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If you’ve been saving your spare change to pick up one of these new BMW models later this year, well, now you can more accurately estimate how many wheelbarrows full of nickels you’ll need to dump into the Coinstar machine at your local grocery store.

We’ll start with the 2013 6 Series Gran Coupe. While we already knew the six-cylinder 640i Gran Coupe would start at $76,895 including destination charges, prices on the V8 models have now been set. The 650i will sell for $87,395, while the 650i xDrive model will command $90,395. Both are powered by a twin-turbo, 445-horsepower, 4.4-liter V8, which BMW says can propel the all-wheel-drive version from 0-62 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. (The rear-wheel-drive model is a tick slower at 4.6 seconds.) The 640i goes on sale in late June, with the V8 models coming towards the end of summer.

The M series cars will command substantially more, with the 2012 M6 Convertible commanding all of $113,995 when it goes on sale in June. The M6 Coupe and M5 will go on sale in late summer as 2013 models, with the M6 carrying a $106,995 MSRP and the M5 listing at $90,695. All three models will share a twin-turbo, 560-horsepower, 4.4-liter V8.

The price of a fourth M vehicle, the revised 2013 BMW X6 M, has also been announced. It will sell for $93,795, a $2,600 increase from this year’s model. For more details, scroll down to check out the official release.

BMW prices 6 Series Gran Coupe, M5 and M6 for U.S.

Though it’s never going to post particularly impressive sales figures, the 2013 SRT Viper is, at least to us driving enthusiasts, the most important debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show. As such, it comes as little surprise that Chrysler has done its best to keep its new snake under cover ahead of its official debut.

Despite those efforts, here we have what appears to be photographs snapped during a video presentation showing the 2013 SRT Viper looking rather sinister in crimson. Based on previous spy shots, teasers, renderings and other random glimpses, these pics sure look like the real thing, and the reborn Viper looks just as venomous as ever.

There’s plenty of inspiration drawn from the first and second generations of the Dodge Viper, especially the gorgeous Coupe model, but we also note a fair bit of European flair courtesy of the automaker’s recent tie-up with Italy’s Fiat. Some of the coupe’s sinuous and feminine curves recall the Alfa Romeo 8C in particular.

You won’t have to wait long for the 2013 Viper’s official debut, as the New York Auto Show gets underway tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to browse the image gallery above and let us know what you think of the new Viper in Comments.

2013 SRT Viper slithers out ahead of New York debut

We knew this was coming, but the BMW 1 Series M Coupe is now history. While BMW is still building out the model run, it has closed ordering and “all cars are spoken for,” according to Car and Driver.

The report comes from the magazine’s European correspondent, so we assume any remaining cars are destined to remain in Europe, meaning that our friends across the Atlantic are just now catching up to our situation here. Perhaps this news should come as no surprise, as the 1 Series M Coupe was sold in the U.S. for just a single model year, 2011.

Of course, if your heart is set on owning one of fewer than 1,000 1 Series M Coupes that were offered in the States, the only thing standing between you and your dream is money. We imagine values of these cars will not depreciate much (the only used example on eBay Motors at the moment has been essentially bid up to MSRP), though whether the 1 Series M Coupe will achieve the cult status of the 2001-2002 BMW M Coupe remains to be seen.

BMW 1 Series M Coupe is sold out

Paul Jaray was an Austrian-born engineer who transferred his aerodynamic designs for zeppelins to the smaller canvas of the automobile. His work included vehicles like the Tatra T77 and T87, and cars inspired by his work and patents included the Chrysler Airflow and Ford Zephyr.

Most of his creations weren’t exactly pretty, however, as the rebodied Audi concept car above amply demonstrates. A new Audi ad shows how far the brand has come in the looks department by contrasting that streamlined-but-ugly-duckling coupe with the 2012 A5, with a little help from singer Danny Kaye and Hans Christian Andersen. We like the spot quite a bit, but wonder if Audi wouldn’t have been better served by having it pitch the aerodynamic beauty of the A7 instead. Follow the jump to check it out.

Continue reading Audi channels its “Ugly Duckling” past to sell 2012 A5

Audi channels its “Ugly Duckling” past to sell 2012 A5

BMW i, the sub-brand within BMW with its eye towards the future of mobility, has unveiled its third concept, the i8 Spyder. Based on the i8 coupe that debuted last year alongside the i3 city car, the i8 Spyder is at once an obvious followup, but also appears to be a couple of steps closer to the production models that will eventually go on sale to the public.

