BMW Z4 GT3 Confirmed for ALMS 2013

ALMS 2013 season will be held on 21st September and some of the latest reports show that BMW will be back on the track for this particular annual race with the 2013 BMW Z4 GTE based on the BMW Z4 GT3 which has been in the ALMS since 2009. It has gathered back-to-back GT championships, among them being the driver, team and manufacturer titles in 2011 not to mention seven class victories, all in the hands of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (BMW Team RLL).

Speaking on the car, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt said;

With the BMW Z4 GTE, we are starting a new chapter in North America alongside BMW Team RLL; we have celebrated magnificent victories and titles with the BMW M3 GT and BMW Team RLL over the past four years. The BMW Z4 GTE has everything it needs to continue this success story.

The team members are also key to performance, starting with the manager; long-time BMW employee Gordon McDonnell has been named the BMW NA Motorsport Manager and will lead the program from concept to the finish line. Returning drivers Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand from the US and Dirk Müller (DE) will join the effort.

New to the team is twenty-one-year old John Edwards (US) who will join the team, replacing Hand for the races that don’t fit into Hand’s DTM schedule. Edwards began his career in open-wheel racing, winning the Star Mazda title in 2008 and the Atlantic series championship in 2009 and since 2010 he has focused on GT and GS class racing in the GRAND-AM series.

26-year old Maxime Martin from Belgium will be the newest member to join the BMW Team RLL for the full 2013 season. He finished second in the 2012 BMW Sport Trophy after a strong season racing a BMW Z4 GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series and a BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 in the ADAC GT Masters.

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Lamborghini Aventador Receives Carbon Interior from MAcarbon

The Lamborghini Aventador is a carbon fiber beast that offers a ton of excitement per second, but there are still certain ares where one might want a bit of extra drama. One of these is the interior - how can you not want exposed carbon fiber in the cabin of such a car?

The answer comes from the aftermarket world and, in this case, from US specialist MAcarbon,. which has delivered a series of carbon fiber trimming for the LP700-4.

The company has shared a couple of photos with us and the prospect of gifting an Aventador with such goodies brings quite a lot of excitement. So far, MAcarbon has released developments such as trimming for the steering wheel, door panels, center console, as well as two pieces that are destined for the inner and outer frames of the navigation unit.

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2013 SRT Viper Receives ADV.1 Wheels via Virtual Tuning

Since the Chevrolet Corvette made its debut in Detroit, it’s grabbed quite a lot of our attention and we’re feeling that the new 2013 SRT Viper is a bit jealous. In order to make up to the snake, we decided to see how it would look with custom wheels on and share this with you.

Of course, getting our hands on one and swapping its wheels with aftermarket ones would’ve been a bit of a far stretch, so we turned to the world of virtual tuning instead.

We came across the adjacent rendering, which shows the 3rd generation Viper wearing custom rollers from Advance One Wheels. These come with a five double-spoke design - a minimalist one that allows us to get a good look at the massive brakes of the supercar.

The ADV.1 Wheels use a chrome finish, a feature that really suits the character of the Viper well.

News Source: PS-Garage

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2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray ZR1 Rendering Released

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 has just made its world debut in Detroit and the vehicle is now keeping those who handle virtual tuning busy. Yesterday we showed you a rendering of the car wearing COR wheels and now it’s time to go even further.

The adjacent image shows the new Stingray as a ZR1, with the car receiving new front end details. The front fascia is significantly more aggressive than before, as if it would indicate the presence of the ZR1's supercharged engine under the bonnet. It also uses massive LED daytime running lights, as well as a generously-sized front splitter that draws quite a lot of attention to the vehicle.

The ‘Vette is also shown wearing a set of custom rims from Advance One Wheels. These come with a multi-spoke, deep concave design. The simple styling cues of the wheels allow us to focus on the design of the car and simply make it stand out a bit more.

