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Official: Mercedes bringing hot new CLA variants to Frankfurt

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG Racing Series

On any given weekend, you can expect to see the Three-Pointed Star racing somewhere. It could be in Formula One, DTM, V8 Supercars or any of the myriad sportscar racing series where customer teams compete in the SLS AMG GT3. But now it looks like Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to add one more.

This time, it’s based on one of its newest and smallest models: the CLA-Class. The concept racecar you see here, revealed on AMG’s Facebook page, is based on the CLA45 AMG but features such motorsports-minded upgrades as a competition-spec aero kit, rolling stock, carbon-fiber body panels and stripped-out interior. You can bet its oily bits have been tinkered with as well, but Mercedes is staying mum on the details, as the drivetrain will have to be adapted to whatever regulations with which it would need to comply.

Mercedes calls it the CLA45 AMG Racing Series, suggesting the car could be used as the basis for a spec series all its own. We hope to find out more next week when the car is unveiled in the flesh at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but in the meantime, you can scope out the images in the gallery above.

At the same time, Mercedes also revealed on Facebook its CLA250 Sport, a pseudo-performance version for the road that will likely slot in below the CLA45 AMG and may or may not be coming to the US.

Mercedes bringing hot new CLA variants to Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Mercedes bringing hot new CLA variants to Frankfurt

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG Racing Series

At the same time, Mercedes also revealed on Facebook its CLA250 Sport, a pseudo-performance version for the road that will likely slot in below the CLA45 AMG and may or may not be coming to the US.

Mercedes bringing hot new CLA variants to Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Sep 2013 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Peugeot bringing 30 models to Frankfurt

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Crossover, Hatchback, Peugeot, Diesel

Peugeot will be bringing 30 models to the Frankfurt Motor Show to show off its successful products, new concepts and powertrains, and at least one concept we’ve seen before that will reaffirm its commitment to moving upmarket. Among the most important centerpiece will be the new, lighter 308 and its i-Cockpit, launched in May but getting its world premiere with a showcase of nine variants in Germany.

Elsewhere will be the refreshed 3008 and 5008 spearheading the use of the new BlueHDi diesel engines. A new hybrid powertrain that uses compressed air, slated for introduction in 2016, will be shown on the 2008 HYbrid Air Concept, and a Le Mans-derived hybrid powertrain developed with the aid of oil company Total is showcased by the 208 HYbrid FE demonstrator. Another newcomer in the concept corner will be the 270-horsepower 308 R concept, and while the Onyx concept isn’t new, we’ll have no complaints about getting another look at it.

The RCZ R will represent what’s coming, while the 208 T16 Pikes Peak and three special 208 GTi Peugeot Sport cars that ran the Nürburgring 24-hour race will represent the recent, and successful, past. There’s a press release below with more information, and an updated gallery of 308 shots with 85 new photos.

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Peugeot bringing 30 models to Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Aug 2013 18:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mullin Automotive Museum steps closer to bringing classic Bugatti coupe to life

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Bugatti, Design/Style

1939 bugatti type 64 coupe

1939 Bugatti Type 64 Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

Peter Mullin is nuts for classic French cars. His Mullin Automotive Museum is a beautiful shrine to a very specific period of automotive history. One particular vehicle in his collection is Jean Bugatti’s unfinished 1939 Type 64 Coupe. Jean was Ettore’s oldest son, and he died while test driving the Le Mans-winning Type 57 C. His Type 64 Coupe chassis never got the body that Bugatti hoped to have built for it… but Mr. Mullin is going to change that.

Using Jean Bugatti’s sketches as a guide, Mullin has partnered with Stewart Reed Design to develop a vision of what the car should look like. Now, that pair is joined by Mike Kleeves of Automobile Metal Shaping Company, which means that team officially have someone on their team capable of bringing this bit of conceptual art into the physical world.

For more on the Type 64, check out the up-close look at the car we experienced during a field trip to the Mullin Museum in 2010.

Gallery: 1939 Bugatti Type 64

1939 Bugatti Type 64

Gallery: Mullin Museum: Bugatti Type 64 Coupe Chassis

[Source: Mullin Automotive Museum]

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Mullin Automotive Museum steps closer to bringing classic Bugatti coupe to life originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suzuki bringing two Kizashi concepts to New York Auto Show

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Sedan, Suzuki

2010 Suzuki Kizashi

2010 Suzuki Kizashi – Click above for high-res image gallery

Suzuki is hoping to jumpstart its slow-selling Kizashi with two concepts that will debut at the New York International Auto Show. Suzuki says that the cars will each feature a different “advanced propulsion system,” though they aren’t dropping many hints as to what that may mean.

Whatever it is, Suzuki’s New York show display will be advanced propulsion-themed, and all will become clear soon enough.

