Honda Publishes New Photos and Info on European-spec Jazz Hybrid and Face-lifted Jazz Models

.fullpost { display: inline; } Honda today released full details and some 80 or so photos on the European-spec Jazz Hybrid and face-lifted conventional Jazz models, which will soon go on sale across the continent. Previewed at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, the Jazz Hybrid is said to be the first B-segment car fitted with a petrol-electric powertrain and it does it without compromising the cabin

2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Facelift Gains 5.0 V8 R-Spec Variant with 429HP plus Updated GDI V6

.fullpost { display: inline; } As Hyundai continues its ascent to the top, the South Korean automaker-that-could is getting bolder every day. This time the company entered new grounds at the Chicago Auto Show with the unveiling facelifted Genesis sedan that gets a new sporty variant for the for the 2012 model year. The new model sports the R-Spec moniker and comes with a new 5.0-liter

Pontiac G8 to be Reborn as the Chevrolet Caprice in the USA, According to Lutz

.fullpost { display: inline; } No sooner that we learned that Bob Lutz reversed his decision to retire from GM at the end of the year, deciding to extend his career as the firm's vice chairman in charge of all "creative elements of products and customer relationships", and the 77-year old is offering American car nuts a reason to celebrate. In an interview with Automobile Magazine, Lutz

My Two Dents on the New Jaguar XJ (Plus Mega Gallery with 100 High-Res Photos)

.fullpost { display: inline; } The XF, Jaguar's mid-sizer, was a... leap.... forward in design, luxury, and gimmicks when it debuted (no more J-gate shifter!). It not only made the S-Type look like a slob, but made people relegate the S to the "end of the bad days" section of history with Jag's unfortunate X-Type. The XJ, on the other hand, has been the picture of restrained aristocracy -

Aston Martin DBS V12 Volante: Stunning New Photo Gallery Goes Live

.fullpost { display: inline; } Say you want about the DBS V12 Volante but in our book, Aston Martin's fastest-ever production convertible is a complete stunner. Revealed for the first time at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show this past March, the soft top variant of Aston's beefy DBS combines a beautifully sculptured body with a 6.0-liter V12 engine that punches out a hefty 510 horsepower and 570

Audi A5 Sportback Officially Revealed: Mega Gallery with 60 High-Res Photos

.fullpost { display: inline; } The wait is finally over for the all-new A5 Sportback as Audi unleashed a full photo gallery of its high-anticipated five-door coupe which will be formally introduced this fall at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The German firm claims that new member of the A5 family "combines the best of various vehicle genres such as the emotion and elegance of a coupe, the

Ferrari Unleashes Fresh Batch of Photos of FF Four-Seat GT Playing Around in the Snow

.fullpost { display: inline; } Citing "outstanding interest" and "numerous requests", Ferrari has unleashed a handful of additional photos of its new flagship four-seat GT, the FF. This is the second time after the initial presentation of the supercar in late January that the Italian firm has published pictures of its first-ever all-wheel drive model, yet somehow we still haven't seen the

Porsche Tuning Specialist TECHART Opens U.S. Subsidiary in California [Mega Gallery Alert]

.fullpost { display: inline; } Good news for Porsche owners in America who'd like to have their sports cars and SUV models tuned by Techart as the German company has finally opened a US headquarters in Irvine California. "The new subsidiary ensures a faster product supply to all its customers and sales partners," Techart said in a statement. The company said that it its US subsidiary has

New Volkswagen XL1: Diesel-Electric Hybrid Concept Grows Up but Becomes Even More Fuel Efficient

.fullpost { display: inline; } At this week's Qatar Motor Show, which runs from January 26 to 29, Volkswagen will unveil the third and latest iteration of its two-seater diesel-electric hybrid concept series, the new XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV). The first two vehicles of the series were the 1-litre concept car unveiled back in April 2002 and the L1 study from the 2009 Frankfurt motor

Tokyo Auto Salon 2011 Mega Photo Gallery [Part 1]

.fullpost { display: inline; } The Tokyo Auto Salon is Japan's equivalent of North America's largest tuning event, the SEMA show, and like its Las Vegas counterpart, the Tokyo event attract myriads of independent tuners as well as major automakers. In fact there are so many new production and conceptual proposals that it's virtually impossible to report on each and every custom creation

Tokyo Auto Salon 2011 Mega Photo Gallery [Part 2]

.fullpost { display: inline; } Yes, what you are looking at in our opening picture is a previous generation Subaru Legacy with some very Audi R8-like touches. And that's just a sample of what lies ahead in the second part of our photo tour of the Tokyo Auto Salon 2011. All you have to do is simply follow the jump, sit back, click, and enjoy the view. In case you missed it, you can also

The Zonda is Dead. Long Live the New Pagani Huayra! Official Photos and Details of 700HP Supercar

.fullpost { display: inline; } After a series of leaked magazine shots hit the internet this past weekend, Pagani today officially released its new Huayra supercar model in a rather anticlimactic way. Designed to replace the much-hyped Zonda series, Horacio Pagano's newest creation is named after the Andean god of wind, Aymara Huayra Tata. The Huayra has a somewhat softer styling and isn't

New Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Racer Hits the Tarmac for the First Time

.fullpost { display: inline; } Cadillac is getting ready to return to the fabulous world of motorsports with its new CTS-V Coupe race car. Following the two-door model's world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show last week, the race-prepped CTS-V Coupe hit the track for the first time on Monday driven by Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim, for tests at Sebring International Raceway. GM's

Bugatti Releases New Photo Album of Topless Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport

.fullpost { display: inline; } As the classy media and ritzy customers are taking their first test drives of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, Bugatti decided to share a few more photos of its topless model with the less fortunate. Featuring a removable top and the necessary structural upgrades, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport retains the standard model's 1,001-horsepower 16-cylinder mid-mounted

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster Blows its Cover

Over the past year, numerous scoops and a major leak, accompanied by several official releases, have shed light on many details on the 2012 Mercedes SLK. In fact, we were expecting the German maker to bring the third generation roadster to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, ahead of its projected March debut. Even though that never happened, today, Mercedes finally released the last pieces of the SLK puzzle.

Claimed to offer a 25% increase in fuel economy compared to the previous model, in Europe, the SLK will be available with three engines, all of them featuring direct injection and stop/start systems.

Filling in the base model's shoes is the SLK 200 BlueEfficiency variant, powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder powerplant, capable of 184 hp. Mated to a seven-speed 7G-Tronic Plus automatic transmission, the four-pot needs just 6.1 liters of gasoline per 100 km (38.6 US mpg) in the combined cycle. The SLK 200 sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7 seconds and has a top speed of 237 km/h (147 mph).

Next up is the SLK 250 BlueEfficiency, fitted with the same engine, but tuned to deliver 204 hp. It accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 6.6 seconds and maxes out at 243 km/h (151 mph). Furthermore, the extra oomph doesn’t take its toll at the pump, as the SLK 250 consumes 6.2 lt/100 km (38 US mpg).

The top dog of the line-up will be the SLK 350 BlueEfficiency, motivated by a newly developed 306-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. The bevy of technology found under the bonnet helps the range-topping SLK return good mileage as well (7.1 lt/100 km or 33 mpg) and sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.6 seconds. Top speed is pegged at 250 km/h or 155 mph.

In the U.S., the new generation of Merc's roadster model will be offered in two variants, the 302HP SLK 350 (0-60mph in 5.4 sec) and the 201HP 1.8-liter four-cylinder SLK 250 (0-60mph in 6.5 sec, 27mpg combined with the standard 6-speed manual gearbox).

The base models will come with a conventional steel suspension, while optional goodies include a sports suspension with harder springs and dampers and the Dynamic Handling Package with continuous adjustable damping, further refined by a better steering system and torque vectoring brakes.

There are plenty of electronic gadgets on the menu as well. Aside from the innovative (and optional) Magic Sky Control panoramic glass-roof, owners will also be able to enjoy the benefits of the Airguide draught-stop and Airscarf heating system, ensuring that open-top motoring is possible even in cold weather.

Regarding safety, Mercedes says the new body structure offers better protection, complemented by active features, such as PreSafe and Presafe Brake.

The 2012 Mercedes SLK can be ordered in Europe from January 17, for a base price of 38,675 euros (SLK 200), including VAT. The more powerful variants will cost 44,256 (SLK 250) and 52,300 (SLK 350) euros.

To mark the launch of the car, Mercedes will offer a special edition equipment package. Named “Edition 1”, the package includes a panoramic vario-roof, Dynamic Handling package, AMG bodykit, two-tone Designo nappa leather with contrasting topstitching, Airscarf, ambient lighting and more. Additional charges range from 8,490 to 8,990 euros, depending on the model.

Sales in the U.S. start this summer with pricing to be announced at a later date.

By Csaba Daradics

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2012 Volkswagen Passat: Live Photos from NAIAS Plus Driving Footage and First TV Ad

One of the most highly anticipated world premieres of the 2011 NAIAS, the new U.S. market 2012 Volkswagen Passat, turned out to be one of the less exciting -at least in terms of design- introductions of the show. The US-built replacement for the European-sourced Passat literally looks like an extra-large Jetta, which drew its own share of criticism for its uninspired and generic looks. For comparison, we've added a few shots of the Jetta after the jump.

While the design may not be engaging, the car's lower sticker prices will certainly attract more buyers as the new Passat will start from around $20,000 or some $7,000 to $8,000 less than the 2011MY it replaces.

However, keep in mind that while the base 2011 Passat was offered with a modern 200HP 2.0 TFSI, the entry-level 2012MY Passat will come with VW's old 2.5-liter five-cylinder unit rated at 170HP.

Other engine options for U.S. buyers include a more frugal 140HP 2.0-liter turbo diesel that returns up to 43mpg, and a range topping 3.6-liter VR6 with 280HP and a 0-60mph sprint time of 6.5 seconds.

Volkswagen will manufacture the 2012 Passat at its new $1 billion Chattanooga factory in Tennessee, the automaker's first U.S. assembly plant since it shut down its Pennsylvania plant in 1988. The mid-size saloon will go on sale in the States in mid-August.

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