Image credits: SpinnerBG on deviantart

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Spyshots: 2014 Porsche Panamera Winter Testing, Sports New Lights

The refreshed or facelifted Porsche Panamera is undergoing its second session of winter testing in Northern Europe. Last year, we were reporting that the changes made to this car would not be that significant, but these latest prototypes are much different.

It appears that Porsche might have reconsidered their original plans and are now going to introduce sweeping changes to the Panamera. We've heard similar rumours about Macan compact SUV, which is supposedly going to be redesigned to be as funky as its main rival, the Evoque.

These photos our spy photographers have managed to capture show the Panamera now sports a new set of taillights, which are all-LED and designed much the same way as those on a Cayman.

At the front, heavy camouflage is masking our view, but we know an LED bar will be used for the daytime runners, a much needed update.

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Genk Protest Ends - Ford Resumes Production

The situation at Ford's plant in Genk, Belgium, where production had been stopped due to workers blocking and cutting the supply of parts, as well as disrupting the plant in other ways. Up until now, they had not built and delivered a car since October 24, when the announcement that the plant would be closing down was made public.

Production should have been restarted earlier this month, but the attempt failed, as the protesters blocked an adjacent supply building.

However, now production has been restarted and this makes Blue Oval officials very happy, according to a company spokesman, Adrian Schmitz, who was quoted by Bloomberg: “We are pleased to be building and shipping vehicles again and are working to get the factory quickly up to full production.”

As a reminder, the Genk plant has a rich tradition, in association with the Ford name, as it is the spiritual home of all Europe-bound large Fords, and currently builds the Mondeo, as well as the S-Max and Galaxy models.

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Mercedes-Benz SLS Gets Purple Finish in China

We are all for the painting of very fast cars in outrageous colours, because when it comes to cars like the Mercedes-Benz SLS, the car is really worthy of a 'special' paint finish, to really make it visible. Most SLS models we`ve seen are either black or dark grey, and while they do suit the car's somewhat understated and Germanic personalities, we say they are not enough.

The SLS deserves a much fresher paint finish. Something like this purple wrap job from Shanghai, China, which really makes the gullwing coupe pop. Sadly, there`s only one photo, and we would have loved to see it from multiple angles, as it is the first purple example we`ve seen, and we have a hunch the rest of the car will also go well with the new colour.

The wrap job itself looks to be of high quality, and even the outer cowling of the badge is wrapped - proof that somebody has taken the time to do the job properly. We hope to see more photos of this purple monster from China, but if we don`t at least we know that a purple SLS exists, and it is attracting the looks of pretty much everybody passing by (pedestrians, and other drivers alike).

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Blood-Red Nissan GT-R Gets Bodykit in China

The Nissan GT-R looks like the kind of car which takes its mods well, and wears them with pride, no matter how small or outrageous they may be. Body kits, rims, spoilers and wild paint jobs really make the GT-R come alive, and whatever you do to it, there is a very high likelihood of it looking rather smart once you`re done.

This red example from China is excellent in illustrating the point. The car was spotted at a used car dealership, in the city of Shenzen, in the Guangdong province, and the first thing that strikes you about it is the bright red finish.

However, this what you are looking at is no wrap - the car is actually painted red, and is all the better for it. It also gets a nice wide body kit, a new rear spoiler, and aftermarket rims, with black interiors and red contrasting outer edges.

The car overall looks great, and as we`ve said before, it wears its mods with pride. We don`t know if the car has also had any performance upgrades, but since the GT-R is already stupid-quick, they are not mandatory.

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Ferrari Teases New Formula 1 Car - Will Be Revealed on February 1

Ferrari has created a special section on their official homepage, where they have added a 24-hour countdown, to let fans know how long they have left before a more revealing teaser for the 2013 Formula 1 car is shown.

Set to be revealed on February 1, it will be the last of the V8-powered F1 car, because as of next year a 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 will be required.

The unveiling will be broadcast online via live streaming, and we expect the Italian team to cook up some sort of special celebration for the occasion, possibly a speech from someone higher up in the company, as well as supermodels to pull the wraps off the car.

