The New Honda (or Acura) NSX

The original NSX, which began production in 1990, was Honda's budget supercar (marketed under Acura in the United States) that gave Italy's finest pasta rockets a run for their money. At least until 2005, when Honda decided enough was enough and axed the car from their lineup. However, a new report suggests that the Acura convertible seen in the new Avengers movie, and driven by none other than Tony Stark (better known as Iron Man), will be put into production in the next 24 months. Thanks to Jalopnik, we have a good idea of what the new car will be like. Expect a gasoline-hybrid system as well as all wheel drive. We think it'll be similar to BMW's i8 Vision Efficient Dynamics concept car, which is also going into production by 2014. We're hoping Honda does things right and that this car will be a true successor the now legendary NSX.

Source: Jalopnik
Pictured: Acura Sportscar (NSX) from the Avengers movie.

Chrysler SRT trolls the Lexus LF-A and Corvette ZR1 on the Nurburgring

You may have recently heard of something called the Lexus LF-A "Nurburgring Edition" which can get around the famed 'ring in 7 minutes and 14 seconds. While Toyota's engineers bested the Corvette ZR1's time of 7:19.6, the LF-A does cost about 4 times more than the ZR1. It seems Chrysler's SRT team got wind of all this and decided they ought to show Toyota and Chevrolet what a real Nurburgring lap time is. Chrysler is reporting that the Dodge Viper ACR got around in the ring in a blazing fast 7 minutes and 12 seconds, 2 seconds faster than the improved LF-A. But the SRT team wasn't done yet. They also brought along the Viper ACR-X which managed an insane time of 7 minutes and 3 seconds. It seems as if they are taunting the competition to try again.

Source: Jalopnik - Go there to see more pictures!

BMW Unveils i3 and i8 Concept Cars

Today BMW took the wraps off of two concept cars- the BMWi i3 and i8. These are the first two entries in a new BMW sub-brand called BMWi. BMWi will focus on efficient cars powered by fully electric motors, hybrid gasoline-electric systems, or other alternatives to conventional gasoline engines. The i3 is a fully electric city car, with small proportions and lots of interior space to facilitate urban lifestyles. The i3 is powered by a 170hp electric motor and has a range of 93 miles (150km). Its carbon fiber construction gives it a weight of only 1250kg, or about 2750 pounds, slightly less than an E30 3-series. Power goes to the rear wheels in typical BMW fashion, and it gets from 0-62 mph (100kph) in about 8 seconds. The BMW i8, on the other hand, is a full on sportscar with a hybrid drivetrain. Combined, its electric and gasoline motors can propel it to 62mph in under 5 seconds, rivaling cars such as the BMW 335i or M3. The rear wheels are powered by the gasoline engine, while the front gets electric power only. You might recognize the BMW i8- we've seen it before as the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept. However, the i8's drivetrain runs on gasoline-electric hybrid system, where the Vision ED concept was diesel powered and only used the combustion engine as a generator to recharge the battery for its electric motors. Check out the gallery of images below, as well as BMWi's videos on YouTube that highlight the two new cars (link below).

Source: BMWUSANews.com

BMWi on YouTube
BMWi on Twitter

BMW i3:




BMW i8:

Toyota Signs $100 Million Contract With Tesla Motors

Toyota Motor Co and Tesla Motors are teaming up to build an electrically motivated RAV4 SUV. The RAV4 EV will be powered by a Tesla electric powertrain, presumably similar to the powertrain found in the Tesla Roadster and upcoming Model S. According to a press release by Tesla Motors, the first prototype has already been built and they expect to have a fleet of RAV4 EV's ready for testing by the end of the year.

Source: Tesla Motors

Pictured: 2012 Toyota RAV4 V6

2012 Porsche 911 Hot Weather Testing in South Africa

Check out this video from Porsche featuring the new 911 undergoing hot weather testing in South Africa.

