Chevrolet is showing a Cruze wagon at the upcoming Geneva auto show. It will be the third Cruze variant, joining the sedan that we do get here and the hatchback we don’t. Its mission is to snag more customers for Chevrolet in wagon-friendly Europe.

On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note. To hear it again, click play above. This week’s sound came from a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR. Although many of you identified the sound as a turbocharged four-cylinder’s exhaust note, only one commenter guessed that it was from an Evo.

Like that sound? Download the MP3 and quiz your friends, make your own ringtone, or just lull yourself to sleep with sweet, sweet vehicular ear candy.

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR MP3 (Right-click to Save As…)

BMW has announced that the entry-level iteration of the 2013 6-series Gran Coupe, the six-cylinder 640i, will start at $76,895. That means the Gran Coupe’s extra style relative to the 535i sedan—with which the 640i shares its turbocharged inline-six and a lot of DNA and componentry—will cost buyers an additional $23,000. That princely sum buys you an extra 15 hp and 30 lb-ft of torque (for totals of 315 and 330), plus more standard equipment than the 535i.

Of course, BMW didn’t pull the Gran Coupe’s price out of thin air; stickers for the two-door 640i coupe begin at $74,495, so the two additional doors are a bargain at $1200 each. Still, the Gran Coupe starts $5000 higher than the larger 740i sedan powered by the same 315-hp six.

The Bavarian beauty’s sticker shock isn’t limited to comparisons with other BMWs. Mercedes-Benz’s swoopy CLS, now in its second generation (after having created the “four-door coupe” segment) costs $4720 less. And that’s for the “base” CLS550 with a 402-hp, 4.7-liter twin-turbocharged V-8. BMW’s equivalent 650i Gran Coupe also packs a twin-turbocharged V-8, but doesn’t go on sale until later this year and doesn’t yet have a price—given that the two-door 650i coupe starts at $83,895, we’re betting on a base near $86K. The V-8 car’s optional all-wheel drive will, of course, send the total even higher.

Nissan today confirmed its re-entry into the Australian V8 Supercar series for the 2013 season. It’s the first manufacturer to announce a new entry under the 2013 Car of the Future rules intended to open the series to a wider variety of makes. Nissan did not specify which model it will field, confirming only that it plans to use an “all-new” sedan model. Many expect Nissan to drop a V-8 into something that resembles its new Altima sedan, which will debut here, in Australia, and elsewhere for 2013. Ford and Holden currently are the only makes competing in V8 Supercars.

Family-owned Kelly Racing will field as many as four factory-backed cars in the 2013 season. Although no official announcement has been made, speculation suggests the Kelly team—led by owner-drivers Rick and Todd Kelly­, and previously partnered with Holden—will rebrand itself as Nissan Motorsport. Initial plans indicate the team will continue to develop its own chassis and engines from its Braeside, Melbourne, shop with input from Nissan’s NISMO performance division. Nissan describes the agreement between the two as “long-term,” but is providing no specifics.

Todd Kelly said the decision to partner with Nissan was fueled in part by Holden’s lack of commitment: ”We tried extremely hard to re-engage Holden and get [factory support] off them. But at the same time we had to put everything in place if that didn’t happen. For us to become a top-level team and for Rick and I to hop in cars and know we can go out and have a chance at winning races, Nissan was a perfect partnership.”

V8 Supercar boss Tony Cochrane was quoted today in the Sydney Morning Herald, saying, “At the start of 2013 there’ll be at least four manufacturers there. Nothing’s happened to change my view on that,” a thinly veiled reference to the widely held belief that Chrysler will soon announce its own plans to join the series. Cochrane continued: “But the series needs to be sensible about the amount of manufacturers allowed in the sport, and we would be very reluctant to go above five manufacturers.”

Nissan’s last go at the series ended after the 1992 season, concluding a highly successful three-year run with its four-wheel-drive, turbocharged Skyline GT-Rs driven by Jim Richards and Mark Skaife. Aggravated by the overwhelming success of Nissan’s “Godzilla” GT-Rs, the Aussie crowd grew resentful; Richards and Skaife were booed on the podium at the 1992 Bathurst 1000, prompting Richards to infamously respond, “You’re a pack of arseholes.”

