Hyundai has unveiled a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, dubbed the Tuscon iX FCEV, that will allow the automaker to explore another area of alternative fuel technology.

With a total range of 403 miles (up from 230 previously), the Tuscon has some fairly good legs compared to the electric vehicles current marketed. Hyundai has also reduced the space needed to store hydrogen by 20 percent, and the vehicle gets an equivalent rating of 72 mpg. Hyundai also replaced the previous super capacitor system with a 21kw battery, which is credited with the bump in fuel economy.

[Source: LeftLane News]

A Canadian BMW dealership is offering what might very well be the world’s best job – especially if you’re a fan of BMWs. Endras BMW, located just outside Toronto, Canada is now accepting applications for a year-long social media position. The title: Ultimate Blogger.

To become the Ultimate Blogger, Endras is looking for a serious BMW nut. What the lucky individual will land is a $65,000 year-long contract, a one-year lease of a BMW and a condo in downtown Toronto, plus travel to international destinations. (In the past Endras has taken clients to the Nurburgring!)

As the Ultimate Blogger, this winning candidate will cover BMW news for the dealership, run the Facebook page, Twitter account and more.

There is, however, a catch. Considering the tremendous number of BMW fans that are certain to apply, getting the job won’t be easy and applicants will have to prove their worth using their social media skills. Entrants will be required to submit a 200 word statement proving just how ‘connected’ they are. The top 20 chosen will then have just 48 hours to shoot and produce a video highlighting their ‘obsession with performance.’ The top 10 videos with the most votes will then move on to the final interview stage.

Click here to enter by April 1st.

And yes, Endras BMW is accepting applications internationally.

See after the jump for a video on the Ultimate Blogger job:

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After a wildly enthusiastic reception to the Ram Runner, the dune-bashing variant of the Ram pickup, Chrysler engineers have decided to go back to the drawing board and make the upgrade kit street legal, giving Ram loyalists a weapon against the Ford F-150 Raptor.

While any stock Ram 1500 can be used as a basis, the parts used will have more in common with Baja race trucks than anything seen on the street. The vehicle is so wide that special side markets have been mandated by the government. Track is widened by 3 inches in the front and 6 inches in the rear, while special Fox shocks, new control arms and widened fenders are just some of the modifications made for the Ram Runner.

Buyers can purchase a complete package, or the individual bits to upgrade their truck over time. Chrysler is looking at making a factory version but stated that “If we did, we would use a [second stage] partner to build the trucks.”

[Source: PickupTucks.com]

When your kids are driving you up the wall, give them a toy that will keep them busy and entertained for hours. There’s a new remote control Cars 2 toy that your kids can drive up the walls instead.

The Zero Gravity Finn McMissile car (a new character in the form of a spyster whip that will be starring in the Cars 2 movie and voiced by Michael Caine) doesn’t let a little thing like a wall stand in its way. It goes from the floor to the wall without breaking a sweat.

You can pick one up in May for $35. Until then, you’ll just have to find other ways to occupy the kids. You can watch it in action after the jump.

[Source: Gizmodo]

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De Tomaso is back! But not with the Pantera, arguably the company’s most legendary model. No, the troubled Italian company, constantly flirting with bankruptcy and liquidation and angry customers, has introduced for Geneva the SLC, a Pininfarina-designed crossover in the mold of the BMW 5-Series GT.

Unfortunately, the overall effort is underwhelming; the oddly-proportioned car has a gaping mouth, de rigueur of so many modern cars, the rear end of a Dodge Avenger, and the side profile cachet of your neighbor’s Lexus IS. It’s certainly not compelling enough to make us excited for the revival of a company that gave us the Mangusta, the box-flared Longchamp, and Elvis’s bullet-ridden Pantera.

The “Sports Luxury Car,” as it’s imaginatively called for now, will sport three engines: a V6 diesel, a 300-horsepower V6, and a high performance V8 with 500+ horsepower. At that rate, it should be able to outrun its own looks.

Ultimately, the company wants to find 3000 buyers per year for the SLC, at $135,000 to $175,000 when it goes on sale at the end of this year. We wish them well, because sales of the SLC will fund the development of a more traditional sedan and a coupe–which will then bring back the De Tomaso we remember so fondly.

[Source: Car Advice]

StarTech, a division of Brabus, is bringing performance and design options for Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles this side of the Atlantic. And if parent company Brabus is any indication, the results will be wild.

