Audi‘s long-rumored S1 hot hatch will not be coming to Paris. Instead, Audi has elected to take the guts of what likely would have been an S1, and package it in a more discrete wrapper, creating the Audi A1 1.4TFSI in its place.

The A1 1.4TFSI still looks aggressive, with beefier wheels and stark white paint, but the mechanical bits are the same as the Volkswagen Polo GTI. The A1 actually gets a bit more power, putting down 185 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, with power getting to the ground via a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. An S-Line bodykit and bigger wheels help set it apart from lesser A1s, while straying from the Polo GTI’s boy-racer image.

If imported here, the A1 would cost about $31,000, far too much for a small car to retail for in North America. In the mean time, we can dream, and we will try to get as close to it as humanly possible when we cover its debut at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.

[Source: Carscoop]

Lotus has just revealed what it claims is just the start of a “new era” for the historic British sports car maker; a 612-hp supercar dubbed the Elite. Output comes from a 5.0-liter V8 (likely sourced from the Lexus IS-F), but rather than that car’s 400+ horsepower number, the Elite makes an incredible 612-hp at 531 ft-lbs of torque.

Lotus will officially take the wraps off its new flagship model at the Paris Auto Show on September 30th, where it will also showcase several other new models.

This 2+2 seater (based on a modified version of the Evora platform) will also be available with a KERS-style hybrid system that allows for added boosts of electric power. That power will be stored in a battery pack and created by converting the heat from braking into energy.

Also of note, Lotus will offer the car with a retractable hardtop.

“Make no mistake, there’s a definite market requirement for the Elite,” said Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, “it’s the ultimate sports car feel with comfort and space. There will always be those who believe that Lotus should stick to small sports cars but we didn’t take the decision to design something like the Elite lightly, it’s based on months of careful research and planning. It’s worth noting this sector has been very successful for us in the past and now the Elite raises the benchmark higher still.”

Those interested in owning the new Lotus supercar will have to be patient, however, as Lotus promises it won’t be for sale until the Spring of 2014.

GALLERY: Lotus Elite

Official release after the jump:

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Thanks to leaked documents from the recent Chrysler dealer meeting we have the official output numbers for the 2011 Dodge Challenger. Of note are the base-model V6 and top dog SRT8 with big power increases.

On the V6 side, the Challenger gets Chrysler’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar motor with 305-hp and 268 ft-lbs of torque – an increase of 50-hp and 18 ft-lbs.

The mid-range 5.7-liter HEMI V8 gets a slight bump of 7-hp and 10 ft-lbs for totals of 379-hp and 410 ft-lbs.

As for the SRT8, well, it gets a larger 6.4-liter V8 that Dodge has targeted against the Shelby GT500 – which seems like a long shot. The new HEMI is rated at 475-hp and 460 ft-lbs, an increase of 50-hp and 40 ft-lbs.

That’s way off the Shelby’s 550-hp number, but there’s a real chance this engine is underrated as Dodge brand CEO Ralph Gilles reportedly told dealers the car would hit 60-mph in under 4 seconds – a reduction of as much as a second compared to the current SRT8.

GALLERY: 2011 Dodge Challenger Brochure

[Source: Ontario Street Car via Autoblog]

Mercedes parent company Daimler AG is in talks with Toyota over using the Japanese automaker’s hybrid technology. If a deal is struck, it would see Toyota provide Daimler with electric motors, batteries and technology.

Toyota has declined to comment on the report but has reiterated an earlier stance that it will consider requests from other automakers in search of its hybrid technology. Toyota already provides hybrid technology to Nissan, Mazda and Ford.

A hybrid deal between the two automakers would help Toyota cut production costs of its hybrid vehicles through economies of scale.

The arrangement is rumored to be a part of a larger partnership between the Japanese and German auto-giants that could see both parties work together on on fuel-cell technology as well.

[Source: Yahoo]

It’s always great to get some good new regarding traffic. And this recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) falls into the good new category – they say that the number of fatalities on America’s highways is at its lowest level since 1950.

Compared to 2008, deaths caused by vehicle collisions fell by 9.2 percent last year. The fatality rate has dropped to 1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled as of 2009. The NHTSA credits both seat-belt use and campaigns to combat drunk driving for the decline.

Also decreasing in numbers are motorcycle fatalities. The Detroit News reports that these types of accidents have decreased by 16 percent compared to 2009. This drop is the first to happen in over 10 years, but no one is quite sure why that is.

Even though those numbers look pretty good, the NHTSA thinks we can still do better. In 2009, more than 30,000 people died and over 2.4 million people were injured in traffic collisions. There’s always room for improvement.

[Source: Detroit News and Automotive News]

For those who got their hands on a limited edition Land Rover Range Rover Sport Autobiography, Kahn Design has just put together a tuning package for you. Already bored of the 510-hp from the supercharged 5.0L V8 engine? Turn over to Kahn Design and get that bumped up to 600-hp. Plus, Kahn also offers a 10-piece body kit, making your limited edition vehicle even more special.

Kahn’s RS600 kit adds 90-hp to the Range Rover Sport Autobiography courtesy a “performance upgrade” – which we think is just code-speak for an ECU retune. A Project Kahn Super Sound exhaust is also bolted on for a deep rumble and probably contributes to the 90-hp increase.

