With little in the way of new product, Alfa Romeo will re-showcase its 4C Concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show, with some changes. OK, maybe we could drop the “s” on changes. The reality is, there’s really just one update… and it’s paint. Yup, Alfa says the 4C Concept will get a “new and exclusive ‘fluid metal’” color which has been designed to better show off the, “smooth and sinuous lines of the car”.

Apart from that, look for the same turbocharged 1.8-liter 4-cylinder making over 200-hp and mated to a dual-clutch transmission, with the Lotus Alfa weighing under 1,900 lbs.

Then again, maybe Alfa will surprise us after all, announcing that the car has been “refined and enriched with technical contents”. We’ll find out more for sure at the car’s unveiling on September 13th at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The 4C will go into production and will act as the new flagship for the brand. The 4C is also expected to be the first of a new line of Alfa Romeos to be offered in North America.

GALLERY: Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

Hyundai has already promised a “more dramatic” design for the 2013 Genesis Coupe and now we have a strong idea what that means. Spied recently in South Korea, the 2013 model looks to take its design cues from the Veloster – for better or worse.

Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik has also ready said that the Coupe’s mid-cycle update will be a bigger change than what we saw on the sedan. He also indicated that if Hyundai is to stay a design leader, it will need to continue to innovate and offer models that are “aspirational… not a step back.”

When it is unveiled at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, look for the 2013 Genesis Coupe to sport a more powerful base 2.0-liter turbocharged -cylinder with 274-hp, while the V6 will be bumped up to at least 333-hp. A rumored 5.0-liter V8 model has yet to be confirmed.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

[Source: GenCoupe]

Gordon Murray, the man responsible for not only designing, but conceiving the idea for the McLaren F1, is now a part of Lotus.

Murray joints the likes of industry veterans Tom Purvez and Bob Lutz on the brand’s advisory council, giving input on the future direction of the brand. The purpose of the council, says Lotus, “is to give advice and guidance on strategic issues such as product strategy, technology, quality, brand, marketing and distribution for Group Lotus.”

“For years I’ve been a huge admirer of Lotus,” said Murray. “I have great respect for the legacy that Colin Chapman created and I think what Dany and the team are doing is a really good thing for the brand. He’s taking the strength from Chapman’s principals and taking the business to the next level whilst still keeping the general ethos – not an easy task! I’m really looking forward to contributing to Group Lotus during this exciting time.”

As a member of the council, Murray will also continue to run the recently founded Gordon Murray Design company, where he designed and prototyped the T.25 and T.27 city cars.

Two National Guard Light Medium Tactical Vehicles were entirely submerged during the Hurricane Irene aftermath, and the action was captured on video.

The two trucks drove through the deep water in downtown Manville. They managed to drive about a block  before either water got into the engine or the drivers ran out of breath. At one point when the trucks stop, the men climb out of the trucks and appear to be unable to swim.

Check it out for yourself after the jump!

[Source: Jalopnik]

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Fans of the Land Rover Defender have long feared the vehicle’s demise amid intensifying regulations and waning interest in off-road vehicles, but Land Rover isn’t giving up on their iconic product.

A report in a British magazine suggests that an all-new Defender will debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show, using the same underpinnings as Land Rover’s capable LR4 SUV. A new range of in-house 4-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines will be employed, as well as Land Rover’s Terrain Management System, which can adjust the entire driveline to cope with various off-road situations.

[Source: Auto Express]

MINI has recently released another short commercial featuring the adventurous 2012 coupe. This video is a tad bit creepy, involving a hitchhiker, a MINI driver and a wanted poster. The video leaves us on a cliffhanger, and we’re not exactly sure what happens. Maybe MINI Coupe owners attract negative attention? MINI also released two other videos, with one set in Hong Kong (and taking a much lighter tone) and another set in Rio, with a carnival/samba theme.

