The straight-sixes are coming, brand spanking new straight-sixes are coming. But not from Munich, instead from Stuttgart!

Traditionally, it has been BMW that has been most well known for producing straight-six engines. However, according to some recent reports, BMW might be abandoning their straight six motors in favor of turbo-charged, inline four-cylinder motors and V6s.

Now, according to a European source, Mercedes-Benz will soon start producing straight sixes, possibly in both single and twin-turbo configurations, to replace their thirsty V8 engines. The straight-six motors will be offered in both petrol and diesel configurations, so it seems they are very serious with their plans with these new engines.

While most people associate BMW with straight-six engines, history buffs (like us) will tell you that Mercedes-Benz was among the first companies to ever produce a straight-six engine, 100 years ago with a massive 10-liter motor that produced 75 hp. Mercedes-Benz produced its first diesel straight-six in 1934. Their last petrol straight-six was offered until 1996 in the 300E.

These new straight-six engines should arrive by 2015.

[Source: CAR]

Lexus will be bringing a fine collection of vehicles to this year’s SEMA Show, and AutoGuide has compiled a guide to all the ones we’re expecting to see. In addition to the previously mentioned GS 350 F-Sport, Lexus will also be showing off a custom GS F Sport and CT 200h by Five Axis, a custom IS 350C by VIP Auto Salon, a custom LX 570 by JT Grey Racing, while Lexus themselves will be bringing F Sport variants of their CT 200h, IS 350, and IS 250C models to go along with their IS F.

Starting with the pair of Five Axis projects, the GS F Sport by Five Axis will feature a Five Axis widebody conversion on a Glacier White GS350. The white exterior will further be accented with unique Slate Gray pieces, while the GS350 will be brought down to the show floor thanks to AirRunner’s TC-5 air suspension system. On all four corners will be Five:AD S5:F alloy wheels while Stoptech’s front and rear big brake kit will be concealed behind each wheel. Last but not least, a custom fabricated exhaust with dual finishers will be housed in the rear diffuser.

Turning our attention to the CT200h hybrid, Five Axis worked their magic with another custom widebody with a striking JDSU “Dark Passage” paint job. Suspension duties are handled by TEIN’s Flex coilover system while custom Five:AD wheels finish off the exterior. Braking performance is upgraded with Stoptech’s high performance big brake kit, featuring large 12-inch front rotors. The interior has been redone by Turinmodel, Inc. with uniquely appointed seats with laser-etched Ultrasuede EcoDesign inserts. The headliner also received a similar treatment with Ultrasuede EcoDesign upholstery.

Next on our list is a customized IS350C by VIP Auto Salon. The convertible coupe features a custom Chameleon paint by K&W while it gets a more aggressive stance thanks to F Sport springs and Bilstein shocks. Wheel upgrade comes in the form of 19-inch F Sport full-faced forged alloys while a Seibon carbon fiber hood round off the exterior modifications. A nice performance upgrade is courtesy of Power Enterprise’s Rotex supercharger by A’PEXi and VIP Auto Salon. The interior has been overhauled by Top Stitch with custom inserts while the fog lights received the HID treatment.

The custom LX 570 by JT Grey Racing was built to show off how capable, reliable and durable the Lexus LX 570 is. Custom King Road shocks were fitted onto the LX 570 along with 17-inch F Sport wheels paired with 37-inch BF Goodrich Baja TA race tires. The off-road race theme continues with 70-watt carbon fiber HID lighting and Sparco race seats in the interior.

All the F Sport vehicles Lexus will be bringing sport various F Sport modifications to their respective models, including wheels, suspension, and aerodynamic packages.

GALLERY: Lexus SEMA 2011 Cars

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 SEMA Show preview here and look for complete coverage starting November 1st.

Dodge will be showing off a flashy Durango “Tow Hook” at this year’s SEMA Show, featuring a vibrant four-coat orange and satin-black color scheme that has been applied inside and out on the vehicle. Accenting the bright orange paint is a satin-black roof, bumper and hood accents, and blacked-out lighting. On all four corners are 22×9.5-inch forged Superalloy wheels paired with Pirelli rubber.

The custom Durango Tow Hook also sports a throatier note thanks to a custom Corsa exhaust system, aiding in giving the Durango some additional horsepower as well. Finishing touches on the outside include a Piano Black split-crosshair grille and suspension lowering the Durango by almost an inch.

On the inside, the black, perforated Mopar Katzkin leather is accented by orange leather trim, stitching and piping. For seat inserts, perforated Barracuda suede was used while smooth suede bolsters with orange stitching and silver metal brush trim is shared on the dash and just above the glove box.

AutoGuide will be sure to stop by the Chrysler booth to check out their huge collection of vehicles at this year’s show.