On the outside is an extensive 10-piece body kit, transforming the visuals of the Range Rover Sport Autobiography to something much more aggressive and sporty. But the luxury remains inside, with a quilted leather interior, glove box and dashboard. The steering wheel and gear shift are also reupholstered in leather. And to make things a little more exciting, the gauge cluster receives an electric blue treatment.

Finishing off the entire package is fancy set of Kahn 22-inch RS wheels with tires. No pricing is mentioned, but we’re guessing if you got your hands on this limited edition luxury SUV, you can easily toss a few tens of thousands of dollars towards personalizing your autobiography.

GALLERY: Kahn Design Range Rover RS600

Official press release available after the break.

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The folks at Wrecked Magazine have started/elaborated on the rumor that Titan Motorsports would be turning towards drifting for 2011. With their dominance in sport compact drag racing and their expertise in all things horsepower and motorsports, it wouldn’t be a surprise that Titan would get their hands dirty in some sideways action. So instead of just hunting around, we went straight to our insider source at Titan Motorsports to get some of the details.

We expected to hear that Titan is working on a RWD-converted 2011 Scion tC sporting a 2JZ powerplant, given Titan Motorsports’ relationship with Scion in drag racing and their expertise with Supra tuning. Instead we’ve been informed that while Scion hasn’t completely shut the door on the deal, but they aren’t looking to add a third car to the series.

Titan is, however, looking to get involved and did confirm that they’re in talks with a current top 16 drifter. Our guess would be Frederick Aasbo, a Supra drifting expert. Even though Titan hasn’t confirmed that they’ll even be running a Toyota, our guess is they’ll still want to end up wit ha 2JZ in whatever they work with. That is unless an opposing OE manufacturer is willing to step in. Titan did confirm that they are open to various manufacturers if Toyota or Scion decide not to be involved.

So in summary? Titan Motorsports is definitely interested in getting into Formula Drift competition for 2011, but has no confirmed plans on driver or car. They are currently exploring manufacturer and tire support and while they’d love to continue building their relationship with Toyota and Scion, they are opened to exploring new platforms as well.

Ever wondered what it takes to fully assemble a GT3 race car? Now’s your chance to find out. Team West Coast Racing put together a really nifty video, consolidating over 600 man hours into just 3 minutes of 39 seconds

The video starts with a bare chassis that arrived from BMW Motorsport, with everything else in pieces. Team West Coast Racing from Sweden then takes their time assembling the entire car and we get a great insider’s look of all the intricate work and details put into a proper race car.

One thing we did find odd is how the majority of the work is done by one person and one person only, which we guess is understandable so that everything is done properly and at least someone is responsible if something goes awry.

Make sure to hit the jump to watch the video – if you’ve got 3 minutes and 39 seconds to spare.

[Source: Jalopnik]

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With Bentley’s release of the 2011 Continental GT, one can safely assume that a refresh on the Flying Spur is around the corner. So if you’re one of those owners “stuck” with the current generation Flying Spur and don’t want to look out-of-date when Bentley inevitably releases the new generation, Wald International has released their Black Bison styling package for you.

Even though Wald International is mostly known for their subtle, yet clean, lip kits – especially on luxury cars – their Black Bison line offers a more aggressive look. It comes with full front and rear bumper replacements, new side skirts and spoilers for the trunk and windows visors. The front bumper is outfitted with LED running lights and larger opening vents, giving it quite the aggressive style.

We’ve actually thought that the Flying Spur’s styling has been outdated for quite some time now, especially when its luxury sedan counterparts (Porsche Panamera) sweeping in. But Wald’s rendition is luxurious, yet sporty and we wouldn’t mind being stuck with it if we really had to.

GALLERY: Wald International Black Bison Bentley Continental Flying Spur

Road Race Motorsports (RRM) has just announced that it is offering a ton of accessories for the Suzuki Kizashi, transforming it from a mundane commuter car to a  brilliant performance sedan that actually looks pretty good. And for those already rolling their eyes about it being a Suzuki, RRM is throwing down 300-hp (as opposed to the factory’s boring 185-hp) and the car actually doesn’t look bad.

RRM claims that there has already been huge interest in the modified Kizashi worldwide, and that their packages will be available in select dealers worldwide. You can also purchase the vehicle complete as you see it, though that will be in limited quantities and in probably less dealers than the packages.

But for those currently rocking a Kizashi and looking to spice it up, RRM has a base performance package that helps put out over 200-hp, or the turbocharged version that ushers in 300-hp. Suspension packages will be available in three different setups and our guess is that stage 1 will be lowering springs with stage 2 and 3 being coilovers with varying spring rates and adjustability in addition to swaybars and chassis braces.

For aesthetics, RRM will offer two or three dress up packages. The wheels are available in 18- or 19-inch sizes, with the offsets cast specifically for the Kizashi platform.

GALLERY: Road Race Motorsports Platinum Edition Suzuki Kizashi

Read AutoGuide’s Suzuki Kizashi Review by Clicking Here

Official press release available after the break.

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