Range Rover Sport and Evoque rumored to get RS versions

A report in Autocar claims that Jaguar's RS badge and its herd of extra horsepower is walking across the aisle to the Land Rover stable. Autocar sources say the Range Rover Sport and Evoque will get RS designations, the supercharged V8 in the Sport RS getting cranked up to "at least" 542 horsepower, the 2.0-liter EcoBoost in the Evoque RS getting 300.

The magazine has spy shots of an extra potent Sport testing at the Nürburgring, slight changes to the lower parts of the SUV giving it away as a ringer. Supposedly, with the same horsepower (or more) than the RS cars in the Jaguar fold, Land Rover wants it to get from 0-60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds; that would make it just 0.1 second shy of the same run in a Jaguar XJR. The Evoque RS is said to be arriving first, perhaps this year, with the Range Rover Sport RS coming next year.

2014 BMW M5 facelift shows up online

Is it that time already? Like its predecessors, the current BMW M5 has been endangering US licenses since it first went on sale here in 2012, but its design became a known quantity back at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Apparently that also means that the F10 generation has already grown tired enough to the "Must Have Latest Set" who can afford these sorts of super saloons that a facelift is in order.

If these leaked images sourced from Autocar are anything to go by, BMW stylists have used a predictably light hand to rework their hottest 5 Series, with a revised grille that echoes the M6 along with modestly resculpted headlamps. The rear end appears wholly unaltered. Interior changes gleaned from a look at the cabin photos include an updated touchpad-equipped iDrive controller and a new steering wheel cribbed from the M6.

No new word on changes to the 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 powertrain, but in late April, we heard that BMW was readying new competition packages for the M5 and M6. The packages are said to include 15 more horsepower, revised suspension and steering, along with new wheels and blackened exhaust tips. Given that BMW is known for habitually underrating its cars' horsepower outputs (particularly its M models) we can't help but wonder if its engineers will need to do anything other than wave a magic wand to corral those extra ponies underhood...

Range Rover Evoque convertible unlikely to see production

From the time when all we had were rumors of a Range Rover Evoque convertible, to the grainy spy shots of said topless SUV in some English alley, to the time it rolled out on the floor of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, nothing could keep people from asking, "Is this really happening?"

To be fair, there were a number who asked in anticipation, enthused about the prospect of getting both a commanding driving position and wide open sky in a more toothsome package than the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. Nevertheless, the number wasn't enough to recommend the concept for production: A report in Car and Driver says the prospects aren't "as bright as we were led to believe when the crossover cabrio debuted," and that instead an Evoque with a panoramic roof that opens is a better bet.

Elsewhere in the rapidly evolving Land Rover line-up, platform harmonization and more cowbell aluminum is the way forward. From the recent use of four platforms supporting six vehicles, there will soon be only two: the EUCD architecture for the LR2 and Evoque; all else will be built on a modified version of the D7 platform created for the new Range Rover. That puts not only variants like the Chinese-market long-wheelbase Range Rover in the aluminum game, but also models like the next Defender and LR4. That latter model is expected to bow next year, the Defender might need more time while the design department moves on from the DC100, which wasn't warmly received.

Land Rover to offer 16 models by 2020

 by: George Kennedy

The Range Rover Evoque was a bold new direction for Land Rover that proved successful, but if reports are to be believed, it is only the beginning of an onslaught of new products. According to a report from Autocar, the brand associated with both opulent motoring and rugged off-road capability is embarking on a massive lineup expansion, with the goal of producing 600,000 vehicles annually and 22 million vehicles by 2020.

In order to accomplish this, a flurry of new modes are planned, including the expansion of the Freelander (LR2) lineup and the unveiling of a new Defender family. The former will include five-seat and seven seat models, while the Defender will also roll out five-seat and seven-seat editions, but also a crew-cab pickup model. Consider our interest piqued.

The Evoque family will also grow, including an Evoque XL, Evoque convertible, and a "baby Range Rover" that would slot underneath the Range Rover Sport. This amonts to a goal of expanding the Land Rover lineup to 16 new vehicles.

Jaguar/Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth has claimed "40 new JLR product launches in the next five years," according to the report. To accomplish this, JLR is throwing 2 billion pounds a year behind this expansion. Roughly 1.8 billion pounds will go to a new Chinese production facility capable of producing 130,000 vehicles per year. The strategic location of the plant can feed the Chinese and Russian markets, which have voiced a demand for more specialized, limited edition models.

This all may seem ambitious, and perhaps even present an overlapping of models. However, if the automotive marketplace has taught us anything in the last decade, it is that there really is no such thing as too many CUVs.

Porsche confirms Ferrari 458-fighting 961 supercar

by: Jonathon Ramsey

The haze around the mid-engined Porsche supercar being bred to fill the space between the 911 and 918 Spyder is clearing. A few months ago, combined intel from Automobile and Car was that the 960, a challenger to the Ferrari 458, would either be a coupe or a "four-door coupe" powered by a twin-turbo flat-six and priced "on the creepy side of 200,000 euro." Auto Express has just reported that the new car is "set to be called the 961" and cost in the area of 250,000 pounds, reflecting a lower price than was supposed last year.

