Lexus IS F Will Likely to Get Axed

One of the legendary japanese luxury+performance cars, the Lexus IS F, could be discontinued from next year.

Being powered by a 416 hp 5.0-liter V8 bolted to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the luxury performance sedan is a good alternative to the Mercedes C63 AMG or the BMW M3. Unfortunately, it looks like the customers are not that impressed with Lexus trying to reshape its image as a sportier brand, as only 486 units have been sold in US last year.

As a result, Lexus will discontinue the IS F starting from next year. According to a recent rumor, the Japanese carmaker is working on another sport variant derived from the IS, maybe something with less than four doors, that could be better in helping Lexus reshape it’s image.

The Lexus IS F’s fans still have time to buy one until the end of 2013.

 News Source: MotorAuthority

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[Official] Tanner Foust gets eponymous hotted-up Ford Focus ST from Cobb Tuning

Racer and Top Gear USA host Tanner Foust has partnered up with Cobb Tuning to create a special-edition Ford Focus ST. The limited-edition hatches will come packing a reflashed ECU, special intercooler, tweaked intake and freer-flowing exhaust for up to 20 percent more power than the stock creation. Cobb says that the changes should push the final dyno figure to above 300 horsepower. Buyers can also expect to find special carbon fiber aerodynamic bits on board along with a new grille, graphics and wheels. Cobb hasn't released pricing on this Tanner Foust Edition Ford Focus ST as of yet, but you can bet the whole kit won't be cheap.

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[Video] Lamborghini Gallardo Turned Into Rally Car

About a month ago we, we're showing you this nut job taking a rare Ferrari Enzo out for a dirt road spin, basically using the supercar as a WRC rally car.

While the clip has a high degree of awesome to it, such crazy driving could do a lot of damage to a track, purpose-built car worth at least $1.5 million. We never found out more about that, but it appears that if a Ferrari Enzo can handle a rough ride, so should a car made by rivals Lamborghini.

Putting a raging bull at work on a muddy road is not that easy, but the fellow in the clip below managed to put on quite a show, although he forest drifting scene looks a bit painful for the Gallardo.

Apparently, this won't be the only dirt rally video the car has starred in, as the the Youtube user that posted it promises two more "stages" really soon.

Guess it's about time WRC creates an upper supercar category for some Koenigsegg CCX and Bugatti Veyron action?

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Renault Announces UK Pricing for New Clio RS EDC

If you're reading this story, it probably means you already know a whole lot about the new uber hot hatching from Renault. The French have made the Clio RS all techy and have added a turbo, a twin-clutch gearbox and trick screens and computers everywhere.

 Fortunately, that hasn't made the car much more expensive. Renault UK has announced pricing for the much anticipated Clio 200 EDC, which starts at £18,995, only "£100 more than the three-door, manual Peugeot 208 GTi and £1,055 less than the lower-powered, DSG-equipped five-door Volkswagen Polo GTI."

The Cup model actually costs more because it's not as stripped down as it used to be. For £450, it offers a 3mm lowered ride height, 15% stiffer chassis and quicker steering rack, red brake callipers and gloss black 18-inch Renaultsport wheels shod with Dunlop Sport Maxx TT tyres.

We'd stick with the more comfortable normal chassis and buy some of the many options available, like 18” alloy wheels (£185), rear parking sensors (£315). heated front seats (£250), metallic paint (£495 (Renault i.d. Liquid Yellow £1,300 or Flame Red £595)) and dark carbon full leather upholstery (£1,000).

Orders will be open on April 8th, with deliveries taking place in June.

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Almost X6M Falcon Spotted in South Africa

AC Schnitzer stepped up shortly after BMW launched it's furious X6M and created a complete package for the Sports Activity Coupe from the Bavarian manufacturer.

As usual ACS created a completely reworked version of the X6M and also gave it a name: the X6 M Falcon. The new, wider body kit consists of front and rear bumpers, a bonnet, a carbon rear wing, side sills and twin sports rear silencer with chromed tail trims.

