive during braking.

Unique to the AMG variants is a highly aggressive bodykit that features front and rear diffusers and multiple vents to cool both the motor and the massive brakes. Standard wheels are 19-inch AMG staggered-width alloy wheels -- 8.5 and 9.5 inches wide -- fitted with 255/35R19 (front) and 285/30R19 (rear) tires. The wheels feature triple-spoke styling and a titanium grey finish.

The AMG treatment also includes a lowered and stiffened suspension and a limited-slip rear differential.

Finished in nappa leather and genuine carbon fiber, the interior features standard AMG sport seats, an AMG three-spoke steering wheel and a sport instrument cluster with red tach and speedometer needles that swing to the max position and back whenever the ignition is turned on.

The SL63, like all SLs, features a folding metal roof. A glass panorama roof remains an option.

Audi R8 V10 Spyder 2012

The R8 V10 Spyder is the convertible version of Audi ’s mid-engined, 10-cylinder R8 supercar. As with its fixed-roof sibling, the R8 V10 Spyder is based on the same platform as the Lamboghini Gallardo and features an excellent balance of extreme performance and docile around-town driving manners. For those seeking a more affordable everyday exotic, Audi offers coupe and drop-top versions of the R8 with a V8.

This 5.2-liter V10 engine delivers an impressive 525 horsepower at 8,000 rpm, along with peak torque of 391 lb-ft at 6,500 rpm. The sprint to 62 mph takes just 4.1 seconds, compared to just 3.7 seconds for the coupe R8 V10.

Accelerating to 124 mph is a similarly brisk 12.7-second trip. Top speed is 195 mph.

Fuel consumption for the six-speed manual version is rated at 12 city, 20 highway mpg. The R-tronic automated manual gearbox improves the city figure to 13 mpg - highway mileage remains unchanged.

Notably absent are the R8's trademark aluminum "side blades." Other visual changes for the Spyder model include additional air intakes located behind the seats as well as a pair of safety roll bars. The placement of the fuel filler cap was also changed due to the lack rear pillars. Changes under sheet metal are focused around chassis strengthening, but otherwise, Audi says the V10 Spyder is mostly unchanged from its hard-top counterpart. Cosmetically, the exterior gains high gloss black air inlet grilles, spoiler lip and rear outlet grilles. Exhaust tips are also swapped for oval tips.

It is worth noting, however, that both the R8 V10 and R8 V10 Spyder feature an aluminum double wishbone suspension which is tuned for higher performance than the suspension found in the 4.2 model.

The convertible top weighs just 93 pounds, helping to keep the car’s center of gravity down low, and can be raised or lowered in just 19 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph. 

Uber-Audi Features

 Befitting the car's considerable price, the R8 V10 Spyder comes standard with a host of features including a navigation system with 3D maps and a 6.5-inch LCD display, a 465-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system with 12 speakers, fine nappa leather sports seats, a rear parking camera that pairs with ultrasonic sensors and Bluetooth connectivity with seatbelt-mounted speakers for easy hands-free communication.

The V10 Spyder also features Audi's magnetic ride adaptive damping system with manual Sport and Normal sport modes.

Jaguar XKR Convertible

The XKR Convertible is the more performance-focused version of the normal drop-top XK. It packs a 510 horsepower punch and features more aggressive touches to its Aston Martin-like styling.

In addition to its massive horsepower rating, the AJ-V8 Gen III 5.0-liter engine delivers a whopping 461 pound-feet of torque. The sprint from zero to 60 mph takes just 4.6 seconds.

There's not a lot of space for rear passengers, but the driver and his or her passenger enjoy a luxurious grand touring experience with enough power to give most sports cars a run for their money.

The XKR Convertible owes its handsome looks to a unique design approach taken by Jaguar's team. Instead of designing the Coupe first, the design team began by penning the Convertible. This strategy ensured the drop-top doesn't simply look like a coupe with its roof chopped off.

Like its coupe counterpart, the XKR Convertible has unique styling cues such as a more aggressive front fascia, air intakes on the hood, aluminum-finish grilles, more creases on the hood, and quad exhaust pipes. Customers can chose between 19- and 20-inch wheels for the XKR.

