Smart's Forvision Conceptualizes the Next-Generation of the Fortwo

Daimler's Smart unit will be represented at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September by a new concept study named Forvision that does two things for the brand: it previews the new design direction for the Fortwo and it hints at the technology being readied for the firm's future models.

The Forvision is Smart's second concept model after the sportier, roofless Forspeed that debuted in Geneva this past March to feature the brand's new styling language that brings the original Fortwo's design into the 21st century.

Smart worked together with BASF, the world's largest chemical company, for the development of several advanced technologies used on the Forvision.

Read more »

Missed Opportunities Warehouse: Bizarre New Ad for Chevy Europe

In the same warehouse where the Ark of the Covenant is purportedly stored, all of the world’s missed opportunities are held in a sort of limbo, no doubt waiting for sweet release at the hands of Irina Spalko.

What you may not realise until the last twenty seconds (assuming you’re seeing this ad for the first time and didn’t look at the title of this post) is that it’s a TV commercial for Chevrolet’s European arm.

Read more »

Refreshed 2012 Honda Pilot Revealed in Detail

After a bit of a tease in late July, it's time for Honda to detail the changes on its 2012 Pilot SUV that has received a mild facelift as well as some mechanical and equipment upgrades.

So what’s new? Let’s start with the exterior. Up front, the most evident change is a new and more "politically correct" grille with a three-bar horizontal design that replaces the letter-box style six-sided grille insert.

The reconfigured headlights and turn signals, a new front air dam and optimized strakes in front of the wheels that improve aerodynamics, along with the fresh alloy wheel designs in sizes 17- or 18-inches round off the tweaks on the outside.

Read more »

New Chevy Camaro Rulz the Streets and…Facebook

Chevrolet’s Camaro was the best-selling sports car in the US in 2010 stealing the crown from the Ford Mustang despite the fact that, unlike its longtime nemesis, General Motors' pony car was available only as a coupe.

The launch of the convertible version in early 2011 extended its lead: in the first eight months of the year, the Camaro looks set to outperform the Mustang by more than 10,000 units according to General Motors' data.

Read more »

Abarth to Unleash Punto SuperSport and two Special Editions of the 500 in Franfkurt

The Fiat Group’s Abarth division will display three “specialties” based on the firm's Punto supermini, the 500 and 500C softop models at September's Frankfurt Motor Show.

First up is the Abarth Punto SuperSport featuring a “Grigio Campovolo” two-tone color scheme with silver bodywork and a matte black bonnet and roof, along with “SuperSport” decals on the side, the tailgate and the mirrors, plus a set of 18-inch alloy wheels with red brake calipers.

Read more »

New Report Seeks to Answer the Question, “Why do Accidents Happen?”

If there are two questions that everyone from police to policy makers have asked over the last one hundred or so years of motoring, it’s these: “How do accidents happen?” and “How can we stop them from happening?”

With regards to the first, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in the UK has analysed some 700,000 fatal road accidents that occurred over a four year period between 2005 and 2009.

Their so-called Licensed to Skill report aims to identify the leading causes of automotive accidents in the UK, the results of which may surprise you. License to Skill project manager Neil Greig explains:

Read more »

Lancia Rolls Out New Thema at 68th Venice International Film Festival [Video + Photos]

The Fiat Group may have forced Lancia to give up on the art of…making cars, but the Italian company is trying to compensate by mastering the art of…promotion.

The Italian firm's new flagship model, the Chrysler 300-sourced Thema, is making a special appearance at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, of which Lancia is the main sponsor for the seventh year running.

Read more »

NISMO-developed GT-R Makes its Debut in GT3 Racing Series

Nissan’s GT-R GT3 entered its maiden race in the fourth round of the Blancpain Endurance Series. Developed by Nissan's tuning and racing division, NISMO, and JR Motorsports, the GT-R competes in the GT3 series which includes production-based models such as Audi's R8, the Porsche 911 and the McLaren MP4-12C. Read more »

Video: A Very, Very Close Call for Biker

A motorcycle ride almost turned deadly for a biker and his passenger when an oncoming pickup truck literally passed inches away– if not touching the man's arm.

It all happens so fast that you will probably miss it the first time you view the video (freeze 12 seconds into the clip to watch the truck go by). Watch it for yourself in the video after the break.

