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Review:
2009 Lotus Exige S 260
 Over
its 61-year history, Lotus Cars has spent a considerable amount
of time clawing its way back from the brink of insolvency. The
company's most recent bout with financial disrepair came in the
early Nineties after the front-wheel-drive Elan proved a commercial
failure (surprise!) and the Esprit toiled away in the shadows
of newer, more powerful supercars. As hope for the historic marque's
triumphant return began to fade, a group of Lotus engineers pooled
their collective will to create an all-new, back-to-basics model
that would revive Colin Chapman's company and give hardened enthusiasts
the purist's driving tool they raved. More
information & pictures
Officially
Official: Fiat confirms Abarth 695 "Tributo Ferrari"
for Frankfurt debut
 Still
waiting for that baby Ferrari to come along? This may be as close
as you'll get. Confirming earlier reports, Fiat's Abarth and Ferrari
subsidiaries have gotten together to collaborate on a special
500 to honor Maranello. We first heard about a special Ferrari
edition 500 last year when we were in Italy test driving the new
Alfa MiTo. But while the previous 500 created for Ferrari was
used solely as a courtesy car for Ferrari owners bringing in their
cars for service, this new Frankfurt-bound special edition will
actually be available for purchase by the general public. More
information
McLaren
MP4-12C Details
 After
ambitiously launching its own separate automotive division to
follow in the footsteps of arch-rival Ferrari, the British race
engineering firm has finally released its long-anticipated new
supercar. Called the MP4-12C, it's been developed entirely in-house,
and features the latest advances in automotive technology derived
from the Formula 1 circuit. The MP4-12C is built around an extremely
light and rigid carbon fiber tub. But rather than the heavier
multi-piece tubs used by its competitors and predecessors, the
MP4's is made from a single piece, weighing a spritely 176 pounds).
The body panels are all carbon fiber and composites, making the
new McLaren more expensive to build than its competitors and resulting
in an expected £160,000 ($265k) price tag More
information
2010
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
 Despite
an achingly long roll-out, the first cracks in the 2010 Mercedes-Benz
SLS AMG dam have begun to appear, courtesy of CarPoint. Due to
be revealed at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show, the 300SL-inspired
"Gullwing" is packing a front/mid-mounted version of
the venerable 6.3-liter V8 fitted to the majority of AMG's offerings,
mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox channeling 563 hp and
480 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. Weight is pegged at around
3,500 pounds, allowing the SLS to run from a rest to 60 in 3.7
seconds. Top speed is 197 mph and optional carbon ceramic discs
should bring the party to a halt with supreme authority. More
information
Officially
Official: 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost details released
 Rolls-Royce
has officially dropped dozens of images and plenty of details
on its new "baby" saloon, the Ghost. The new Roller
won't be seen publicly for another week, when it'll formally bow
in Frankfurt, but we now know that its 6.6-liter V12 generates
an impressive 575 lb-ft of torque at 1,500 rpm, along with 563
horsepower in U.S. trim. The 212.6-inch body stretches over a
129.7 inch long wheelbase, and the whole car weighs in at 5,445
pounds unloaded. There are no surprises in the styling, which
is unchanged from the 200EX concept displayed in Geneva last March.
More
information
BMW
confirms MINI coupe and another car headed for production in Oxford
BMW Chairman Norbert Riethofer paid a visit to the Mini factory
in Oxford England this week to inform staff members that they
will soon have two new cars to build. The first confirmed model
for production is the Coupe concept that was previewed online
last week ahead of its Frankfurt Motor Show rollout. The Coupe
will be joined by a second concept at the show which in all likelihood
will be the oft-rumored speedster version of the coupe. Reithofer
did not announce any timing for when production of the new models
would start production. Also unknown at this time is whether the
Coupe and Speedster will be available only in John Cooper Works
form or in base Cooper and S flavors as well More
information
Review:
2010 Cadillac CTS Sportwagon
 At
first glance, the CTS Sportwagon is a real eye-catcher. It's bold,
form-over-function sheetmetal catches the eye, then details like
three-foot-long tail lights and 19-inch wheels help keep onlookers
fixed on the prize. Cadillac has astutely dialed back its chrome
quotient over the past couple years, and the CTS Sportwagon manages
to stand out without mimicking a pimp's dental work. What makes
the CTS Sportwagon really look special is its raked roofline,
which gives it an athletic appearance. Cadillac will tell you
that the 58-cubic-feet of cargo capacity with the rear seats folded
flat are within one foot of the much taller SRX More
information & pictures
Review:
2010 Audi R8 V10
 With
the exception of the intake, exhaust and ECU, the engine is the
identical unit fitted to its Italian brother from the same mothership
and carries over unchanged from the R8 LMS currently being campaigned
by Audi Sport and a handful of privateers. Even though the 5.2-liter
FSI V10 is rated at 525 horsepower (down some 35 ponies from the
Gallardo), there's no perceivable trade-off in aural satisfaction.
