Mercedes-Benz' upcoming SLC sports car might not replace the SLS AMG within the automaker's lineup as first thought. Internally referred to as the C190, the SLC was originally thought to be under development as a replacement for the SLS AMG. However, a new report from Australia's Car Sales indicates the SLS will continue to be sold alongside the SLC.
Much like Mercedes sells the SLK as compliment to the larger and more expensive SL, Car Sales claims the SLC will be marketed as a more obtainable version of the SLS. The SLC is expected to ride on the same general architecture as the SLS, albeit with a shorter wheelbase and neater proportions more in line with the Porsche 911. Like the SLS, the SLC is being fully developed by Mercedes' AMG division, which should help differentiate the car from the automaker's other sports car offerings. The SLC AMG will likely break cover in 2015 with a price tag of about $110,000, or roughly half the MSRP of the SLS AMG.
BMW has released a video highlighting its all-new 4-Series coupe, which replaces the 3-Series coupe in the automaker's lineup for the 2014 model year. More evocatively-styled than before, the 4-Series rides on the 3-Series' platform but features wider front and rear tracks and a lower suspension designed to give it both the look and the performance of a sports coupe. Notably, BMW says it has the lowest center of gravity of any BMW on the market.
Helping the 4-Series slice through the air, BMW has fitted its Air Curtain and Air Breather aerodynamic aids, which push air around the car in the most efficient manner possible. The changes aren't as big inside, where the car shares the sedan's dashboard. Sportier seats that sit lower to the floor will be included, however. On the options list will be what BMW calls a "new generation" of its navigation system. The rear backrest folds down in 40:20:40 segments for added utility. When the center section is folded, it acts as a ski or snowboard slot. Like on BMW's sedans, a swipe of a foot under the bumper can open the trunk when the optional Comfort Access package is ordered. For the North American market, BMW will offer both 428i and 435i variants, which feature powertrains identical to the 3-Series sedan. The 428i includes the automaker's 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine, while the 435i bumps amps things up with a 3.0-liter turbo inline six-cylinder. The four-cylinder cranks out 240 horsepower and 255 lb-ft. of torque, which gives the 428i a 0-60 mph sprint of just 5.7 seconds with the optional summer performance tires. Opt for the 435i and buyers will net 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft. of torque. With a stick shift, the 435i accelerates to 60 mph from a stop in 5.3 seconds, while the automatic model does the same job in a mere 5 seconds flat while riding on optional summer tires. BMW will offer both engines with a choice of six-speed manual or (no cost) eight-speed automatic and either rear or optional ($2,000) xDrive all-wheel-drive. Underneath, BMW has slightly reworked the 3-Series sedan's suspension to give the car a 0.7 inch lower roll center. Additionally, a strut located between the front axle's subframe unit and the body stiffens the car's front end for more precise handling and steering. At the rear, BMW has also reworked some of the sedan's five-link suspension to give the car a more precise feel. BMW's electric power steering is standard, while its Variable Sport electric steering is included with the available Dynamic Handling Package to give the car a quicker ratio depending on how much steering lock the driver has called upon. That package also brings with it driver-adjustable dampers to stiffen up the car's ride at the press of a button. Ordering sheet Four trims will be on offer with both engines - a standard package, a Sport Line, a Luxury Line and a performance-oriented M Sport. Each variant includes its own interior and exterior trim changes, much as BMW currently offers on the 3-Series sedan. Sport Line models include high gloss black accents outside and red trim bits inside. An anthracite headliner further sports up the mood from the driver's seat. Rear-drive Sport Line models will also include a tightened sports suspension. Ordering the Luxury Line trim adds chrome and matte black touches to the outside plus additional chrome and high gloss wood inside. A 4-Series-exclusive Ash Grain anthracite wood trim package is also included. M Sports go further than Sport Lines with an aero-oriented exterior bodykit and unique M division-designed wheels, steering wheel and door sills. On the function side, M Sports include a sport suspension (with rear-wheel-drive) and, on 435i models, M Sport brakes (available as a stand alone option on all 428is and standard trim 435is). BMW's heritage-laced Estoril Blue paint scheme is offered exclusively on the M Sport. Both M Sport and Sport Line models include identical suspension settings. When they hit the market this summer, the 428i will start at $41,425 and the 435i will list from $46,925 including destination. Option for all-wheel-drive adds $2,000 to the bottom line for both models.