The next year, the sanctioning body altered the rules to favor homegrown V-8–powered Holdens and Fords. Although the rules initially allowed for cars with smaller-displacement engines, holdouts BMW and Toyota left the series in 1994. Since then, it has been the exclusive domain of the Aussie-built Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore.

The series has plans to come to the U.S., with a race scheduled for 2013 in Austin, Texas. That, of course, will be dependent on the successful completion of the new Circuit of the Americas track. It seems V8 Supercar is becoming a global enterprise once again.

Opel is launching the ultimate Astra at the Geneva auto show, the Astra OPC. OPC stands for “Opel Performance Center.” U.K.-market models, which will be sold as Vauxhalls, will swap OPC with the VXR moniker.

As we predicted earlier, the top Astra will be powered by a version of GM’s 2.0-liter direct-injection, turbocharged Ecotec engine; in this application it produces 276 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and top speed is governed at 155 mph. The power is channeled to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

Opel is disclosing further details on the chassis. It uses GM’s HiPer Strut front suspension—which decouples the steering from wheel motion—and a torsion-beam axle with a Watt’s linkage in the rear. A “FlexRide” electronic damper-control system is standard, and here features a specific OPC setting.

The Astra OPC comes with lightweight seats, but it will be an altogether heavy vehicle. It will crown a family of Astra GTC three-doors with gasoline engines from 99 hp and up (that’s Fiero territory, but with significantly more weight to contend with), and diesel engines ranging in output from 110 hp to 165 hp.

Will it come to the U.S.? We hear from within GM that the Astra GTC could be launched as a Buick here—it is, after all, essentially a two-door Verano. The OPC/VXR version (Buick likely would call it a GS, a moniker that has a proud history at Opel as well) would make it truly appealing. Let’s hope GM learns from the experience with the Saturn Astra, which was an utterly joyless car thanks to its basic trim and engine.

Koenigsegg expects to deliver its first Agera to the U.S. this June, more than two years after the 940-hp supercar was introduced, according to a company executive.

Bags of Air and “Financial Hardship”

The Swedish automaker is awaiting approval for a second exemption from federal regulations requiring smart airbags, the same exemption the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration denied last year to Pagani. (Smart airbags require weight sensors in the front passenger seat to detect children, and can deploy the bags at varying speeds depending on the crash situation.) Lotus stopped importing the Elise and Exige to the U.S.—and Tesla, as a result, had to stop building Roadsters—because its exemption ran out.

Among other things, the feds consider proof of “substantial economic hardship” when deciding on safety exemptions for low-volume, independent automakers like Koenigsegg. Surprisingly, Ferrari, owned by the Fiat Group, and Lamborghini, under the Volkswagen Group, have also cited “hardship” within the last three years as a reason for not adding newer airbags. Next to Koenigsegg, which hand-builds only 15 cars per year in an airport hangar, Ferrari and Lamborghini look like General Motors and Chrysler.

According to NHTSA, Koenigsegg said that it lost $7.7 million between 2006 and 2008, and had projected an additional $3.3 million loss between 2009, when the current exemption expired, and 2011. Oddly enough, until NHTSA makes a new decision, the expired exemption still stands.

CEO Christian Von Koenigsegg, in a letter to the Department of Transportation last May, stated the obvious to our Impala-driving bureaucrats: “The Koenigsegg vehicle—a $1.32 million ultra high performance sports car—is simply not typically used to carry child seats or small children.” (Koenigsegg owners can buy the 230-mph Brabus Rocket for just that purpose.)

If Koenigsegg does get the airbag waiver, the lucky U.S. customer will hold the keys—actually, a heavy metal fob shaped like the Koenigsegg shield—to car number 92, the first new Koenigsegg built for the U.S. market since 2008, according to the company and NHTSA filings. And if exotic-car forum rumblings are true, the car will be a white Agera R, an even faster version with a claimed 273-mph top speed when running on E85.

Car 100, A Camless Engine?

Koenigsegg says it will show a rendering of its 100th car at next month’s Geneva auto show. The automaker will commission the milestone car itself instead of building to customer order, as it normally does.

The next few years look even wilder. Koenigsegg is in the process of modifying its twin-turbo V-8 to run without camshafts, a radical departure in engine design that will increase fuel economy between 20 and 30 percent by using pneumatic-controlled valves, according to the company. F1 cars use similar pneumatic valvetrain systems. Koenigsegg’s work on a camless engine was first reported in 2009 by Auto Motor und Sport.

