CARSCOOP

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• Future Cars: The All-New 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe
• The Rain in Spain and My Track Day at Bridgestone’s Adrenalin Experience at Ascari
• Two-Ton Diesel-Engined Mantis "Spider" Can Go Where No Wheeled Vehicle Can
• My Selection of the Most Promising Crop of Current Models from Detroit's Big Three
• BMW Asks If You Can Identify the New Model in This Sketch
• Get a Driver's Point of View from Inside the New Aston Martin Vanquish
• BMW 3-Series F30 Art Car by Andy Reiben is an LSD Trip on Wheels!
• Infiniti Boss Says Upcoming Compact Car Targets a "34-year old French Lady Called Pascale"
• Is this Aussie Cop Stoned or is the Driver Being an Asshat?
• Ford Mondeo Goes On sale in China as Europe Awaits Start of Spanish Production
• Scoop: 2015 Porsche Cayenne Facelift Pictured for the First Time
• Chrysler Reportedly Considering 300 V6 Diesel for the U.S.
• Hyundai and Kia Conduct Massive US Recall for 1.9 Million Vehicles
• 2014 Acura RDX starts from $34,520* in the U.S., AWD Option Costs $1,400
• Startup Vehicle Sharing Scheme Buys 100 Tesla Model S EVs
• Toyota's April 1st Return to F1 with Lexus Keeping the Foolery Alive?
• Lada Niva Gets in a Wet and Sticky Situation
• New Nissan Friend-ME Concept Made with the Help of Chinese Designers
• Nissan Altima Outsells Camry in March as US Auto Industry Approaches Pre-Recession Levels
• Porsche Panamera Facelift Gets New LWB, 410HP Turbo V6 and Plug-in Hybrid Variants [w/Video]
• Vilner Redoes Interior of Mercedes-Benz SL R230 From Top to Bottom
• VW Adds Extra Equipment and New R-Line Style Trim to Polo Range in the UK
• Skoda Reveals Updated Superb and Superb Combi Models

Future Cars: The All-New 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe Posted: 03 Apr 2013 06:53 PM PDT We have great news! Yes, for those if you who like to be seen driving an automotive symbol of superiority to their local yacht club, golf course or boulevard, Mercedes-Benz is prepping its latest chapter of luxurious transport - the 2015 S-Class Coupe. Now I have to admit past large Mercedes coupes have never really grabbed my attention (well apart from the glorious CL 65 AMG), yet they have always looked nice in a vanilla sense. However, in recent spy-shots, Mercedes-Benz has managed to capture my attention in what appears to be a compelling piece of rolling sculpture. So rather than showing an image full of black and white circles on a prototype vehicle, I've rendered something far more visually stimulating for our readers below. Read more »

The Rain in Spain and My Track Day at Bridgestone’s Adrenalin Experience at Ascari Posted: 03 Apr 2013 06:16 PM PDT This most definitely is my winter of discontent. Never mind the calendar shows we're nearing the end of March. I'm in southern Spain and the weathermen forecast warm and sunny weather. They very nearly nailed it, too: it's only 10-15 degrees colder than they said it would be and the sun is nowhere to be seen. Rain, on the other hand, is omnipresent. That greenhouse effect has messed up the seasons but of all the days in the year and all the places in the world, why here and why during this event? "Here" being the Ascari Race Resort in the mountains above Marbella, an hour drive from the beach, and the "event", Bridgestone launching its new Adrenalin Potenza RE002 tire at said venue. Read more »

Two-Ton Diesel-Engined Mantis "Spider" Can Go Where No Wheeled Vehicle Can Posted: 03 Apr 2013 04:50 PM PDT Meet the Mantis, the world's largest hexapod robot in the world. It took Micromagic Systems and its founder/chief designer Matt Denton four years to design and build the walking robot that is big enough to carry a human passenger. The all-terrain robot weighs 1,900 kg (4,188 lbs), is 2.8 meters (9.18 ft) tall and is powered by a 50hp Perkins 2.2-liter turbo diesel engine which sets the hydraulics into motion. It's fitted with a series of sensors that help it walk, with its movements being controlled by a Linux PC running the HexEngine software that coordinates the 18 hydraulic actuator in its legs. Read more »

My Selection of the Most Promising Crop of Current Models from Detroit's Big Three Posted: 03 Apr 2013 04:03 PM PDT The US automotive industry used to represent so much more than just the Big Three, which are no longer automakers in the romantic sense, but multinational corporations that make cars. In my view, the American automotive industry sector was at its peak in the 1930s, and then it slowly faded into a mentality of bigger is better in the 1970s. By the year 2008, the remaining three major forces admitted defeat and it was only thanks to Obama's controversial bailout scheme that they are still here today. Now, while in the 1990s, and even up until 2008, many American cars were for the most part mediocre when compared to the standard set by the Japanese and Europeans, they now seem to be making a worthy comeback, with models which would appeal to any potential car buyer in the world as genuinely enticing propositions. However, don't mistake this for a buying guide, because it's not – it is my selection of promising American cars. Read more »

