CARSCOOP |  |
- First Official Photos of Thinly Facelifted 2014 Lexus CT 200h
- Texas Woman Drives Kia Rondo on Highway with Flat Tire on Fire
- Reports Raises Possibility of Cadillac ATS-V with 3.2-Liter V6 Turbo Related to Alfa's 3.2L
- Ken Block’s Need For Speed Gymkhana Six is as Crazy as Always
- The Imaginary Citroen DS-Porsche 911 Hybrid
- Five, Five-Second, Five-Second Long Nissan GT-R Teaser May Preview Nismo Edition 'Ring Run
- Building Custom Muscle Cars Has to Be One of the Best Ways to Make a Living [w/Video]
- 2015 Subaru WRX: Could This Be It?
- Eleven Bikers Indicted in New York Range Rover Incident; One Is An Undercover Cop
- Posh California Town Wants Tesla Model S Police Cars Patroling Its Streets
- Footballer Andre Wisdom Abandons Porsche in Mud Pit after Getting Lost on His Way to a Match
- Sow and Tell: Vilner Revitalizes a 1976 Corvette Sting Ray
- Rolls-Royce Phantom Won't Get a Replacement before 2020, Says Report
- Ron Burgundy Returns for a Fresh Batch of Funny Dodge Commercials
- VW’s Ducati-Powered XL1 May Debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show
- RIP FPV: Ford Australia Axes Performance Arm, Brings Back Falcon XR8, but Not For Long
- More Gold Digger Pranks, This Time with Old Celica and New Maserati
- Say Again? New Nissan Skyline Wears Infiniti Emblems, But Remains a Nissan in Japan
- Honda Confirms New FCEV Concept, Says it Hints at 2015 Production Model
- Clash of the Titans: Nissan GT-R Goliath by Switzer vs GT-R Alpha 12+ by AMS
- Mini Teases Next Gen Hatch in New Video
- Scoop: 2015 Jaguar XJ on its Way to the Plastic Surgeon
- New Nissan Qashqai Loses Two Doors in Rendering-Land
- Motorcyclist Fails to See Light But Makes Remarkable Saves
- It's Official: Subaru Teases All-New WRX Ahead of LA Auto Show World Premiere
| First Official Photos of Thinly Facelifted 2014 Lexus CT 200h Posted: 11 Nov 2013 07:49 PM PST  After our spies nabbed a completely naked example of the 2014 Lexus CT 200h in F-Sport trim earlier this month, we had a pretty good idea of what the Japanese brand had in store for the entire range, so these first official shots of the regular model will come as no surprise to anyone following the news. As with the F-Sport model, the plain CT 200h has been updated with a new Lexus "spindle grille" featuring a wider lower opening on the revised front bumper, together with newly designed alloy wheels and a restyled rear bumper that does away with the vertical contours on the corners. Lexus said that the 2014 CT 200h's world premiere will take place at the 2013 Guangzhou Motor Show in China on November 21, where it will release all details on its revised compact hybrid hatch.            |
| Texas Woman Drives Kia Rondo on Highway with Flat Tire on Fire Posted: 11 Nov 2013 05:52 PM PST  Smoking hot, you say? Well, yes, but literally, not metaphorically… You see, YouTube author Miguel Alvarez and his buddy noticed a Kia Rondo on Interstate 635 in Garland Texas with smoke and fire coming out under the front wheel arch on the driver's side. As the two men approached the Korean minivan, they immediately saw what had happened: the lady behind the wheel, who had her safety signals on, was apparently aware that something was wrong with the car, but hadn't noticed that the flat tire had actually turned into a rolling ball of fire… Who knows, maybe she thought her car was fitted with run-flats or she believed she could make it to the next exit with a busted tire. Feel free to watch the video, which for the record, was filmed in May last year, right past the break.    |
| Reports Raises Possibility of Cadillac ATS-V with 3.2-Liter V6 Turbo Related to Alfa's 3.2L Posted: 11 Nov 2013 04:44 PM PST  Everybody is praising the driving dynamics of the Cadillac ATS and CTS sedans, and while the latter already has a sporty version that puts its chassis to the test, the former doesn't yet, and speculation as to what might power it continues. To us, it would seem natural for GM to give the sportier ATS the same 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 as you get in the CTS Vsport, an engine that makes 420 hp, and could probably be tuned to give the smaller sedan/coupe BMW M3/M4 rivaling horsepower figures. Now, a report uploaded by Automobile suggests that this may very well not be the case, and while the ATS-V would still get its power from a twin-force-fed V6, it would be a different one of smaller displacement – a new 3.2-liter unit derived from the same basic architecture that also stood as the basis for Alfa Romeo's 3.2 JTS motor. Apparently, the displacement change is justified in order to allow for its tuning upwards of 500 hp, seriously surpassing what BMW plans to offer. If you ask me, this seems a bit unlikely and not very realistic, but since they are mere rumors, we won't comment on their accuracy just yet. By Andrei Nedelea Photo Renderings Copyright: Carscoops / Josh Byrnes        |
