SEAT Ibiza Facelift by JE Design

It didn’t take long for JE Design to come up with a tuning package for the new SEAT Ibiza facelift after the Spanish car maker announced it. Save the color on this particular car, they’ve done a pretty good job making the Ibiza look even sportier. The visual upgrade will soon be complemented with substantial power increase for all the engines int he range. 

For now though you have to settle for the body kit, a set of 17 or 18-inch wheels, and sport suspension with shorter springs that lower the car by 35mm. The nicely designed body kit includes a hefty spoiler lip at front, tall side skirts, a roof spoiler and a big rear diffuser. All the components are made from plastic, but that diffuser has a nice carbon look to look more appealing. It’s a simple and effective way of improving your car’s looks. But for heaven’s sake choose a dignified color!

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Infiniti still wants halo car, GT-R variant ruled out

Take a good look at the lineup of cars at Infiniti. Notice anything interesting? We see sedans of multiple shapes and sizes, wagon-like crossovers, a hybrid and even a massive SUV, which is the most expensive machine the company has on offer. What we don't see, though, is a clear range-topper. 

According to Car and Driver, that fact doesn't sit very well with Andreas Sigl, the man at the head of Infiniti's Formula 1 relationship with Red Bull. "A halo car would help us ... It could bridge the gap between Infiniti and F1."

With an Infiniti version of the Nissan GT-R apparently off the table, we're not really expecting any kind of halo car that will bring to mind the raw performance of an F1 racer. Still, the options available to Infiniti are intriguing: the Emerg-E and Essence concepts are reportedly being considered for production.

The Essence Concept was powered by a twin-turbo, direct-injection 3.7-liter V6 and electric motor hybrid combination that was good for 592 brake horsepower. That sounds perfectly halo-esque to us, but a V8 may have potential, too. Meanwhile, the Emerg-E concept was co-developed with Lotus with componentry borrowed from the Evora. The range-extended electric vehicle could reportedly run from 0-60 in four seconds flat while offering a 300-mile range.

 

So, which direction might Infiniti go? Beats us, but C&D poses a nice solution: How about both? 

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New Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake

It took Mercedes-Benz a little over two years to turn the Shooting Break Concept from the 2010 Beijing Auto Show into the production CLS Shooting Brake (that's no typo, the German automaker changed the name in the process) you first saw in a set of leaked pictures earlier today and in much more detail now. 

So what exactly is the CLS Shooting Brake? Well, if you ask the brand with the star, it will tell you that it's "quite clearly a coupé, but with five doors and a roof which continues through to the rear." 

If you're having a problem comprehending Mercedes' description of the Shooting Brake, you're probably not alone. 

To put it simply, it's an estate version of the CLS with a heavily arched roof that digs into the load area reducing space but at the same time, makes the car look far more elegant and sporty than let's say, the E-Class Wagon. 

While it does look sleek, the Shooting Brake is a large vehicle that measures 4,956mm (195.2 inches) long, 1,881mm (74.1 inches) wide and 1,413 mm (55.6 inches) tall. This means it has the same width with the CLS sedan but it is 16mm longer and surprisingly, 3mm lower than the saloon it is based upon. 

Another surprise comes from the load area as with 590 liters of space with the rear seats in their position, the CLS Shooting Brake beats the Jaguar XF Sportbreak (550 liters), Audi A6 Avant (565 liters) and BMW 5-Series Touring (560 liters) losing only to its E-Class Wagon stablemate (695 liters). 

With the rear seats folded, however, the Shooting Brake with 1,550 liters of space falls behind all four cars (Jaguar: 1,675 liters, Audi: 1,680 liters, BMW: 1,670 liters and Mercedes E-Class Wagon: 1,950 liters). 

The Shooting Brake is equipped as standard with a self-leveling air suspension at the rear while another special feature worth mentioning is the available 'designo' wooden luggage compartment floor that Mercedes says "serves to underscore the hand-finished nature of the interior". 

