A report from Britain’s Autocar magazine is claiming that BMW‘s Megacity electric car will exceed the Nissan Leaf’s sticker price of £23,350 (or about $37,000 USD) due to both the advanced technology used on the Megacity and BMW‘s premium positioning.

The Megacity will have a number of groundbreaking features; an aluminum chassis that will resist corrosion, a passenger compartment made of carbon fiber and an electric motor with a 1-speed gearbox. One benefit of the Megacity is that the significantly smaller number of parts will make production more efficient, but the savings will not be passed onto consumers. “BMW is a premium product and electric mobility will not be cheap,”said Autocar’s source.

[Source: Autocar]

After suffering significantly in the recent recession, Jaguar Land Rover, like a lot of automakers, learned a few lessons and intends to put into practice a new product strategy that would help protect the company in the future.

While it’s not official, judging from JLR’s moves so far, the three key aspects of the new plan are to introduce high-volume models, further down-market, while sharing R&D costs.

According to Jaguar Land Rover spokesman Stuart Schorr, this would include, “expansion of our portfolio from the current eight models over the next five years, including at least two new models, as well as a number of new body styles and a broader range of engines and technologies.”

The Range Rover Evoque is the first of two certain models, while Schorr indicates that a roadster model (smaller than the XK) is a likely possibility for the next vehicle.

While far from committal, Schorr does admit that rumored additions to the Jaguar range include an XF wagon, an entry-level sports sedan and a crossover.

A Jaguar crossover, based on the new Range Rover Evoque platform, would meet all of the requirements for Jag’s strategy; being a high-volume entry-level model that would be easy to engineer, using the same platform and 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. Such a model (with AWD) would also help grow the Jaguar brand in key areas, like the Northern U.S. and in emerging markets where poor roads are a way of life.

As you can see from our rendering, the new Evoque chassis can be made to work quite nicely with Jaguar’s design characteristics.

According to recent reports, execs at Jaguar Land Rover are still debating the project and the one hang-up would be the product similarity with Land Rover.

Even if it does go ahead, don’t expect to see anything immediately, with the Jaguar roadster likely to arrive next. A BMW 3 Series rival would seem like the obvious next model, but given how easy development of a Jaguar crossover would be, JLR may look to the soft-roaders soon.

Rumored for some time now, MINI is set to introduce a rival to the Golf GTD in Europe at the Geneva Auto Show.

Powered by a 2.0-liter BMW turbo-diesel, the car should make around 143-hp and a more robust 225 ft-lbs of torque.

But there’s more.

MINI will reportedly introduce the more potent diesel powerplan in all of its models in Geneva, meaning you’ll be able to get the convertible, Clubman and Countryman with this same engine.

Styling for the cars is expected to stay similar to the S models, as will much of the content, with MINI promoting the new line as performance diesels.

[Source: MotoringFile]

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 Geneva Auto Show Preview here.

The top is down, the wind is whipping though your hair – man, nothing beats riding in a convertible on a sunny day. We’re sorry to be the ones to burst this little bubble of Zen, but there’s a new report out that says high-speed driving while in a convertible can be hazardous to your hearing.

Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. It’s those kill-joys over at the St. Louis University School of Medicine and the Ear Institute of Texas. A recent study released by the researchers there have found serious hearing loss can occur you drive at speeds of 55 mph or more in a convertible.

To conduct their study, researchers used five different makes and models of convertibles: a 2009 Saturn Sky 2.0 Turbo, 2004 Nissan 350Z, 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera 4, 2005 Saab Aero Convertible, and 2005 Ford Mustang GT Convertible. They found that when driving at speeds of 55 mph with the top down, 80 percent of the tests recorded maximum sound readings greater than 85 decibels. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health says that this is a dangerous level if exposure is lasting.

So what’s the solution? If you’re taking an extended road trip with the top down, keep your speed below 55 mph or keep the roof up. Your ears will thank you.

[Source: Motor Authority]

The future of Mitsubishi in America is tied very closely to its production facility in Normal, Ill. Having suffered significantly in the market over the past several years (sales for 2010 were just 55,683 units compared to 345,111 in 2002), the Japanese automaker is planning a shakeup.

According to Automotive News, Mitsubishi will build vehicles based on the Lancer/Outlander platform at the Normal, Ill. facility in two years time. As a result, the current models being built there could get the axe entirely. They include the Galant, Endeavor, Eclipse and Eclipse Spyder.

