Our spy photographers have captured Kia in the midst of cold-weather testing its fourth-generation Sportage crossover. With a restyled front and rear fascia, along with a new interior, the 2016 Sportage should raise the bar for its category.
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Launched in 1979 in its civilian version, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class remained largely unchanged to this day. Now an icon of the SUV market, the G-Wagon is also one of the very few vehicles to still carry its classic body and chassis configuration. The boxy Merc underwent several updates since 1990, but a beefed-up, AMG-badged version wouldn't arrive until 2006.
That first version came powered by a supercharged, 5.5-liter V-8 and dubbed G55 AMG. The G-Class received a makeover for the 2012 model, when output was increased to 536 horsepower and the nameplate switched to G63 AMG. That same year, an even more extreme version was introduced - the G65 AMG. This SUV is powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 that generates 604 ponies and 738 pound-feet. Unfortunately, we couldn't have it in the U.S. But that will change starting in 2016 as the Germans are planning on offering the G65 AMG on these shores as well.
At least that's what Automotive News claims, quoting "company sources." The outlet also adds the G65 AMG will fetch more than $250,000, nearly double the base price of the G63 AMG, which retails from $135,700. Ouch!
Note: European model pictured here.
Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Mercedes G65 AMG.
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Well, it seems that the internet has been lit on fire by a set of renderings that have been posted to the Miata.net forums. While the rendering is rather attractive, what has set this apart from any other is the belief that it comes directly from a Mazda USA product engineer.
Now the rendering was posted by someone with the name "SethOfDeath" but the photo has a watermark that says Seth Elson. Jalopnik grabbed word of this and did some digging. According to a LinkedIn account, there is a Seth Elson who lives in Orange County California that is an engineer at Mazda North America. Jalops also found a twitter account named SethOfDeath that is based in Orange County and has a few references to Mazda as well. It hasn't been confirmed that this is really from a Mazda employee, but all signs are pointing in that direction.
Jalopnik reached out to Mazda about these renders but only received, "another nice rendering. You fanatics."
Judging by the renders here and the photos and spy shots we have so far, this rendering does look very close to the right proportions and shape. My only concern is the that front end seems a bit to sculpted to match the spy car.
Whatever the case, we will know what the new ND Miata looks like in just a few hours when it is revealed live.
Click past the jump to read more about the future Mazda MX-5.
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Update: Ram is set to kick off the live stream at 11:00 a.m. ET, so grab some popcorn and find out what this new product will be!
When Fiat Chrysler executives were spilling the beans last May about the big-picture-plans concerning nearly every single product under the corporate umbrella, Ram Trucks CEO Reid Bigland got his turn to divulge future product plans for Ram. Well, it seems we're only a week away from that first debut.
Ram Trucks released an invitation to a livestream event scheduled for Thursday, June 26th at 11 a.m. EDT. The invitation simply says it's a "new product announcement." What exactly Ram is announcing, we can't be completely sure. However, we have a pretty strong suspicion.
Within last month's Fiat Chrysler five-year plan layout, Ram was listed as giving a mid-cycle refresh to the Ram 1500 for the 2015 model year. Though we haven't seen any camouflaged 1500s roaming the streets, we're sure this will be topic on the 26th.
Like always, the heavy-duty lineup gets its refresh the following year - and Fiat Chrysler's plan follows that pattern. The Ram 1500's refresh for 2015 will serve to keep the truck selling big numbers until its next scheduled generation change in 2017. Then the HD cycle starts over again with new 2500 and 3500 trucks rolling out in 2018.
As always, stay tuned to TopSpeed for the update next week as Ram pulls the covers off its latest truck.
Click past the jump for more info on the current 2014 Ram 1500
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Since Ferrari admitted that there was a race-prepped version of the LaFerrarion the way - as if you couldn't already toss "The Ferrari" on the track as is - the details have started rolling out a little more regularly. Now we have a new juicy bit that comes from the folks over at Top Gear. And this tidbit of info happens to deal with the LaFerrari XX featuring half the cylinders of the road-going version.
This makes perfect sense to us, because in December 2013, we dug up a video of a LaFerrari out testing with what was obviously an F1-derived, turbocharged V-6. Check out the video for yourself and listen to that exhaust note. If you close your eyes while listening, you would think you were hearing a new F1 racer out testing.
Given the fact that Ferrari will not confirm what engine the XX model will use, this can only mean that the engine is still in development or that Ferrari is still testing a few different setups. And according to a "high up" official in Ferrari, the V-6 engine is very much in the running as the powerplant of choice. This engine becomes even more logical when you consider that the XX program is all about lightening the car and making it more precise, rather than raw power and speed, and swapping a small-displacement V-6 in place of that hulking V-12 would likely shed some serious weight.
For now, this all remains speculation and hearsay, but it remains a novel concept that may well become a reality.
Stay tuned for more.
Click past the jump to read more about the LaFerrari XX.
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| Posted on 12.6.2013 16:00 by Simona |
Lamborghini already started teasing the Gallardo successor, and Lambo promised us the first details on it by Christmas. But, as Lamborghini tries to keep the model a secret, we continue to scour the web to find additional details on the new supercar.
Apparently our searching was worth the effort, as today we came across some interesting details on the upcoming supercar. These details were released by the folks at Only The Best, who apparently took a trip to Lamborghini's Sant'Agata Bolognese factory, where the new supercar and the Aventador will be produced, and caught a glimpse of the new car as the production-line door opened as they left the factory.
The other detail is that this new supercar will not be called the Cabrera as we believed. Instead Lamborghini opted for a completely different name that includes "LP600-4" - an indication of the 600 horsepower developed by the 5.2-liter, V-10 engine. Now, this isn't the first time we've heard that "Cabrera" will not be the official name, but this is one of the more hands-on reports that we've heard, given it actually happened...
The Gallardo's replacement will be developed on the same chassis as the second-generation Audi R8 and will feature some design elements from the Miura, like the grilles across the entire rear window.
According to Only The Best, the model looks like a stumpy version of the Aventador with a rear end that is pretty similar to the V-12 supercar. The guys report that the model they saw on the factory donned Lambo's signature Verde Ithaca paintjob.
Click past the jump to read more about the Lamborghini Gallardo successor.
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| Posted on 12.4.2012 13:00 by |
Thanks to the downsizing trend that many top brands have been following lately, we might have to say goodbye to the top-of-the-line V-12 engine in BMW's lineup. As of yet, BMW hasn't given the green light to its inclusion in the next-generation 7-Series.
The V-12 engine has always been the pi ce de r sistance for the flagship BMW. Other than the plethora of creature comforts and gadgets that would make your kids happy, the V-12 engine gave the 7-Series immense power — 544 horses of it — that would make your gearhead friends happy as well. M-Series cars aside, this engine made the BMW 760Li the most powerful and costliest Bimmer ever made. It was more like buying the cheaper, German cousin of the Rolls Royce Ghost.
If it is axed, BMW may replace the hole left by the V-12 with a tuned version of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine from the M5. BMW claims the difference between the two is size of the hole burnt in your pocket when it comes to gas consumption.
For people who are planning to buy the flagship limo just for the V-12 engine - likely only a handful of people - don't lose hope yet, as the consideration of this engine is still under review. However, with the downsizing trend picking up pace and popularity, this move seems inevitable.