Like the coupe, the i8 Spyder is a plug-in through-the-road hybrid with a 96 kW (131 horsepower) electric motor up front powering the front axle and a mid-mounted turbocharged three-cylinder gas engine (presumably with a displacement of 1.5 liters like the coupe) producing 223 hp that powers the rear. A pack of lithium-ion batteries are located in a center tunnel between the two power sources, which together can produce a total system output of 354 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. On electricity alone, the i8 Spyder can travel about 19 miles before the gas engine turns on to recharge the batteries. BMW says the system is good for 94 miles per gallon on the Imperial cycle, which converts to upwards of 78 miles per gallon on our own EPA cycle.

The beauty of the i8 Spyder’s drivetrain is the car can be front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive depending on whether efficiency, performance or all-weather traction is called for. Like the coupe, the i8 Spyder also features a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and BMW claims to have completely cancelled out the extra weight of the hybrid drivetrain through extensive use of lightweight materials like carbon fiber and aluminum. Performance is also impressive, with 0-62 mph happening in five seconds and a top speed governed at 155 mph.

Not everything between the coupe and spyder is the same, though. The i8 Spyder has a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length. Its upward-swiveling, windowless doors are also different. The car’s developers have also whimsically included a pair of electric scooters underneath a glass panel in the rear. Aside from a few more exterior tweaks to accommodate the open air design, which can be closed again with a two-section folding roof, the rest of the i8 Spyder is identical to the coupe, including the interior that features a slightly warmer choice of colors.

Scroll down for the official specs and info from BMW, and stay tuned while we hunt down the i8 Spyder for some in-person impressions. Though BMW makes no mention of its appearance at next week’s New York Auto Show, the timing of this debut suggests it will be there.

Continue reading BMW i8 Spyder pops the top on future mobility

BMW i8 Spyder pops the top on future mobility

Cash-strapped enthusiasts may not have had much to get all sticky over from Camp Toyota in recent years, but the automaker’s new GT 86 / Scion FR-S coupe promises to mine a rich paystreak of driving enjoyment. And while we’re big (okay, huge) fans of the car’s low-speed dynamic thrills, not every enthusiast is so forgiving of its rather middling power and acceleration figures. We knew it wouldn’t take long for the aftermarket to remedy this perceived power deficit with things like forced induction and ECU reflashes, but we foolishly expected a full engine swap to take a bit longer than it apparently has.

What you’re looking at here is Manabu “Max” Orido’s Toyota GT 86 prepped for drifting in D1 Grand Prix events. In this case, that means the two-door has been gutted and stuffed with the 5.0-liter V8 from the Lexus IS F, one of Toyota’s more emotive offerings thanks to its honkin’ great eight.

Orido’s GT 86 is shown here undergoing shakedown testing, and from the looks of things, the transplant appears to be going rather swimmingly. At first glance, we even dig the more aggressive widebody look, lack of paint and all. Check it out for yourself below, and be sure to have your speakers on.

Continue reading Well That Didn’t Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing

Well That Didn’t Take Long: V8-powered Toyota GT 86 drift car undergoes testing

We will now know the “baby CLS” – the small four-door “coupe” built on the MFA platform supporting the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (pictured above) and B-Class – as the CLA. It will debut at April’s Beijing Motor Show, and it’s just one of the five variants that Mercedes has planned for its MFA underpinnings.

When it hits the streets in 2013, advance reports indicate that both front- and all-wheel-drive versions will be available. Power will come from a range of gas and diesel engines with anywhere from 110 to 150 horsepower (there’s even a potential AMG model with more than 300 hp on the way), mated to seven-speed dual-clutch and six-speed manual transmissions.

Of note, though, over its long gestation, the CLA has been referred to as the CLC, but the CLA and CLC are different cars. The CLC is the Concept Style Coupe, said to be based on the A-Class concept, which was a two-door hatchback, yet also said to be an evolution of the F800 concept, which was a sedan. The CLA will make its debut in China, but the CLC will be unveiled in Los Angeles at an Mercedes-sponsored art festival called “Transmission LA: AV Club.” The Beijing show and the art festival overlap, so we’ll find out which car is which and what they both look like soon enough.

Mercedes-Benz CLA is official name of small four-door coupe debuting in Beijing

Who wants to wait until the official unveiling of the Fisker Nina plug-in hybrid next week when we can see spy shots right this second? Neither do we.

