Author: Jake Holmes

As we’ve reported earlier, Mercedes is busy overhauling its engine lineup, and we now have information about which engines are ending up where in 2011 models.

The CL550 moves to one of Mercedes’ new V-8 powerplants, a 4.6-liter twin-turbo unit making 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. That’s versus 382 hp and 391 lb-ft from the outgoing 5.5-liter V-8. All 2011 CLs get a face lift with new front and rear styling; they will retain their names instead of switching to S-class coupe nomenclature as had been previously rumored.

The CL63 and S63 AMG receive another new Mercedes engine, a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8. Output ratings are 536 hp ad 590 lb-ft, increases of 18 hp and 45 lb-ft over the old naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8. Both models also get an engine stop/start feature and M-B’s multi-clutch automatic transmission (MCT), which uses a clutch in place of the traditional torque converter.

Finally, the V-12–powered CL65 and S65 keep their engine but score an additional 17 hp, for a total of 621.

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Subaru and Cosworth have finally taken the wraps off their tuned WRX STI. If the CS400 looks like just another gray Subaru, consider these performance claims: 0–62 mph in 3.7 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.75 seconds at 107 mph. For reference, our long-term STI needed 5.1 seconds to clear 60 mph and 13.6 for the quarter.

To produce 395 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, Cosworth fits the STI’s 2.5-liter flat-four with strengthened pistons, rods, head studs, gaskets, and a high-pressure oil pump. They bolt up a larger turbocharger, bigger manifolds, and larger-diameter, louder exhausts. A stronger clutch and short-throw shifter are fitted to the six-speed manual transmission.

The suspension is stiffened with Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers, and lowered 0.4 inch in front. The front brakes are upgraded to 13.9-inch AP Racing discs with six-piston calipers, while the rears remain stock. Michelin SP3 tires wrap lightweight 18-inch wheels finished in anthracite gray.

How to pick a CS400 out from other tuned Subies? Look for a new front fascia with fog lights and mesh grille inserts, a larger rear spoiler, and plenty of Cosworth badges inside and out. Individually numbered badges adorn the engine and door sills. Inside, the CS400 receives special black leather with Cosworth logos, piano-black interior trim, and tinted glass. Paint choices are limited to silver, gray, and red.

Cosworth is building just 75 copies, all right-hand drive and destined for U.K. buyers. At ₤49,995, the CS400 costs nearly twice as much as a regular STI.

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The Volkswagen Group has bought a 90.1-percent stake in Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. The new partnership between the German automaker and the storied Italian design works will see Italdesign taking on a bigger role in styling future Volkswagen products, beginning with the forthcoming Volkswagen Up!

Founded in 1968 in Turin, Italdesign has a long history of creating futuristic concepts and groundbreaking production cars. The company’s production-car legacy includes classics like the original Lotus Esprit, Lancia Delta, DMC DeLorean, Maserati Quattroporte, and Lamborghini Gallardo, and more ordinary cars like the Saab 9000, Hyundai Sonata, Subaru SVX, Lexus GS300, and Fiat Punto. The company also designs commercial trucks, tractors, and forklifts.

VW and Italdesign first hooked up in the 1970s, when the latter penned the Golf I, Passat, Scirocco, and (later) the Audi 80. Since then, Italdesign has created dozens of concept and production designs for VW as well as subsidiaries like SEAT and Lamborghini. Buying a large stake in the company likely gives VW a bigger say in new styling projects and keeps the Italian group from courting other manufacturers.

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Formula 1 racing is returning to the U.S. with Austin, Texas, set to host races from 2012 to 2021. The last U.S. Grand Prix was held in Indianapolis in 2007. Austin isn’t currently home to any racetracks, so a brand-new F1 track will be built over the next couple of years. Local officials say Austin is a large enough city to play host to a major international event like an F1 race, and claim the track will be located “in close proximity” to the city’s downtown area and airport.

We’d been hearing rumors about F1 returning to the U.S. for some time now, although most of the speculation said that the race would be a street course in Manhattan or New Jersey. While Austin was a bit of a surprise, we’re just glad to know F1 is returning to the States. Just one question remains: Will the locals understand an auto race where cars turn left and right?

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Lamborghini is recalling 428 Murciélago coupes and roadsters built between 2007 and 2008 because they could leak fuel and start a fire. According to NHTSA, supports for the Lambos’ fuel pumps could break, which could allow fuel to spill from the tank. And as we all know, spilled gasoline plus an ignition source (a hot exhaust, for instance) can start a fire.

Given that Lambo has built just over 4000 Murciélagos ever, that means about ten percent are subject to the recall.