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Volvo Updates V40 With Cleaner D2, New T2

Volvo has introduced a number of changes for the V40 available in Europe. The car is still brand new to most people, but the Swedes have found ways to make it a bit better and attractive to customers.

The first big change is to the efficiency of the D2 engine, which is now available with an automatic gearbox and returns combined fuel economy of 3.9lt/100km (72.4mpg UK) and CO2 emissions of 102 grams per kilometer. The manual gearbox model is even more efficient. Before, this 1.6-litered turbo put out 94 grams of CO2 through the exhaust, but now it only emits 88 grams per kilometer and has much improved efficiency: 3.4 l/100km on average.

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BMWs That Will Be Missed: BMW 502

BMW started developing its first post-war car, the 502, at a time when the whole world was still recovering from the disaster, in 1951. The first 502 prototype had a barely adequate engine and Chief Engineer of BMW at the time, Alfred Böning, decided to create a brand new engine in order to make the car more enjoyable.

This is how the first post-war V8 powered BMW came to see the light of day. However, this wasn't a monster engine, as we're used to these days. The 8-cylinder engine had a displacement of only 2.6-liters and a power output of 100 HP due to a two-barrel Solex carburetor.

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Volkswagen's All-Electric e-Up Revealed

Volkswagen's boxy four-seater Up! has been revealed in all-electric form ahead of the vehicle's debut at the 2013 Annual Press and Investors Conference.

The e-Up!, which is the German automaker's first all-electric car, is reportedly writing a new chapter in mobility with "nearly zero noise" and an "impressive driving range" of 150 kilometers (93 miles).

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2013 MotoGP: Honda Fan-Pack for Circuit of the Americas Race Available

We reported earlier that Honda is planning a special offer for the second round of the 2013 MotoGP season which will be hosted by the Circuit of the Americas, and now we've got both prices and how to get yours, too.

The 3-day ticket is $215 (€166) and the MotoGP enthusiasts can choose between the available seats or the limited number of places in Honda's special grandstand at Turn 15 (see map after the jump).

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Porsche Boxster Gets OZ Wheels from SR Auto

Of course, the 2013 Porsche Boxster 981 is a helluva good roadster, but this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your second generation Boxster anymore.

You can upgrade it’s looks a little bit and use it as a fun track-day car for example. To help you in this matter, German tuner TechArt came up with a nice visual kit for the old Boxi. The kit includes a stylized front bumper, new grille, side skirts, revised rear bumper and spoiler and a set of 19-inch Ultraleggera HLT rims painted in matte black.

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2014 Audi A4 Diesel Officially Coming to US

Audi made no secret of its plans to extend US diesel offerings, and we already told you about that last November, but the German company has finally approved a TDI engine for the A4 model.

Speaking to Automotive News, Audi of America President Scott Keogh has revealed that the next-generation A4 will gain a 2.0-liter TDI clean diesel unit.

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MINI Celebrates the 250,000th Countryman Produced

Being launched just two and half years ago, the first MINI to ever have 4 doors and a large tailgate with 5 seats proved to be a great model for the British company, selling 102,250 units in 2012 alone.

On March 12, 2013 the 250,000th MINI Countryman rolled of the assembly line in Magna Steyr's factory in Graz, Austria. This incredible number stands as a great statement that the brand's hallmark driving fun and classic style are appreciated in the compact premium segment.

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640 HP BMW M6 Is The Boogyman of Tuning

Let's have a moment of silence please, dear BMW fans, for one of the coolest road rockets we've seen all moth. Whoever said BMW doesn't make supercars definitely didn't see this thing. It's the M6 Coupe tuned by G-Power, a German tuner who doesn't play around.

When he new M6 left the factory, it did so with the most powerful stock engine they make a 4.4-liter producing no less than 560 HP, but the tuner increased this to a more impressive 640 HP and 777 Nm of torque with the use of G-Power Bi-Tronik III custom ECU mapping and a new ASA Series supercharger.

