The Subaru XV Crosstrek made its original debut at last year’s Frankfurt Auto Show. Now it’s landed on these shores, with an official introduction at this week’s New York Auto Show. Built on the Impreza platform, the XV Crosstrek promises to combine go-(almost)-anywhere utility with practicality. It carries the rugged off-road… See the original post here:  2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek Live Photos: 2012 New York Auto Show

Subaru unveiled the XV Crosstrek in European trim at last year’s Frankfurt Auto Show, and now the latest Subaru crossover will make its North American debut at next month’s New York Auto Show. Based on the Impreza platform, the XV Crosstrek promises to blend versatility with fuel economy and comfort. All models will come with… Originally posted here: 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek Gets New York Auto Show Reveal

If you’ve been looking lustily at pics of the Scion FR-S, we have good news: pricing has just been announced for the sleek new sports car, and it’s set to ring in at less than $25,000. The FR-S debuts with two transmissions: a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic. The manual starts at $24,200, while the automatic kicks off at $25,300. (Note… Go here to read the rest: 2013 Scion FR-S Starts Below $25,000

A usual presence at auto shows around the world, the future BMW hybrid sportcar, i8, makes another appearance at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The first iteration of the i8 premiered back in 2009 at the Frankfurt Auto Show and it was initially marketed under the Vision EfficientDynamics name. Eighteen months later of intensive development and the BMW i8 is preparing for a market launch in late 2013. The major change fro the original configuration is a new 1.5 liter petrol engine replacing the initial diesel unit of same capacity. The engine is mounted at the rear and drives via a dual-clutch gearbox. BMW i8 will make use of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The weight of 1480kg is the equivalent to a power-to-weight ratio of 236 horsepower per 1000 kilograms. A 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time is said to come in under five seconds, with a combined fuel consumption in the European test cycle of less than 3 liters/100 km (78 MPG) and average real fuel consumption of between five and seven liters (33 – 47 MPG). According to BMW, the beautiful glass seen on the doors of the i8 Concept will be replaced by conventional materials, a request that was mainly driven by customers who requested more interior cabin privacy. Base price of the BMW i8 is expected to fall around the $160,000m mark. See more here: 2012 Geneva Motor Show: BMW i8 Photo Gallery

Unlike the thousands of cars burned in Berlin , these cars were not destroyed by pissed youths. They are part of an art installation in Frankfurt meant to evoke and question this image of disorder. More » View original post here: These Cars Were Not Destroyed In A Riot [Car Fires] Here is the original post: These Cars Were Not Destroyed In A Riot [Car Fires]

Albany Police stopped a stolen car last Sunday and arrested the driver on felony charges . It was the driver’s second felony charge in 15 days. And he’s in the fifth grade. More » View original post here: Police Can’t Stop This 11-Year-Old From Breaking Into Cars [Car Crime] Continued here: Police Can’t Stop This 11-Year-Old From Breaking Into Cars [Car Crime]

This is the Morning Shift , our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that’s actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn’t your time more important? More » See the rest here: 2014 Ford Focus RS, A Dodge Barracuda, And Santorum Spreads His Anti-Bailout Message [The Morning Shift] More:  2014 Ford Focus RS, A Dodge Barracuda, And Santorum Spreads His Anti-Bailout Message [The Morning Shift]

Volkswagen dropped a non-surprise today in the form of the five-door variant of its Up! city car. We’ve pretty thoroughly covered the three-door Up! since its debut at last year’s Frankfurt auto show, including a first-drive report , and found it to offer handsome styling, decent road manners, and excellent fuel economy. This five-door version was previewed in part by the Cross Up! concept , which VW showed in Frankfurt along with five other concepts based on the Up!. The differences between this new model and the three-door, as you’d expect, are minor. The five-door Up! shares all of its exterior and interior dimensions; trim-level designations; and either a 60- or 75-hp, 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine with its slightly less practical sibling. Besides the two additional doors, the five-door’s only cosmetic difference is a flatter beltline. (The three-door’s rear windows feature a jaunty upkick.) If you were expecting the Up! with extra doors to gain the capacity for a fifth passenger, you’re out of luck—it still seats just four. Like the standard Up!, the five-door will stay in Europe. It goes on sale there this summer, and it will cost €475 more than the three-door model. Original post: Volkswagen Introduces Five-Door Up! Variant for Europe See the rest here: Volkswagen Introduces Five-Door Up! Variant for Europe

