Official: Audi reinvents the rearview mirror for its Le Mans racers

Audi R18 rear-view camera system

Every year at every auto show we see concept cars that envision replacing the rearview mirrors with digital cameras. They’re usually the exterior mirrors and not the central one above the windshield, but whatever the case, and however much sense they seem to make, government regulations prevent them from being put into production. But Audi has found another use for the idea: its racing cars.

The latest R18 Le Mans prototype features, among other more considerable advancements, an AMOLED screen in the closed cockpit that’s hooked up to a video camera, housed in carbon fiber and protruding ever so slightly from the tail fin. The system allows the drivers – who are put under enormous strain over the course of an endurance race – to clearly see the traffic coming up behind (or that they’ve just passed), which is apparently of great benefit considering that these mid-engined, closed-cockpit LMPs have no room for a rear window through which a conventional mirror would peer.

While they were at it, Audi moved the gear indicator, some warning lights and the tire slip gauge to the high-mounted central display. The side mirrors are still there on the outside, so the system doesn’t eliminate that drag (for now), but it operates independent of the sight-limiting vibrations that can occur at the high speeds an LMP can reach, and of the weather conditions that can cause reduced visibility from spray in the wet.

Though it may take some time, if Audi wins on Sunday, it could end up selling this technology in its road cars on Monday.

Continue reading Audi reinvents the rearview mirror for its Le Mans racers

Audi reinvents the rearview mirror for its Le Mans racers

    



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    Spy Shots: M3-fighting Volvo S60 Polestar spotted testing

    Volvo S60 Polestar spy shots

    If news of a more powerful Volvo S60 sounds familiar, it’s because we just reported on this subject earlier in the week. Now, though, a reader of the same Swedish site that initially broke the news has fired back with a set of spy photos, and we can clearly see that Volvo is indeed making improvements to the S60.

    As for what exactly those improvements are, your guess is as good as ours. As we reported before, Polestar – the tuning firm that now offers power upgrades for the current range of Volvo products – is said to be handling the more potent S60, with horsepower slated to be somewhere in the 350 to 400 range. Volvo could use a version of the Yamaha-sourced V8 from the XC90, but in this day and age, a boosted version of the turbocharged inline-six sounds more realistic.

    Of course, a hotter S60 will need more than just power to make it truly competitive with the likes of the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. We’re sure that Polestar has many a trick up its sleeve, and we’re indeed interested to see how the whole project pans out. Stay tuned.

    M3-fighting Volvo S60 Polestar spotted testing

        



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      Report: Panoz wants to race fields of DeltaWings in American Le Mans Series

      Nissan DeltaWing

      In pretty much any racing series you go to, the cars tend to progress in an evolutionary, not revolutionary fashion. This year’s crop of Formula One cars, for example, may have those ungainly stepped noses, but they otherwise look pretty much the same as last year’s cars, which looked mostly the same as the cars the year before and the year before that, and so on and so forth. The same could be generally said of Indy, Le Mans prototypes…even stock cars. The DeltaWing project, however, is another story altogether.

      Designed and developed by an alliance of some of the biggest names in racing and recently backed by Nissan, the DeltaWing represents a comprehensive rethink of what form a race car can and should take. The idea was originally fielded as a proposal for the new IndyCar chassis, but that series’ organizers went once again for something much more conventional. So the brain trust behind the project adapted it for endurance racing and are taking it to Le Mans this year.

      But surely they didn’t put all that work into it just to race it once – outside the classifications as a demonstration only – did they? Not if Don Panoz has anything to say about it. One of the partners in the DeltaWing project and the father of the racing car manufacturer that bears his name, Panoz hopes to find a way to race the DeltaWing in the American Le Mans Series which he essentially founded.

      A way to equalize its performance with either the LMP1 or LMP2 classes would need to be found with the IMSA and the FIA, but considering how it was adapted from an IndyCar proposal to a Le Mans racer, the platform seems pretty flexible. But Panoz doesn’t want to race just one. Sure, a solitary entry in the full ALMS calendar would be a great start, but Panoz reportedly envisions assembling a quantity of DeltaWings at his factory in Georgia that has over the years built cars for Indy, Champ Cars, Superleague Formula and of course Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series.

