A 3 Series is a benchmark for both luxury and performance in its class, and BMW seems to outdo itself with each new generation of the car. Now entering its sixth generation, the 2012 BMW 3 Series gets a new design for the sedan body style, which arrives February 2012. Redesigned coupe and convertible models will follow, but could be badged as 4 Series models as part of a move by BMW to expand its range and further differentiate the 3 Series sedan from the coupe. For the 2012 model year though, coupe and convertible models from the previous generation will carry over and fill the gap until the new ones arrive.
A 3 Series is a benchmark for both luxury and performance in its class, and BMW seems to outdo itself with each new generation of the car. Now entering its sixth generation, the 2012 BMW 3 Series gets a new design for the sedan body style, which arrives February 2012. Redesigned coupe and convertible models will follow, but could be badged as 4 Series models as part of a move by BMW to expand its range and further differentiate the 3 Series sedan from the coupe. For the 2012 model year though, coupe and convertible models from the previous generation will carry over and fill the gap until the new ones arrive.
GM’s body-on-frame full-size SUVs have been around for a while. The Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade have gone largely unchanged since their debut in 2007 – nearly an eternity as far as vehicle life cycles go. With the competition stepping their game up, GM’s hard at work on replacements for the Tahoe, Yukon, and Escalade, and our spy photographers recently caught proof of that hard work in the form of a 2014 Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon test mule roaming around the outskirts of GM’s Milford Proving Grounds.
Despite what the blacked-out oval mounted in the grille may have you thinking, this tester’s other design cues reveal it’s clearly the work of the Bowtie boys. Up front, the next-gen Tahoe gets a grille that looks influenced slightly by the 2014 Impala, with the addition of a strong horizontal bar slashing though the center, similar to the design element that has adorned Tahoe and Suburbans as far back as the early 1970s. Some other styling cues we can pick up from this heavily camouflaged mule include a completely new front bumper, the return of the prominent tow hooks, and the presence of front (and rear) parking sensors on this tester. One thing this Tahoe mule doesn’t reveal, though, is its headlights. Although it wears pre-production stand-in headlights, the 2014 Tahoe’s headlights will probably be smaller and likely featured LED running lamps.
From its side and rear profiles, we can tell the next-gen Tahoe will be boxier and more sharply styled than its somewhat-rounded predecessors. The 2014 Tahoe will get a new rear spoiler with an LED center-mounted stop light, and a tailgate that’s more square-cut than before. A glimpse at the rear also reveals this body-on-frame behemoth will likely retain its solid-rear axle.
Though details on the 2014 Tahoe’s powertrain remain scarce, the Tahoe will remain available in two- or four-wheel drive, and more than likely have a six-speed automatic transmission, with an eight-speed automatic transmission available sometime after launch. Engine options will more than likely include a direct-injected version of GM’s 6.2-liter V-8, as well as a 5.3-liter or 5.5-liter direct-injected V-8. The Chevy, GMC, and Cadillac will all ride on a shortened version of the 2014 Silverado/Sierra chassis, codenamed “K2UC” for the Chevy, and “K2UG” for the GMC. The Cadillac’s codename isn’t yet known.
Thanks to: Motor Trend
That red Mini Countryman in the photos isn’t just another four- or five-seat all-wheel drive Mini — it’s a mule built on top of the redesigned platform that will carry the long-rumored Traveller minivan.
With the Clubman-based Clubvan going on sale late this year and the three-door Mini Countryman Coupe sure to follow, it’s about time for Mini to cook up another vehicle for its stable. It looks like the next car in the lineup will be a minivan of sorts.
Mazda will continue to celebrate its famous roadster, the MX-5 Miata, by launching yet another special version of the car in the U.K. Called the MX-5 Kuro, the latest model has a unique new color scheme and several sportier body parts.
The Kuro’s roof is painted black, as are the mirrors and 17-inch wheels. The only paint choices are red, white, and black. In that respect, the MX-5 Kuro is somewhat similar to the special-edition car that Mazda introduced for the American market at the Chicago auto show. The Kuro goes one step further, however, adding a new rear fascia with built-in diffuser, a larger exhaust tip, racing stripes along each side of the car, black foglight housings, and special Kuro badges. The interior scores aluminum pedals, gray leather heated seats, and gray leather door panels with red stitching.