BMW Asks If You Can Identify the New Model in This Sketch Posted: 03 Apr 2013 04:21 PM PDT When they're not blasting us with covered up or smoked teasers of future models on their social media sites, automakers and their respective marketing agencies tend to get interactive with viewers. Such is the case with BMW and this sketch of one of its new / upcoming models, which was shared on the Bavarian brand's German FaceBook page with the following question in its native language: "Welcher BMW ist hier in einer frühen Design-Skizze zu sehen?", which Google translates to, "Which BMW is seen here in an early design sketch?". Read more »

Get a Driver's Point of View from Inside the New Aston Martin Vanquish Posted: 03 Apr 2013 02:31 PM PDT Car reviews are a great way for potential car buyers to get informed about the vehicle they're planning to purchase, by reading the opinions of road test editors. However, one is often left wondering if the information presented (either text or video) is simply an interpretation – one person's view, and therefore it cannot be considered fully accurate. So, why not have driver's eye footage of the car being driven, with no commentary, and just try to see what it's like? Sure, it's not ideal, but then neither are classic reviews or actually going to all the trouble to get to drive something really expensive, like the latest Aston Martin Vanquish. Read more »

BMW 3-Series F30 Art Car by Andy Reiben is an LSD Trip on Wheels! Posted: 03 Apr 2013 01:59 PM PDT As far as the matter of turning a car into art goes, those who argue against it say art cannot serve any other purposes aside from being what it is. So what should we make of cars such as this hand-painted F-30 BMW 3-Series? Well, all we know is that its graphic designs are extremely detailed and some parts even glow in the dark – that's got to count for something… Read more »

Infiniti Boss Says Upcoming Compact Car Targets a "34-year old French Lady Called Pascale" Posted: 03 Apr 2013 01:34 PM PDT The importance of marketing in the automotive industry has grown to such an extent that it is now involved in the very first stages of development of new cars. This explains why carmakers have begun creating a biography for a single target buyer even before starting to develop a model car. Take for instance Nissan's luxury subsidiary Infiniti, which already knows everything about the people who will be buying its upcoming compact model, loosely inspired by the Etherea concept (shown in the pictures) and due to appear in 2015. Read more »

Is this Aussie Cop Stoned or is the Driver Being an Asshat? Posted: 03 Apr 2013 01:03 PM PDT Usually, it's easy to tell from a surveillance or regular camera footage when police officers are joking around, doing their job right, or when they're at fault. Naturally, there are instances where the line is blurred – like the case of this cop chasing a motorcyclist in Prague, which brings us to this video shot in Mildura, Australia. An Australian cop pulled over the driver of a small people-carrier for what we assume to be a routine traffic stop. Once he approaches the van, the driver, who goes under the YouTube nickname "jnicolaci", asks the officer if he's "stoned" and says "look at your eyes", all while filming the incident. Read more »

Ford Mondeo Goes On sale in China as Europe Awaits Start of Spanish Production Posted: 03 Apr 2013 01:34 PM PDT Ever since its first generation, the Ford Mondeo has always been a mid-sized sedan designed for the European buyer. The first two iterations of the car were competent, but rather mediocre in many respects, including looks and driving dynamics, but once the third generation was launched, it all changed for the better. Read more »

Scoop: 2015 Porsche Cayenne Facelift Pictured for the First Time Posted: 03 Apr 2013 11:28 AM PDT As it turns out, the Panamera is not the only Porsche model that's been on the market longer than the new 911 that's being prepped for a facelift. Shortly after Stuttgart made the 2014 Panamera official today, our spies sent these shots of a very lightly camouflaged Cayenne prototype with some mild cosmetic tweaks. Read more »

Chrysler Reportedly Considering 300 V6 Diesel for the U.S. Posted: 03 Apr 2013 11:07 AM PDT With German automakers strengthening their diesel lineups in the United States, Chrysler is also considering adding an oil-burner to its U.S.-spec 300 sedan. Sourcing the engine wouldn't be a problem, as the European version of the Chrysler 300, the Lancia Thema, is already available with a diesel unit as is the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee. Read more »

Hyundai and Kia Conduct Massive US Recall for 1.9 Million Vehicles Posted: 03 Apr 2013 10:44 AM PDT Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia have announced a very large-scale recall, which affects a total of 1.9 million vehicles in the United States. Of the total figure, 1.06 million of the recalled vehicles are Hyundais, while Kia has called back some 623,000 cars in total, all of which share the same electronic problems. Read more »