      Just how many remains to be seen, but with powerhouses like Panoz, Nissan, Highcroft, Chip Ganassi and Dan Gurney on board, we would be very surprised if the DeltaWing ran just the once.

      Panoz wants to race fields of DeltaWings in American Le Mans Series

          



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        Official: BMW reveals stunning Zagato Coupe at Villa d’Este

        BMW Zagato Coupe

        It could be said that no auto show is as glamorous as the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Held on the picturesque shores of Lake Como in northern Italy, the annual concours is sponsored by BMW. So it only stands to reason that the Bavarian automaker wouldn’t let the show come and go without making a splash on its own.

        Previous years saw BMW roll into Cernobbio with such show-stopping concepts as the M1 Hommage and the 328 Hommage, but this year it’s not looking back on its history to draw its inspiration. Instead it’s teamed up with celebrated Italian coachbuilder Zagato to dream up the concept you see here.

        A rare instance of Munich reaching beyond its own design department, the BMW Zagato Coupé is a one-off concept, but is far from a fragile show car. The shape is aerodynamically optimized and the car is fully road registered in Germany, and has already undergone high-speed testing at BMW’s own test facility. The Bavarian automaker remains tight-lipped on its underpinnings and running gear, but the obvious conclusion – whether ultimately correct or not – is that it’s based on the Z4 roadster.

        Whatever lies beneath the hand-crafted aluminum shape, however, is of less consequence than its design. Reinvigorating a tradition of collaboration that goes back to the 1959 BMW 3200 Michelotti Vignale through to the Giugiaro-designed M1 of 1978, the Zagato Coupé concept aptly embodies design cues attributable to both BMW and Zagato – from the twin-kidney grille (whose mesh is made up of little Zs), over the double-bubble roof (a hallmark of Zagato styling originally intended to accommodate a racing helmet in early designs) to the Kamm tail that BMW and Zagato both claim as common heritage.

        The greenhouse is set way back and the hood is longer than it took us to put together the immense gallery of high-resolution images BMW has released of the show-stopping concept, which you’ll want to check out in detail along with the full press release below.

        Continue reading BMW reveals stunning Zagato Coupe at Villa d’Este

        BMW reveals stunning Zagato Coupe at Villa d’Este

            



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          Rumormill: VW readying Jetta Alltrack for America

          Volkswagen Passat Alltrack - front three-quarter studio image

          It looks as if Volkswagen aims to spread the Alltrack love around. Autocar reports the German manufacturer is currently mulling a lifted version of its next Golf and Jetta. European buyers would be able to sink their teeth into the smaller of those two creations, while Americans would be left to enjoy the larger Jetta Alltrack. Like the Passat Alltrack shown above, the vehicles would enjoy a taller ride height, black plastic cladding on the wheel arches and unique front and rear fascias. Why would Volkswagen look to add another crossover to its ranks when it already has the Tiguan?

          The next-generation Tiguan will likely be larger and offer third-row seating, leaving a compact crossover-sized void in the company’s lineup. An all-wheel drive high-riding Jetta could be just the answer. There are no solid details on what the driveline could offer, but we’d be surprised if anything other than the current spate of gasoline and diesel four-cylinder engines showed up under the hood.

          VW readying Jetta Alltrack for America

              



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            Study: America, these are your top 10 most expensive cars to own

            Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG - red - at speed in a forest

            Picking up a used luxury car is a great way to save some coin. Letting the previous owner take the fall on depreciation is a smart move, but it’s worth remembering that high-end autos carry with them high-end maintenance and repair costs. Using Edmunds.com data, 24/7 Wall Street has compiled what it says are the 10 most expensive vehicles to own, and the list is populated by some not-so-surprising names. BMW and Mercedes-Benz soak up the lion’s share of the offenders, though other manufactures make a showing as well. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG takes top honors as the most expensive of them all with a “true cost of ownership” of $245,469. That’s in addition to the gullwing supercar’s $210,875 MSRP.

            The calculations not only factor in deprecation, but also things like fuel, maintenance and insurance costs.

