Lotus fans can rejoice as the automaker has now officially confirmed that the Esprit project will go ahead. This halo car will be a part the company’s upcoming seven year plan, that will be laid out by new CEO Dany Bahar in the upcoming weeks.

The car isn’t actually likely to get the Esprit name, but that is what Lotus is referring to it internally as. Previous reports have suggested that it would use an elongated version of the Evora’s Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA) platform, with the potential to use either the 5.0-liter V8 in the Lexus IS-F or the 4.8-liter V8 in the LFA. The use of a Toyota motor only makes sense, as the Elise and Exige are powered by a Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter 4-cylinder, while the Evora uses a 3.5-liter V6 from the Toyota Camry. An inside source at Lotus was quoted by the U.K.’s AutoCar statign that the new Esprit would be, “the ultimate exression of the brand.”

With all the uncertainties, one this is for sure: if we know Lotus, the car will be extremely light weight and an absolute hoot to drive.

[Source: AutoCar]

Ford’s preferred Chinese bidder to purchase the automaker’s Swedish Volvo unit has announced a plan that would see Volvo doubt its sales in the coming years. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which owns and operated Chinese automaker Geely, has said it believes it could boost total sales to close to one million vehicles globally, up significantly from the roughly 400,000 units it currently sells. Included in that increase would be drastic growth in China, where Geely plans to build a factory capable of producing as many as 300,000 vehicles. Geely’s plan would see Volvo sell as many as 200,000 units in China, up significantly from the 12,600 units it sold last year.

Also included in Geely’s plan would be the introduction of two or three new vehicles, which would be larger, more luxurious and more expensive than much of Volvo’s current offerings.

In the short term, Geely would look at updating Volvo’s Swedish manufacturing facilities.

The reported price for Volvo is $2 billion, but the deal has yet to be settled with some issues (including intellectual property rights) yet to be resolved.

Geely’s plan for Volvo is in many ways the opposite of a reported plan by Koenigsegg for Sweden’s “other” automaker, Saab. That plan would see Saab sell fewer vehicles than it currently does but at much higher prices.

[Source: Reuters]

The news that BMW will not bring its light-weight, high-powered M3 GTS to North America is both expected and disappointing. As with so many niche market enthusiast vehicles before it, the GTS will remain strictly in the racing-glove covered hands of Europeans as they triumph over apexes and braking zones at their local race track, blissfully ignorant of just how lucky they are.

Announced last week, the M3 GTS weighs just 3,300 lbs, with a carbon fiber center console and door linings, a titanium exhaust system, reduced insulation and the absence of any rear seats, air conditioning or an audio system. Under the hood, the 4.0-liter V8 gets an increase in displacement to 4.4-liters and a bump in power to 450-hp – up from 416. The seven-speed dual clutch transmission also gets more aggressive settings for quicker shifting.  Other race-ready components include six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers with a more performance oriented DSC setup and a set of 19-inch M aluminum rims. Outside, there’s a new carbon fiber front splitter and adjustable rear spoiler, while inside, along with the carbon fiber goodies, there’s plenty of Alcantara and an M sport steering wheel.

BMW hasn’t given an official reason for the decision, but with a cost of 115,000 Euros ($172,000), in Germany, it’s easy to see why a business case for the car would be hard to make.

Still, we’re confident a few will find their way stateside thanks to the gray market.

GALLERY: BMW M3 GTS

[Source: Car&Driver]

***UPDATE*** We now have video of the actual crash, involving the Veyron, after the jump below ***UPDATE***

Oh noes! Any car loving man, woman or child is sure to shed a tear upon seeing the picture above, or watching the video below. Yes, that is a multi-million dollar, 1,000-hp Bugatti Veyron; and not only is it stuck fender-deep in water, but it’s corrosive saltwater no less.

The story that led to the tragic incident involved the Veyron’s owner who was driving to Galveston, Texas on Interstate 45 just south of Omega Bay, when a low flying Pelican caused him to jerk the wheel. The car then got caught in some mud, taking the AWD supercar for a ride and tossing it into a saltwater lagoon. The driver, who declined to give his name, was uninjured. His car, however, wasn’t so lucky. Not only will the salt water damage most everything it touches, but there’s bad news for the engine too as KHOU reported that, “The Veyron’s powerful engine gurgled like an outboard motor for about 15 minutes before it died.”

[Source: KHOU]

See the video of the Veyron being pulled from the lagoon after the jump:

Continue Reading…

MINI’s upcoming Countryman crossover just can’t catch a break. The launch of the vehicle has been delayed several times (the most recent being a push-back from the Frankfurt to Geneva auto shows), and now reports suggest the crossover might not debut in the U.S. until early 2011.

The well-connected folks at MotoringFile are reporting that while the vehicle is essentially completed, the folks at MINI (and its parent company, BMW) are skittish about launching the new vehicle in a less than favorable economic climate. While things do appear to be improving, the automaker is still contemplating a delay in the Countryman’s launch.

The report isn’t all bad news, however, as there’s some new info about the car. It will be available as both a four-seater and as a five-seater with the choice of either a 1.6-liter gasoline engine or a 2.0-liter diesel BMW engine.  On top of this, there’s the exciting news that the John Cooper Works department will release two JCW models: the first being a standard JCW-type car, while the second will feature AWD, more power and a lighter curb weight.

Again, MINI doing a crossover seems like a bad idea, but we’re sure if anyone can make the dull utility segment fun, it’s MINI. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait too much longer to find out.