Washington to Open EV Charging Stations

The State of Washington has begun a $1 million project to install Electric Vehicle Quick Charging stations along the I-5 highway. The project will be undertaken by AeroVironment EV. The stations are planned to be 30-50 miles apart, and will be able to charge a Nissan Leaf in 30 minutes. The stations will also have slower chargers to top off cars such as the Chevy Volt and Toyota Prius plug-in hybrids. It is also assumed to be compatible with BMW's 1-series ActiveE as well as the Mini E electric car and the Tesla Roadster. This project is part of a larger initiative to build a "West Coast Green Highway" which will serve 1,350 miles of road between Washington, Oregon, and California.

Via The Seattle Times
Photo Credit: The Wall Street Journal

SLS AMG Roadster Goes On Sale This Fall

Mercedes has announced the SLS AMG Roadster- the topless version of the SLS AMG Gullwing supercar will go on sale this fall to the public, or at least those that can afford its price tag. It features the same drivetrain as the hard top gullwing coupe, but has an automatic soft top that can be retracted or extended in 11 seconds, at speeds of up to 31 mph. It's also equipped with the AIRSCARF system which Mercedes say allows the car to be drive top down in any sort of weather.

Source: carscoop

2012 BMW M5 Concept - Official Press Release.

BMW released Monday a huge set of official photos and videos of the new BMW M5 Concept. This concept is supposed to be representative of the 2012 BMW M5 production model due out next year. The new F10 M5 features more subdued, yet aggressive, styling that brings back memories of the much loved E39 M5. While BMW is still keeping engine output quiet, the new M5's powerplant is confirmed to be a twin-turbo V8, which will make more power than the outgoing S85 V10 as well as achieve up to 25% better fuel economy numbers. Transmission is expected to be a 7-speed M-DCT, with no word on a 6 speed manual option. The new M5 also gets BMW M's new 'Active M-Differential' which is an advanced, variable limited-slip differential. Bimmerpost has made available a gallery of over 85 pictures and videos of the new M5 concept, as well as the official press release, you can check that out here.

Source: Bimmerpost

Pictured: 2012 BMW M5 Concept

Click on the photo to get wallpaper and background sized versions.

2012 BMW M5 Concept Revealed!

BMW had a private showing for journalists in Munich,giving a sneak peek at the new BMW M5 sedan concept, and now those photos have leaked onto the web thanks to Russian website Transmissia.net. We already know the M5 will be powered by a version of the Twin Turbo V8 found in the X5M and X6M models, with either a DCT or manual transmission. For now just sit back and enjoy the photos.

via Jon Sibal

Toyota Stops Prius Production - New Supra Spied

In a daring move, Toyota has halted all production of the popular Prius model line of cars. That includes all new Prius models Toyota recently unveiled. "We want to take the company in a completely new direction. The Prius does not represent that direction," said Toyota President Akio Toyoda at a press conference on April 1st. Toyota is also expected to cut all hybrids from its lineup in favor of a greater focus on performance development. TRD has recently only been known for Scion tC modifications or off-road Toyota trucks. "TRD will bring competition to the [Nissan GT-R]" said Toyoda. Spys spotted a new Supra being tested on the Nurburgring today, with its powerplant confirmed to be a twin-turbo straight six with upwards of 450 horsepower. It seems to be based on the LF-A platform. We can also expect to see a detuned version of this powerplant in the new Camry TRD edition, which will also feature a new RWD powertrain and Dual-Clutch automatic transmission. Toyota is back, and they mean business.

Bright Future for Tesla Motors

As you have probably heard by now, Tesla Motors is suing widely popular BBC program Top Gear. Telsa claims that the episode of Top Gear featuring the Tesla Roadster misrepresented the car and "contained lies and misinformation about the Roadster’s performance, behaviour and reliability," according to Tesla's website on the subject. If Top Gear's test results are really fraudulent it could prove to be very good for Tesla's image as a successful automaker. Now, Morgan Stanley has predicted Tesla's stock to grow to $70- a 200% upside. As of 11:39 AM EST, Tesla (TSLA) stood at $28.30 per share. Morgan Stanley also goes on to predict that Tesla will become America's fourth big automaker behind GM, Ford, and Chrysler, citing the growing demand for electric vehicles amid rising oil prices. They also predict a market penetration of greater than 15% by 2025- with internal combustion engines remaining the majority seller. Considering the amount of EVs on the road today, this could be a monumental growth. Needless to say, the world's roads will look much different in the next 20 years than they do today.

