In addition to the five-door version of the Micra subcompact, Nissan will look to expand the reach of its new global small car with both a sedan and MPV model. Launched at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, the Micra was designed to be a global platform ad with a versatile architecture the two new versions of the car will help Nissan reach a wider audience.

In Europe, the Micra will have two engine options: a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 79-hp, and a supercharged 1.2-liter direct injection engine with a start-stop system. Both engines come with the option of a five-speed manual transmission or Nissan’s CVT system.

The small four-door is believed to be created mostly for the Asian market, while the MPV is more likely for Europe.

The addition of these two new model layouts continues to raise speculation as to whether Nissan will in fact make the Micra a true global vehicle, offering it for sale in North America. While initial speculation seemed to indicate Nissan would not, with the Versa already quite large for its class there might be room below it in Nissan’s North American lineup. Adding to the rumors are recent photos of a Micra spotted testing in Canada.

[Source: AutoCar]

Rather than introduce a new model at the Paris Auto Show next week, Rolls-Royce will show-off its in-house vehicle customization expertise, allowing owners to ensure their already exclusive Rolls is one-of-a-kind. In total, the regal British coachbuilder will display five bespoke models including the gunmetal metallic long-wheelbase Phantom above.

In addition to the custom Phantom, Rolls will also display a Phantom Coupe, Drophead Coupé and two Ghost models, all displaying exclusive touches that include special fabrics and interior materials. Rolls-Royce will even outfit a vehicle with specific materials for small items like the control knobs and instrument dials.

Be sure to check out AutoGuide’s Paris Auto Show Coverage starting September 30th.

GALLERY: Bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantom

Official release after the jump:

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Apparently having your run-of-the-mill Ferrari F430 Scuderia Spider isn’t cool enough anymore. To be really cool, you have to shell out $650,000 for this full carbon fiber model. Yes, the entire body is made of carbon fiber… and so are the wheels. The body itself was crafted by Carrozzeria Zanasi, Maranello’s premier bodywork specialist. Needless to say it’s flawless inside and out, and even in the engine bay – due partly to the fact that this Scud only has 126 miles on the odometer.

In addition to the carbon body this F430 Scuderia sports Tubi titanium exhaust tips, reupholstered interior featuring Alcantara and leather, full-screen navi, front and rear view cameras and the already mentioned carbon fiber wheels.

Apparently the car is sitting at a dealership in Beverly Hills, CA right now (we’re assuming a Ferrari one given all the Ferraris in the photos) – so we wouldn’t be surprised if we see this baby rolling on the streets of Southern California some day soon… because well, you know, $650,000 is chump change in Beverly Hills.

GALLERY: Carbon Fiber Ferrari F430 Spider 16M

[Source: TopSpeed]

Where do old Cadillacs go when it’s time to retire? They used to go to the Cadillac ranch in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. But now that the ranch is set to close its gates, old Caddies no longer have a place to roam the open ranges.

C.R. Auto, located in Hay Lakes, is home to hundreds of old Cadillacs. The ranch was opened in the early 1980s by Randy Berfelo, who brought along his brother Andrew for the ride. It all started when Randy started to restore a 1962 Cadillac convertible, and it grew from there. It soon turned into a parts warehouse, body shop and service facilities, and his original plan was to stock 500 Caddies to save and sell. Unfortunately, when he died in an accident in 1989 at the age of 32, the lot held only 225 cars.

“I never called it a junkyard, it’s a Cadillac retirement center,” said Andrew Berfelo. “It was Randy’s dream, and I kept it going, but it’s time for it to end.”

Carrying on his brother’s dream, Andrew continued to acquire and sell parts from around the world, and even General Motors refers calls to him when Caddy owners are looking for antique parts. Now, at the age of 64, he’s ready to retire as well. But there’s the question of what to do with all the spare parts –this 160-acre farm is stocked with 330 Cadillacs, all between the model years of 1947 to 1979, and there are also plenty of bins full to the brim with parts.

“I’d like to sell all the cars rather than crush them next year, and all the parts, rather than put them in a Dumpster,” he said. “A couple of people have shown some interest in buying, but being interested and coming up with the money are two different things.”

[Source: The New York Times]

Toyota‘s Highlander crossover will debut in redesigned form at the State Fair of Texas, a year after Toyota used the event to launch their redesigned 4Runner. The Highlander was previously revealed in advance of the Moscow Auto Show.

Slated to compete against the new Ford Explorer and the Chevrolet/GMC/Buick Traverse/Acadia/Enclave crossovers, the Highlander will feature everything you’d expect from a big crossover; front or all-wheel drive, 5 or 7 passenger seating, and a couple V6 powertrains. The Highlander’s “killer app” will be the Hybrid model, which is expected to deliver better mileage than 27 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

[Source: Left Lane News]

Nissan‘s 240SX sports coupe is not coming back. According to an interview in Ward’s Auto World, Larry Dominique, chief product planner for Nissan, said that the company considered the car before the economy hit the toilet in 2008, but the 30,000 annual sales would not be enough to justify the investment.

“I’m not looking to fill every niche, every opportunity. If I let my product planners go, they could come up with 15 other cars we should have.” The 240SX revival would have apparently been front-drive anyways, but Dominique said that any sort of car would be under the Sentra nameplate, rather than an all-new model line.

[Source: Ward's]

General Motors’ Opel division is set to expand outside of Europe with its establishment in Chile and Israel. Reports say that GM has inked a deal with an independent distributor to sell Opel vehicles in Israel, independent of GM’s vehicle distribution channel in the country.

Despite selling Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Isuzu, through one channel,  Opel will be sold through its own network perhaps because of Opel’s premium positioning.

Meanwhile, Opel will launch in Chile as brand makes a foray into Latin America. Chile is South America’s most prosperous economies and avoids the high taxes that neighbouring Brazil places on cars. Michael Klaus, the executive director of Opel international operations, told the AP that “German automotive engineering has a high appeal in South America and we are glad to start with Chile.”

[Source: Sympatico Autos]

Volkswagen‘s Passat will disappear after the 2010 model year to make way for the upcoming New Midsize Sedan (NMS) that is positioned against the Toyota Camry rather than continue with the Passat’s European-derived engineering.

The Passat always developed a cult following among a certain group of buyers,, but never developed widespread acceptance among mid-size buyers. Rather than keep it, Volkswagen decided to stop importing it, as they felt that the Jetta and NMS covered all the bases.

The NMS will debut at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show with sales starting early in the 2011 calender year.

[Source: LeftLane News]

MINI‘s Scooter E concept is getting closer and closer to its Paris debut, and now another rendering has surfaced, this time with a photorealistic image of a green scooter and a female rider.

Judging by the hubcap-looking pieces attached to the front wheels, our guess is two electric motors providing motivation to the MINI-resembling two-wheeler.

[Source: Autoblog]

NISMO’s VK45DE powerplant, which has had huge success in the SuperGT series powering the Nissan GT-R to a championship in 2008, will be installed in LMP2 class race cars from 2011 and on. NISMO has partnered up with Zytek Motorsport, a noted Formula 1 engine builder, with Zytek taking responsibility for servicing and maintaining all the engines.

“Zytek Motorsport is delighted to enter into this partnership with Nissan Motorsports International. We firmly believe that this collaboration between these two excellent brands is going to produce competitive and reliable products. It is an honour to work with a manufacturer of the standing and reputation of Nismo and we look forward to a long and successful partnership,” said John Manchester, Zytek Motorsport’s Operations Director.

Official press release available after the break.

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