The XKR's roof is a power-latching, self-stowing system with three layers including Thinsulate insulation and a Rakona headliner. When the top is down, an aluminum tonneau cover conceals the canvas roof. While many convertibles are only offered with a black roof, the the XK can be ordered with gray, burgundy, green or dark beige canvas.

The XKR's suspension has been tuned for a more aggressive ride. Changes include up-rated springs and dampers, plus a recalibrated computer to control the dynamic suspension settings.

As is the case with the regular XK convertible, the XKR model is built around Jaguar's ultra-strong "Lightweight Vehicle Technology," which does not need traditional stiffening panels to achieve a sturdy body structure. In fact, the XK convertible is 19 percent lighter than the previous-generation XK drop-top.

A six-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddles is standard. On downshifts, the system creates a throttle blip to shorten over-run shifts. An "active" exhaust system ensures the XKR is quiet while cruising, yet still able to create purposeful V8 roar under hard acceleration.

Although they are not a legal requirement, the Convertible features a Roll-over Protection Device consisting of two aluminum hoops that are automatically deployed if the car's sensors detect the onset of a roll-over accident.

Other standard features include adaptive headlights that swivel in corners, aluminum-finish side window surround, stability control, keyless entry and start, a seven-inch touch screen to control various car functions, and a body-colored spoiler.

Options include a 525-watt Alpine premium sound system, Sirius satellite radio, soft-grain leather, a leather-wrapped instrument panel, and a heated steering wheel.

All XKRs are fitted standard with an iPod and USB connectivity interface, an air quality sensor, front park assist and electrochromic and heated power fold-back mirrors.

Mazda cx-5

With the new CX-5, Mazda has finally released a complete vehicle designed around their Skyactiv philosophy. The result is a small SUV with almost a Miata’s worth of racetrack talent and the best mileage numbers in the market – but is anybody really asking for a “performance alternative” to the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V?

The CUV segment is among the hottest in the market right now, fueled by scarcely believable sales numbers from the Ford Escape and Honda CR-V. Unfortunately for Mazda, the company has never had a homegrown vehicle to offer those buyers. The Tribute was a quickie rebadge of the Escape that didn’t fool anyone; the CX-7 was a sleek spaceship of a crossover that was always just a little bit too big, too fuel-thirsty, and too expensive to really make any friends.

Although a CR-V clone would pack the showrooms and make some short-term money for Mazda, nobody really expected them to build one. Instead, we have the CX-5, which aims to combine traditional Mazda virtues like light weight, simplicity, and driver-focused design with the new Skyactiv suite of technologies. The result is perhaps the most interesting $21,000 car on the market.

What is Skyactiv? As implemented in the CX-5, it’s a complete departure from previous Mazda platforms. The unibody is all-new, designed to maximize space while cutting weight severely. Indeed, the CX-5 is between 220 and 500 lbs. lighter than the equivalent CX-7, depending on trim level, while providing very similar interior space. A completely re-imagined gasoline engine uses special long-tube headers and unique piston design to safely raise compression to 13:1, yielding 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft. of torque. The manual and automatic transmissions – yes, two kinds are on offer for the North American market – both feature six forward gears and are claimed to be significantly lighter than their predecessors.

Buyers who do expect those qualities won’t have to look any further than the Mazda CX-5, and they won’t suffer much of a practicality penalty for doing so.

2013 Mazda CX-5 base price range, $20,685 to $28,295

Chrysler SRT Viper

According to latest Chrysler Group LLC press release “The Snake Returns to Chrysler Group’s Conner Avenue Assembly Plant” Dodge will no longer give its name to Viper – it is going to be forwarded to SRT division and will be called 2013 SRT Viper.Conner Avenue will begin building the new 2013 Viper in late 2012, but employees began reporting for training and orientation this fall – nearly 150 jobs to return to Detroit.

Chrysler’s reborn Viper won’t make its public debut for about a month, but our illustrator has put together a highly detailed rendering of the new performance car that will help boost the profile of the company’s Street and Racing Technology division.

Set to become the first vehicle marketed under the SRT banner, the 2013 Viper has been a long time coming. Its Dodge Viper predecessor has been out of production since mid-2010, but a fifth-generation snake will debut next month at the New York International Auto Show.

