The Gaza Strip has received its first car shipment in three years, after an economic blockade left the territory devoid of goods like cars, unless they were smuggled in via illegal tunnels originating in Egypt.

The cars, mostly Hyundai and Kia models, are a mixture of new and used models that have come from Israel. Cars, including Hyundais, can be sold for vastly inflated prices in Gaza, which has been hit by sanctions after Hamas, an Islamic fundamentalist government, took control of the territory.

Despite the grinding poverty, it turns out that a portion of the population can afford to buy new cars, as evidenced by this video, showing a Chevrolet Cruze going for $45,000.

[Source: BBC]

General Motors plans to launch a fleet of Chevrolet Cruze-based electric vehicles in Korea, but the company says that there are no plans to sell such a car in the United States.

GM is partnering with Korean conglomerate LG to develop the battery technology needed to make the Cruze EV a reality. A range of 100 miles is said to be possible and according to one GM spokesperson, “provide real-world data on customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles, studying driving patterns and charging behavior.”

“This Cruze EV demonstration project reinforces GM’s commitment to being a leader in the development of electric vehicles and green technologies, building on our portfolio of hybrids and the Chevrolet Volt,” said Karl Stracke, vice president of GM global vehicle engineering, in a statement.

The Cruze EV is apparently not slated for production, but it should give us a good look at the company’s plans once the Chevrolet Volt has been launched.

Get more Chevy Cruze news and info at CruzeTalk.com

[Source: Inside Line]

Maserati is set to debut the most hardcore variant of their GranTurismo Coupe, known as the MC Stradale. With a 20 horsepower boost and some revised aerodynamics, the MC Stradale will fill the role of a Maserati version of Ferrari’s Scuderia variants, without stepping on the hoovers of the Prancing Horse.

Maserati hasn’t really released too many details ahead of the car’s Paris Auto Show debut, but you can check out the press release and photos below.

Hit the jump to read the official press release

Gallery: Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale

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Our friends at Jalopnik managed to get their hands on these photos of the 2011 Dodge Charger Pursuit being put through the wringer at the Michigan State Police’s annual vehicle evaluation tests.

The MSP evaluation is a well recognized system designed to see how police package vehicles would hold up to the rigors of police duty. The results will be released in December, but judging by the pictures, we can confirm that the 2011 Charger looks badass. We can’t wait until these start showing up on the used market.

Gallery: Dodge Charger Pursuit

[Souce: Jalopnik]

Fiat’s got a new boss, but fans of black sweaters shouldn’t fret; Sergio Marchionne, the man who lives by the phrase “business casual”, will still retain control of the Fiat/Chrysler monolith.

Lest we forget that Fiat itself is also a car brand, and somebody needs to oversee the Fiat car lineup. For that job, Andrea Formica (center) has been named as the CEO of Fiat cars. After doing stints at Toyota and Ford, Formica has been given the job, along with having to manage sales for Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Chrysler’s European division. Formica’s predecessor, Lorenzo Sistino, has been moved to head up Fiat’s International Operations.

Hit the jump to read the official press release

[Source: Fiat]

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You know the saying, “if it’s on the Internet it must be true”. Well, here’s a Wikipedia-grade bit of info we still felt compelled to publish. A member over at the Teamspeed forums has heard about a Porsche GT3RS Limited Edition that would boast a 4.0L with 500-bhp, with a production of 500 units.

Now our initial reaction is that Porsche may be getting a little out of control with their 997 models and spreading themselves too thin. But on the other hand, it’s a smart business decision. Any limited edition Porsche is bound to be snapped up in a matter of minutes.

One member on Teamspeed even thinks it might be a GT3 Hybrid, similar to the 911 GT3.R Hybrid? With Ferrari going a little green with their next Enzo, it’s not such a far off idea.

[Source: Teamspeed]

Lamborghini continues to feed us bits and pieces of information ahead of the Paris Auto Show, with their recent shot of a ten cylinder powerplant. Many people assumed that it was the Murcielago replacement, known as the Jota, but the V10 arrangement threw off many observers.

Now comes another round of teasers for an supposedly smaller product, that might replace the Gallardo. We’re not 100% sure what the new car could be, but with the Gallardo having been on the market since 2003, it might be time for a new baby Lambo.

Gallery: Lamborghini Preview

[Source: Lamborghini]

Let’s cut through the marketing fluff; the BMW 6-Series Concept is a concept car in name only. If this car doesn’t accurately preview BMW’s next large coupe, we will eat our collective hats.

Taking strong cues from the BMW Gran Coupe concept, the next 6 looks like an evolution of current BMW design themes, including the weird looking front ends designed to comply with European pedestrian safety standards. The interior looks like a warmer, more inviting place, with organic shapes and wood replacing the hard lines and aluminum trim of the current BMWs.

Expect the brand’s turbocharged six and eight cylinder engines to give the car some oomph, with a range topping 550 horsepower M V8 in the new M6. The production car will be in dealers in the 2012 calender year.

Check out AutoGuide’s coverage of the BMW 6-Series Concept at the Paris Auto Show

Gallery: BMW 6-Series Concept

Audi looks set to debut an e-Tron Spyder at this year’s Paris Auto Show despite the poorly translated name. The sketches were originally released on a French website, and from our high-school level knowledge of the language, we gather that…no substantial details are out yet.

Think of this car as the Spyder version of the e-Tron concept – same internals, but with the capacity for people to gawk at your comb over blowing in the wind. We’ll be on hand for its debut, until then, sit tight.

Gallery: Audi e-Tron Spyder

[Source: Caradisiac]

Ford CEO Alan Mulally told an audience that he finds it difficult to justify the cost of composite materials like carbon fiber, and that steel and alloys still have a place in automotive production.

“We cannot make a business case for composites in the auto industry,” Mulally, formerly CEO of Boeing, said after a speed at the Wings Club aviation forum in New York.  Boeing was a pioneer of composite material on their airliners, including the 787 jumbo jet.

Mulally cited the cost of ovens needed to bake carbon fiber and other composites as exceedingly expensive, and difficult to justify financially.

[Source: NASDAQ]