The technology provides exacting control of each cylinder and would allow for infinitely variable valve lift and duration, as well as cylinder deactivation. Energy to operate the valves also would be reduced compared to a conventional cammed engine. Many companies, including Bosch and French automotive supplier Valeo, are experimenting with electrohydraulic and electromagnetic actuators. Instead, Koenigsegg is working with Cargine Engineering in Sweden to develop a high-pressure pneumatic system. Cost is obviously not an issue, but reliability and valve noise are true hurdles and may take years to overcome.

If Koenigsegg can stoke even more heat from its flame-spitting engines, we’ll gladly wait. For newer airbags, too.

GM is committed to recycling. Or is it heritage? Maybe both. We bring this up because the 2013 Acadia‘s new look might not be so, well, new. Take a gander at the picture below to see what we mean.

2012 GMC Acadia

Yes, that’s the same wraparound rear glass treatment on the now-defunct Saturn Outlook (Saturn’s version of the three-row Lambda-platform SUV bit it along with the rest of the brand in 2010). It’s probably the same glass. The squared-off fenders appear to be identical, at least in the rear—the fronts have slightly different cutouts to accommodate each brand’s headlight shape. And the liftgate itself may also be shared, although things like badges, taillights, and the rear wiper differ. A GMC spokesman would neither confirm or deny our speculation. But these two images speak volumes. Or at least their allotted 2000 words.

Look, we’re not saying there’s anything wrong with this; the Acadia actually looks a good deal better than it used to, especially with the squarish fender flares and Granite-inspired nose. Reuse like this saves on development and tooling costs. It’s the same reason the Acadia shares its platform with the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse. We get that. And it’s not the first time GM has done something like this. To wit: Another Saturn SUV, the Vue, was recently rebadged as the Chevrolet Captiva for fleets. (Yes, you can rent a unicorn.) And after Pontiac died, GM’s Australian arm, Holden, repurposed some G8 noses on its SS V-Series Special Edition cars.

If we had a vote, and we most certainly do not, the G8 ST would be the next dead GM product to get a reprieve. Sorry. That one still stings.

To help kick off the launch of its ever-so-lightly refreshed 370Z sports car, Nissan is launching a social-media campaign by which the public can help design a tricked-out Z. The automaker is imaginatively calling the crowd-sourced Z “Project 370Z,” and will show the final product at this year’s annual ZDayZ gathering.

Project 370Z will be built in several stages between now and when it debuts. Nissan will let its Facebook fans vote on different upgrades—with the categories including power, handling and brakes, and interior/exterior styling—and the winning parts will be installed on the car. Of course, Nissan will guide the process to some degree; those of you who were hoping Project 370Z might turn out as a Nissan-badged Local Motors Rally Fighter or a 370ZCamino are out of luck. The ultimate goal is a 370Z with a résumé that balances track-day abilities with street manners. To participate, you’ll first have to like Nissan Performance’s Facebook page. The completed Project 370Z will bow this May; the non-crowd-sourced 2013 370Z goes on sale in June.

On Monday, we presented this week’s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. A few commenters posited guesses that the shifter belonged to a 1980s Volvo 440. Those guesses were close, but the stick is actually from the 1987 Volvo 480ES. Mark M. submitted the first 440 guess, and because the two cars’ consoles look fairly similar, he will receive a Save the Manuals button and sticker as a reward.

The 480ES pictured here is from our February 1986 issue. The 480ES was actually produced by Volvo Car BV, a Dutch Volvo subsidiary that was previously known as DAF. The svelte hatchback boasted pop-up headlights, four-wheel disc brakes, and electronic fuel-injection—cool stuff in the mid-‘80s.

Kia unveiled the 2012 Optima SX Limited sedan today at the Chicago auto show; it’s a new, fully loaded trim that sits at the top of the mid-size Optima range. It’s true that family-sedan news hardly stokes the enthusiast fire, but the Limited is based on one of the nicest-driving mainstream four-doors on the market: the turbocharged Optima SX. The luxurious Limited is basically an SX at which Kia threw the kitchen sink.

