Italian automaker Alfa Romeo has announced plans to introduce an SUV by the end of 2015, Damien Dally, head of the Alfa Romeo brand in the UK, speaking to The Telegraph.

Dally said “There will certainly be an SUV in the next two or three years.” He said that the Fiat Group’s ownership of Jeep gives Alfa Romeo access to a “whole portfolio of technologies.”

While no other details have been released, the Alfa Romeo crossover is expected to be based on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee that recently debuted at the New York Motor Show.

Despite its shared origins, Dally says the new Spider will be “absolutely, 100 per cent an Alfa Romeo” and that it will allow them to sell an open-top model at a lower price than recent Alfa Romeo convertibles.

Most likely, the vehicle will be offered in both front and four-wheel-drive versions, but we’ll keep our ears to the ground for more on any potential new Alfa SUVs or crossovers.

Audi are planning to give the new RS6 Avant with a Plus variant that will boast around 600 hp, up from the 560 hp that’s being offered now.

That's the promise of Stephan Reil, boss of Audi's go-faster Quattro division. This follows the trend introduced with the Audi TT RS Plus and continued with the R8 V10 Plus.

The RS6 Plus won't be built in limited numbers either but a full production option. In addition, Audi wants to save high-performance naturally aspirated engines, and make future RS models lighter...

As for the current generation, Audi plans on increasing performance 8 to 10 percent according to Reil, which means something a little north of 600bhp.

He added the RS5 Plus could receive chassis changes and the RS lineup will also be lighter, which is 50 kg lighter than the standard R8.

[alert style="white"] Hi-Res Gallery: 2014 Audi RS6 Avant (10 pictures) [/alert]

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A production version of the Audi A2 concept has been cancel, which had production scheduled to start in 2015.

Inspired from the old A2's aluminum spaceframe that would have rivalled the BMW i3 had been dropped, the new model was supposed to be sold as a conventional plug-in hybrid and a pure EV.

Yet they say "lessons learnt from the new A2 project" will be implemented in upcoming models.

As a reminder, the Audi A2 had an electric motor develops 116 HP (85 kW) and 199 lb-ft (270 Nm) of torque - promised a 125-mile range from the battery pack after a four-hour recharge.

Audi's decision is yet another proof that the market for pure electric vehicles is likely to be much smaller than predicted.

[alert style="white"] Hi-Res Gallery: Audi A2 Electric Vehicles Concept (11 pictures)[/alert]

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[Source: Autocar]

Earlier this week several websites discovered General Motors' 2014 VIN cards, if its has been prove accurate - the 2014 Buick Verano may be introduced with smaller engines that are expected to be more fuel efficient.

Presently the 2013 Buick Verano makes use of GM's 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine in non-turbo trim. Entry-level model Buick luxury sedan is likely to be equipped a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with variable valve timing and direct fuel injection.

Currently, Opel offers a 180 PS 1.6-liter turbo and is expected to make 200 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. Whatever the case, don't be surprised to see two turbocharged offerings on the 2014 Buick Verano.

More importantly, the car has caught flak from journalists for its modest fuel economy ratings, estimates of 21 city and 31 highway.

[alert style="green"] Hi-Res Gallery: 2013 Buick Verano (5 pictures) [/alert]

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[Source: GM Inside News]

Italian magazine 0-100.it is reporting that the all-new 2013 Porsche Cayman will offer the same progress in a hard-top version.

Slated to debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Porsche Cayman Turbo has a four-cylinder boxer variant, receive a 2.5-liter unit that will deliver about 350 hp and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque.

With the only transmission option being Porsche's double clutch PDK, the car can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than 4.9 seconds.

While performance figures for the still-fictional Cayman Turbo have yet to be released - but a four-cylinder would dramatically increase fuel economy.

Auto Review Blog will keep you updated as more news comes in.

[Source: 0-100.it]

After Volkswagen's has confirmed that the next-gen Phaeton will be offered in the United States - the car will introduce a new design direction for VW when it arrives in showrooms in 2015.

