After the launch of the Porsche Cayenne S, another hybrid model is set to bow from Germany’s most famous sports car manufacturer, though details are scant. With the 918 RSR concept car and 911 GT3R hybrid race car making waves, we’d bet that a Panamera Hybrid is on deck, as it’s the next logical step in a world that’s not quite ready for a 911 Hybrid street car.

While the 911 Black Edition, Boxster S Black Edition and 918 RSR will also be on the Porsche stand at the Geneva Auto Show, the new hybrid will undoubtedly be one of the show’s superstars, and you can find complete coverage over at AutoGuide’s Geneva Auto Show page.

Hit the jump to see the official press release

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With the Ford Ranger having left the building, General Motors is capitalizing on the death of a legend by going full steam ahead with the development of their next compact pickups, which will replace the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

While the Ranger will be sold in markets across the globe, save for the United States, the GM twins will be developed as a world platform, with General Motors leveraging the expertise of their divisions in Thailand, which is a significant market for small trucks. Of course, the trucks will have to be built Stateside, since imported trucks are subject to extraordinary duties thanks to the infamous “chicken tax“.

Of course, Toyota and Nissan still make a compact truck, but we can see the appeal of a domestic alternative for a large section of the market. GM had originally planned to kill off their small truck twins, but the recent change of events seems to have made them re-consider their plans.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

The Porsche Boxster E will begin trials in Germany, marking the German sports car maker’s first foray into performance EVs. With the Boxster’s chassis dynamics firmly established, the 240 horsepower electric-powered roadster should provide formidable competition to cars like the Tesla Roadster.

Porsche says that acceleration is comparable to the Boxster S, which can sprint to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. Three cars have been built as mobile testbeds for EV technology for both Porsche and the Volkswagen group at large. Considering how much we fun we had behind the wheel of the Tesla, we’re sure that a Boxster, mated to the instant thrust of an electric powertrain, will be an absolute riot.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Taking a page from the Ford Mustang playbook, GM is set to launch a torrent of Chevrolet Camaro special editions on a bi-annual basis. After the Camaro ZL1 will be a special edition Camaro based on the car set to appear in the newest Transformers movie, followed by a replica Indy 500 pace car, and then a Camaro Synergy model, which will give V6 buyers all of the V8s performance upgrades sans the small-block mill – sort of like the previous Camaro RS models.

Those new models should carry the car through to 2014, but after that, it’s anyones guess. While so many variants may prove to be distracting, it’s also a cost effective way to keep the Camaro fresh long after the novelty of the car has worn off, and “early adopters” have snapped up the car during the initial excitement.

[Source: Automotive News]

Despite our initial reservations, we grew to adore the Nissan Juke, even though it’s styling could politely be described as “interesting”. Whether the Infiniti Etherea concept will do the same is a question only time can answer, but so far we’re not quite as enthusiastic about the concept car’s looks than Infiniti might like us to be.

Designed as a preview to the entry-level Infiniti set to debut by next year, the Etherea is about 4 inches longer than a Nissan Versa, but will obviously be targeting a much different market. With size-conscious Europe requiring any luxury player to field a compact, the Etherea is a crucial product for Infiniti, but evidently there’s still some work to be done for its production ready.

[Source: Infiniti]

Gallery: Infiniti Etherea

Gumpert might not be a household name, but car enthusiasts everywhere know and respect their Apollo – and have a healthy fear for its capabilities. If only it looked as good as it performed.

The Apollo might not be pretty from any angle, but its performance on the track is almost unrivaled. Now it seems that Gumpert is about to introduce a car that would be more focused to cross continents rather than the finish-line at a race track.

The new model is called the Tornante and it will be introduced to the public for the first time at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

This new model is built in partnership with Touring Superleggera, an Italian coach-building firm. They are the ones largely responsible for its styling. Powering this new car is an Audi-sourced 4.2-liter, twin-turbo, V8, rumoured to be putting out 700-hp. The six-speed TT40e gearbox (same as in the Apollo) will now feature paddles to shift gear rather than a gear lever.

More details will emerge at the car’s launch, so watch this space.

(Source: Autoblog)

The original Lancia Stratos was a very successful rally car, but the car’s continued popularity undoubtedly stems from its stunning body and its Ferrari engine.

Fast forward nearly 40 years since the first Stratos was produced, and a new Stratos has come among us. This one too has a Ferrari engine and even the underpinnings of the Ferrari F430 as its basis.

While the original was designed by the design house of Bertone, the new Stratos is penned by Pininfarina.

Interestingly, the new Stratos has no direct Lancia link. The prototype was commissioned by Michael Stoschek, a German businessman who loved the Stratos and wanted a modern interpretation of it.