Our illustration is based on information culled from a number of sources, one of which is rather unusual, to say the least. While information gleaned from insiders, including those few members of the public who have been allowed to see the car, and photos of cleverly disguised test mules form the basis of much of the illustration’s details, a leaked image of a Hot Wheels 1/64-scale toy car helped put the finishing touches on our rendering.

That Hot Wheels model made its way online last week when it was posted on a Viper forum.

We expect the Viper’s proportions to remain mostly unchanged, but its rear end is more aggressive and angular than the one seen on the last generation. As predicted by spy shots and previous reports, the car features a high-sculpted hood fitted with two big air vents.

Those vents will be needed as the SRT Viper is expected to arrive with an 8.7-liter V10 engine that will send over 600 horsepower to the rear wheels. Early rumors suggested the car would share some of its architecture with the voluptuous, if slightly un-engaging Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, but SRT chief Ralph Gilles has been quick to dispel those rumors by stating that “The new Viper is not based on anything else.”

As previously reported, Chrysler is reopening its Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit to build the Viper. The automaker has offered jobs to all 150 workers it once employed at the facility, which it uses exclusively to hand-build Vipers.

“The next generation Viper will make its return to the product lineup in late 2012 as a 2013 model,” said SRT Brand & Motorsports President/CEO Ralph Gilles in a statement released to the media. “We’re extremely excited that our ultimate American sports car will continue to live on and be produced exclusively here in the Motor City.”

‎Porche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet

Marking the second of the two new models introduced by Porsche in its ever-expanding 911 lineup, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet is the more aired-out version of the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 GTS.

Just like the Coupe, the Cabriolet model gains the powerful 408 horsepower 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine from the GTS rear-wheel drive models and adds in front-wheel drive as well, for a uniquely drop-top all-wheel drive experience.

As expected, the Cabriolet gains a few pounds over the sealed-top counterpart thanks to the mechanics of its convertible design. As a result, zero-to-62 mile per hour sprint drops slightly to 4.8 seconds when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, and to 4.6 seconds if one opts for the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) seven-speed automatic transmission.

Like the Coupe, Porsche says fuel economy stays the same, which the automaker attributes to Porsche Intelligent Performance technology.

Porsche says that the 4 GTS is built with hardcore performance in mind. As a result, standard features include a crucial limited-slip differential with is incorporated into the overall performance of the all-wheel drive system.

In terms of cosmetic differences between other 911 models, the new Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet comes with the expected unique badging on the doors and rear lid, as well as an additional reflective stripe between the taillights. Of course, the 4 GTS uses the same wide body found on other AWD models. Cosmetic variances continue with 19-inch black RS Spyder wheels with central locking and gloss-lathed rim flanges, wrapped in 305/30ZR19 tires out back.

Towards the front, one will notice the Porsche Sport-Design front apron with a black painted spoiler lip and matching black special side skirts.

As all GTS owners have come to expect, the interior is covered in swaths of black Alcantara covering the center panels, steering wheel, gearshift, handbrake, door handles and door storage box lid.

G-Power 2012 BMW M5 640-Horses

G-Power, the maker of some of the fastest and meanest tuned BMW models around, has presented its first take on the brand-new 2012 M5 sedan.

At the heart of G-Power's tune is BMW's 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that normally produces 560-horsepower and a peak torque of 680 Nm (502 lb-ft) from 1,500 rpm.

After the German company's engineers update the ECU and add a new custom exhaust system, the V8's output is lifted to 640-horsepower and 777Nm (573 lb-ft).

As a result, the M5 completes the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in 3.9 seconds (vs. the standard model's 4.4 seconds) and reaches the 200km/h (124mph) mark in just 11.9 seconds.

To improve handling, G-Power has fitted the M5 with the height-adjustable coil-over suspension "GM5-RS" with nine selectable settings for bound and rebound, along with a new braking system (396 mm discs with six callipers), and 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped around Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (265/30 ZR 21 at the front and 305/25 ZR 21 at the rear).

G-Power noted that it is also working on a successor to the 800-horsepower M5 Hurricane RR, which is considered to be the faster sedan model in the world with a top speed of 372km/h (231mph).

