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Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series coupe and convertible take a bow

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, BMW

2012 BMW 1 Series Convertible

2012 BMW 1 Series – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW recently pulled the wraps off of its hot new 1 Series M Coupe, but this new addition to the automaker’s least expensive range isn’t the only changes on tap for the 2012 model year. Both the coupe and convertible versions of the 128i and 135i receive modest upgrades for 2012, including very, very slight styling updates and a new powertrain for the 135i.

Up front, 1 Series cars equipped with Xenon headlamps (optional on 128i, standard on 135i) receive a new horizontal LED eyebrow to complement the corona running lamps. Out back, newly tweaked taillamps use LED running lamps similar to those on the rest of the BMW product line. The 1 Series also gets a tweaked M Sport package that includes an aero kit (standard on the 135i), increased top speed limiter and more sporting suspension geometry. Additionally, M Sport cars are fitted with sport seats and M-branded interior trim components.

Much like its older brother, the 3 Series, the 135i is now powered by BMW’s N55 3.0-liter inline-six which uses a single twin-scroll turbocharger to produce 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. In addition to the standard row-it-yourself six-speed transmission, the 135i can now be had with BMW’s seven-speed DCT that first debuted in the Z4 roadster. Fitting this new engine means that the 135i Coupe can run to 60 miles per hour in five seconds flat with DCT and 5.1 seconds with the manual (add 0.3 seconds to those respective times for the droptop 135i). The base 128i continues to use the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter mill found in the outgoing model, rated at 230 hp and 200 lb-ft and paired with six-speed manual or Steptronic transmissions.

Pricing for the 2012 1 Series will be revealed closer to the car’s on-sale date in the Spring of 2011, and we wouldn’t expect the current base price of $29,450 for the 128i and $36,350 for the 135i to change much. Follow the jump for BMW’s exhaustive press release that details the full host of changes.

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series

2012 BMW 1 Series

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series Coupe

2011 BMW 1 Series Coupe

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series Convertible

2012 BMW 1 Series Convertible

[Source: BMW]

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Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series coupe and convertible take a bow originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Preview: Hyundai i40/Sonata wagon gets officially rendered

Filed under: Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hyundai

Hyundai i40 wagon renderings – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai is preparing to launch a new European D-segment model at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March that will compete against such vehicles as the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat, and it’s released a slew of advance renderings of what we might expect.

Filling the slot in the Korean automaker’s European line-up that’s filled in North America by the Sonata (with which it is a very close twin), the i40 has been designed and developed in Germany by the company’s European R&D center in Rüsselsheim. The design closely follows those of recent Hyundai design studies, the Genus concept most closely.

The i40 is slated to go on sale shortly after its debut in Geneva in wagon form, with a sedan version expected to follow. The engine range is expected to include a 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder producing 170 horsepower and a 1.7-liter turbodiesel with outputs ranging from 115 horsepower to 136, with more powerful versions to follow. In the meantime, take a stroll through the image gallery below for a closer look, as the i40 is almost certainly what a Sonata wagon would look like were Hyundai ever to launch it in the States.

Gallery: Hyundai i40 wagon sketches

[Source: Hyundai-blog]

Geneva Preview: Hyundai i40/Sonata wagon gets officially rendered originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Formula One goes with 1.6-litre four-cylinder power

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

BMW M12 F1 Engine

Soon we can all say goodbye to the high-revving V8s currently shrieking their way around the world’s Formula One circuits. F1 has officially enacted new rules that require all teams to run a new turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine design by 2013. In addition, the maximum engine speed will be reduced from the current 18,000 rpm to a maximum of 12,000 rpm.

All told, the changes are expected to allow the vehicles to use around 35 percent less fuel than the outgoing eight-pots, even while churning out very similar power numbers. While neither the FIA nor F1 organizers are willing to throw out any solid numbers, there is word that the engines will use high-pressure gasoline injectors that can dump fuel into the combustion chamber at up to 7,251 psi.

Atomization? Yeah, it looks like they’ve got that covered.

Interestingly enough, F1 is also moving to limit the number of engines (again) that a team can use during a season. Right now, the rules allow for a stable of eight engines, though by 2013, that number will drop to five before falling to four soon after. That would mean on top of nabbing better fuel economy and yielding high power, the new lumps will need to be stout enough to take the abuse of multiple races without popping. Here’s to the future. Thanks for the tip, Franz!

[Source: Formula 1]

Officially Official: Formula One goes with 1.6-litre four-cylinder power originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is ready to cut and thrust

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, BMW

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW’s long, agonizing roll-out of information about the 2012 1 Series M Coupe has been a bit maddening. In addition to an early video reveal, we were invited to get some seat time in a prototype of the 1M, leaving us with just the final production-spec images and details in the world of the unknown. Well, wait no more – BMW has officially taken the wraps off of its hot new 1 Series, and while we’re still very eager to put this sporty coupe through its paces, we can’t help but wish for just a teensy bit more… oomph.

