Remember the Audi quattro concept that was shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show? Now we have news that Audi may put the coupe/3-door hatch into production, according to a recent post by Jalopnik. Apparently a reader of the motoring website spotted a quattro running around with design studio license plates in Malibu, Calirfornia.

It was definitely for a photo shoot as a classic quattro was also present and there was police escort as well. The reader then asked one of the crew members some questions and he or she ‘confirmed’ that the quattro concept is going into production. There is nothing official about this and it will be interesting to hear what Audi has to say.

As mentioned before, the all-wheel-drive Audi quattro concept weighs 1,300 kilograms and it is powered by a turbocharged 2.5 liter 5-potter which makes 402hp and 480Nm of torque. Naught to 100km/h can be reached in 3.9 seconds. You can read more about it here.

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Following the official unveiling of the RS 3 Sportback, Audi has released an official footage showcasing the high-performance hatch. The video is 6 minutes 30 seconds long and contains several beauty and driving shots. You can also hear the ‘rumble’ of the engine but to be honest, it wasn’t what I expected. A bit too mundane. Nevertheless it shouldn’t stop you from watching the video after the jump.

It was just about a week ago when Hyundai released initial sketches of the 2012 Azera (also called the Grandeur) and now we have official images of the real thing! The new Azera is treated to Hyundai’s current design language and I must say that it has worked out well for the company.

The new Azera is a good looking vehicle. Unfortunately the images did not come with juicier details on the specifications. We only know that the Azera is a front-wheel-drive vehicle unlike the Hyundai Genesis. The Azera is expected to hit American shores late next year.

McLaren has officially announced the European pricing for its MP4-12C sports car. You would be able to walk away with this 600hp monster for £168,500 including 20% VAT. This price is slightly cheaper compared to the price of the Ferrari 458 Italia in the UK, by approximately £1000.

In Germany it would cost €200,000 while France/Monaco, Italy and Belgium will sell it for €201,000, €201,680 and €203,360 respectively. The MP4-12C will go on sale sometime next year. For wealthy Singaporeans who plan to drive this home, don’t worry as there will be an official McLaren dealership in the country by 2011.

As mentioned previously, the new McLaren is powered by a 600hp twin-turbo 3.8 liter V8 which is also capable of cranking out 599Nm of torque. The powerplant is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and 0-100km/h takes slightly less than 3.8 seconds while top speed is figured at over 300km/h.

You can read everything you need to know about the McLaren MP4-12C here.

After giving us the facelifted Antara, Opel has revealed the facelifted Corsa the very next day. The super mini has been updated with a sharper front incorporating a new grille and front bumper along with new fog lights housings. Talking about the front, don’t you think there are similarities with the Mazda2? Moving on, the exterior update is also complemented by new wheels (six of them) as well as a larger Opel Blitz logo on the tailgate.

The interior now has a more textured dashboard and the trim levels have been upgraded with new fabric and decor options. Opel has also introduced a new trim level for the European market called Color Line Series. This trim level can be equipped with an optional Linea package which adds two racing stripes and matching 17-inch wheels and door mirror caps.

There is also a new navigation option called Touch & Connect with a five-inch touch screen display which can propose alternative routes in case there are traffic problems. It is also Bluetooth, iPod as well as USB compatible too.

There is also a change under the hood, an addition to be more precise. The new Corsa now comes with a new diesel engine called the EcoFlex 1.3 CDTI featuring an engine start/stop system as standard. This engine makes a decent 95hp and allows the Corsa to offer a combined fuel economy reading of 3.6 liters per 100 kilometers and emits only 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

The 3-door variant with this engine only uses 3.5 liters per 100 kilometers while emitting 94 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The new Opel Corsa which is also sold as the Vauxhall Corsa in the UK is set to go on sale next January. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo managed to try out the New Stratos at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit in Italy. Following the test drive, Montezemolo was quoted saying ‘congratulations’ and also suggested Roberto Fedeli, Ferrari’s technical director to take a look at the car.

The New Stratos is a one-off unit that was designed by Pinninfarina and has been already presented to its owner Michael Stoschek. The car which is based on the Ferrari F430′s running gear will be officially unveiled to the press at the Paul Ricard circuit in France next week.

The car was then driven by chief test driver Dario Benuzzi and he said that the only issue with the car was that its rear axle becomes a bit “agitated” at the high speed cornering. However the cure is pretty simple, which is by increasing the toe-in on the rear wheels. Continue reading to watch the video.

Luca di Montezemolo testing the New Stratos from New Stratos on Vimeo.

Volkswagen has decided to tease the 2012 Beetle on one of most watched daytime talk shows, The Oprah Winfrey Show. The outline of the new model was shown and the shape didn’t come as a surprise. It definitely looks like a Beetle if you as me! The shocker is that Oprah gave away 275 units of the yet-to-be-launched 2012 Beetle to her audiences as part of her “Favorite Things” episode.

The press release by Volkswagen that accompanied the photo above talks about how aggressive and sportier the 2012 ‘bug’ is. Perhaps Volkswagen is trying to shed the “for ladies only” image that has been cemented on the Beetle.

The new Beetle has a dual-exhaust system, 19-inch wheels, sports seats along with other features such as Bluetooth, touch-screen radio, unique ambient lighting and more. The company also confirmed that the Beetle will be launched in the US by spring next year before being available in showrooms by fall.

Continue reading to view a high-res version of the image above.

A forum member at 1addicts.com has somewhat found an official BMW product sheet while performing research on an ECU flash upgrade. The product sheet is said to contain information about the upcoming 1-Series M Coupe from BMW. Apparently the sheet indicated that the pocket rocket outputs 335hp from its twin-turbo N54B3OTO 6-potter. This figure, if it’s true anyway is 33hp more than the less potent but already powerful 135i.

Furthermore the member also found out that the US-spec 1-Series M Coupe has 445hp which is 110hp more than the above-mentioned Euro-spec. There have been times where different regions get different states of tunes from the same engine but don’t you think 110hp is a little too much? If it’s true, the difference in power could well be due to an ECU flash upgrade.

There is also indication that BMW is planning a 135iS for 2012. This model is likely to have 304hp which is less than the 335hp Z4 sDrive35iS. Back to the 1-Series M Coupe. BMW has released a new video showcasing a closed test drive event involving 12 lucky BMW enthusiasts and the 1-Series M Coupe.

Not only that the participants got to taste the powerful coupe, but they also managed to have a quick at the production version. The video also contains ‘positive’ testimonials from the participants which isn’t surprising if you ask me. Continue reading to watch the video.

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Does the clay model pictured above look familiar? You guessed it right! It is actually a 1:3 scale model of the 918 Spyder which was shown as a concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Compared to the concept, this clay model which points to the already-confirmed-for-production model shows us a single side exhaust, instead of two. You can also notice that there is no gap between the door and the rear fender. However the overall design has been retained.

As mentioned earlier, the concept 918 Spyder received very good response and past reports suggested that at least 900 bookings have been made. The production 918 Spyder is likely to be made in limited numbers and is expected to retain its hybrid powertrain. The powertrain is made up by a 500 PS 3.4 liter V8 and two electric motors. Total power, at least in the concept is 718 PS. Some also said that total power for the production could be increased with the use of a third electric motor.

Previous rumors also suggest that the production model will carry a 500,476 Euro price tag, estimated. The above teaser was released as part of a press release that centers around Porsche’s €150 million investment in its research and development centre in Weissach, Germany. The investment will be mostly used for upgrading purposes and the addition of a high-tech wind tunnel and a new design centre.

Continue reading to view a high-res version of the image above and to view two other images released along with the press release.

A report by Autonews has indicated that Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. is set to purchase a 70% stake in the troubled Ssangyong Motor Co., which would give the Indian giant a controlling stake. The report stated that the 70% stake is valued at US$378 million which is about 427.1 billion won. Ssangyong which went into court receivership early last year was formerly owned by China’s SAIC.

The stake purchase would need approval from Ssangyong’s creditors and Mahindra also revealed its intention of purchasing US$84 million (95.4 billion won ) worth of new bonds from Ssangyong. This news comes after Mahindra was named preferred bidder of the Korean auto company in August. The report also stated that Mahindra aims to complete the acquisition by March 2011.

A report by The Hindustan Times stated that both companies have officially signed a deal on the acquisition. Pictured above is the Italdesign Giugiaro-designed Ssangyong Korando which has been approved for production.

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