Lotus has just teased us with a single image of a concept car that just has to be a concept, because it’s too good to be true. Based on the new Evora, it’s called the 414E Hybrid and makes 400-hp. But it’s better than that!

Lotus has designed the car to put the power down independently through the rear wheels, as a result each rear wheel is capable of 204-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque. That’s enough to propel the Evora 414E Hybrid to 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds. Lotus has equipped this range-extender engine with a single gear transmission, but it has designed transmission software to create seven imaginary gears for ideal performance driving.

Now all this power comes from the Lotus-designed 47-hp, 1.2-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine mated to two electric motors and a lithium-polymer battery pack. It works like the Chevy Volt, with only the electric motors powering the wheels, while the gasoline engine kicks in afterwards to deliver extended range. Lotus claims 35 miles of emissions free driving, while the gasoline engine allows for a total of 300 miles.

We’ll be sure to bring you more on the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid with live coverage of the Geneva Auto Show starting March 1st.

Click here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

Official release after the jump:

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Porsche has just released several photos and full specs on the new second-generation 2011 Cayenne SUV, ahead of its official launch at the Geneva Auto Show next week. We have to say the redesign is a big improvement, giving the capable SUV a more sporty crossover look in keeping with the trend these days. It does, however, retain full SUV capability (not that anyone will use it though).

The standard Cayenne is powered by a new 300-hp V6 with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while Cayenne S models get the same 4.8-liter V8 with power upped to 400-hp. Acceleration in the Cayenne S should be drastically improved thanks to an overall curb weight that has been reduced by 400 lbs. As for the Turbo, it makes 500-hp from a twin-turbo version of the 4.8-liter V8.

Also bowing for 2011 is a new Cayenne S Hybrid – the brand’s first production hybrid model. Like the pre-production model we tested recently, it gets a 3.o-liter V6 engine that supercharged and mated to a 47-hp electric motor for a total of 380-hp and 427 ft-lbs of torque. Porsche claims the Cayenne S Hybrid can travel up to 40 mph on just electric power and can cruise on pure electric power at speeds of up to 97 mph.

Thanks to new technology and significantly reduced curb weights, call Cayenne models get improvements in fuel economy. Porsche hasn’t released fuel economy stats for the Hybrid Cayenne yet though.

The overall size of the new Cayenne has increased from the first-gen model, with a wheelbase that has been extended by 1.6-inches and a 1.9-inch longer overall length. Inside there’s plenty of Panamera-inspired updates.

We’ll be sure to bring you full details on the second-generation 2011 Cayenne at the SUV’s official debut next week at the Geneva Auto Show.

GALLERY: 2011 Porsche Cayenne

Official release and video of the 2011 Cayenne after the jump:

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Ford has just released the full stats on its new 2011 F-Series Super Duty, powered by an all-new 6.7-liter Powerstroke V8. The engine makes 390-hp at 2800 rpm and a tremendous 735 ft-lbs of torque at just 1600 rpm. A standard 6.2-liter gasoline, which replaces the old 5.4-liter V8, makes 385-hp and 405 ft-lbs of torque, an improvement of 85-hp and 40 ft-lbs of torque. Both engines are mated to an all-new 6R140 heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission

Ford rates this new engine in the F350 to tow a max of 21,600 lbs and a payload rating of 6,520 lbs. As for the F450 model, it is rated to tow 24,400 lbs.

Chevy has yet to release engine output figures for its Silverado HD model, but at this point that’s pretty much irrelevant as the F350 outshines it in towing and payload by 1,600 lbs and almost 200 lbs respectively.

See the full release after the jump and browse through our new gallery of almost 100 F-Series Super Duty photos:

GALLERY: 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty

Official release after the jump:

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Just a day after announcing the successful sale of Saab, General Motors today announced that a deal to sell its Hummer unit of SUVs has fallen through. GM has been negotiating with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co., Ltd., but today announced in a statement that the Chinese heavy machinery maker was, “unable to complete the acquisition of Hummer.”

GM agreed to try and find a buyer for its Hummer brand upon exiting bankruptcy last year. GM decided to refocus on just four brands (Chevy, Buick, GMC and Cadillac). Since then it announced the shut-down of the historic Pontiac brand and also the wind-down of Saturn after a deal to sell it to Penske fell through. Just yesterday GM completed the sale of Saab to Dutch automaker Spyker.

GM has said it will honor Hummer warranties and provide service support and parts to owners worldwide.

Official release after the jump:

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DieHard Battery has asked in the all-in-one Seattle based entertainer, Reggie Watts, to help show once again how the DieHard Platinum battery can handle even the toughest of situations, powering the amp, mic, 100 LED lights, and of course the car. Hit the jump to watch this very funny video.

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Ahead of its debut at the Geneva Auto Show next week, ABT Sportsline has released a few teaser images of its hard-core version of the V10-powered R8 5.2. Called the ABT R8 GTR, this German exotic is based off the modified R8 5.2 that ABT brought to Geneva last year, and boasts the same V10 under the hood, which has been tuned to 600-hp.