The Limited treatment starts with a $3300 package on the SX’s option sheet. Checking that box adds black or white Nappa leather for the seats, door panels, and center console; LED daytime running lights; wood interior trim; red-painted front brake calipers; additional exterior chrome, including the 18-inch wheels; a first-aid kit; and SXL badging. But Limited buyers aren’t done spending money: Ordering those goodies mandates the $4350 SX Technology and Premium package, which includes a backup camera, in-dash navigation, a panoramic sunroof, eight-speaker Infinity audio system, a four-way power front-passenger seat, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear outboard seating, and power folding side mirrors. Only three exterior colors are available, so we hope you like black, white, or silver. Being based on the SX, the Limited also packs a 274-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four, a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic, HID headlights, and a firmer suspension.

About the money: The Optima SX starts at a reasonable $27,250; adding $7650 in Limited kit (some of which is available on lesser Optimas) inflates the bottom line to $34,900. That’s more money than a Toyota Camry XLE V6 or Honda Accord EX-L with navigation, and nudges awfully close to BMW 3-series territory. While the Optima Limited has more features than any of the aforementioned cars, we can’t help but feel that it’s a pretty aggressive deviation from Kia’s tried-and-true value strategy.

Buick is planning two big changes for the Regal lineup. The first is making the eAssist hybrid powertrain the standard setup for 2013; it mates a 182-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder that makes 172 lb-ft of torque with a 15-hp motor/generator and a trunk-mounted lithium-ion battery pack. (Previously, an unassisted 2.4-liter four-cylinder was the standard powertrain.) In the Regal, the system boosts fuel economy to 25 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway—a boost of 6 and 5 mpg, respectively, compared with the non-eAssist four-cylinder version. The second change is the addition of a no-cost six-speed automatic option for the up-to-now manual-only turbocharged Regal GS. Neither move is surprising—we already knew an automatic was headed for the GS’s option sheet, and Buick already made eAssist standard on the four-cylinder version of its larger LaCrosse sedan for 2012.

Buick hasn’t revealed any details regarding changes to the Regal’s equipment levels and pricing as a result of making eAssist standard, but we’re told the 2012 LaCrosse is a fairly accurate model. When Buick dropped the LaCrosse’s base four-cylinder in favor of the eAssisted iteration, it upped that car’s price by nearly $3000 but also added more standard equipment. The company also made the LaCrosse’s more powerful V-6 engine a no-cost option. As such, we expect the 2013 Regal to gain more standard features and see its base price to go up by between $2000 and $3000. That means the car’s current $27,940 entry fee will increase to around $29,000, or close to the non-GS Regal Turbo and the least-expensive 2012 Regal with eAssist. Right now, it is unclear whether the Regal Turbo’s 220-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four also will be a no-cost option, but a Buick representative told us it will be priced similarly to the eAssist.

As for the automatic-equipped Regal GS, Buick says it will match the stick-shifted car’s 0-to-60 time and 19/27 mpg city/highway fuel-economy numbers. Naturally, the automatic will probably motivate more buyers into the sportiest Regal. The auto will be available as a late addition for 2012-model-year cars. Buick hasn’t announced a specific on-sale date for the 2013 Regal line.

When we reported last month on Hyundai’s precedent-setting “lifetime” warranty on the battery pack for the 2012 Sonata hybrid, official details had not been made available, and our post’s comments section quickly filled up with speculation regarding the specifics of the coverage.

Hyundai recently set the record straight: “The Hyundai Lifetime Hybrid Battery Replacement Guarantee ensures that if the 2012 Sonata hybrid lithium-polymer battery fails, Hyundai will replace the battery and cover recycling costs for the old battery pack free of charge to the original owner. The coverage is not transferable, and does not apply to lease and commercial vehicles or vehicles serviced outside the U.S.”

The integrated hardware, software, and controllers are not included in the lifetime battery warranty; they are instead covered by the vehicle’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

On the ostensibly rare occasion where an original owner faces what could be a hefty repair bill for components damaged by a catastrophic battery failure after Hyundai’s generous powertrain warranty has expired, they’ll likely want to consider mileage, residual value, and the overall condition of the vehicle before writing a check. That’s just common sense.

Car and Driver is currently sending out an APB for cast members to appear in two new web series. Check out the specifics below to see what we’re looking for, and if you fit the bill—or in the case of the second show, know someone who does—simply follow the directions for a chance to be featured on the shows!