Exotic technology runs downhill and Auto Express suggests the 961 will be a heavy study from the 918's chapbook, utilizing a monocoque chassis from the same CFRP materials and the 918's 4.6-liter V8. The deep haze returns again in the predictions of how those details will come together, though. Theorized output is 570 horsepower, which is the horsepower number of the engine in the 918 but less than the 620 hp in the current 911 GT2 RS, the 961 going without the electric motors of its hybrid brother. The sprint from naught to 60 miles per hour is pegged at just above three seconds, which would put it in the same bracket as the 918 and nearly a second faster than the GT2 RS.

We await more word from The Oracle to know where the 961 will get its looks from – the 911 or 918 side of the family.

Infiniti drops haute shots of FX Vettel Edition

 by: Zach Bowman

Infiniti has served up a rash of photos of its limited-run FX Vettel Edition. The $155,000 hyper crossover offers buyers a full 414 horsepower and a 5.6-second run to 60 mph. The grunt is also good enough to scoot the hunkered-down CUV to a top speed of 186 mph. As we've heard, Sebastian Vettel lent a hand in setting up the vehicle's suspension, and the Formula One racer's Red Bull team helped pen the carbon fiber body kit. Those bits include a new front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear wing.

If you want one – and happen to have more cash than sense – you better get on the horn with your local Infiniti dealer – provided you keep a residence in one of the car's markets. The manufacturer is only planning to build 150 examples, with 50 examples earmarked for the Middle East, Russia and Western Europe, respectively... if you want one in North America, you're going to have to get a bit creative.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class dubbed most successful launch in company history

by: Jonathon Ramsey

 

When we drove the 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class earlier this year, we called it "likely the most important Mercedes-Benz passenger car since the old 190 turned into the C-Class "Baby Benz" back in 1993." And just like that car opened all kinds of new doors for The Three-Pointed Star, the A-Class looks to be doing the same. Autocar reports that pre-orders in Western Europe number 70,000, a figure that would represent a ten-percent conversion rate of potential customers invited to pre-launch events.

That would also make the third-generation A-Class the most successful car launch in Mercedes history, an auspicious start for a car with a heavy burden. The segment continues to expand and will be a key battleground, especially as both Mercedes and Audi plan on being the number one luxury carmaker by 2020, taking over from BMW. The uptake of the standard model bodes well for the fortunes of the CLA sedan and the utility variant to come.

Neiman Marcus Christmas Book McLaren special editions sell out in two hours

by: Chris Tutor

Apparently, despite the global economic downturn, some people out there still have large sums of disposable income. We know this because Neiman Marcus sold through a dozen special edition McLaren 12C Spiders in less than two hours Wednesday. At $354,000 each, this single offering grossed Neiman Marcus a staggering $35,400 a minute. Not that we should be surprised. Last year, the retailer sold 10 brand-new Ferrari FF specials out in a mere 50 minutes and in 2009, Neiman Marcus cleared out 50 special Jaguar XJ sedans in four hours and four minutes.

The retailer's annual Christmas Book extravaganza offered the supercar packaged with first-class travel to the UK, two nights at a five-star hotel there, a tour of the McLaren Tech Center and dinner with McLaren chairman Ron Dennis. Each car also includes matching luggage and a numbered stainless-steel badge. One of NM's high-rolling catalog shoppers will be able to say they own the very first McLaren 12C Spider sold to the public.

Neiman Marcus says customers should have their Spiders in time for unwrapping Christmas morning. Let's hope the fortunate recipients live some place warm and that their roads are clear enough to enjoy a truly happy holiday.

Mercedes-Benz exec promises C-Class convertible

by: Jeffrey N. Ross

 
Mercedes-Benz is already at work on the next-generation C-Class sedan, but USA Today reports that the automaker promises to add a convertible model for to the mix as well and will offer it in the US. The new C-Class is expected out next year as a 2014 model, and it will be the first time the C-Class has ever directly offered a drop-top model, likely to be called the C-Class Cabriolet.

Previously, the CLK-Class acted as a convertible based on the smaller C-Class, but it was sized and generally thought of as an E-Class model. There are no concrete details about this new car, but it's almost certain to be the most affordable convertible in the Mercedes lineup, slotting in under the $42,900 SLK-Class roadster well below the $59,070 E-Class Cabriolet. Cars such as the C-Class Cabriolet and the all-new CLA-Class are an attempt to draw younger buyers into the Mercedes family, according to Steve Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA.

600-hp G-Power 1 Series is excessively cool

by: Zach Bowman

 

Save some unforeseen circumstance we've yet to encounter, you'll never hear us turn down shoving extra horsepower at a vehicle. The minds at G-Power seem to understand that concept better than most and have just finished pumping a full 600 horsepower into the BMW 1 Series M Coupe. The team is calling their newest creation the G1 Hurricane RS, and the car makes use of a supercharged version of the same V8 that powers the BMW M3. Likewise, the tuner's engineers plucked the dual-clutch gearbox from the larger M for service in the G1 Hurricane.

With 427 pound feet of torque on hand, the smallest of the G-Power line can bolt to 125 miles per hour in around 12.7 seconds on its way to a top end of 205 mph. The company threw in a set of carbon ceramic brakes to help bring the wicked 1 Series down from speed, which also helped reduce unsprung weight by half. Further weight reductions come in the form of a carbon fiber hood and trunk lid. G-Power plans to build just 30 examples of its wild little 1 Series M Coupe, so if you want one, you better get on the phone now. Head over to the G-Power site fore more information.