A sedan car is a four-door vehicle, with a separate hood covering the engine in the front, and a separate trunk for luggage at the rear — the achetypical 3-box car. However, other variations of the body style exist as well, including two-door and hatchback/fastback models.
Most people don’t take a look at the 2013 BMW M6 and think “this car needs to be faster.” However, the mad tuners over at Manhart Racing have decided to do just that.
They are working on a program for the M6 called the MH6 S Biturbo. The program sets the tuner loose on the car working to take its performance to the moon.
After they finish with the car, it will put 700 horsepower to the pavement and an Earth-moving 664 pound-feet of torque. We believe that all this power should be enough to launch the MH6 from 0 to 60 mph in a scant 3.5 seconds. We also expect an Autobahn-dominating top speed of around 198 mph.
To accomplish the higher output a high-performance twin-turbo system replaces the stock system on the otherwise stock 4.4-liter V-8 engine. In order to keep the exhaust flowing freely, MAnhart installed a complete exhaust system, including a new catalytic converter and Manhart’s end-silencer to keep the exhaust sounding throaty, but not overbearing.
All the straight-line performance is great on a drag strip, but what happens when you decide to take it on a curvy road? Well, to keep the car handling well in the twist, the tuner fitted a complete coilover kit to the car.
Hit the jump to read more about the Manhurth MH6 S Biturbo
The latest rumors suggest that Alfa Romeo could also unveil a new luxury sedan based on the same platform as the new Ghibli. The model could be named "6C" and while the Maserati model is more luxury-focused, the Alfa Romeo one will be a little bit sportier.
The new 6C is said to come two body versions: a four-door sedan and a two-door coupe. The sedan version will arrive in 2015 as a 2016MY and Alfa Romeo hopes to sell a total of 40,000 units a year.
Under the hood, the upcoming 6C will most likely retain the same engines developed in cooperation with Ferrari, which includes: a new twin-turbo V-6 and a 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel. However, unlike the Ghibli, the new 6C will not be offered with a ZF eight-speed transmission. Instead, Alfa Romeo will get the same innovative dual-transmission all-wheel-drive system we have seen in the Ferrari FF.
Volkswagen has announced the launch of the new Passat Wolfsburg Edition. The special edition sedan will sit between the base S and mid-level SE in the model lineup.
This special edition looks to build on the company’s heritage, as Wolfsburg where all VW models ultimately hail from. When VW started making the original Type 1 (a.k.a. Bug) most cars came with the Wolfsburg Castle image on the car’s horn button.
The German automaker’s headquarters has been used in many past special editions and the cars that bear the Wolfsburg name usually give buyers a few upgrades over the base model and additional badging.
The new car is based on the S model trim, but includes a number of standard features to add some extra value to the pot, while keeping costs as low as possible. The Wolfsburg model is distinguished by special wheels and badging.
Hit the jump to read more about the Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition
The revised 2014 BMW M5 comes with just small updates on the exterior and the interior, but it offers one of the greatest addition of the past few years: a new Competition Package that adds an extra 15 horsepower under the hood.
Next to the extra power the M5 equipped with the Competition Package is offering an extensively tuned chassis set-up. It gets new coil springs and damper calibrations and stiffened anti-sway bars that have lowered the car’s ride by 10 mm (0.39 inches). Thank to these updates the car’s cornering dynamics and tractability have been improved, and the 0 to 60 mph sprint time was reduced by 0.1 seconds.
The package is also offering unique 20-inch M light-alloy wheels, a sport exhaust system featuring M quad tailpipes finished in Black Chrome and re-mapped M Dynamic Mode (MDM) of DSC (Dynamic Stability Control).
The new BMW M5 Competition Package will go on sale on the U.S. market in August 2013. The package will add another $7,300 to the M5’s starting price of $90,900.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 BMW M5 and to see a video of the M5 Competition Package in action on the Nürburgring
The revised version of the current-generation Mercedes S-Class has been caught testing many times, including extreme cold-weather conditions. However, the prototype caught today by our spy photographers gives us the best look at the new S-Class to date, as it is almost completely void of all camouflage and our photographers got up close and personal with the car.
The 2014 S-Class will borrow design elements from the F800 Style Concept, making it sharper and a little bit more aggressive. Also, we expect to see the same one-piece headlamps with LED daytime running lights we have seen in the new E-Class.
