F1-Inspired Lotus Evora GTE Special Edition Scooped Ahead of Geneva?

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This past Wednesday, Lotus sent us an invitation to take part in the world premiere of a "special edition of a special edition" Evora at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The company's invitation noted that the car would be an F1-inspired version of the limited-edition Lotus Evora GTE first shown at the Frankfurt auto show last year. This

"We're launching a special edition of a special edition, and to make things extra special our Lotus F1 Team driver Kimi Raikkonen will be there to field questions. Now, it doesn’t get more special than that…," read the British automaker's invitation.

Lotus did not release any photos of the car leaving us more or less in the dark, but today, Patrick Garcia from French auto site Caradisiac, sent us these photos of an F1-themed Evora that he discovered at a parking lot during a trip to Jerez to cover the F1 pre-season testing earlier this month.

Garcia was right to assume that what we're looking at is most likely the F1-themed version of the Evora GTE Lotus has been talking about.

We don't know if there are any mechanical improvements over the regular Evora GTE that is lighter and more powerful than the Evora S, but on the outside, it does get the Lotus F1 team's colors and graphics including a large Lotus insignia on the rear wing and gold finish alloy wheels, plus the number "10", which is used by Kimi Räikkönen's team mate, Romain Grosjean this season.

A similar treatment was given to the F1-inspired Evora S, of which only three examples were built.

We'll remind you that the Evora GTE gets a tuned 3.5-liter supercharged V6 delivering 444-horses, up from the 350HP, channeled to the rear wheels via a new sequential AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) racing gearbox, while Lotus engineers also shaved 105kg or 232 pounds over the base model by eliminating certain parts and using carbonfibre throughout the exterior and interior.

The…two times special edition Evora should not be confused with the company's second world debut at the Swiss show, which Lotus said would "blow our top off" hinting at the Evora Convertible.

Merci Beaucoup to Patrick Garcia!

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1200-Horsepower Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse to Debut in Geneva, Others Quiver

There’s a window, and common sense just took a nosedive out of it with the announcement of the 1,200-horsepower Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse. And for the record, we’re thankful.

For all of the supposed exotic sports cars, supercars, and the like out there, none can really lay claim on Bugatti’s territory as the fastest production car ever built. Others, like a little Yorkie barking up a storm at a disinterested German Shepard, make a lot of noise, but bragging rights in this realm come down to the numbers. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport’s top speed of 268 mph is the final word.

But that’s with a hard top, the Vitesse is a convertible, just like the original Grand Sport. The original tops out at 217 mph, making it the fastest open-air vehicle in the world. As for the Vitesse that’ll debut in Geneva in a couple weeks? There’s no official word from Bugatti.

What we do know, is the Vitesse is a tuned version of the already absurdly powerful 1000-hp Grand Sport. Bugatti uses intercoolers and four turbochargers, which it enlarged for the Vitesse, which not coincidentally means “speed” in French. The new Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse’s 16-cylinder engine is capable of producing a mind-boggling 1200-hp. To get an idea, that’s more than double the horsepower of a Ferrari 458 Italia, and nearly double a Lamborghini Aventador. Power like this is seen once in a lifetime. Bugatti hasn’t announced pricing, but as the Grand Sport will run you about $2 million, we’d expect the Vitesse to run considerably north of that, but below the Super Sport’s price tag of 3.3 million. Then again, when you’re shelling out this kind of cash for a car (or spaceship), what’s a couple hundred grand here or there?

Source: Bugatti

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Toyota FT-Bh Concept to be Unveiled in Geneva

are made available to the public, an even smaller hybrid version is already being fleshed out. The Toyota FT-Bh is the Japanese auto maker’s latest concept vehicle and is expected to bow at the Geneva Auto Show early next month.

