For a man who probably has just about any kind of vehicle created, it still must have been pretty cool for Jay Leno to welcome a vehicle like the Local Motors’ Rally Fighter. to his garage.
Looking the part of an SUV with features coming from a variety of other vehicles, including a Corvette engine with a Chevy transmission, a Ford truck rear end with Honda Civic taillights, Mazda Miata door handles, and an F-150 steering wheel. Talk about a melting pot of a rally racer.
Another unique quality of the Rally Fighter is that Local Motors builds each of these models with the help of the people buying the actual cars. That factor, in itself, allows the person who signs the check to have some level of control on how he wants the car built.
As for Jay, well, he always seems to find something interesting to say about the cars that make an appearance at his garage. This one isn’t any different. Check out this rather interesting episode of Jay Leno’s garage by clicking on the video above!
Until Audi drops the next-generation Q7 SUV onto the market, the guys over at Hofele Design have unveiled an awesome tuning kit based on the 2011 and 2012 Q7. The kit is called Strator GT 780 and can be yours if you have an extra €6,900 ($9,300 at the current exchange rates) in your pocket.
The Strator GT 780 kit includes a new front bumper with bigger air intakes and four additional lamps, more pronounced wheel arch extensions, a wide rear apron diffuser and a new exhaust system with four oval tailpipes. For the interior, the tuner adds a bi-color leather treatment on the seats, the door elements, the front and rear armrests and the steering wheel.
The kit also includes a set of 20-inch wheels combined with an electrical lowering module that can lower the car’s ride by 40 mm (1.57 inches). Once the SUV hits 80 km/h (49.7 mph), the lowering module lifts the Q7 back to its normal ride height to retain its normal ride and safety.
If you have extra money in your pocket you can also opt for some engine updates. Hofele offers up tuning packages for all five engines that the Q7 has available, which includes the 3.0 TDI, 3.6 V6 FSI, 4.2 V8 FSI, 4.2 TDI and 6.0 V12 TDI. From the factory, these engines crank out 240 horsepower, 280 horsepower, 350 horsepower, 340 horsepower and 500 horsepower, respectively. With the Hofele engine updates, these engines get bumped up to 275 horsepower, 305 horsepower, 375 horsepower, 370 horsepower and 555 horsepower, respectively.
Regardless of whether you want only aesthetics or a little pep to go along with the show, Hofele has the right kit for you.
It will be a while before Land Rover unveils the new-generation Defender onto the market, and to be completely honest with you, we hope they won’t change much about it, because the Defender has that certain something special that makes it really cool.
It looks like the guys over Kahn Design understood agree with us and they have unveiled a sweet Military Edition that updates the look of the Defender in such a manner that it does not affect the spirit of this legendary off-road machine.
The aerodynamic kit includes lightweight wide wheel wings with integrated vents, side vents with mesh, bonnet vents with mesh and Kahn prototype wing blades. The tuner also installed vented headlight surrounds, clear taillight lenses, clear front light lenses, crosshair headlights and numerous Kahn badges. On customer’s demand, the tuner can also replace the standard windows with special bulletproof glass that will increase your protection.
For the interior, the tuner decided to add in comfortable bespoke seats, and colors and materials of your choosing.
The last piece of the puzzle is a set of 8-by16-inch wheels finished in matte black.
Yesterday we brought you the first set of spy shots for the upcoming Volvo S60 facelift and now is time to see another updated Volvo playing in the snow: the XC60. As you can see, the refreshed XC60 is donning the same camouflage as the S60, meaning that the SUV will get the same updates as the sedan.
As a result, you should expect the next XC60 to feature the same design elements we have seen in the new V40, which was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. We will see a redesigned hood, new front bumper and new headlamps, plus, of course, an updated interior.
We can’t see any camouflage on the SUV’s rear end, so you shouldn’t expect any updates in this area. Under the hood, the new XC60 will carry the same engine lineup, including both gasoline and diesel powertrains.
Expect the new Volvo XC60 to arrive at a major show this year.
We’ll bring you more updates once Volvo releases more info.
If you remember when Renault announced the new Captur it has also been confirmed a new, larger SUV based on the Nissan Quashqai is also under development. Today, we have what appear to be the first spy shots of this next SUV. At first look, this mule might look a lot like the next generation Renault Scenic, but at a closer look you will notice that this is not the case.