2014 Acura RDX starts from $34,520* in the U.S., AWD Option Costs $1,400 Posted: 03 Apr 2013 10:08 AM PDT The 2014 model year Acura RDX goes on sale today with a manufacturer's suggested retail price starting at $34,520 (€26,860), excluding a destination charge of $895 (*), or an increase of $200 over last year's model. The luxury SUV features a 273-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system, which is available as a $1,400 option. Read more »

Startup Vehicle Sharing Scheme Buys 100 Tesla Model S EVs Posted: 03 Apr 2013 09:32 AM PDT The Tesla Model S, and especially the 85 kWh battery pack version, is very close to being a no-compromise EV. There are even some performance cars out there, with conventional gasoline engines, which have less range than it has, due to the installation of very small gas tanks – the idea is that this is all relative information, and it depends a great deal on how a vehicle is used. Still the Model S is an expensive car, and it is out of the reach of many consumers. Now, though, drivers in Las Vegas will have a chance to drive one of 100 that have just been ordered from Tesla, by startup vehicle sharing company Downtown Project. Read more »

Toyota's April 1st Return to F1 with Lexus Keeping the Foolery Alive? Posted: 03 Apr 2013 08:57 AM PDT One thing you should know about April Fool's Day hoaxes, is to always check out the date of reports in the following days to make sure you don't fall victim to a false story, as not all sites are clear about that. The story on the return of Toyota to F1 under the Lexus banner from the crew at the ClubLexus is one such example, as there may not be a date on the landing page, but if you check out the comments and head to the news homepage, you'll see the date: April 1, 2013. Read more »

Lada Niva Gets in a Wet and Sticky Situation Posted: 03 Apr 2013 08:13 AM PDT As the temperatures warm up and the snow begins to melt in the northern hemisphere, it's time for youngsters to enjoy nature's beauty. For this group, it means heading to a river and trying out their off-road vehicles, perhaps more to impress their female friends than anything else. Read more »

New Nissan Friend-ME Concept Made with the Help of Chinese Designers Posted: 03 Apr 2013 07:34 AM PDT Nissan's booth at the Auto China 2013 in Shanghai will include the brand's first concept car developed with key input from Chinese designers. Called the "Friend-ME", the study has been shaped with the help of Chinese designers working at Nissan Design China in Beijing. Nissan says local designers were fully engaged in the design as well as the development process of the Friend-ME. Read more »

Nissan Altima Outsells Camry in March as US Auto Industry Approaches Pre-Recession Levels Posted: 03 Apr 2013 07:02 AM PDT The month of March brings with it a new monthly sales leader in the most hotly-contested segment in the US, the mid-sized sedan category, in the form of a the 2013 Nissan Altima, which for the first time in 17 months, has outsold the Toyota Camry. The first managed to sell 37,763, while the second sold just 100 units less. This is due to Camry sales that are around 12 percent lower than the numbers recorded in 2012, while sales of the Altima are also down, but only by 8 percent. Following the two segment leaders, we have the Honda Accord and the Ford Fusion, the sales of which have increased in March by 36 and 6 percent, respectively. Read more »

Porsche Panamera Facelift Gets New LWB, 410HP Turbo V6 and Plug-in Hybrid Variants [w/Video] Posted: 03 Apr 2013 06:20 AM PDT Following yesterday's leaked photos, Porsche dropped official images and information about its refreshed 2014 Panamera range. Leaving aside the light cosmetic tweaks shown in the photos, the 2014 Panamera's big changes are the addition of an S E-Hybrid plug-in model developing 410hp (416PS), the debut of two Executive versions that come with an extended wheelbase (+150mm or 5.9 in.) and the launch of an entirely new 3.0-liter biturbo V6 engine for the Panamera S and 4S models. Read more »

Vilner Redoes Interior of Mercedes-Benz SL R230 From Top to Bottom Posted: 03 Apr 2013 05:51 AM PDT In yet another Mercedes-Benz project, Bulgarian tuning house has put its hands on the interior of a previous generation SL roadster (codenamed R230). Vilner says it's one of the brand's "bravest projects", and it's not hard to see why in these pictures. Read more »

VW Adds Extra Equipment and New R-Line Style Trim to Polo Range in the UK Posted: 03 Apr 2013 05:17 AM PDT When automakers present new models, more often than not, the cars sell themselves, but as the years go by and the initial enthusiasm wears down, they have two basic options to boost sales: perform a facelift or make changes to equipment and trim levels. For the VW Polo Mk5 that has been in the market in its current form since 2009, it's about time for a refresh, but for now, VW is opting for the second approach with the addition of extra equipment and the introduction of a new R-Line Style model in the UK. Read more »

Skoda Reveals Updated Superb and Superb Combi Models Posted: 03 Apr 2013 04:48 AM PDT The Superb, just like all other current Skoda models, represents very good value for money. You get a car which is almost the same size as an Audi A6, but only costs about as much as a Volkswagen Passat. However, that is only part of the car's appeal, and now with a refresh for the 2014 model-year, the Superb has been sharpened up. Read more »

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