Spy Shots: Next BMW X5 has begun testing

Next Generation BMW X5

The current BMW X5 went on sale back in 2006 and after what will end up being eight years, BMW will finally release a brand-spanking new generation X5 in 2014, and we were able to grab some spy shots of its first tests. The new model will be completely redesigned, much lighter compared to the current model, and powered by more fuel efficient engines.

It’s no surprise BMW will be working on their X5, considering Audi and Landrover have announced they will be focusing on lighter models for the future. BMW is matching these statements with a 330 lb drop for the new X5, compared to the current model, through the extensive use of aluminum. It will be offered with the company’s latest turbocharged engine in a smaller capacity and an improved fuel economy. The top version, however, will still enjoy its usual 4.4 liter V8 engine, but with improved figures. It has been rumored that BMW will also offer a hybrid X5.

In addition to the weight drop and engine modifications, the next X5 will also get a revised suspension, improved xDrive all-wheel-drive technology, and systems like lane departure warning and compensation, night vision, park assist, traffic sign recognition, surround view cameras, and active cruise control.

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Source: Top Speed

Spied: BMW M135i Hatchback

BMW M135i Hatchback Spyshots

Prototypes of a new BMW 1 Series F20 with tailpipe on both sides of the rear bumper have emerged in recent months indicating that a 135i F20 F21 model is just around the corner, but more recent spy photos indicate that a sportier model is in works as well. Just last week, BMW announced their new M Performance cars line that will include several models from each “family.”

According to a BMW source, an M135i model will be part of the M Performance lineup. The prototype spied features the two tailpipes, one on each side, as well as blue-painted brake calipers. The M135i will also sport an M-tuned chassis and muscular styling. Under the hood, the M135i takes advantage of the same petrol unit found in the 640i, a 3.0 liter straight-six turbocharged engine product 320 horsepower.

The three-door M135i F21 gets a gently sloping roofline and a more angular rear glasshouse for a sleeker profile than the five-door model.

If the reports are accurate, then we should expect the M-tuned 1 Series hatchback to be launched this fall. We also expect a similar M135i model to be launched for the new 1 Series Coupe.

Source: BMW Blog

BMW 3-Series Touring going to the U.S.

BMW

BMW is planning to introduce its 2013 3-Series Touring model into the United States, contrary to earlier reports which said that the version has a low demand.

The German based automaker BMW will introduce the 2013 3-Series Touring model into the United States in the nearby future, even if earlier reports were saying that the version was withheld from the North American auto market due to low demand. According to bmwblog.com, the Product Planning and Strategy manager from BMW, Paul Ferraiolo, has confirmed, during the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the fact that the new 3-Series Touring, codenamed the F31, will be officially introduced to the North American market.

The guys at the bmwblog.com are also saying that the new generation of the BMW 3-Series Touring is expected to come with the new 2.0 liter turbocharged engine, in two configurations, first one with 181 horsepower and the second one with 241 horsepower. Next in the lineup will be the 3.0 liter inline six-cylinder unit, which will generate a total output of 315 horsepower and have a peak torque of 450 Nm (332 lb-ft). A 2.0 liter diesel engine will also join the lineup, with its two configurations of 141 horsepower and 184 horsepower.

The BMW ActiveHybrid 3 which is scheduled to make its debut in the nearby future as a sedan is also expected to come with the wagon body on it and the model will be powered by a 3.0 liter engine and a 54 horsepower electric motor. Another possible hybrid version might also hit the market, with a 2.0 liter four-cylinder diesel unit and a 15 kW electric motor, which will be developing a total output of 221 horsepower.

Source: INAUTONEWS

Tesla Model X Crossover to debut on February 9

Tesla has recently announced that the Model X Crossover will be officially presented to the public on February 9, 2012.

According to the “green” car manufacturer, the Model X Crossover has been scheduled to make its debut on the 9th of February, and the event has been officially announced by the company’s CEO, Elon Musk. The debut of the Tesla Model X Crossover will happen at the automaker’s design studio in California and even if the model has been officially announced, it’s very hard to say yet whether the vehicle will be a concept or a full production vehicle.

The fact that Tesla will introduce the Model X Crossover on February 9, 2012, has also been announced on the company’s official Twitter page, but even so, there’s no official word on it yet. Rumors say that the Model X Crossover will be manufactured on a modified version of the Model S platform and it’s expected to be powered by the same 40 kWh battery. The sedan version can do up to 125 mph and it has a range of 160 miles, but the Model X Crossover will obviously be larger so those numbers are expected to decrease. If it makes it into production, the crossover might go on sale sometime in 2013.