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that the Model X crossover will be unveiled February 9 at the company’s design studio in California. Musk announced the debut via Twitter , but didn’t say whether we should expect a Model X concept car or a production-ready example. A concept version of the Model X was expected to make an appearance at last year’s Frankfurt auto show but didn’t. The production X, which may go on sale in late 2013 , will use a version of the Model S electric sedan’s platform and should carry a base price similar to that car’s, as well. See the original post: Tesla CEO Announces Model X Crossover Debut Date of February 9 Read the original post: Tesla CEO Announces Model X Crossover Debut Date of February 9

“This world is an awful big machine.” —Woody Guthrie, 1943 “This iQ is an awful small machine.” —Car and Driver, 2012 Manufacturers are so jittery about peddling micro subcompacts that they’ve resorted to intellectual flattery.  A thinking person would surely have purchased a TH!NK, at least before Ford lost faith in its Norwegian electric-car experiment and expelled it from class. If  you’re the brainy sort, you’d naturally opt for a Smart Fortwo, recently suspended by Roger Penske and sent off to see the stern principal, Mr. Daimler.  And now comes the Mensa bunch, whose IQs would surely route them to an iQ, at least if this latest Scion can find a class that will accept its grades. For the nonce, the iQ is standing in the A-segment hall, late for class, occasionally tapping timorously on the homeroom door. Keep Reading: 2012 Scion iQ – Road Test See original here: Scion iQ Tested, All of America Becomes a Comedian View original here: Scion iQ Tested, All of America Becomes a Comedian

It’s one thing to keep a single example of a desirable car in as-delivered condition in hopes of cashing in after production winds down. It’s another to have fifteen pristine brand-new copies of the fastest cars Ford ever sold become available all at once. More » Read the original here: Is This Guy Selling 15 Undriven Ford GTs? [Found On EBay] See the original post here: Is This Guy Selling 15 Undriven Ford GTs? [Found On EBay]

An interesting story to follow has been the (supposed) revival of DeTomaso in Italy. Italian businessman Gian Mario Rossignolo purchased the bankrupt company in 2009. His plan called for three new models: a crossover, sedan and sports car. He planned to sell 8,000 cars a year, 3,000 crossovers, 3,000 sedans and 2,000 sports cars. The DeTomaso Deauville was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2011. Uninspiring, the Deauville is a Cadillac SRX-based model that was supposed to have Italian craftsmanship be its big selling point. You know, a nationalistic play to the Italian market. Its unfortunate that it is as safe of a design as you can get. The sports car was going to be a revival of the Pantera (which arguably, should have gone first before the crossover). The new Pantera was slated to be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. When the car failed to materialize, it was a worrying sign for DeTomaso. Then came news of significant money issues in October. An Indian investment company was supposed to have supplied a shot in the arm to DeTomaso, but the deal never materialized. Now, CarsUK.net is reporting that the Deauville has been licensed to a Chinese company for about $23 million USD at current exchange rates. It isn’t clear exactly what the deal entails. Licensing is a broad term – it isn’t the same as selling the entire product line. A Chinese company could be manufacturing the car on contract with DeTomaso. Or a company could simply want it for the Chinese market while DeTomaso moves forward with its plans for Italian production. Either way, we need more details! $23 million can be burned through very quickly when developing new cars so it isn’t a sure thing that this will save the whole company. A lot of DeTomaso’s problems come down to the issues Italy is facing as a nation. The economy just isn’t in good shape over there, and investment cash is tight. Stay tuned for more details. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear more ominous news in the future. Related posts: DeTomaso Deauville Resurrects Historic Marque DeTomaso Pantera To Launch At Frankfurt Show in September Here We Go Again: Saab Inks Tentative Deal With Chinese Distributor Pangda Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts...

