After debuting the Juke Nismo Concept at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show, Nissan brought out the production version at the 2012 Le Mans. It looks like the company wanted to give customers an alternative to those who can not afford the Juke-R’s $590,000 asking price.
The new Juke Nismo will combine the radical Juke design with a unique blend of styling lines from Nismo. The new crossover has received a new aerodynamics kit that includes lower front and rear bumpers, wider wings and sill side skirts, and a modified grille and tailgate spoiler which control airflow. The final touch of the exterior is a new set of 18" alloy wheels. The same Nismo treatment continues on the interior where the crossover gets redesigned steering wheel, pedals, gauges, gear knob, and door trims, but also special suede-trimmed Nismo sports seats with red stitching.
Under the hood, Nissan has placed a tuned-up version of its 1.6-liter direct injection turbocharged petrol engine, combined with stiffened suspension settings and new steering modifications for sportier direct handling and improved traction control.
The new Nissan Juke Nismo will go on sale in Europe in January 2013. Sales in Japan and USA will begin at a later date.
Unveiled in 1993, the C-Class quickly became one of the best sold models in Mercedes’ line-up. This impressive success is contributed to the car’s relatively cheap price - when compared to other Mercedes models - but also to its compact size.
The first generation stayed in production until 2000, and from 2000 to 2007 Mercedes sold the second generation C-Class. As of 2007, the model is in its third generation (W204), and that generation came with a completely new exterior design language, more compact dimensions that offer a generously sized interior, and an improved engine line-up. In 2011, the C-Class received a facelift that brought on a new front and rear design, more power from a new V6 engine, and improved fuel consumption. For the 2013 model year, the C-Class will continue its path of improvement with some small changes under the hood to make the C-Class even more powerful.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2007-2013 Mercedes C-Class.
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Ever since the beginning of 2012, the next generation Kia Sorento has been caught testing a few times, but the SUV was heavily camouflaged every single time. Now, it seems as though the stripping process has begun for the Sorento, as new spy shots reveal the prototype without the traditional Kia/Hyundai sack at the front and back.
As we have previously reported, the next Sorento will feature some design elements inspired by the new generation C’eed, including its new designed headlights with LED day driving lights and new front and rear bumpers. The interior will also get higher quality materials and new technologies.
As for the engine lineup, Kia is still keeping the power sources a secret, but we expect to see the same choices of four-cylinder and V6 engines with updates to improve both the final output and fuel economy.
The next generation Kia Sorento is expected to be unveiled sometime in 2013.
It’s a truly sad day for luxury automobiles as reports are swirling that BMW is preparing to bring its first front-wheel drive sedan to the upcoming 2012 Paris Auto Show in September.
This will be a big departure from BMW’s long-history of creating RWD sports cars, muscles cars, and luxury sedans, however we shouldn’t be surprised by the news as reports of BMW developing a FWD car have been around for the better part of two years.
Back in 2010, we reported on the possibility that BMW and Peugeot would be teaming up to create a front-wheel drive hybrid car while the possibility of a small FWD vehicle for the U.S. market has been believed to be in the pipes for years now.
This time however, Autocar is reporting that a new concept car will be heading to the Paris Motor Show reportedly dubbed the 1 Series GT said to be hitting the production line sometime in 2014. It should be built on the same platform said to be used in future Mini’s.
The stand out feature of the new 1 Series GT should be its new 1.5-liter, three-cylinder fuel efficient engine.
However, based on the fact that FWD BMW’s have been speculated numerous times in the past few years, we wouldn’t be surprised if this was just another report thought up by a keyboard warrior in some secluded country far, far away.
What do you think? Will BMW really debut a front-wheel drive 1 Series in September, and if they do, will it be successful?
After Top Gear’s numerous tests of the Toyota Hilux and how they could never really and truly kill the car, people finally realized just how well built modern day cars are, specifically Japanese ones despite their generally low prices.
But the car in the following story has to take the crown for the toughest car on the planet. A 1986 Subaru Legacy was recently pulled out of a Finnish lake after sitting at the bottom of this bitterly-cold body of water for three months and, wait for it, managed to start first try.
You can smash a car into as many trees as you want in order to destroy it, but there’s no bigger test than submerging a car for an extended period of time in order to truly test out a car’s build quality.
This particular Subaru was sitting under 12 feet of water and as a result, would have constantly been under significant pressure yet all of the windows remained in tack. Of course, that’s nothing when compared to the car actually starting.
In order to get it started, the Finnish owner extracted the lake water from the gas tank and oil reservoirs, and then doused the ECU with some brake parts cleaner. Before he knew it, the car started right up as did the vast majority of the car’s electronic systems.
It’s safe to say that this Subaru may have created its own Legacy.
The Saab saga continues…
Just a few weeks ago, Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile – no, not that Lotus – was pushed out of the bidding ring for Saab due to what Autoweek called “Chinese bureaucracy” and the fact that there were some worries about the Chinese firm coming up with the scratch needed to finalize the deal.
This allowed a group of Chinese businesses, headed up by an alternative energy firm, to swoop in and take the lead on bidding. It looks as if Youngman isn’t quite ready to throw in the towel just yet, as according to Bloomberg the Chinese firm has just entered in a new bid of 4 billion kronor ($552 million) to purchase the bankrupted Swedish automaker.
The true test here is if this bid is even accepted. Youngman’s first bid was flat out rejected by GM. The second bid went belly up for similar reasons, we can only assume. So what makes Youngman think that this bid will receive a stamp of approval?
Even if Youngman succeeds in purchasing Saab’s remaining assets, what exactly does it plan on doing with the folded automaker? Most signs are pointing to Saab moving toward alternative energy sources to attempt to spearhead that market early on with a recognizable name. That’s all well and good, but the intellectual rights of the 9-3 and 9-5 are owned by BAIC, which leaves the company the rights to just the 9-4X SUV.