| Ken Block’s Need For Speed Gymkhana Six is as Crazy as Always Posted: 11 Nov 2013 04:37 PM PST  The wait is over for fans of Ken Block's Gymkhana videos, as the rally driver and Need for Speed have just released the sixth installment of the series. For the new video, Ken Block wanted the ultimate Gymkhana Grid course, a real-life playground including elements from the Need for Speed Rivals racing game and interesting obstacles. The video is full of awesome driving stunts, like drifting around two moving Lamborghini Aventadors and two moving Segways ridden by videogame-themed Redview County cops, as well as avoiding a moving wrecking ball, among others. Block used a 2013 Ford Fiesta ST RX43 racecar for the job, an all-wheel drive little monster with 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft (880 Nm) of torque. So, without further ado, scroll down to watch as he executes multiple jumps and drifts on the Gymkhana Grid course - and remember that, even though he makes all the stunts look easy, it doesn't mean you can do it too with your 60hp Fiesta… By Dan Mihalascu    |
| The Imaginary Citroen DS-Porsche 911 Hybrid Posted: 11 Nov 2013 03:50 PM PST  The Citroen DS is a very nice classic car, that really needs no introduction, wherever you may live and whatever culture may have formed your background. The same applies for the (classic) Porsche 911, though it has now become a much more mainstream name, ever since the brand expanded in the last decades. Both are timeless classics, with unique appeal, but it seems that some think it's a good idea to take the two cars and create one very weird hybrid. In fact, BrandPower claims a prototype has already been built and show us a bunch of photos of which none look real. They say it has a rear-mounted three-liter air-cooled engine, probably from a late 1970s/ early 1980s 911, but it would really be hard to mount in the back of the DS, even with the claimed pushing forward of the rear bench seat. I can't obviously say for sure that it's not possible at all, but it seems highly unlikely to work in the stated fashion. Topping off the deep feeling of doubt I have about this project, are their claims to have –wait for it- taken asked German Chancellor Angela Merkel to go for a ride in it, as well as the French president Francois Hollande who apparently accepted the invitation to be chauffeured around Hockenheim in it. Oh and that magazine cover they provided is so fake I don't even know where to begin with it. Check out the photos below, as well as an actual successful attempt at putting a bigger motor in the DS. It may very well be an odd yet interesting design/mechanical proposal, but a real car it certainly is not. By Andrei Nedelea Story References: Designboom via Autoblog , Jalopnik               |
| Five, Five-Second, Five-Second Long Nissan GT-R Teaser May Preview Nismo Edition 'Ring Run Posted: 11 Nov 2013 03:25 PM PST  Before we tell about this very short teaser from Nissan, give us one second to explain to those of you wondering about the title of this piece that it plays around with the "five-dollar foot long" commercial. Now, to our subject: Nissan has released a five-second teaser aptly dubbed "1", which shows the GT-R emblem and a Google map zoom on the Nürburgring racetrack. Being that we know from Nissan that it will present the Nismo Edition flagship version of the GT-R series at next week's Tokyo Motor Show, our first guess is that the Japanese automaker has managed a record-worthy lap time around the 'Ring and that it will soon be sharing the video of the feat with the rest of the world. If you have a different explanation, tell us in the comments.    |