There aren’t any photos of the cars available yet, but Suzuki says one will be a “socially-conscious sedan,” while the other will be a rowdy tribute to Suzuki’s motorcycling heritage. We haven’t quite figured out what that means, either. Whatever the cars wind up looking like, Suzuki says it will debut them during its press conference at the show.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi Sport

[Source: Suzuki]

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Suzuki bringing two Kizashi concepts to New York Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW bringing lightweight M3 sedan to Nurburgring M Festival

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Performance, BMW

Lightweight BMW M3 Sedan

Lightweight BMW M3 Sedan – Click above for high-res image gallery

In addition to officially debuting the M3 pickup here in Munich, BMW trotted out a lightweight version of the M3 sedan before its debut at the M Festival at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring race later this year.

BMW is mum on the exact details on this stripped-out sedan, only saying that it’s designed to slot in between the standard model and the race-ready GTS coupe. Output should remain close to the standard 420 horsepower, but the brakes, suspension and exhaust will be tweaked for maximum performance. There’s no word on how many pounds the M division stripped from the sedan, but we should have all the details when the big ‘Ring race happens this June.

Gallery: Lightweight BMW M3 Sedan

BMW bringing lightweight M3 sedan to Nurburgring M Festival originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Toyota bringing Lexus GS, Scion FT-86 to New York Auto Show

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Sedan, Lexus, Scion, Toyota, Rumormill

Lexus GS Toyota FT-86

Click either image for high-res image gallery

We’ve gotten word from a very reliable source that Toyota is planning two big debuts at the New York Auto Show, although neither is wearing a ToMoCo badge.

First up is a fully redesigned Lexus GS, something that we’ve reported on and spied before. Although it’s unclear whether the GS we’ll see in NYC is a concept or a production model, we do know that it will be underpinned by an all-new platform that will also be used on the next-generation IS, due out sometime next year.

The current GS has been on the market since 2005 and, despite consistent sales, it’s overdue for a refresh. Expect many of the same V6 and V8 powerplants to carry over, although we haven’t gotten word on an F variant or whether the 450h hybrid will soldier on.

More intriguingly is word that Scion will bring its own version of the FT-86 to the Big Apple’s auto show, although don’t expect a production version – this will be yet another concept similar to the version we saw at the Geneva Motor Show, just with new badges and a few stylistic tweaks.

Expect more details to follow in the coming weeks.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Next-Gen Lexus GS

Next-generation Lexus GS spy shots

Gallery: Toyota FT-86 II Concept: Geneva 2011

Toyota FT-86 II Concept: Geneva 2011

Rumormill: Toyota bringing Lexus GS, Scion FT-86 to New York Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar bringing 550 hp XKR-S super coupe to Geneva

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar, Luxury

Jaguar XKR-S

Jaguar XKR-S – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve heard rumblings of a more-powerful XKR. We saw spy shots of the rumored two-door as it blew through the English countryside wearing a dash of camouflage. And now it’s official: Jaguar is bringing a more powerful XKR to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and goes by the name XKR-S.

We can only assume Jaguar is sticking with the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 as a motivational tool because the full details won’t be unvieled until next week’s shindig in Switzerland. However, we have been given a few numbers: 550 horsepower, 502 pound-feet of torque, a top-speed of 186 miles per hour and the ability to run from zero-to-60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds.

If you weren’t excited enough about Geneva, Jaguar just gave you 550 reasons to start drooling. Get the full details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Jaguar XKR-S

[Source: Jaguar]

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Jaguar bringing 550 hp XKR-S super coupe to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota bringing iQ EV prototype to Geneva

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Tokyo Motor Show

Toyota iQ EV Prototype

Toyota iQ EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hybrids and electric vehicles have have been front and center at auto shows over the past few years, and next month’s Geneva Motor Show is proving to be no different. According to Toyota, the automaker will introduce an iQ EV prototype at the show, equipped with a new flat lithium ion battery capable of 65 miles of travel on a single charge. The rechargeable iQ could prove to be the next generation of the iQ EV II concept from the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

The iQ EV will supposedly be made available to European buyers as a lease-only proposition sometime in 2012. But will we ever see an iQ EV in the U.S.? Only if the gas-powered Scion iQ paves the way.

Gallery: Toyota iQ EV Prototype

[Source: Toyota]

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Toyota bringing iQ EV prototype to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti bringing new entry-level car concept to Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Infiniti

Infiniti sketch

Infiniti is on track to have a new entry-level model that slots below the G, and the automaker has announced that it’s bringing a concept that previews this new small(er) car to the Geneva Motor Show next month. With vehicles like the Audi A1 and A3, BMW 1 Series, Lexus CT and the Mercedes-Benz A- and B-Class on the market, Infiniti would likely do well to have a contender in the small luxury car segment.

The only information we have as of this writing is the official teaser sketch you see here, previewing what could possibly be a hatchback rather than a traditional sedan or coupe. Infiniti says that the new entry-level car will be “completely different to anything currently offered by our rivals.” We’ve heard that line before, but nonetheless, we’ll see what the Japanese automaker has up its sleeve in just a few weeks. Hit the jump for Infiniti’s very brief press release.

[Source: Infiniti]

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Infiniti bringing new entry-level car concept to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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