In addition, unlike the CLS sedan that gets a strict-two seat layout at the back, the Shooting Brake features three seats, the backrests of which can be folded down from the luggage compartment as standard. 

Customers will be able to choose from five interior colors, five trim designs and also three qualities of leather.

The initial engine range for Europe will include a total of four powertrains, all coupled to a 7-speed 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission with an ECO start/stop function. 

These include two diesels, the CLS 250 CDI with a 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbo rated at 201hp (204PS) and the CLS 350 CDI powered by a 3.0-liter V6 delivering 261hp (265PS), and two petrol models, the CLS 350 with a 302hp (306PS) 3.5-liter V6 and the CLS 500 sporting a 4.7-liter V8 turbo producing 402hp (408PS). 

The CLS 350 CDI and the CLS 500 will also be offered with Mercedes' 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

In the UK, Mercedes will only offer the two rear-wheel drive diesel models. 

In 2013, the Shooting Brake's range will be enhanced with the flagship CLS 63 AMG version series, likely powered by a 5.5-liter bi-turbocharged V8 rated at 530bhp (537PS) in standard trim. 

Mercedes-Benz has said that it has no current plans to bring the Shooting Brake to North America.

If you scroll down, you'll find all the technical data for the European-spec model along with Mercedes-Benz's account on the origins of the Shooting Brake/Break moniker, plus 80 high-resolution photos and a video.

[From Mercedes-Benz] It's all in a name: the origins of the name "Shooting Break"
"Break, or the homonym Brake, was the name once given to carriages used to "break" in wild horses and also to restrict (or "brake") their urge to move, so that they could be put to use as work horses. Since the carts could easily be broken as part of this process, people tended not to use ones which they may have urgently needed for other purposes.

Where necessary, "Brakes" were often fitted out with variable bodies, which were only really used to carry along anything that may have been necessary for the hunt, for example. Any such vehicle which was used when going out shooting was called a Shooting Brake or Shooting Break. Motorised Shooting Brakes were popular in England in the 60s and 70s – exclusive two-door sports cars, which combined the luxury and style of a coupé with a larger load compartment and large tailgate."

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Tesla Model S officially rated at 89 MPGe with 265-mile range

The numbers are in, and they are prosperous. in keeping with the EPA, the Tesla Model S gets a far per gallon equivalent (MPGe) rating of eighty nine (combined), eighty eight (city) and ninety (highway). MPGe is outlined because the distance a vehicle would travel on the energy contained in one gallon of gasoline, though after all the mould S runs on electrons not gas.

To compare, alternative pure electrical cars on the market embody the Honda match at 118 conjoined MPGe, the Mitsubishi i with 112 MPGe the Ford Focus electrical with one zero five MPGe and also the Nissan Leaf with "just" ninety nine MPGe. Even at rock bottom of this specific list, these are spectacular numbers for the Model S, that means it makes economical use of the energy offered in its battery.

Tesla says the vary has been declared to be 265 miles using the EPA's five-cycle testing procedure that makes it the long range mileage champ of the assembly electrical automotive world. Using the EPA's older two-cycle testing Fist letter the Model S would score quite three hundred miles per charge – considerably larger than the 244 miles managed by the older Tesla Roadster. Still, that vary figure solely applies to the top-of-the-line version with the 85-kWh battery that starts at $69,900.There will be Model S sedans offered with significantly less vary and a smaller worth tag, furthermore as a Performance model beginning at $84,900.

We're on the lookout for additional info from Tesla, and that we expect it will return before the primary deliveries happen this Friday at the company's Fremont factory in California.

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Hyundai pondering new large crossover

According to a report in Ward s Auto the pale fortunes of the soon-to-depart Hyundai Veracruz are not stopping Hyundai from considering another dedicated seven-seat crossover. though the new Santa Fe can usher in a very long-wheelbased sibling that may seat seven, Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik advises Ward's to "stay tuned for future details on a possible premium crossover" that would be a fanatical – read: Veracruz replacing – CUV for seven.