| Building Custom Muscle Cars Has to Be One of the Best Ways to Make a Living [w/Video] Posted: 11 Nov 2013 03:01 PM PST  Brothers Mike and Jim Ring from Spring Green, Wisconsin, have been building custom cars together since 1994 and managed to make a name for themselves ever since due to the quality of their work. Many people believe they have what it takes to customize cars, but only a few do it right. Ringbrothers is one of these companies, and the two men owe their success to hard work, burning passion and an obsession for details. Petrolicious paid the two brothers a visit to learn their story and to find out how their stunning muscle car creations are born. The philosophy behind their tunes is simple: they modify a car to look like they think it should have been built in the first place. However, in order to do that, one must pay a lot of attention to details and the little things that make a car stand out. Judging from the two muscle cars featured in the video, the 1965 Ford Mustang "Producer" and the 1964 Ford Fairlane "Afterburner", it looks like they get it right most of the time. By Dan Mihalascu    |
| 2015 Subaru WRX: Could This Be It? Posted: 11 Nov 2013 02:35 PM PST  Not too long after Subaru told the world that it would slash the wraps off a new generation WRX at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week, two photos purportedly showing the U.S. version of the performance sedan in its final form appeared on a number of forums before hitting websites like Jalopnik, Road&Track and even our own comments section. While we're not entirely convinced about the authenticity of the images seen here, we will say that the front end perfectly matches all the details show in Subaru's official teaser of the 2015 WRX. We're expecting to learn more and perhaps see more revealing photos of the WRX in the coming days leading to the LA debut. Thanks to Perscitus for heads up! ![WRX US spec teaser low[3]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-i3oIDR1SRmM/UoFamwIyqhI/AAAAAAAO91I/FJK5p6v2FEM/s1600-h/WRX%252520US%252520spec%252520teaser%252520low%25255B3%25255D%25255B6%25255D.jpg "WRX US spec teaser low[3]") ![WRX US spec teaser low[2]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oW7AA3cgSEA/UoFapbnWn3I/AAAAAAAO91Y/EuKQkwYnyb8/s1600-h/WRX%252520US%252520spec%252520teaser%252520low%25255B2%25255D%25255B6%25255D.jpg "WRX US spec teaser low[2]") ![WRX US spec teaser low[1]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ojeFi0agfag/UoFarXNTaHI/AAAAAAAO91o/gON4CE84_yI/s1600-h/WRX%252520US%252520spec%252520teaser%252520low%25255B1%25255D%25255B6%25255D.jpg "WRX US spec teaser low[1]")    |
| Eleven Bikers Indicted in New York Range Rover Incident; One Is An Undercover Cop Posted: 11 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST  It was probably hard to miss one of the posts we made about the NY incident involving a group/gang of bikers and the driver of a black Range Rover who, at the time, was traveling with his family in the car. The bikers proceeded to chase the man, who even ran one of their own down in an attempt to escape the angry mob. PIX11 now tells us that the case has moved on, and this past Friday, the Manhattan DA's Office announced a fourteen-count indictment for the 11 bikers that actively participated in showing violence towards the SUV (and its occupants). The article also brings to focus the fact that an NYPD undercover officer, 32-year-old Wojciech Braszczok, also took part in the altercation – he now faces accusations of first degree assault, rioting and coercion. Apparently, if he is found guilty and convicted, he could be looking at spending up to twenty-five years in jail. Finally, there is word of an unreleased video that may soon become available, one that would apparently clear one of the accused, Allen Edwards. He is allegedly the one banging on the Range's rear side window, though both he and his attorney are apparently stating that the exact opposite happened, and he was actually trying to get the others to stop what they were doing. This doesn't sound like it's anywhere near over to us. We will report as information surfaces. By Andrei Nedelea    |
