Assuming you just watched the above trailer, we’re sure you’re as excited as we are to view the full 96 minutes of Audi’s efforts to clinch yet another victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The documentary will air on ESPN from 8 p.m. till 10 p.m. on Friday, March 20 – the day before the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Audi, which has competed with its R8 and R10 race cars in the ALMS series and at Sebring in the past will bring its new R15 race car to Sebring but will not compete in the remainer of the 2009 ALMS series.

As though you needed any other reason to watch the high production quality documentary we should tell you that Mr. Audi A8 himself, Jason Statham, aka The Transporter, is the video’s narrator.

Official release after the jump:

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Despite the fact that the last news article regarding the PT Cruiser on Chrysler media site is titled “PT Cruiser Continues to Shine in 2009,” Chrysler president Tom LaSorda has announced that in an effort to save money the company will cease production of the retro van, car, truck, thing. The news comes after a record low sales year for the PT, which suffered a 49 percent drop in sales in 2008.

While the PT Cruiser certainly had its group of dedicated fans, AutoGuide wasn’t one of them – nor we beleive was anyone who loved cars or had a sence of aesthetic decency.

The PT Cruiser is the seventh model to be dropped from the Chrysler lineup since Cerberus Capital Management LP bought Chrysler in 2007. The other models that have recently met their demise are the Dodge Magnum, Dodge Durango,  Chrysler Crossfire, Chrysler PT Cruiser Convertible, Chrysler Aspen and Chrysler Pacifica.

Once production of the PT Cruiser ceases at the Toluca, Mexico plant this summer the only vehicles to wear the Chrysler badge will be the Town & Country minivan and Sebring and 300C sedans. (We’d wager the Sebring is about to join the history books too).

[Source: Bloomberg]

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No doubt you’ve heard about Novitec Rosso’s 808hp twin-supercharged 599 GTB, and you’ve probably even seen the photos, but we guarantee you haven’t seen seen it in action or heard the V12 howl – until now.

Thanks two two tiny superchargers the 599′s V-12 engine gets a boost of 188hp for a grand total of 808hp, which is available at a lofty 7800 rpm. Torque also gets a big increase and is rated at 607 ft-lbs at 6300 rpm.

This is goood for a 0-62 mph run of 3.5 seconds says Novitec. Further aceleration is even more impressive, however, with a 0-124 mph time of 9.7 seconds and a top speed of at least 211 mph.

Novitec Rosso engineers have fully re-engineered the flagship prancing horse with a KW suspension that features a hydraulic lift in the front. A new a aggressive aerodynamic kit also helps the 599 stay stable at high speeds while giving it the sort of look it deserves.

With 808hp, getting power to the ground would normally be a big issue, so Novitec decided to put the forced of friction it its side thanks to a new set of Novitec wheels – which measure 21×12-inches in the rear with insanely large 355/25/21 Pirelli tires.

Novitec Rosso Ferrari 599 GTB:

Official release after the jump:

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Honda may have beat Toyota to the hybrid game, but Toyota has certainly been beating Toyota AT it. It is for that reason that Honda has created a stand-alone hybrid model, the Insight.

Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show without fanfare – or even without a press conference, two different Insight models sat in the Honda booth.

Marketed as a Hybrid Compact Car (the Prius is technically large enough inside to no longer be considered a compact car) the Insight is a five passenger five door vehicle powered by a 1.3-liter four-cylinder i-VTEC motor, an electric engine and a battery pack. Honda calls this system IMA for Integrated Motor Assist and it produces a combined 98hp at 5800 rpm and 123 ft-lbs of torque at 1000 rpm.

Honda will apparently continue to sell the Civic Hybrid which makes 110hp and is a larger vehicle with a 6-inch longer wheelbase.

The Insight will feature a CVT transmission, which helps the vehicle tro achieve an estimated 40 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway.

A unique feature of the Insight is the Eco Assist system, which will change the background color of the speedometer to let drivers know how economically they are driving.

Honda also includes an ECON mode that can be activated by a putton on the steering wheel. Once pushed the vehicle will take steps to preserve fuel, including: increasing when the gasolie engine will stop under idle; reducing the climate control fan speed; reducing the throttle inputs and optimizing the CVT operation; and by limiting power and torque by four percent.

2010 Honda Insight

Official release after the jump:

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While in past years we might have handed out praise for the “Best Display” at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, a “Worst Display” nod seems only appropriate for the 2009 show.

And so, without further adieux, the AutoGuide “Worst Display” award goes to Mitsubishi. Why, you might ask? Well, there are several reasons. For starters, the enormous black wall behind the company’s display was barren of any mention of the company and created a somewhat bleak – if not downright ominous – feel to the booth.

Secondly, having had the opportunity to walk past the booth what must have been 100 times, we only noticed a staff member at the information table twice. The rest of the time the space was void of not only Mitsubishi representatives but also of any interested media.

Finally, the small information pillar located at the booth never had any pamphlets in it.

Apparently the display was not the doing of Mitsubishi Corporate, however, but created by a local dealership. With the limited resources of a dealership, it wasn’t bad, but hardly on par with the competition.

This year’s Detroit Auto Show saw several major manufacturers drop out and considering the lackluster appearance of the Mitsubishi stand, it would have been better if they had. Nissan was a no-show in Detroit and according to our sources when local Detroit dealerships requested permission from Nissan Corporate to create their own display (like the Mitsubishi dealership did) they were asked not to.

Runner’s up include Lotus, which really just had some carpet, velvet ropes and stanchions, and Jeep, which was actually just disappointing because in past year’s the display was so impressive. In Lotus’s defense, however, they are a tiny company and haven’t had a display at Detroit as long as we can remember.

Chinese atuo manufacturer Beyond Your Dreams (BYD) announced at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit that is it currently working on developing a pure electric vehicle that will offer impressive range.

The announcement was made following news that BYD has developed a plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid which is already on the road in China.

Called the e6, this stylish people-mover will be offered in four different power combinations with output ranging from 101hp to 269hp.

With a zero too 60 mph time of 8 seconds, the acceleration of the e6 is certainly healthy.

Even more impressive is BYD’s claim that the e6 will be able to achieve 249 miles on a single charge.

BYD’s claims may seem far fetched but the Chinese auto manufacturer has already beat automotive powerhouses like Toyota and General Motors to market with two plug-in gas electric bybrids (the F3DM and F6DM) which are currently on sale in China.

Mansory has once again outdone itself, this time modifying a Bugatti Veyron. Alterations have been made in every area, including engine work and the interior.

The supercar will be officially unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in March but pictures of the wild machine were snapped at Prestige MCars Abu Dhabi – Mansory’s Middle-East partner.

On the outside the vehicle gets a significant makeover thanks to plenty of new carbon fiber body panels. Up front new LED light bars were added and the large frot nose of the beast now plays home to a stylized V shape. The V is for Vinceró, the name of this specific range of Mansory modifications for the Veyron. Along with a new carbon fiber hood, the Mansory Veryon also gets a carbon fiber front splitter.

The rear of the vehicle has also been significantly redesigned with two large carbon fiber peices. The engine cover now features larger openings to help keep the Veyron’s engine cool and a new carbon fiber diffuser has been added to reduce lift in the rear of the car.

As mentioned, the Veyron gets a boost in power – all the way up to 1109hp. Torque is also up significantly to 966 ft-lbs.

Mansory even went so far as to design and build a new set of forged aluminum wheels.

As for the interior, well, you just have to see it to beleive it. We’re not sure if they let Spiderman loose in there or what.

When Lamborghini Orange County suddenly shut its doors a few months back the rumors began to fly. Today the facts are only just starting to come to light after Volkswagen (Lamborghini’s parent company)  filed a lawsuit in Orange county Superior Court against the Lamborghini Orange County dealership, its affiliate in Calabasas and owners Vik Keuylian and his sisters Asdghig, Nora and Sossi Keuylian.

VW is accusing Lambo O.C. of theft to the tune of $12 million after unloading 54 of the exotic cars in just 8 days! Apparently the vehicles were sold at significant discounts and those charged in the lawsuit have yet to pay any of the funds to Volkswagen Credit Inc.

Shockingly, the 54 cars account for 8 percent of US sales in 2008 and 2 percent of Lamborghini’s worldwide sales. Interestingly, were those vehicles not sold, Lamborghni would have posted lower sales in 2008 and 2007. (2007 sales figures stand at 2,406 and 2008 figures at 2,430 units).

Lamborghini Orange County has an impressive lineup of customers including NBA stars Kobe Bryant and Dennis Rodman, although it is not clear if they purchased aany of the 54 cars in question.

The VW lawsuit is not the only one filed against the Keuylians. East-West Bank files an unrelated lawsuit against the family and Lamborghini Orange County for defaulting on a $3 million loan – presumably on the dealership itself.

Vik Keuylian also faces a lawsuit filed in Las Vegas by Stephen Cloobeck, owner of Diamond Resorts, after Keuylian received a Lamborghini Murcielago from him and never paid the $340,000.

The Keuylians have hired attorney Gubernick and a hearing has been scheduled for January 22nd. We’ll be sure to keep you updated – there hasn’t been an exotic car controversy this exciting since Stefan Eriksson crashed his Ferrari Enzo.

[Source: Orange Country Register]

Audi released all the information on the new V10-powered R8 months ago but until now they have never shown the vehicle – to the press or anyone else for that matter.

The 525-hp version of the R8 was the first of two world premieres at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The other debut was the Sportback Concept vehicle.

The V10 R8 uses the Lamborghini-sourced 5.2-liter V10 engine (the same one found in the LP560-4) to make 525hp at 8000 rpm and 391 ft-lbs of torque at 6500 rpm. This is enough to rocket the R8 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 196 mph.

Thanks to Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system, the R8 is capable of a lateral acceleration of 1.2 gs. Braking is also astounding thanks to eight-piston front brakes.

Audi R8 V10

Complete information and specs on the R8 V10 after the jump:

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Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann didn’t have much to say at the company’s press conference at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, but it was still well worth attending.

Winkelman announced that the company sold a record 2430 cars in 2008 and opened up 15 more dealerships. The highlight, however, was the cars, two of which (the LP640 and LP560-4) featured a stunning new matte blue color offered as a part of Lamborghini’s Ad Personam personalization program.

Front and center sat the company’s latest car, the LP560-4 Spider in matte-white (Bianco Canopus). Lamborghini als offers two other matte finishes, a matt-luster black called Nero Nemesis and a matte brown finish called Marrone Apus.

“Ad Personam offers every Lamborghini customer the opportunity to acquire a completely exclusive vehicle from a unique brand – one that is perfectly in tune with their own lifestyle,” said Winkelmann. “A super sports car from Lamborghini is always a fundamental expression of the buyer’s personality. And that is why the highest levels of exclusivity are possible, right through to absolute one-of-a-kind Lamborghini vehicles.”

Along with the three different Lamborghini models, there were also three models of the female variety.

Official release after the jump:

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