Just 600 copies will be sold in the U.K., of which 200 are soft tops and 400 have the MX-5′s power-folding hardtop. To help entice customers to buy the cars, Mazda is even offering special low interest-rate financing for the MX-5 Kuro.
Mazda has been busy rolling out special version of the MX-5: in addition to the American-market Miata Special Edition and supercharged, 241-hp MX-5 Yusho prototype, Mazda this week showed off the MX-5 GT concept. The latter is designed to be a road-legal car for track day enthusiasts, complete with a more powerful engine, slick tires and stiffer suspension, and Recaro bucket seats. Unlike the other special-edition models, Mazda hasn’t yet decided whether it will produce the MX-5 GT.
All these vamped-up cars are meant to pay tribute to the fact that the MX-5 has sold over 900,000 copies globally since its launch in 1989. They also will serve as a sort of swan-song: Mazda will likely introduce a new version of the MX-5 in the next few years, the basis of which will be used to build a new Alfa Romeo Spider.
A Mazda spokesman said the MX-5 lends itself to special edition models particularly well because it’s an enthusiast’s car: the company wouldn’t make special versions of the Mazda 2 subcompact or CX-5 crossover, for instance. Showing off unique cars at auto shows helps draw attention to the design and customization possibilities of the roadster. The spokesman told us that there will be more special editions of the MX-5 in the U.S. — but it’s unlikely they’ll resemble the hotted-up MX-5 GT concept, or even the Yushi. Here’s hoping they somehow manage to build that spectacular Super20.
Thanks to: Motor Trend
Lexus has launched its first supercar, the LFA in 2009, provided that only 500 were produced. Even with an estimated production run in December,
These are the first spy shots of the all-new Range Rover Sport, spotted on the road near Land Rover's HQ in Gaydon, Warwickshire. We've already seen a number of prototypes for its bigger brother - the new Range Rover - but these pictures suggest the Sport is closer to production than previously thought.
Although heavily camouflaged with cladding on the front end and an army-style wrap on the rest of the bodywork, the Range Rover Sport is unmistakeable for a number of reasons. Featuring a more steeply-raked windscreen, a narrower side glass area, lower roof and gently-tapered roof line, it cuts a much sportier profile. There's also shorter overhangs, different tailights and a bigger roof spoiler.
Under the skin it will share its platform with the Range Rover - a modified version of the XJ's all-aluminium chassis. That should mean significant weight-loss compared to the current Discovery-based model. Reports suggest Land Rover could cut as much as 400kg from the kerbweight, bringing the total down to around 2,100kg.
Engines for the new model will include the 3.0-litre V6 diesel and 5.0-litre V8 petrol in naturally-aspirated and supercharged forms, as seen in the current car. All will use an efficient eight-speed automatic gearbox and be tweaked for a little more power and better fuel economy.
The Range Rover will be revealed towards the end of the summer, so expect the Sport to follow closer to the end of the year. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express
We already knew that Toyota and BMW had made plans to share some powertrain technologies, but a new report from Automotive News suggests that Toyota will supply its hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technologies to BMW for use in the German company’s cars.
In December of last year, Toyota and BMW agreed that the German automaker would provide Toyota with its 1.6- and 2.0-liter diesel engines for use in European-market vehicles. Then, in March, the two companies inked a deal to collaborate on the research and development of future lithium-ion batteries – the kind of batteries used for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Now, according to AN, the two companies have moved forward with Toyota supplying a version of its successful Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) hybrid system to BMW. The powertrain sharing will give BMW an already-developed hybrid system for use in its cars and will, in turn, help Toyota with economies of scale with production of the hybrid system. Automotive News also reports Toyota will supply BMW with its hydrogen fuel cell tech; however, Toyota has yet to introduce a hydrogen-powered car for sale to date. BMW used to sell a hydrogen-powered version of its 7 Series sedan, the Hydrogen7, but that car didn’t use a fuel cell stack for power — instead, its internal combustion engine was modified to burn hydrogen instead of gasoline.
AN says the official announcement of the powertrain-sharing agreement will be announced later this week, but does not indicate what BMW models may use Toyota’s HSD system. 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 and ActiveHybrid 5 sedans should go on sale later this year, and the automaker already sells the ActiveHybrid 750i sedan. The ActiveHybrid 750i uses BMW’s 4.4-liter turbocharged V-8 paired to an eight-speed automatic and an electric motor drawing on a lithium-ion battery pack; the smaller 3 and 5 Series hybrids will instead use a 3.0-liter turbocharged I-6 paired with a similar electric drive system.