            All told, Mercedes-Benz models takes four of the 10 spots on the list. That’s twice as many as BMW, and the rest are split between makes like Land Rover, Audi and Nissan. If that last one seems a bit out of place, keep in mind Nissan makes the mighty (and mighty complex) GT-R. Check out our gallery below for a full list of the biggest offenders.

            America, these are your top 10 most expensive cars to own

                



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              First Drive: 2013 Nissan Altima

              38 Special

              4ac35 08 2013 nissan altima fd opt First Drive: 2013 Nissan Altima

              2,500 rpm in a family sedan generally isn’t a whole lot to get excited about. In fact, it’s traditionally closer to idle speed than anything offering the possibility of real entertainment. But each and every one of those 2,500 revolutions in this 2013 Nissan Altima offers a frisson of excitement when whirling away in concert. Why? Because they add up to 100 mph. In a four cylinder.

              Process that for a minute: 2,500 revs = 100 mph in a 2.5-liter normally aspirated four-door kinshlepper. This, friends, is impressive. We first verified the figure for ourselves during a prototype drive at Nissan’s Arizona proving grounds back in March. More real-world numbers include 2,000 rpm at 80 mph and just 1,450 rpm at 60 mph. Credit the Altima’s Continuously Variable Transmission, which has been extensively reworked for this new model. Seventy percent of the transmission’s parts are new, and internal friction has been reduced by up to 40 percent through a battery of small tricks including redesigned internals swimming in lower viscosity oil. The transmission has a super-wide 7.0 gear ratio spread and reprogrammed control logic to help the keep all four pots on boil as necessary.

              Of course, it’s still a CVT, which is to driving enthusiasts what Mark Zuckerberg is to the Amish. But Nissan’s Xtronic unit at least makes a good go of it, thanks to a sport mode that introduces shift points to create a physical and auditory experience similar to that of a traditional torque converter automatic. To be fair, the revs don’t plunge quite as far as they would in a slushbox, but it keeps the engine in the meat of its powerband and still delivers a pretty convincing performance, even when subjected to aggressive throttle openings. Either way, those awkward “stretched rubberband” CVT moments are kept to the bare minimum, only rearing their head when the accelerator is buried in the carpet, and just for a moment. Under most circumstances, we imagine most Altima drivers probably won’t even notice they own a CVT.

              Continue reading 2013 Nissan Altima

              2013 Nissan Altima

                  



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                Official: Renault Alpine A110-50 concept does its papa proud

                6a777 remault alpine s110 50 opt Official: Renault Alpine A110 50 concept does its papa proud

                Renault has officially released details on its Alpine A110-50 Concept. Designed to pay homage to the original Alpine A110, the machine wears a body crafted from carbon fiber and dipped in a shade of the same iconic Alpine Blue we all know and love. Up front, designers worked in a set of half-ring yellow LED lights reminiscent of the hood-mounted fog lights found on the original. That’s pretty much where the similarities end, however. Based loosely on the crushingly-sexy Renault Dezir Concept, the new machine boasts proud fender arches, a wild split-wing rear spoiler and scissor doors.

                As we’d heard before, the A110-50 Concept rolls on the same chassis as the Megane Trophy, complete with adjustable Sachs dampers, 21-inch wheels and the notable absences of on-board nannies like ABS or traction control. Hefty 14-inch front brake discs are pressed by six-piston calipers, while the 13-inch discs out back make due with four-piston units.

                Renault placed a 3.5-liter V6 mid-ship with a full 400 horsepower on hand. A roof mounted-intake funnels air from outside the engine bay into the machine’s carbon-fiber intake. Meanwhile, a dual-clutch six-speed gearbox allows the driver the choice of disengaging the transmission via a floor-mounted clutch pedal or shifting via steering-wheel mounted paddles.

                Scroll down to check out the full press release as well as a couple videos.