Let’s start with power. The 1 Series M Coupe uses BMW’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, and while early estimates had the car pumping out as much as 350 horsepower, the final numbers are: 335 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque – exactly what you get out of this engine in the current Z4 sDrive35is. The car’s ECU has an overboost function that provides an additional 37 lb-ft of twist at full tilt, and with your foot pressed hard into the right pedal, 0-60 will happen in just 4.7 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at – you guessed it – 155 miles per hour.

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe The only transmission available is a six-speed manual, though rumors have circulated about a possible twin-clutch DCT box making its way into the car down the road. Like all M cars, the 1M features an M Drive button on the steering wheel that improves throttle response. Additionally, the car is equipped with an M Dynamic Mode button that allows the electronic driving nannies to kick in slightly later than normal.

Compared to a 2011 135i coupe, the 1M is 0.2 inches longer, 2.1 inches wider and 0.5 inches taller. Both the front and rear tracks have been increased by 2.8 and 1.8 inches, respectively. Weighing in at 3,296 pounds, the 1 Series M Coupe is 77 pounds lighter than your off-the-shelf 135i. The 1M rides on standard M-specific 19-inch wheels wrapped in 245/35 rubber up front and beefy 265/35 out back. BMW hasn’t made great strides to rework the 1 Series’ interior for the M, but things like sport seats and a fat sport steering wheel are standard fare.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re drooling over the 1 Series M Coupe, but we can’t help but wish for a bit more power and perhaps a larger reduction in weight. After all, BMW is comparing this car to the E30 M3 coupe (see for yourself in our high-res image gallery), which is perhaps one of our all-time favorite Roundel sports cars. Still, BMW needs to position the 1 Series M Coupe in a way that it doesn’t step on the toes of it’s big brother, the M3, and we’re sure that this M Coupe treatment will provide more than enough moxie for us enthusiasts to get our kicks.

We’ll have plenty of live shots direct from the 1M’s Detroit Auto Show debut, but see the unwrapped beauty for yourself in our image gallery, below. BMW’s prolific press release is available after the jump, as well.

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is ready to cut and thrust

Officially Official: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe is ready to cut and thrust originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Racing officially announces the 2012 Mustang Cobra Jet

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Ford, Racing

2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet – Click above for high-res image gallery

Last week it was leaked that Ford would be bringing its purpose-built drag racer, the Cobra Jet, back for another year in 2012. Today Ford made it official by revealing the car at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Florida alongside its road racing brother, the Boss 302S.

After getting an upgrade in 2010, the Cobra Jet is getting revised once again for 2012 with an updated version of the supercharged 5.4-liter V8 and modified suspension, low-drag racing brakes, new black anodized wheels and a stickier set of Goodyear racing slicks. Three colors will be offered – Race Red, Grabber Blue and Winner White – and just 50 will be available from the Ford Racing catalog. Pricing starts at $91,990 with a fully loaded Cobra Jet coming in at $103,980. Follow the jump for the press release.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet

[Source: Ford]

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Ford Racing officially announces the 2012 Mustang Cobra Jet originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aveo No More: New Chevrolet small car to officially be called ‘Sonic’

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM

2012 Chevrolet Sonic

2012 Chevrolet Sonic – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors has officially announced that its all-new B-segment car will be called Sonic, marking the end of the Aveo nameplate here in the United States. We first saw the 2012 Aveo at the Paris Motor Show earlier this year, and the vehicle will officially start production sometime in 2011 at GM’s Orion Assembly Center in Michigan.

The Sonic nameplate will only be used in the United States, Canada and Mexico; the car destined for other markets will retain the Aveo name. Chris Perry, GM’s vice president for Chevrolet U.S. marketing explains the reason for the name change here in North America:

“The Sonic represents a new beginning for Chevrolet in the small car segment and so we felt it was time to give it a new name. The new car is roomy, stylish and fun to drive, and Sonic is a youthful, energetic name that helps convey what this vehicle is about.”

If GM really wants to capture some youth, we suggest offering the Sonic in “Hedgehog Blue.” Follow the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic

2012 Chevrolet Sonic

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Aveo No More: New Chevrolet small car to officially be called ‘Sonic’

Aveo No More: New Chevrolet small car to officially be called ‘Sonic’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Volkswagen Golf R headed to U.S. for 2012

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Volkswagen

2010 Volkswagen Golf R20

2010 Volkswagen Golf R20 – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s been a couple of years since Volkswagen’s heavyweight hot hatch, the R32, graced America’s shores, but now we have official word of a successor. Tuned by the in-house R team at Volkswagen, the Golf R should be a good bit more exciting than its already entertaining forebear, and hopefully, it will shave a few pounds off, too.

Unlike the R32, which was powered by VW’s popular VR6, the new model will be powered by Volkswagen’s ubiquitous turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. And while Volkswagen isn’t quoting power output for the new U.S. model, the European version currently on sale conjures up 270 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. All of that gumption will be routed through VW’s fourth generation Haldex 4Motion all-wheel drive system, which means the VW should once again be a good foil for cars like the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.

