MINI is set to join the World Rally Championship in 2012, competing with the new Countryman crossover. Rumors to this extent swirled just ahead of the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year where the Countryman was unveiled, but nothing ever came of it. The MINI fans at MotoringFile say the project is still in the pipes and the race cars crossovers will debut some time this year (or next) for competition in 2012.

The team will be run by the notoriously successful Prodrive group, which successfully campaigned Subaru’s team until the Japanese automaker was forced to pull from WRC in 2008 when the economy turned sour.

The partnership with Prodrive certainly makes sense, as its also a British company and MINI has a long history in rally racing. Making the situation complicated could be the fact that Prodrive is now officially involved with Aston Martin (and also runs Aston’s Le Mans racing efforts). But with no conflict in the WRC series, if MotoringFile is right, we could see MINI in WRC in 2012. And if so, MINI might just consider delivering a high-performance Countryman (JCW anyone?).

[Source: MotoringFile]

If you’re hoping to pick up a new Saab 9-5 and you’re not already on a waiting list, you’ll probably have to keep hoping. This year Saab will deliver just 500 of its new 9-5 luxury sedans to dealers in the U.S. That means that each dealership will only get a handful of cars before the 2011 models arrive this Fall. And with the car originally announced back at the Frankfurt Auto Show last September, dealers have had a long time to build up waiting lists from the notoriously loyal Saab customers.

Initially, all Saab 9-5′s will be high-priced Aero models, costing $49,990 – a price that reflects Saab’s ambition to take on traditional German luxury sedans like the Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6.

The 9-5 Aero features a 300 horsepower 2.8L twin-turbo V6, all-wheel drive and the quintessential air-conditioned glove box. Other high tech options include a heads-up display, Harmon/Kardon stereo and a lane-departure warning system.

The 9-5 Aero will eventually be joined by an entry-level model featuring a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo engine and will start at “under $40,000″ according to Saab.

GALLERY: 2010 Saab 9-5

[Source: Automotive News]

General Motors is preparing to announce at the end of the month that its revolutionary Chevy Volt is complete. According to a Micky Bly, GM’s executive director for electric vehicles, the American automaker is planning a big event some time in June.

Currently, GM is making last minute adjustments to the car’s software, and recently completed hot weather testing in Arizona.

The Volt uses an electric battery pack to deliver a 40 mile emissions free range, after which the gasoline engine kicks in to recharge the batteries and provide a total of 300 miles. Scheduled to go on sale in November, the Volt launches almost simultaneously with Nissan’s Leaf EV, which can travel up to 100 miles on pure electric power, but has no extended range capability.

Pricing for the Volt has yet to be announced.

[Source: CanadianBusiness]

Alpina has just released a single teaser sketch of its new B5 Bi-Turbo model based on the brand new BMW 5 Series. Much like the 5 Series takes its style from the larger 7, the Alpina does the same, imitating the aerodynamic upgrades on the Alpina B7 models shown at the Chicago Auto Show and New York Auto Show earlier this year.

With the 5 Series being offered with the same 4.4-liter tinw-turbo V8 as the 7, we also expect a similar engine output of 500-hp and 516 ft-lbs of torque, and delivering a 0-60 mph time in the low 4 second range. (M5 anyone?) Other upgrades are sure to include larger wheels, lower profile tires, a modified suspension and custom interior.

The new Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo will launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which starts on July 1st.

Official release after the jump:

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Mercedes touts its new SLS AMG supercar as the first-ever ground-up vehicle build by the company’s high-performance AMG division, but now it appears as though that might not be entirely the case. In fact, according to a shocking new report by InsideLine, the SLS AMG started life as the next-generation Dodge Viper.

As the story goes, Dodge has designed an all-new aluminum chassis for the Viper long before the SLS had even begun production, but when Mercedes/AMG got word of the project they were immediately intrigued and began using the car as a stepping stone in their own development. The two projects were even being developed side by side for a while until the recession hit, Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection, Mercedes parent company Daimler sold off its stake in the company and Fiat subsequently picked up the pieces.

Meanwhile AMG engineers continued working on their project, only to complete the SLS and launch it as a new ultra-expensive exotic from Germany.

The whole situation just smacks of irony, with the entire development plan of Chrysler designed to use old Daimler (Mercedes) chassis for their vehicles. In the end, however, it was Daimler that grabbed a still-in-development chassis from the American automaker on which to base its flagship vehicle.

[Source: Inside Line]

It’s possibly the best 80′s montage of them all; yes, we’re talking about the training scene from Rocky IV where the underdog Balboa trains in a wooden hut in the Russian countryside while Captain Ivan Drago (aka, Dolf Lungren) pumps up on steroids and makes use of the world’s most sophisticated machines to tone his body.

Well, in MINI’s continued bid to taunt Porsche into a showdown at Road Atlanta, the fun-loving (and internet marketing savvy) folks at MINI have teamed up with the comedy geniuses at FunnyorDie to produce a parody of the epic montage that is sure to pump you up. It’s no surprise that the part of Rocky is played by a MINI and that those overly serious Russians are played by overly serious folks from Porsche.

And we thought the Ford Fiesta campaign was smart online marketing.