Show no. 1: We need groups of three or four car-repair experts for a new web series; experts can range from professional mechanics to self-taught backyard grease monkeys. Submissions from NY/NJ/CT area only, please. All applicants must be outgoing and confident in their skills, and the groups must previously exist, i.e. be co-workers or members of a car club or similar. This ultimate gearhead competition will test these experts’ abilities to repair and modify beat-up crapcans for various challenges.

If you are interested in participating in the show, e-mail liontvcasting@gmail.com with “Battle” in the subject line and be sure to include the following information:

Name(s):
Contact Phone Number:
Business/Car Background:
Qualifications for Being Considered a “Car Expert”:

Show no. 2: We need horrible drivers for a new web series. If you or someone you know could easily be described as among the worst drivers on the planet, it just might be time for an intervention. This new series will help bad drivers improve their skills and hopefully save some lives—not to mention cars and property—along the way.

If you are interested in participating in the show, e-mail liontvcasting@gmail.com with “Bad Driver” in the subject line and be sure to include the following information:

Your Name, Plus the Name of Your Nominee (If Applicable):
Driver Age(s):
Contact Phone Number:
Why You or Your Nominee is Considered Such a Terrible Driver:

Update 2/6: We’ve now captured spy photos of the new hatchback undergoing testing; note the familiar Chrysler grille behind the front camo. The car is wearing stretched and widened Alfa Giulietta bodywork—similar to that seen on early prototypes for the Dodge Dart—but it will wear unique sheetmetal when it is finally produced. The article below was originally published on January 27.

The Chrysler product-planning department may want to avoid running for public office, lest they be labeled flip-floppers: After a confirmation followed by a cancellation, a Honda Civic–sized Chrysler is back in the company’s plans. Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, told the Detroit Free Press this week that such a car is happening, that it’ll be a hatchback, and that it could be called the Chrysler 100. We confirmed that the Free Press accurately quoted Marchionne, and we’ve since heard from our own sources that the car has the green light.

Here’s why this is such an odd turn of events. In 2009, soon after Chrysler and Fiat first hooked up, the company presented a five-year product plan; it included a Chrysler-badged C-segment sedan. Then, in April 2011, this changed. Olivier François—charged at the time with running the Chrysler and Lancia brands but currently the head of Fiat—told us that “either Dodge or Chrysler” would get a C-segment vehicle, but not both. With Dodge prototypes eventually becoming the new Dart, we concluded that the Chrysler model was dead. It has now risen, zombie-like, from the development grave.

The Lancia Delta, which may become the Chrysler 100

Beyond knowing that it’ll have five doors and a two-box shape, we can’t tell you very much about the Chrysler 100. Logically, it would ride on the same platform as the new Dodge Dart, which is about the right size. The Dart’s platform is called CUSW within Chrysler/Fiat, which stands for Compact U.S. Wide; it’s a widened evolution of the underpinnings used for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Marchionne went on to say that the Chrysler 100 would be rebadged as a Lancia and exported to Europe. Wait, what?

Lancia already has a hatchback that’s bigger than the Alfa Giulietta; it’s called the Delta. The Chrysler folks even surreptitiously plopped a Chrysler-badged Delta onto its stand at the 2010 Detroit auto show. Why design an all-new C-segment hatchback, build it in the U.S., and then ship it off to Lancia in Europe, where such a car already exists? Surely it would be cheaper for Chrysler to take the existing Delta, federalize it for the U.S., and build and sell it locally. The Delta isn’t even due for a redesign, as it debuted in 2008 and Lancia product cycles are typically six to ten years long.

Regardless of the sanity of the plan—and that plan’s final execution—independent of Mr. M, we’re hearing that Chrysler’s C-segment hatch should arrive in the U.S. in two to three years. We assume that the picture will have cleared up by then, but you seemingly never know with Fiat and Chrysler.

We’ve already driven the 2013 CX-5 (and liked it), covered its technical specs and fuel economy, and now Mazda has released complete pricing info for its all-new crossover: $21,490 to start. A fully loaded, all-wheel-drive model should just top $30,000. The CX-5 is the first vehicle from Mazda designed from the ground up to include the company’s efficiency-aiding Skyactiv technologies (new engines and transmissions, and an eye toward weight reduction).