The all-new F1 car will be driven in 2013 by the same two drivers Ferrari employed last year: Spaniard Fernando Alonso, seconded by Brazilian Felipe Massa. Ferrai is one of the few teams who did not want or need to make any changes to the formula, as its drivers were very competent and very competitive in 2012, and they simply want to build on that this year.

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Video: Toyota releases teaser for Kaley Cuoco Super Bowl ad

Toyota has released a 35-second teaser video for its upcoming Super Bowl spot staring Kaley Cuoco, the actress best known for her role as object-of-nerd-affection Penny on The Big Bang Theory. The real star of the ad, however, is its soundtrack, the 1995 hit "I Wish" by rapper Skee-Lo that will have your mind cashing nostalgia checks the moment it hits your ears.

We still don't know much about the content, plot or story of this Super Bowl commercial, though we can say that its object of promotion is likely the new RAV4 we see Ms. Cuoco driving in it. The rest of the time she's walking the street in a purple get-up granting wishes like Robin Williams on a Disney sound stage. And then the Easter Bunny and a chihuahua enter the picture and we get lost. Clint Eastwood under a bridge this is not.

But hey, Super Bowl ads cost millions and millions of dollars to produce and air, so we trust that Toyota spent its money wisely and will have us ROFLing on game day.

News Source: Toyota via YouTube

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Ken Block rally cars go blue in the face (and everywhere else)

As you can tell in the image above, Hoonigan Racing will replace the familiar black, white and green paint scheme with a more colorful design featuring plenty of blue, purple and red; the Monster Energy logo retains some of the car's green. The new paint scheme was inspired by Block's love of skateboard graphics from the '80s and early '90s as well as "Miami Vice-era" speedboats.

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Toyota close to licensing deal with BMW for fuel cell technology

For over a year now, we've been hearing about a potential partnership between Toyota and BMW on everything from sports cars to lithium-ion batteries, but one of the first cooperative projects between these two automakers could bring Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell technology to a BMW vehicle. Reuters is reporting that an announcement is likely to be made as soon as later this week regarding a BMW fuel cell vehicle that could be in production by 2020 with a prototype running around by 2015.

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Audi commits two R18 E-Tron Quattros to final Sebring race for LMP1 cars

We were baffled a few weeks back when the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series announced new classes that will make up their combined racing program in 2014. Gone from the list is the Le Mans Prototype class, otherwise known as LMP1. The LMP1 class has long been the top dog of endurance racing, both in Europe and the US, so we couldn't figure out why this newly minted racing series was jettisoning it like yesterday's donuts. 

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Official: Dodge Dart Registry helps you crowdsource money for your next ride

To be honest, we're surprised something like this didn't pop up sooner. Chrysler is riffing on gift registries for couples getting married or expecting babies and cross-pollinating it with a social media funding website like Kickstarter to help customers buy its 2013 Dodge Dart. The Dodge Dart Registry allows people to build and customize a new Dart exactly how they want it, then let other people purchase some or all of the components as gifts.

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Bentley announces Mulsanne upgrades to be shown in Geneva

Proving that there's no such thing as too much luxury, Bentley has released details for the updated 2014 Mulsanne that will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Most of the additions are to improve rear-seat accommodations inside, with the addition of Comfort Specification and Entertainment Specification options.

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2013 Nissan Pathfinder: January 2013

We've now had our long-term 2013 Nissan Pathfinder for about a month, and some impressions are starting to solidify, while others remain contentious among the team. Most notable among those contentious items is our Pathfinder's paint color, which was chosen by vote among the Autoblog team.

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Lotus Evora Belonging to Bob Lutz Up for Sale!

Former GM chairman, and current spokesman for VIA Motors, Bob Lutz commissioned a special Lotus Evora S for himself, yet it seems that he didn`t fancy the car very much, as it is now for sale with just 40 miles on the odometer.