Toyota made waves – and lots of profit – when it unveiled the first production hybrid, the Prius. Now the Japanese automaker aims to make similar impact with its production hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that it plans to unveil at the Tokyo Auto Show this November. The last several years have seen the cost of hydrogen fuel cell technology drop significantly. Inversely, the durability and reliability of the technology has grown exponentially with important technological breakthroughs. Accordingly, the Toyota hydrogen car will carry “a price comparable to a mid-size BMW or Tesla Model S,” according to a Bloomberg report.
Capable of a 300-mile range, the Toyota fuel cell vehicle will only emit water vapor from the tailpipe. “We’re now in the ‘trough of disillusionment’ for fuel-cell vehicles,” said John German, program director with the International Council on Clean Transportation environmental policy group. Other eco-friendly automakers aren’t as convinced by hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as Toyota seems to be, though. “Fuel cells should be renamed ‘fool cells,’ they are so stupid,” said Tesla CEO Elon Musk in an interview last month. While few details are presently known of the soon-to-come Toyota fuel cell car, more should leak out in the next few months so stay tuned.
Have an old Miata lying around or perhaps simply want an inexpensive track day car? The folks at Bauer Limited Production have you covered with a car they call the “Catfish,” which originally debuted at the 2012 SEMA show. If you’re wondering why it’s called the Catfish, it’s because designer studied images of a catfish when designing the bodywork.
Based upon the underpinnings of a 1990-2005 Mazda Miata, the Catfish replaces the stock Miata skin with an ultra-lightweight body woven from S-glass complete with carbon reinforcements. Weighing in at a miniscule 1,550 pounds, the Catfish makes for a nimble and extremely distinctive racer, one Bauer calls a “gentleman’s racer.” Though the builders at Bauer use a Miata as its starting point, the new engine bay is big enough to support a General Motors LS V8. Once you’ve given Bauer a donor Miata and $13,900 for the base Catfish build, Bauer get to work installing dozens of new features, including, the new body, a new firewall, and an aero-dynamic flat underside. On the interior Bauer adds new laser-cut flooring, laser-cut aluminum panels, secondary floors, composite center tunnel, and a simple bolt-in dash. Other parts included with the Catfish consist of a single roll hoop, DOT compliant headlight and taillight package, driver and passenger fly screen kit, and rear and side view mirrors - to name a few. What are the performance figures of the Catfish? That’s completely up to the buyer, as the Catfish is completely customizable. Although $13,900 will get you the base, Bauer has built Catfish models anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000.
BMW will battle Mercedes-Benz' new S-Class with a lighter and more advanced version of its 7-Series flagship sedan. Set to debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW's all-new, next-generation 7-Series will ride on a new platform constructed of steel, aluminum and carbon fiber. In fact, BMW will tap its new i vehicle program to make certain load-bearing elements of the new 7-Series out of carbon fiber. As a result of those lightweight materials, the 2016 7-Series could tip the scales at just 3,680 pounds, or less than a current 5-Series. Despite that aggressive weight target, the next-generation 7-Series will have roughly the same dimensions as today's model. Power for the new 7, internally known as G11, will be provided by a range of six-, eight- and twelve-cylinder engines. A turbo diesel six will also be offered, and a plug-in hybrid variant is said to be in the works as well. According to Autocar, the next 7-Series range will also include a 760 xDrive M Performance model intended to take on the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG. It will use a version of BMW's 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8. Look for BMW's 2016 7-Series to hit the market sometime in late 2015.
Mazda set a new world record for the “largest parade of Mazda cars” over the weekend at the MAX-5 2013 event in Lelystad, Netherlands. About 1,450 people took part in the record-setting event, which saw 683 Mazda MX-5s lineup to form the largest parade of Mazdas ever assembled. Verified by the Guinness Book of World Records, the MAX-5 group shattered the previous record, which was set in 2010 when 459 Mazda MX-5s gathered in Essen, Germany.
Jeff Guyton, President and CEO of Mazda Motor Europe, was on hand to partake in the event, and later received the official world record certificate from Guinness World Records. All three generations of the MX-5 were present at the event, which took place at the RDW Test Centre at Lelystad. Mazda's fourth-generation MX-5 could join the next MAX-5 event as the roadster is expected to debut as early as 2014.
Fiat-owned Alfa Romeo has quietly lifted the veil off of the facelifted version of the MiTo hatchback, its entry-level model. Launched in 2009, the MiTo squares off against popular premium sub-compacts like the MINI Cooper and the Citroën DS3. Visually, the MiTo gains redesigned headlight bezels and a new chrome grille that is heavily inspired by the one found on the five-door Giulietta. Additional exterior colors and new wheel designs round out the aesthetic modifications.