The exhaust note swaps the Lambo's raucous, playful intonation
for a more focused – even, restrained – tone, particularly below
4,000 RPM before an extra baffle in the exhaust evolves the sound
from a mumble to a wail. Think Hendrix playing at eight rather
than eleven – the sound is no less sweet. More
information & pictures
Hyundai
Genesis Sedan - The most awarded car of 2009
 Hyundai
says that the Genesis Sedan's considerable trophy case makes it
the most awarded car of 2009 – and since we have no methodology
by which to cross-checking such a high-falutin' claim (scientific
or otherwise) we're going to give the Korean automaker the benefit
of the doubt. The Hyundai Genesis Sedan began 2009 as the North
American Car Of The Year and the well-heeled sedan has continued
to build momentum with an impressive 21 awards. Among the Genesis
Sedan's many honors are nods from Motor Trend (America's Top 40
New Cars), Cars.com, J.D. Power, NADAGuides, and AutoPacific.
More
information
Ferrari
458 Italia: Maranello releases more details
 The
Frankfurt Motor Show is fast approaching, but rather than hit
the brakes as they would for an approaching corner, Ferrari is
pulling out all the stops. In gearing up to unveil their new 458
Italia at the show next month, Ferrari is giving us a little more
each week. We've already seen the first batch of shots, downloaded
the ringtone and heard the company's brand and technical directors
talk about the car; now Maranello has released an additional video
of Paolo Pininfarina of the eponymous design studio talk about
the car's styling, and with it released a new batch of interior,
motion and studio shots. Ferrari has further centralized the controls
onto the Italia's steering wheel. More
information & pictures
Asian
chefs create unreal life-size F1 car from bread
 The
Culinary Executive Chef from the Royal Plaza On Scotts in Singapore,
who led a team of six chefs, two artists, two technicians, two
culinary staff members and five young volunteers from Metta Welfare
Association to create bake the machine you see in the gallery
below: Asia's Largest Race Car Made From Bread. We wonder... is
there some other bread-based race car vying for the world record?
According to Klik.tv, there are a thousand individual loaves and
22 different types of bread in the life-size F1 car. More numbers:
it took 33 pounds of yeast, 14 liters of water, 4.4 pounds of
salt and nearly three gallons of varnish to finish this delightful
creation. We bet it's the best smelling race car ever.
More
information & pictures
Audi
to unveil RS3 in Frankfurt
 The
Frankfurt Motor Show is fast approaching with a slew of exciting
debuts. And you can bet Audi will use the semi-annual home-turf
show to debut some savory pieces of machinery, but just what those
will be is still a matter of speculation. Earlier reports suggested
the new A8 could bow in Frankfurt, along with ruminations of drop-top
or even electric variants of the R8 supercar. But the latest reports
indicate that Ingolstadt is secretly preparing the RS3 hot hatch
for its close up. More
info
2010
Honda CR-V coming Sept. 17
 You're
excused if you look at these images and see little more than the
Honda CR-V that we already know and love. According to a corner
of its home-market website, the Japanese automaker is debuting
what it calls the "new CR-V" on September 17th, possibly
at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Already a hot perennial seller, Honda
is understandably cautious to mess too much with success, though
calling this updating anything other than a mid-cycle refresh
is a bit of a stretch. More
info
Porsche
unveils sportier 2010 911 GT3 RS
 Porsche
has unveiled details and photos of its 2010 911 GT3 RS. The new
model gets a host of upgrades that should make it even more potent,
including an additional horsepower from a naturally aspirated
3.8-liter flat-six (previously 3.6-liter) that brings total output
to 450 bhp –15 more than its GT3 counterpart. As expected, power
is routed through a six-speed manual transmission with shorter
ratios than the one in the GT3. Handling has been further improved
with a purpose-built PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management)
suspension, a wider track both front and rear made possible by
larger wheel arch covers.. More
info
Bugatti
Veyron Grand Sport "Sang Bleu" unveiled in Monterey
 How
many special edition Bugatti Veyrons are there? There's the Pur
Sang, the Bleu Centenaire, the Sang Noir and Fbg by Hermes, not
to mention the countless examples that have either been painted
gold or chrome by bored sheiks who've spent too much time in the
sun. The targa-fied Veyron, otherwise known as the Grand Sport,
has been around a lot less time than its closed roof counterpart,
but it's about time the open roof Bug got a special edition of
its own. Enter the Grand Sport "Sang Bleu" that's being
unveiled by Bugatti this weekend in Monterey.