| Posh California Town Wants Tesla Model S Police Cars Patroling Its Streets Posted: 11 Nov 2013 01:35 PM PST  Have you ever thought about what a Tesla Model S police car would be like, all dressed in police livery, with part of the 17-inch touchscreen obscured by a rack holding two shotguns? It would definitely be a cool sight, as well as theoretically being a very effective chase vehicle with the kind of performance we know it's capable of. MotorAuthority reports that the manager of the tiny yet posh Silicon Valley town of Atherton, Mr. George Rodericks, recently stated that he'd seriously "love to see" these fast EVs used for the local police duty, in an interview for the San Jose Mercury News. If this strikes you as a bit odd, then we need only mention the fact that the average house value there is $6.7 million, and it's a place where the Model S is a common sight. Apparently, there's data to show that the all-electric sedan has a 15 percent market share of new cars sold in the town… This is partly down to the inhabitants being wealthy, but also the local pride associated with the cars being developed and built in California. Regardless of the mushy substrate, it would be cool if this idea went through and turned real, and there are many qualities that the Model S has that would make it suitable for police duty By Andrei Nedelea            |
| Footballer Andre Wisdom Abandons Porsche in Mud Pit after Getting Lost on His Way to a Match Posted: 11 Nov 2013 01:09 PM PST  We've all heard stories of people blindingly following their GPS navigation systems only to end up in embarrassing or even dangerous situations. This is one of those stories; except it involves a celebrity whose name is Andre...Wisdom. A proud owner of a £100,000 Porsche Panamera Turbo, the Liverpool FC footballer, who has recently been offered on loan to Derby County, was stuck in a mud puddle after a satnav error landed him in it! Since he was driving to a home match he had to play in, Wisdom abandoned the car and called people from his club, who rushed to pick him up and transferred him to the stadium just in time for the game against Sheffield Wednesday. Wisdom's car was later spotted by a mountain biker in the middle of remote woods. The man couldn't explain how the Porsche ended up there. "It's mind boggling how it got there – it's miles from anywhere," he told The Mirror. Wisdom was reportedly driving on the outskirts of Derby when he lost his way. "Andre visited a shop on the way to the game against Sheffield Wednesday and, being new to the area, he programmed the stadium's postcode into his satnav," said a club spokesman. "The route provided took him down a less than traditional road, where conditions were poor," he added. As this happened in Shakespeare's country, let's just say all's well that ends well. Wisdom helped his team to a 3-0 win, and he recovered his car that evening. However, it may need some repairs after the off-road incursion. How about a Cayenne, Mr. Wisdom? Story References: Twitter, MirrorBy Dan Mihalascu 
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| Sow and Tell: Vilner Revitalizes a 1976 Corvette Sting Ray Posted: 11 Nov 2013 12:45 PM PST  A third generation Corvette Sting Ray from 1976 is the latest project completed by Bulgarian studio Vilner. The local owner of the classic American muscle car ordered an interior and exterior makeover, as well as some performance upgrades. Beginning with the latter, the C3's 5.7-liter V8 was enhanced with an array of parts from Edelbrock Performance, including new head, shafts and two twin carburetors. While the car hasn't been dyno-tested yet, Vilner expects the V8 to push out some 300-horsepower. For the exterior, the Corvette was painted in a new pearl brown shade, while also receiving new LED tail lamps, LED daytime running lights, and LED turning indicators, along with a vintage suitcase made of camel leather that resides on the original chrome-plated boot rack. Inside, Vilner re-did the entire interior in a combination of different leathers in beige and dark brown, accented with contrasting stitching (even the steering wheel stalks are dressed in stitched leather…). In addition, all wood veneer trims were replaced by inserts made of Corian material, while the design and lighting of the instrument panel gauges are also new.                                  |
