You’re looking at a concept version of the all-new BMW M4. At least that’s the claim from Belgian website Auto55 who also says the F82-based M4 Concept will be on show in Frankfurt next month.
If nothing else it is the same colour as the car featured in the official video preview we got from BMW earlier in the week.
There’s no mention of performance specs, so we’re still expecting the new M3/M4 to be powered by an twin-turbo inline six cylinder with around 335kW (450hp).
[Source: Auto55]
If you did can you see it in this photo? This very cool shot was taken in 1970 at Porsche’s 911 factory in Stuttgart.
Do you think the workers knew then what an iconic and much loved model the 911 would become?
[Source: History in Pictures]
Details are emerging of a new Audi Quattro concept which is set to revive the axed Quattro concept first shown at Paris in 2010. Out goes the charming 408hp inline five cylinder and in comes a 600hp twin-turbo V8, coupled to a 7-speed S tronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive system.
It’s also rumoured this new concept will be a hybrid featuring a boost of electric power as well. At the moment, though, there’s a lot of speculation going on, but adding the etron moniker to this hero model does make sense.
While these sketches show the new concept looks much like the old one, it’s understood the 2013 version has been repackaged and rides on a longer wheelbase, probably based on the A5 or a shortened RS7 chassis.
We’ve heard this before, of course, but the word is this new concept will make it to full production status, with a limited run to be built at the quattro GmbH Neckarsulm plant. It will be the most expensive road-going Audi ever made.
The concept will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show and we can’t wait to bring you more!
[Source: Autocar]
In a cruel irony former MINI WRC driver Dani Sordo has been cast aside by the Citroën World Rally Team and will be replaced by former MINI WRC driver Kris Meeke.
Meeke and co-driver Chris Patterson will step into Sordo’s car for Rally Australia (13–15 September). An official Citroën WRT statement suggests that Dani can now, “focus on finding form in a less pressurised environment.” Ouch, that’s cutting!
And it gets worse for Sordo, with the team’s appraisal of his Rally Finland performance: “The fastest rally on the calendar proved tricky for Dani Sordo, who was not able to find the right rhythm to make it into the leading places. Sorely lacking in confidence on gravel, the Spanish driver has agreed with Citroën Racing that he will sit out the next round in order to try and take a step back and find some form on the surface away from pressure.”
But it’s all good news for Meeke, who was the first of the MINI drivers to lose his seat, while Sordo carried on until MINI finally pulled the plug. It’s not a bad return for Meeke, who wrote off his Citroën DS3 WRC in his first outing for the team at Rally Finland. He was filling in for regular driver Khalid Al-Qassimi.
“We are really very happy that Citroën has shown faith in us again after our performance at Rally Finland,” Meeke said. “For us, this is an incredible opportunity to take part in the rally as part of the Citroën Total Abu Dhabi World Rally Team alongside Mikko and Jarmo, and we are determined to give our best.”
Meeke says he’s comfortable in his new team and is looking ahead to the future, he reveals more in an interview with Red Bull.
Audi has announced the release of an augmented reality smartphone app for its new 8V A3 which can be used to replace the traditional user manual. It looks pretty cool, simply point your phone to a feature you want explained and before you know it the app provides you with the info. There’s a brief video for you after the break which shows the app in action.
We’re not entirely convinced the app will work as quickly and as smoothly as shown in the video, but we’ll be happy to be proved wrong. Given this release follows the successful rollout of a similar app for the A1, perhaps this 21st century user manual will be better than we anticipate.
[Via engadget]
Toyota is bringing a 400hp Hybrid-R concept to the Frankfurt Motor Show and here is the first teaser image. Toyota says the concept is based on a current production model and will employ technology found in its TS030 Hybrid LMP1 racecar.
We’ve fiddled with the image to try and reveal a bit more and found that speculation the concept is based on the Yaris Hybrid appears to be on the money.
There’s no detail yet, of course, but Toyota adds the concept will boast a high-powered internal combustion engine and electric motors (note the plural) to offer more than 400hp (298kw).
We’ve got Toyota’s unedited teaser image for you after the break, along with a couple of pics to the Yaris Hybrid production model.
We think the Hybrid-R thingy is kind of cool. A 400hp Yaris! It’s certainly much easier to hold some faith and belief in this model than the Toyota-based Aston Martin Cynical. Let’s hope the Hybrid-R makes the transition from concept to reality.
Take a look at this thing will you. Doesn’t it look awesome!
We must stress that it’s only a rendering made by Autocar, it’s not based on any real model just yet. The sketch was created to support a story suggesting that Jaguar Land Rover may entertain the idea of making a front-wheel drive hatchback in a bid to help lower the CO2 emissions of its fleet.
If Jaguar ever made a hatchback you can be sure there’d be a cooking version in the works before too long. The hyper hot hatch market has gone gang busters of late with the 265kW Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG currently sitting atop the peak power tables.
So, if Jaguar made a hot hatch and it looked like the image above, and let’s assume it gave you 250kW+ to play with, would you buy it?
[Source: Autocar]
This is your friendly revhead public service announcement that Race to the Clouds, a documentary on the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, will be screening across Australia this weekend. Switch your TV to 7mate at 11am on Saturday to make sure you don’t miss out!
It’s rare that we highlight aftermarket goodies here on AUSmotive, not because we don’t love a bit of post-factory indulgence, mainly because there’s just so much out there we simply don’t have the time to keep up to date. However, this video we could not let slip.
The car is a Porsche 991 911 Cabriolet and it’s been fitted with an HMS exhaust. And it sounds insane! The only shame of this clip is that there’s a bit of distortion about three quarters the way through. When you hear it you won’t be surprised there’s distortion, either.
If only all cars sounded as good as this! Eleven: turn it up…
[Thanks to Marko for the tip]
Mercedes-Benz has used its Facebook account to release sketches of its forthcoming GLA model. As if the world needed another SUV, but while the public appetite for such models exists you can expect Mercedes to cash in like everyone else.
The GLA will be based on the A Class platform and will rival the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Just imagine how bonkers the AMG version will be!
We’ll find out a lot more about the GLA at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, where it has been scheduled to make its world premiere.
[Source: Facebook]
Can you believe it’s almost been a year since we featured a flaming Ferrari. This F430, which caught ablaze in Boca Raton in Florida, has certainly been worth the wait. This one went really tits up!
Adding to the humour, if there is any, is the fact this throbbing red thoroughbred was parked outside a Hooters restaurant. According to eyewitness reports nobody was in the car or injured during the blaze and the car was sitting idle for about 15 miniutes before things started to get too hot under the collar.
Nearby firefights slid down their pole and came to the rescue, extinguishing the flames with a minimum of fuss. We wonder where they went for celebration drinks?
[Source: WPTV | Thanks to Aaron for the tip]
They’ve not given us much to go on but this 18 second video from BMW’s M people is the first official preview of the upcoming M3/M4. Well, we’re saying it’s for the M3, BMW just says they’re “preparing something new”.
It’s expected BMW will release details for the F80 M3 and F82 M4 in the next few months. Hmm, there’s only a few weeks until the Frankfurt Motor Show. Too soon?