That base model—the manual, front-drive Sport—is also the most fuel-efficient; it’s rated at 26 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway (we should also note that the highway figure is 2 mpg higher than Mazda initially estimated). Next up is the $22,890 front-drive Sport with the six-speed automatic, followed by the all-wheel-drive CX-5 Sport, which rings in at $24,140. The mid-level Touring trim is $24,690 with two driven wheels and $25,940 with four. Finally, the top-shelf Grand Touring model commands $27,840 and $29,090 for front- and all-wheel drive, respectively. All front-drive, automatic CX-5s are rated at 26/32 mpg city/highway, and all-wheel drive, which is only available with the auto, drops those numbers down to a still-respectable 25/31.

The Sport models come standard with 17-inch aluminum wheels, push-button start, cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and auxiliary and USB audio ports. The only major option for the Sport is the $400 Bluetooth audio package, which bundles Bluetooth connectivity with a 5.8-inch color touch screen.

The Touring model adds to its list of standard amenities the Bluetooth package and touch screen, a six-way power driver’s seat, fog lamps, two extra speakers (for a total of six) for the audio system, a rearview camera, a blind-spot monitoring system, and cow hide on the steering wheel and shift knob. An extra $1130 buys you the Moonroof/Bose package that includes a sunroof and a nine-speaker Bose audio system. The $1185 Technology package includes an in-dash TomTom navigation system, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, adaptive and auto-leveling bi-xenon headlights, and rain-sensing wipers. Satellite radio is a $525 stand-alone option on Touring models and includes a complimentary four-month subscription.

The Grand Touring is luxuriously appointed with standard leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, an eight-way power driver’s seat, 19-inch wheels, rain-sensing wipers, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, and the Bose audio system with satellite radio. A $1325 Technology package is available here, and includes everything from the Touring model’s eponymous option group that isn’t already standard on the Grand Touring plus keyless entry.

Mazda has priced the CX-5 smack-dab in the middle of the small-crossover segment, with an entry fee that’s lower than the new Honda CR-V‘s and near the outlay we expect Ford will charge for the 2013 Escape. A future comparison test should help determine whether Mazda’s is indeed the enthusiast’s choice in the typically vanilla little-ute arena.

The Kia Soul has been a big hit for the company, and it’s an even better drive than before thanks to improvements made for 2012. To sustain the momentum, the Korean automaker is showing a Soul concept at the 2012 Chicago auto show called Track’ster.

Born at Kia’s California design studio, this box is intended to “be the ultimate sporting representation of Kia’s Soul.” Much more aggressive looking than the tamer and topless Soul’ster concept shown at the 2009 Detroit auto show, the Track’ster is said to embody the automaker’s latest design direction. Envisioned with a 250-hp engine—the concept may in reality pack no powertrain at all—Kia says there are no plans to produce it. Our bubble just burst.

On the flip side, the Soul’ster is said to be in the final stages of consideration for production, whatever that means. We thought it was pretty cool way back when it debuted, so, yeah, we say bring it to market. The Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet called and told us it’s lonely in the convertible-crossover/weird-thing-nobody-asked-for segment.

Saab apparently is not dead—it’s just in a persistent vegetative state. A total of five parties have stepped forward to bid on all or parts of the Trollhättan-based automaker as a bankruptcy court in Sweden manages the sale of the company’s assets. The aim is to recover some money for Saab’s creditors. The three parties receiving the most attention are two Chinese companies and Mahindra & Mahindra, an Indian automaker.

• Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. is said to have made a bid in the hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars range for as much of Saab as it can get. Details of the offer haven’t been disclosed, but some very careful contracting must be on the table: Youngman tried to buy Saab before the bankruptcy, but General Motors ultimately vetoed that deal since it would have put so much GM-engineered Saab technology into the hands of a relatively small Chinese firm. It’s not clear what’s different this time around that might placate GM.
• Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (BAIC) also has expressed serious interest in picking at Saab’s carcass. Saab sold the tooling and rights to build the old 9-5 to BAIC in 2009—it’s re-skinning them with more-modern sheetmetal—so this seems like a predictable move. Analysts like to say that the Chinese auto industry is developing quickly, which it is, but the benefit of building a car on even an old western platform can’t be understated.
• Indian firm Mahindra & Mahindra—a major manufacturer of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and agricultural equipment—is reported to have entered preliminary discussions to buy at least portions of Saab. These reports date back to December 30, however. As of this writing, Mahindra spokespeople weren’t available for comment.

