Last year, some American car companies looked to their government for financial help to keep them afloat and use the money to develop new products. Some of them have actually used the money properly and produced some decent new models.

Over in the U.K., Lotus is looking at the British government to help out in the same capacity. Lotus is saying, that unless the government backs them up, they will have to resort to looking at producing vehicles outside of the United Kingdom.

This will not only affect jobs in its homeland, but would also mean that future products, like the highly anticipated new Esprit (above) will be built in either Austria (Magna) or Finland (Valmet).

Lotus is asking for a chunk (although no official amount is known) from the Regional Growth Fund, a program designed to help local industry and businesses. The decision will be announced by the early part of April. We’ll keep you posted on this developing story.

[Source: Pistonheads]

Rumored to be in the production pipeline since 2009, Kia will reportedly move ahead with plans to introduce a flagship K9 sedan.

The K9 (following Kia’s Korean numbering scheme) will be based on the same chassis as the Genesis sedan from parent company Hyundai. That being said, it will be a true rear-wheel drive machine, likely sporting the brand’s Tau V8 (4.6-liters or 5.0-liters), mated to a new 8-speed automatic transmission.

Set to launch next year, this report fits with a larger plan announced by Kia to expand into niche markets with more engaging vehicles.

According to CAR Magazine, the K9 won’t make its way to European soil, but is planned for North America.

[Source: CAR]

Ford is asking dealers to curtail orders of three shades of red paint, and one hue called “Tuxedo Black” due to difficulties sourcing metallic elements needed for the paint. The element, which is produced by a Japanese supplier, is unable to be produced to due damage resulting from the natural disasters that occurred in the country.

So far, full-size pickups and SUVs are unable to be ordered in Tuxedo Black, while vehicles like the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS will have their supplies of the color restricted. The shades of red will be scaled back on cars like the F-Series Super Duty and Ranger pickups, Focus, Econoline and Lincoln Navigator.

Ford says it is looking to find a replacement for the substance, called Xirallic, which is used to give the paint a metallic finish.

[Source: CNN Money]

Cadillac is back with their web series highlighting the CTS-V Race Car and its quest for victory in the World Challenge series. We’ve already brought you the first 3 episodes and now we have the 4th installment ready to go.

This episode shows the team gearing up for its first real race, and we’re about as excited to watch as the team is to hit the track.

Hit the jump to watch the video

Continue Reading…

Mercedes-Benz‘s Sprinter was designed to be a luxurious commuter van, fit to transport multiple personnel in a more comfortable fashion than your typical box van. But clearly there’s a demand for a much more luxurious experience, and Brilliant Transportation has done just that with their Brilliant Van. They’ve taken your run-of-the-mill Sprinter and transformed it with an interior to rival limos and even the most high-end luxury sedans.

Out went the typical bench seats and in went individual leather seats. Entertainment comes through a pair of 32-inch flat screen TVs equipped with DirecTV, while music emanates from an eight-speaker stereo system or wireless headphones for each passenger. For those working on the go, the Brilliant Van is WiFi equipped and also has a hands-free phone and color printer on board.

Brilliant Transportation currently offers services in New York and Los Angeles, so if you’re in those areas and can afford it, hitch a ride in one of these Brilliant Vans and live to tell us about it.

Official press release available after the break.

GALLERY: Brilliant Transportation Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Continue Reading…

Starting out in the United States more than 20 years ago, the Infiniti brand began an aggressive expansion into markets outside North America a few years ago.

Following on from Western Europe, parts of South America and Asia, Australia is now set to become the latest country in which consumers will be able to buy Infiniti brand vehicles.

Down Under, the initial models on offer, will comprise, the FX crossover utility, G37 sport coupe and convertible and the M-sedan, or saloon as four-doors are generally known in that part of the world. The dealer network that will sell and service these vehicles promises to be up and running by the third quarter of 2012.

Heading up Infiniti’s Australian operations is Kevin Snell, who will serve as General Manager. Snell previously worked at Nissan Australia as a Senior Product Planner and before that was at Saab Automobiles.

In a recent statement he said  “Infiniti is a passionate brand with inspiring cars which will provide Australian consumers a clear alternative to the traditional premium makes.”

[Source: Nissan]

Subaru will be represented by Subaru Tecnica International (STI) at this year’s 24-hour of Nurburgring race. Rolling in their new and improved 2011 WRX STI “ts”, the STI team has been very busy testing and tuning in order to compete in the SP3t class. Most recently the STI NBR Challenge 2011, the nickname for the race car, did some testing out at Fuji Speedway.

The car will be powered by a 2.0 Boxer DOHC with a twin scroll turbo pushing out 335-hp and 340 ft-lbs of torque. It’ll be mated to a 6-speed transmission with a front, center and rear LSD. Suspension will be handled by Bilstein while it’ll race on Dunlop tires wrapped around BBS wheels.

Obviously a huge collection of STI products will be on the race car, from clutch and flywheel to trunk spoiler and drive shaft.

Official press release available after the break.

GALLERY: STI NBR Challenge 2011

Continue Reading…

For some people, BMW‘s E92 M3 coupe is a near-perfect vehicle. It offers great looks, a BMW driving experience, luxury, sportiness and the unmistakable performance that only an M-series can offer. But to some, 420-hp out of the M3′s V8 might not be enough to satisfy their needs. That’s where Manhart Racing comes in, transplanting the M3′s much bigger brother’s X6M powerplant into the sport coupe chassis. That’s right, the thrill of a twin turbo M3 coupe can now be experienced.

By replacing the M3′s V8 with BMW’s X6M powerplant, Manhart Racing was able to squeeze plenty of extra horsepower thanks to its twin turbo forced induction. With some ECU modifications and a new exhaust, the M3 puts out 724-hp and 641 ft-lbs of torque.

To back up the power, Manhart Racing also added some carbon fiber components, suspension upgrades, and a lightweight set of BBS wheels.

Check out a video of the V8RS after the break.

[Source: Topspeed]

Continue Reading…

Mazda is planning to close down their assembly plants again, while stopping orders from dealers in the United States for their made-in-Japan vehicles.

The Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, MX-5, RX-8, CX-7, CX-9 are all affected. Only the Mazda6 and Tribute will remain in production at their American plants, although the situation could change in light of the parts suppliers affected by the earthquake. As of March 1st, the company had a 94-day supply of vehicles, but the automaker declined to comment on specifics.

In 2010, imported cars accounted for 83 percent of Mazda sales, a much higher number than other Japanese automakers, who build a significant proportion of their cars in North American plants. Mazda’s factories in Japan are located in Hiroshima and Hofu, at the opposite end of the country from where an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear incident are taking place.

[Source: Automotive News]

Suzuki is set to reveal two all new cars at the upcoming New York Auto Show and the automaker has announced that one of those vehicles will be an updated Kizashi.

With Suzuki stating that the new reveal will bring the “Kizashi to the next level,”, we’re left wondering whether this may be the long awaited Kizashi turbo. A power boost might help the flaccid sales of this wonderful sedan, but with such limited ad dollars being spent on the car, we have to wonder whether some more grunt is really the answer.

As for Suzuki’s other reveal, well, we’ll have the answer for you when we cover the New York Auto Show in mid-April. Your guess is as good as ours.

[Source: Left Lane News]