                Continue reading Renault Alpine A110-50 concept does its papa proud

                Renault Alpine A110-50 concept does its papa proud

                    



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                  Official: 2013 BMW 7 Series arrives with more power, gadgets and safety

                  2013 BMW 7 Series, dynamic shot, front three-quarter view

                  The 2013 BMW 7 Series gets incremental improvements everywhere. Outside the changes are minimal: fewer vertical slats inside the kidney grille and a larger chrome surround, two horizontal chrome accents bars splitting the lower intake, restyled side mirrors with turn-signal indicators, and new shades of red on the taillights. Inside are resculpted front seats, more soundproofing, redesigned ambient lighting, an updated iDrive controller and “floating” screens for the Rear Seat Entertainment package, and an optional Bang & Olufsen sound system. Along with those changes, the look of the navigation system has been updated with new menu organization, displays, a “pie menu” and 3D elements. The Attention Assistant system provides gives BMW drivers their own coffee cup icon to remind you when it’s time to rest and hands-free trunk operation makes its first appearance in the range.

                  The eight-speed steptronic transmission, fitted to every model, allows the new 7 to make more of its engines. Under the hood, the inline six-cylinder in the 740i maintains the same power ratings, 315 horsepower and 330 lb-ft, but is mated to the new eight-speed Steptronic transmission and said to have “significantly improved” efficiency, with a 20 percent increase noted in the EU cycle. The 4.4-liter V8 in the 750i gets fitted with Valvetronic and gets bumps of 45 hp and 30 lb-ft, for 445 hp and 480 lb-ft total. The changes reduce its 0-60 time to 4.7 seconds, at the same time as fuel economy on the EU cycle climbs 25 percent with the new transmission.

                  The second-gen ActiveHybrid 7 drops down an engine size, swapping its previous V8 for the 3.0-liter six-cylinder from the 740. It’s yoked to a 55-hp synchronous motor. Rated at a combined 349 hp and 367 lb-ft, BMW says it is 14 percent more fuel efficient than the 740i.

                  Both the 740i and 750i will come with a new powertrain management system dubbed ECO PRO that joins the other Driving Dynamics Control settings and that includes a coasting mode operable between 30 and 100 mph. Other driving enhancements include Dynamic Damper Control, an electronically controlled damping system that works on each shock individually dependent on road conditions, self-leveling rear suspension now standard on all models, and xDrive available on the 740i.

                  Both the 740i and 750i will arrive in showrooms this summer, the ActiveHybrid 7 coming this fall. The high-res gallery above can show you what’s coming, scroll down to read all about it in the press release.

                  Continue reading 2013 BMW 7 Series arrives with more power, gadgets and safety

                  2013 BMW 7 Series arrives with more power, gadgets and safety

                      



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                    Official: Renault fetes Red Bull Racing with special edition Twingo

                    Renault Twingo RS Red Bull RB7

                    Used to be if Renault wanted to celebrate a Formula One team with special edition, it would celebrate its own. But having sold the bulk of its own team to Lotus and Genii Capital in favor of supplying engines to a greater variety of independent teams, its latest commemorative hot hatches honor the (current) king of them all: Red Bull Racing.

                    Just a couple of months ago, Renaultsport rolled out the special RBR edition Clio, and is now following up with a similar treatment applied to the smaller Twingo (with a special edition Megane to follow). Celebrating the team’s 2011 constructors’ title and the Renault-powered car that got them there, the Twingo RS Red Bull Racing RB7 features a black and yellow livery (though we don’t know what the color scheme has to do with the team that races in dark blue with red), the otherwise optional Cup suspension, blacked-out 17-inch alloys and the RS Monitor onboard telemetry system.

                    Order books are opening in June across nine markets in Europe and in Japan. But even if you’re not in one of them, you can still scroll on down for the full press release and scope out the images in the high-resolution image gallery above.

                    Continue reading Renault fetes Red Bull Racing with special edition Twingo

                    Renault fetes Red Bull Racing with special edition Twingo

                        



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                      Official: Mercedes-Benz rolls out the gold carpet in Cannes

                      Mercedes-Benz at 2012 Cannes International Film Festival

                      We’ve seen some rather unfortunately garish chrome-jobs in our day, and yes, some have even ladled on the shiny stuff in gold. Many of those have also been Mercedes-Benz vehicles. But while we’ve come to expect that kind of bling from owners with cash coming out of their Ferragamo shoes, we didn’t expect the same treatment to be carried out by Mercedes-Benz itself on its own vehicles.