So, what do the shots reveal? For starters, we can see that the Nina is indeed shorter than its Karma big brother. This is expected, but the impression we have is that the Karma’s design language translates quite well into a vehicle about the size of a BMW 5 Series. The front end, too, sports a moustache-like grille that’s similar to the one on the Karma. On the back side, the “EVer” badge is still proudly in place, but the non-functional diamond-shaped exhaust outlets are missing. The four-door sedan’s rear doors have the handles hidden smoothly between the window and the C-pillar. Then there are the wheels. It’s hard to miss those. If you want to compare the Nina with the Karma directly, open the gallery above as well as this gallery in another tab and click away.

The problem with these images is that they still don’t tell us much about the car itself. We’ve heard the cost for the Nina, which is supposed to be powered by a BMW four-cylinder engine, will be about the same as a top-of-the-line BMW 3 Series. That implies something north of $45,000, despite what Vice President Joe Biden said back in October of 2009: “It looks like a four-door Ferrari, I can’t believe it’s only going to be $40,000.” We’ll hopefully know more when we get to the New York Auto Show next week.

After all the problems Fisker has had with the Karma launch and the DOE loan, it’s important to remember that it’s the vehicle you see above that the DOE has been helping with all along. Do you like where your tax dollars have gone?

Fisker Nina caught peeking out before New York reveal

The Subaru BRZ is off to an impressive sales start in Japan. According to Subaru, the two-door is besting the automaker’s sales projections by wide margins. As of right now, Subaru has sold 3,551 of the coupes, which is around four times the company’s estimates. Fuji Heavy Industries put out a very conservative number of 450 units per month as a sales goal for the BRZ before the vehicle hit the market.

Perhaps more interesting is the fact that a whopping 60 percent of buyers are under 40 years old, and two-thirds of all BRZ owners are opting for the six-speed manual gearbox. Those numbers are particularly impressive given the reports indicating a declining interest in cars and driving in Japan’s youth. According to the company, over a quarter of buyers are under 30.

BRZ sales kick off in the U.S. on April 20, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see similar demand levels in our neck of the woods, at least initially. We certainly want one.

Early Subaru BRZ sales running at 4x projections in Japan

If you haven’t had a chance to sit down and watch the full 13-minute CBS “60 Minutes” segment on Chrysler that aired this weekend, we have yet another reason for you to do so. The good people at Allpar.com seem to have spotted something interesting lurking in the background of an interview with Ralph Gilles, head of design for Chrysler. Look closely, and there’s a red sports coupe hanging out just over the executive’s shoulder. Allpar.com seems to think this is a glimpse at the rumored Barracuda resurrection. After all, Chrysler made sure to trademark the ‘Cuda name earlier this year.

Automotive News took the time to ask Chrysler about the vehicle in the video, and the company very tactfully replied that the vehicle is “just one of the many concepts and projects in our studios. That is one student model.”

A student model that may hint to the design of the Barracuda? Possibly. See the complete video below if you missed it the first time ’round.

Continue reading Chrysler Barracuda makes possible appearance in 60 Minutes piece

Chrysler Barracuda makes possible appearance in 60 Minutes piece

One of the inevitable pleasures of owning a vehicle like the Subaru BRZ or Toyota GT 86 (better known as the Scion FR-S on this side of the globe), is the level of go-faster, look-faster and sound-faster parts served up by any number of willing companies. Whether its from a factory-backed performance group or another reputable company, bolting on a slew of goodies is one of the easiest ways to personalize your ride. Toyota Racing Development has evidently wasted no time in coming up with a few special components for the GT 86, including a free-flowing exhaust, fully adjustable suspension and a monoblock caliper kit. TRD recently slathered those parts onto a GT 86 in Japan and let a few lucky souls behind the wheel.

Fortunately for us, Carnifty was on hand with a camera to capture the vehicle in action. While the shaky-hand cam business indoors does little to convey how the coupe handles, the video does give us a good idea of what the 2.0-liter four-cylinder will sound like with an easy-breathing exhaust. Hit the jump to watch the video for yourself.

Continue reading This is what the Toyota GT 86 sounds like with a TRD exhaust

This is what the Toyota GT 86 sounds like with a TRD exhaust

Toyota has just released a teaser image of what it says is an all-new, designed-in-America sedan that will debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show next week. It isn’t immediately clear if the vehicle will be a concept or production car, but Toyota has issued no showcar qualifiers, suggesting it’s something that will be in dealers soon. Described as having “an elegant yet athletic look,” the teased rear end most likely belongs to the next-generation Avalon full-size sedan.