The bulk of the changes are found inside, where the MiTo features a five-inch touch screen that displays Chrysler's well-regarded UConnect infotainment system. Available for the first time in an Alfa Romeo, UConnect groups the MiTo's entertainment, navigation and connectivity functions into an easy-to-use bundle. Some of the system's highlights include Bluetooth connectivity, text-to-speech technology and audio streaming. The MiTo's wide range of gasoline- and diesel-burning four-cylinder engines is complemented by an upgraded version of the acclaimed 0.9-liter TwinAir two-cylinder mill that debuted under the hood of the Fiat 500. Rated at 105 horsepower and 106 lb-ft. of torque, the twin propels the MiTo from zero to 62 mph in 11.4 seconds and returns up to 56 mpg in a mixed European cycle. The facelifted MiTo will go on sale throughout Europe later this month. The car won't be part of Alfa's highly-anticipated return to the United States, but the next generation model might be shipped across the Atlantic if the firm manages to secure a foothold on this side of the pond over the coming years.
A new report finds that the fifth generation of the Renault Espace minivan will be previewed by a thinly-veiled concept that will greet the public for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show next September. Renault design chief Laurens van den Acker confirmed that the next Espace will differ from the eleven-year old current model by taking the form of a crossover that will incorporate SUV and minivan styling cues. The car's overall design will be softer than that of the fourth-gen model, creating a less angular silhouette. In addition to growing in size, the next Espace will follow Renault's upmarket push and carry a slightly higher base price than the current model. "The Espace is a respected vehicle. It is one Renault you'd likely see on a driveway alongside a Volkswagen or a Mercedes," said van den Acker in an interview with trade journal Automotive News. "We've let it live for too long," he acknowledged. Following its rumored debut in Germany next fall, the production-bound fifth-generation Espace will make its debut at next year's Geneva Motor Show. Likely assembled in Douai, France, it will ride on a new modular platform called CMF1 that was developed jointly by Renault and Nissan.
Nissan has published a teaser video that previews a hybrid race car that will make its competition debut at the 2014 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car will compete as Le Mans' Garage 56 entrant, a slot reserved for a technologically-innovative cars that do not comply with the general rules and regulations of the race. Previously thought to pack an all-electric drivetrain, the yet-unnamed car will electrify Le Mans with a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid setup that will enable it to race on electricity alone for a short period of time. Nismo, Nissan's performance and racing division, is designing the car jointly with Ben Bowlby, the man who penned the DeltaWing racer that participated in the 2012 edition of the grueling race.
Nissan's upcoming racer will act as a rolling display case for its expertise in the field of technology and alternative drivetrains. The body is essentially finished but engineers are still fine-tuning the drivetrain to make it as efficient as possible without sacrificing speed. "The final configuration of the drivetrain is still up for discussion, but we have made significant progress," explained Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer in an interview with England's Autocar magazine. "What is absolutely clear is that that we have to be in a position to showcase electric technology and we have to have a car that is as visually arresting as the DeltaWing." Look for more precise technical details about Nissan's hybrid race car to emerge over the next few weeks. It will make its public debut on June 21st, two days before the 2013 edition of the 24-hour race kicks off in France.
A distinct lack of new products in the pipeline means that Dodge’s future is starting to look somewhat shaky, a new report finds. Dodge’s sales volume has been down dramatically ever since Chrysler sent the brand’s pickups to the Ram truck division back in 2009, and Ward’s Auto suggests that troubling trend will continue due to the loss of several more key models.
First up on the chopping block is the Avenger, which reportedly will not be replaced after the current model’s life cycle reaches its conclusion next year. If that comes to pass, the Avenger's demise will leave Dodge without an offering in the critical midsize sedan segment.
Next, Chrysler is planning to repurpose (i.e. shift to another brand) or simply give the axe to two more Dodge models, sources close to the situation have revealed to Wards. It’s possible that one of those vehicles could be the Grand Caravan – Chrysler has stated in the past that it plans to build a next-generation Grand Caravan or Town & Country, but not both.
The loss of three high-volume models would certainly be a tough blow for Dodge, but is the brand really headed for the same fate as Mercury, Plymouth and Pontiac? Only time will tell.
![Nissan teases plug-in hybrid Le Mans racer [Video]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QQQdHK565IvarkJzXspYBPZRrNTMR8n2pUXA-McEYFZ2odPkVg3RuZae6UYqqWsHbOZk33wtiEnTN7tvT5zJdFOH8W9f4IwDCTgxiXPcQA-EQJRel1qy8tgv0bz9RAj7IRP_f2MeryUA/s1600/nismo-lemans_653.jpg "Nissan teases plug-in hybrid Le Mans racer [Video]")
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