| Rolls-Royce Phantom Won't Get a Replacement before 2020, Says Report Posted: 11 Nov 2013 12:19 PM PST  Launched in 2003, Rolls-Royce's flagship model, the Phantom, received its first facelift last year. That should be enough for a few more years, as the BMW-owned luxury car manufacturer doesn't plan to offer a redesigned Phantom until around 2020. The 2012 update brought improvements like subtle styling tweaks, updated electronics and an eight-speed automatic transmission with a new rear differential, and these will probably be the last major changes before a new generation model appears, given the extended period between the Phantom's introduction and mid-cycle facelift. Leftlanenews has learned from Richard Carter, director of Rolls-Royce Global Communications, that the Phantom has a planned lifecycle of 17 years. That's way more than the "life expectancy" of an average car (8-10 years), but then again, the Phantom is anything but average. Carter said that when a customer pays $500,000 for a new Phantom, he or she doesn't want the car to be outdated in just a few years' time. Therefore, if you have a Phantom, don't worry, you still have 6-7 years before it's replaced and you may want to think about trading it in for the new model. The next-generation Phantom is a mystery so far, but rumor has it that the Phantom family may switch to a platform derived from the BMW 7-Series, just like the Ghost. By Dan Mihalascu              |
| Ron Burgundy Returns for a Fresh Batch of Funny Dodge Commercials Posted: 11 Nov 2013 11:59 AM PST  If you liked last month's Dodge ads featuring fictional news presenter from the 1970s, Ron Burgundy, then you'll be glad to know that new spots have surfaced. Apparently, Dodge and Will Ferrell filmed around 70 commercials, many of which are the product of the comedian's improvising genius. You'll notice that while some commercials start in an identical manner, they have different endings, as Ferrell improvised on the spot. The ads were shot over two days in Los Angeles in August and serve to promote not only the Dodge Durango SUV, but also Ferrell's movie "Anchorman 2, The Legend Continues". A sequel to 2004's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy", the movie premieres in the U.S. on December 20. Until then, you can get more of Burgundy's humour by watching the new Dodge ads posted below in which you'll notice some sequels to the Durango commercial featuring the horse and to the one where Burgundy doesn't know how to pronounce MPGs. By Andrei Nedelea    |
| VW’s Ducati-Powered XL1 May Debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show Posted: 11 Nov 2013 11:01 AM PST  Remember our previous report about the Ducati-powered XL1? Well, like all projects initiated, approved or touched by Ferdinand Piech, it will materialize. According to high-ranking insiders from the VW Group, the performance-version of the XL1 will likely be called the XLR and will feature a two-cylinder petrol engine from the Ducati 1199 Panigale superbike. VW's head of R&D, Hans-Jakob Neusser, told Autocar that engineering, development and testing of the Ducati-engined XL1 is well underway. "Yes, we are working on it internally. It is a very special project," Neusser said. Although he declined to confirm when the new car would be revealed, chances are it could debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, possibly followed by a small production run. While the VW XL1 features a rear-mounted plug-in diesel-electric hybrid powertrain developing 68hp and 139 Nm (103 lb-ft) of torque, the XLR will ditch the diesel for a high-revving 1.2-liter two-cylinder petrol engine which on the Ducati 1199 Panigale bike develops 187 hp at 10,750 rpm and 123 Nm (91 lb-ft) of torque at 9,000 rpm. Piech previewed the XLR at the end of September during a lecture at the Vienna University of Technology. The executive said the Ducati-powered car will be lighter than the XL1 and will probably lose the covered rear wheel design. With or without it, let's hope VW decides to build the XLR and maybe price it lower than the XL1 - if that's not too much trouble... By Dan Mihalascu         |
