BMW just keeps on dangling the M135i three-door hatchback carrot right out of the reach of U.S. buyers and this time, it just may start a complete revolt in U.S. BMW dealers. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or BMW to all of you un-cool people, decided to whip the new M135i hatchback around the Nürburgring and some savvy little filmmaker caught it. To make things even better, this is actually a really good video with awesome sound – it seems almost like a professional deal.
The sound of this 300+ horsepower 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo engine – “TwinPower” means one turbo with two scrolls, not two turbochargers – is music to our ears. It’s so nice that it may just take the place of all the songs on my MP3 player. Not only does this thing appear to scream when the driver puts the pedal to the proverbial “metal,” or posh carpeting in this case, but it also looks to handle like a dream.
The bad news in this whole situation is that BMW has still not decided to let U.S. buyers know if the M135i, let alone any three-door hatchback 1-series, will make its way across the pond and into showrooms at any time. There’s not even a European release date, as of yet, and we are already about to explode at the opportunity to get our grubby hands on them.
For now, all we have are the pictures from the Geneva Auto Show and the above video to keep our hopes alive. We are sure that if a large enough portion of US BMW customers start bombarding BMW with requests for this vehicle, the Bavarian car builder would eventually cave and bring this extremely hot hatch to the states.
Kick back, crank up the volume a tick, and enjoy the video of the M135i cruising the Nürburgring over and over and over again, just like we did.
Back in the 1990s, Nissan was knees deep in sports cars. These sports cars began with the Sentra SE-R, then moved to the mid-range 240SX, and at the top end was the 300ZX. Even after the Sentra SE-R was eliminated in 1995, the 200SX SE-R, which was little more than a restyled Sentra, came into existence.
In the late 1990s, this all went away, as the 300ZX disappeared after 1996, and the 200SX and 240SX vanished in 1999. The Z-car was resurrected with the 350Z, then the 370Z, but the SX lineup has since remained dormant. Now with Subaru and Toyota teaming up to bring a new mid-level sports car to the marketplace, Nissan has again begun talks of releasing its own mid-level sports car.
According to Australian newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald, Nissan’s head of design said "It is the time to look at that [smaller engines]. With 370Z, we still don’t know next generation will have a larger or smaller engine." The chances of a Z-car with a lower engine size are rather doubtful, given that it has always increased in size throughout its entire lifespan. Plus you have to add in that the Z-car crowd is a tight-knit group that will likely not take change too well.
Those points all lead to Nissan possibly creating an all-new mid-level sports car, maybe even bearing the “SX” nameplate. A good possibility could be a 250SX bearing the same – or maybe better version of – the 200-horsepower, 2.5-liter engine found in the 2012 Sentra SE-R. This could also spawn a base level 200SX that has the 140-horsepower engine that you can find in the base 2012 Sentra, maybe with a few upgrades to punch up the power a bit.
Given the fact that the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT 86 are not speed demons, Nissan would need to worry more about it looking and handling well, as opposed to making it a screamer. As of now, this is purely speculation, but it damn sure would be a cool thing to see!
Image is of the 2011 Nissan Esflow Concept which is said to preview the future sports car.
Even though car manufacturers try to conceal names of future models, possible options always manage to leak onto the net, with the latest name trademarked by Lamborghini already finding its way into our hands.
Car and Driver recently broke the news and it seems pretty genuine to us. "Deimos" was trademarked by Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. on March 5, 2012, and the name has left us scratching our heads just a tad. First and foremost, almost all Lamborghini’s ever produced (with the exception of the LM002) have been named after famous fighting bulls both Italian and Spanish, but ‘Demois’ doesn’t refer to any bull we’re aware of.
In fact, according to Greek mythology, ‘Deimos’ is a son of Aphrodite and represents terror and dread which seems a little bit strange to name a car after. The terror part does make some sense as this is a Lamborghini and their cars are famous for promoting fear and terror in their competitors, but the term dread seems less appealing.
After all, who would want to buy a car which name literally means ‘dread’?
Nevertheless, this trademark by Lamborghini may not actually relate to a future model or concept car as it could instead refer to a new line of merchandise or even a new system which could be fitted to future Lamborghini’s. However, with the new Lamborghini SUV (rendered above) expected to be released at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show in just a few weeks, rumors suggest that the successor to the LM002 may be dubbed the Lamborghini Deimos.
Another possibility could be the Gallardo replacement which is currently under development, and with the highly circulated ‘Cabrera’ name being nothing more than the work of an unnamed source, perhaps this future model could be the Deimos.
Either way, we’re excited by the prospect!
