BMW‘s i3 may not be getting as much buzz as the 2012 3-Series, but their upcoming compact city car is probably the most important vehicle they’ll launch all decade.

With the i3, BMW is moving in a totally different direction, both in terms of technology and sustainability. The i3 will have a chassis made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, a first for a volume production car, and will help offset the weight of the car’s electric powertrain.

BMW claims that the i3 will make 170 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, good enough for an 8 second 0-60 mph time. While BMW has previously said that the i3 is a pure electric car, the vehicles spied here displayed decals declaring the i3 a “hybrid test vehicle”, leading us to wonder whether there will be some kind of range extender on board. Regardless, the i3 will require just one hour of charging to replenish the batteries by 80 percent, a figure that has us optimistic regarding the i3′s usefulness.

Our spy photographer noted that the styling is fairly close to the concept, and that the i3 will have rear suicide doors similar to the MINI Clubman, where the front door will have to be opened to access the rear doors.

Gallery: BMW i3 Spy Photos

With the release of Ford’s electric Focus hatchback around the corner, Ford is looking to educate consumers on eco-friendly vehicles. They’ve teamed up with SHFT.com, a website developed by actor Adrian Grenier (from Entourage) and film producer Peter Glatzer to promote green and eco-consciousness to younger consumers.

Ford is chipping in by funding a series of short documentaries in order to push forward the idea of sustainability by incorporating pop culture like film, music and design. These documentaries will take an in-depth look at how innovators are shaping sustainable businesses. SHFT.com will also be helping promote Ford at events such as film festivals.

“SHFT.com celebrates businesses where great design, sustainability and innovation meet, which is why we are so excited to be forging this relationship with Ford,” said Grenier.

[Source: Automotive News]

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Don’t live in LA, or you just can’t be bothered to face the crowds and finish off your day with sore feet? Then you’re in luck. AutoGuide has done all the footwork (and the talkie talkie, and the video editing), to bring you the highlights from the 2011 LA Auto Show. From the Subaru BRZ STI Concept, to the 650-hp Shelby GT500 watch our video series to get the rundown on the most exciting vehicles at this year’s show.

Watch all of AutoGuide’s 2011 LA Auto Show videos below:

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With the debut of a new 5.0-liter Tau V8 in the Genesis Sedan R-Spec and rumors that it will find its way under the hood of the Genesis Coupe, Hyundai isn’t necessarily committed to eight-cylinders. That’s not surprising as the industry moves towards forced induction options like turbocharging and supercharging in order to deliver ideal power levels with reduced fuel consumption.

At a recent product preview and engineering tech session at Hyundai Motor America’s technical center in Ann Arbor, MI, powertrain boss John Juriga admitted that a turbocharged version of the company’s 3.8-liter V6 (offered in both the Genesis coupe and sedan) is a possibility for the future. “The 3.8 is a contender for turbocharging for some high-output applications,” he said. In fact, Juriga did one better, going on to comment that such an engine already exists and is undergoing testing. Speaking with AutoGuide, Jurega qualified that statement, commenting that the Hyundai engineering team is constantly exploring new engine options and that the existence of a prototype is no guarantee that such an engine will make it into production.

Expanding on Juriga’s comments, HMA CEO John Krafcik indicated that the Korean automaker is currently at a crossroads as to its future engine plans for its high-performance and premium models. Krafcik referenced the brand’s two SEMA Show Genesis Coupe concept cars, one powered by a 5.0-liter V8, the other by a supercharged 3.8-liter V6. The two cars, he explains, were built to generate feedback, to see which method of power delivery is preferred, with the more traditional high-displacement V8 versus the forced induction option.

“We’re looking for feedback from you folks,” said Krafcik, speaking to the assembled journalists. AutoGuide was obviously more enamored with the V8 option when we got a chance to see both cars at the SEMA Show, although a turbocharged V6 option, versus a supercharged one, might change that. Let us know what you’d rather drive in the comments section below.

Subaru has confirmed that a successor to the Impreza Outback Sport will arrive next year, wearing the “Crosstrek” badge. Based on the XV model sold in other markets it is in most respects a high-riding version of the Impreza hatchback.