We’ve seen many pictures of flame-engulfed Murciélagos on the internet over the past few years and can’t help but wonder if this recall explains at least some of the fires. We love both fire and Lamborghinis, but definitely not when they inhabit the same space at the same time.

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McLaren Automotive has detailed production numbers and dealership locations for the McLaren MP4-12C supercar, which goes on sale next spring. The company says “up to” 1000 cars will be sold in 19 countries for 2011; over 2500 potential buyers have reportedly registered interest online.

Between 300 and 400 of the first years’ cars are destined for the U.S. Another 400 to 500 will go to Europe, with the remainder divided among the Middle East, Asia, and South Africa. Within the U.S., the company plans to have dealerships in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Orange County, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Tampa. Yes, that’s three dealers in California and two in Florida, a nod to the car’s intended demographic (read: rich people in sunny climes).

The eventual goal is to expand the total number of dealerships to no more than 70 and increase sales to 4000 cars annually once the lineup is filled out. Seems like an ambitious target for a newly reborn car company peddling a car that will cost north of $200K.

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The new Audi A8’s technological portfolio expands with an optional accessory that offers mobile internet access for passengers. The system provides Wi-Fi connections for up to eight devices, and uses WPA2 encryption to keep your data private.

Connecting to the outside world requires a SIM card with a data plan—the one from your BlackBerry, for example—or tethering of a Bluetooth-enabled phone to the A8’s infotainment system. There’s no additional fee on top of what your wireless carrier charges for data use.

According to the folks at Audi, details about the system’s U.S. availability and pricing have yet to be determined. However, they say the mobile internet option will very likely be offered on American A8s.

If you can’t afford the A8’s price tag but want to surf on the road, in-car internet is also available with the latest versions of Ford Sync and via dealer-installed accessories in Chrysler vehicles and the Cadillac CTS.

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One of the many changes involved in bringing the Fiat 500 from Europe to the U.S. will apparently be the addition of new exterior badges. A photo posted on the Facebook page for Fiat USA is asking viewers to vote on the logo design for the American-market Fiat 500.

Current Euro-market cars subtly incorporate the “500″ script into chrome trim on the license-plate brow and on the side moldings, whereas the U.S. version will probably carry more obvious badging. The choices are variants of the word “Cinquecento,” Italian for “500″ and employed on Fiats of yore. Based on the current comments, design four seems to be winning. If you want to vote for it or one of the other designs, click here and leave a comment.

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Tesla Motors has partnered with Toyota and will begin building electric vehicles in the latter’s NUMMI factory in Fremont, California. The 5.3-million square-foot NUMMI facility stopped producing vehicles for Toyota and plant partner General Motors in April. Tesla plans to build the Model S electric car at the plant starting in 2012, as well as other potential future models, should the brand thrive enough to build them.

The NUMMI factory has an annual production capacity of about half a million vehicles, and used to build the Toyota Corolla and Tacoma, Pontiac Vibe, and others. (Of course, Tesla will utilize but a tiny fraction of that capacity.) NUMMI is located close to Tesla’s headquarters in Palo Alto, which the company says “ensures a tight feedback loop” between design and manufacturing.

As for the partnership between the two companies, a press statement said that Toyota and Tesla will “cooperate on the development of electric vehicles, parts, and production system and engineering support.” The Japanese automaker will buy $50 million worth of Tesla stock—a drop in the bucket for a company like Toyota, but much-needed funds for an automotive pipsqueak like Tesla, which has struggled with funding in the past. At some point in the future, the two will collaborate on an electric vehicle.

Why would a behemoth international automaker like the typically conservative Toyota—the progenitor of the mass-production hybrid—partner with upstart Tesla? Toyota President Akio Toyoda said his company can learn from Tesla’s “quick decision-making and flexibility,” citing it as one of the main motivations behind the partnership. Tesla reportedly also reminds Toyoda of Toyota’s early years.

“I think he [Toyoda] really likes the spirit of Tesla and that it’s a young and flexible company,” said Tesla spokeswoman Khobi Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, Tesla believes it can learn a lot about vehicle production from Toyota; Tesla CEO Elon Musk has long admired the Japanese company. The partnership gives Tesla an injection of capital and a production facility. And working with Toyota, the company that champions efficient mass production, may help Tesla someday achieve its goal of making electric cars affordable to mainstream buyers. (Its only current offering, the Tesla Roadster, costs over $100,000.)

More than 5000 workers, most of whom were UAW, were laid off when Toyota ended production at NUMMI earlier this year. Tesla wouldn’t say whether any of them will be rehired, but such a move certainly would help counter the avalanche of negative press in the wake of the plant’s closure.