New Volkswagen Beetle

We're itching to know the details about the C7, Chevy's next Corvette. So, to investigate one of Detroit's most guarded secrets, we hit the city's Woodward Dream Cruise and tried to find insiders who'd talk.

The latest Beetle has grown up, both in appearance and size. It retains many elements of the previous model and continues to look like an iteration of the original design classic. The interiors lose the flower vase now but the upward-opening glovebox does add a hint of vintage Beetle to the new dashboard. There is more space than before too. India should get the 158bhp, 1.4-litre petrol engine and VW could import the Beetle with the 138bhp, 2-litre diesel too. 

The Beetle is more a designer accessory than a rival to conventional hatchbacks, so expect heavyweight pricing for this small car when it’s launched in late 2012.    

Factfile:

Engines: 1.4-litre turbo-petrol, 2-litre diesel

Power/Torque: 158bhp/24.5kgm,

138bhp/32.6kgm

Kerb weight: 1360kg

L/W/H: 4278/2021/2048

Expected: Late-2012

Price: Rs 25 lakh

Source: autocarindia.com/News

Detroit for Clues About The Next Corvette

We're itching to know the details about the C7, Chevy's next Corvette. So, to investigate one of Detroit's most guarded secrets, we hit the city's Woodward Dream Cruise and tried to find insiders who'd talk.

 Handicapping the next Corvette is the car geek's version of fantasy football. And next year will be the seventh model year for the current Vette, known as the C6, so the speculation about the next version has gotten only more intense. Hard data is tough to come by. GM employees are notoriously tight-lipped, and pundits make what amounts to guesses (We're not immune. PM's crystal ball predicted the C7 for 2012, but GM's trip through bankruptcy delayed that date). 

To find some answers, I headed to Detroit for the annual Woodward Dream Cruise. Why the Cruise? It's the world's biggest single-day automotive event. Some 40,000-plus cars crawl up Detroit's Woodward Avenue in front of 1.5 million spectators. But more to the point, in that Motown crowd you can find the employees of the automotive suppliers, engineering firms and outside vendors who have a role in the Corvette's development and might have some inside knowledge. And perhaps, after a day broiling in the late summer heat, they'd be willing to share a few tidbits. So armed with a 2011 Camaro Convertible—an ideal car-guy conversation starter—I joined the moving parking lot that is the dream cruise. 

The Corvette Clubs

Corvette enthusiasts from outside the industry came in droves from across America. Larry Courtney's club, Corvettes on Woodward, rolled down the avenue this year with a record 563 Vettes, C1s through C6s. 

These folks intensely catalog and compile Corvette rumors, and they were more than happy to weigh in on what they want in the C7. A former McDonnell Douglas and Boeing engineer felt that "between the C5 and C6, there wasn't enough of a change. The C7 needs to be a whole different beast while retaining the Corvette tradition of affordability." One owner of a pristine C2 Stingray hoped that the rumored split-window option will come to fruition. A former GM toolmaker for Fisher Body Plant 21, who now fortifies Chevy V8s for marine applications and owns a new ZR-1 to boot, says rumors of small turbocharged V6s and V8s have him worried the C7 will get soft. 

It's fair to say that GM listens to what the Corvette clubs want—after all, those folks are the main customers. But no one had anything more than speculation. I got back in my Camaro and inched down the boulevard. 

The Insiders

Out on the avenue, I got the polite brushoff or the stern silent treatment when asking about the new Corvette. Many people offered up a terse smile at best. Finally, a Nissan ergonomist, tailgating with his wife on the back of a Juke, spelled it out for me. When I asked for his take on the C6's much-maligned interior, he said: "Hey, I work in this industry and I have lots of friends who do, too. They would never talk to me again. I ain't talkin'." Tough crowd. 

Amazingly, I lucked upon an insider who wanted to sing. Perched on a lawn chair next to a pristine C6, he happened to be reading from a score that was more than just fantasy. After talking about my loaner Camaro and the 10 Corvettes leading up to his current baby, he suddenly flipped through emails on his BlackBerry and pronounced: "Y1XX. Yup. That's the platform code for the new one. From what I seen, it's gonna have square taillights. And it ain't gonna be a 2013, neither. Supplier tooling is ramping up for production in May, June, July of 2013. C7's a model-year 2014 car." 