It features special kit like a reversing camera, FGD Design rims, and a green exterior finish, with contrasting longitudinal yellow stripes. It also has the optional Technology package fitted as well as the Premium Sport pack. It is now priced at $95,015, for those interested.

Nevertheless, for a car with so many features and a famous former owner, it will most likely get sold rather quickly. We particularly like how the exterior body finish is nicely complimented by the yellow stripes and the great-looking rims.

However, the red calipers clash a bit with the overall colour, and the dashes of yellow, and we say they should have been painted to match the stripes, or they could have been left plain metallic grey.

News Source: lotustalk.com

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VW Ads Factory Shift to Boost Golf VII Production

Ford, Opel and basically all the French automakers are closing plants, cutting shifts and firing workers. But Volkswagen is doing just fine. In fact, demand for their latest Golf is more than just fine.

Over 100,000 orders have been received already for this family hatch, proving buyers still have money if it's a question of buying the right car.

As a result of increased demand, VW has been forded to add three Saturday shifts in Wolfsburg for the first quarter of 2013.

"Since the launch of the Mk 7, our dealers have already taken over 100,000 orders for the new Golf," said VW CEO Martin Winterkorn. "Despite the changeover from the Mk 6 to the Mk 7 and the associated production line adjustments, we have once again shipped more than 800,000 units this year. No other European car enjoys such success."

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Official: Porsche 918 Spyder officially priced from $845K, Weissach package $84K more

Porsche has released official pricing for its entire lineup of 2013 models, which just happens to include the upcoming 918 Spyder hybrid supercar. The 795-horsepower advanced-technology-lab-on-wheels is now officially confirmed to have a starting price of $845,000 in the US, which is the exact amount we were told earlier when we had the opportunity to ride shotgun in some 918 Spyder pre-production test vehicles.

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Report: Mercedes-Benz GLK coupe to get 2016 intro

Radio chatter around the emerging small, premium crossover coupe genre has thus far been dominated by the Land Rover Evoque and the Mini Paceman. According to a report in Car, the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class (shown above) has received its invitation to the party and will spend the next three years getting ready: it's said that two-door variant of the crisply-angled CUV is coming in 2016, along with a redesign befitting its sleeker intentions.

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Euro NCAP Says BMW 3-Series Is the Safest Large Family Car

Nowadays, having a five-star safety rating doesn't put you ahead of the competition. This is especially true in the premium segment, where ten airbags are not uncommon.

We already knew that BMW's new 3-Series is among the safest cars out there, but further confirmation of the Bavarian model came today when Euro NCAP said it was Best in Class for the Large Family Car category. To earn this, the F30 3-Series earned a score of 95 percent in adult occupant protection, 84 percent in child occupant and 86 percent in safety assist technology.

The 3 Series scored maximum points for its protection of the 18 month infant, and lost only a fraction of a point for protection of the 3 year old.

In the case of a pedestrian impact, the BMW 3-Series’ construction could save lives, as Euro NCAP tests showed good protection for the bumper and the front edge of the bonnet.

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New Renault Clio Named Safest Supermini by Euro NCAP

Renault was the first carmaker to really put an emphasis on the crash worthiness of even its cheapest and smallest cars.

Models like the Megane or Clio built their reputation on the fact that they received a five-star rating from Euro NCAP, and while other manufactures have followed their model, Renault seems to have kept its edge.

The independent European safety body Euro NCAP has today announced 2012 top choices for safety and the recommended vehicles in their class. And surprise, surprise, the Clio is the best supermini.

This means that the car performed well in all the categories that are taken into consideration adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, pedestrian protection and safety assist systems.

If you'd like to know more about the Euro NCAP crash tests involving the Clio IV, you can read our previous post.

Editor's note: The Kia Rio (92%), VW Polo (90%) and Ford Fiesta (91%) all performed better than the Clio (88%) in adult occupant protection. It's not like they're not safe, right?

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What the BMW 1-Series GT Will Look Like

As we said yesterday when we showed you a fresh batch of spyshots, showing the 1-Series GT undergoing winter testing, 'affordable' is where the new market for Europe's premium automakers.

