Just a week after Lexus confirmed its LFA Nurburgring Edition had set a new lap record on the Green Hell, Dodge has one-upped the Japanese automaker. With a 7:12 time, the now out of production ACR’s time is a solid two seconds ahead of the $400,000 LFA supercar.

With a 32-hp advantage on the LFA, the Viper ACR’s real strong points are excessive amounts of torque and a nearly absurd spoiler that provides race car like downforce at speed.

In addition to this news, Dodge also reportedly ran a Viper ACR-X track car on the ‘Ring, lapping almost 10 seconds faster than the standard car with a 7:03 run.

[Source: Jalopnik]

The Aston Martin special edition gravy train continues to roll through Frankfurt with the DBS Carbon Edition, giving wealthy owners a reason to keep upgrading to a new model.

Changes are absolutely minimal; 10 spoke gloss black diamond wheels, a quilted leather headliner and the option of either orange or black leather upholstery. Outside, Carbon Black, Flame Orange or Ceramic Grey are the paint choices.

Aston Martin claims that the interior takes 70 hours to complete, and all that handiwork adds up to a price tag of  $294,258 for the coupe and $310,052 for the droptop, a $20,000 premium over the “base” models.

Gallery: Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition

Volkswagen will halt its practice of acquiring auto makers as a means of boosting its total sales volume, according a report by Bloomberg.

With Volkswagen in place to become the world’s second largest automaker, the company’s massive stable of brands, which includes Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Lamborghini, Audi and Bugatti, will remain static, with VW hoping to simply sell more cars.

Volkswagen has recently seen its alliance with Suzuki go down in flames, and has struggled to take control of long time technological partner Porsche.

[Source: Automotive News ]

Infiniti will adopt Mercedes-Benz’s small car architecture, used to underpin the front-drive B-Class, as part of the technology sharing agreement signed between the two companies.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told Autocar that ”you’d be very surprised if in five or six years that Mercedes and Renault/Nissan had only cooperated on small cars,” signalling a much wider cross-pollination for the two companies. Mercedes engines are expected to be used in the new Infiniti M, while the B-Class platform will underpin a new, small minivan-esque vehicle for Infiniti.

[Source: Autocar]

According to the EPA, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic will receive a lower rating than GM’s optimistic 40-mpg figure. The standard model with a five-speed manual transmission, powered by a 1.8L four-cylinder with 135-hp is getting an EPA-estimated 26/35/29-mpg rating for city/highway/combined. The six-speed automatic transmission is just slightly less at 25/35/28-mpg. The 1.4L turbocharged four-cylider with 138-hp does achieve the 40-mpg rating however.

This news makes the Sonic a little more disappointing, despite its price point. Those seeking the best mpg might not even look its way, as its larger Cruze counterpart gets 25/36/29-mpg with the same 1.8L and six-speed manual transmission while the Cruze Eco with an automatic transmission gets 26/39/31-mpg. For now, the Aveo successor will have to compete on price with the base LS model starting at $13,735 while the LTZ can top out at $17,235 in hatchback form – or $17,935 for the turbocharged 1.4L.

[Source: Cars.com]

BMW has been teasing us with video clips and tidbits of information, now the latest F-10 M5 has been revealed in full production form. And it seems, most of the rumors were true. The car is indeed powered by a twin-turbo charged 4.4-liter V8 engine, rated at 560 horsepower and 506 lb-ft of torque, providing drive to the rear-wheels through a seven-speed double clutch transmission with BMW’s M drivelogic.

In order to help get the substantial amount of power and torque effectively to the monster rear tires, an active differential is standard; just as well really, for this two ton Autobahn burner will reportedly do the 0-62 mph (0-100 km) dash in 4.4 seconds. Although top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph, with the optional M Driver’s Package, up to 190 mph is reportedly possible!

BMW says that the 2012 M5 delivers 9.9 liters per 100 km (23.75 mpg US) in the EU combined fuel economy test cycle, a gain of some 30 percent over the old and much lamented E60 chassis, V10 powered version.

The new M5 will go on sale in Europe in Spring 2012, at press time, there was no word on when North American deliveries would begin nor feature content for stateside models. We’ll keep you posted of any developments.

GALLERY: 2012 BMW M5

It’s surprising to learn that with all the information out there about the dangers of distracted driving, according to a recent Virginia Tech study, it is still responsible for 80 percent of all car crashes. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that distracted driving is the main factor for about 5,500 automotive fatalities annually. It seems like we just can’t put down our cell phone or stop fiddling with the radio settings while we drive.

By making a few small adjustments to your driving routine, you can prevent distracted driving accidents, as well as pass on good driving behaviors to younger drivers who are in the car with you. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you start the car.

•     Before heading out, pick your radio station, choose your playlist, and turn on the air conditioning or heating.

•     Make your phone calls or send text messages before leaving the driveway. A hands-free device is legal, but it’s still best to focus all your attention on the road ahead. If you do need to make a call, pull over before dialling.

•     Set your course in your GPS ahead of time and look it over to familiarize yourself with the route.

•     Leave in plenty of extra time so you won’t have to rush.

•     If you’re travelling with pet, keep them safely secured in the backseat where they won’t be a dangerous distraction.

•     Check to see if there are any loose items rolling around in the car and pick them up off the floor

•     Try to eat before you leave the house. If you spill something while driving, wait to clean it up until you reach your destination.

•     Your rear view mirror is not meant to be used to help you put on makeup or shave. Take care of your personal grooming before leaving the house.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

The teasing starts early as Infiniti takes an opportunity at the Frankfurt Auto Show to hint at the public of a future zero emission luxury vehicle.

This sketch gives us another look at Infiniti’s design movement. First seen in the 2009 Infiniti Essence Concept, the trademark indented surface treatment trailing the quarter window will make its way into more and more future Infiniti models. Most welcomed is the more gradual wedge of the concept’s beltline, allowing for a larger daylight opening, potentially giving the cabin a more airy environment.

Likely to use the technologies found in the Nissan Leaf, Infiniti promises their EV will be “a stylish, high performance five-seat luxury vehicle with zero emissions…”

This statement is particularly bold as luxury (weight) and high performance (more power) are the two largest obstacles an EV faces in its pursuit of obtaining a practical range for every charge. Still in its development phase, Infiniti aims to officially introduce their EV by 2014.

Not long after Mercedes-Benz revealed their C-Coupe DTM car, Audi went ahead and one-upped their German rival with the launch of the A5 DTM.

Like most DTM cars, the A5 DTM has nothing in common with its road car sibling. The A5 DTM uses a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and a 455 horsepower V8 as well as a 6-speed sequential gearbox. No other details were released, but given the competitive nature of DTM and the fairly limited wiggle room in the rules and regulations, we’d expect the specifications to be a fairly closely guarded secret.

Prototypes are apparently undergoing testing at Audi facilities in Germany, and should be ready to go in time for the upcoming DTM season.

Gallery: Audi A5 DTM

It’s only been a mere six months since Japan was devastated by earthquake and tsunami, but on September 13, 2011, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing Executive Vice President Steve St. Angelo proudly announced that all Toyota models in the North American line-up have finally returned to 100 percent production.

Just weeks after the quake hit on March 11, Toyota tentatively forecasted the recovery to take as long as November to complete. St. Angelo remarked, “The recovery is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our North American team members, suppliers and business partners… I have no doubt that our team continues to be focused on building high quality vehicles for our customers.”

Thanks to the quicker than expected recovery, Toyota’s main priority now is to start replenishing dealer inventories by running overtime and weekend shifts for particular plants. Production for the fourth quarter is now estimated at 15% higher than the initial forecast.