New Car Collection Blog's

The adventure never ends with MINI, and it’s about to take a surprise turn... Auto Express can exclusively reveal that the firm plans to introduce greater economy and efficiency to its JCW hot hatch by swapping its turbo petrol engine for a diesel!The famous British marque pulled the covers off its new JCW Convertible at the Geneva Motor Show, and once the hot Clubman joins the line-up in July, the petrol-powered performance range will be complete. However, the firm’s plans are only just beginning.The JCW diesel would use the Cooper D’s powerplant, but it will stay true to its performance car heritage. The 1.6-litre unit currently produces 110bhp and 240Nm, while a hot version would deliver more than 160bhp and significantly increased torque.During an interview with a senior engineer, we posed the question of whether diesel power would ever be an option for the JCW brand. He wouldn’t confirm the existence of an oil-burning variant, but commented that it would be a “good idea”. With the project still on the drawing board, buyers shouldn’t expect the new oil-burner to arrive this year. Meanwhile, MINI’s tuning arm is also preparing for the arrival of the firm’s new crossover SUV. Bosses remain tight-lipped about whether a JCW version of the compact 4x4 will be built, but it’s likely to appear soon after the model is launched next year. For more details click here.

Thanks to: Auto Express

Our intrepid spy shooters are at it again, this time in Sweden where they've staked out this heavily camouflaged vehicle testing near a GM facility. It seems clear to us that the sedan is based on the Chevrolet Cruze, but a close look at the semi-covered, slatted grille has us thinking that this could be a prototype of a Buick version. If this vehicle is indeed a Cruze-based baby Buick built GM's Delta II architecture, it will likely be targeted at the Chinese market, where Buick is a top-selling brand.

Before it makes it way to our shores in 2010, the Chevrolet Cruze (check out our first drive of the European Cruze here) is slated to begin hitting showrooms in the UK and mainland Europe later this year and is being billed as a Ford Focus fighter. The Cruze is expected to undercut a comparably-equipped Focus by some 4000 pounds in England.

If this is indeed a Cruze-based Buick, it could be built at GM's plant in Russelsheim, Germany for world markets, while U.S.-spec versions could be built alongside the Cruze at the automaker's Lordstown, Ohio facility. It all adds up to potential GM badge engineering that's too strong to ignore. Dare we speculate that a Buick Cruze could see Voltec internals down the line as well?

An outside guess leaves the possibility of the prototype also being a Cruze-based Daewoo (after all, GM Daewoo is in the family). Possibly a new Tosca sedan?
What's your guess? Is this a Cruze-based baby Buick? And if so, give us your thoughts on its viability for the U.S. market. Could this be the car to help turn around Buick's image in the U.S.? Or is it too late for the struggling automaker on its home turf?

Subaru will unveil its next-generation Legacy at the New York motor show in April, according to sources in Japan.
Subaru gave us a good idea of how the new model will look when it unveiled the Legacy Concept, a silver 3.6-litre four-wheel-drive saloon, at the Detroit show in January. It then reappeared at the recent Geneva show.

New York will be the first time that the production version of the Legacy, its fifth generation, will be seen in public. It may be just another taster, however; Subaru is likely to wait until this summer before launching the full line-up – saloon, estate and Outback – in Japan.
Europe is likely to see the new Legacy at September’s Frankfurt show.
The next Legacy is a crucial car for struggling Subaru; it is the firm’s biggest bread-winner, with its highest margins, so its fortunes will play a key role in the manufacturer’s bid to survive the global recession.

Thanks to: Autocar

The Smart ForTwo is growing – and here’s the picture to prove it! Auto Express has learned that Mercedes is planning to add a pair of rear doors and extra seats to its famous city car.
Doubling the Smart’s carrying capacity to four people, the new variant will give the range some added practicality, letting it compete with an upcoming raft of desirable small cars such as Audi’s A1 and BMW’s Isetta. No name has yet been give to the newcomer, but it’s likely to carry the ForTwo +2 tag, indicating that it’s very much an addition to the ForTwo line-up.
As you can see from this illustration, the new model is near identical to the two-seater, apart from a pair of neatly integrated small rear doors. These reverse-hinged units give access to two individual chairs in the back. Underneath the skin, the car features the same rear-wheel-drive layout as the regular ForTwo with the engine under the boot floor, but with a stretched wheelbase giving extra legroom.
It’s hoped that the new model will be much more of a success than Smart’s last four-seater, the ForFour. A joint venture with Mitsubishi, which also produced the Colt, the ForFour was not popular and canned after only two years.
The ForTwo+2 is still some way off from reaching showrooms, though. It’s not likely to go on sale until 2012 at the earliest – although when it does arrive, there will be a wide range of engines, all featuring start-stop, plus a fully electric model. For more details click here.

Thanks to: Auto Express

Last month we showed you the first photos of the AMG version of Mercedes-Benz' updated CL - the car that will be renamed S-Class Coupe to coincide with the refresh (not unlike the CLK's renaming as E-Class Coupe). Now, our intrepid spy shooters have caught up with the standard S-Class Coupe which appear to love playing in the snow just as much as its sportier brother.