Three different trims will be offered with the Coupe including the standard Cooper, Cooper S and the high performance John Cooper works model.  The base model will start at $22,000 and have a 121-hp engine. The S model will start at $25,300 and gets a turbocharged 181-hp engine. The steroid infused JCW model will start at $31,900 and produce 208-hp, also through a turbocharged engine.

Check out the video after the jump!

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With the upcoming launch of the R8 GT Spyder at the Frankfurt auto show, Audi has recently released another video featuring its venerable sports car. The new promo video includes an extensive walk through of the high performance car, showcasing the exterior and interior. We also get to see the car in action on the track, and hear the amazing exhaust note.

Production is limited to only 333 units and the car sheds 187 lbs (compared to the standard Spyder) thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre, allowing it to achieve mind blistering acceleration. This Audi is capable of 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 317 km/h. The Spyder will be powered by a V12 5.2-liter FSI engine producing 560-hp. The transmission will be an automatic R-Tronic 6-speed. The car will cost a cool € 207 800 or $295 782.52 in USD. Apparently 90 units of the GT Coupe will arrive Stateside, so expect the same number for the Spyder version.

Check out the video after the jump!

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Toyota officially launched the all-new Camry last week, and Nissan took advantage of this situation in a very 21st century method of subterfuge.

When the sedan was unveiled, Toyota found that the word “Camry” had been acquired on social media service Twitter by rival Nissan North America. Anyone searching the Camry on Twitter during the launch, would receive a tweet regarding product news from Nissan.

Nissan took advantage of the fact that it knew Toyota would launch the Camry with special attention to Twitter. Nissan discovered that the key word Camry had not been locked up so it purchased what Twitter terms a “Promoted Tweet” allowing the automaker to acquire a selection of search terms for 24 hours that included “Camry”, “Toyota Camry” and “mid-sized car”.”Toyota blew it,” crowed one Nissan manager. “They simply didn’t protect their intellectual property.”

Nissan has become increasingly competitive especially against Toyota. U.S sales of the Altima are up more than 18 percent through July, compared to Toyota’s 8 percent Camry fall. The decline was primarily a result of inventory issues stemming from the March 11 earthquake. The Camry has been America’s top selling passenger car for 13 of the past 14 years. The Camry vastly outsells the Altima, but Nissan has been making up ground in recent years.

Check out our full review of the Camry here!

GALLERY: Toyota Camry

[Source: Automotive News]

Despite poor showings in various quality surveys, not to mention anecdotal evidence abound, Volkswagen is tackling its vehicle quality problems head on, and is openly discussing the steps it will take to remedy them.

The J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey, regarded as the gold standard among industry types, pegged VW at 29th out of 32 brands, a poor showing for a company eager to sell 800,000 vehicles per year in the United States by 2018.

Volkswagen said that its warranty costs were down by 10 percent last year, and are on track for the same figure this year – a figure that’s adjusted for a new free maintenance program and a shorter warranty term. VW will be looking to improve its score on the J.D. Power survey, which includes not just defects but consumer complaints about functioning parts of the vehicle – a criteria that some automakers have begun criticizing.

[Source: USA Today]

Bob Buckhorn, the mayor of Tampa, Florida needed a safe, reliable vehicle for his family, and did what many cost-concious car buyers do – he looked for a vehicle seized by the police.

While most people have to attend an auction to purchase such a car, Buckhorn decided on a police forfeit since it meant that the city wouldn’t have to pay a dime to get him a vehicle. Buckhorn opted for a 2005  GMC Yukon Denali, and the car in question has what many classic car auction houses would call “provenance”.

Buckhorn’s Denali was formerly owned by Charles Melvin Fox, who was convicted of sex trafficking. Authorities allege that Fox’s Denali was used to transport prostitutes across state lines, making Buckhorn’s new car a pimpmobile in every sense of the word – the vehicle even had spinner rims installed, but they were eventually removed before Buckhorn took delivery. Buckhorn described the car as ”a product of ill-gotten gains is being put to good use.”

[Source: Tampabay.com]