[Source: MotoringFile]

With the launch of the all-new 2011 Buick Regal, General Motors is taking aim at cars like the Acura TSX in the entry-level sport/luxury market. Normally, you’d expect a Buick to underperform in this dynamic segment but Buick insists the Regal will be up to the task, even touting the car’s Autobahn upbringing. The Regal, you see, is based on the same chassis as the award winning Opel Insignia, which was made in (and for) the German market. This is also the same chassis used for the new Buick LaCrosse, but is shortened by four-inches between the wheels and shrunk by 6.7-inches in total. The smaller overhangs should make for a more dynamic driving experience, as should the standard 18-inch wheels.

Under the hood, Buick will offer two engines – both of which are four-cylinders. Initially, the base engine model will be available with the same 2.4-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder as found in a lot of GM’s products lately. It will make roughly 182-hp and get 30 mpg on the highway. Later an optional 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder will be offered with 220-hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque and get 29 mpg highway. Both engines will come standard with a six-speed manual transmission that features driver shift control.

When the turbocharged model launches in the summer of 2010, it will also come with a new Interactive Drive Control (IDC) option that will let the driver choose from three settings (Sport, Tour and Normal) for the suspension, throttle, steering and transmission. Cool stuff!

The 2011 Buick Regal will go on sale in the first half of next year. Only the 2.4-liter model will be offered in top-level CXL trim, with the turbocharged motor arriving in the Summer and other trim levels after that.

GALLERY: 2011 Buick Regal

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

After winning the Dewar Trophy for Technical Excellence earlier this year, Lotus is really hauling in the hardware overseas for its new four-seater Evora sports car. In August the U.K.’s AutoCar named the Evora the “Driver’s Car of the Year,” while CAR magazine announced it as their “Performance Car of the Year.” Now Lotus can handily claim what is arguably the U.K.’s top trophy, “Car of the Year” by none other than EVO magazine.

Pitted against vehicles from the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin, the Evora won EVO‘s COTY award after a 13 car, 1,000 mile comparo was whittled down to just five vehicles.

Meanwhile, EVO also awarded the 2-Eleven “Track Car of the Year 2009.”

“It is a great endorsement for Lotus cars that the most refined car in the product line up is picking up awards at the same time as the most extreme car in the range, illustrating the great wealth of engineering and manufacturing expertise at Lotus,” said Luke Bennett, Operations Director of Lotus Cars Limited.

The 2010 Lotus Evora will launch in North America in the first quarter of 2010.

BMW will sell a diesel four-cylinder engine in North America. In an interview with InsideLine, BMW NA’s VP of engineering, Tom Baloga, said that the 4-cylinder would arrive in the 3 Series and possibly in the 5 Series as well, with both the X3 and X5 also strong possibilities. Baloga also said that contrary to previous reports, not all new diesel BMWs will be all-wheel drive.

The engine in question will be a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel motor, which BMW has recently made impressive performance and fuel mileage gains with. In the 320d Efficient Dynamics vehicle release a few months ago at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the diesel 3 Series makes 163-hp and 265 ft-lbs of torque, while achieving 57 mpg!

BMW’s plan is to bring diesel cars up from essentially nothing (with the 335d) to 10-20 percent of its U.S. sales volume.

Baloga didn’t give any dates, but the 4-cylinder diesel BMW seems several years off yet, as the German automaker insists it must be as quiet as a six-cylinder, yet deliver the same performance and better fuel economy. To achieve the performance level, BMW plans to reduce the weight of its vehicles. Currently, one of the biggest problems facing the project is the expensive emissions systems required to make diesel’s meet U.S. (California) emissions standards.

Still, Baloga is confident. “Our four-cylinder diesel will be so good that people will readily accept it as a replacement for six-cylinders,” he said.

GALLERY: BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics

[Source: InsideLine]

Having already launched in Australia, we have been give a glimpse at what Mitsubishi’s 2010 Outlander GT will look like, but now Mitsu has released a full gallery of U.S.-sec photos, showing the new Outlander in detail. Much of the design for the revised crossover is the same, except for one glaring difference – the front end.

The corporate “jet fighter” grille, which was originated on the Lancer (and high performance Raliart and EVO models), is slowly making its way across the Mitsubishi lineup, with the Outlander being the latest vehicle to get a face-lift. Previous to this, the Eclipse received the new nose.

The new 2010 Outlander GT is also expected to get a version of Mitsubishi’s Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system and a modified V6 engine, however, beyond that, there’s little to tell.

Mitsubishi is expected to debut the 2010 Outlander GT at the LA Auto Show on December 2nd. AutoGuide will be at the show, delivering full details with live updates.

GALLERY: 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander GT

With its world debut in Tokyo and a private industry-only display at the SEMA Show, Lexus will give its LFA supercar the official first public showing in North America at the LA Auto Show.

The LFA is powered by a 4.8-liter V10 engine with 552-hp and 354 ft-lbs of torque. Weighing just 3,263 lbs thanks to a chassis and body that is mostly constructed of carbon fiber, the LFA can hit 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and tops out a 202 mph! Just 5o0 LFAs will be built a a cost of $375,000 each.

After LA, the car’s plans are limited, with Lexus announcing that for 2009 it will visit just four more shows in Detroit (at the North American International Auto Show), Chicago, Dallas and New York.

AutoGuide’s live LA Auto Show coverage starts December 2nd.

See AutoGuide’s Live 2009 LA Auto Show Coverage Here Starting December 2nd

GALLERY: Lexus LFA

GALLERY: Lexus LFA SEMA Show Debut