BMW has finally decided to turn its expertise gained from years of MINIdevelopment into something that wears the propeller badge. The first front-wheel drive BMW ever will borrow the 1-Series badge, while the current coupe and convertible 1ers will move into 2-Series naming schemes.

The 1-Series GT was previewed last year as the Concept Active Tourer, and it's time to take a look at what it might look like once it enters production.

We expect the official debut to come in 2013, and the GT to look a lot like our this, our latest rendering. Though it might look like a small van, it's actually going to be spacious inside, thanks mainly to the new architecture which allows for a shorter bonnet and engine bay.

News source: autoevolution

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This Is the New Nissan X-Trail - Revealed by Leaked Patent Papers

The Nissan X-Trail is a well-regarded contender in the SUV category, being small enough not to attract the gazes of SUV-haters, yet large enough to give ample amounts of interior and boot space, while also being an imposing presence on the road.

However, Nissan will be ditching the boxy shape of the current X-Trail, in favour of a more curvaceous, more up to date look. Now, courtesy of paultan.org, we have three shots of the car, which appear to be leaked patent renderings.

After seeing the photos, we are happy to report that the new X-Trail has retained may of the design cues which made the Hi-Cross Concept such a standout vehicle, at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and to us, at least, it looks a bit like the Mazda CX-5, from some angles - the Mazda is not a bad looker, either.

Nevertheless, some will still miss the more classic and boxy shape of the current version of the SUV, and this new generation may be just a bit too modern for the more conservative buyers, whom are slowly running out of choices, as manufacturers are making their SUVs increasingly car-like.

News Source: paultan.org

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You Can Barely Tell This Is a Ferrari 458 - Severe Crash Damage

If you buy a supercar, everybody expects you to be able to drive it, as it should be driven, and probably, in time, you begin to adopt the same views. This is, however, highly-detrimental to both your physical well-being and the integrity of your prized collection of exotic materials and implausible numbers.

We see far too many of these beautifully crafted supercars wrapped around poles, broken in half or just plain totalled. The most recent example we have is a black Ferrari 458, which was photographed in Switzerland, on the back of a truck.

Why was it on the back of a truck? Well, we say the photos are self-explanatory, and while we don`t know exactly how this 458 got in this really bad shape, but the owner probably slid left, while taking a right turn far too quickly, and the car hit some sort of massive obstacle at very high speed - it could almost be called a cliche.

Via wreckedexotics.com

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2014 Ford Everest SUV Rendering

For those of you who didn't know this, the Ford Everest is a midsize SUV produced by Ford on the same platform as the Ranger pickup truck, which in turn has been derived from Mazda B-Series pickups.

In 2011, Ford launched a brand new Ranger (the T6). It was unveiled at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney and comes with its own Ford architecture. Produced in South Africa, Argentina and Thailand, it's available in 180 market, including parts of Europe.

This is what a new Everest SUV would look like if it was based on the same architecture as the T6 Ranger pickup. These renderings created by Theophilus Chin show a reliable workhorse that could be powered by either a 2.5L Duratec (L5-VE) petrol engine or a 2.2L Duratorq TDCi diesel. It could be available with both 4x2 and 4x4 drivetrains as well as a choice between two manual and one automatic gearbox.

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SRT Viper Not Coming to Europe

Chrysler has announced that it has no plans whatsoever to sell its all-new SRT Viper in Europe. They argue that the reason behind this is their exclusive concentration on the US market, despite the fact that the Viper would raise several very interested eyebrows on the Old Continent.

We say the Viper's outrageously-large displacement 8.4-liter V10 engine is also cause for concern, and while it does comply with the strictest of emissions regulations, perhaps it would be very difficult to certify for use on European roads - again, this is just speculation.

This all means that they will allow Chevrolet to sell the Corvette free of fuss, from 2014 onward.