Design boss Klaus Bischoff told Auto Express that the current range of Volkswagens look very similar.

“Flagship models like the Phaeton should act as halo products and influence the way the other cars in the range look, rather than the other way round,” he added.

Bischoff also criticised models in the company’s current line-up for looking too similar, but will bestow each model with individual design characteristics.

Bischoff believes that “There will be a specific look for saloons, one for our SUVs, one for the people carriers and one for our hatchbacks."

Like the current model, the next Volkswagen Phaeton wouldn’t compromise practicality or driving experiences.

[Source: Autoexpress.co.uk]

The 2013 Honda Civic buyers in Europe will benefit from a new efficiency-focused Earth Dreams with 1.6-liter diesel engine - set to debut in the European-market Civic early next year.

Said to be the lightest diesel engine in its class, the new engine will make 118 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque while emitting 94 grams of CO2 per kilometre and using 3.6 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres on the European combined cycle.

“There were no benchmarks for us because those targets would have been too low. We were determined to establish a benchmark of our own that our competitors would have to follow,” Tetsuya Miyake, project leader for the 1.6-liter i-DTEC engine.

Helping to achieve those figures is a fourth-generation Garrett turbocharger and the Bosch fuel system operates at a high 26,000 psi for optimized fuel atomization.

Honda has yet to announce plans to bring the oil-burning mill, but expected the new diesel will debut in early 2013 in the European and World Market Civic.

[alert style="green"] Earth Dreams diesel photos [/alert]

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After rumors of the Esprit’s death were debunked, Lotus wants another slice of that supercar cake once again with its light-weight mid-engined package.

The new 2013 Lotus Esprit is purportedly almost finished before it becomes a production model. A spokesman declined to comment on the story.

The Lotus Esprit will feature F1-inspired KERS technology, but unfortunately, the car still hasn't received the green light by the British automaker due to the ongoing management issues.

The car will use a 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 mated to a seven-speed paddle-shift transmission. The new Esprit is estimated to churn out around 650 hp and a carbonfibre/aluminium construction.

According to a report in Car magazine, Audi is looking to expand its range with several new models. Audi officials have given a new Q8 crossover model the green light with features four-door coupe styling.

The new Q8 has been approved by Audi management and the new model will reportedly share its platform with the next-generation Q7 SUV.

Under the hood will be a range of gasoline and diesel engines, and possibly a high-performance RS model with 550 bhp (410 kW).

Being one of Audi's high-end models, the Q8 will challenge the mid-size BMW X6 head-on with the Q6. While the Q8 isn't expected to launch before 2017, the car be 300kg lighter than today's lardy Q7.

Audi isn't making any comments on its future plans, don't expect to see the Q8 on the street anytime soon, though.

A recent report indicates that BMW X4 concept sports utility coupe will make its debut in Detroit in a couple of months. We also know that the car will be built in the US at BMW's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Confirmed by BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer earlier this year, the design language begins with the X6 lines in mind, a sloping roofline and significantly decreased cabin space.

Power will be provided by the same engines found on the X3, with a range of gas and diesel engines of the four- and six-cylinder varieties. In Europe, the X4 will get a traditional six-speed manual, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and a conventional eight-speed automatic.

Also planned is a hot X4 M diesel which will expand the M Performance Automobiles lineup, perhaps powered by a tri-turbo 3.0-liter diesel engine.

As a production model, the BMW X4 will be 4.65 meters long (183 inches), the same length as the X3 (F25). The body will feature four doors, the model will be aimed towards younger buyers.

The BMW X4 will carry a price premium over its more utilitarian X3 sibling, the car will likely start around $42,000 and go on sale probably at the end of 2013.

Photo by Worldcarfans

Rumors of an ultra-powerful the 2014 Ford Focus RS will get a new 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine with 350 hp are starting to be revealed. Pricing in the UK will reportedly be about 20 percent higher than that of the Ford Focus ST, to fetch about $29,000.

