For 2011 Lotus has decided to give its hallmark sports car, the Elise, a mild update. Upgrades for both the standard Elise and Elise SC include revised body work with a new rear bumper, engine cover and a more aggressive front clamshell. The new design certainly looks like the work of Lotus design boss and former Ferrari designer Donato Coco. The 2011 models will also stand out thanks to the use of LED lighting for the headlights and signal indicators.

The new aerodynamic body has resulted in a four percent reduction in drag on the car, resulting in slightly improved fuel economy. In addition, a new standard cast wheel appears for 2011 while Lotus also has a new optional forged aluminum wheel, which saves a total of 4.7 lbs over the standard cast units.

Apart from those changes the Elise and Elise SC stay pretty much unchanged, which isn’t a bad thing as they’re so fabulous to begin with. The Elise continues to be powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder making 189-hp, while the supercharged Elise SC puts out 15 percent more power for a total of 218-hp.

Be sure to browse through the gallery below and let us know what you think of the mild redesign. Is there too much Ferrari influence in this car?

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

GALLERY: 2011 Lotus Elise

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Lotus has teamed up with supermodel Naomi Campbell to create eight limited edition Evora sports cars that will be auctioned off to help with relief efforts in Haiti. Campbell and Lotus Design Director Donato Coco created the unique paint scheme, which includes the colors of the Haitian flag.

All “Naomi for Haiti” Evoras will be auctioned off at Naomi Campbell’s Fashion Relief charity show on February 18th during London’s fashion week. Those vehicles not sold at the event will then go up on a special bidding, www.naomiforhaiti.com, website the following day.

Naomi Campbell will announced the total funds raised by the effort during the Lotus press conference at the Geneva Auto Show on March 2nd.

GALLERY: Naomi Campbell Haiti Relief Lotus Evora

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Porsche has just announced the expansion of the Panamera lineup with two more entry-level models, powered by a new V6 engine. The all-new 3.6-liter engine uses direct-injection technology to make 300-hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque, which is distributed to either the rear wheels in the Panamera or all four wheels in the Panamera 4. Both models will come standard in North America with Porsche’s 7-speed PDK transmission.

That transmission, combined with Porsche’s auto start/stop system helps the Panamera achieve 25.3 mpg (on the more generous European test cycle), while the Panamera 4 gets 24.5 mpg.

Weight on the new model has been reduced by roughly 66 lbs thanks to the smaller V6 engine.

The vehicles are distinguished from their V8-powered counterparts by matte-black (rather than chrome) window trim, single exhaust pipes (one on each side) and new wheel designs. Porsche will make both the variable shock absorbers and the adaptive air suspension optional.

Porsche will officially debut the Panamera and Panamera 4 at the Beijing Auto Show on April 23, with sales starting in North America in June. U.S. and Canadian pricing has yet to be released.

GALLERY: 2011 Porsche Panamera and Panamera 4

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Toyota has again announced another recall. Or should we say another, another recall. Yup, not one, but two recalls, affecting the Tacoma pickup and Camry sedan. Both recalls are minor in number, totaling just around 15,000 units and affect only 2010 model year cars and trucks.

First came the 2010 Tacoma recall for 8,000 trucks where a manufacturing defect may have caused trucks to be equipped with a cracked front drive shaft. This only applies to 4WD trucks. Toyota says it will notify owners starting in mid-March.

As for the Camry recall, it affects 7,314 Camry vehicles built for the 2010 model year. The issue here involves the brakes (surprise, surprise), and the NHTSA says that on some 4-cylinder models the left rear brake tube could puncture because of interference from the power steering tube. A loss of brake fluid could result in reduced braking ability and lead to an accident. Toyota has not yet released when it will contact owners of affected cars.

Those in need of more info can call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or visit www.toyota.com/recall.

Visit the AutoGuide Toyota Recall news Hub Here for more info

[Source: Toyota and NHTSA]

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Hyundai has just released a single sketch of the i-Flow Concept, which it will officially unveil at the Geneva Auto Show next month. The i-Flow is a look at what the company’s next D-segment (mid-size) car for the European market will be.

We’re surprised to hear Hyundai is going this route because in the past the Sonata (or i40) was a world car platform and the automaker has just introduced the all-new 2011 Sonata in North America. It seems, however, that Hyundai has decided Europe needs a more dedicated model, which we imagine will be more premium and possible a bit smaller, to complete with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. It’s possible that this Sonata replacement could keep the same underpinnings as the new Sonata, but use Genesis-grade trim items and a unique design.

We’ll be sure to bring you more info when Hyundai unveils the car at the Geneva Auto Show. AutoGuide’s live Geneva coverage begins March 2nd.

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

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The upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulietta, set to debut at the Geneva Auto Show next month, will likely underpin the next generation Dodge Caliber and Chrysler PT Cruiser. According to a report by Automotive News, Fiat (Alfa’s parent company) is looking to sell one million vehicles based of the Giulietta platform, 700,000 of which it intends to move in the U.S. as Chrysler company products.