If you’re confused by this quagmire of news, it’s understandable. And you’re not alone. Saab is a relatively large industrial firm, and it’s going through a sophisticated bankruptcy process in Sweden. State- and privately held Chinese manufacturers are in some cases declining to be forthcoming about their positions in negotiations—and in other cases are legally required to stay quiet. Even international news organizations with staff on the ground in Sweden and China are relying in part on second-hand information.

We’ll bring you more news if and when it develops.

Photo by Phil LaCombe

Please do not confuse this with news. It is merely something that happened, about which we’ll make the following comments:

• Jeep says these custom Grand Cherokee SRT8s were identically prepared. If true, this could be the first time Alonso and Massa were given identical cars.
• Ferrari Rosso Corsa paint, a matte-black roof, and a red interior look pretty damn good on the SRT8. We’re not loving the red-trimmed seven-slot grille.
• While this is the first American product to get the Ferrari treatment, it is not the first such Fiat Group mash-up; the Fiat 500–based Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari wore a similar schema di vernice.
• We’re told the Jeeps wear rear spoilers that have their undersides painted like the Italian flag. This is not a direct tribute to the country, but rather a tribute to the wing on the Ferrari F150th Italia Formula 1 cars, which is itself a nod to the sesquicentennial of Italy’s integration. So, a tribute to a tribute of the original.
• We predict that these loaners inevitably will be replaced by identical Ferrari-engined Maserati Kubangs, which, conveniently, will be built on this Jeep’s platform and produced in the same Detroit-area plant. Isn’t globalization fun?

On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note. To hear it again, click play above. A few of you successfully determined the exhaust note was from something large, but no one figured out that the sound came from the 5.0-liter V-8 of a 2012 Land Rover LR4.

Like that sound? Download the MP3 and quiz your friends, make your own ringtone, or just lull yourself to sleep with sweet, sweet vehicular ear candy.

2012 Land Rover LR4 MP3 (Right-click to Save As…)

New information has been scarce regarding Infiniti’s range-extended electric sports car for this March’s Geneva auto show. But now we’ve got a name: EMERG-E. We’ll likely have to wait another month or so to see the entire car—only a few teaser photos like the one above have been released—but we do know it will feature a mid-mounted powertrain. Stay tuned for more details.

Curse the hordes of European cyclists no more! A biker in such a group recorded a seemingly production-ready Mercedes-Benz A-class while on a ride in southern Spain. (Watch the whole video on YouTube.)

The premium hatch, which debuts at the Geneva show this March, is visible for only a few moments. But it confirms that little if anything has changed from European patent renderings we saw a few months ago. Kudos to Benz’s designers, too, for hanging onto the psychedelic grille from the A-class concept.

We expect that this five-door A-class hatch will be among the four variants that come to the U.S. over the next few years. In 18 months, a sleek four-door coupe based on the same underpinnings will be the first of the quartet to arrive here. For more info on the compact Benzes coming to the States, check out our full rundown here.

VW's current system (above) can now be considered old and busted—MIB is the new hotness

Volkswagen’s upcoming MQB vehicle architecture is going to underpin every new VW car—excluding the upcoming Phaeton, but including more than a few Audis—that arrives from this point forward. It’s a component set of engines, suspension pieces, and transmissions, sure, but its adoption also will mark the debut of many other modular bits, including an infotainment system dubbed Modular Infotainment System, or MIB. (No Will Smith jokes, please.)

The MIB setup—the initialism comes from from the German Modularen Infotainmentbaukasten—is basically a platform for in-car electronics, and it will be based on common, hidden hardware used across many vehicles. Hiding electronic hardware isn’t new, of course, but using the same basic stuff in everything from budget boxes to expensive sleds is more novel, and it will allow for technologies currently found in higher-priced rides to trickle down to more lowly models. Even entry-level cars such as the Golf will have the option of an eight-inch touch screen, high-res 3D navigation maps, and free map updates.

In Volkswagens, MIB will be based entirely around capacitive touch screens; as one example, this will allow VW to adopt Audi’s navigation input system, whereby you write letters with your finger. As you may have surmised, VW’s version of the technology will use the capacitive screen rather than a touch pad, as currently found in the Audi A6, A7, and A8. (Audi will stick with its button, knob, and touch pad MMI setup in the future; its version of MIB was previewed in the next-gen Audi A3 interior shown at last month’s Consumer Electronics Show.) The Volkswagen brand’s MIB rollout starts with the seventh-generation Golf, which goes on sale in Europe this year.