Ford had previously offered a Ford Focus RS wasn't sold in the US It used a 2.5-liter five cylinder produces 300 hp but that model engine didn't meet new European emissions regulations - was scrapped.

“If it’s too big and capable of too much power, you lose bottom- end torque and response,” said Team RS powertrain engineering manager Len Urwin.

The 2.3-liter features Ford's EcoBoost power does indeed make 350 hp to the front wheels. According to the British publication, Ford is considering whether to also offer a dual-clutch PowerShift. The 2014 Ford Focus RS will drop the 0-60mph time below the magic five-second mark.

[alert style="green"] 2014 Ford Focus RS photos [/alert]

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A recent report is indicating that BMW is planning to bring a new electric vehicle concept to the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The BMW i4 concept will show up with a sportier version of the i3, we speculated to cost around $50,000 and if it goes in production.

The report suggests the new BMW i4 concept will offer buyers a lower and come with a steeper price tag if it makes production, a more dynamic profile on the road and two fewer doors.

Both the i3 and the i4 will presumably make use of the same carbon to offset the weight of a heavy battery pack. Necessary energy will be drawn from the battery for providing drive to rear wheels through a single-speed gearbox.

Under the hood, which has 168 hp (125 kW) and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque and BMW claims 0-62 mph performance of under 8 seconds.

Bugatti is reportedly preparing to debut a new car dubbed the SuperVeyron at next year’s Frankfurt auto show. The Bugatti SuperVeyron is expected to carry a price tag on the north side of $2.5 million.

The rumored acceleration time from 0-100km/h is 1.8 seconds, the Bugatti SuperVeyron may get 1,600 HP (1,177 kW) from an engine that's likely to displace 9.6 liters enabling this beast to reach a top speed of 288 mph.

The SuperVeyron wears more carbon fiber, helping it shave of almost 550 pounds over the Veyron Super Sport. The target weight of 3,527 lbs, the car would tip the scales at 1,600 kg will reportedly have a power-to-weight ratio of one kg (2.2 pounds) per hp.

I think I'd buy an airplane instead if I had that kind of money, and you don't have to worry about speeding tickets in the air...

[alert style="green"] Bugatti SuperVeyron photos [/alert]

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The Audi R8 e-tron won't be coming to a dealer near you, being conducted is at the behest of Audi's new R&D chief Wolfgang Dürheimer. There are reportedly a number of concerns, one of them being due to the high cost and poor efficiency of today's batteries.

Audi unveiled the R8 e-tron concept three years ago at the Frankfurt Auto Show, and would be launched on the market by the end of 2012.

According to a report that we received, the Audi R8 e-tron is under review at the request of research and development chief Wolfgang Dürheimer. Worse still, according to sources there's a chance the entire project could be killed.

Audi is now shifting its focus to plug-in hybrid versions, evidenced by plans to produce A1, A3, A4, A6, and Q7 SUV hybrid-electric models. Once again high costs were cited as the likely reason for the project's demise.

[alert style="green"] Audi R8 e-tron photos [/alert]

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Organizers of the Los Angeles Auto Show have confirmed that the 2013 Fiat 500 EV will launch at the show, which opens to the press on November 28 and to the public from November 30.

Fiat has confirmed that the 500 Electric Vehicles will be one of the models revealed at the L.A. Auto Show, but precise technical details are not currently available. The 2013 Fiat 500 EV expected to have a 75-kilowatt (100 horsepower) electric motor powering the front wheels.

Sergio Marchionne, Fiat's outspoken CEO, admitted earlier this year that the electric hatchback built solely for the purpose of meeting California's regulations for zero-emission vehicles.

Auto Review Blog can expect to discover these details at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.

One of the biggest Porsche 918 Spyder leaks occurred this weekend at rennteam.com via teamspeed.com. We received a few reports are indicating that the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid will have a starting price of £768,026 when fitted with the Weissach package costing £839,426.