It’s hard to believe that it has been almost exactly four years to the day since the 2008 Saleen S5S Raptor Concept made its public debut at the New York Auto Show. It went into the show strictly as a concept, but that didn’t stop hopefuls claiming that it could have hit the market soon after. We never imagined reporting on it again four years later, but here we are.
Since the 2008 New York Auto Show, Saleen has faced its fair share of controversy and cut-backs, as the once prominent Ford Mustang tuner went quiet before announcing that it was solely focusing on parts and accessories. Thankfully however, with Steve Saleen now being able to use the Saleen name in future models after a bitter legal dispute, the 63 year-old has announced that he has ambitious plans to create a successor to the incredible Saleen S7.
Saleen hinted that a future model could be based heavily upon the S5S Raptor, and we don’t blame him, as its styling looks as futuristic and aggressive as ever. Sure a few tweaks here and there would have to be made to the external styling, but we don’t see why Saleen would have to mess with the stunning looks too much.
While speaking to Autoweek, Saleen stated “That’s still a part of our plan. The S5S is still in our planning." We’re honestly not sure why Steve has decided to come out now and speak about this possible supercar, but we’re over the moon as it could mean yet another American-born car to compete with the likes of the equally impressive SSC Tuatara and Hennessey Venom GT.
When the S5S Raptor was originally introduced, it featured a 5.0-liter V8 engine pumping out an incredible 650HP and 600lb-ft of torque. As a result, it could launch to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds and continue accelerating to in excess of 200 mph, and those performance times are still mighty impressive nowadays.
It’s unclear just when the S5S Raptor could hit the production line, but don’t expect any more than 20 or 30 to be produced with each likely to cost well over $1 million.
We are all just becoming accustomed to the fact that the Impala will no longer be just a rental car beater, as Chevrolet has completely redesigned it and actually made it a competitor in the full-size car market and Chevy’s already trying to shoot itself in the foot.
When Chevy began leaking out information about the 2014 Impala, we all assumed it would have an all-wheel-drive option, even though GM said nothing about it during the official unveiling in New York. This became even more obvious when we found out that it will be based on the Epsilon platform, which is the same platform that the AWD Cadillac XTS and AWD Buick LaCrosse are based upon.
To our surprise, we learned from our friends at GMInsideNews.com that Chevy has zero plans of offering an AWD version of the Impala in either the near or distant future. Chevy actually made the brash and unfounded statement that all-wheel-drive vehicles are only a small part of the full-size car market. Actually that statement is downright false, to some experts.
Paul Lacy of IHS stated last year that by 2015 AWD sales will account for nearly 30% of all automotive sales. Then again, if GM doesn’t want to take an industry expert’s opinion, it can look at sister company Cadillac. In 2009 and 2010 nearly one-half of all CTS sales were AWD models. Add in the fact that all of the main competitors to the Impala, including the Charger, Taurus, and 300, all have at least an optional AWD system.
We don’t know exactly why Chevy is not planning on an AWD offering for the Impala and we honestly think that they are taking a step backwards at the worst possible time. When you first release a vehicle you don’t want to cut out an item like AWD, which is an important purchasing point for undecided shoppers. The undecided shopper is the one you need to reel in and things like AWD make that a possibility. Bad form, Chevy.
Now that we have seen the official images of the Acura NSX Coupe, everyone is expecting a roadster version for the sports car. This will surely happen in the near future considering Acura has already filed a patent for a roadster’s design, but until the production NSX Roadster shows up in 2014, we get another opportunity to take a gander at its design.
Acura has just officially unveiled the one-off NSX model that will be driven by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in the new "Avengers" movie. This new sports car is a $9million project, and this is the first official image of the concept!
The concept is powered by a palladium-powered 80,000 TOHC 32-valve engine with titanium-forged block and nitrous fuel-injection system combined with a 9-Speed HYPER-Shift transmission. There aren’t any details on the engine’s output, but the concept can achieve 234 mpg in city traffic and 302 mpg on the highway. Now that’s efficiency!
The exterior of the concept shows off an underbody kit with an aero-dynamic spoiler lip and black-night painted-wheels with particle matter technology. Since this is a superhero movie car, it was also equipped with plenty of defensive systems like advanced radar-deflecting capabilities with wave modifier, a bullet and foreign element-proof clear coat, and metal skin and bulletproof hyper-traction tires.
"Acura is developing an impressive second chapter as the official vehicle of the cutting-edge S.H.I.E.L.D. organization, enabling us to reinforce Acura’s brand philosophy of innovation and advancement, and leverage excitement for the new ILX, RDX and NSX supercar concept product news announced earlier this year," said Susie Rossick, Acura Brand Manager.