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We were pretty confident that the Buick Regal GS concept would make its way from auto shows to dealerships, and we now have a report that almost officially confirms it. GM executives told The Detroit News that the GS has been approved for production, although they didn’t specify when the car would launch. We think the GS will debut sometime next year.

If it follows in the concept car’s footprints—and it should, as the show car look fully production-ready—the Regal GS will pack a 255-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with all-wheel drive, as well as uprated brake and suspension components. We’re hoping this confirmation is the real deal, and we’ll relay the official word as soon as we get it.

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Land Rover has confirmed intentions to up the green quotient on its next batch of SUVs with more fuel-efficient model variants. For the upcoming “compact Range Rover”—based on the LRX concept—Land Rover will offer—blasphemy alert!—an economical two-wheel-drive variant. For larger vehicles, the company plans a new diesel hybrid powertrain.

The new compact Range will offer both two- and four-wheel drive. Along with lightweight construction and efficient engines, Land Rover claims the 2WD model will produce CO2 emissions of just 130 g/km, which it says would make it the most fuel-efficient Land Rover ever. It should debut in early 2011.

Starting this fall, Land Rover will test a diesel hybrid vehicle called range_e, which uses a system designed for its larger vehicles. Based on the Range Rover Sport platform, the range_e mates the brand’s 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 and an eight-speed automatic transmission to hybrid components. The goal is for up to 20 miles of electric-only propulsion and a top speed of 120 mph, with overall CO2 emissions under 100 g/km. Land Rover says a diesel hybrid will be ready by 2012 and on sale by 2013.

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Porsche has released pricing information for the 2011 Cayenne, which was heavily redesigned for the new model year. The SUV is now offered in four flavors: Cayenne, Cayenne S, Cayenne S Hybrid, and Cayenne Turbo. The Cayenne S and Turbo go on sale in July, while the base and hybrid models will reach dealerships this fall.

The entry-level Cayenne, powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 producing 300 hp, now starts at $47,675. Stepping up to the V-8-powered, 400-hp Cayenne S requires $64,675. The new-for-2011 Cayenne S Hybrid costs $68,675, and the boisterous, 500-hp Turbo commands $105,775.

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GM is launching two new alternative fuel engine choices for the 2011 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana twins. Fleet and commercial customers will be able to buy the vans equipped with CNG (compressed natural gas) or LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) fuel systems.

Cargo vans with CNG capability will be available this fall, while cutaway bodystyles (which can be turned into buses, delivery vehicles, and more) powered by LPG will arrive early next year. The Express and Savana will continue to use a 6.0-liter V-8 engine, but with a hardened valvetrain and a new fuel injection system fed by the proper storage tanks. The vehicles are fully EPA and CARB compliant, and come with a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty.

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Even the most powerful Mercedes-Benz, the SL65 AMG Black Series, can’t escape the hands of German tuner Brabus. Feeling that the stock car’s outputs of 661 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque were merely a good starting point, Brabus upped the ante to 789 hp and 811 lb-ft on this T65 RS.

To make the power, Brabus bolts more powerful turbochargers and new exhaust manifolds to the Black Series’s 6.0-liter V-12 engine. There are four intercoolers, which require the addition of a carbon-fiber hood scoop to fit under the hood and allow them breathe properly. A reprogrammed engine computer and stainless-steel exhaust system round out the changes. Oh, and the modified engine still passes Euro IV emissions standards.

Performance? Brabus predicts a 0–62 mph run of 3.6 seconds, identical to our 0–60 run in a stock Black Series. Top speed is capped at 200 mph, although the company says an unrestricted model could run north of 206 mph.

The car seen here is unique and was special-ordered by a longtime Brabus customer. It’s customized with matte-black paint and a mix of red-stitched leather and Alcantara on the inside. If you like what you see, Brabus will sell you all the parts to turn your own Black Series into a T65 RS.

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Ford has finally released EPA-certified fuel economy numbers for the 2011 Fiesta, and as expected they’ve bested the competition. When equipped with its optional six-speed PowerShift dual-clutch automated manual, the Fiesta is rated at 29 mpg city and 40 highway. Equipped with the standard five-speed manual, the ratings are 28/37 mpg. That means the Fiesta tops both the Toyota Yaris’s best rating of 29/36 mpg and Honda Fit’s best of 28/35 mpg.

The official numbers are pretty close to Ford’s earlier predictions of 30/40 mpg with the PowerShift and 29/38 mpg equipped with the manual. Even though it’s a fuel sipper, the Fiesta is still fun to drive, like its Euro forebears.

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We took a look through GM’s 2011 online order guide, which highlights scores of minor equipment changes across the General’s brands. Most of them are boring—do you really care that order codes for certain metallic paints have changed?—so we picked out the interesting and important changes for 2011 vehicles.

