BMW North America has finally announced the pricing details for its 2013 Gran Coupe that will be making their way to dealerships staring this summer. The Gran Coupe will start at a whopping $76,895 which includes the destination charge.

The pricing for the Gran Coupe comes at a slight surprise to many, considering it’s almost $16,000 more than a base model Audi A7 and $4,500 more than a Mercedes-Benz CLS, which is its main competitor. The premium may be worth it to some though, to own the “Ultimate Driving Machine”.

The “base” 640i Gran Coupe gets a 3.0L twin-turbo, straight-six with 315-hp and 330 lb-ft of torque and BMW also plans to launch a 650i Gran Coupe and 650i Gran Coupe xDrive in the future. The 650is will feature a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 with 445-hp and 480 lb-ft of torque.

BMW is obviously hoping that the stylish look of the Gran Coupe will bring in buyers because the 535i, which has the same 3.0L twin-turbo engine found in the 640i, retails for almost $24,000 less.

GALLERY: BMW Gran Coupe

What could be cooler than a Toyota GT 86? How about a lighter and less-expensive version, stripped down of all the unwanted frills straight from the factory and ready to be your blank-canvas of customization?

That is exactly what Toyota has done, offering the GT 86 RC model, the perfect package for anyone who wants to convert it into a track car, or modify the hell out of it.

Included in the package are 16-inch steelie wheels that we haven’t seen since the days of a 1993 Honda Civic VX hatchback. The front and rear bumpers, side mirrors, and door handles all come unpainted and of course the fog lights are gone. Even better, the interior comes without air conditioning, all the trim around the steering wheel and shifter and even tosses out the plastic intake cover under the hood – all parts that most car enthusiasts probably would never care for to begin with.

To top it off, Toyota of Japan is pricing this RC model at 1.9-million Yen, which is about $24,600 based on today’s conversion rates. While that’s nothing to really go off of to determine the pricing of the Scion FR-S in America, the point is that it is significantly cheaper than your standard base model GT 86 in Japan. To top it off, it weighs 100-lb less than the base GT 86.

Sadly, the RC trim is currently only available in Japan and Toyota has made no hint that it will offer the RC trim in America.

Check it out below, as well as several other trim models available for the GT 86 overseas, which includes a top-of-the-line GT Limited.

GALLERY: Toyota GT 86 Model Variants

Click here to read AutoGuide’s First Drive of the Scion FR-S

This is what 650 hp blowing through your hair looks like. To know what it feels like, well, you’ll have to buy Ford’s new 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible… or wait for our review.

Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, the GT500 drop-top borrows from the coupe, especially when it comes to what’s under the hood with a supercharged 5.8-liter V8. Want to know more? Watch out first look video below.

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible

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German based tuner Abt Sportsline will be revealing four new tuned vehicles for the upcoming Geneva Auto Show.

For Audi, Abt will add some spice to the Audi Q3 crossover. Dubbed the QS3, the compact crossover will receive a power boost from its 2.0 liter engine to produce a total output of 266-hp. Abt has also provided an aggressive body kit to compliment the QS3′s performance.

Abt’s Audi AS6 Avant will also be presented at Geneva, decked out with front and rear spoilers, revised side skirts and a four-tailpipe exhaust system. Sporting a tuned 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine, Abt has massaged the powerplant to put out 355-hp, an extra 46-hp over stock.

For Volkswagen, Abt will feature a crowd stopping Beetle with a reduced ride height, headlight masks and 20-inch alloy wheels. In the power department, this mean Bug will deliver 237-hp.

Finally, Abt gets its hands on the new Volkswagen Up! Offering only aesthetic changes for now, the Up! receives mirror caps, headlight masks and revised side skirts.

GALLERY: Abt Sportsline Geneva Teaser

Nissan has revealed a modest refresh of its 370Z sports car for 2013, with a new front fascia and some notably wild new wheels. In addition upgrades have been made to the Sport package, to improve performance and add some extra flare.

Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, AutoGuide was on hand to get a look at the updated machine. See our first look video below for all the details.

GALLERY: 2013 Nissan 370Z

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As fuel prices continue to rise, fuel economy in our cars becomes a bigger issue on a daily basis. Volvo announced at the Chicago Auto Show that they are working towards a line-up of automobiles that utilize nothing but four cylinder engines.

Within five years, U.S. president and chief executive officer of Volvo John Maloney says that every new Volvo will come outfitted with a four cylinder engine as “it just makes sense.” Thanks to turbochargers and high pressure fuel injection systems, among other new technologies, smaller displacement engines are constantly becoming more and more powerful leaving no use for larger motors.

One good example of this cylinder downsize strategy at work is Ford’s Ecoboost engines which have been quite successful as they offer equivalent power to competitors motors with less cylinders.

The move to four cylinders will also streamline the companies manufacturing and ordering operations, saving the company money in the long run.

Toyota is taking big steps towards moving hybrids down-market. At the upcoming Geneva Motor Show the Japanese automaker will unveil the production version of its Yaris Hybrid and that’s just the start. Also set to be revealed is what Toyota is calling the FT-Bh concept.