Once the core of Mitsubishi’s sales, these models have failed to keep up with the times, lacking significant updates, as well as more advanced technology, equipment and design. A mid-sized car like the Galant is, however, key to success in the U.S. market and so it’s unlikely the automaker will abandon that segment entirely.

[Source: Automotive News]

Lagging behind both Ford and General Motors when it comes to bringing hybrids to market, Chrysler will introduce an electrified version of its flagship 300 sedan for 2013.

The 2013 Chrysler 300 hybrid will get a new 8-speed automatic transmission and it’s believed the hybrid system will rely on the company’s new Pentastar V6 engine. Apart from the HEMI V8 not being a wise choice for a hybrid, the Pentastar V6 is currently used across the Chrysler family in numerous vehicles, giving the automaker the ability to offer hybrid versions of almost any model it sells.

Chrysler’s last hybrid models were slow sellers and eventually were canceled when the automaker filed for bankruptcy.

[Source: Automotive News via Motorward]

For years, Hirsch Performance out of Switzerland has been producing tuner parts for Saabs. The parts weren’t just for looks either as they also increased the performance of these cars.

This partnership has just gotten serious, as Saab has now announced that Hirsch Performance will be its official performance parts supplier, and these parts for the first time will also be available in America. So come spring-time, you can go to your local Saab dealer and order items to upgrade your 2007-2011 model 9-3 and 2010-2011 model 9-5.

Upgrades include new engine mapping, aero kits, spoilers, wheels, suspension tuning, exhaust upgrades and even interior trimmings. These upgrades will be performed by Saab dealers and will not affect the warranty in any way.

Pricing has not been announced yet, but that will follow in a few months time.

[Source: Autoblog]

Due to overwhelming demand, not to mention lackluster sales for the original hybrid version, Honda will bring to market its CR-Z turbo model, possibly as early as this year.

Facing new competition from the Hyundai Veloster, and aiming to offer something in line with higher-performance versions of the MINI Cooper, the CR-Z turbo will reportedly be available in two performance levels. A 160-hp model will offer added grunt, whole a 200-hp version will top the line. Both cars will use a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine.

At last year’s SEMA Show, Honda displayed a CR-Z Hybrid R Concept (above), using a 1.5-liter turbocharged and hybrid engine to deliver as much as 200-hp.

The current CR-Z makes 122-hp and 128 ft-lbs of torque.

If Honda is able to move ahead on the project as fast as it’s believed they want to, we could see a debut of the car before the end of the year at the Tokyo Auto Show.

[Source: AutoCar]

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Honda CR-Z Review Here

In a bid to capitalize on the publicity surrounding this year’s Australia Grand Prix Formula 1 event, Lexus will hold the world’s first hybrid only race.

The field will be made up exclusively of CT200h models, just as Lexus introduces the car to the Aussie market. Aiming to change the perception that hybrids are only for the ultra-granolas, Lexus Australia exec Peter Evans hopes to send a message that the company’s latest hybrid can also deliver fun behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, while companies like Porsche are pushing forward with real hybrid race technology in cars like the 918 RSR, this Lexus race is really just a publicity stunt and the field of drivers will be made up of celebrities. There will, however, be some sports open to regular folks, with every customer who purchases a CT200h entered into a draw to compete

[Source: Carsguide.com.au]

Get more Lexus CT200h news and info at CT200hForum.com

And Read AutoGuide’s review of the CT200h here

In the world of hood ornaments, Rolls Royce has possibly the most ostentatious decoration of them all, and this year it’s turning 100-years old.

While Rolls Royce started doing business in 1904, the “Spirit of Ecstasy” (also referred to as the ‘Flying Lady’) didn’t make it’s first appearance atop a Rolls Royce’s radiator grille until 1911. Since then, it has been a fixture on every single model produced by the company.

For the model year 2011, each ornament will have the inscription of “Ecstasy Centenary” on the base of each statue.

To further mark this centenary, Rolls-Royce will be hosting plenty of events throughout the year, starting with a parade through London on February 6th, to honor Charles Sykes, who designed the Spirit of Ecstasy and registered it on this date.

The parade will feature 100 Rolls Royce’s of different ages and models, and on route they will pass by Conduit Street and Berkeley Square, the old and new homes of the brand.

Also expect celebrations at various auto shows and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, after all Goodwood estates has been the new manufacturing home of Rolls Royce Motor Cars since 2003.

So congratulations Spirit of Ecstasy on this milestone, may you live to see a 100 more.