Before he could tell me more, his wife shot a nasty look and hustled over to shut him up. But not before he coaxed a little from her about their C6's instrument cluster and nav/radio unit: "That's ancient GM technology," she said, and hinted the next-gen would be vastly superior. She sounded, and acted, like another Detroit industry insider. 

The Designers

Through Corvette-like vehicles featured in the Transformers movie franchise, Chevy has hinted at a revolutionary redesign with C7. Could it be true? 

I managed to crash a private party filled almost entirely with young auto designers from the big three‹celebratory, liquored-up designers at that. One, a twenty-something who has seen the C7, blurted out that the new design will have Ferrari-style quarter windows for the first time since the C2. Admitting that the split-window C2 is the only design he ever liked, he nonetheless enthused that the "C7 will knock the current Vette out of the water. It won't be an old guy's car anymore." Beers in hand, the others, many who claimed to have seen the car, agreed that the C7 finally has the careful details that will give it strong appeal to youthful sports car buyers who've never lusted after anything but European metal. 

Before the kitchen-table prognostications ended, a designer with knowledge of the Corvette program said that base horsepower will approach that of today's Z06 (505 hp) and that Z06 power levels will climb within a stone's throw of the radical 638-hp of today's supercharged ZR-1. 

The Powertrain

The Corvette probably will be the first car to feature the new, fifth generation of the Chevy small-block V8. From what I heard, the new engine will still use space-saving pushrods to move the valves and will have an aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection and probably variable camshaft timing. Beyond that, I kept hearing that the next Corvette's base V8 will shrink in displacement from 6.2 liters to 5.5 liters. ("Who told you 5.5!?" blurted Tom Read, communications representative for GM Powertrain, when I mentioned displacement.) To pull nearly 500 horses from 5.5-liters, I'm banking on Chevy using a significantly increased compression ratio of 12:1 or more. 

Read says that the C7 will gain "one point" on the efficiency scale; we'll have to wait and see what exactly that means in terms of mpg increases. He didn't flatly deny Viper-style cam-in-cam variable-valve timing (used on Chevy's recently discontinued 60-degree pushrod V6 family). Turbocharging for higher performance models is a possibility, too. 

A GM Performance Parts representative, dizzy off Woodward Avenue's haze of exhaust and ground-level ozone, let it slip that an eight-speed automatic is in development. Two more speeds than the current automatic would go a long way toward keeping the C7 competitive with the Europeans (think Porsche's seven-speed PDK in the 911) by maximizing mpg, refinement and performance. But also, no automated dual-clutch transmission. The six-speed manual will also be available. 

The Bottom Line

It's safe to say that the next Corvette will be an evolution—not a radical redesign—of the current car. The V8 will remain in front, the gearbox in the back, and the space-saving transverse leaf springs will support the wheels. That makes sense, since the base price will still be around 50 grand. Among all the tipsy enthusiasm in Detroit, I heard whispers of a vastly improved interior. Chevrolet will maintain or reduce weight, the performance numbers will be a tick or two better on all counts (acceleration, braking, lateral Gs, fuel economy) and, most important, the bulk of the engineering has been dedicated to improving subtleties like steering feel and seat quality. 

And the styling too, should be a hit. GM's on a roll in this department with handsome cars like the Buick Regal, Cadillac CTS and Chevy Sonic becoming the norm rather than an anomaly. One thing is for sure: We're not the only ones who can't wait to see it. 

Source: popularmechanics.com/cars - We Search Detroit for Clues About The Next Corvette - C7 Corvette - Popular Mechanics  

Mitsubishi Evo XI

With Mitsubishi scrapping its gas guzzlers and launching brand-new electric and gas-electric hybrids, all aimed at meeting ever-tighter global emissions standards, the rumor mill is suggesting that even the Lancer Evolution is going to go green. Or green-ish. 