Tesla vs Top Gear Website

Source: Street Insider

Pictured: Tesla Roadster. Image courtesy of Tesla Motors.

Hybrid Porsche 911?

Jalopnik reported today that someone had taken pictures of a possible hybrid Porsche 911 being tested in California. This would make sense as it seems Porsche is trying to incorporate Hybrid technology wherever it can to improve its fleet-wide fuel economy and emissions. According to the Jalopnik's source, the Porsche made no sound as it drove away, and had fake side vent stickers, which could be indicative of a gas-electric powertrain. For pictures of the suspected hybrid 911, check out Jalopnik's Gallery.

Source: Jalopnik

Pictured: Porsche 911 Turbo

BMW 1 Series M Coupe MotoGP Safety Car

AutoNews has released some details about the BMW 1 Series M Coupe MotoGP safety car. It has more than a few performance upgrades over the stander 1M Coupe to make it more suitable for the track. The chassis has been lowered, and an adjustable rear spoiler from the M3 GTS has been added. The MotoGP safety car also gets the brakes from the M3 GTS, and BMW has removed the catalytic converters to allow for about 7-10 extra hp. The interior has also been redone with racing harnesses and a roll cage. Unfortunately for BMW fans these upgrades won't go into a production 1M CSL or 1M GTS variant, but will stay with the safety car. We can only dream.

Source: Bimmerpost via AutoNews

Pictured: BMW 1 Series M Coupe MotoGP Safety Car

For more wallpaper size images, follow this link.

Hawaii's Gas Prices Reach $4 per Gallon

Hawaii has the distinct honor of being the first state to reach the $4 per gallon mark ahead of this year's summer driving season. Some other cities have also reached the $4 mark, most of them being in California, however Hawaii is the first to reach a statewide average of $4 per gallon. Sales of small, fuel efficient cars are also rising with gas prices, something we have seen in the past. Prices are projected to reach $5 per gallon this summer.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Massive 9.0 Earthquake in Japan

On Friday of this past week, Japan was hit with a massive earthquake that measured 9.0 on the Richter scale. Their infrastructure has been severely damaged and many people are without food, water, electricity, or shelter. Our prayers are with those people suffering in Japan. Japanese authorities are now struggling to contain two nuclear reactors and prevent a potential meltdown.
Check out Jalopnik's great article on what's going on and how you can help.

Image source: Wikipedia

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept

BMW has revealed a new concept car in the form of the Vision ConnectedDrive. The car is meant to showcase BMW's ConnectedDrive technologies. These technologies will be utilized across a broad range of BMW's products as well as the BMW Vision ED production model and MegaCity vehicle.

BMW hasn't revealed any specifics about the car, but it is evident that it represents a revolutionary step in car-driver-internet connectivity and experience, with a driver oriented interior layout. Expect to see the car at the Geneva Auto Show this year.

Source: Bimmerpost

Pictured: BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept via Bimmerpost

2012 Acura TL Gets a Facelift

The Acura TL's front fascia has been the butt of many jokes ever since Acura introduced the infamous "beak" to its design catalog. All that is no more. The 2012 TL gets a facelift that leaves it looking like a very desirable luxury car. Gone is the awkward "beak" design, and in its place is an aggressive but subtle look fit for a luxury sedan like the TL. The TL will get two engine options for 2012- a 280hp 3.5 V6 for the front wheel drive model, and a 305hp 3.7 V6 for the SH-AWD (Super Handling AWD) model. Fortunately the SH-AWD model retains a 6-speed manual option, which should make this luxury sedan very fun to drive.