New for 2010, the GTR model will get an even more aggressive aero treatment, with most of the body panels made of carbon fiber. In fact, ABT has taken a light-weight approach with the GTR model, manufacturing the hood, front and rear bumpers out of carbon fiber, while the rear hatch has been replaced with a carbon fiber unit and the glass swapped out for light-weight plexiglass. Just 25 R8 GTRs will be built.

Along with this monster, ABT will display a more subtle R8 Spyder as well as the first modified version of Audi’s new flagship A8.

Best known for its Volkswagen tuning, ABT hasn’t neglected its core audience either and will show a new line of performance and aesthetic products for the very-new Golf R model. With 265-hp and a 0-60 mph time of 5.0 seconds in stock trim, we can’t wait to see what ABT has in store for this hot German hatch.

AutoGuide will bring you live coverage of the ABT vehicles and of everything else at the Geneva Auto Show, starting March 1st.

Click here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

GALLERY: ABT Sportsline R8 GTR

When Audi introduced the new R8 Spyder model it said the car would only be available as a V10. Yup, the snarling 5.2-liter Lamborghini-sourced engine with 525-hp. Now, according to a report by Inside Line, the German automaker will offer a slightly more affordable version of the drop-top exotic, powered by the original R8′s 4.2-liter V8.

We thoroughly expect that once the new model arrives some time in 2011, it should receive a more powerful version of the 4.2-liter engine. In the R8 coupe and RS4, this high-revving V8 produced 420-hp, but Audi plans to deliver a 450-hp version of the same engine in the RS5 at the Geneva Auto Show next week.

We expect that the R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI will cost as much as $30,000 less than the current V10-powered model, making it slightly less exotic, but much more attractive to the Porsche Cabriolet crowd.

[Source: InsideLine]

It’s no CSL, but BMW will unveil a new Competition Package for the M3 at the Geneva Auto Show next week. Included are stunning 19×9-inch wheels, a 10mm lowered suspension and a new Sport traction control setting that allows a bit more slip. In addition, there’s a carbon fiber spoiler and part of the front lip is made of the light weight weave. In addition, all new M3′s (in Europe anyway) will come with a new start-stop system that cuts the engine when the car isn’t in motion to reduce fuel consumption by up to eight percent. There’s no word on if the Competition Package will be offered in North America.

BMW also plans to offer a new M Sport package for the X5 in the future, with optional 19 or 20-inh wheels as well as some modified styling cues and M accessories, like the steering wheel and pedals.

AutoGuide will bring you full coverage of all of BMW’s new models presented in Geneva with live coverage of the Auto Show starting March 1st.

Click here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

GALLERY: BMW M3 Competition Package

Official release after the jump:

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Land Rover will debut its newest and smallest model at the Paris Auto Show later this year based on the LRX concept first shown at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2008. Originally thought to be a 2011 model, Automotive News is reporting that it will arrive in late 2011, likely as a 2012 model year vehicle.

According to an older press release released by the automaker the upcoming LRX (if that is in fact its name), will be, “the smallest, lightest and most efficient vehicle the company has ever produced.”

While on one at Land Rover has confirmed as much, it is expected to be a full hybrid model, possibly using a diesel engine when it launches for the U.S. market. Diesel hybrids aren’t offered much because of the expense involve in both hybrid and diesel technology, but its likely that Land Rover sees its customers as the sort who could afford to pay extra for impressive fuel economy.

It’s also not clear if the LRX will be a fully off-road capable SUV or use a car-like crossover platform.

[Source: Automotive News via Autoblog]

While the mainstream media continues to pour fuel on the raging fire that is Toyota these days, the embattled automaker is finding, if not allies, then at least defenders in the journalists most educated on the topics at hand: automotive journalists.

In an editorial by Autoline Detroit‘s own John McElroy, posted on Autoblog, this industry experts slams ABC News for its sensationalist story whereby professor Dave Gilbert, of the automotive department at the University of Southern Illinois, showed how he could cause an unintended acceleration issue with a Toyota Avalon. Neither Gilbert not ABC News clearly explained how the incident was created, something that brings to mind two similar situations. In 1987 CBS’s 60 Minutes aired a story over unintended acceleration in Audis that was later proved to be absurd, while a 1993 Dateline NBC story over exploding Chevy pickups, was later retracted after a General Motors investigation proved it was rigged.

McElroy then goes on to point out that ABC never sought Toyota’s side of the story, something Toyota later pointed out in a press release, saying that it had already been in touch with Gilbert over a similar issue and had proven his tactic did not work. Toyota has since asked Gilbert to show his new example to them and has invited ABC News to come along.

In addition to what is very obviously some one-sided, if not downright biased journalism on the part of ABC, the news agency also interviewed Safety Research and Strategies founder Sean Kane, who helped pay for Gilbert’s experiment. That experiment, and the Safety Research and Strategies document slamming Toyota is also now in question as testimony yesterday at the House Committee hearings showed that the company receives funding from law firms currently suing Toyota.

McElroy concludes that an electronic throttle issue may still be the problem, but that ABC’s story on the issue is best to be disregarded. Wise advice indeed.

[Source: Autoblog]

[Photo Source: Autoline]

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