Under the hood, Mercedes will likely place a revised version of the current engine lineup, which includes a Twin-turbocharged, 4.7-liter V-8 engine with 429 horsepower; a 510-horsepower twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-12; and an AMG twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 delivering somewhere between 536 and 550 horsepower.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2014 Mercedes S-Class.
The Hyundai Mistra Concept made its debut at the Shanghai Motor Show. Hyundai plans to position the mid-sized sedan between the Sonata and Elantra in its lineup.
With the Chinese market suddenly booming, the Korean manufacturer is grasping at all it can to increase its share in China, hence this being a China only model. The Chinese market hosts 1.3 billion people and its middle class is growing, making the market an important one for car manufactures.
Thanks to China’s anti-Japanese-car sentiment, companies based in other countries – Korea included – have had a lot of success in the region. Hyundai is hoping to cash in on this with the Mistra.
So, is this new concept model one that can help Hyundai reel in the up-and-coming Chinese middle-class, or is this simply another concept that will fall by the wayside?
Hit the jump to read more details about the Hyundai Mistra Concept and find out.
Earlier this month, Skoda dropped the first teaser video for the new Octavia vRS that set to be unveiled at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 11th through 14th 2013. Today, our spy photographers managed to catch the car testing for the first time, and, as you can see, the prototype caught testing features light camouflage that reveals few details on the model to be unveiled in July.
The car is camouflaged only on major parts and hides the air intakes on the left and right side of the front bumper, as well as the LED fog lights.
The new vRS version will be distinguished by a meaner look, thanks to its tinted headlights, rear spoiler and two bigger exhaust exits.
Rumors suggest that the model will be powered by a 2.0-liter TFSI delivering about 220 horsepower that hooks up to a six-speed manual or a DSG gearbox.
Hit the jump to read more on the new Skoda Octavia vRS.
Rumors have been swirling since 2011 regarding the Chevrolet SS and we were amongst the first to start discussing it. The rumors cooled off up until a few weeks ago when after 40 years of using the “SS” logo, GM finally decided to trademark it. Later the rumors became even more certain, as OnStar, GM’s in-vehicle communication system, mistakenly put the 2014 model lineup on its site. Within that lineup was a model dubbed the SS Performance.
This all adds up to a solid case that the Chevrolet SS Performance is on its way to the U.S. According to the rumormill, this would also result in the Holden Commodore SS, which was once used as the Pontiac G8, becoming the vehicle that dons the 2014 SS Perfomance badges.
With this release, Chevy would finally have a performance sedan to stack up against the likes of the Charger R/T and the Ford Taurus SHO.
UPDATE 04/23/2013: The 2013 New York International Auto Show closed its doors long time ago, but now Chevrolet decided to drop a new video on its SS sports sedan. The video features John Fitzpatrick, marketing manager for Chevrolet performance cars, giving an official walk around of the 2014 Chevrolet SS. Enjoy!
Click past the jump to read our full review of the anticipated SS Performance and how it stacks up against the competition.
Ford is looking to re-launch the classic Escort nameplate for the Chinese market. The new Ford Escort Concept debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show and will be a compact four door sedan in its reincarnation.
The Escort name brings back memories of the 60’s and 70’s cars that were popular rally racing cars or the popular selling cars from the 80’s and 90’s. The nameplate is still very big in China where older cars command a premium.
The concept has styling much like that of other recent Fords, such as the Focus and Fusion. The front features a large angular grille that sets the styling tone for the vehicle. It also features bold lines that flow smoothly from front to back.
The car looks to help Ford gather more sales in the emerging Chinese market, as the American automaker is tries to gain foothold in the Asian market. The hope is that the Escort will give them a leg up.
Hit the jump to read more details about the Ford Escort Concept.
Everyone was expecting to see a revised version for the Panamera luxury sedan, but Porsche decided to call it "the second generation." The model will make its world debut at the 2013 Auto China in Shanghai and will be put on sale later in July.
The second-generation Panamera adds a new S E-Hybrid model to the lineup, plus two new luxurious Executive versions. Also, 4 and 4S models get an all-new engine to help increase efficiency while not killing its performance.
Updates made to the exterior are inspired by the new-generation Porsche 911. Up front, we will see more prominent lines, larger air intakes and redesigned headlights. For the rear, the model will add a wider spoiler and redesigned rear lights.
Update 04/02/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs.
Update 04/22/2013: Porsche has unveiled a new promo video for the new generation Panamera luxury sedan. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to read more about the 2014 Porsche Panamera.