While we can’t be sure until the wraps are removed in New York, the Avalon is our best guess based on descriptions of the redesigned Avalon from Toyota dealers who were shown it last year in June. The dealers drew comparisons between the redesigned Avalon and upscale cars like the Audi A7 and Jaguar XJ, suggesting it will transition from a traditional sedan to a four-door coupe shape. The teaser image provided today by Toyota supports this, showing a severely sloped C-pillar and little-to-no rear deck. And while the cut lines for the trunk aren’t visible in this rendering, we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a hatch.

Toyota’s new sedan, whatever it is, will makes its worldwide debut on April 5 at the New York Auto Show. We’ll be there covering it live, so keep your computer tuned to Autoblog for more.

Continue reading Toyota teases all-new Avalon ahead of New York debut

Toyota teases all-new Avalon ahead of New York debut

Plugging A Hole With A Seven-Passenger Synthetic Cork

Consumers looking for a sports coupe, sports sedan, sporty five-passenger crossover, luxury five-passenger crossover, trailer-capable SUV, sporty convertible or hybrid luxury sedan have been able to drive out of Infiniti showrooms very satisfied. The automaker offers a well-curated family of vehicles for each of these genres, without question.

However, affluent families seeking an import luxury seven-passenger crossover – without a traditional truck lineage – have been forced to shop elsewhere. Many of Infiniti’s missed opportunities end up holding keys to an Acura MDX, Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90. Aiming to close a gaping leak in its product range, Infiniti officially introduced the world to its all-new JX crossover at the Los Angeles Auto Show just a few months ago.

The new arrival has been engineered to “excel in the areas that luxury crossover buyers desire most – interior flexibility and roominess, safety, and advanced hospitality features,” says Infiniti. But to us, some of those qualities seem to stray from the company’s ‘Inspired Performance’ tagline. Intrigued by the new arrival, we climbed aboard an airliner and flew to Charleston, South Carolina, for an introduction and test drive of the JX crossover.

Continue reading 2013 Infiniti JX [w/video]

2013 Infiniti JX [w/video]

Autocar reports Lexus may be mulling a production version of the company’s LF-LC Concept. After receiving a near universally positive reception following its unveiling at the Detroit Auto Show this year, Karl Schlicht, head of Lexus product planning, reportedly gave the vehicle a 50-50 shot at hitting dealers sometime in the future. Those aren’t great odds, but it is a change of tone from when the vehicle first hit the stage. Back in January, Toyota made it very clear the LF-LC was strictly a concept. As you may recall, the vehicle is a 2+2 coupe with a hybrid drivetrain and a low-slung presence.

According to Schlicht, the vehicle would have never even been considered for production if it had merely been submitted as a design proposal. With a physical concept backed by chorus of positive reviews, the company’s decision makers have evidently been prompted to give the LF-LC a second look.

Schlicht himself is set to become the head of product planning for Toyota and Lexus starting on April 1.

Lexus LF-LC super coupe concept pondered for production

Porsche is recalling 1,232 examples of its new 911 Carrera S over potential fuel leaks. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing, routing of a coolant line could interfere with the fuel line, causing the latter to to become disconnected. Naturally, a loose fuel line is no small matter, as it could lead to stalling problems or even a fire.

NHTSA says the recall will begin in April, when Porsche notifies owners that they can take their coupes to the dealer to repair the issue free of charge. Follow the jump for the official details.

Continue reading Porsche recalling 2012 911 Carrera S over possible fuel leak

Porsche recalling 2012 911 Carrera S over possible fuel leak

The 2013 Subaru BRZ is “one of the most rewarding cars we’ve ever driven” says Edmunds after subjecting the new coupe to some track time. This, despite having a 0-60 time that rivals that of some minivans – 7.3 seconds. Inside Line says those numbers are mostly due to an overactive rev limiter that forces a third-gear shift at 59.2 mph. We bet that’s an early tuner fix. Also likely to be improved with an aftermarket reflash is the 15.3-second quarter-mile time.

So you won’t be winning many stoplight drag races in box-stock form, but as we all know, there’s far more to a fun car than just straight-line numbers. According to IL, “the BRZ offers a level of engagement that, until now, has been either too costly or too impractical for the average enthusiast.” They even go so far as to compare the BRZ’s overall character to a Lotus Exige and the beastly Porsche 911 GT3(!).

