New Car: 2012 Mini John Cooper Works GP

At this weekend’s Mini United festival in France, Mini revealed the John Cooper Works GP. Set to be the brand’s hottest hatch yet, the new model was announced at the New York auto show as a follow-up to the limited-run GP package offered for the 2006 Mini Cooper.

Calling it the “fastest Mini ever built,” the company proudly notes that the spicy hatchback was tuned on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany — which is exactly where our spy photographers spotted a camouflaged prototype back in March. The new John Cooper Works GP set a Nürburgring lap time of 8:23, which is almost 19 seconds quicker than the time set by the previous John Cooper Works GP.

Mini says the car has adjustable suspension, race-spec brakes, race tires, bespoke four-spoke wheels, and new aerodynamic body parts to improve downforce. The rear seats have been removed to trim weight, and the roof gains a carbon-fiber spoiler. However, other performance statistics won’t be released until closer to the car’s on-sale date.

For now we know only that the Mini GP will use a turbocharged engine — which is almost certainly an upgraded version of the turbo 1.6-liter inline-four in the Cooper S and JCW models.The engine makes 208 hpin the current JCW,and the new Mini Countryman JCW extracts 211 hp from the 1.6-liter turbo-four engine. It’s a safe bet the new JCW GP will be rated for more than the 214 hp of the previous GP model, which used a supercharged 1.6-liter engine.

As before, production will be limited to 2000 units worldwide, though Mini has yet to determine how many of those will be available to American buyers. Pricing will be announced at a later date.

Thanks to: Motor Trend

New Car: 2013 BMW 3 Series Wagon

We like the BMW 3-series, and we like station wagons. So here's good news: BMW has released the first round of info on the new 3er Sports Wagon, or Touring as it is called in the Old World. It will be offered in the U.S. once again, and we expect to see a 328i with the 2.0-liter four making 240 hp, a 300-hp 335i with the 3.0-liter turbo six, and a 330d with a 3.0-liter straight-six turbo-diesel and around 250 hp.

What, a 330d? "We haven't given up on the diesel in the U.S. at all," a company source tells us. As it does with the new 3 sedan, BMW will offer a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic on its gasoline-powered models, but the 330d likely will be automatic-only. No word yet on an M335i M Performance model, but it is a possibility for the sedan and wagon. Europe, by the way, gets a number of lesser versions, starting with the 316d that makes a positively pedestrian 113 hp.

Excepting a slightly shorter length for the five-door, the dimensions of the 3-series Sports Wagon are identical to those of the sedan, but the luggage-carrying advantage comes when the seats are folded down and its loaded up to the ceiling. In fact, BMW claims the 3-series is the most spacious station wagon in its class. That's true, according to the current European measurement methods, but only by a very slight margin. In fact, the difference when compared to the Audi A4 Avant and the not-for-U.S. Mercedes C-class T-model is absolutely negligible.

Depending on the model, the BMW 3-series Sports Wagon is about 175 pounds heavier than its sedan counterpart. That's partly due to the extra glass and steel, but it can also be traced back to extra equipment that makes life with this station wagon even more pleasant. The rear window can be opened separately, there is a sophisticated cover for the luggage compartment, and the rear seat can be split and folded down in 40:20:40 sections.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Hot News: Next Opel Zafira Will be Built by PSA?

General Motors is planning a far more radical shake up of its European operations than previously expected, according to a report published today by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine.

Quoting informed sources at Vauxhall sister company Opel, Der Spiegel says senior General Motors managers in North America have reached a decision to shift production of the Astra from Opel’s main Russelsheim plant in Germany to both its Polish-based Gelwice factory and Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port operations in the UK.

The report has angered Opel worker’s union representatives who suggest production of the Astra costs 220 euro more at Ellesmere Port than in Russelsheim. The loss of the Astra would leave Russelsheim with the production of just one model, the Insignia.

Job cuts of up to 200 are mooted for Opel’s development centre in Russelsheim.

More significant is the news that General Motors is close to announcing the closure of Opel’s Bochum plant, which currently produces the Zafira and Astra.

Der Spiegel has also reported that General Motors is studying a plan that would see the next generation Zafira be conceived and developed by PSA (Peugeot Citroen), with which it holds a seven per cent shareholding.

Thanks to: Autocar

Hot News: Nissan's EV Plan for Future

Nissan is planning to introduce four new electric vehicles over the next few years. They include an updated version of the Leaf, a van, an Infiniti EV and an outrageous commuter vehicle aimed at younger customers, Auto Express has learned.

First to arrive will be a tweaked version of the Leaf hatchback, which will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. The new model will be built not in Japan but at Nissan’s Sunderland plant. It will be offered in more than one trim grade for the first time, which will bring the entry-level price down.

Next up is an electric van in late 2013, which is likely to be a production version of the Leaf-look alike e-NV200 concept revealed at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

Following that will be the first electric Infiniti, based on the LE Concept. The battery-powered four-door saloon will rival the Tesla Model S when it arrives in 2014.

The LE Concept featured a number of pioneering technologies – including intuitive touch screens and a wireless charging system, both of which could make production.

Andy Palmer, Nissan’s Executive Vice President told us: “The technology for wireless charging is fairly simple really, and probably not much more than a year away. The problem is it only delivers a slow standard mains charge – fast-charging wirelessly is a little more tricky,”

Arriving around 2015, the electric commuter vehicle is known internally as ‘Symbol’ and will be a fresh take on how an electrical vehicle looks.