Read more »

Lotus to Unveil 3 New Models in Frankfurt in Addition to the Production Evora GTE Special

Lotus is gearing up for the largest and most important automotive event of the year that takes place in Frankfurt next month with the presentation of three brand-new models, one special edition version and two new options for its current lineup.

The British company announced that one of the new models is the Elise S that replaces the Elise SC with a more capable 1.8-liter supercharged engine delivering 220-horsepower, while also returning lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Read more »

Diesel-Powered Porsche Panamera Heads to Frankfurt for its Public Debut

Understandably, all eyes at Porsche's Frankfurt auto show stand will be turned towards the spanking new 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupes, but the Germans will also celebrate the first public outing of their diesel-powered Panamera, details of which were announced earlier this year.

The most fuel-efficient variant of the Panamera sports sedan to date is fitted with an Audi-sourced 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 common-rail diesel pumping out 250-horsepowerand a brawny maximum torque of 550Nm (406 lb-ft). Power is channeled to the rear wheels through an eight-speed auto.

Read more »

Autumn/Winter Trends: Colour Blocking

Autumn is fast upon us and so is some new trends including colour blocking! All the celebs are already wearing it. It's been on the catwalks and heading to the High Street!

Bodycon dress: £40 ASOS

Red jeans: £39.99 Republic

Pink vest: £19.99 River Island

Orange vest: £29.99 River Island

Blue skirt: £42 Miss Selfridge

Yellow dress: £20 Boohoo.com

Blue heel: £59.99 River Island

Blue flat: £15.99 New Look

Purple bag: £17.99 New Look

Green jeans: £38 Topshop

Red blazer: £60 River Island

Happy shopping!

faye xoxo

Alfa Romeo Updates Giulietta with Twin-Clutch Transmission

The…freshly painted version of the 4C sports coupe concept will be joined at Alfa Romeo's Frankfurt Motor Show stand by the updated variants of the Giulietta and Mito hatchbacks.
The Giulietta gains Alfa Romeo's new double-clutch TCT transmission that will be offered on the 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir gasoline engine and the 2.0-liter turbodiesel, both of which have a maximum output of 170HP.
With the TCT, average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions on the petrol model fall to 5.2 lt/100 km (45.2 mpg US) and 121g/km respectively, and on the diesel to 4.5 lt/100 km (52.3 mpg US) and 119 g/km respectively.
And that’s without sacrificing performance. In fact, the 1.4 MultiAir’s time for the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint is 7.7 seconds and its top speed reaches 218 km/h (135.4 mph). Likewise, in the 2.0 JTDM the TCT brings the Giulietta to the top of its class, with a 7.9 seconds time for the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint.
Alfa’s smallest model, the 3-door MiTo, will also show something new to visitors of the Frankfurt Motor Show: the new 0.9-liter, turbocharged two-cylinder TwinAir engine that we first saw at the Fiat 500 and which won the coveted “International Engine of the Year 2011” award. The two-cylinder unit develops 85HP and, depending on the DNA program, 110-145Nm of torque.
According to the Italians, its MultiAir technology and the auto Stop-Start system enable the new version of the MiTo to consume up to 30% less fuel than engines with comparable performance and at the same time achieve a best-in-class CO2 emissions figure of just 98 g/km.
In addition, the new MiTo MultiAir will be offered in a new “Nero Ametista” body color along with new-design alloy wheels and a two-tone black dashboard and mesh seat trim.
Last, but not least, the MiTo will soon get a new 1.3-liter JTDM turbodiesel engine with variable turbocharger technology and Start-Stop technology as standard. Like its petrol counterpart, this second generation Multijet engine has an output of 85HP and is Euro5 compliant. It emits 90 g of CO2 per km, its average consumption is only 3.5 lt/100 km (67.2 mpg US) falling to much as 2.9 lt/100 km (81.1 mpg) on the highway.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read more In Cars

Bentley Motors to Auction Unique Collector's Items

An array of one-off items created by artisans from the tooling, woodshop and styling teams at Bentley Motors are heading to the auction block to raise money for The Prince’s Trust, which is a youth charity that provides practical and financial support to 14 to 30-year-olds.
The graduates from Bentley Motors have handcrafted a variety of collector's items ranging from display objects such as a chess-set with pieces tooled from aluminium set on a veneered board, to an impressive table created from a polished V8 engine from the Mulsanne and a cutlery-set engraved with the Bentley emblemcommissioned by Robert Welch.
Bentley says that around twenty different pieces will go on sale, with all of them, aside from the Robert Welch cutlery set, having been designed and assembled on-site at the Bentley factory in Crewe.
Michael Straughan, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Manufacturing commented: “The design brief for the auction was to create a unique and desirable item based upon the core materials, parts and processes that are used to build cars such as the Mulsanne and the Continental GT."
All items will be auctioned online at www.bentleybespokeauction.com with bidding to commence on September 1.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read more In Cars