No, the BRZ can’t hang with either of those hardcore Europeans, but Inside Line says its balanced mixture of handling, cost, every day usability, and practicality make for “a perfect balance between date nights and track days.” Check out the video after the jump.

Continue reading 2013 Subaru BRZ tested at 0-60 in 7.3 seconds, 1/4 mile in 15.3

2013 Subaru BRZ tested at 0-60 in 7.3 seconds, 1/4 mile in 15.3

Mercedes-Benz has a history of offering performance models that would make any niche supercar manufacturer cower. The latest among them is the SLS AMG, but the gullwing coupe and its roadster counterpart aren’t the extent of what the German automaker’s skunkworks have in store. No, that place of honor at the top of the Mercedes-Benz lineup will soon be taken by an SLS AMG Black Series.

Following in the footsteps of the SLK55 AMG Black Series, CLK63 AMG Black Series, SL65 AMG Black Series and (most recently) the C63 AMG Black Series, the new SLS AMG Black Series promises to eclipse them all with an anticipated 560 horsepower, reduced curb weight and aggressive aerodynamics package.

These spy shots, snapped while the vehicle was undergoing cold-weather testing in the frigid north, also show the tell-tale widened fenders to house the upgraded rolling stock and a new front bumper to feed the over-clocked engine with all the air it needs to breathe.

We’re told to expect the SLS AMG Black Series sometime next year, but you can check out the spy shots now in our high-resolution image gallery.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series caught braving the cold

Infiniti’s rival to the BMW 3 Series is known by just one letter – that letter, of course, being G – but the range is expanding beyond the solitary G35 that had been the mainstay of the line for years. The G35 was succeeded by the G37 (pictured above) and recently supplemented by the smaller-displacement G25, but emerging reports indicate that Infiniti has a whole raft of new versions on their way.

The report from Car and Driver is bolstered by tell-tale trademark applications for the nameplates G35h, G30t and G22d. The numbers tell us something, but it’s the lower-case letters that follow which really indicate what to expect. The G35h, then, could seemingly adapt the hybrid powertrain currently found in the M35h, coupling a 3.5-liter V6 with electric assist. The G30t suggests a turbocharged engine is in the pipeline, though it’s too early to tell if the spool would be fitted to a four- or six-cylinder engine. Finally, a G22d could join the range of diesel models which Infiniti currently offers in Europe.

We’ll have to wait and see if and when the Nissan premium marque rolls out these model variants on its mainstay line of sedans, coupes and convertibles, but the trademark filings at least give some guidelines to our anticipation.

Infiniti files for G35h, G30t and G22d trademarks

The highly anticipated 2013 Scion FR-S – the sister car of the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT 86 – goes on sale this spring, and the automaker’s website now shows that the cost of entry will be $24,930 including destination. That base price gets you an FR-S equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, though Scion’s site doesn’t yet say what the cost will be for cars equipped with the six-speed automatic.

As we already know, the FR-S is equipped with a 2.0-liter boxer four that sends 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque exclusively to the rear wheels. And just yesterday, we learned that the FR-S is good for 22/30 miles per gallon (city/highway) with the manual transmission, or 25/34 mpg with the automatic ‘box. We’ve already had a chance to drive Scion’s new sport coupe, and while it’s certainly not the most powerful vehicle in the class, we found it to have excellent balance and declared it a more engaging steer than vehicles like the Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Head over to Scion’s website for more information.

2013 Scion FR-S priced from $24,930

Small, rear-wheel drive, manually shifted coupes can be exciting, no? Fun and zippy to drive, and because of their tighter dimensions and lower weight, they tend to be easy on the gas, right?

Well, in the case of the Subaru BRZ and the Scion FR-S, maybe not as much as we’d have hoped. Sure, they have smallish 2.0-liter four-cylinders and six-speed manual transmissions, but their hunger for gasoline is just average. Official EPA fuel efficiency numbers are in, and the BRZ and FR-S with manual transmissions net 22 miles per gallon city and 30 highway on premium fuel. Still, that’s about the same as the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe with the four-cylinder and manual tranny which gets 21/30 on premium, and it’s better than the aging Mazda MX-5 Miata which returns 21/28.

The BRZ and FR-S chug less fuel if you outfit them with the optional automatic transmission. They probably won’t be as much fun, but they will return numbers close to 25 city/34 highway.

Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S fuel economy numbers bubble up on EPA site