Land Rover is continuing its series of DC100 concepts with a new Expedition version. The new concept was built to celebrate Land Rover’s 25 year presence on the North American market and is equipped for expedition use. The concept also explores possible design directions for the future of the iconic Land Rover Defender.
The new DC100 Expedition features an air-intake snorkel for wading and a roof mounted equipment rack. The list of design cues that will be used for the upcoming Defender include extreme approach and departure angles, vertical panels, an upright windscreen, and strong shoulder line for visibility and ease of positioning. The honest Defender ’face’ with its signature round lamps and prominent grille is featured, and a winch is incorporated to the fascia.
The DC100 Expedition Concept will also be equipped with a new Terrain Response system which will optimize the car for various conditions without driver pre-selection. A new Terrain-i system creates an intelligent map of the topography in front of the car and displays it as a 3D visualization. The concept also comes with a new Wade Aid system that utilizes sonar sensors mounted in the bumpers and side mirrors to measure water depth.
As promised, Honda has unveiled the Honda Crosstour Concept at a catered media reception at the 2012 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in hopes of reviving a vehicle that has had less than stellar performance on the market. This new concept follows the original Accord Crosstour that was launched back in 2010 and the renamed Honda Crosstour in 2012 (when it dropped the Accord nomenclature). The Honda Crosstour Concept is our first taste as to what we can expect for the 2013 model of this struggling crossover.
The list of changes for the new Honda Crosstour Concept include exterior and interior upgrades, a new 6-speed automatic transmission for the V6 versions, and safety upgrades for both four-cylinder and V6 versions.
"Fueled by a combination of versatility, luxury, and efficiency, owners have demonstrated remarkable devotion to the Honda Crosstour," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "The 2013 Crosstour Concept shows how Honda will strengthen the styling and add even more content to one of the most efficient offerings in the class."
UPDATE 04/05/2012: This review has been updated with the official details and images of the 2012 Honda Crosstour Concept.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Honda Crosstour Concept.
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Infiniti unveiled the new LE Concept at the 2012 New York Auto Show. The concept was built as a luxury version of the already very successful Nissan Leaf and previews a production version that is expected to reach Infiniti showrooms in near-similar form within the next two years as Infiniti’s first zero emission luxury sedan.
The concept was designed as a luxury car rather than an electric vehicle. It features the usual Infiniti design cues, such as its double-arch grille and crescent-cut rear-pillar, and is about the same size as the Infiniti G Sedan. This was done to illustrate that just because it’s an electric car, doesn’t mean that it has to be small.
"In a future that holds an increasing consumption of natural resources, we will advance our sustainable mobility leadership and expand our EV market penetration with new electric vehicles such as the Infiniti LE Concept," said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "Infiniti is well positioned to deliver the objectives for a sustainable future, relying on our capable, hard-working and motivated team members around the world. We are a challenger."
Hit the jump to read more about the Infiniti LE Concept.
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In November 2011, Volkswagen displayed a concept called the Passat Alltrack at the Tokyo Motor Show with no plans of it coming to the U.S. In the auto industry, things tend to change quickly, as now Volkswagen has decided to display a concept car bearing just the Alltrack name at the 2012 New York Auto Show.
At this point, the Alltrack is strictly considered to be a concept, but it wouldn’t be completely outlandish to see it hit the market here soon, especially given the fact that VW no longer offers a wagon model in the U.S. The closest to a wagon that VW offers is the Tiguan, a crossover SUV, and the Routan, a minivan.
The Alltrack is reported to arrive with a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine that cranks out a respectable 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Along with the TDI engine, the Alltrack will feature a six-speed, dual clutch automatic transmission and 4Motion AWD.
The Jetta Alltrack is a really good looking car, for a station wagon that is. The question that really arises is can a traditional station wagon not named “Volvo,” roam the streets of America anymore? Lately automakers are starting to move back into the wagon market, but most are “sport wagons,” including: Acura TSX Sport Wagon, Audi A3 Wagon, Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, and so on. Its most likely competition would be the BMW 3-Series Wagon and the upcoming Volvo V40.
The determining factor will be the response it gets at the auto show. If potential buyers start clamoring for it, you can expect VW to release it almost as quickly as they can produce them. We will continue to provide details on this potential new model, as VW releases them. One thing is for sure, we can all appreciate VW spelling “Track” the right way. Not “Trac,” “Trak,” “Trax,” or any other odd variation.