BMW Joins Skynet’s Army with Ultimate…Self-Driving Machine

Dr. Nico Kampchen is driving on the A9 motorway from Munich to Nuremberg, or rather, he is trying to since, as usual, there is a lot of traffic. However, unlike other drivers around him, he isn’t stressed one bit.

While it could be because he seated inside the soothing cabin of BMW’s new 5-Series, it’s not. Dr Kampchen is conspicuously calm because his car is actually driving itself, accelerating, braking and even overtaking while the driver simply monitors the situation.

Read more »

Jeep Swallowed by Sinkhole after Hitting a Fire Hydrant [Videos]

A 35-year old man, who has not been named, made news in Boston after he was involved in an odd accident that set off a chain of events that eventually led to a…sinkhole swallowing his Jeep Patriot.

According to local reports, the accident took place on Lowell Street in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning at around 6:30 am when the silver Jeep smashed into a telephone pole and then rebounded into a fire hydrant, which cracked and started flooding the surrounding area with water.

Read more »

Mazda Exec Says New CX-5 will Reach U.S. Shores in Early 2012 with Prices Starting from Around $20k,

It won't be long before we get our first intimate taste of the all-new Mazda CX-5 compact SUV at its world premiere in Frankfurt, but we now have some interesting news about the North American variant, courtesy of Hideaki Tanaka, manager of the CX-5 program.

During the first press test drive event of a pre-production model, Tanaka told Autonews that the CX-5 will arrive in the States early next year, adding that while Mazda has not finalized pricing and packaging, it will likely carry a base MSRP of around $20,000, close to $3,000 less than the larger CX-7 ($22,785 with delivery).

Read more »

McLaren Announces New Special Operations Customizing Division [with Video]

If you are one of the few lucky people in this world to be able afford an MP4-12C, but you want the supercar to differ from the one parked in the garage of your obviously wealthy neighbor, the new Special Operations division of McLaren Automotive has a solution.

The new division, which was announced at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance show, aims to create bespoke versions in order to satisfy customer needs for differentiation.

Read more »

Report: Fiat Group Mulling to Build Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUVs in the U.S. Instead of Italy

If there's one car company that's notorious for making promises and/or premature announcements on decisions only to have the projects cancelled, delayed, altered, or even postponed for years (Alfa Romeo's return to the U.S. is a typical example), it's the Fiat Group.

In late 2010, the Italian company that also controls the Chrysler Group, revealed plans to update its Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy, in order to produce larger segment passenger cars and SUVs for the Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands.

Less than a year after the announcement, Bloomberg is now reporting that Fiat is considering moving planned production of the upcoming Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUV models from Turin to a factory in North America, due to the strengthening euro against the dollar.

Read more »

Subaru Continues Slow Striptease of Impreza-Based XV Crossover

The slow drumbeat carries on in advance of the official world premiere of the new 2012 Subaru XV crossover at next month's Frankfurt auto show, with the latest teaser photo providing us an unobstructed view of hatchback model's rear and side profile.

The Impreza-based XV, which could make it into North America as a replacement to the Impreza Sport Outback, was displayed as a concept model at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year.

Read more »

A Tail of One Civic: Honda Releases Official Picture of all-new European Hatchback

Honda has already provided us with a lot of information on the European market 2012 Civic that will be revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in about two weeks' time. But today, the Japanese carmaker released the first picture of the actual production car.

The cropped teaser photo shows the hatchback model's tailgate and rear lights, which appear to follow a similar styling theme to the U.S. market Accord Crosstour.

Read more »

Citroën to Bring Complete Lineup of DS Models to Frankfurt Including Final Production Version of DS5

It's show time for Citroën that is getting ready to display the complete DS line for the first time in Europe at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Unless the French automaker is hiding a surprise under the hat, the company's star attraction will be the final production version of the DS5, which will be making its first appearance on European soil after its debut in showcar trim at this year's Shanghai auto show.

