Car News
MINI Highgate Special Edition
Exactly two weeks ago we were reporting about MINI’s Baker Steet and Bayswater specials. Today, the BMW owned British brand is introducing yet another special edition model called the MINI Highgate.
This third special model is distinguished by its Ice Chocolate body colour, the Silvertouched Truffle fabric roof and the 17-inch Double Cross Turned light alloys. Body colour options for the Highgate also include Midnight Black and White Silver while at the interior the car features Dark Truffle Lounge Leather seats with blue piping and contrasting stitching, stainless steel pedals and Brushed Alloy detailing on the dashboard.
2012 Nissan GT-R vs 2012 BMW M5
Here is a comparison test that will most likely become the basis of a few arguments.
The Brits from Autocar have decided to see how does the 2012 Nissan GT-R perform in comparison with the all-new 2012 BMW M5.
They are not quite competing in the same league mainly because the M5 is a saloon so it weights more than the GT-R, but they do however share many other similarities.
So before you hit the play button here are some details in reference to each model.
Honda WTCC Civic Racer
Honda has just announced that it is entering the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) with the new European Civic hatch.
Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito said that “We will develop a totally new engine for this project and we are all excited about starting this new challenge.”
This bespoke engine will be developed by Honda’s R&D department, while J.A.S. Motorsport will develop the race car, using the new Honda Civic 5 door. To brand’s in-house tuner, Mugen will also be involved in manufacturing and maintaining the car.
Toyota GT 86 Price for UK
UK pricing for the 2012 Toyota GT 86 has been announced. The Japanese sports coupe will cost from 24,995 GBP and will become available at dealers in June.
The company is still holding back on full pricing and specification details, but promises that that will change as we get closer to the on sale date.
The GT 86 is marketed as a driving machine that concentrates on pure enjoyment, which uses a 2.0-litre flat-four boxer unit to develop 197 bhp (147 kW) and spin the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual and automatic transmission.
2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI Announced
Volkswagen announced that a diesel variant Beetle will hit the states this summer, with the car’s official premiere taking place at the Chicago Auto Show in less than a week.
The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI will extract power from a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder unit developing 140 HP and 236 lb-ft of torque which can be coupled to either a 6-speed manual or a DSG dual-clutch transmission.
Thanks to this engine the Beetle TDI will be able to return 29 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway (US rating), a major increase if compared to the 2.5-litre petrol version producing 170 horses which return 22 mpg in the city and 29.31 mpg on the highway depending on the transmission.
Infiniti Emerg-E Concept Heading to Geneva
Infiniti announced last night that their upcoming electric sports car concept will be called Emerge-E.
The EMERG-E will be unveiled to the public at the 82nd edition Geneva Motor Show on March 6, in Infiniti stating that this “will be the first car from the brand to have not only a range-extender drivetrain offering vivid performance with zero emissions capability but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling.”
Various sources mention that the car’s range extender is a 1.2-litre engine but we’ll see whether or not this is the case one the EMERG-E will make its debut.
Drive the Dream: Kia 2012 Super Bowl Ad
Kia’s ‘Drive the Dream’ ad for the 2012 Super Bowl is out on YouTube after the Korean brand had initially published a teaser and a 5 hour video featuring Adriana Lima waving a flag.
The clip is promoting the 2012 Kia Optima which is described as ‘A dream car. For ordinary life’ and it shows the stuff a women’s husband dreams after a ‘dream elf’ accidentally spilled to much ‘dream dust’ on him.
ABT AS5 Audi A5
Another new Audi model enhanced by ABT Sportsline recently is the A5 model which is now called the AS5.
This latest edition “combines a precise and harmonious design with dynamic technology”, and to be more exact, it features a ‘tailor made suit’ comprising from redesigned spoilers, side skirts, fender inserts and rear skirt insert, plus a four pipe exhaust system and a lowered suspension.
Kia Track-ster Concept Teaser
Kia will use the 2012 Chicago Auto Show as the place for the unveiling of the new Track-ster Concept. For now the Korean company has only published a sketched teaser with this three-door hatch reportedly based on the Soul, but we only have a week left before we find out what this vehicle is all about, once the show will open its doors.
Characterised as a sportier representation of the Soul, the Track’ster features a low roof line and dynamic lines that will most likely point o a new direction in terms of design for Kia.
2012 Audi R8 GT Spyder Price for US
US pricing for the limited edition 2012 Audi R8 GT Spider has been announced. This hand-built version limited to 333 exemplars world-wide, and to 55 units in the US will carry a price tag of 210,000 USD, a figure which does not include the 1,200 USD in handling fees and taxes.
The car is distinguished by its more aggressive appearance due ot its enlarged diffuser, front splitter and a fixed rear spoiler as well as by an individual vehicle number displayed on the gear shifter.