***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here***

Toyota will debut an all-new hybrid concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in just a few weeks. This new concept will be a dedicated hybrid model, meaning that like the Prius, it will only be offered as a hybrid. Toyota has said that it will offer hybrid versions of all of its models by 2010, but it is also working to increase its lineup of dedicated hybrids as they help to promote a strong “green” identity” as a brand.

There are several rumors as to what this new model would be. The color and flat-nose front seem to indicate it may be a version of the iQ (which Toyota showed as a Scion model at last year’s New York Auto Show). There is also a strong possibility that this could be the long-awaited Prius Coupe.

We’ll be sure to bring you details as we get them, with full coverage of the Detroit Auto Show starting January 11th.

GALLERY: Toyota Dedicated Hybrid Concept

Official release after the jump:

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Audi has just launched a marketing campaign that will culminate at the Geneva Auto Show in March, when the German automaker officially introduces the world to the A1. Audi says its new A1 will be the first premium vehicle offered in the subcompact segment.

Ahead of the Geneva debut, Audi will reveal the car and the details of it online in early February. For now, we have a graffiti version of a design sketch, to give us an idea of where the project is headed. According to an Audi press-release the hatchback will have a coupe-like silhouette and use a great deal of the design from the original A1 Sportback Concept shown in Tokyo and Paris.

“Audi is renowned for taking a lot of features of its showcars into series production,” said Audi design boss, Stefan Sielaff. “The roof arch is a unique characteristic of the Tokyo showcar; there is a certain dynamism in the flow of the A- and C-pillars. An important detail for customization; that much I can tell you.”

Audi plans to make its new premium subcompact highly customizable – particularly with the interior.

It addition to the sketches, Sielaff says the A1 will get an tyical Audi grille, but expect it to be even wider, which will likely bring the headlights further to the side and closer to the hood.

As the A1 will most certainly be targeted at a younger demographic, Audi has also launched a new A1 Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/audia1), a YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/audi), and a Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/audi_online).

We’ll be sure to bring you more info on the A1 as we get it and see if Audi has any plans to bring this new model to North America.

GALLERY: Audi A1 Design Sketches

Official release after the jump:

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***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here***

One of the highlights of the Detroit Auto Show will be a new concept vehicle by Mercedes-Benz that is intended to give the world a glimpse at what the future of Mercedes design will look like. In an interview with the U.K.’s AutoCar, Merc’s design boss Gordon Wagener said that he intends to promote Mercedes as a a leader in design – something rival Audi has been pushing hard at for several years now.

Wagener didn’t give many details on the car, other than it would be a pure concept and would be both long and exaggerated. In other words, its one of those truly wild creations that never makes it to production – which can some times be a good thing.

It is likely that the first model to receive this new design direction by Mercedes is its most progressive design, the CLS, which is due for a full remake late next year for the 2011 model year. After all, it was the Vision CLS, which debuted back at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2003 that has inspired the sheetmetal of so many Mercs over the past several years.

GALLERY: Mercedes Vision CLS

[Source: AutoCar]

Lotus has just confirmed its driver lineup for the 2010 Formula One season with both Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen signed on to pilot the new Lotus cars on the team’s rookie season and the brand’s return to F1.

Trulli was long rumored to join the Lotus team as he has a strong relationship with the team’s technical director Mike Gascoyne, having worked with him twice already under both Renault and Toyota. Trulli has been looking for a ride since Toyota decided not to race in the 2010 season. His skill has been in doubt, often finishing at the back of the pack in most races – although we may now see if that had more to do with the Toyota team and its cars.

As for Kovalainen, he has been in search of a ride since his contract was not renewed with McLaren, which decided to go with World Champion Jensen Button instead.

The 2010 F1 season is shaping up to be an interesting one with three other rookie teams (Campos, Manor and US F1) joining Lotus to make up a 26 car grid. The season starts March 12 in Bahrain.

[Source: LotusF1Racing]

Recently we’ve heard several rumors about Nissan resurrecting its 240SX model, with each report becoming more credible. The latest comes from the folks at InsideLine, who say Nissan is in fact planning to bring back the 240 (known as the Silvia in Japan), which will be aimed at the younger and less affluent side of the market, but those who still want a proper rear-drive sports car.

The new model would aim to compete with everything from the Hyundai Genesis Coupe to Toyota’s upcoming FT-86 rear-drive sports car. We’ve also reported recently that both Volkswagen and Kia are planning vehicles for this segment of the market.

Based on a shorter version of  Nissan’s FR-L platform that is used for both the 370Z and Infiniti G, this sporty coupe would be rear drive, with four seats and use a turbocharged 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine. Power should be rated at roughly 200-hp. A non-turbocharged option will also be part of the plan, as a high-volume model. Weight is expected to be in the 2,800 lb range, giving the car a 0-60 mph time of six or seven seconds.

The design of the car is to be “loosely” based on the Foria Concept car (above). We certainly hope it is loose, as the Foria doesn’t hold a candle to the FT-86 in the style department – which is usually one area where Nissan excels.

If the project does get the go-ahead (which we sincerely hope it does), look for a new 240 (we hope they call it the Silvia) in 2011 or 2012.

