The Future of BMW Design: One Part Gran Turismo, One Part Sports Car

When the Audi Sportback Concept sauntered into the Detroit spotlights last year, the four-ring brand told us that the "concept" was very close to what would become the production A7, a car we hear will debut late this summer at the Moscow Motor Show in August. A few months short of its rumored date with destiny, though, we've caught it working out at the Nurburgring.

Priced from €304,500

Porsche will unveil the next-generation 911 (991) at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but that doesn't mean the current model (997) is going away anytime soon. Case in point, the company has just announced a series of upgrades for the 2012 911 GT3 R.

First and foremost, the model gains a revised 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine with an optimized intake system. This enables it to produce 500 PS (368 kW / 493 hp) - an increase of 20 PS (15 kW / 20 hp).

One of the fastest times ever posted

It looks like we were right when we said Akira Iida was taking it easy when he lapped the Nordschleife in 7:22.85 with the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition as an exhibition run.

According to a tweet by EVO's Chris Harris, the Gazoo Racing driver has managed to beat his previous record by setting a new time of 7:14.XX. If this turns out to be correct, the LFA would become one of the fastest production vehicles to ever complete the 20.8 km (12.9 mile) long course.

Recent valuation puts Ferrari at 4.5 billion euros while Fiat as a whole is worth just 5.3 billion euros

Every few months the rumors resurface that Fiat is considering an IPO for Ferrari to raise some cash.

An IPO would take Ferrari public as a separate entity from Fiat Group and would allow Fiat to sell-off part of the luxury automaker to raise money while still holding a controlling interest in the brand. But how much is Ferrari worth?

MissionL previews a new model Skoda will soon take to production

Skoda has releases these teaser images of the upcoming MissionL concept.

The MissionL concept is meant to preview new Skoda design and technical principals, and perhaps even give us a hint as to the upcoming next-generation Octavia. But Skoda only says the concept is a compact 5-door hatchback, is near production-ready and that it will be launched in China, Europe and Russia.

The executive shuttle of the future

Citroën has announced plans to introduce the Tubik concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Described as a "high-tech executive shuttle," the van has boxy styling with a bold front fascia, a massive grille and miniscule headlights. Most notably, the passenger side has a massive gullwing door which opens to reveal a spacious and airy cabin.

The folks over at PickupTrucks.com appear to have a video of what might be the 2012 Toyota Tacoma truck. The 2012 Tacoma is expected to be a refreshed model, but it’s almost impossible to distinguish the truck from the video from the 2011 model. Judging from screen shots below, the front end is definitely tweaked, but the side and rear end look identical to the current model.

Mini will showcase two new vehicles on its display at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California this week. First up is the Mini Inspired by Goodwood we previewed back in April. The second is the new Mini Coupe – and its first U.S. public showing.

High MPG ratings from the EPA look attractive to drivers right now with fuel prices skyrocketing, but it's important that car buyers keep things in perspective

Once a buyer has settled on a model and secured their new car loan, it's usually a great few months. Getting a new car is a bit like getting a new toy when you were younger, and everyone loves that new car smell. However, not every driver ends up being happy with their vehicle.

General Motors recently announced that it will be offering an eight year or 100,000 mile warranty on the battery that will power the electric Chevrolet Volt.

Just in case anyone thought General Motors was letting the air out of its hydrogen-powered vehicle efforts, the automaker put the public on notice this week that it remains as committed as ever to using its rolling science projects as a test bed for getting real world, mass-produced, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in consumer driveways.

It's Simple: Be the World's Largest Automaker by 2018

Mercedes-Benz offers the AMG Performance Studio and designo to meet the needs of those with the most discerning tastes

The new Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG will recieve a 422 HP engine and will be in dealerships as of January 2012