The idea is to keep it high-performance and AWD, but also use some of the technology already behind the forthcoming i-MiEV electric city car and wed it to either a turbodiesel or a gas motor. The potential would still be there for exceptional output when both gas/electric power plants combine, but it's possible Mitsubishi may allow the driver to roll up to highway speeds on battery juice alone, vastly improving fuel economy. 

Evo XI may become both larger and more refined too, positioning it more naturally against rivals like Audi.

Source: popularmechanics.com/cars

Ford Focus ST

The new Focus is at last debuting in the U.S., with a 2.0-liter, direct-injected, 160-hp motor and variable valve timing, as well as a five-speed manual. 

But, the car to wait for is the 2013 Focus ST, which debuts in early 2012. It gets a six-speed manual with the same EcoBoost (turbocharged) 2.0-liter as the much larger Edge and Explorer and will be good for somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 hp, which puts it in league with hot hatches like the MazdaSpeed3 and beyond the output of the VW GTI. Ford is also promising a tauter suspension and meatier tires as well as bigger brakes to go with all that horsepower. Expect to pay at least $25,000. 

Source: popularmechanics.com/cars

BMW 535i Gran Turismo

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is emblematic of everything that's both right and wrong with today's automotive industry.

In a desperate search for the next big thing, product planners continue to push, pull, and bend the metal shapes draped over four wheels. In some cases, it works to great effect (see the modern crossover or the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class). In others, you get cars like the 5 GT. That's not to say the 2010 BMW 535i GT we piloted for almost 24,000 miles is an inherently bad car. But in Munich's unceasing drive to develop yet another "segment buster," it instead created a vehicle that's been mostly a bust in the U.S. 

As the 5 GT is part crossover, part station wagon, part sedan, it's hard to figure out the BMW's mission. It's nowhere near as engaging to drive as the 5 Series sedan or wagon (the latter of which it nominally replaced in the U.S.). It doesn't offer the commanding view of the road or the interior space of the X5 or the bizarro world appeal of the X6.

Built on a variation of the 7 Series platform, it isn't even really a 5 Series in the strictest sense, and its awkward exterior proportions are a reflection of that.

Scion FR-S

It doesn't take long to realize the 2013 Scion FR-S is special -- just an aggressive 4-second wide-open throttle jab, a short three-two downshift, and a clockwise rotation of the FR-S' small 14.4-inch diameter helm.

It's at this point in my drive, as I'm heading into Sodegaura Forest Raceway's sharp, right-hand Turn 1, that the bright orange Traction Control icon begins to flash incessantly, as if sending S.O.S. signals. Gradually, the FR-S' tail swings into my leftmost periphery and its 215/45-17 Michelins chirp as they scramble for grip. I can hear and feel the VSC's frantic efforts to correct a car it thinks is flailing toward destruction. A quick shot of opposite lock on the front alloys keeps the silver coupe sliding gracefully around the predetermined apex.

Out of Turn 1 and on the gas down the first brief straight of the Japanese circuit, I recall the pre-drive pep talk. Thirteen more corners of varying radii and degrees of difficulty await me. A glance at the fuel gauge confirms there's a full tank of fun onboard. And I've got a ticket to ride all day long.

Unless you've been avoiding MotorTrend.com for the past few months, you've likely heard of the all-new sports coupe from Toyota and Subaru whose name varies depending on which country's roads its tires roll on. For North America, it's called the Scion FR-S, which is Toyota talk for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive, Sport. It's Scion's first model with performance atop its agenda and, as such, is meant to give Toyota's entry-level brand a handful of much needed legitimate athleticism and marketing spark.

There's a lot riding on the FR-S' sculpted steel shoulders. As chief engineer Tetsuya Tada pointed out 40 minutes prior to my spirited pit lane departure, the compact coupe continues a legacy that has included a long line of successful and iconic sports cars -- most notably, the Sports 800 "Yotahachi" (the world's first rear-drive car powered by a front-mounted boxer engine), 2000GT, Celica, Supra, LFA, MR2, and the legendary Corolla AE86, or as aficionados affectionately call it, "Hachi-Roku." The latter icon was specifically used by Toyota as inspiration for the FR-S' high-performance/high-value package, while the 2000GT volunteered its long nose and slim side-glass profile, and the small S800 its lightweight build philosophy.