A size down from even the sub-compact Yaris, look for the FT-Bh to be iQ sized. Toyota says it will be a full-hybrid and be “ultra-lightweight”, and yet don’t expect the use of pricey composite materials like carbon fiber. Instead, Toyota says the car will utilize materials that are currently commonplace in the industry. In a release, the automaker says the city car is designed to, “achieve low emissions within an economically viable production framework,” meaning that it is most certainly already cued for production.

Numerous other concept cars will be on display at the Toyota booth, including the NS4 and FCV-R Concepts. The NS4 is a look at an all-new hybrid from Toyota, while the FCV-R uses a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain and is targeted for sale by 2015.

Joining those two will be Toyota’s diji concept, looking at the future of car-driver interaction and personalization.

And let’s not forget the European premiere of the Toyota GT 86 sports car.

GALLERY: Toyota Geneva Motor Show Preview

Well, it has finally arrived. After all the hype and teasers Tesla has unveiled its Model X all electric SUV at the Tesla design studio in California. Well, we thought it would be an SUV, but after having a look, its probably safe to say its more of a crossover than anything.

The model X is said to be a family vehicle with performance roots according to Tesla, and will hit the 0-60 MPH mark in under five seconds. A dual motor all wheel drive setup is available for the Model X, and when outfitted will have two separate electric motors, one driving each axle. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and co-founder said at the press conference that Model X has ”more room than a minivan, more style than an SUV and more performance than a sports car.” The crossover will come with two of the three available Model S engine sizes,using either a 60 or 80 kWh battery pack. Thanks to its added weight, the Model X will get 10 to 12 percent less range than the Model S. That will give the the Model X about 260 to 270 miles of range for the 85-kWh battery and 200 to 210 for the 60-kWh.

Thanks to its lack of an internal combustion engine, the Model X has storage in the rear of the vehicle as well as the front, with the “frunk” alone offering as much storage space as an Audi Q7.

One of the most interesting features on the Model X are the doors. Tesla calls this unique door design “Falcon Wings” and are building upon many other luxury cars utilizing the classic gull-wing design. The falcon wings allow passengers easy step in access to the second and third row of seats, and because they bend in the middle can be opened in tight spaces without worry of smashing up the car next to you. Tesla says that seating seven adults comfortably will be no problem, and entering and exiting the vehicle will be easier than ever before.

The Model X will begin production in late 2013 with deliveries beginning in early 2014. The Model X’s price is expected to be around $57,500.

Ford is rather proud of its new SYNC system, and will be making it standard equipment on all 2013 Ford Fusion and Ford Flex models, the American automaker announced. Their MyFordTouch system will only be seen on upper trim levels however.

Surprisingly the 2013 model year of the Fusion and Flex will be the first time ever Ford has made their SYNC standard equipment. Since its introduction in 2007, Ford has installed SYNC in over four million vehicles. Now that it has become standard fare in the Fusion and Flex, Ford expects to add another nine million vehicles on the road with SYNC over the next three years.

“ Ford SYNC technology has led the industry in transforming the way we connect to our cars,” said Dave Mondragon, Ford general marketing manager. “SYNC has enabled Ford drivers to take advantage of the latest communication and entertainment technology with an easily upgradeable architecture that is friendly to use.”

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Fusion

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Flex

Audi has just released information regarding the TT RS Plus, a more powerful, faster and more dynamic TT RS. The TT RS plus will be available in both Coupe and Roadster versions featuring a 2.5L TFSI engine with 360-hp and 343 lb-ft of torque.

The German automaker didn’t specify when the vehicle will be released other than “early 2012″, but we reckon that customers can place their orders now if they really want one. The TT RS Plus is available with either a manual six-speed transmission or a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic. The Coupe version of the TT RS plus hits 62-mph in just 4.1 seconds while the Roadster does it in 4.2 seconds – both with an automatic transmission. Manual drivers will experience the acceleration to 62-mph 0.2 seconds slower.

Top speed is set at 174-mph and Audi is reporting around 27-mpg for the TT RS Plus. What is probably most impressive about the TT RS Plus is its 3,196-lb weight in a model with a manual transmission with quattro all-wheel drive. It achieves an impressive 1-hp to 8.82-lbs power-to-weight ratio thanks to its lightweight Audi Space Frame (ASF) chassis. The Roadster has a 1-hp to 9.26-lb power-to-weight ratio.

The TT RS Plus will come stock with 19-inch wheels and a large, fixed rear wing to increase downforce on the back of the car.

The TT RS Plus Coupé with manual transmission costs €60,650 (roughly converted to $80,600) in Germany or €62,800 ($83,450) with the seven-speed S tronic. The TT RS Plus Roadster has a list price of €63,500 ($84,385) or €65,650 ($87,240) respectively.

Announced for Europe Audi has not said if the TT RS Plus will be available in North America.

GALLERY: Audi TT RS Plus

Watch AutoGuide’s Audi TT RS Review /w Video Here