More info
Officially
Official: 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7
 The
embargo dam began cracking earlier today with the premature release
of the X6 ActiveHybrid's details, so BMW decided to open the floodgates
and reveal all its Frankfurt-bound hybrids ahead of the show,
beginning with the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7. The big sedan uses
a different electric drive setup from the coupe-shaped 'ute: a
mild hybrid co-developed with Mercedes-Benz that combined with
an electric motor and a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8, yields 455 hp
and 516 lb-ft of torque. The V8 has been upgraded from the standard
400 to 440 hp (with the extra 15 hp coming from the electric motor)
More
info
2010
Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback starting at $19,190, Ralliart at $27,590
 The
hatchified version of Mitsubishi's Lancer was confirmed earlier
this year to go on sale as a 2010 model. For the first two-thirds,
it's a normal Lancer, but out back there's a smidge of extra length
and a newly fattened C-Pillar for the practical hatch profile.
Not only is it sporting smart-looking hatchy excellence, the Lancer
Sportback glowers at the Subaru Impreza and says "bring it."
Tweaking an Impreza's nose is best done when you're rocking the
$27,590 Lancer Sportback Ralliart. The entry GTS serves up the
style and utility for a reasonable $19,190, but the 2.4-liter
four cylinder's 168 horsepower. More
info
First
Drive: 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8T
 The
SRX has some moves, the direct injected 3.0-liter V6 isn't exactly
Fred Astaire. It provides just enough motivation for daily driving,
but for customers that need more – particularly for those who
want to fully enjoy the SRX's underpinnings – Cadillac has decided
to offer a second, more aggressive engine to the mix. But with
300 horsepower, the 2010 SRX 2.8T – the first production Cadillac
in the US fitted with a turbocharger – aims to please buyers looking
for more pop in the pedal.. More
information & pictures
2010
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate leaks out ahead of Frankfurt debut
 Although
the Frankfurt Motor Show is still a month away, images of the
2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate ("wagon" to us 'Mericans)
have leaked out ahead of its official reveal in Germany. The E-Class
Estate joins the thoroughly revised sedan and coupe variants of
Merc's mid-sizer and will undoubtedly grow both longer and wider
than the outgoing five-door. Although the majority of the interior
has been ported over from its siblings, the Estate's party-pieces
are its folding rear seats that can be laid flat, a new cargo
area nestled within the trunk and a set of rear-facing jump seats
bound to make the kiddies car-sick on the Autobahn. More
info
Review:
2010 Volvo XC60
 With
a six-speed automatic transmission handling shifting duties and
delivering the 3.0-liter inline-six's 281 horsepower and 295 lb-ft
to all four wheels, the XC60 feels a bit heavy off the line, but
there's plenty of pop available once you get all 4,174 pounds
moving forward. Although topping the two-ton mark hardly makes
the XC60 a bantamweight, it's the lightest crossover among its
competitors, and when you slip the transmission into manual mode,
the XC60 delivers even more punch from a standstill, though we'd
still recommend shying away from stoplight drags. More
information & pictures
Officially
Official: Ferrari 458 Italia announced!
 After
months of speculation and spy shots, Maranello has finally revealed
the mid-engined V8 replacement for the Ferrari F430. The all-new
Ferrari 458 Italia won't be shown in public until September's
Frankfurt Motor Show, but the official details were released early
this morning. A new direct-injected 4.5-liter V8 ups the ante
underhood, pumping out 562 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque.
The redline? A screaming 9,000 rpm. Eighty percent of the F458
Italia's torque is now available at a low 3,250 rpm, thanks in
all likelihood to the new engine's 12.5:1 compression ratio.More
information & pictures
2010
Suzuki Kizashi unveiled!
 Suzuki
may be one of the most ironic. For some reason, the small automaker
of mostly small cars chose a World War II memorial in suburban
Detroit for the global reveal of its most aggressive attack yet
on the heart of the U.S. car market. Suzuki has always been a
bit of an outlier in this market, although the company has been
a strong player in the Japanese mini-car scene. Its most successful
entry to date here in the U.S. has been the compact SX4. Now,
it's trying to encroach on Camry/Accord/Fusion territory.
More
information & pictures
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