                      We were wrong. Because that’s precisely what the German automaker had in store for this year’s Cannes International Film Festival. For the awarding of the prestigious 65th Palme d’Or, Benz rolled out a fleet of vehicles wrapped in gold in which it shuttled around movie stars and other celebrities. Among the attendees were the CLS four-door coupe, ML sport-ute and S-Class limousine.

                      The AMG division was also on hand to show off the new SL65 and offer celebrities a chance to drive their latest offerings. Hopefully those convinced on the Cote d’Azur to place an order will have the good sense to forgo the gilded treatment, though. See what Daimler had to say for itself in the press release below.

                      Continue reading Mercedes-Benz rolls out the gold carpet in Cannes

                      Mercedes-Benz rolls out the gold carpet in Cannes

                          



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                        Report: Volkswagen to launch new Beetle convertible with three decade editions

                        Volkswagen E-Bugster concept

                        Say what you will about the whole retro design trend that gave us such vehicles as the Mini, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, the Ford GT and the Fiat 500, but it has been (neo Thunderbird notwithstanding) a rather successful formula for several automakers, Volkswagen chief among them. The German automaker is now on its third generation of Beetle, and is preparing to launch the new convertible version at the Los Angeles Auto Show in the fall (previewed by the E-Bugster concept pictured above). And when it does, it is slated to go even more retro.

                        That much, according to Car and Driver, will come in three special launch editions. Each one will be dedicated to a specific decade from the original Beetle’s long history – tipped to center around the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Special touches will be period-specific, including unique colors, seat upholstery and even white-wall tires. We’ll have to wait a few months to see how many of these particular details pan out, but recent history has been replete with launch editions from Volkswagen.

                        Volkswagen to launch new Beetle convertible with three decade editions

                            



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                          Report: NHTSA broadening Chevy Cruze fire probe to 370,000 sedans

                          2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco -  red - front three-quarter view

                          The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has expanded its investigation into Chevrolet Cruze engine fires to two model years.

                          In April, NHTSA began investigating two complaints concerning fires erupting in 2011 Cruze engine compartments. Now, Reuters is reporting that the government agency has added 2012 Cruze models to the list, upping the number of total vehicles from 177,000 to 370,000.

                          General Motors told Reuters it has cooperated with investigators and there have been no reported injuries or accidents related to the probe.

                          According to a pair of complaints filed on NHTSA’s website, two Cruze sedans were on the the open road when smoke began streaming out from under the hood. A few minutes later, the cars were ravaged by fire.

                          “In two minutes, the car was fully engulfed and flames were 15-feet high,” one complaint said. “GM needs to find out and correct this problem before someone get [sic] seriously hurt.”

                          NHTSA broadening Chevy Cruze fire probe to 370,000 sedans

                              



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                            Report: BMW 1 Series sedan detailed

                            24ca8 bmw1sedan Report: BMW 1 Series sedan detailed

                            The engorged dimensions of the BMW 3 Series have been a source of enthusiasts’ ire for years now. The 3er’s growth isn’t all that shy, especially of late: the sedan is 10.6 inches longer and 8.3 inches wider than it was in 1975, or for a more modern perspective, the brand new 3 Series is 6.5 inches longer than it was in 2002. It took 27 years to gain 4.1 inches, but only 10 years to stretch another 6.5. To address the size and heft, a report in Autocar says BMW is planning a rear-wheel-drive 1 Series sedan to be “the spiritual successor to the E30-generation 3 Series four-door.”

                            Talk of 1 Series models being spiritual successors to 3 Series models isn’t new – part of the clamor around the 1 Series M was that it channeled the light flickability of the first M3s. A 1 Series sedan would serve three purposes: get a light, small, RWD model back in the lineup, give the company a clear competitor to the upcoming Audi A3 sedan and Mercedes-Benz CLA, and help BMW get closer to its sales target of two million cars in 2020.