Thanks to: Motor Trend
It didn’t take long for the 2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition’s record 7:14.464 ‘Ring run to be beaten by a bone stock 2010 Dodge Viper ACR. And one can imagine Toyota’s engineers were none too happy about that. Our automotive paparazzo on Europe recently caught this modified teal blue Lexus LFA lapping the Green Hell wearing manufacturer plates. Could this be a preview of Toyota’s attempt to retake its Nurburgring record?
This Lexus LFA looks to be based on the Nürburgring Edition, with the same wheels, and same front splitter found on the high-performance model. Up front, this tester has its carbon fiber hood left unpainted, and gains an extra air intake. The new air intake is located toward the center of the hood, just forward of the smaller kidney-shaped intakes found on previous versions of the LFA.
The next Mazda MX-5 won’t bow until some time in 2015, but that shouldn’t stop its manufacturer from introducing a few special edition models in the meantime. Atop the wish list: the MX-5 GT concept, which will climb the hill at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed and may or may not go into production.
The MX-5 GT starts as a stock 2012 Mazda MX-5, which is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The GT’s engine makes 205 horsepower thanks to some tweaks from Jota Sport, and sends that power through the stock transmission. The concept has a stiffer, adjustable suspension setup and slick tires, along with a sport exhaust to make the car a bit louder.
That exhaust system has two center-exit exhaust pipes, which stick out below a larger rear diffuser. The car’s other exterior visual upgrades include body color roll hoops, a carbon black aero kit with lip spoiler, side skirts, and a front splitter. The car’s metal body panels are painted a bright shade of orange, and both the hardtop and wheels are black, a la MX-5 Special Edition. The black fender flares on orange body remind us of the Super20 show car of a few years ago. On the inside, Jota Sport installed Recaro seats with bigger bolsters and other carbon fiber trim pieces.
Jota Sport and the MX-5 GT will take to the Goodwood Festival this weekend and run the festival’s famous hill climb in the First Glance category (alongside other concept cars), but the GT won’t be the only MX-5 at the event. Mazda will also bring along the Jota Sport Mazda MX-5 GT4. With a 0-60 time of three seconds, the Jota Sport GT4 Miata is the world’s fastest MX-5.
Mazda says that the GT is just a concept at this point, but that it’s “test[ing] customer reaction to a high performance version of the iconic sportscar.” Since Mazda UK took a similar tone with the MX-5 Yusho concept (which supercharged the car’s engine up to 241 hp), and considering that this is the fourth MX-5 concept in twelve months (Spyder, Super20, Yusho, GT), we’d like to think Mazda is seriously considering making a hopped-up Miata for mass consumption in the run up to an all-new model (which would debut in 2015). At least, we seriously hope that’s the case.
Thanks to: Motor Trend
What It Is: Chrysler’s compact hatchback, which probably will be called the 100. Development cars have been driving around for several months, but this first glimpse of the interior shows that Chrysler is planning some traditionally upscale features for this car. Close-ups of the dash show nicely labeled switches for adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and a lane-departure warning system. You can ignore the sheetmetal borrowed from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, by the way; it’s just being used for skin on prototypes and isn’t indicative of the final product.
Why It Matters: Call us cynical, but this looks like a push for Chrysler Group sales volume above all else. The new Dodge Dart is about the same size as the 100 will be, it’s based on the same architecture, and will be sold in the same showrooms. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has said he doesn’t like the idea of overlapping products; perhaps the 100 being a hatchback and having more toys sufficiently differentiates it from the Dart in his mind.
Platform: The 100 will use what Chrysler calls its CUSW (Compact U.S. Wide) architecture, an enhanced and widened version of a Fiat and Alfa Romeo platform. The Dodge Dart was the first vehicle to debut on CUSW; in addition to the 100, we’re also expecting it to underpin one or two Jeep models as well as the replacement for the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200. Odds are that the 100 will be front-wheel drive, but being that this mule is a hatchback, Chrysler could shock us all and position it as an all-wheel-drive baby crossover.
Thanks to: Car and Driver
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