The question is, what will "premium" mean? The word was applied to the Veracruz however customers did not specifically obtain it, cross-shopping the Veracruz with mass-market competitors. Ward's uses a barn-sized brush to get out the competitive set for this future CUV, from the $18,995 Dodge Journey(!) to the $46,250 Audi Q7. that is a boggling vary, the prime takeaway being that no matter it's are clearly a lot of "premium" than the Veracruz. in keeping with Ward's, "Hyundai has expressed a need to use the rear-wheel drive platform underpinning its premium Genesis and Equus sedans for different models, probably CUVs."

Just as necessary for the instant is that Hyundai believes there is a fight it will still win within the arena of huge crossovers.

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Audi Q2 concept coming to Paris Motor Show

Audi can soon announce his plan would bring the Audi Q2 concept at Paris Motor Show, this automotive concept at Wolfgang Egger-penned and is also influenced by the Volkswagen CrossCoupe concept {and can|and can} also be a competitor to the MINI Countryman same will commence in public around 2015.

This SUV may be a junior from Audi Q2 concept comes with high Standard interior seats are raised, svelte exterior styling and a variety of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. This model is expected to rise also on the MQB platform and has a length of 4150mm and wheelbase covering 2500mm. Rumours in Germany counsel the Audi Q2 specific would possibly share its platform with the upcoming A2 dimensions hatch to boost the economies of scale, There are suggestions. That the second-generation Skoda Yeti, due out in 2015, would possibly use identical underpinnings.

Under the hood of the Audi Q2 concept can not be confirmed, however speculation Q2 are going to be out there with one.4-liter petrol is capable of producing power output of a hundred and twenty HP (89 kW / 122 PS) and a hundred and seventy HP (127 kW / 172 PS). On diesel engine they are supported by the two.0-liter TDI, and a 1.6-liter TDI is capable of producing power output of ten hp (82 kW / 111 PS) and 150 hp (112 kW / 152 PS). additionally, there's additionally a turbocharged 2.0-liter petrol engine which will accelerate at 225 hp (168 kW / 228 PS). The engine mated to a six-Power manual and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission’s Front-wheel drive are going to be a typical, however all-wheel drive ought to be optional.

For the prices charged may be still distant, however the news circulated that the Audi Q2 may be sold ranging from £ 21,000, about £ 5,000 below the most affordable Q3.

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Prior Design BMW 5-Series E60 Widebody

If you own an E60 BMW 5-Series, and it’s starting to look old and boring, rather than getting rid of it you can get it a nice tuning kit and enjoy it for a little longer. Here’s a good one from Prior Design. The kit is a tad old, but it still looks interesting, especially in this new color which really brings on those massively flared wheel arches, and the M5-llike bumpers. 

The ingredients include front bumper, new front fenders, side skirts, rear widening, and the M rear bumper. You may also want to order a bootlid spoiler. It’s not like the kit is restrained and dignified, so you may as well go for the full fat boy racer affair. With those new fenders comes the possibility of fitting ultra-wide wheels. That is another area where you can go completely mad and get yourself some seriously big rims.

You know what, on a second thought, maybe you should get rid of the E60 and get a new F10!

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2013 BMW Alpina B7 Facelift

 

The recent presentation of the updated for the 2013 model year BMW 7-Series vary inevitably led to the facelift of the sportier Alpina B7, that was revealed nowadays beforehand of its world premiere at the historic Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August.

In addition to being enhanced with all the styling and technological updates to the 2013 7-Series sedan, the Alpina B7 conjointly edges from enhancements to its powertrain.

 

2013 BMW Alpina B7 Facelift

 

The sports limo can still be offered in each regular and long wheelbase versions still kind of a alternative of rear or all-wheel drive.