                            The sedan would sit on a derivative of the platform used in the current 3 Series, and be different from the front-wheel-drive platform underpinning the forthcoming 1 Series GT. Four- and six-cylinder engines and BMWs xDrive AWD system are in the planning mix, as is an electric version. Autocar says 2015 is a potential sale date for the sedan, which would put it one year after the next-generation coupe and convertible officially bow.

                            BMW 1 Series sedan detailed

                                



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                              Official: Gemballa debuts real diamond finish for cars

                              300be gemballa diamond finish Official: Gemballa debuts real diamond finish for cars

                              Matte. Mirrored chrome. Gold-plated.

                              You can now add diamonds to the growing list of ostentatious and extravagant finishes being applied to cars these days. Longtime Porsche tuner Gemballa has announced a new automotive finish that literally uses diamonds to create its million-dollar sparkle.

                              The German-based company claims its new diamond finish is the first of its kind to ever use the actual gem rather than other reflective ingredients like metal pigments, glass fragments or crystals. The trick was grinding the diamonds down to a size small enough that they could be applied like paint, which Gemballa says also helps increase the refractive qualities of its shine.

                              There’s no mention of price or other specifics like how many precious stones are sacrificed per gallon of twinkle juice, but you can imagine as well as we can what kind of premium it will command. With any luck, Justin Bieber can’t afford it.

                              Continue reading Gemballa debuts real diamond finish for cars

                              Gemballa debuts real diamond finish for cars

                                  



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                                Report: Polestar working on Volvo S60 to take on M3

                                Volvo S60 TTA

                                There are several things you might think of when Volvo comes to mind, but performance isn’t necessarily one of them. Volvo is working on that image, however, and Polestar is a big part of that.

                                The tuning firm and racing garage has been partnering with Gothenburg on several fronts, not the least of them being the company’s officially sanctioned touring car team whose latest S60 racer is pictured above. Those efforts have also been seeping into the Swedish automaker’s publicly available road cars, but nothing has approached the kind of levels that AMG applies to Mercedes-Benz or the M division does with BMW vehicles.

                                That’s been long rumored to be in for a change, however, and the latest reports give us a sneak peek at what the two firms have in store. According to Swedish car mag Teknikens Varld, Volvo and Polestar are working on a full-scale assault on the territory held by the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and BMW M3, among others.

                                The donor vehicle would be the S60 sedan, but the question remains just what would motivate such a beast. Sources suggest the Yamaha-built V8 from the XC90 could be employed. In stock form it produces 315 horsepower, but Noble uses it in the M600 with a pair of turbochargers that boost output up to 641 hp. A nice, round 400 hp should be well within reason, then, and Polestar’s considerable capabilities.

                                The S60 Polestar could, however, go with modifying an engine already available in the stock S60. For its C30 concept, Polestar bolted a bigger turbo onto the 2.5-liter five for 411 hp, and recently managed to squeeze 325 hp out of the stock turbo six with just an ECU reflash. Whatever the engine, we’re told to expect a Haldex all-wheel-drive system, Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes stuffed into 19-inch BBS alloys wearing Pirelli PZero rubber. Consider our interests piqued.

                                Polestar working on Volvo S60 to take on M3

                                    



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                                  Renault Alpine: New images and teaser video surface [w/video]

                                  Renault Alpine A110-50 Concept

                                  Renault has turned over a few more photos of its all-new Alpine A110-50 ahead of the machine’s debut at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. The new shots show off the sports car’s rear end for the first time. The total package looks more than a little like the Renault DeZir concept, though we’re told the chassis is borrowed almost entirely from the company’s Megane Trophy.

                                  If the two machines share more than bones, that means we can expect to see a 3.5-liter V6 engine mounted mid-ship. The powerplant churns out 360 horsepower in standard guise, though the A110-50 is said to clear over 400 horsepower.

                                  In addition to the few photos, Renault also served up a brief teaser video showing the covered machine as it is being unloaded from a transport. Check it out for yourself, and stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

                                  Continue reading Renault Alpine: New images and teaser video surface [w/video]

                                  Renault Alpine: New images and teaser video surface [w/video]

                                      



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                                    Official: Peugeot rolls out 301 (and new nomenclature) for emerging markets

                                    2012 Peugeot 301 - front three-quarter studio view

                                    Where automakers could once get by selling in a handful of specific markets, these days, they need to grab as much market share as they can around the world. That’s particularly true for a brand like Peugeot that’s missing out on one of the largest markets in the world – this one – and so it is ramping up its assault on developing markets with vehicles like the one you see here.