As expected, the new details confirm that the 918 Spyder will be offered only in left hand drive and one combustion engine and two electric engines.

Weissach-package reduces the weight of 1.700 kg (DIN) / 1.775 kg (EG) of the standard car by approximately 35 kg and the time at the Nordschleife by approximately 2 seconds (standard: less than 7:22 min, Weissach-package: less than 7:20 min).

You can track the some data and prices for the Porsche 918 Spyder:

• High-Perfomance Hybrid-System with Plug-in-technology, one combustion engine and two electric engines with E-Boost function


• only available in LHD-version


• Combustion DFI-engine is a V8 with 4.593 ccm and 9.000 1/min


• maximum power more than 580 hp and more than 500 Nm


• Euro 5-classification


• 70 litre tank


• turning circle 12.7 m


• Combustion engine is rear wheel drive and will be supportetd by one electric engine


• second electric engine will be for front wheels, so called electric AWD, up to 235 kph


• maximum power of both electric engines is more than 245 hp, 116 hp for front wheels and 129 for rear wheels


• Lithium-ion-battery with 6.8 kWh capacity


• on board charger with 3.6 kW


• external Porsche-universal-charger


• combined power will be more than 595 hp


• maximum torque more than 780 Nm between 1.000 and 4.000 1/min in third gear


• 7-gear-PDK


• Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus)


• Electric Porsche Traction Management (ePTM): electric AWD-system


• Auto-Start-Stop and "Sailing"


• front wheels with 9,5Jx20 and 265/35 ZR20


• rear wheels with 12,5Jx21 and 325/30 ZR21


• PCCB front 410mm (6 piston calliper), rear 390mm (4 piston calliper)


• electric parking brake


• LED-front lights with four point DRL, LED-rear lights


• PCM with 7"-touch screen (multitouch) in centre console


• 8"-TFT-information display


• Burmester HighEnd Surround system with 11 speakers and more than 500 W

Weight reduction is achieved by the following:

• extended use of magnesium, CfK, titanium and ceramic-parts


• foil instead of paint for the car saves 2.5 kg


• no wiring for external quick charging station


• 918 Spyder magnesium wheels (same dimensions) saves 13.5 kg


• no air-condition


• no Burmester HiFi system


• flame-resistant cloth instead of leather for the seats


• CfK-paddles for PDK


• CfK-interior package


• special door interior panels without armrest and door pockets


• straps instead of door handles


• no glove compartment, no compartment in centre console


• no carpeting in leg room, no carpeting in boot


• 6-point-harness

And here are the prices:

• foil additional to the paint: 11.900


• liquid metal paint: 47.600


• liquid metal paint plus foil: 59.500


• 918 magnesium wheel: 29.750


• lifting system for front axle: 8.925


• external Porsche quick charging sytem: 20.230 (20 kW, reduces charging time from 2 hours to 0.5 hours)


• special leather "Authentic": 23.800


• interior carbon-package: 6.545


• electric comfort heating system: 5.950 (heating for interior when only electric engines are running)


• 6-point-harness: 2.975


• Luggage-set (five pieces): 17.731


• car pick up in Zuffenhausen: for free!


• car pick up in Leipzig: 6.545

[alert style="green"] Porsche 918 Spyder photos [/alert]

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The North American automaker is planning to launch a new generation of the Ford Focus RS will pack as much as 350 horsepower, it is next-gen will be sold exclusively as a five-door model in the United States.

The ultimate version, the new Focus RS could get a more powerful variant of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, will be able to produce an impressive 350 HP (261 kW). The 2013 Ford Focus RS will likely be equipped with an electronically-controlled active differential and a Quaife limited-slip differential.

Most likely, the new generation of the Ford Focus RS is expected to make its public debut as a limited-edition model in a year or two.

"The Haldex-designed all-wheel drive system is inherently an understeering system. We would need to do something we could make fun to drive," said Urwin.

[alert style="green"] Ford Focus RS photos [/alert]

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