The Toyota FT-Bh concept was designed to achieve maximum fuel efficiency, and has been composed of materials that won’t hurt the environment. The FT-Bh stands for Future Toyota B-segment hybrid and varies from its sports coupe cousin in a few ways. The most noticeable difference with the Toyota FT-Bh and the sporty coupe is that the latter is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. It’s not known yet how the FT-Bh will be configured, but since its sole purpose is to achieve the best fuel economy possible, front-wheel drive can’t be ruled out. Inside, Toyota claims the FT-Bh is as spacious as the subcompact Yaris.

Toyota took five aspects into account when designing the FT-Bh to achieve the best fuel economy and lowest emissions: Weight reduction; optimum aerodynamic performance; powertrain efficiency; thermal energy management; and electricity saving were all big focal points for Toyota during the FT-Bh’s development. The FT-Bh produces about 50 percent less carbon dioxide than other vehicles similar in size

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All-New Hyundai i30 Wagon Unveiled Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show

i am sorry but where is the distinction between this and the new i40 wagon? this is slightly more sporty with flared wheel arches and a bolder crease and tail lights but that's it. Hyundai's designs are starting to go the say way as audi with all this repetition. i don't mean that in a good way either

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ABT Sportsline to Debut New VW Up!, Beetle and Audi Tunes in Geneva

AUTOMAKERS Acura Ferrari Land Rover Renault Alfa Romeo Fiat Lexus Rolls Royce Aston Martin Ford Lincoln Saab Audi GM Lotus Scion Bentley Holden Maserati Seat BMW Honda Mazda Skoda Bugatti Hyundai Mercedes Smart Buick Infiniti Mini Subaru Cadillac Jaguar Mitsubishi Suzuki Chevrolet Jeep Nissan Tesla Chrysler Kia Opel Toyota Citroen Lada Peugeot Volvo Dacia Lamborghini Pontiac VW Dodge Lancia Porsche Popular Posts

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AC Schnitzer to Showcase BMW 3-Series F30 Performance Program in Geneva

Joining ABT Sportsline at next month's Geneva Motor Show is another well-known tuning company from Germany, BMW-specialist AC Schnitzer.

The German tuner will use the Swiss auto show to present a variety of styling and performance parts for the new 2012 BMW 3-Series sedan, which is also known by its internal codename F30.

AC Schnitzer's program for BMW's bestseller will eventually include power upgrades for both diesel and petrol engines, sport exhaust and suspension systems, a ground effects kit with front and rear aprons, side skirts and a boot lid spoiler, a bespoke steering wheel and gear shifters, and aluminum trim for the interior.

Of course, no AC Schnitzer tune would be complete without a choice of alloy wheel designs, which in the new 3-Series sedan's case will include four different types of rims in sizes from 18- to 20-inches.

More information on AC Schnitzer's offerings for the BMW model will be released at the Geneva motor show in March.

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New Citroën DS4 Racing Hot Hatch Leaked Ahead of its Geneva Motor Show Debut

As with many other upcoming models that were scheduled for a debut at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon but fell victims to numerous leaks, the Citroën DS4 R was unceremoniously unveiled today after the first official pictures fell into the hands of an Eastern European website.

We don't know much officially about the Citroën DS4 R, whereas "R" stands for Racing, so we're not entirely sure if it's a showcar or the final production model, though the carbon fiber decoration on the front grille suggests it's the former.

The DS4 R follows in the footsteps of the DS3 Racing featuring aggressive yet chic bodywork with a modified front bumper, wheel arch extensions that house larger alloy wheels, side skirts, a roof spoiler and a new rear bumper with a central diffuser plus two tail pipes.

If the DS3 R is anything to go by, then the five-door DS4 R (don’t let the hidden rear door handles fool you) should also sport an upgraded interior along with a tuned chassis and a more powerful engine under its hood, possibly based on the 1.6-liter twin-scroll turbocharged unit co-developed by PSA Peugeot-Citroen and BMW Group.

We should have more information soon, this time from Citroën, so stay tuned for more.

Another hat tip to our scooper Bruno Miguel P. S. Rodrigues!