Its base price of $97,395 would have undoubtedly gone up considerably, pushing it closer to $130,000 - $140,000 once it reaches European shores. It is still a very attractive performance package for the price, and it would keep up with Ferraris costing twice as much, with the 640 hp and 814 Nm the driver has at his or her disposal.

Perhaps they will change their mind in years to come, if the Corvette, which will even be made in right-hand drive form in around two-years' time.

News Source: autoevolution

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Kia City Crossover Concept Teased ahead of Geneva 2013

Kia today released a set of teaser images for a concept car that’s set to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The proposal seems to be an urban crossover, something that would be aimed at the successful Nissan Juke.

Kia hasn’t offered any details about the concept car - the company hasn’t even offered us a name for the vehicle. The South Korean automarker only described the design of the concept: “With the company's signature tiger-nose morphing into a mischievous, yet friendly, grille and headlight arrangement, coupled with strong styling lines that exude speed and energy from every angle, Kia's newest concept vehicle is guaranteed to attract attention.”

Nevertheless, we are expecting to receive more details about Kia’s concept before its Geneva debut and we’ll be back on the topic as soon as we get our hands on them.

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Official: McLaren gears up to celebrate 50 years of performance

It was back in 1963 that 26-year-old Bruce McLaren founded Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd. in London with no more than a handful of dedicated employees. Today, nearly fifty years later, the McLaren Group employs more than 2,000 and is credited with developing, manufacturing and racing some of the world's greatest supercars on a global stage.

Early this September, the company will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Even though Bruce is no longer around (he was killed in 1970 when his Can-Am car failed on the track and sent him into a bunker at speed), considering what the company has accomplished over the past five decades it is apparent that his dream has not been lost with those currently at the helm.

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The Obama Car: Chromed Cadillac CTS

While he might be the man of the people, Barack Obama is still a president, so whenever he wants to go out for a stroll, he does so in his armour plated Cadillac. It has guns, plating its own oxygen and even a night-vision camera.

This is probably NOT Obama's car, but it's so interesting that it might as well be. The owner of this Cadillac CTS Coupe had it chromed out, so now, it looks like a brand new nickel. Plastered over the passenger side door is a photo of him from Time magazine and the "Forward" messing from President Obama’s new re-election campaign slogan.

Who needs guns when America has cars like these. Now all we need to do is feed the homeless!

Photos via acidcow.com

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Video: Jay Leno Tries Out the Aptera EV

When it comes to the lack of popularity of electric cars, Jay Leno is right - most of what is on offer today just does`t look exciting enough to woo buyers away from conventional cars. However, some startup manufacturers are trying to change that, and one of these manufacturers is the California-designed and build Aptera.


Jay recently got a chance to test the highly-aerodynamic EV, and he was rightfully impressed. For one, it looks stunning, and while it may have been drawn up by engineers, for the purpose of cutting through the air as efficiently as possible, the overall shape is actually pleasing to look at - especially the rear end.

The car has a front-mounted electric motor, which puts out around 70 hp, yet it is more than adequate to move the car around with ease, as it uses a special honeycomb composite material for the body. Also, the batteries are mounted as low as possible, and despite having just three wheels, the car is apparently very stable and pleasing to drive.

If they price it correctly, then this talented and futuristic-looking vehicle could be a hit - it has all the right ingredients to do so, and it just need the right kind of promotion and assurance that none of the mechanical bits will go wrong, as they are, as we`ve previously stated, a startup manufacturer.

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Skoda Snowman Seven-Seater SUV Rendered

Skoda's Yeti is easily one of the most talented and tempting propositions in the small SUV/crossover sector, and its wide blend of qualities and more affordable price than much of its competition really put it at the front of the pack.

However, it seems that there is need and demand for a bigger off-roader, with seating capacity for seven. It has been speculated that Skoda is working on such a vehicle, yet it won`t necessarily be called Yeti. Aside from the possibility of it getting the name 'Grand Yeti', it is more likely to be called the Snowman.

If it turns out to be a real vehicle, it will most likely ride on a stretched version of the new VW group MQB platform, currently used to underpin the Golf, the SEAT Leon and the all-new Skoda Octavia.