The announcement was made by Subaru of America Executive Vice President Tom Doll at the LA Auto Show last week. While the past version never really got much attention in the lineup, the new Crosstrek seems to be a larger priority with Doll commenting that it will be the brand’s new entry-level crossover and that, based on the success of the Forester, “it comes from a brand that knows how to build small crossovers people want to buy.”

In addition to a raised ride height (with 8.6-inches of ground clearance), the Crosstrek will get more a more off-road-read look with body cladding much akin to the Outback.

The model is part of Subaru’s larger plan to reach 300,000 annual sales in the U.S., a number which would be double that of total sales just five years ago.

22 weeks after the little Nissan Juke crossover was first abducted, the team of modern day Doctor Frankensteins from Nissan Europe’s technical partner, RML, finally released this video of their outrageous creation, the mighty and insane Juke-R. Proudly displaying their hard work before submitting the super crossover to rounds of shakedown and testing, the video reveals the Juke’s transformation, which is most noticeable when the engine lets out that loud and responsive signature GT-R bark.

No official performance figures have been announced yet but when GTR’s 485-hp 3.8-liter twin turbo is stuffed into a shell that weighs in at the ballpark of 3,200 lbs., the Juke R is highly likely to reach 60 mph in sub-4 seconds. More details will arise when the Juke R inevitably puts down a couple solid laps around Germany’s Nurburgring. While Nurburgring testing has yet to be officially confirmed, the Juke R’s race-spec roll cage and racing cockpit says it all.

GALLERY: Nissan Juke-R

Watch the video below:

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Jaguar‘s design genius and restless thinker, Ian Callum, has announced a personal desire to design a premium small car for the historically British marque.

During an interview, Ian Callum told British automotive publication, What Car?, “It’s a personal view, but there’s room for a premium small car. It would be a high-end small car for city use. The big challenges would be economic and creating a business case for it, along with making a small car feel like a Jaguar and having the right levels of refinement and luxury.”

Keeping an open mind, Callum did not confirm whether the city car would be executed as a hatchback, coupe, or small saloon but intends to design a model that will “break the mould and be a car that people just want.”

That’s better than what rival brand and fellow countryman, Aston Martin, can say. There are few people that just want a Cygnet.

[Source: WhatCar?]

Looking to compete against BMW’s 520d and Audi’s A6 2.0 TDI, Lexus is flexing its hybrid muscles and developing a smaller hybrid engine for its new-generation GS. Given its success in building and selling hybrid engines and models, it’s no surprise that Lexus is looking to add a smaller h-variant for the European market, which will also be getting the GS450h and GS250 upon release.

The North American market will receive a GS350 and GS Hybrid, along with the high-performance GS F Sport, so it’s unknown whether or not we’ll see the smaller hybrid engine. Chances are though, Europe will get a smaller, more affordable four-cylinder powerplant with around 180-hp. Lexus is looking to be competitive with BMW’s 520d, aiming to get around 50-mpg.

Lexus confirms that a decision is around the corner regarding the smaller hybrid engine and that an announcement should be made prior to GS’ launch in the UK next summer.

GALLERY: 2013 Lexus GS350

[Source: AutoExpress]

Boy oh boy. We’ve seen some pretty bad project cars in our time, some of which can’t be unseen. This, however, might be the most atrocious yet. The victimized vehicle comes from Bosnia, where its owner decided to transform the Mercedes sedan with some Bugatti styling. Unfortunately it just didn’t work out very well and the result is, well… horrendous.

If you didn’t even look at the front of the vehicle, you’d probably be confused as to what the builder was trying to obtain. But the front-end is clearly Bugatti-influenced, along with the rear doors receiving a widebody treatment with the traditional Bugatti flares. Unfortunately the whole thing is just a mess, and not a hot one at that.

Source: Mercedes Turned Bugatti Galibier

[Source: Jalopnik]

We now have a better idea of what Volvo’s next generation XC90 may look like thanks to a quartet of sketches the Swedish automaker has released to the public. Reports are that Volvo intends to release its new XC90 sometime in 2014 and it should incorporate the automaker’s new Scalable Platform Architecture.

Few details are available for the successor of the popular crossover, but chances are Volvo will be looking towards a hybrid variant as well as outfitting it with a four-cylinder force-induced powerplant. For now we’ll just have to enjoy the sketches to see the design ideas that Volvo has, but so far we like what we see.

GALLERY: Next Generation Volvo XC90