Story References: Citroen via Autoforum

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2013 Maserati GranTurismo Set to Debut at 2012 Geneva Motor Show with Added Power

The 2013 Maserati GranTurismo will make its first official appearance at the Geneva Auto Show next month. This time the venerated coupe will be introduced with even more power than its successor. A 4.7-liter V-8 engine rated at 460 horsepower will motivate the latest GranTurismo, up 27 more ponies from its predecessor.

For those of you actually keeping score at home, that’s 16 more horses than the GranTurismo MC. This can only mean one thing for the GranTurismo MC, a boost in overall power for Maserati’s normally strongest model. While Maserati hasn’t spilled all the beans about the powertrain upgrade quite yet, we expect a few minor modifications to the exhaust and engine control unit were made. No word yet on whether or not the six-speed automatic transmission will carry over from the prior model.

Not all changes were strictly made under the hood with the 2013 Maserati GranTurismo. Some cosmetic changes include redesigned seats and a steering wheel. The taillight housings have been darkened and also redesigned to include LED daytime running lights. The front-end saw a few more aesthetic changes than its counter-part from behind as a larger air dam makes the cut for the 2013 GranTurismo.

The official debut of the 2013 Maserati GranTurismo is still just under a month away but we expect more details to leak out before then. Stay tuned.

Source: Maserati

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Audi A3 Photos Leak (Again) Before Geneva Auto Show

Photos of the next-generation Audi A3 have leaked ahead of the car’s scheduled official debut at the Geneva Auto Show next month. The leaked images are almost certainly legitimate, as exterior styling cues appear to have progressed in the same direction other new Audi models have.

The three-door configuration appears to be intact like its predecessor but the front-end has given way to a larger grille. The hood and front bumper appear to have been contoured a bit differently while LED daytime running lights are also present. As for the next A3′s insides, those have already been leaked as well showcasing an interior loaded with high-tech features.

The next A3 is slated to sit on Volkswagen’s new small-car underpinnings, and the engine selections will also be shared with both Audi and Volkswagen. Volkswagen showed off its newest small car paraphernalia earlier this month with a new engine that is smaller in an effort to be more fuel efficient and can be optioned as an all-wheel drive configuration. As diesel variant is also expected to be available.

Source: AutoCar

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BMW to Bring Massive Number of New Cars to Geneva Motor Show

Think of the powwow known as the Geneva Motor Show as Europe’s Detroit venue. It’s on neutral soil, allowing automakers to each vie for the imaginary “Mine’s better than yours” award without alienating an automaker on its home turf.

BMW went pretty big at last fall’s Frankfurt Motor Show, but it appears the German automaker is following up with an even bigger array of new vehicle debuts in Geneva. Making its debut in Switzerland will be the 6 Series Gran Coupe four-door model; 560-horsepower M6 coupe; the high-performance M550d xDrive sedan and Touring wagon versions; the X5 M50d, X6 M50d, 3 Series xDrive and ActiveHybrid3 models; a handful of 1 Series models that have yet to debut in the U.S.; the refreshed 2013 BMW X6 and the i3 and i8 electric car concepts that debuted in Frankfurt.

Here’s a brief rundown of each debut:

2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

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IED Turin to Revive Cisitalia 202 Coupe with a New Concept Model in Geneva

Regarded by many as the template from which all great sports cars were born, the 1947 Cisitalia 202 is undoubtedly one of the most important automobiles in history. Designed by Battista "Pinin" Farina, it was honored by New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1951.

To create a modern day successor to such a famous vehicle is a gargantuan task, but it's one the students of the Master of Arts in Transportation Design at the Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin (IED) are willing to undertake.

The student will present a modern reinterpretation of the car named the Cisitalia 202 E, where "E" stands for ""evolution", at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March.

"The concept faithfully reflects the design of the historic vehicle, with dimensions and power aligned with modern times," said IED in a statement.

Further information will be released closer to the Geneva Salon.

Story References: IED via Autoblog.it

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MINI to Bring "Breadvan" Concept to the Geneva Motor Show

Be great for doing your pizza delivery runs.

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