Inspiration could come from Nissan’s series of Pivo concepts. “It’s aimed at the generation that’s coming up, that seems to have very little interest in conventional cars,” Palmer explained. “If you add in-wheel motors and batteries under the floor, everything from there up is up to you.” For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express

Spied: 2014 Porsche 918

What It Is: Porsche’s new supercar, the 2014 918, which will be launched as a Spyder with a removable top and as a hybrid only. Later, a coupe body and racing versions could be added.

Why It Matters: This car is the spiritual successor of the 959 of the 1980s and the nearly decade-old but not forgotten Carrera GT. The 918 model designation also evokes memories of the infamous 917 race car. This new supercar is Porsche's ultimate technology showcase, it will be the company's most expensive car, and it is designed to deliver extreme performance and efficiency simultaneously.

Platform: Like the Carrera GT, the 918 is an extremely low, mid-engined supercar. The 918 Spyder is built on a standalone platform, but we hear it will share components with the 911.

Powertrains: Propulsion will come from a naturally aspirated, 9000-plus-rpm 4.6-liter V-8 with 570 hp, a rear electric motor with around 120 hp, and a front electric motor with around 110 hp. Combined output will start at 770 hp. Porsche will use performance-oriented lithium-ion batteries. (For an in-depth look at the 918’s powertrain and more information, check out our prototype ride.)

Competition: The air is thin in this price segment; there will be fully electric and therefore far less usable competitors such as the Audi R8 e-tron and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell; the 918 Spyder also will be compared with other supercars, such as the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 and the McLaren F1 successor.

Thanks to: Car and Driver

Spied: 2014 Porsche Macan

These are the very first images of the all-new Porsche Macan ahead of its launch next year. Based on the same platform as the Audi Q5, the Macan is a a smaller and more fuel efficient SUV positioned below the Porsche Cayenne in both price and size.

These images show that the Macan will look much like a shrunken Cayenne, but with a far lower and more curved roofline. There’s the same sculpted body, with elongated headlamps integrated into sculpted wheelarches, while the rear end has been covered up with stickers to obscure the detailing. There’s the same LED strip beneath the headlamps and the same intake as the Cayenne, too.

The Macan will be wider than the Q5 to give it a sportier stance, while the rear end gets a more steeply raked windscreen. The curved windows in the C pillars and decorative chrome surrounds are familiar cues from the Cayenne.

The model spied here has five doors but a sportier three-door version is expected to follow.

The Macan will use more efficient, smaller capacity engines than its bigger brother, sourced from the Audi Q5 range and developed by Porsche itself.

The flagship is likely to use a 345bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 sending power to all four wheels through a seven-speed PDK gearbox. Performance should be impressive and 0-62mph should take less than 5 seconds.

The more efficient models will still be fast, and are likely to use a new 2.4-litre flat-four engine Porsche is busy developing for its 'baby Boxster' sports car, known internally as the 9X1. The flat flour will be crucial in keeping the brand’s core identity while offering performance and efficiency, as well as a bold exhaust note.

There will also be diesel versions as well as a hybrid, like the Cayenne, which is likely to use the 2.0 TFSI mated to an electric set-up, just like in the front-drive Audi A8 Hybrid and forthcoming Audi Q5 Hybrid. The Macan, however, will be strictly all-wheel drive.

Expect the Macan to use Porsche’s PASM and torque-vectoring technologies to offer class-leading grip levels and a choice of both ride height and suspension stiffness. There will be bigger brakes than the Audi Q5, larger wheel and tyre combinations and quicker steering.

The Macan, which will be built on its own line in Leipzig in Germany, not only broadens the Porsche range but will helps Porsche to hit the EU’s emissions targets for niche manufacturers, which means reducing average emissions by 25 per cent, compared to 2007, by 2015.

The Porsche Macan goes on sale in late 2013 and is expected to start from around £35,000. For more details click here.

Thanks to: Auto Express

New Car: 2012 Aston Martin DBS Ultimate

Aston Martin has pulled the wraps off the DBS Ultimate, a 100-unit special edition of the supercar that probably spells the end of the line of the current DBS, ahead of a redesign.

The Ultimate is based on the stock DBS, and is available in either coupe or convertible (Volante) body styles, and with either a six-speed conventional automatic or six-speed manual transmission. Power comes from Aston Martin’s oft-used 6.0-liter V-12 engine, which makes 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.

The Ultimate’s upgrades are primarily visual. The body can be painted in one of two hues, meaning buyers will choose from either Silver Fox Quantum Silver (perhaps a nod to the DBS’ starring role in James Bond’s Quantum of Solace) or Carbon Black. The wheels are silver and polished black, and customers can paint their brake calipers in red, yellow, or black.

The Ultimate edition also gets a number of carbon fiber trim pieces on the inside and outside, including the rear diffuser, taillight inserts, wing mirror caps, and dashboard/transmission tunnel trim. There are plenty of Ultimate Edition badges both inside and outside the vehicle, and a few other unusual touches (i.e. the “spicy red leather” accents on the shift paddles) hidden throughout.

Aston Martin releases its new DBS amidst rumors that a new flagship is coming, so we don’t take the Ultimate nickname for naught: this is very likely the last DBS model before a new vehicle rears its head in the near future. In the meantime, if you’d like one, rush to your nearest Aston Martin dealer — and bring $287,576 if you want the Coupe or $302,576 if you’re interested in the Volante. If you do, expect to see an Ultimate DBS in your driveway some time next year.

Thanks to: Motor Trend