See the complete 2011 SEMA Show preview here and look for full coverage starting November 1st.

We’ve all heard the horror stories about women who take their cars into a mechanic to fix a minor problem, only to be charged outrageous fees for non-existent or small issues. A national news program went undercover to get the scoop. After placing hidden cameras at several dealerships, the show’s decoy was overcharged for service work.

The MSNBC “Today” show sent a producer with a functional, out-of-warranty 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee to five New York-area Jeep dealerships. Before sending her on her way, the network hired a mechanic to install a faulty air conditioning relay, so warm air would blow out of the unit. This problem would cost you about $100 to fix.

When the producer took her Jeep to four of the five garages, mechanics found the faulty relay, but they tacked on extra services to the bill. When the show interviewed third party repair experts, they said these extra services were considered unnecessary. At one dealership, the producer was told her air conditioning compressor had blown up and it would cost $2,000 to fix.

But hopefully some good will come from this news segment – Chrysler spokesman Gualberto Ranieri issued a statement to MSNBC: “I can assure you that we are investigating this case.”

[Source: Automotive News]

Fiat has announced that it will be showcasing a pair of custom 500s at this year’s SEMA Show. According to Fiat the 500 Titanium is a discretely tuned 500 with more aggressive styling while the Fiat 500 Carbon features more subtle modifications, accenting the Italian hatchback’s styling, craftsmanship and nimble handling. Both vehicles get upgraded products from Mopar including their respective cold-air intake, strut-tower brace and cat-back exhaust.

Starting with the Fiat 500 Titanium, Mopar has outfitted the Italian subcompact with a new aggressive front bumper with large honeycomb grilles. A satin black insert on the front bumper features integrated LED fog lamps while the circular projector headlamps have been finished in gloss black to match the Titanium’s exterior paint. For wheels, the Titanium features custom 16×6.5-inch Matte Titanium rollers with a two-piece design.

Lowering the vehicle are custom Mopar springs while braking performance has been upgraded with Matte Titanium front and rear brake calipers with larger rotors. Styling is further enhanced with a pair of side skirts and a large liftgate spoiler while the rear bumper has been completely redesigned with a rear diffuser. A center-mounted rear Mopar exhaust tip can be seen housed in the new rear diffuser.

On the inside, the Titanium features a black with Titanium Metallic accents color scheme. Both front and rear seats have been reupholstered in smooth black leather and accented with Titanium Metallic vinyl seat centers. Metallic Gray stitching accents the finished product.

Meanwhile, the Fiat 500 Carbon features an Anodized Azzurro (blue) exterior with blackened accents inside and out. The front bumper on the Carbon features integrated satin carbon fiber foglamp bezels and lip spoiler. The headlights have been refinished in a Dark Hyper Black finish while 17×7-inch Dark Hyper Black aluminum wheels are on all four corners. Similar to the Titanium, Mopar outfitted the Carbon with their lowering springs, strut tower brace and cold-air intake.

In the rear, a carbon fiber liftgate spoiler improves the aerodynamics while a powdercoated carbon fiber exhaust tip is a nice, subtle touch. Carbon fiber can also be seen in the rear bumper and valence while the tail lamp bezels have been refinished in Dark Hyper Black. The interior continues with a dark black theme, but has been contrasted with Anodized Azzurro accents.

That’s a lot of description for just a teaser photo, so stay tuned for AutoGuide’s 2011 SEMA Coverage starting here November 1st, and check out the complete 2011 SEMA Preview here.

Discuss this story at Fiat500Owners.com

For all the Dodge Ram enthusiasts out there, Chrysler has something for you at this year’s SEMA Show. Based on a 2011 Ram R/T, the team at Mopar Underground outfitted the Ram with a collection of modifications, enhancing performance while giving the truck some good looks. Powering the Ram 392 Quick Silver is a 392 HEMI V8 from Dodge’s SRT lineup packing 470-hp. The motor was mated to the R/T’s 4.10 gear set with a high-stall converter. Additional performance comes from Mopar’s cold-air intake kit, headers, and cat-back dual exhaust.

Braking performance has been upgraded thanks to a Brembo big brake kit, featuring 15-inch rotors and six-piston calipers. Everything on the truck besides the gloss black roof has been finished in a three-stage bright silver. Contrasting it all are anodized red wheels, grille inserts, mirrors and select interior trim components. All the exterior lighting has been smoked while a reverse deep-down aluminum hood adorns the front of the truck. Suspension modifications lowers the truck by 2-inches, further accented by a Mopar body kit.

Though the wheels on the render looks to be from HRE, the release only specifies that Mopar Underground added 22-inch pieces wrapped with 275/45/22 and 305/40/22 tires. On the inside, high-bolster SRT seats are covered in Katzkin leather with red stitching and accents to match the steering wheel, instrument panel and Laramie Longhorn inspired leather shift knob, door panels and center console trim. Kicker speakers add additional audio to the cabin while woofers in the doors add plenty of bass.