Chevrolet Camaro

GM has already announced some of the Camaro’s main changes, notably a fake power increase for V-6 models and the addition of an optional head-up display. Buyers also are now be able to specify factory-installed hood and hockey-stick stripes in black, white, or gray (pictured above) as part of a mid-2010 running change. Bad news for Transformers fans: picking Rally Yellow paint now costs extra.

Chevrolet Corvette

The Z06 Carbon Limited Edition, at right, is new for 2011 and slots between the regular Z06 and ZR1. Among other things, it includes the Z06 Ultimate Performance Package and Z06 Carbon-Fiber Package, which are also available separately on the middle Vette. The new model year also brings improved synchronizers for all manual-transmission Vettes, new five-spoke wheel designs for base Corvettes, and a retuned exhaust for the Z06.

Chevrolet HHR

As we reported last year when GM shut down its High-Performance Vehicle Operations group, the turbocharged HHR SS is dead for 2011, leaving just naturally aspirated engines in its wake. (Chevy’s SS lineup is now limited to just the V-8 Camaro.) HHR buyers also lose the ability to order chrome exterior trim or to delete the rear seat.

Chevrolet Malibu

Six-speed automatic transmissions become standard across the board for the Malibu; a four-speed auto had previously been included with the base LS four-cylinder model.

Cadillac STS

For 2011, the STS V-8 dies, leaving just the V-6 model with either rear- or all-wheel-drive. (It’s really no big loss since the aging 4.6-liter Northstar eight made only 18 hp more than the 3.6-liter V-6.) Adaptive cruise control, four-wheel active steering, real-time adaptive damping, and magnetic ride control were all only offered with a V-8 and thus vanish from the STS order form.

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This is the new Hyundai Avante, which debuted yesterday in Seoul, South Korea. Outside of the brand’s homeland, the Avante wears Elantra badges, meaning this car serves as a preview of the next U.S.-market Hyundai Elantra.

The new sedan wears the stretched lights, flowing lines, and body creases that define Hyundai’s “fluidic sculpture” design language, as seen on the Genesis and Sonata. The Avante also shares many styling cues with the smaller Hyundai Verna/Accent we saw in Beijing last week.

Under the hood is a 1.6-liter gasoline engine hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine makes 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque, and features variable valve timing, direct injection, and variable intake geometry. Despite being positioned as an entry-level small car, the Avante packs HID and LED lighting, heated seats, and a color LCD screen in the instrument cluster.

The Avante goes on sale later this year in Korea. We can probably expect a new Elantra sedan for our shores by 2011, although we don’t yet know what specific equipment will carry over. We’ll update you as soon as we know more.

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The National Corvette Museum is planning a $35 million motorsports park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The park will be built on 300 acres of land near the museum and GM’s Corvette assembly plant, and is expected to be ready in two to three years.

The main attraction will be a pair of road courses, the larger of which is designed to mimic the Circuit de la Sarthe, which hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The East course features a turn modeled on the Nürburgring’s Caracciola Karussell and a chicane that supposedly apes the Bus Stop at Watkins Glen. Sounds neat if they can pull them off.

Other plans include a quarter-mile drag strip, a ten-acre autocross area, a skid pad, and a 0.75-mile karting track. Organizers say all the facilities will meet FIA and SCCA rules, and will be open to driver training events as well as open track days. And yes, it’ll be open to cars other than ‘Vettes.

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Hurst Performance Vehicles has unveiled a modified Ford Mustang GT convertible that will serve as the pace car for this year’s Ford Racing Mustang Challenge series. The car debuted last weekend at the series’ second race at Virginia International Raceway. This car is purely for pace-car duties and won’t be offered to customers, although Hurst will sell pinewood derby skins that replicate the Mustang’s looks.

The Mustang packs numerous performance upgrades from Ford Racing. A supercharger, stainless-steel exhaust, and K&N air filter bump the V-8’s output to a claimed 550 hp and 542 lb-ft of torque. The car also gets a coil-over suspension and 14-inch brake discs with four-piston calipers, again from Ford Racing.

The Mustang’s exterior wears Hurst’s trademark gold-on-black paint scheme as well as pace car graphics and a Hurst decklid spoiler. The 20-inch Hurst aluminum wheels have gold accents and wear BFGoodrich T/A tires. Inside is a black leather interior with embroidered Hurst logos and Hurst-branded floor mats. And, of course, there’s the requisite Hurst shifter topped with a black T-shaped handle

After the race season wraps up, the Mustang pace car will tour muscle-car shows, dealerships, and the SEMA show in November. Next January, the car will be auctioned to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, a charity that supports children with cancer.

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