| RIP FPV: Ford Australia Axes Performance Arm, Brings Back Falcon XR8, but Not For Long Posted: 11 Nov 2013 10:28 AM PST  After pre-announcing the death of its Australian manufacturing operations and consequently, the Falcon series in 2016 earlier this year, Ford's local arm is now winding down its Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) division, which was born in 2003 to compete against Holden's rivaling HSV sub-brand. The Blue Oval said that FPV will be shut down in late 2014. It what will undoubtedly be a small comfort to fans of the brand since the Falcon will be axed in 2016, Ford said it would re-introduce the Falcon XR8 to its lineup next year. No details have been released, but it is reasonable to believe that the new Falcon XR8 will use the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine found in the FPV GT, in which it delivers 335kW (476hp or 483PS) at 5,750rpm and maximum torque of 570Nm (420 lb-ft) from 2,200-5,500rpm. You can read FPV's official statement on the matter below: [From FPV] "As a loyal Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) fan, we want to inform you directly that late 2014 will mark the end of a celebrated era as we retire the FPV brand. The retirement of the FPV brand will make way for the return of the Falcon XR8 sedan to the Falcon line-up. We are excited about the return of the XR8 as we have received a large number of requests to bring it back. We have a wonderful history going back 12 years as FPV, and of course many years before that in our performance relationship with Tickford. You have been a part of this journey, this history and we thank you for your loyalty and support in making the FPV models and engines celebrated successes. We will stand behind you and your FPV, offering service, parts and technical support for many years to come. We understand that this news may not be what you have wanted to hear. However, be assured that we have planned a series of actions during 2014 to ensure the final FPV models' iconic status is appropriately celebrated. We look forward to sharing more details of those plans next year. We thank you for your support of FPV."
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| More Gold Digger Pranks, This Time with Old Celica and New Maserati Posted: 11 Nov 2013 09:58 AM PST  From the same people that brought us the Lamborghini gold digger prank comes a similar prank, this time with a slightly different scenario. Again, the purpose of this new video is to find out whether some women are influenced by cars men drive. Will the driver prevail over the car he is driving or will it be the other way around? Like in the case of previous videos of this kind, we don't know whether the victim knows what's going to happen or if the whole thing is staged for YouTube hits, but we're going to show it anyway so that you decide whether it's a fake or not. The target is a girl waiting at a bus stop, who finds herself faced with two pick-up attempts - one from a guy in a second-generation Toyota Celica (A40) from the late 1970s - early 1980s, and the other from a driver in a Maserati GranCabrio. Both men offer to give her a ride, but which one do you think she chooses? Scroll down to watch the video and find out. By Dan Mihalascu    |
| Say Again? New Nissan Skyline Wears Infiniti Emblems, But Remains a Nissan in Japan Posted: 11 Nov 2013 09:28 AM PST  The usually well-informed on local business matters Japanese business daily Nikkei, reported last month that Nissan would launch the Infiniti brand in the country with the Q50, the predecessors of which, were sold as the Nissan Skyline, leaving questions about the fate of the latter. It turns out that, in a twisted way, the report was partially right, and we say this because the company today unveiled the new Nissan Skyline with…Infiniti badges, and we quote two passages from the official release so you can better understand the confusion: "Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the launch of the all-new Skyline, which goes on sale late February 2014 at Nissan dealers throughout Japan." "Offering unprecedented driving pleasure, its sensuous design, advanced technology and performance will be new benchmarks for luxury models. What supports these are Nissan's great technology strength and expertise in design gained by the development of Nissan Motor Company's world-class premium brand, Infiniti. As its proof, the new Skyline carries Infiniti badge." So, in other words, Nissan has presented the car that the rest of the world has come to know as the new Infiniti Q50, as the new Nissan Skyline in Japan, but instead of wearing Nissan's logos, it uses Infiniti emblems. We're guessing that Nissan didn't want to suddenly kill the Skyline nameplate so it chose the rather strange, and frankly, quite confusing solution of quietly introducing the Infiniti nameplate in its home market before making its next