Or, maybe not as much. So far StarTech’s available packages are larger wheels, suspension lowering and interior trim. The company has just established itself in Irvine, CA, and already has appearance packages for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, including the company’s signature Monostar IV alloy wheels, full leather interiors, and custom luggage.

There are no twin-turbo 700-horsepower V12 Rockets just yet for the British marques. But StarTech plans to unveil a customized Jaguar XJ at the Geneva show next month which may have some surprises.

[Source: Autoweek]

Specifically designed for VIPs with good taste, Audi has announced an armored version of their lengthened luxury sedan. Dubbed the Audi A8 L Security, the strengthened sedan offers state-of-the-art modifications to protect against virtually any attack.

The A8 L Security is powered by a 6.3L W12 powerplant, pushing out 494-hp and 461 ft-lbs of torque which helps just a tad to combat against the added weight of the armoring. On the outside, the Security has received hot-formed armored steel, multilayer glass that has been polycarbonate-coated, reinforced side sills and tons of aramide fabric. All the interior armoring adds an additional 1,587 lbs while the window modifications bring on another 1,455 lbs. But hey, it’s a small price to pay to protect yourself against AK-47s and hand grenades.

Options to the A8 L Security range from the obvious to the ridiculous. An emergency exit system can be added, using pyrotechnic charges to blast open the doors, while fire protection system can be aimed the wheels, underbody, fuel tank and engine if needed. While those seem to be fairly acceptable precautions, an emergency fresh-air system is a bit startling. The system utilizes pressurized oxygen to ensure passengers can save themselves during chemical or gas attacks.

Not enough for you? Well, an LED signaling system, a siren and two-way communication (to talk to people outside the vehicle without lowering the windows) will also be available.

Naturally the A8 L sedan is still a luxury vehicle, so its interior options are plentiful ranging from a refrigerator to a relaxation seat equipped with heating, massage and power-adjustable footrest.

No pricing has been announced for the A8 L Security yet, but honestly can you put a price tag on peace of mind?

Official press release available after the break.

GALLERY: Audi A8 L Security

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There are few places in the world where you can get a 5.7-liter V8 for the price of a well-equipped Civic Hybrid. But Chrysler has appealed to cheap truck fans with the Ram Adventurer, a base-model Ram 1500 with the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 for the low, low price of $23,830.

Get ‘em before they’re gone, folks! The Adventurer name dates back to Chrysler history, specifically that of the 1956 DeSoto Adventurer. And despite the price, it is well-equipped: the truck gets body-colored grilles and bumpers, fog lights, and 20-inch wheels. There are trailer hitches, spray-on bedliners, and chrome bits available as options, and buyers can choose between short cab, regular bed, two-wheel or four-wheel drive models.

It will be available in the spring alongside the Tradesman, another entry-level truck that was shown at the Chicago show. At a price of under $25,000, we doubt they won’t last long on dealer lots.

[Source: Autoweek]

When Volkswagen announced a few years ago, that they would give Chrysler the contract to build a minivan based on the Town and Country,it took auto fans by surprise. Afterall, in Europe, VW has its own minivan, a vehicle that was previously sold here in one form or another as the Eurovan.

The Routan was not much different from the Town and Country, even sharing the same mechanicals. It was also more expensive and lacked the ‘Stow and Go’ seating that made the Chrysler vans such a hit.

Last year, VW sold just 15,961 Routan’s and it seems its days are now numbered. Jonathan Browning, the CEO of Volkswagen Group of America has recently said “Volkswagen has not decided on whether to offer a minivan after its contract with the Chrysler Group expires in about two years.”

Browning has also thwarted the idea of entering the U.S.-made 2012 Passat in NASCAR, saying “it’s not something we are looking at.”  They do however plan on building 150,000 Passat sedans per year out of the Chattanooga, TN. plant. These American-made Passats will be on sale in Canada, Mexico, Korea and possibly even the Middle East once production starts in August.

[Source: CNET]

Now that Eminem has made both Detroit and driving a Chrysler cool again, the automaker is capitalizing on the new found popularity that its Super Bowl ad has delivered.

You can now own your very own “Imported From Detroit” T-shirt, courtesy of Chrysler. Even if you’re not really from the Motor City, you can still make a fashion statement. Adorned with the retro graphic and tag line, these shirts are available in grey and black, and retail for $29.99 (the price doesn’t include your very own gospel choir backing you up… but how cool would that be?). And of course, the T-shirts are made in the USA.

[Source:  Kicking Tires]

Get your T-Shirt HERE