Read more »

Volvo and Siemens Form Partnership for Electric Vehicle Development

Volvo Car Corporation and Siemens, Europe's largest engineering company, will join forces for the development of electric vehicles through an extensive strategic cooperation.

The partnership between the two companies will focus on electric drive technology, power electronics, charging technology and the integration of all those systems in Volvo’s existing C30 Electric project.

Read more »

Land Rover Previews the Future of the Defender with Frankfurt-Bound DC100 Concept

The Land Rover Defender is without doubt, one of the most renowned and recognizable off-road models in the world, which makes designing a replacement model an extremely challenging task, to say the least.

But the British automaker, which is now under the control of India's Tata Motors, believes it's time to move on and prepare fans of the vehicle and consumers alike for the next generation of its iconic Defender with the presentation of the DC100 concept that will bow in Frankfurt next month.

Read more »

Official: New 2013 Audi S8 gets 4.0-liter Twin-Turbo V8 with 520-Horses

Audi's third and final "S" model heading to the Frankfurt Motor Show is the luxurious S8 that will be launched on the market along with the S6 and S7 Sportback in the spring of 2012.

As it holds the title of being the 'Big Daddy' of Audi's S range, it was only appropriate that the S8 receive a more powerful version of the newly revealed 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine than on the S6 and S7 models.

Read more »

Frankfurt Show Preview: New Audi S6 and S6 Avant

Joining the brand-new S7 Sportback in its world premiere at next month's Frankfurt motor show will be the latest iterations of Audi's S6 saloon and Avant models.

If you've already read the story on the S7, then you won't be surprised to learn that both the S6 and S6 Avant pack the same 4.0-liter TFSI twin-turbocharged V8 with 420-horses and a constant 550 Nm (405.66 lb-ft) of torque from 1,400 to 5,300 rpm, which replaces the naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V10 of the previous model.

Read more »

Audi Reveals New S7 Sportback with 420HP Bi-Turbo V8

When the doors open to the 64th IAA International Motor Show on the September 13, Audi will hold the world premiere of the all-new S7 Sportback.

The most potent member of the A7 Sportback family to date debuts a new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged TFSI V8 engine that will also find its way under the hood of a variety of VW Group models including Audi's own S6 and even Bentley's Continental series.

Read more »

Frankfurt Preview: Ford Evos Concept Reveals Brand’s New Design Language [73 Photos]

Ford has gone ahead and revealed the Evos concept, which it claims, premieres the brand’s “first truly new global design language” developed under the One Ford product plan. Now, haven't we heard that before? If “New Edge” and “Kinetic Design” ring any bells, the answer to that question is yes…

According to automaker, the Evos' signature styling will form the basis for the next generation of Ford cars, minivans and crossovers, with the first actual production car to feature the new design language set to arrive in the market in 2012.

Read more »

2012 Nissan Maxima Receives a Barely Noticeable Refresh, Prices Remain the Same

Nissan's product-redesign blitz continues with the Maxima sedan, which receives a very modest refresh for the 2012 model year.

The cosmetic tweaks on the outside include a different front grille design, restyled rear combination lights, and new 18-inch and 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels plus the addition of two new exterior colors named Java Metallic and Dark Slate.

Read more »

VÄTH Drops More Power to the Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

There are plenty of reasons to leave the latest Mercedes-Benz CL 63 AMG untouched, but some folks out there are always open to improvements. Enter the world of German tuning firm Väth that has unleashed a new performance package for the Mercedes' facelifted coupe.

Väth starts with the V63S tuning kit that includes a software upgrade for the ECU bumping the bi-turbocharged V8's output from 536HP 590 lb-ft to a monstrous 630-horsepower and 686lb-ft (930Nm) of peak torque.

Read more »

Scoop: New Lotus Exige Reveals itself in the Open

Last time we brought you spy photos of the 2013 Lotus Exige, it was a set of grainy pictures shot from a distance, which only revealed the profile of the British firm's mid-engine sports car. But our canny scoopsters are back with a new batch of photos, this time showing the prototype in detail.

The developed model pictured appears to have a longer wheelbase and rear overhang than the outgoing Exige while the design is entirely new featuring a lower nose that resembles the styling of the Evora. Our spies told us that the car also looked wider than the older model.

Read more »