move. Other than the white turning signals up front, the replacement of the "Infiniti" moniker on the boot lid trim with the "Skyline" name, and the absence of the Infiniti logo on the trunk, there's nothing else different about the looks of the Japanese market Nissan Skyline with the global Infiniti Q50. At launch, the new Skyline will be offered exclusively in a hybrid variant dubbed 350GT, which pairs a 296hp 3.5-liter V6 to a 50 kW motor and compact lithium ion battery, with a system output of 354 horsepower. It will be available in both RWD and AWD variants. Prices in Japan will range from 4,496,100 yen to 5,537,700 yen ($45,300 to $55,800) including consumption tax. Nissan noted that the previous generation V36 Skyline will continue to be sold in three grades, 250 GT, 250 Type S and 250GT FOUR.                                                         |
| Honda Confirms New FCEV Concept, Says it Hints at 2015 Production Model Posted: 11 Nov 2013 08:50 AM PST  We're always skeptical when carmakers debut or tease futuristic and sometimes cool looking concept cars, suggesting that they provide an insight to upcoming production models, only to disappoint when the time comes to present a realistic vehicle for sale. Honda's latest announcement for the world premiere of a new concept named FCEV at the LA Auto Show later this month, which it says, "hints at futuristic and aerodynamic design of next-generation fuel-cell electric vehicle launching in 2015," is no different. The Japanese automaker offered no additional information about the FCEV concept, the production version of which will compete with Toyota's upcoming hydrogen-powered FCV, also teased through a series of studies. "The Honda FCEV Concept demonstrates the company's vision for the future of personal mobility and our commitment to developing advanced alternative fuel vehicles," commented Mike Accavitti, senior vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "As we work toward the introduction of our next-generation fuel-cell vehicle in 2015, our long-term experience with fuel-cell technologies will help us pave a way towards a zero-emissions future." Together with the FCEV, Honda will also host the full reveal of the facelifted 2014 Civic Coupe in LA, after partially detailing the car at SEMA last week.
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| Clash of the Titans: Nissan GT-R Goliath by Switzer vs GT-R Alpha 12+ by AMS Posted: 11 Nov 2013 08:29 AM PST  Two of the most powerful and fastest Nissan GT-R R35s tunes in the world clashed together at the latest Unlimited 500+ drag race even in Moscow. On the left side of the starting line, we have the blue-colored GT-R Alpha 12+ from AMS Performance rated for 1,550HP (there's an even more powerful AMG model dubbed Alpha Omega), while on the right side, the silver GT-R R1K-X Goliath from Switzer laying claims to an impressive output of 1,700HP. We won't tell you the final winner, but we will mention the times of the cars in the two times they raced each other in the 1 mile (1.6 km) run: Race 1: 22.531 seconds with an exit speed of 386.68km/h (240.27 mph) for car A, and 22.561 seconds at 397.35km/h (245.66 mph) for car B Race 2: 22.251 seconds at 400.0 km/h (248.55 mph) for car A and 22.086 seconds at 385.43 km/h (239.50 mph) for car B.    |
| Mini Teases Next Gen Hatch in New Video Posted: 11 Nov 2013 08:04 AM PST  With exactly one week left before Mini will officially reveal its all-new core model, the hatchback, the BMW Group-owned carmaker has released a new teaser video. Although we don't get to see much of the car, the 2014 Mini is not exactly a mystery. The first photos with the car wearing no camouflage were captured earlier this year, and even if we hadn't seen any photos, how different could the new Mini have looked from its predecessor? Exactly… Like the Porsche 911, the Mini hatch is doomed forever to be a remake of the original model. However, Mini promises the new hatch will be "the best remake ever." We'll find what that means when the car will be unveiled in London on November 18, the day that classic Mini designer Sir Alec Issigonis would have turned 107. The new Mini will then be on display at the Los Angeles and Tokyo auto shows. By Dan Mihalascu    |