This lack of vehicles to base new ones off of means that whoever wins this relatively low-budget bidding war will essentially be building the company from scratch. Fortunately for the winner, the “Saab” name is well known and was once a fairly popular brand.
We will continue following the Saab bidding war and keep you updated as more information becomes available.
As all of automotive enthusiasts got introduced to cars we began falling in love with certain makes, models, and types of cars. For most of us, this happened at an early age. I was primarily raised around muscle cars, so it is easy to understand why I have an absolute infatuation with them. It also had to do with the fact that I learned about cars in the `80s and there weren’t many powerful cars to speak of in that era.
Chris Harris also learned about his love for cars through the 1980s, but obviously had more exposure to German cars than the average American youngster in the `80s, as his childhood favorite was the car that spawned the performance sedan market way back in the `80s. This epic, but little-known, ride is the 1986 BMW M5.
This car pumps out 286 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque from its 3.5-liter inline six cylinder and only 187 of them were ever imported into the U.K. with right-hand drive. While the 187 number is impressive by modern-day standards, the 286 ponies and 251 pound-feet are pretty average. Then again, the 1986 was chock-full of big V-8s that struggled to even push out 200 horsepower (see: 1986 Camaro Z/28, 1986 Mustang GT, and 1986 Corvette).
You can obviously tell that Chris loves driving this car, as he drifts it around a few turns and really gets into it. He makes it clear that the car is far from flawless, as the rear bumper trim is falling off, it has some dents, and the interior is just a little above average for its age, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Check out the above video to have a look and listen to this impressive machine. You also get a chance to gain just a little more respect for Chris Harris, as he shows that he knows exactly what BMW built this car to do.
Toyota Racing has just announced details on their 2013 Camry that will race the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series where it will have to take on models like the Ford Fusion, Dodge Charger, and the upcoming Chevrolet SS. The racing version is based on the 2013 Camry, but adds a more aggressive exterior design language as well as a new V8 engine to replace the standard V6 engine.
The 2013 Camry NASCAR will be distinguished by a huge front grille-area, new headlight design, body-length character lines, and a huge rear bumper. All these adjustments have been made in order to adjust the car’s aerodynamics.
"We’re extremely proud of the new Camry and the development of the car was truly a unique process," said Lee White, president and general manager of TRD. "NASCAR and all four manufacturers were brought together to guide the direction of the new cars. We all worked together to put the ‘S’ back in NASCAR — we all wanted race cars that look more like our stock, production models – and together we accomplished that. Our new Camry for 2013 is a great looking race car. Everyone at Toyota is eager to have our drivers in a race car that more resembles the street Camry."
A standard BMW 335i Coupe delivers a total of 300 HP and a BMW M3 Coupe pushes out 420 HP. That’s a pretty big difference between the two, but with the proper tuning package, that difference can be dwindled down to less than nothing. Alpha-N Performance has managed to make the 335i even more powerful than the M3 delivering an impressive 450 HP, while also being 550 lbs lighter than the standard model!
Starting with the exterior, the tuner added a pretty impressive kit with ultra-light material carbon components. It includes a new front bumper and an equally adjustable spoiler, a big rear diffuser, a new trunk lid with protrusive spoiler lip, and a huge, adjustable rear wing. The car sits on a new set of 19" wheels combined with a MAC high-performance braking system.
The same skills were used to tweak the interior, as Alpha-N Performance installed Recaro Pole Position carbon seats with full belt safety harness, a steel cage, and a performance steering wheel. Everything else in the car was ripped out to ensure weight optimization.
Aside from that, the tuner’s main focus was the 335i Coupe’s 3.0 liter six-inline engine. The extra 150 HP was achieved through an Alpha-N engine kit that includes bigger turbo chargers, adaptation of engine electronics, a completely new exhaust system, and an enlarged air-to-air intercooler. The last touch was provided through a reprogrammed ECU.
When people think about Buicks, words like old, boring, and grandpa come to mind. Very rarely, if ever, does the word sporty get uttered as an accurate description, but get ready for all of that to change. In an effort to change the stigma attached to the brand, Buick is releasing an all new Buick Regal GS which will arrive at dealerships in the fall of 2011. This new vehicle will target models like the Audi A4 and the Acura TSX with its exclusive Ecotec 2.0L direct injected, turbocharged engine that delivers a total of 270 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque.
The last time a GS model was released by Buick, it was 2004. This model was powered by a 3.8 L L67 Series II supercharged V6 that produced 240 HP and 280 lb-ft of torque. Technology, and the constant need to improve fuel economy, has allowed Buick to pump out more horsepower out of a smaller engine, all while providing an estimated fuel economy of 33 MPG.
UPDATE 08/04/2011: Buick has announced that the Regal GS will be put on sale this fall at a starting price of $35,310, which includes a $860 destination charge. Standard features on the GS model include: push-button start; a leather-wrapped, flat-bottom sport steering wheel with audio controls; metal sport pedals; and leather-appointed, heated and 12-way adjustable sport seating, a Harman Kardon premium 336-watt, 5.1 Matrix Surround Sound system with nine speakers.
UPDATE 05/22/2012: During a recent test drive at Nevada Open Road Challenge, the 270 Regal GS clocked in an impressive top speed of 162 mph - making it the fastest model Buick ever made. The car was piloted by Rietow and Townsend and the only modifications were limited to safety equipment such as a roll hoop and five-point harness seat belts, as well as data collection computers. Check out the new video to see the test drive!
Hit the jump for more details on the Buick Regal GS.
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