The standard S-Class Coupe receives many of the same changes we've already seen, still remaining a subtle refresh of the current CL design. The headlamps are reshaped and the modified front bumper is given LED daytime driving lights. The grille is slightly reworked and more upright than its predecessor, while out back, full LED taillights have been added. The rear bumper also receives a once-over (though it's heavily camouflaged) and new exhaust pipes round out the external cosmetic changes.

Following Mercedes' current philosophy, it's safe to say that the S-Class Coupe will receive a few mechanical enhancements to boost power while lowering emissions and increasing economy. Along these lines, could we see an S-Coupe 400 BlueHybrid in the near future? Wait and see...

This is the first official picture of the new Kia Sorento SUV, released ahead of the car's expected launch later this year.
The new Kia Sorento is longer and lower than the current model, with a greater emphasis placed on interior space and quality. It also adopts a monocoque design based on the same platform architecture as the Kia Soul, instead of the current model’s body-on-frame chassis.
Kia will also offer an entirely new engine when the Sorento goes on sale after its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September. The new 2.2-litre 185bhp diesel engine will be joined by a lower-powered diesel option and a 2.4-litre petrol unit.

Thanks to: Autocar

This is the next-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK spied testing in Germany far in advance of its debut in showrooms in 2012.
The new SLK will not be a radical departure from the current model; it remains a two-seat, rear-drive roadster with a two-piece folding hard-top. Mercedes has decided against adding two occasional seats in the rear (in the style of the Audi TT) to increase the car’s practicality.
Although this test car is very heavily disguised, it’s easy to see that the biggest change will be to the new SLK’s front end, where the current model’s triangular SLR-style nose will be replaced by a flatter grille more like the SL’s.
LED driving lamps set into the lower half of the front bumper are just visible behind the disguise.

Rumours of a diesel SLK persist. There has been no confirmation from Mercedes that it will build a diesel SLK, but with rivals such as Audi offering diesel in the TT, the Stuttgart firm will have considered it.
And it has the perfect engine for the car: the new 2.2-litre four-cylinder from the E-class and C250, which produces 202bhp and 368b ft of torque. It provides the C250 with a 0-62mph time of 7.0sec, which could be reduced to around 6.0sec in the lighter, smaller SLK.

Thanks to: Autocar

Autocar’s spy photographers have snapped these pics of the new Jaguar XJ.
Jaguar’s radical new executive model is also now just weeks away from being unveiled, Autocar can reveal. The new car will be stripped of its extensive disguise some seven months or so before its scheduled on sale date at the beginning of 2010.
These latest spy shots of the car also show that the Jaguar XJ will have the option of a fully glazed roof. The clear roof and the car’s shallow side windows are reminiscent of the 1992 XJ220 supercar.
Although the new Jaguar XJ is based on the all-aluminium chassis of the current car, it has been completely rethought.
Jaguar design boss Ian Callum is aiming to finally reinvent the company flagship’s styling language some 41 years after the original XJ was launched.
Those who have seen the car describe it as “very long and very low” with a coupe-like roofline. It is also said to be more radical in appearance than the recently launched XF, while the interior will get more in the way of high-tech proximity switches and subtle night-time LED lighting.
Under the bonnet will be the two versions of Jaguar’s new 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel (269bhp and 233bhp) and two versions of the new V8 petrol engine, 377bhp in normally aspirated form and 500bhp in Supercharged R form.

Thanks to: Autocar

Swiss Porsche tuner and prototype car builder Rinspeed has been concocting outlandish concepts at Geneva for some time now and the iChange is one of its most innovative yet. The three-passenger car does just as its name suggests: changes from a sleek one-person speedster into a three-person people mover at the press of a button.
As the efficiency of cars becomes their centerpiece, Rinspeed designed the shape-shifting concept to be energy conserving in all forms. It achieves its best fuel economy and least environmental impact while carrying only the driver. With two more on board, the energy consumption increases, but only for the time they are onboard and strapped in, Rinspeed is quick to point out. The iChange features an aerodynamic optimized exterior and is powered by a zero-emission 150 kW lithium ion charged motor.
At the heart and soul of the iChange is a lithium battery supply capable of being stacked in two different configurations depending on drive distance. The batteries allow for a 220 km/h (137 mph) top speed and can propel the 1050 kg (2310 lbs) concept to 62 mph in just above 4 sec., the coachbuilder claims. A six-speed transmission borrowed from Subaru sends the power to the forged 17-in. front and 18-in. rear wheels.
Take a tour of its exterior and the iChange's uniqueness truly makes its mark. Not only does it appear futuristic, but it actually features a slew of next-generation technologies poised to make it in the mass-produced automotive scene. Solar panels on its roof and flanks provide power to the climate control fans, while at the same time charge the essential battery packs.
No need for clumsy door handles here, the iChange's roof lifts to let in passengers looking for an eco-friendly ride. Keys are a thing of the past too, with everything in this concept controlled via the driver's Apple iPhone. Once inside, occupants will be treated to a Harmon Kardon GreenEdge infotainment experience that's been built to be just as clear, crisp and encompassing as standard audio systems, but of course, at a smaller cost to the environment. Its Intel processor uses less energy and its intelligent navigation directs drivers on a less impactful route. Wool and leather comfort all in this designer cabin space of the future.