Source: INAUTONEWS

Audi S5 Special Edition introduced in the U.S.

Audi S5 Special Edition

The German based automaker Audi has recently introduced in the United States a special edition of the S5 model.

According to the car manufacturer, the brain behind this Audi S5 Special Edition is the A4, S4, A5, S5 and RS5 product planner, Barry Hoch, and the automaker is saying that this model has been developed for enthusiasts. The Audi S5 Special Edition doesn’t stand out from the crowd with its exterior design, which is basically unchanged, except for the 19 inch alloy wheels and the Daytona Grey paint job. Besides these, the Audi S5 Special Edition is also coming with two-tone sports seats on the inside, along with piano black badges, carbon fiber trim, unique floor mates with aluminum badges and white piping.

Audi is also saying that the S5 Special Edition isn’t powered by the 3.0 liter TFSI V6 engine and this model is actually coming with the 4.2 liter unit, which is closing the gap a bit too much between the S5 and the RS5 models. The Audi S5 Special Edition will be limited to just 125 units and the sports car will come with a choice of either the six-speed manual or tiptronic automatic transmission and the Quattro manual has a starting price of $68,700, while the Quattro tiptronic costs $69,900.

Source: INAUTONEWS

Pininfarina Cambiano teased again

Pininfarina Cambiano

Pininfarina has teased again its Cambiano Concept ahead of its official debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The Italian based car design company Pininfarina was announcing not too long ago that its Cambiano Concept will be officially presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year, and now the model has been placed into the spotlights once again after its creators have launched a new teaser image. Compared to the previous teaser image, when part of the front fascia was visible, this time the Italian designers have presented its roof, and besides that, half of the car is viewable from above.

Even if Pininfarina has teased the Cambiano Concept two times until now, the car design company still didn’t provide any official details on it, but on the way, we have learned that the model has been named after the town in which the company is based. The Cambiano Concept has been developed in order to celebrate Pininfarina’s 30 years of Styling Centre and 10 years of the Engineering Centre. Furter images with the Pininfarina Cambiano Concept, along with details about it, will be released once the model makes its official debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Source: INAUTONEWS

2013 Lexus LX 570 starts at $81,805

2013 Lexus LX 570

The redesigned 2013 Lexus LX 570 has just gotten a price hike and the model has been set at $81,805 in the United States.

According to the Japanese based automaker, the 2013 Lexus LX 570 is coming with some interesting new features, along with a more expensive starting price of $81,805, including an $875 destination charge, being actually $1,475 more than the outgoing model. Future customers of the crossover will be able to order an optional luxury package, set at $1,510, which is packing a cool box, leather trimmed upholstery, heated steering wheel, rear-center armrest cover, wood trimmed door switch plates, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second row of seats and a Smart Access card key.

The 2013 Lexus LX 570 will also be available with a rear seat entertainment system for an extra $2,005 and it’s coming with redesigned front and rear bumpers, new headlights and taillights and wider body side moldings. The 2013 Japanese crossover is powered by a 5.7 liter V8 engine which is developing a total output of 383 horsepower. The model is almost $1,000 more expensive than its main competitor, the Escalade Platinum, and it will go on sale in early February.

Source: INAUTONEWS

Fisker Karma will start at 111,300 EUR in Europe

Fisker Karma

Fisker is planning to bring its Karma model into Europe, where the electric vehicle will have a starting price of 111,300 EUR.

After the car manufacturer has announced a few years ago that the Fisker Karma will be priced from almost 79,000 EUR in Europe, the “green” vehicle is now coming with 23.000 EUR more on the Old Continent. According to autobild.de, the Fisker Karma will be available in two variants, with the first one having a starting price of 111,300 EUR, while the second one will be even more expensive, at 117,300 EUR. The European Fisker Karma won’t be different than the one already on sale outside the continent and it will still offer that impressive driving sensation from its two electric motors.

As a reminder, the Fisker Karma is coming with a 20 kW lithium-ion battery which is powering the two electric motors in order to develop a total output of 402 horsepower and 1.300 Nm of torque (959 lb-ft). The sedan can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph). A 2.0 liter turbocharged petrol engine will act as a generator when the battery is depleted and the model can travel up to 83 km (52 miles) on electricity alone, having an overall range of 483 km (300 miles) and averaging 2.5L/100km (112 mpg UK) while emitting 51 grams of CO2 every kilometer.

