Car News
2012 BMW M3 CRT Sedan
A new ‘extreme’ version M3 from BMW who this time unveiled the M3 CRT, a car which received pretty much the same treatment as the M3 GTS, only in this case the base version is the 4-door sedan, and unlike in the GTS, this time customers will get to enjoy ‘fancy’ features like satellite navigation and a premium sound system.
CRT stands for Carbon Racing Technology, and you guessed it, it points at the fact that the 2012 BMW M3 CRT Sedan makes extensive use of carbon fiber on components like the bonnet, roof, seats and even the brake callipers.
Lexus LS 600h Landaulet
Lexus has released photos and a video with the LS 600h Landaulet, a one-off coachbuilt limousine which is going to be used at the wedding of Prince Albertof Monaco on July 2nd.
The car features a full hybrid powertrain which will allow the newlyweds to travel in zero-emission model at low speeds, plus in terms of styling, it uses a one-piece transparent roof developed by using advanced technologies from the aerospace industry.
Belgian coachbuilder Carat Duchatelet was tasked with converting the car, and they have worked on this project for more than 2,000 hours, focusing on maintaining the same levels of quality and safety as the original LS 600h L.
Citroen DS5 Video
The French from Le Blog Auto have made a presentation video for the new Citroen DS5 , a model which joins the DS4 and the DS3 in the automaker’s range, and for which production will take place at the Sochaux plant.
Expected to enter the market towards the beginning of 2012, the Citroen DS5 will extract power from a HYbrid4 diesel unit producing 200 HP and emiting just 99 grammes of CO2 per Km. The company’s new compact crossover is 4.5 m long and 1.85 m wide plus it features a generous luggage compartment with a capacity of 465 litres.
Switzer P680 Porsche Panamera
The Ohio-based tuners from Switzer Performance have stepped away from taking Nissan GTRs to insane levels of performance, and approached a four-door car for a change. Not just any four-door however, as they decided to see what would the Porsche Panamera turn into after receiving their P680 performance hardware.
So to get to the point, the Switzer P680 Porsche Panamera upgrade program consists of larger turbohargers featuring custom billet compressor wheels along with a new intercooler which makes sure everything runs smoothly at the right temperatures, plus the tuner’s engine optimisation software designed to work properly with the newly added components.
Mitsubishi Evo XI Hybrid Rumor
We are all familiar with Mitsubishi’s plans of discontinuing the Evo range, and just as everyone was starting to get used to this sad idea, Road and Track informs us that there still might be hope afterall.
According to one of their sources, Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation who is still firm on his position against participating in motorsports, has been heard discussing plans of producing a green, high performance car which according to speculations might be badged as an Evo afterall.
Mini JCW Coupe Endurance
MINI will participate at the ‘Green Hell’ adventure this weekend (June 25th 26th), and we’re talking about the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, with the Mini John Cooper Works Coupe Endurance, a special race car based on the production model that was unveiled two days ago.
Featuring a ‘pure-bred racing setup’ the Mini JCW Coupe Endurance extracts power from a petrol burning 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine fitted with a twin scroll turbocharger which also makes use of direct fuel injection in order to deliver 250 HP and 330 Nm of torque.
2012 Renault Koleos Facelift
Preliminary info regarding the facelift version 2012 Renault Koleos has just been unveiled by the French company, after a series of leaked photos with the company’s new generation crossover have started appearing online.
In terms of cosmetics the new Koleos comes with a revised front end, which now features a 6-point grille highlighted with chrome, slimmer headlights plus new mirrors which now incorporate LED turn indicators. The 2012 Renault Koleos also looks more dynamic due its high ground clearance combined with new and sportier looking alloys, while at the rear the styling has been carried over from the previous generation.
Top Gear Season 17 2nd Trailer
With only three days remaining until the Top Gear Season 17 starts (June 26th), the crew from BBC have published a second trailer video that offers more hints of what’s to come.
We see that James May will be reviewing the Aston Martin Virage while Clarkson will be showing us (and Lewis Hamilton) how to pass a Ferrari [458 Italia]…the answer? by using a McLaren MP4 12C.
The boys will also get to compare the old BMW 8 Series against the old Mercedes CL, unless that is not part of some Top Gear style challenge, plus May gets to drive the MINI Countryman Rally Car.
Aston Martin Cygnet Bespoke
Aston Martin and Parisian fashion house colette have worked together in creating a bespoke limited edition city car called the ‘Cygnet & colette’.
This striking limited series Gygnet comes with the Lightning Silver exterior finish highlighted by exclusive colette blue styling details which have been applied to the bonnet, the grille, mirror caps and the diamond turned alloys.
Toyota GRMN Hybrid Concept II
Toyota has published a single photo with the GRMN Concept II, a mid-engined convertible Sports Hybrid featuring a petrol-electric powertrain which will be unveiled at during this weekend’s 39th edition 24 hours of Nurburgring.
As Toyota explains, GRMN is a combination of letters which stands for Gazoo Racing (GR) and Meister of Nurburgring (MN) referring to Hiromu Naruse, the automaker’s chief test driver and the chief of the Gazoo Racing team who died in a crash in Germany last year while driving the Lexus LFA.