When the production version of the next SUV finally makes its debut you will notice it has nothing in common with the Scenic body this mule uses. There are, of course, some differences that make us sure this is a new SUV and not a revised Scenic. First of all, it rides on bigger wheels and rides higher than a normal Scenic. Also, it has some auxiliary weights on the roof and front fenders to simulate a higher weight distribution.
Just like Renault did with the Captur, we expect to see a first concept version later this year, with the production to be revealed at the Paris Auto Show in 2014.
Up to this point, everyone knows that Mercedes is about to unveil a small A-Class-based SUV named the GLA. While until now our spy photographers have caught only the standard version during its testing sessions. Today, however, the GLA45 AMG has been caught testing for the first time.
In fact, Mercedes’ decision to also offer an AMG version for the upcoming GLA-Class is genius, considering that we are going to see a production version of the Audi RS Q3 Concept.
This GLA45 AMG prototype was caught testing in the freezing cold of Nothern Sweden. When compared to a standard version, this prototype features dual exhaust pipes, bigger wheels and cross-drilled brakes. Our spy photographers also noted that when it drive off in full throttle it confirmed the fact that it was indeed an AMG version.
The Mercedes GLA45 AMG is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 350 horsepower. The engine is mated to a seven-speed AMG Speedshift MCT dual-clutch gearbox that sends the power to all four wheels.
The standard GLA-Class will be unveiled in September at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and we expect the AMG version to arrive in early 2014.
While most of us focus on the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and on all the details there is to know about it, the first official images of the third-generation BMW X5 have quietly leaked online. However, this doesn’t mean you are going to see the new X5 in Detroit, as BMW has set the official debut for later this year — most likely for Geneva Motor Show.
As no surprise, the next X5 is a combination of design elements we have seen in previous launched BMW models: the front fascia from the 3-Series, the air vents on the front bumper from the 4-Series and the taillights from the X3. The interior — although not revealed in here — it is also rumored to offer higher-quality materials, improved technology and, for the first time, a third-row seating option.
The engine lineup is still a secret, but rumors suggest the next X5 will be offered with a choice of two new four-cylinder engines, while the M version will keep the 4.4-liter V-8 turbo engine with an output of 547 horsepower.
Dodge is expanding its Blacktop lineup with the addition of a new special edition based on the Durango. The new Durango Blacktop Edition is based on the Rallye and the R/T trim levels, and adds $295 to the SUV’s total price.
The model can be ordered in Bright White, Brilliant Black, Granite Crystal, Billet Silver and Redline Red, and is combined with a distinctive gloss-black crosshair grille and gloss-black 20-inch aluminum wheels with gloss-black center caps.
For the interior, the Blacktop models receive premium Digital Suede seat inserts complemented by Capri bolsters and red accent stitching. A power 12-way driver’s seat with power lumbar is available for an additional $595.
Under the hood, the Durango keeps the usual 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine that delivers a total of 295 horsepower on the Rallye models and a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine that produces a hefty 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque on the R/T versions.
Land Rover knows that they have a gem in the Range Rover Evoque. With over 100,000 models sold in its first full year of sales, the Evoque’s popularity is only growing by the day.
So what better way to add more spike on that popularity than to release a special-edition Evoque that gives a completely fresh color scheme to the British SUV.
We don’t know about you, but this Sicilian Yellow Edition Evoque looks downright amazing. The ultimate compliment that you can throw at a car is your desire to buy one after just one look. We admit that the moment we saw this special-edition Evoque, that’s what immediately came into our mind.
Then, we remembered that we don’t have the disposable income to buy one so our fascination for it will probably remain within these pages for the time being. But if you’ve got the funds, we don’t see why you can’t look at this Evoque and not wish to have one in your garage soon.
Back in July 2012, Audi announced the 2013 SQ5 TDI, which is the first S model in Audi’s history to bear a diesel engine. That’s all well and good, but what if you really want the new SQ5, but are not a big diesel fan? Well, then you will have to wait for the petrol version to debut. And it will next week at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.
The new Audi SQ5 TFSI will be specially developed for markets like United States, Canada and China, while in Europe the only version available will be the TDI one.
The model will be offered with the same "S" model upgrades seen in the TDI version: standard 20" wheels in triple-spoke design, a platinum gray radiator grille and of course a quadruple exhaust tips. Despite this similarities, the new petrol version has the advantage if being a little bit more powerful than the previous TDI engine, so the American customers will enjoy an extra 40 horsepower.
Updated 01/08/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs. Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Audi SQ5 TFSI.