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Another Custom Silver Gray BMW E46 M3

Yesterday we saw an interesting Silver Grey E46 M3 Convertible in China. However, as good as that car looked and as rare as it is in the communist Asian country, this Coupe E46 is way better looking.

The guys from European Auto Source took good care of it and turned it into a real head-turner. We don't really know why but, even though the E46 M3 was last built in 2006 we still get a funny feeling when looking at it, after all this time.

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BMW E34 M5 Bargain Found on eBay

The BMW E34 M5 was the last of the M cars to be hand built at the BMW M factory therefore becoming an iconic car over time. Over its lifespan of 6 years, the E34 M5 had 2 engines at its disposal.

The first version of the E34 M5 had a S38B36 3.6-liter engine delivering 310 HP and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque whilst the updated version build after 1992 had S38B38 version of the same engine which meant that the engine capacity was increased to 3.8-liters and the power output was pushed at 335 HP with 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque.

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Fesler-Modified 1963 Buick Riviera Looks Sinister

If Al Capone would have lived to see the 1960s, he would have ditched his 1928 Cadillac V8 Town Sedan for this 1963 Buick Riviera Custom. Capone died in 1947, but for some reason we can imagine him stepping out this car with a Tommy in his hands.

Probably this is because the vehicle pictured above was built on order for Ronin Syndicate's CEO Tony Diaz with a "sinister and gangster vibe" to it, according to FirstSuperCars.

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Say Goodbye to the V8 Lincoln Navigator

Since this is an obvious "No soup for you!" situation, we thought we should start with the good news. Lincoln has confirmed that the full-size Navigator SUV will see another generation.

But Ford's new strategy towards better economy figures means that the Navigator will no longer benefit from a V8 engine and will gain a EcoBoost V6, as MotorTrend reports, quoting Lincoln's director Matt Van Dyke.

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Toyota GT 86 Ready to Have Fun in China

One cheap-ish Japanese import that should go some way towards improving public sentiment in China is the GT 86 sports coupe. Launched last year across most of the world, the car is the smallest 2+2 coupe that you can go sideways in.

Chinese petrol heads will be treated to a sweet naturally aspirated 2.0-liter boxer engine that produces 200 horsepower to the rear wheels. Despite the heavy import taxes, the GT 86 is quite cheap at CNY269,000 ($43,250 at the current exchange rate) for the base manual, which means Toyota want people's perceptions to change in the people's republic.

To find out more about the GT 86, read our Test Drive, check out all the photos and enjoy. If you're sold, just head over to your local FAW-Toyota dealer and place that order.

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Subaru BRZ Also Coming to China

We've just told you that Toyota's GT 86 sports coupe is available in China for CNY269,000 ($43,250 at the current exchange rate), a very decent price for what is undoubtably a cult car of the moment. The 86 was designed in partnership with Subaru and is actually built by Fuji Heavy Industries on the same line as the BRZ.

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Elton John's Ferrari Up for Grabs at London Auction

A Ferrari 512 TR previously owned by British singer and songwriter Sir Elton John is to be sold at the COYS "Spring Classics" auction in London.

Built in 1991, this rare Maranello supercar has only 2,100 miles (3,380 km) on the clock and it's estimated to sell for over $134,000 (GBP 90,000 / EUR 103,000).

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BMW Z4 GTE Debuts this Weekend in the ALMS Series

This weekend the 12 hour race of Sebring will mark a new beginning for the BMW Motorsport program in North America: this will be the first time the BMW Team RLL will go against opposition in the GT class with the new BMW Z4 GTE.

The BMW M3 GT left some big shoes to fill. It was most successful, especially at Sebring, winning in 2011 and 2012. That means that this year's performance will serve as a starting point and benchmark for future endeavors of the RLL Team.

The team will have two complementary cars: one Z4 GTE finished in Frozen Black, wearing number 55 will be driven by Bill Auberlen (US), Maxime Martin (BE) and Jörg Müller (DE). The other Z4 will be dressed in a classic Alpine White BMW Motorsport livery and will be driven by Dirk Müller (DE), Joey Hand (US) and John Edwards (US).