The revised four.4-liter V8 twin-turbocharged engine with direct-injection decisions forty extra horsepower and twenty a pair of lb-ft scores of torque for a whole of 540-horses and 538 lb ft respectively. Furthermore/ Alpina has swapped the outgoing models six speed sport automatic transmission for a clean 8-speed automatic unit.

2013 BMW Alpina B7 Facelift

The car's prime speed will increase from 175mph (282km/h) to 194 mph (312km/h) with RWD and 193 mph with xDrive  whereas acceleration drops into the low-mid-Four-second vary for all variants (4.3-4.4 seconds) compared to four.5 seconds for the previous RWD model.

BMW says that every one variants of the Alpina B7 keep company with quite thirty new parts that enhance the planning and frontal aerodynamics, whereas new ancient decisions embrace updated Xenon Adaptive headlights LEDS front fog lights  ceramic secondary controls, Automatic Start-Stop, and additionally the Active protection system.

2013 BMW Alpina B7 Facelift

The new automobile rides on 20-inch Alpina multi-spoke wheels and is finished at intervals the classic Alpina Blue Metallic paint.

Among varied picks out there are full LED Headlights and a clean Bang & Olufsen Surround Sound System.

As before, the B7’s body is manufactured at intervals the BMW seven Series factory in Dingolfing and hand-finished with the remaining parts at the Alpina facilit in Buchloe Germany.

2013 BMW Alpina B7 Facelift

Pricing for the B7 at intervals the U.S. are $127,600 for ancient wheelbase model (SWB) Dolar130,600 for the SWB with xDrive and $131,500 for the long wheelbase (LWB) version, and $134,500 for the LWB with xDrive.

2013 BMW Alpina B7 Facelift

First deliveries can occur at intervals the autumn.

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2012 Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai is ready to take the center of their new show of SEMA on 1st November.  Hyundai Veloster ARK performance must be prepared and presented in a stylish and sports car racing that can steal the spotlight. Ted Lee, owner, ARK Performance Inc said,”The Hyundai Veloster is an ideal vehicle for enthusiasts with its distinctive design and dynamic architecture. At SEMA Show, our ARK Performance Veloster will bridge the realm between an affordable sports car and an extreme motor sports car. From the first Tiburon, to the Genesis Coupe, and now with the Hyundai Veloster, ARK Performance continues to uphold the torch as the pioneer of aftermarket performance manufacturing for Hyundai.”

ARK Performance is offering several modifications for the exterior and interior of the Hyundai Veloster, but have also added many engine upgrades that will surely boost performance.

Just take one look at the Veloster by ARK Performance, and it is perfectly clear that the tuning firm has changed a variety of the exterior’s elements. First they added a new front lip, a new grille, wide front and rear fenders, new side skirts, rear bumper, and a rear wing mounted. Then ARK Performance refined the lighting a bit with headlamps and taillights and finished up the additions with a new set of Nitto tires. The body was splashed with a gray exterior color and highlighted by the neon green accents and graphics.

The inside of the Veloster by ARK Performance is a little more subtle with new Alcantara seats, as well as an Alcantara covered shift boot, headliner, dashboard, doors, and visors. There will also be a new audio system and racing pedals.

ARK has added a new turbo charger and inter cooler system, custom oil cooler, an inter cooler piping system, turbo manifold, and a lightweight pulley system to the Veloster’s Gamma 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine. Stopping power will come from a 6-pot big brake kit, while an 8-point Chromoly rallies style roll cage will provide safety measures in case of a crash. Other features include an upper strut and front and rear sway bar, track coilover system, camber and control arms, and a dual exhaust system with RSEPC downpipes and test pipes.

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Vorsteiner Ferrari 458 Italia

Vorsteiner has created a new aero package for the already gorgeous 458. This includes a front spoiler, side skirts and a revised rear diffuser. This is combined with specialised 21 inch rims. All parts are made out of carbon fibre.

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