GALLERY: Nissan Foria Concept

[Source: InsideLine]

Kia is considering getting into the entry-level rear-drive sports car game with a new model that would likely be based on the architecture of the Genesis Coupe from sister company Hyundai. In an interview with the U.K.’s AutoCar, Kia design boss Peter Schreyer said while the model isn’t in the company’s product plan for the next two years it is something that he’d like to see. Schreyer warned, however, that as Kia is still an emerging company it would have to make a water-tight business car for the vehicle and not just build it for fun.

“We are not like Audi or Porsche,” he said. “We are not in a position to just create something and then announce to the market that it’s the perfect kind of sports car.”

With the cars design likely inspired by the Kee Concept (above), Schreyer said that, “it would be important for the Kee to be rear-wheel drive. And there is, of course, already a rear-driven platform within the Hyundai-Kia group that we could look to use, if our timing was good.” That platform is, of course, the Genesis Coupe’s.

Schreyer did say that such a vehicle would compete against cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Toyota’s new rear drive model. Recent rumors have suggested that both Volkswagen and Nissan are investigating this marketplace as well.

“The car would not need to be very fast or very powerful,” he said, “but it should be compact, affordable and fun – a true sports car.”

If the project does go ahead, look for a rear-drive Kia sports car to debut before the current Genesis Coupe gets a remodel some time around 2013.

GALLERY: Kia Kee Concept

[Source: AutoCar]

Set to officially debut at the Detroit Auto Show in a few weeks time is a new higher-performance version of the BMW Z4. A step above the sDrive35i, the sDrive35is gets some special body work, a revised suspension and more power.

Under the hood is BMW’s impressive twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine, which has been modified with a larger air intake and higher boost pressure to bump-up power to 335-hp and 332 ft-lbs of torque. For the record, that’s an 11 percent increase. In addition, an overboost feature will provide an additional 37 ft-lbs of torque for a total of 369 ft-lbs! That’s just 11 ft-lbs shy of the M5′s V10 motor.

BMW claims that with the added torque, this sDrive35is can now hit 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds, thanks also in part to the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is standard.

In addition to the engine upgrades, this new model gets M Aerodynamics and an adaptive M Suspension that uses electronically controlled shock absorbers as well as a ride height which has been lowered by 10mm. A set of 18-inch wheels come standard with light-weight 19s optional.

We’ll be sure to bring you more on the sDrive35is with live coverage from the Detroit Auto Show starting January 11th.

GALLERY: 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is

Official release and VIDEO after the jump:

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Ferrari has just announced the second vehicle to come out of its in-house Special Projects program, a modified 599 GTB now known as the P540 Superfast Aperta. The P540 Superfast was built for Edward Walson, the son of John Walson, who invented cable TV. Walson commissioned the vehicle with inspiration coming from the Fantuzzi-designed Ferrari which appeared in the 1968 film Toby Dammit.

We have to say the lines of this car are both original and classically beautiful. It was designed by Pininfarina and built in-house in Maranello, with Walson taking part in the entire design process.

Much of the car remains the same as a standard 599, including the 612-hp 6.0-liter V12 engine. Amazingly, while the car was transformed into a convertible, only 44 lbs of weight were added to the chassis thanks to the use of copious amounts of carbon fiber.

There is no word on what Walson paid for the one-of-one gold Ferrari, but we are intrigued by the fact that a convertible 599 model is now most certainly a possibility for Ferrari.

GALLERY: Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta

Official release after the jump:

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General Motors has reached an agreement to sell off part of its struggling Saab division to China’s Beijing Auto (BAIC). The deal would see BAIC take control of Saab’s rights assets and tooling assets of the past 9-5 and 9-3 models in order to build those vehicles in China.

Saab’s future has been uncertain for several weeks after a group led by Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg suddenly withdrew its interest in purchasing the brand.

Beijing Auto was actually a part of the Koenigsegg-led group and had agreed to fund a considerable potion of the purchase in return for the rights which it has now secured.

What BAIC won’t be buying any of Saab’s current production or design technologies, leaving those aspects of the company still up for bidding. Currently two bidders are rumored to be the main rivals: Renco and Dutch exotic car maker Spyker Cars. A recent report in the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet pointed towards Spyker being the favored bidder, party because of its experience in the auto industry.

An unnamed Saab official quoted by the New York Times said that this sale, “would be good for Sweden, good for China and good for Saab.”

In the midst of all this uncertainty, Saab is preparing to launch its new 9-5 model, which is the first full overhaul of the car since it debuted 12 years ago.

So far GM has had little success in dividing up its company since it emerged from Bankruptcy. The company is in the process of closing its Pontiac unit but couldn’t find a buyer for the Saturn brand after a deal with the Penske Automotive Group fell through. A deal to sell Hummer to a Chinese industrial equipment manufacturer has yet to be completed.

[Source: NYTimes Blog]

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Going by the name of Mattzel (or FONESupports), his videos have become a YouTube phenomenon. That being said, we couldn’t resist the urge to post up his latest motorsports-related work – a compilation of slowed down clips from some of the world’s premiere racing series including: Formula One, NASCAR, ALMS, WRC and there’s even some touring car and bike racing tossed in. Oh, and there are several amazing crashes included in the clips.

Combined with some subtle music it has a serious TopGear look and feel that we could just put on repeat and watch all day.

Be sure to check out FONESupports YouTube channel here and subscribe for his next masterpiece.

[Source: AxisofOversteer]

See after the jump for the original Racing in Slow Motion video:

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