Mazda must have awaken all the sleeping fans of the sports car heading the finish line as they received more calls for orders of the special RX-8 which they were not able to anticipate. In short, the company had to give in to the demand of the loyal consumers so they decided to make a thousand more Spirit R RX-8 thru June 2012.

According to the carmaker, the 6-speed gearbox of the model is a popular choice of the Japanese consumers with its sales making 66% of the purchase. The demand for the colors of the model are quite equally divided into the three finishes namely Sparkling Black Mica, Crystal White Pearl Mica, and Aluminum Metallic.

The Spirit R also comes with a retuned suspension making use of Bilstein dampers, bucket seats from Recaro, select aerodynamic parts, and 19 inch forged alloy rims finished in bronze paint.

The 4-door sports coupe first rolled out back in April 2003 and as of March this year, Mazda have delivered 192,094 units of the RX-8.

The Genesis Coupe will still have 20L and 3.8L engine options for the 2013 model year. This time though the four cylinder 2.0L turbocharged powerplant is more powerful with an output of 274 horsepower about 64 horses more than the older version while its torque now reaches 275 lb-ft or about 52 lb-ft better. The V6 3.8L engine is set up with direct injection for the 2013MY with 42hp more than its older version at 348hp and a torque of 295 lb-ft or about 29 lb-ft more than the older Genesis Coupe.

Both of the engines are also now available with an 8-speed automatic gearbox as an option. All models will also have smoother ride as the suspensions system has been improved.

The 2013 Genesis Coupe has a redesigned front fascia, heat extractors on the hood, LED taillights, and a rear wing. Inside, the designers put in a restyled console and updated the trim of the cabin.

You can get the entry level 2.0T variant mated to a six-speed manual transmission for $24,250 or avail of the Shiftronic gearbox with 8 speeds for $25,500. The 2.0T is also available as an R-Spec variant with the 4-cylinder turbocharged 2.0L engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission for $26,500 while the Premium version with Shiftronic goes for $28,750.

The 3.8L V 6 GDI Genesis Coupe starts at $28,750 as the 3.8 R-Spec with 6-Speed manual gearbox. The Grand Touring version with 8-speed Shiftronic goes for $32,000. The top of the line 3.8L Track goes for $33,000 if you opt for the 6-speed manual and $34,250 if you for for the unit with Shiftronic.

Formula 1 has always been a masculine affair and a people from all over the world watch the events that are happening in this particular race with awe. Ferrari is the unofficial symbol of strength and dignity and people watch the legendary names like Schumacher with awe and a lot of envy.

The team’s present drivers are Kimi Raikkonan and Felipe Massa who were signed on with Ferrari for a three-year contract after the retirement of the legendary Michael Schumacher after the 2006 season. As like every sports Ferrari too had their ups and downs after the Schumacher era. In 2008 Ferrari experimented with the all-new system of “traffic light” to signal their drivers to leave the pits after a pit stop. In short Ferrari is showing the world how a race should be for a professional.

Ferrari had experienced some problems at a time when tobacco sponsorship was illegal in the European Union. But that was not going to a big trouble, as many were there to sponsor the machine in Formula 1, as it was synonym for victory.

The Volkswagen group also said that the premium brand is really designed to appeal to rich people in their 20s or 30s. They’re hoping that this niche would help revitalize the image of Audi. They also hope to establish loyalty from their customers with the release of the A1 compact. To do that, the company is certainly riding on more than just mere optimism.

Aggressive ad campaigns have been made by the company. Online, you’ll see endorser and well-known music celebrity Justin Timberlake trying to sell a car with a price tag of 15,800 euros. This particular model, based on the choice of endorser, is designed for fashion-conscious young people with enough purchasing power.

The focus on youngsters is obvious in Audi’s marketing strategy. The car maker is positive that at least 90% of its customers will be first-time car owners. Meanwhile, Audi’s rival Mercedes-Benz recently produced a Class A entry-level premium compact as well. Unlike Audi, Mercedes-Benz is targeting its pre-existing customers who would want to purchase second cars or smaller vehicles for their family.

The A1 subcompact is based on the Volkswagen Polo’s architecture. Currently, it’s not facing any real threats from rival German car manufacturers. BMW’s latest release in the segment is a Mini which is pegged at 16,600 euros. On the other hand, Fiat’s Alfa Romeo MitTo is at least $1,000 euros cheaper than Germany’s A1.

Aside from providing li-ion batteries for the Mercedes hybrid, the company has long been on lab stage with EV electronics and batteries. This third generation electric motor they’re working on is a rough 30% smaller than the predecessor. The production of these E-motors in the Gifhorn plant can be considered a major milestone for the company.

Beginning 2011, Continental should be on the way to producing its first complete electric powertrain. This will also be for the European car manufacturer’s standard production-vehicles.

According to Jose Avila, head of the Powertrain Division of Continental, a total of £12 million have already been invested in the Gifhorn plant. The plant is designed to produce about 60,000 electric motors annually. With this investment, Continental hopes that it will be able to cope with the production rate of these electric motors without forgetting previous battery production projects and power electronics.