At the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW revealed an X6 M model equipped with BMW M Performance Parts. The aggressive and sporty looking Sports Activity Coupe now makes its way into the 2011 Essen Motor Show, the largest tuning and aftermarket show in Europe. While the model introduced in Frankfurt was painted in a Melbourne Red color , the X6 M present in Essen features the beautiful and classy Alpine White paint, along with the famous M racing stripes. The BMW X6 M sports M Performance 21 inch alloy wheels double spoke 310 M, rear spoiler in carbon (525 euro), front grille in black (120 euros), carbon fiber bumper (1500 euros), M Performance side gills (750 euro) and tail fins (100 euros). Inside, the X6 M comes equipped with Silverstone leather, black carbon fiber and M Performance steering wheel in Alcantara. All these options add about 21,000 euros to the already pricey X6 M. A similar equipped model sells in Europe for around 130,000 euros. [Photos: BimmerToday ] Read more from the original source:  2011 Essen Motor Show: BMW X6 M with M Performance Parts

BMWBLOG is attending an international media event where we will spend some time behind the wheel of the all-new 2012 BMW 3 Series. Our own Shawn Molnar will bring you first impressions of the F30 3 Series, both on track and on back roads. In the mean time, respectable UK magazine EVO delivers their own test drive review of the 3 Series. What’s it like to drive? Very impressive. Despite being a bigger car it doesn’t feel it, thanks to that 40kg weight loss over than the outgoing model. It retains the same balance and handling qualities from before, only now it also rides better. Improvements to run-flat tyre technology allied to damping developments and a stiffer chassis have combined to make this 3-series more composed than ever before. Sport mode can be used all the time, and Sport+ won’t rattle your fillings out. How does it compare? Positively. It steps the game on from the previous generation and is destined to build on the success that has seen some 12.5 million 3-series sold since 1975. Chief rivals – the Audi A4 (261bhp/214g/km) and Mercedes C-class (201bhp/161g/km) – can’t match the BMW’s 245bhp/149g/km performance and economy balance, and it’s more fun to drive, too. Anything else I need to know? Inside the cockpit remains as driver focused as before – to the extent that front passenger space feels a little impinged. There are three main trim levels – Modern, Luxury and Sport – although we won’t get the Sport here in the UK, as M Sport will arrive in March.” Full review at EVO View post:  EVO: 2012 BMW 3 Series Test Drive

Our favorite type of review just went live at Car and Driver . The U.S. magazine once again puts head-to-head the BMW M3 Coupe and the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe. As they point out, the M3 Coupe has won all of the previous five comparisons and “its success annoys some people.” Will the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe can take the reign? Let’s see an excerpt from the great review. “The C63’s foremost attribute is its 6.2-liter V-8. Hand-built at AMG in Affalterbach, Germany, this V-8 is more than 50 percent larger than the M3’s 4.0-liter. One consequence is 50 percent more torque—443 pound-feet versus the M3’s 295—so the C63 doesn’t need to work hard to scare a passenger or to get the attention of a cop. On public roads, the Benz’s engine is more insistent and shoves harder than the M3’s. Its vitality is ever-present. The exhaust reports a firestorm of combustion, and it’s seriously loud. Engines this big will have you describing to people in Chevy Camaros the displacement in cubic inches. “It’s got a 379,” you’ll say while picking your teeth. In the M3, the driver needs to work harder, downshift frequently, and spin the BMW V-8 to find its power and voice. The C63 driver just needs to make sure his engine is running. — It’s a wash if we add up the “Vehicle” categories. The Mercedes scores a point each on ergonomics and interior styling. Benz’s controls are slightly easier to use than BMW’s, and the C-class’s refreshed interior is modern and elegant. The BMW is all business, but it’s starting to look a little old—no surprise there, since an all-new 3-series arrives next year.” — And it seems like the BMW M3 remains the top dog in its segment. “The M3 didn’t win solely based on our subjective assessment, though. Our Competition-package–equipped M3 also scored major points for its superior skidpad grip, 70-to-0 braking performance, and slalom speed. Those points, along with the subjective handling victory, gave it the tiniest of edges over the Benz.” Full review at Car and Driver See the original post here: Car & Driver: 2012 BMW M3 Coupe vs. 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe