If a picture is worth a thousand words then we have a lot of words for you. After McLaren released a whole bunch of CGI images earlier today, along with specs of the new MP4-12C exotic, the British automaker has now released a gallery of real life images of the car… and it looks even better.

While not quite the full-blown supercar that the F1 was, the MP4 is a serious exotic, aimed squarely a the Ferrari 458 Italia. The powerplant is a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine that makes 600hp and 433 ft-lbs of torque. McLaren says the engine offers the highest horsepower to CO2 ratio of any engine on the market – including hybrids. No performance specs have yet been released but we expect a 0-60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds with a top speed in the 200 mph range.

The V8 engine is mated to a new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that promises even faster gear changes than conventional systems thanks to the ability to let the driver pre-load a gear by half pressing the shift paddle, which will ready the transmission for the next gear.

What really separates the MP4 from cars like the 458 however is the use of a full-cabon monocoque chassis, rather than a weaker and heavier structure made of welded aluminum, steel, magnesium or other materials. This main chassis component weights just 176 lbs so we should expect the vehicle’s curb weight to be impressively low.

“It is a long-held dream of mine to launch high performance sports cars that set new standards in the industry,” said Dennis.

“We began designing and building cars for aficionados of thoroughbred sports cars almost 20 years ago. Incorporating the leading edge technologies that the McLaren Group has built up within its various companies, I believe we are now perfectly placed to open up this new chapter in McLaren’s history as well as play a part in the regeneration of high-tech manufacturing in the UK and global automotive environment,” he concluded.

The MP4 will go on sale in 2011 with roughly 1000 units being made ensuring the new car is highly exclusive. The car is expected to cost  £160,000 ($265k).

GALLERY: McLaren MP4-12C

After a bit of a hiatus Ron Dennis, the man responsible for the legendary McLaren F1 and less spectacular McLaren SLR, is back at it. Today he introduced the world to his latest creation, the MP4-12C.

While not quite the full-blown supercar that the F1 was, the MP4 is a serious exotic, aimed squarely a the Ferrari 458 Italia. The powerplant is a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine that makes 600hp and 433 ft-lbs of torque. McLaren says the engine offers the highest horsepower to CO2 ratio of any engine on the market – including hybrids. No performance specs have yet been released but we expect a 0-60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds with a top speed in the 200 mph range.

The V8 engine is mated to a new 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that promises even faster gear changes than conventional systems thanks to the ability to let the driver pre-load a gear by half pressing the shift paddle, which will ready the transmission for the next gear.

What really separates the MP4 from cars like the 458 however is the use of a full-cabon monocoque chassis, rather than a weaker and heavier structure made of welded aluminum, steel, magnesium or other materials. This main chassis component weights just 176 lbs so we should expect the vehicle’s curb weight to be impressively low. 

“It is a long-held dream of mine to launch high performance sports cars that set new standards in the industry,” said Dennis. 

“We began designing and building cars for aficionados of thoroughbred sports cars almost 20 years ago. Incorporating the leading edge technologies that the McLaren Group has built up within its various companies, I believe we are now perfectly placed to open up this new chapter in McLaren’s history as well as play a part in the regeneration of high-tech manufacturing in the UK and global automotive environment,” he concluded.

The MP4 will go on sale in 2011 with roughly 1000 units being made ensuring the new car is highly exclusive. The car is expected to cost  £160,000 ($265k).

GALLERY: McLaren MP4-12C

Official release after the jump:

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The Volvo C30 will get a much needed facelift for 2010, debuting at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week alongside the modernized C70.

“Since its introduction in 2006, the Volvo C30 has become highly appreciated for its unique appearance. This applies in particular to the rear. With the new front, it feels as though everything has fallen neatly into place and that the car’s entire personality has been boosted to an entirely new level,” says Daniel Backman, Product Manager for the new Volvo C30.

We’re not sure we agree with the comments about the car’s back-end, but the new front certainly adds a bit more style to the C30, helping it appeal to its intended young-buyer audience. Much of the design cues have been taken from Volvo’s progressive new XC60 crossover.

The new front end features not only a new bumper and grille, but also new headlights. A new rear end is also a part of the redesign, using colored panels, as opposed to black plastic ones, while on T5 models large 90mm exhaust tips will be included. A new Orange Flame Metallic paint job (pictured above) will also be offered, as will white wheels.

Volvo has also decided to offer a long list of interior trim options to customers, with items like an Espresso/Blonde two-tone interior, as well as Cranberry leather.

In addition a sport chassis will be offered with stiffer bushings, a tighter steering ratio (by 10 percent) and springs that are 30 percent stiffer as well.

We’ll be sure to bring you more on this new model live from the Frankfurt Auto Show starting September 15th.

GALLERY: 2010 Volvo C30

Official release after the jump:

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Kia has just announced that its stylish and highly-anticipated Forte Koup EX model will start at $16,595 – or $17,595 for the four-speed automatic. That is an almost $3,000 premium over the sedan.

As the first two-door in the company’s history, the Koup reflects the Forte’s style and adds lots of sporty details, like a large front opening, flared fenders and a racy rear diffuser. In terms of size, the Koup is 2.4-inches lower, 2.0-inches shorter and 0.4-inches narrower than the sedan, but with the same 104.3-inch wheelbase, making it comfortable for five passengers.

EX models will get 16-inch wheels and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that makes 156hp. Fuel economy is rated at 25/34 mpg (city/highway) for either the manual or automatic.

As for the SX model, it starts at $17,695, which seems like a small amount extra to pay for what you get. SX models roll on 17-inch wheels and get a larger and more powerful 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 173hp. The SX model also gets a standard six-speed manual rated at 22/32 mpg or a five-speed automatic rated at 23/31 mpg for $18,695. Leather is optional for an additional $1,000.

GALLERY: 2010 Kia Forte Koup

Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 9th, McLaren will unveil its next exotic, the MP4-12C. The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it has an historical significance, namely, that it has the name MP4 name as all of the McLaren race cars.

In an interview with the Times of London ahead of the vehicle’s debut creator Ron Dennis revealed that he intends to not only build the MP4-12C, but two other sports cars, one to compete with the Porsche 911 and another along the lines of the Porsche Carrera GT.

As for the MP4, Dennis says it will have a timeless design, with a high-revving V8 engine, a seven-speed gearbox and a light-weight carbon fiber chassis. Oh, and scissor doors will also be a part of the package. Other features include a variable rate suspension that stiffens up with speed, as well as a wireless connection that will allow you to download MP3s from your driveway.

While it’s not expected to be at the same level as the F1 supercar, this exotic, says Dennis will, “on all performance parameters and price… be better than our competition.” Dennis also said he intends to produce racing versions of the car to compete in motorsports.

McLaren Automotive, which recently emerged when Dennis left the McLaren Group F1 team, is funded by Dennis, the Swiss engineering company TAG and Mumtalakat, a private equity firm of the Bahrain government. The group has already spent £100,000,000 on the project and will announce shortly that it will quadruple that number of the coming years. “We’re building more than a car,” said Dennis. “We’re building a brand.”

[Source: Times Online]

Lotus’s engineering department is constantly working on new projects that will make cars not only faster, but also more efficient. The company’s latest project is the Lotus Range Extender Engine, a hybrid drivetrain that serves as an off-the-shelf solution for existing automakers looking for a hybrid engine for a mini-car.

By designing this new engine from scratch, rather than using existing parts from an existing engine, Lotus engineers were able to re-think the entire process. As a result, the Range Extender Engine is far lighter and simpler than existing hybrid powerplants.

Using a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, mated to an electric motor, the Range Extender Engine weighs just 124 lbs. This was achieved by using a monoblock design where the cylinder head and block are one piece, eliminating the need to a head-gasket (and 16 other parts), improving the engine’s strength and reducing weight. The exhaust manifold is also an integrated part of the monoblock, eliminating 18 more parts.

As for power output, the engine makes 47hp at 3500 rpm and 79 ft-lbs of torque at 2500 rpm.

“Most series hybrid vehicles that are currently being developed will use adaptations of existing, conventional engines which are therefore compromised in the efficiency that they can achieve, designed as they are for a wide range of operating conditions,” says Simon Wood, Technical Director of Lotus Engineering. “Designing the Lotus Range Extender purely for use in series hybrids has allowed us instead to develop an optimized engine that has high thermal efficiency, low fuel consumption, multi-fuel capability and a 35 kW peak output from a 1.2 liter, low cost architecture over the precise operating range required by a series hybrid drivetrain.”

Lotus will official debut the Range Extender Engine at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week alongside the 2010 Elise Club Racer and the 2010 Exige Cup 260.

Official release after the jump:

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Rolls-Royce has officially released the first production images and a long list of details on its latest model, the 2011 Ghost. Styled much like the Phantom, but slightly sportier and more modern, this more “entry-level” vehicle is still expected to cost close to $300,000.

The wait for the Ghost has been a long one, as Rolls first announced it was building a new line of vehicle at the Paris Auto Show back in 2006. Known initially as the RR4, this Ghost has been shown around the world in several prototype and concept forms (including as the 200EX) , but next week it will officially debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Powered by a 6.6-liter V12, the Ghost makes 563hp and 575 ft-lbs of torque at just 1500 rpm. Using a new eight-speed automatic transmission the Ghost will be able to hit 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds.

The Ghost will be available with a very long list of standard an optional equipment, including rear-seat LCD screens with fold out tables and, of course, umbrellas in the doors.

GALLERY: 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost

Official release after the jump:

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Honda is trying hard to promote its new 2010 Accord Crosstour… too hard. The Japanese automaker decided to introduce the world to its new Accord-based crossover via Facebook, where through a free and democratic process people decided it was ugly. And because it is Facebook, people didn’t hold back on their comments.

Then what became a bad situation got much worse after Honda deleted several posts, one of which was even a positive comment. That comment, however, came from a Honda product planner who did not identify himself as such, and in doing so went against company policy.

Honda then admitted that the initial photos they released were not all that good and said that they didn’t show the car favorably. Which makes one wonder why they chose the photos in the first place.

Now Honda has released four new photos of the 2010 Accord Crosstour, in different locations, and in red, to hopefully change people’s minds. It does look slightly better proportioned to us and we have to admit that there are many vehicles that look much better in person than on paper. Then again, Honda’s and Acura’s design teams haven’t exactly been on a roll as of late.

GALLERY: 2010 Accord Crosstour

Last week Lexus teased us with a back shot of its upcoming hybrid hatchback and now we finally get a glimpse of what this new model will look like from the front. Called the LF-Ch Concept for now it is expected to be called the CT200h when it finally makes its way to production in 2010.

Originally designed specifically for the European market, which will not get the Hs250h, recent rumors have suggested it may also makes its way to the U.S.

The LF-Ch is a premium-level hatchback designed to take on vehicles like the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Volvo C30.

There is no confirmed word on engines or pricing, but with the CT200h name we suspect the luxury hatch will use a similar setup to the Prius, with an electric motor mated to Toyota’s 1.8-liter four-cylinder, making roughly 200hp. Pricing is expected to be around the $30,000 mark.

Lexus will officially reveal the LF-Ch concept next week at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

GALLERY: Lexus LF-Ch

[Source: Autoblog]

Ahead of its German debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week Fisker has just released the expected fuel economy numbers for the four-door Karma plug-in hybrid. The 403hp luxury sedan has been rated at an impressive 67 mpg (3.5L/100 km).

While offering fuel-economy better than vehicles like the Toyota Prius, the Karma promises a luxurious and spacious cabin, a sporty drive and a 0-62 mph time of about six seconds.

As a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) similar to the upcoming Chevy Volt, the Karma will be able to drive on pure electric power for up to 50 miles, with a total extended range of 300 miles. Fisker’s calculations say the car is capable of using just three cents of gasoline per mile, with an average of seven cents per mile a more realistic real-world number.

“The Fisker Karma is the future of driving,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO.  “It proves we can drive environmentally responsible cars without sacrificing the emotional things that made us fall in love with cars in the first place.”

Official release after the jump:

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