[Source: FunnyorDie]

See the video after the jump:

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Honda‘s new CR-Z hybrid sports car is proving to be a sales success already in its home market of Japan, but not with the crowd you might expect. Inspired by the CRX, the CR-Z would seem to be the modern embodyment of the early Honda hatch, appealing to a younger generation interested in a small and sporty car, but who are interested in their vehicle’s impact on the environment.

Honda, it would seem, has missed the mark, with the latest numbers from Japan showing that 35 percent of all CR-Z owners are over 40, with the majority of buyers in the 30-to-40 range. As for the youth market, males in their 20s make up just 15 percent of CR-Z buyers.

We have no doubt that contributing factors to the car’s lack of appeal with younger buyers involves its less than impressive power, not to mention its cost – which is directly related to the expensive hybrid system.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Mega Gallery

[Source: 7Tune]

We’ve heard of people swapping Mazda rotary engines into older Miatas, but if reports out of Japan are to be believed, the next MX-5, due out in 2012, will come standard with an all new, super efficient rotary engine – as well as a hybrid system.

7Tune is reporting that an article in the Japanese magazine Best Car outlines Mazda’s plans for a “rotary hybrid” MX-5, set to compete with the “Hybrid Sports” competitors from Honda and Toyota. After that, things start to get a little suspect, as 7Tune reports that

“According to the popular magazine, Mazda is pondering whether to offer their newly developed Sky-G Hybrid Rotary Engine in a 1.2 liter ( commonly known as the 12A ) or 1.3 liter ( commonly known as the 13B ) engine capacity for their venerable Roadster.”

Despite these claims, the SKY-G has previously been announced as a highly-efficient piston engine, while the 12A – and the 13B for that matter-  hasn’t been build for a couple decades. Last December, the SKY-G seemed to be a sure bet for the MX-5, and the engine was confirmed off the record through Mazda sources, who stressed that the new car would be an ultra-lightweight affair, with a 1.3L SKY-G being an integral part of the package. To put a rotary into an MX-5 would be a dangerous blurring of Mazda’s two strongest brands, their RX sports cars (famous for their rotary engines) and the MX-5 (which follows the classic 2-seat, bare bones sports car format that has made it so successful).

On the other hand, Mazda recently announced a patent for a new type of integrated electric motor, mounted in the wheel hub. A compact system like this could actually work on a car like the MX-5, where packaging and a light weight are essential, bu only time will tell what powertrain Mazda decides to go with for their iconic sports car, but with over 1 million cars sold over 20 years, Mazda has a lot of customers that they can’t afford to alienate, and a hybrid system would be the antithesis of the no frills experience that made the MX-5 such a hit.

[Source: 7Tune]

If you want to work at Volkswagen, you’d better start hitting the gym. This is especially true if you work at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, where new hires are required not only to take the usual job training, but also go through a fitness program.

In the attempt to build an “industrial athlete” – one who can lift, grip, bend and push without tiring –VW has opened its training academy at the $1 billion plant site. In preparation for the projected production start early next year, dozens of workers have already started pumping up before they start pumping out new cars.

In a region best known for its love of Little Debbie snack cakes, MoonPies and Krystal burgers, trainees are up to the physical challenge. In fact, some of the new hires have reportedly lost as much as 30 pounds after three weeks of training.

These workouts are also aimed at building better product quality when the plant starts rolling out midsized sedans. Volkswagen Chattanooga spokesman Scott Wilson says the time spent in the classroom, hands-on training and fitness training are all “focused on getting each and every one of us, no matter what our job is at the plant, prepared to show up and perform at the highest level of professional excellence.”

The lucky ones who have been hired have had the help of fitness trainers that put them through “on-the-clock” workouts. The workouts follow health testing and are individually tailored to their future production jobs that include the paint shop, body shop and assembly.

Workouts are done daily and last about two hours. Exercises are directly linked to movements plant employees will have to do every day and include stretching, cardiovascular strength, endurance, grip and how much they can push and pull.

[Source: USA Today]

If you’re tired about hearing of all the automotive recalls that seem to be hitting the news daily, you’ll want to get behind the Motormouse. So it’s not the ideal family vehicle, but it will look good next to your PC.

Inspired by the Porsche 911, you may have seen the Motormouse on the BBC TV show “Dragon’s Den.” Available in three colors – silver, red and black – you’ll want to test drive this beauty at the office, or give it to Dad this Father’s Day.

Fitting right in the palm of your hand, the Motormouse comes equipped with a 2.4 GHz USB receiver so it can wirelessly connect to your keyboard. It also comes with a host of standard features, such as a truck that actually opens (not big enough for sporting equipment or luggage, but it can store batteries and its receiver).

Designed to catch the attention of your cubicle mates, this superbly crafted classic sports car features exquisite detail, a slim silhouette for superior comfort and a high-quality paint finish with chrome alloy wheels. And you’ll be flying through document pages and Internet sites while you’re behind the wheel – the ultra-wide ‘spare tire’ scroll wheel, that is.

If you’re planning on giving it away, the Motormouse’s special gift box comes complete with a soft carrying pouch, super-glide mouse mat and batteries. Buy if for about $50 on the Motormouse site.