Source: INAUTONEWS

2013 Corvette 427 Convertible and 60th Anniversary Package unveiled

2013 Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition with 60th Anniversary Package

General Motors has recently unveiled the 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible and the 60th Anniversary Package.

The 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible is a collector’s edition which is coming with some interesting new features. GM says that the model is powered by the 7.0 liter LS7 engine, shared by the Corvette Z06 too, which is developing a total output of 505 horsepower and it has a peak torque of 470 lb-ft, being actually the most powerful unit ever installed on a production Corvette Convertible. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and the model is coming in three trim levels.

“The 2013 model year will be historic for Corvette, making its 60th Anniversary and the final year for the current C6 generation. We couldn’t think of a more fitting way to celebrate these milestones than bringing back one of the most-coveted combinations in the brand’s history – the Corvette convertible and a 427 cubic-inch engine”, said the vice president of Global Marketing and Strategy for Chevrolet, Chris Perry.

The new American sports car will go against models like the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, the Audi R8 5.2 RSI Spyder, the Aston Martin DBS Volante Convertible and the Ferrari California Convertible. The 0 to 60 mph acceleration time in the 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible takes 3.8 seconds, the quarter mile is done in 11.8 seconds and the top speed exceeds 190 mph.

The Corvette 60th Anniversary Package includes a ZR1-style rear spoiler, gray painted brake calipers, the 60th logo fitted onto the wheel center caps, the steering wheel and seat headrests, the Pearl Silver Blue full-length racing stripe and 60th Anniversary badges fitted all over the car. Pricing for the 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible and for the 60th Anniversary Package will be announced at a later date.

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Source: INAUTONEWS

Lincoln MKZ Concept revealed at Detroit

Lincoln MKZ

The North American based automaker Lincoln, a Ford sub-brand, has finally revealed the MKZ Concept, at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show.

After teasing it for quite some time and attracting everyone’s attention on it even a day before its official debut, the 2013 Lincoln MKZ Concept has been officially presented to the public at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Just as it was expected, the new generation of the Ford Fusion / Ford Mondeo had played an important role in inspiring the designers into creating the MKZ Concept, and the exterior lines are similar, which isn’t exactly a bad thing.

“With the Lincoln MKZ Concept, we are not introducing a new car. We are essentially introducing a new brand. The MKZ Concept is the next step in the reinvention of Lincoln, something we’ve been quietly but aggressively pursuing”, said the Ford Motor Company vice president for Global Product Development, Derrick Kuzak.

Even if the Lincoln MKZ Concept has been officially presented to the public and the model can be considered the reinvention of the luxury brand, the company didn’t say anything about its engine, performance and other things like that. Lincoln says that the MKZ Concept is coming with some high quality materials for the interior design and the cabin has been fitted with an 8 inch LCD touchscreen, reconfigurable 10.1 inch TFT LCD instrument cluster, an entertainment system, the MyLincoln Touch in-car communications and many other interesting things.

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Source: INAUTONEWS

Lexus LF-LC Concept unveiled in Detroit

Lexus LF-FC Concept

The Japanese based automaker Lexus has officially unveiled the LF-LC Concept, at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show.

The Lexus LF-LC Concept isn’t what you might call a surprise appearance and the model has been teased several times and it even leaked on the internet, just ahead of its debut. But the LF-LC is now finally here and it has been presented by Lexus at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. Even if the Lexus LF-LC Concept has been officially revealed at the over-seas automotive event, the manufacturer didn’t release any details on the engine, performance and similar features.

According to the car manufacturer, the Lexus LF-LC Concept has been created at Calty Design Studio in Newport Beach, California, and it’s a 2+2 sport coupe concept, coming with a dynamic body, a new grille, vertical fog lamps, afterburner tail lamps, quad exhaust and a glass roof. The interior has been fitted with two 12.3 inch LCD screens, a remote touch-screen control board used for the audio system, navigation and climate control, a pop-up touch screen keyboard for complex entries, touch screen controllers used for the windows, mirrors, seat adjustments, personal entertainment and door panels and many other things which will eventually go wrong and make your life a living hell.

The Lexus LF-LC Concept will catch the production line as the SC successor and it is believed that the model will be launched as the LC 600h. Rumors say that the LF-LC in its final production version will be powered by a hybridized 5.0 liter V8 engine, which will develop around 500 horsepower, helping the model to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds.

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Source: INAUTONEWS