Source: Autoblog

Pictured: 2012 Acura TL at the Chicago Auto Show via Jalopnik

Camaro ZL1 - The Definition of "Muscle Car"

Rumors have spread since the first Camaro concept was revealed of a high-performance Z/28 model, but GM has decided to call the top of the line Camaro the ZL1 instead- a legendary designation. The original Camaro ZL-1 was made for the 1969 model year, and had a 427ci V8 under the hood. The engine was rated at around 400hp but in reality it was believed to have around 550hp, making it the most powerful production Camaro ever- until now. The new ZL-1 has a detuned version of the Corvette's supercharged LS9 motor- in this case the LSA- putting out 550 hp. The ZL1 gets a variety of handling and performance upgrades to make it a truly capable track car, as well as a new body kit inspired by the Camaro in Transformers 3 Dark of the Moon. We'll have to wait and see how competitors Ford and Dodge respond to this new car.

Source: Jalopnik

Photo Credit: Sam Smith, Jonathan Quinn via Jalopnik

Dodge Charger SRT8 Returns for 2012 Model Year

Dodge has revealed the 2012 Charger SRT8 at the Chicago Auto Show today with a radical redesign of the front end. Reminiscent of cars such as the Nissan GT-R and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, the Charger takes on an even more aggressive look that screams performance. And it doesn't disappoint- the SRT8 model gets a new 6.4 liter Hemi putting out 465hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. Acceleration from 0-60 is speculated to be in the low to mid 4-second area, not surprising considering the monster under the hood. The SRT8 package adds a Brembo big brake kit and a cylinder deactivation system that allows the car to run on 4 cylinders to save fuel, along with paddle shifters and 20" wheels. This car truly represents the progress that Chrysler has made in vehicle design.

Source: AutoGuide

Pictured: 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 at Chicago Auto Show, courtesy of Dodge

Chrysler 200 Convertible - New Photos

No, it's not the Dacia Sandero.

Chrysler has released new photos of the 2011 200 Convertible on their Facebook page.

Chrysler on Facebook

Photo Credit: TopGear and Jalopnik

Pagani Teases Zonda Successor

Pagani has been building hype for the new C9/Huayra supercar with a slow trickle of details. The car will be the successor to the current Pagani Zonda- one of the greatest supercars in the world. While not much is known about the new car, Pagani fans can expect an automobile that should rival the best of the best in the car world, especially since the last Zonda- the Zonda R- set a new record of 6:47 around the famed Nurburgring. The Huayra is set to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show this march. For now, just sit back and enjoy the video.

Porsche Bringing 918 Production Model to Detroit Auto Show

The 918 Spyder Hybrid created a huge buzz when it was unveiled, and enthusiasts were even more excited when it was greenlit for production last July. Now, there is speculation that Porsche will unveil a 918 Coupe for production at the Detroit Auto Show. The Coupe has an estimated price of $670,000 and replaces the Spyder's hybrid drivetrain with a more conventional turbo V8. This car is slated to be the successor of the Porsche Carrera GT as Porsche's next halo car.

Source: bloomberg.com

Pictured: Porsche 918 Spyder and Porsche Cajun

BMW Stockpiling Fuel Pumps in Response to Recall

According to E90Post forum member Mr.5, BMW currently has over 27,0000 fuel pumps stored in the U.S. These fuel pumps have a new part number and are the apparent replacement for the 933 pump that BMW was using previously in N54 repairs. Speculation is abound that BMW has finally come up with a definitive solution to the high pressure fuel pump failures that have plagued 35i models and resulted in a recall. The huge amount of inventory indicates BMW's confidence in the fact that these new fuel pumps will resolve the issues for good. The part number of the new pump is #13517616446. If you own a BMW with an N54 engine, such as a 135i, 335i, 535i, X5 35i, X6 35i, or Z4 35i, and you need to replace your fuel pump, make sure to get the newest model from your dealer.

Source: E90Post

Pictured: BMW N54 Engine