                                    Called 301, the approximately Focus-sized sedan is intended for markets that we once considered the second or third world – markets like Russia, Africa and the Middle East. So not only is it positioned as a more budget-friendly proposition, it’s also been developed to deal with a greater range of climates and with poor road conditions that often exist in developing markets. Buyers in these markets will be able to choose engines ranging from 71 to 115 horsepower and benefit from similar levels of features and safety equipment you’d expect to find in wealthier markets.

                                    Now if you’re thinking that the last 300-series model from Peugeot was the 308 and were wondering what the marketing gurus at PSA headquarters were planning to do when they got past 309, wonder no more, because they’ve modified their naming scheme. The first digit (3 in this case) represents the class of vehicle, the 0 (or 00 for crossovers and minivans) remains a constant, and the last digit will either be an 8 (for mainstream products) or a 1 (for emerging markets). Got all that?

                                    The 301 will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in September, after which production will commence in Spain for rollout around the world. Scroll down for the pair of press releases and scope it out in the high-res image gallery.

                                    Continue reading Peugeot rolls out 301 (and new nomenclature) for emerging markets

                                    Peugeot rolls out 301 (and new nomenclature) for emerging markets

                                        



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                                      Report: Saab to be saved by mystery Swedish electric car company

                                      2011 Saab 9-4X - white - front three-quarter view

                                      The all-but-lifeless corpse of Saab continues to stagger forward in hopes of finding a juicy investor to sink its teeth into. Autocar reports that National Electric Vehicle Sweden is currently close to buying the brand’s remaining assets. The freshly minted electric car consortium is helmed by none other than Karl-Erling Trogen, the former head of Volvo Trucks. Beyond that, few details are known about the company or its plans for Saab. National Electric Sweden is owned by two bodies, Sun Investment and Mikael Kubu, the president of law firm Ac-Gruppen.

                                      We can only speculate about what the consortium wants with Saab, though fan site SaabsUnited reports the company may have its eyes on an electric rear axle program developed with in conjunction with eAAM. Whether that means we’ll see electric or hybrid Saab models whirring around in the future is still uncertain. If we did, it would probably take quite a while. As SaabsUnited notes, “Saab, the company, right now has nothing in it, no dealership network, no finance structure, no personnel-structure, no communications network, nothing… everything needs to be completely rebuilt from scratch, which will take a huge amount of time.”

                                      At this point, we’ll just be pleasantly surprised if the Griffin brand gets a new owner at all.

                                      Saab to be saved by mystery Swedish electric car company

                                          



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                                        Review: 2012 Infiniti G25

                                        Better Fuel Economy At Any Cost

                                        2012 Infiniti G25

                                        Brands like Infiniti built their empires convincing the world that the badge on the hood shouldn’t matter nearly as much as the bones underneath, but Japan’s cadre of luxury brands isn’t the only group peddling bang for the buck these days. Manufacturers from Kia to Volkswagen now come with cabins packed with luxury amenities. Even the lowly Ford Fiesta can offer buyers high-quality leather seating and enough technology to put the subcompact into geosynchronous orbit. So why bother stepping up to the mid-level luxury league at all? What differentiates a nice car from a fine automobile beyond a little inflection and a lot of marketing?

                                        European brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz happily prattle on about pedigree and superior engineering, but at the end of the day, a luxury machine simply has to feel special. Foodies often speak of the fifth flavor, umami. Directly translated, the word means “good taste” with an element of savoriness, and automotive luxury is built on that same intangible sensation. Perhaps better than either Acura or Lexus, Infiniti has become a master of that something special, offering its customers elegant style, well-crafted interiors, innovative technology and a superb driving experience. The 2012 Infiniti G25 looks to add superior fuel economy to that list, but can it do so without losing its luxury essence?

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                                        2012 Infiniti G25

                                            



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