"After all the months of development and preparation with the new BMW Z4 GTE, we are obviously now looking forward to testing ourselves against the opposition for the first time in Sebring. We have been very successful at this 12-hour race in recent years. I am excited to see whether the BMW Z4 GTE will cope as well with the specific demands of this race as its predecessor the BMW M3 GT did. We would like to start the season with a good result. However, the priority is to capitalise on the potential of the new car. This will obviously take a while,” said Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director).

“I’m always excited to start the season, especially at Sebring. This year almost everything is new, from the car and tyres to my two new team-mates. We are obviously well aware it will be very difficult to win the GT class three years in a row, especially with a new car. However, I know everyone in the team is extremely motivated to do well," said legendary BMW driver Dirk Müller.

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Chad Rogers Drives a MINI Cooper S

The star of BRAVO’s Million Dollar Listing recently bought a MINI Cooper S according to Celebritycarsblog.com. Rogers also has a Bentley Continental GT so this purchase might be surprising to those that didn’t get the chance to drive MINI’s hot hatch.

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Renault Looking to Expand RS Lineup

RenaultSport Technologies boss Patrice Ratti has recently unveiled the company's plans to expand the RS lineup.

According to an Auto Express report, RenaultSport is looking to have four or five models in its line up over the next four to five years. While Ratti has evaded from giving further details, it's likely for the future RS program to include versions of the Clio, Megane, Twingo and even Captur.

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Four-Cylinder Ford Mustang Coming to US After All

Two days ago we were telling you about the four-cylinder-engined Ford Mustang being introduced for European versions of the car exclusively.

Well, it seems that Edmunds' report was wrong, and the pony will get the 2.3-liter EcoBoost in the US as well. At least that's what Road & Track claims, adding that the little turbo is likely to come with over 300 HP in order to top the 3.7-liter V6 unit.

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Video: Chris Harris Discusses Cars at Geneva and Drives new E63 AMG

As with all automotive shows of its size, the Geneva Motor Show 2013 was home to thousands from the press, including our own GTspirit team, and notable British automotive journalist Chris Harris also made an appearance and put together the following video of his impressions from the show.

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Ferrari Launches Online Configurator for new LaFerrari

Ferrari has just launched the official 3D online configurator for its brand new 2013 LaFerrari hypercar.

Just like the Ferrari Enzo before it, the LaFerrari will only be offered in Nero (black), Rosso Corsa (red) and Giallo Modena (yellow) and will feature very few customisable options.

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[Official] Gumpert gets new investment, tells of new models on the way this year

German supercar maker Gumpert didn't bring any new models to the Geneva show this year – just a couple of current-generation Apollos, seen above – but it did come bearing some interesting news about prospective vehicles. In a brief press release that mentions new investment in the company, Gumpert's managing director says, "Our distribution and dealer networks are being expanded worldwide and sister models will soon be added to the Apollo. What's more, we'll already be presenting the first of these models this year at a major trade fair."

That is heartening news from a company that declared insolvency just about a year ago following a disastrous foray into the Chinese market. Either that flirtation with financial danger had little influence on the company to date, or the new investor has deep pockets, or both.

At any rate, the short statement from Gumpert offers more hope than ever that we'll see the rumored Tornante model, and maybe sooner rather than later. A sleek, 700-horsepower Gumpert won't be easy to hide at upcoming auto shows, we're guessing, now that we've been given some notice. Stay tuned.

05.03.2013

GUMPERT takes off!

The sports car manufacturer GSM GUMPERT Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH is launching into the coming few years with a new investor. An enlargement of the product range is planned.

Managing Director Roland Gumpert commented euphorically on the future of his company, "Our distribution and dealer networks are being expanded worldwide and sister models will soon be added to the apollo. What's more, we'll already be presenting the first of these models this year at a major trade fair".

First of all, the company will be presenting itself this year at the 83rd Geneva International Motor Show in Hall 2, Stand 2057, with two current apollo s.

News Source: Gumpert

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