From what we understand, the Snowman has pretty much the same concept behind it as Volkswagen's own CrossBlue concept, which previews a seven-seater SUV for the US market only. There is a very high likelihood that the two vehicles will be extremely similar (mechanically), for cost-cutting purposes, of course.

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Lamborghini Gallardo on PUR Wheels

The Lamborghini Gallardo was definitely a good idea to begin with. Smaller, nimbler and simpler than a V12, the car quickly became a hit with buyers.

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Porsche's 960 Supercar Will Have Quad-Turbo Boxer-Eight

If there's one thing the Germans are good at, it's bridging the gap in their model lineups. Right now, Porsche's biggest task is to fill the space in between the 911 Turbo S and the 918 Spyder hybrid hypercar.

Rumours have finally begun emerging about this car, which supposedly will be called the 960.

It will reportedly feature a mid-mounted eight-cylinder engine, not a V8, but a flat-eight. This engine will displace 3.9 litters and will be force-induced to 650 horsepower, thanks to not one, not two, not three, but four turbos.

They first wanted to fit the car twin a twin-turbo boxer six, but that was deemed not exotic enough compared to the V12 monsters that are currently out there. Good call!

Porsche engineers are reportedly targeting a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.5 seconds. Bugatti Veyron watch out!

Story via Automobile Mag

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BMW M5 Tuned by Hartge Delivers 642 HP

German aftermarket specialist Hartge has recently introduced its take on the F10 BMW M5, with the package focusing on the tech side of the supersaloon.

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Video: PSA Reveals All-New EMP2 Modular Platform

PSA Peugeot-Citroen has just released a video showcasing their all-new modular platform, called the EMP2, which stands for Efficient Modular Platform 2. The French group are planning to use it on a wide range of vehicles, from SUVs to light commercial vehicles, as well as regular hatchbacks, sedans and estates.

It will also be used to underpin the next generation of the Peugeot 308 and Citroen C4, as well as other mainstream models from the C and D segments.

The platform itself is easily modifiable, and can be stretched to fit various purposes, while the use of high-strength steels, composites and aluminium help it shed some 70 kg or 154 lbs over the current platform.

However, in their quest to make one platform fit all models, they have had to compromise. First of all, the idea of having just one platform is a clear cost-cutting exercise, and therefor they could not make it overly-complex, as it would be overkill on some of the cheaper models.

What this means, basically, is that it does`t get independent rear suspension, getting the multilink alternative instead. Now, while some cars with such rear suspension setups are good to drive (some Renaults and a few others), it means that neither handling nor comfort will be class leading.

We also found a plausible-looking rendering of what the next Peugeot 308 may look like, to give you some idea of the cars this new platform will underpin.

News Source:  autoevolution

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Spyshots: New 2014 BMW M3 Snow Fun

Earlier today, we showed you some allegedly leaked images of the upcoming 2014 BMW M3 and now we're back on the topic to offer you a fresh set of spyshots.

While the aforementioned images only revealed the front of the car, the adjacent spy photos offer us a complete view of the M3, which is still wearing some camo.

The 2014 M3 will follow the trend seen in many performance car segments nowadays: it won't up the ante on the power front too much, but it will lose some serious weight.

The vehicle is targeting the weight of the E46 M3 from two generations ago - 1470 kg (3240.8 lbs) for the coupe. This will improve performance in all areas, as well as increase fuel efficiency. The diet will include the use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) body parts on a larger scale than before.

Boosting fuel economy is also the reason for which the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 unit of the current generation will have to go. This will be replaced with a turbocharged unit, which is expected to be a 3.3-liter six-cylinder delivering about 450 hp.

The test vehicle captured here uses the BMW M performance brakes (blue calipers), but you'll be able to order to production version with the new BMW M Carbon Ceramic brakes. The ceramics, which were introduced at the Detroit Motor Show on the M6 Gran Coupe, come with golden calipers.

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