The Giulietta will have to be made larger for the North American market and Alfa is reportedly working on a widened version called “Compact Wide,” which will not only underpin the Caliber and PT Cruiser, but five other Chrysler brand products. Both front drive and AWD versions of the platform can be had and yes, that does mean a Jeep version is included in Chrysler’s Fiat’s plans.

Above we have an early design sketch of what an Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based Dodge Caliber would look like, provided by Dodge Brand CEO Ralph Gilles. A gallery of Giulietta images can be found below, including one image of a 1750cc turbocharged Fiat engine, with 200-hp and 236 ft-lbs of torque, which could likely be tweaked further for an SRT4 version. The 2012 Dodge Caliber, at least in base trim, is likely to get the company’s revised 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 190-hp and 175 ft-lbs of torque.

GALLERY: Alfa Romeo Giulietta

[Source: Automotive News and Autoblog]

Toyota, a company that is notoriously good at keeping its vehicles secret until the very last minute, has apparently let down its guard, with a few pictures of the facelifted 2011 RAV4 finding their way onto the net. With a new grille and headlights, the cute-ute gets a little less cute a it more muscular. Toyota is reported to also deliver a more premium interior for the entry-level crossover.

In addition to these upgrades, expect modifications to the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine in improve fuel economy.

While this is a European-spec vehicle, we do expect to see the new exterior design make its way to North American in the near future. There’s no word on what sort of updates will be made to the rest of the car.

We’ll be sure to bring you more on the updated RAV4 with live coverage of the Geneva Auto Show (where it’s set to debut) starting March 2nd. Toyota is also set to showcase the FT-86 Concept, as well as a redesigned Auris and the plug-in Prius hybrid.

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

GALLERY: 2011 Toyota RAV4 Euro-Spec

[Source: Carscoop]

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Porsche has just released a short clip of its upcoming GT3 R Hybrid race car, that it plans to debut at the Geneva Auto Show next month. Based on the GT3 chassis, the race car is powered by a traditional 4.0-liter flat-six engine making 480-hp at the rear wheels. In addition, two electric motors power the front wheels, with 60 kW of power going to each axle. The driver will be able to call up this extra power on-demand, giving the GT3 R a temporary all-wheel drive setup as well. The power surge is expected to last between 6 and 8 seconds.

Power for the electric motors comes via a flywheel generator that operates as a regenerative braking system, powering-up the on-board battery under braking.

Porsche intends to compete with the GT3 R Hybrid at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring race, which runs from May 15th to 16th.

We’ll bring you more on the GT3 R Hybrid with live coverage of the Geneva Auto Show starting March 2nd.

GALLERY: Porsche GT3 R Hybrid

Nissan has just taken the wraps off its updated Patrol SUV, which is sold under the Infiniti brand in North America as the QX. While certain style elements are likely to change, the general look of the beast will remain. Nissan has even chosen to upgrade the Patrol’s interior to Infiniti standards, so we shouldn’t expect too much to change on the inside.

Under the hood, the truck retains Nissan’s 5.6-liter V8, but there are some surprises too. For starters, the engine features direct injection technology to produce 400-hp and 405 ft-lbs of torque. It’s likely to give a marked improvement in fuel economy thanks not only to that direct-injection tech, but because of a seven-speed automatic transmission. A new electronic four-wheel drive system is also a part of the package, with four modes (pavement, sand, rock and snow), which can be selected by the driver.

As expected, the truck retains its fully independent suspension.

Other highlights include hill start assist and hill descent control as well as Nissan’s new “curtain vent” technology that pumps the AC out of thin vents above the windows where the sun shines hottest.

Expect all of this and a shiny new Infiniti badge when the Patrol launches at the New York Auto Show next month as the Infiniti QX56. The Nissan Armada version should follow thereafter.

GALLERY: 2011 Nissan Patrol

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Nissan’s upcoming Juke crossover isn’t going to win any awards for style, but the vehicle’s engine is an exciting bit of technology. When the Juke goes on sale in North America later this year it will likely feature a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with direct-injection technology – GTDI (gasoline turbocharged direct injection) for short. It also gets variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust side of the engine.

The GTDI 1.6 will be offered in Europe, but Nissan has not confirmed if it will be available in the North American model.

This setup will allow for optimum performance with minimum fuel economy. The mpg stats aren’t available yet, but we can report that the engine makes 188-hp and 177 ft-lbs of torque.

The GTDI engine is the first by Nissan and is likely a sign of things to come for the automaker. Currently Volkswagen, GM and Ford and Mazda are big proponents of mixing small displacement engines with turbocharged and direct-injection technology and most other automakers are likely to follow suit soon.

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

GALLERY: Nissan Juke

See after the jump for a short video about the new engine:

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