While the new Stratos was supposed to have been a one-off, it now seems  that 40 people have come forward who want one of their own. According to reports, this 540-hp supercar will cost around $545,000 (or just over $10,000 per horsepower). For that price, the donor F430 is included.

So if you’ve got the means and the desire to own a modern day Stratos, join the queue.

(Source: Carscoop)

Fred Diaz, current President and CEO of Chrysler’s Ram truck division has gone on the record as saying that beyond government funded programs, Hybrids are not part of the brand’s strategy moving forward.

“Truckers don’t want to buy Hybrids,” he said. “We need to be an position to address higher fuel economy standards, just not with plug-in Hybrids.”

Chrysler originally announced that it would be working on a Hybrid Ram as far back as a decade ago and indeed, plans were put in place to offer one as part of the 2011 model year lineup. However last year, the company decided it was terminating said plans, though it will continue to pursue a government funded program for a plug-in version, thanks to a $48 million dollar grant it received from the Feds.

Said plug-in truck will use a 12 watt lithium-ion Super-Polymer battery system that will allow the vehicle to run a distance of up to 20 miles on electric propulsion, with a version of the ubiquitous 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 used as the gas engine to extend the truck’s range. As part of the program, Chrysler will deliver up to 140 Hybrid Rams for commercial use, beginning this summer.

However, beyond that, no further development on Hybrids will continue at Ram, though Diaz does expect data gleaned from the government program to prove useful down the road. The division expects to take away some “learning about technology,” from the program  he said.

[Source: Plug-In Cars]

It’s been about 20 years or so since you could get a carburetor on a mainstream passenger car, but that hasn’t stopped NASCAR from being the final holdout. For the last 47 years, stock cars have relied on carburetors to supply fuel to their pushrod V-8s.

Now that’s finally set to change. Beginning next year, the Sprint Cup will officially embrace fuel injection, with plans to have EFI motors installed and ready in time for the 2012 season opener at Daytona. In order to make it all happen, NASCAR is partnering with McLaren Electronic Systems (yes, part of the UK based McLaren Group of F1 fame).

McLaren will supply the ECUs for Sprint Cup engines, with a company called Freescale providing the actual processors. The electronic fuel injection system, software and calibrations all have to be approved by NASCAR before use and the organization has invested in special tools for testing the systems to ensure legality at all races during the course of the season.

Given political pressure placed on motorsports organizations to improve efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint, it was only a matter of time before NASCAR made some concessions – replacing carburetors with EFI systems is seen by many as a logical move.

In recent statements, both Ford Motorsports and Toyota Racing Development said they welcomed the change –  Ford’s Jamie Allison saying “we think it’s important that both the cars and technology in NASCAR are more closely related to production cars.”

TRD’s Lee White, echoed similar opinions also stating that from Toyota’s standpoint the benefits of adopting fuel injection “far outweigh the potential costs.”

Eight companies were originally asked to submit bids for NASCAR EFI systems, with McLaren selected as a winner from three finalists, the others were Bosch and Marelli.

Given NASCAR’s huge fan base, especially in the US, it will be interesting to see how the 2012 season pans out, though efficiency benefits or not, chairman Brian France perhaps summed it best when referring to the new move.

“We’re on a steady march to more technology in the cars, which is historically unlike us in some respects, provided that it doesn’t burden the teams with additional costs that don’t translate to our fan base,” he said. However, more importantly  an even bigger reason for adopting technology such as EFI, “is to make sure that it makes racing better.”

[Source: Fox Sports]

If you’ve ever wondered how much you’ll pay for auto insurance over a lifetime, we’ve got a number for you, and if you don’t want to get depressed, you may want to avert your eyes.

According to Insurance.com, the average American can expect to pay $84,388 for car insurance over a lifetime. For the purposes of this study, that would be a driver who first purchased insurance at age 21, married at 27, briefly insured two teens and stopped driving at age 75. Over this lifespan, it also includes various claims, including accidents and other incidents.

Just for reference, here’s some other costs per lifetime you can expect to shell out:

Athletic shoes at one pair annually (ages 16-75): $2,737.01 for males, $2,597.18 for females

Pet insurance for one dog (12 years): $4,766

Trip to Disney World for a family of four: $5,026

Four years of college: $30,420

NYC monthly subway pass (ages 16 to 75): $63,012

New car every seven years (ages 22 to75): $150,065.71

If you’re looking to lower your lifetime insurance costs, there are a few easy steps to take. And according to Sandra Spann, a spokeswoman for American Family Insurance, to key to driving down your lifetime insurance costs is to “Obey the traffic laws and stay ticket-free.”

[Source: Insurance.com]