Along with the power increase, VW is promising bigger brakes, an uprated suspension, 18-inch wheels, center-exit dual exhaust and a more liberally tuned ESP. Perhaps most interestingly, the Golf R will be available in both two and four doors and be paired exclusively with a manual transmission. That’s right, we said it.

Although the press release after the jump doesn’t mention when it will debut (our money’s on Detroit), additional R accoutrements include model-specific aero bits and badging, along with upgrated trim and a new steering wheel, shift knob, and so on.

In other words, it’s time to get excited.

Gallery: Volkswagen Golf R20

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Officially Official: Volkswagen Golf R headed to U.S. for 2012

Officially Official: Volkswagen Golf R headed to U.S. for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Lotus Renault GP rolls up its sleeves

Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus, Renault

Lotus Renault GP livery – Click above for high-res image

In the highly competitive environment that is Formula One racing, things can get a bit messy. Rivalries. Crashes. Underhanded maneuvers. Team orders. Scandals. But identity crises? This is a new one. But that’s just what we’re looking at with Lotus. Because you see as we head into the 2011 championship, two teams are on the docket that both claim the same name and plan to fly the same colors.

We’re talking about Lotus-Renault, a legendary pairing but one with a serious split-personality disorder. For the past several months Group Lotus and its Malaysian parent company Proton have been embroiled in a naming rights dispute with Tony Fernandes, owner of what’s until now been called the Lotus Racing team. After licensing the name from Proton (and having nothing to do with the engineering firm and automaker we know as Lotus), Fernandes decided he didn’t need Proton’s permission anymore and renamed his outfit Team Lotus, commensurately switching from Cosworth to Renault engines and pledging to bring back the iconic Lotus black and gold livery.

After a brief exchange in the press, negotiations between the two Lotus parties went behind closed doors. Then reports surfaced that Group Lotus (the automaker) was considering buying Renault out of its stake in its own F1 team, reports that have now been confirmed by official announcement. Renault (the French automaker) has sold its stake in its F1 team to its investment partner Genii Capital, which has in turn sold part to Group Lotus. Retaining Renault engines, the team is therefor being rebranded Lotus Renault GP, and has released the image above showing what their car could look like under the new livery next season.

Thing is, Fernandes’ Team Lotus is contracted to use those same engines, and was planning on resurrecting that same iconic livery. Neither seems eager to relent, but there can only be one Lotus-Renault team, so something’s got to give before the season kicks off in Bahrain on March 13, so stay tuned and check out the full press release after the jump.

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Officially Official: Lotus Renault GP rolls up its sleeves

Officially Official: Lotus Renault GP rolls up its sleeves originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Opel premieres facelifted Antara in Bologna

Filed under: Europe, Crossover, GM, Misc. Auto Shows, Opel, Diesel

2011 Opel Antara

2011 Opel Antara – Click above for high-res image gallery

Opel has pulled the wraps off its facelifted Antara at the Bologna Motor Show, and the Euro-market midsize cousin to our GMC Terrain has received a host of upgrades. As is the way with mid-cycle refreshes, the Antara’s Theta chassis has been re-tuned, the interior has been reworked and the powertrain is available in a range of configurations.

The base Antara is powered by a 2.4-liter, 167 horsepower four-cylinder gasoline engine that pulls around the front wheels. It can be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission in both the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, while a six-speed automatic is also available on the all-wheel drive Antara.

For fans of diesel drinkers, the Antara offers two choices, both of which, oddly, are 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder units. One makes 163 horsepower at 3,800 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm while the other produces 184 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque in the same rev range. The 163-hp unit is available with either the autobox or the manual in your choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The 184-hp diesel is only available with all-wheel drive but is still offered with either transmission.

Take a gander at the all-new 2011 Opel Antara in our gallery below, and be sure to check out the press release posted after the jump for more details on this forbidden fruit.

Gallery: 2011 Opel Antara

2011 Opel Antara

[Source: Opel]

Continue reading Officially Official: Opel premieres facelifted Antara in Bologna

Officially Official: Opel premieres facelifted Antara in Bologna originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Nissan GT-R officially goes 0-60 in 2.9 seconds

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Nissan

What’s it take to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just under three seconds flat? According to Nissan, it takes exactly 530 horsepower and 488 pound-feet of torque, coupled to a sophisticated electronic all-wheel-drive system and a dual-clutch transmission.

Put more simply in actual dollars and cents, that will cost you $89,950. For those unaware, that’s the sum Nissan is asking for its updated 2012 GT-R, which recently made its live American debut at the 2010 LA Auto Show. The Japanese automaker has kindly provided a digital readout from an electronic measurement device from Digitek to silence the doubters (above). As you can ~~clearly~~ squint and see, the GT-R hit 60 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds and 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in exactly three seconds.

Your move, Corvette ZR1.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2012 Nissan GT-R

2012 Nissan GT-R

Gallery: 2012 Nissan GT-R

[Source: Nissan]

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2012 Nissan GT-R officially goes 0-60 in 2.9 seconds originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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