The electric motors which Continental’s Gifhorn plant will be producing can generate maximum outputs of 60 to 75 kilowatts. Each Continental synchronous motor is said to weigh 65 kilograms, off the line at Gifhorn. According to Avila, the conventional combustion engine weighs a good 80 kilograms.

Indeed, the production of Continental’s electric motors is a clear go signal that the company is very ready for electro-mobility.

A cabriolet and coupe is being heard as a loud buzz in the rumor mill to be the new siblings of the Ghost saloon. These new Rolls-Royce will be coming in a few years but they will be developing the concept vehicles to measure the demand of the market.

The top executive of Rolls-Royce, Ian Robertson disclosed that they might not really stick with the Ghost badge for the new variants like what they did with the Phantom. Now that decision opens the gate for the return of Rolls-Royce names like the Corniche and Camargue for the coupe and soft-top versions.

We also got a tip that the company might release a long wheelbase variant of the Ghost saloon. Other possibilities include a gas-electric hybrid variant.

The luxury car manufacturer might have put aside its worries that releasing a stretched version of the Ghost might hurt the sales figures of the shorter Phantom. Sales reports have indicated a good turn out of consumers for the Ghost with 80% of which are new Rolls Royce customers. It has a totally different buyer base compared to the Phantom.

Ferrari engineers are working really hard to bring the CO2 emission and fuel consumption of their engines down.  The brand though wants to be green without sacrificing the performance of their vehicles.

The Italian car manufacturer has been looking into technologies which they can apply for their future lineup. At the recent Geneva Motor Show, they unveiled a concept car called 599 HY-KERS which featured the new hybrid technology.

The HY-KERS makes use of an electric motor that boosts the power of the engine during low speed running and during high load situation. The power is transferred without any problem from the electric motor to the engie as it goes via one of the clutches of the dual gearbox setup.

During a conference in Geneva, the chairman of Ferrari announced that they want to offer hybrid options for all of their vehicles. The plan will be concretized in a matter of three or four years. If this pushes through, Ferrari will be cutting their emissions by at least 35%.

The new design language of Peugeot is embodied with a more aggressive, masculine grille, contoured body, LED detailing of both ends of the car, and aluminum bonnet. The car will also use brushed aluminum for the door handles and the window surrounds. The car also gets a set of 19-inch wheels.

The 5 by Peugeot will run using their upcoming Hybrid4 technology. Power for the front wheels come from the 2.0L diesel engine, and this will be combined with a 37hp electric motor driving the rear tires. This configuration brings into the equation a total of 200 hp, a pure electric mode for running on low speeds, and a good AWD kind of traction when needed. The fuel mileage is very good at 74.3 miles per gallon.

The modular set up of the Hybrid4 allows it to be combined with a wide range of conventional engines, and be fitted into different platforms and body shapes.

The production version using the technology in flesh will be in the form of the Peugeot 3008 crossover scheduled to roll out by 2011.

The Geneva Motor Show will welcome the 5 by Peugeot come March 2.

Hosted by the Aalto Theater in Essen, Martin Kropp, the top designer for Volkswagen, was the one who took the award as the official representative for the Exterior Design Studio 1.  Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, the oldest and most celebrated design group in Europe has been handing the red dot Best of the Best awards since year 2000.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So far, Volkswagen’s Passat CC 4-door coupe is an award-winning model as it has also won the IF Product Design Award 2009, the Australian International Design Award, and of course, the red dot Best of the Best Award.
Choosing the winner for the red dot award is labor-extensive and exhausting as far as the design experts are concerned.  Each model entered in the competition has to be evaluated using the contest’s categories.  Car and design experts worldwide gather to see the latest in car design.

According to Volkswagen Talk, the pool of judges and design experts are changed randomly to maintain impartial judging.  Also, random judges is an assurance their unbiased judgment maintain the good design standards.  It’s a tedious job for the judges, but here is where future automobiles are conceptualized, shaped, judged, and eventually recommended for production.

The X1 will  be made available in AWD and RWD configurations.  It also comes with 4 engine choices—three diesels and one petrol engines.  In terms of fuel-efficiency, the RWD sDrive18d has a maximum of 45.2mpg fuel economy and a maximum speed of 124mph.  The X1 will make its debut entrance in Europe this coming fall and will go on sale in the US sometime in 2011 but with only the initial two petrol power trains.

Of course, the X1 models will all carry the EfficientDynamics to help lower emission rates and to maximize fuel economy.  Along with this is the engine’s stop-start mechanism, gearshift indicator, and brake energy regeneration.

The first few models will be having 258HP of power and 228lb-ft of torque that comes with the xDrive28i 3.0L petrol engine.  With this engine, the X1 can go from 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 127mph.  The xDrive23d has a 204HP and 295lb-ft of torque.  The xDrive20d and sDrive20d engines will have 177HP and 258lb-ft of torque.  Lastly, the xDrive18d and sDrive18d engines carry 143HP and 236lb-ft of torque.

The front lights will look like those of the 5-Series GT while the rear lights will take after the 7-Series sedan.  Recent photos confirm that the exterior of the X1 didn’t change much as the Concept X1 debuted in the 2008 Paris Motor Show.