Built on the same Voltec platform as the Chevrolet Volt, the Ampera is an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle that will travel up to 60 km (37 mi) on electricity from its battery pack before a gasoline engine kicks on to generate electricity to power the wheels. The battery pack will recharge from a standard 230-volt outlet and is expected to provide more than enough power to allow most European drivers to make their daily commute without the gasoline engine ever starting up. According to GM's research, 80% of German drivers travel less than 50 km per day.

Rather than starting with a concept, Mercedes is blasting straight into the market with the production E-Class coupe which is set make its debut alongside the redesigned E-Class sedan. After its North American debut at the New York auto show in April, it will go on sale in the U.S. in June of this year.
Not a great deal of technical information on the new E-Class coupe or sedan has been made public yet, but one number Benz is making a big deal of when it comes to the coupe is 0.24, its coefficient of drag number that Stuttgart says makes it the most aerodynamically efficient series production vehicle in the world. There are significant styling differences inside and out between the two cars. This is most likely due to the fact that the coupe is not only a variation on the E-Class, but a replacement for the CLK-Class, which is being discontinued.
Starting in the front, the E-Class coupe will stand out with its own grille, featuring fewer, beefier horizontal bars. Gone is the tri-star Mercedes-Benz hood ornament, replaced with a massive tri-star logo in the center of the grille. Down below, the radiator opening in the lower fascia has been slightly revised and is narrower and helps the front end look a bit more aggressive.

Austrian parts supplier and automobile manufacturer Magna Steyr doesn't plan to sell its Mila EV as shown but intends to use the it as a sales piece for its technology expertise.
Magna, which produces the BMW X3 and European-market Chrysler 300C, designed the Mila with flexibility in mind. As a result, the chassis allows for multiple powertrains and drive configurations. In Geneva trim, a 67-hp electric motor powers the four-door hatchback to a range of just below 100 miles. Its lithium-ion battery recharges in just 2.5 hours.

From the Jota editions and Diablo VTs of the 1980s and '90s, to the more recent Gallardo Superleggera, Automobili Lamborghini has a thing for one-upping itself. So when the revised LP 640 Murcielago bowed in 2007, many figured it was only a question of time before an even faster, more powerful variant emerged. That time has come. Behold the Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce -- arguably the meanest, rip-snortin' Italian Bull Sant'Agata has ever produced.
Being unleashed on the world at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, the SuperVeloce (a nod to the brand's historic Sport Veloce or SV badge) is capable of some super velocity, with a claimed 212-mph top speed and 3.2-sec dashes to 62 mph.
If you hadn't already guessed, the 670 in the Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce's name stands for 670 horsepower. To the get those extra 30 ponies, Lamborghini started with a massage of its hand built 60-degree 6.5L V-12. The engine airflow system has been revised, and a thorough optimization of valve timing and travel length was performed. Controlling the synchronized operation of the motor's cylinder banks are a pair of processors keen on sensing when extra cooling and lubrication are needed. A lighter, more robust sounding exhaust system sharply announces each of the 670-hp exotic's six sequential e.gear shifts. As a no-cost option, owners can opt for a six-speed manual gearbox should they desire. Both transmissions utilize a lighter, dry single disc clutch meant for supreme performance when handling the 487 lb-ft of torque sent to all four-wheels.

The Quant is an all-new platform Koenigsegg says will expand its range beyond the CCX and CCXR. Rumor has it that the Quant is in fact a four-seater and if the company sticks to what it knows best, the car will likely be faster and more expensive than its German, Italian and British rivals.
Along with the Quant, Koenigsegg also announced a few changes for the CCX line. Most exciting is a new double-clutch gearbox that can handle up to 811 lb-ft of torque and deliver shifts in about 30 milliseconds. The new, paddle-shifted box is nearly a foot shorter than the current transmission for better weight balance and features a new electronic differential to improve performance and handling.
Also new for the CCX line is an all-in-one touchscreen infotainment system. The new system will control the navigation, stereo, iPod interface, climate controls and Bluetooth connectivity. Even better, it will also display engine power and torque, lap times and other performance metrics, similar to the system in the Nissan GT-R. The system will also allow the driver to change traction control, chassis and paddle-shift systems and will be easy to upgrade.

The No. 3 concept is an MPV vehicle that Kia promises is "fun to drive." We'll have to take a spin before we can take their word.
The styling is interesting; the windshield extends to the back of the car, split only by a diagonal support bar. The nose displays the new "face of Kia," which includes the grille, headlights and badge. We can expect future Kias to have a similar front fascia.