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 SEMA Preview here

Horst von Saurma, editor-in-chief of Sport Auto magazine, took McLaren’s MP4-12C out to Nurburgring for a single lap to see what the machine could do. Obviously we should all take the 7 minute and 28 second lap time with a grain of salt, considering the driver only had a single lap despite being very experienced at the ‘Ring.

McLaren did confirm that the MP4-12C was completely stock, including the factory Pirelli P-Zero Corsa rubber. It’s worth noting that the video doesn’t feature von Saurma’s MP4-12C that he lapped on the Nurburgring, but rather another car that was used on a separate lap day earlier in the year. Unfortunately that vehicle wasn’t able to complete a lap due to rain.

For comparison’s sake, the current production car record holder is the Viper ACR with a 7:12 while the MP4′s closest rival, the Ferrari 458, has a recorded best of 7:32.

Nonetheless, the video is entertaining to watch and McLaren has no plans of recording an official lap this year with their MP4-12C. (It’s a bit nippy in Germany this time of year).

Check out the video after the jump:

Continue Reading…

Congrats go out to the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, the winner of the 2012 Motor Trend SUV of the Year.

The Evoque was up against some stiff competition this year. Other contenders up for the award included  BMW X3, Dodge Durango, Dodge Journey, Ford Explorer, Jeep Wrangler, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, MINI Countryman, Saab 9-4x and Volkswagen Touareg.

According to Motor Trend, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque passed each of its six criteria for the distinction (Advancement In Design, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, Value and Performance Of Intended Function) with flying colors.

Based on the Land Rover LR2, the Evoque is an evolutionary leap over its predecessor, says Motor Trend. Even though it shares a platform with the LR2, the Evoque performs considerably better in every way. “The Evoque is meant to appeal to the buyer who ranks style, content, and fuel efficiency above approach and departure angles,” says Motor Trend.

Just a few of Evoque’s perks that wowed the judges included its Terrain Response handling and AWD system, its stylish design, roomy cargo area, emission reduction, improved fuel economy and impressive value (it has a price tag of $43,995 – not too shabby when you see all the great features it comes with).

Discuss this story at RREvoqueForum.com

Cadillac has just launched a new YouTube series documenting the creation and testing of its upcoming ATS luxury sports sedan.

In the first chapter entitled “Welcome to the Green Hell,” the ATS is run through its paces at the infamous German race track. Caddy intends that this car will be a true rival to the BMW 3 Series and is taking great pains to see that it does – and to see that it’s perceived that way as well.

Watch the video after the jump and get updates by subscribing to Cadillac’s YouTube channel here and by “liking” their Facebook page here:

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Developed by Chrysler Group’s Mopar Underground team, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 ACR is heavily influenced by the success of the Mopar Drag Pak Challenger and more recently, the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR that reset the production lap time record at the Nurburgring. Based on the Challenger SRT8 392, Mopar Underground focused on paying homage to the original option-delete cars of the 1960s and 70s with the SRT8 ACR that will make its debut at this year’s SEMA Show.

On the outside, the Challenger SRT8 ACR takes design cues from the infamous Viper SRT10 ACR. The Challenger will sport a white body, charcoal-painted roof, carbon fiber hood, rear deck lid, rear spoiler and tail lamp surround, and an offset flame red stripe that runs the length of the project. The mirror caps and brake calipers were then painted red, contrasting the white while giving the Challenger a true race-inspired theme. For wheels, 20-inchers adorn each corner in a unique black-painted finish. To top off the aesthetics, red ACR fender badging was added.

The red and white theme continues onto the interior where Mopar Underground added white accents on the carbon fiber door panels, red armrest bars with white foam padding, red door latch release tethers, red painted roll bars and accents on the carbon fiber racing seats covered in black Katzkin leather.

But what Challenger SRT8 featuring the ACR badging wouldn’t have performance modifications? Mopar Underground outfitted the Challenger with a complete collection of parts straight out of a Mopar catalog. The suspension has been completely overhauled thanks to a set of coilovers, braces and brace caps in the front and the rear. A cat-back exhaust with custom headers were bolted on, giving the Challenger SRT8 a whole new note and extra horsepower while minor accessories include a Drag Pack center stack, carbon fiber bezel kit, door sill entry guards, Mopar fuel door and a short-throw shifter. The race-inspired vehicle has also had its rear seat removed in exchange for a roll bar and fire extinguisher.

Dodge did not make any announcement on whether or not they plan on producing the Challenger SRT8 ACR. One can only hope.

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 SEMA Show preview here