Another trick feature will be a sensor that knows when a hand is near the touch screen. This allows, for example, the navigation map to be completely free of options (e.g. zoom, orientation, and drop-down destination functions) most of the time, but when a driver wants to interact with the map, he needs only to reach for the screen and the functions will appear. And, taking a page from the Apple, scrolling between music tracks will be done with swipes of your finger, not tapping an arrow.

The basic setup will involve a five-inch capacitive touch screen. To go bigger—5.8- and 8.0-inch screens also will be available—individuals will have to opt for more features, and, in the U.S., such MIB options likely will be bundled in a more expensive package. Wireless tethering via your phone eventually may be available, and the systems will feature the expected Bluetooth, SD, and USB connectivity.

We’re excited by the tech, but what we actually like most are the cost savings VW will reap from the system’s commonality. With similar hardware found in all models, the individual unit cost will be relatively small. This will in turn free up cash for, say, additional chassis development, or perhaps better interior plastics for our American non-GLI Jetta. VW’s plans for world domination may have just taken another step forward.

Today, Audi released pricing for the lightweight R8 GT sports car’s droptop Spyder iteration and revealed how many cars from the 333-unit production run will be allocated for the U.S. market. First, the cost: The 2012 GT Spyder will start at $213,350, including gas-guzzler tax. This gives it the distinction of being the most expensive R8 variant available. The nearly identical—save for the roof—GT coupe previously held that title, with a base sticker $13,200 less than the GT Spyder’s. For reference, the topless GT commands a $38,300 premium over the V-10 R8 Spyder 5.2 with the R tronic automated manual transmission.

Like the GT coupe, the Spyder is lighter and more powerful than its R8 5.2 counterpart; its V-10 engine puts out 560 hp (35 more hp than the standard R8 5.2 Spyder’s), and the whole car weighs about 100 fewer pounds. However, because the R8 Spyder is heavier than the coupe to begin with, the GT Spyder’s weight savings pretty much bring it down into non-GT coupe territory. Besides a reduction in weight, the GT Spyder gets a stiffened and lowered suspension, a larger rear diffuser, an aggressive front splitter, a fixed rear spoiler, and 19-inch wheels. It also gets Audi’s single-clutch R tronic automated manual standard, which is much less fun than the gated six-speed manual that is available in non-GT R8s. If you’re interested in snagging one of the limited-edition R8 GT Spyders for yourself, we suggest you hurry—Audi’s only sending us 50 of the 333 units slated for production.

On Monday we presented this week’s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. We’ve had a few uncharacteristically sunny and warm days (for January) here in Ann Arbor this week, so to celebrate we decided to bring everyone some sunshine. Most of you saw the light, and identified this week’s shifter as the 1993 Honda Civic del Sol Si’s five-speed manual. The first commenter to correctly identify it was CSARO, who will receive a Save the Manuals button and sticker as a reward.

The del Sol Si pictured here is from our October 1992 issue. The del Sol rode on a shortened contemporary Civic hatchback platform, and also inherited that car’s 1.5- and 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines. The Si version got the 1.6-liter, which put out a respectable 125 hp, and could scamper to 60 mph from rest in 8.1 seconds. Of course, the del Sol’s main draw was its removable roof panel which allowed for open-top motoring. Unfortunately, the extra bracing Honda added to make up for the open lid did add some weight—the car weighed nearly as much as a four-door Civic sedan.

Rolex 24: Pruett was one of the drivers in the No. 01 BMW Riley

Even the most logistically challenged individuals would have a hard time getting lost on the storied tri-oval Daytona superspeedway; keep turning left, and eventually you’ll get back to the strip of checkered pavement that marks the start/finish line.

But a few times a year, the oval folds back in on itself between the front stretch and first corner to create a suitably challenging road circuit for the Grand-Am series. The twisting diversion winds its way through the infield, transforming the 2.5-mile high-banked tri-oval into a 3.56-mile road course. Follow it long enough and you’ll still find your way home, but only after navigating several additional (left and right) corners to get there. Sounds like fun, no?

To find out the most expedient way around the circuit, we went right to the top, recruiting four-time Daytona champion Scott Pruett and BMW Performance Driving School instructor Mike Renner as our personal tour guides. Renner slides us around the wet track and Pruett hammers the dry course, both in M3s. Ride along with us in the clips below.