| Scoop: 2015 Jaguar XJ on its Way to the Plastic Surgeon Posted: 11 Nov 2013 07:33 AM PST  After sticking to the same design recipe for more than four decades (from 1968 to 2009), Jaguar shook things up in 2009 with the launch of the X351-codenamed XJ. Now, four years later, Jaguar wants to refresh the current generation XJ and keep it relative in a segment that has seen a number of fresh arrivals the past year or so, including the all-new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and the facelifted Audi A8, BMW 7-Series, Lexus LS and Porsche Panamera. The styling tweaks (at least on this specific prototype) seem to be very mild and concern the smoother-looking front bumper with less contours that gains new trims and re-shaped air-inlets, and the restyled rear bumper. The lights on both ends remain unchanged. We can't see what's going on inside or under the hood, but expect some minor improvements in both areas, with the subtly refreshed XJ saloon to likely launch sometime next year. Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS           |
| New Nissan Qashqai Loses Two Doors in Rendering-Land Posted: 11 Nov 2013 07:05 AM PST  After last Thursday's release, we all know what the all-new Nissan Qashqai looks like, and while it is not bad and certainly better proportioned than before, it's splitting opinions, so what do you think of this rendering of a two-door interpretation? Done by X-Tomi Design, it changes little aside from the ditching of the rear doors and perhaps a shortening of its wheelbase, though, while it appears that way in the only photo provided, we can't say for certain whether he actually did it or not. The number of doors wasn't really its problem, and while it does sport the new Nissan family chrome nose ring up front, the rear lights appear to have been borrowed from the Ford Focus sedan or estate and don't really fit the design that well in my opinion. Thankfully, in this rendering, the three-door interpretation is shown from the front three quarter view – its best angle. Feel free to judge in the comments section below. By Andrei Nedelea     |
| Motorcyclist Fails to See Light But Makes Remarkable Saves Posted: 11 Nov 2013 06:47 AM PST  Without talking to the person sitting behind the wheel of a car or the handles of a bike, one can't entirely explain a road incident, but you can attempt to play Sherlock Holmes and use evidence to piece the story together. What we see from the helmet camera of this motorcyclist, suggests that he likely didn't see the lights ahead and instead of performing an abrupt stop with unknown consequences he took a split second decision to weave through cars that were both immobilized and in motion. We can't say with certainty if that was the best course of action in this case, but we will say that he was both skilled and extremely fortunate to make it out without a single scratch to himself or his bike. Watch the following video, which may have been shot in California (according to the license plates we saw), below the jump.    |
| It's Official: Subaru Teases All-New WRX Ahead of LA Auto Show World Premiere Posted: 11 Nov 2013 06:27 AM PST  We had heard the rumors about the new generation of the WRX breaking cover at this month's 2013 LA Auto Show, and now, Subaru has made it official with the debut set for November 20. Subaru added a teaser photo of the production 2015 WRX's front end, but shared no information whatsoever on the car. The big question is if the sports model resembles the impressive WRX Concept displayed at the New York Auto Show or the much less fancy-Impreza based covered up prototypes we've testing seen on the road these past few months. Looking at this teaser picture, unfortunately, it appears that the second scenario holds true, though, there still may be hope for a car inspired by the concept in the near future. Subaru said that along with the all-new WRX, an unidentified design concept model will also make its world premiere in LA.  ![Subaru-WRX-NY-2[2]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-uf-qGLMchKM/UoDpEsyuL5I/AAAAAAAO9PQ/jYa62wz_kMY/s1600-h/Subaru-WRX-NY-2%25255B2%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg "Subaru-WRX-NY-2[2]") ![2014-Subaru-WRX-1[3][3]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AuHNupb4LmM/UoDpG02LknI/AAAAAAAO9Pg/D1AbBS037Ak/s1600-h/2014-Subaru-WRX-1%25255B3%25255D%25255B3%25255D%25255B4%25255D.jpg "2014-Subaru-WRX-1[3][3]")    |
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