Luxury sportscar manufacturer Aston Martin is celebrating a milestone as they now have over 1-million fans on the social networking site, Facebook.

In celebration of this milestone, Aston Martin will lets its ‘fans’ design a special one-off vehicle by answering a series of questions. The most popular answer will decide the specification of “The Millionth Fan Car.”

Aston Martin is creating some interior and exterior color schemes specifically for this special edition. As a thank you to all those who participated in this campaign, Aston Martin will send each fan a downloadable certificate of the final design.

The chosen car and design will be built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon facility in March 2012. This car will then be displayed at many public events during the year.

Aston Martin’s popularity has seen a big rise in the last six-months as over 280,000 fans have ‘liked’ their Facebook page. This might be due to their expansion in markets such as India and South America recently.

Also in celebration of this milestone, Aston Martin will reduce the price of their iPhone app from $5.00 to $0.99, but only for a limited time.

The ultra-limited production Jaguar XKR-S will get a droptop companion sometime in 2012, with Jaguar unveiling the 2013 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 16th.

With a 5.0L supercharged V8 making 542 horsepower and 502 lb-ft , making it the most powerful Jaguar ever produced. The coupe can hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds while reaching speeds of 186 mph. Expect the droptop to be just a tick slower due to the added weight. Jaguar will also show the C-X16 concept in North America for the first time, giving domestic show goers a glimpse of the amazing turbine powered concept.

[Source: Motor Authority]

Lotus Elise and Exige sports cars manufactured between June 1, 2004 and November 30, 2006 are subject to replacement of a faulty oil cooler line, which may be prone to leak oil or suffer from the line detaching completely. If attention isn’t given at a timely matter, the defect can cause slippery oil to coat the tires, smoke, or even fires.

This defect was first brought to Lotus’ attention after reports of smoking and in one case, a fire. Repairs will be performed at no cost to Lotus owners. Dial for Lotus, (800) 245-6557, or you may the call NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at (88) 327-4236

New rules to Britain’s MoT inspection program, used by the government to declare whether vehicles are roadworthy or not, could end up costing motorists thousands of dollars for non-essential repairs.

European Union regulations, which Britain is subject to, require that electronic stability control systems must be checked, and any vehicle that doesn’t pass will be declared unfit for British roads. One reader of British magazine Auto Express complained that he recieved a bill of $2,715 to fix the system in his Vauxhall Astra compact car, when the system was fitted as an option. The reader noted that an Astra that didn’t have the system at all would be declared road worthy.

Systems like airbags, catalytic converters and factory-fitted Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems will also be tested, and any defects could result in similarly expensive repair bills. This issue has left us wondering whether the OEMs are setting us up for a fall by making these systems so costly to repair, leaving some owners to abandon their perfectly good vehicles for a new car, rationalizing their purchase as an alternative to throwing money at an old car.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Following in the footsteps of the Aston Martin Cygnet, Lotus will introduce their own City Car, apparently dubbed the Ethos, in late 2013.

First unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, the Ethos will be powered by a hybrid powertrain or possibly a fully electric system like the Nissan Leaf. The concept used a 1.2L three-cylinder engine with a hybrid system that allowed for 37 miles of electric driving and a total range of 310 miles. Pricing is said to be set at $45,000.

GALLERY: Lotus Ethos Concept

[Source: DuPont Registry]

The last Jaguar to offer all-wheel drive was the X-Type, a compact sedan that was ignored by the U.S. marketplace. But that isn’t detering Jaguar from planning to offer AWD on their XF and XJ sedans.

With a significant portion of Jaguar customers based on the East Coast, Jaguar needs to offer AWD for customers in the snowbelt, despite it being “cost prohibitive” according to Jaguar boss Adrian Hallmark. Hallmark said that AWD is a major selling point for brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, and if the brand wants to keep up its momentum among luxury buyers, it needs to offer AWD.

[Source: Car and Driver]

After decades of borrowing powertrains from Ford, Renault, Toyota and other OEMs, Lotus has revealed some of the first pictures of a working engine, designed and built in-house.

From the photo released on Facebook, the engine appears to be a DOHC V8 with a racy looking intake plenum and airbox setup, similar to an Italian supercar engine. No word on whether individual throttles, direct injection or any sophisticated technologies will be employed.

Expect to see the engine in products like the upcoming flagship Esprit, assuming those vehicles actually make it to market.

[Source: Facebook]

The Lotus Cup USA Series will begin its season on September 2nd at New Jersey Motorsports Park, followed by a second round at Lime Rock Park In Connecticut on October 20th.

The inaugural East Coast events kick off the series, which features both open lapping days and a time trial event. The idea is to let Lotus customers experience their car on a closed course, and operate them in the way they were intended to be driven.

Participants will also be able to receive professional instruction behind the wheel of an Evora as part of the aptly named “Evora Performance Driving Experience”.

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]

Lotus will be packing heat this year at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with the Evora GTE Road Car Concept and the Exige Matte Black Final Edition.

The Evora GTE Road Car will be unveiled to the world for the first time at the McCall’s Motorworks Revival event Wednesday night, August 17 at the Monterey Jet Center. This high performance Evora was built for the sole purpose of being successful in the new global motorsport GTE category. The Evora will crank out 420-hp with a sequential AMT racing gearbox sending power to the wheels via ultra-light forged alloy rims with center-lock hubs and Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires. The sports car will later be shown within the Lotus exhibit on Peter Hay Hill on August 18-20 before being moved onto the Concept Car Lawn for display for the rest of the weekend.

The US Premiere of the North American only Exige Matte Black Final Edition will premiere within the Lotus exhibit on Peter Hay Hill on August 18-21. This Exige gets bumped up to 257-hp, a stealthy paint job and black Alacantara sport seats. Only twenty-five of these vehicles will be produced, each with their own number plate.

McLaren is setting its sight on Ferrari and Lamborghini, and is set to spend $1 billion to develop 13 new models and variants, according to a Bloomberg report.

The announcement comes as McLaren is preparing to launch 35 dealerships this year, and has already spent $320 million to develop their MP4-12C sports car. So far, 2,000 orders have been taken for the MP4-12C, and McLaren expects revenues of $1.6 billion within 5 years, but Chairman Ron Dennis is hoping to sell as much as 47 percent of the company to reduce the company’s debt.

[Source: Bloomberg]

A sharp-eyed AutoGuide reader spotted the 2012 MINI Coupe undergoing a shakedown in Toronto, Canada. The Coupe, which is supposed to be the most sporting version of the MINI lineup, was wearing minimal camaflogue, although the photographer reported that the driver did their best to make a swift getaway. Check out the gallery below, as well as a video clip of the 2012 MINI Coupe.

Gallery: 2012 MINI Coupe Spied

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The RSRNurburg school runs a fleet of brand new Lotus cars at the Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps for those feeling the need for speed. Based out of Nurburg, Germany, the company allows drivers to sample a new Lotus Exige S’s and track the car on both the Nuburgring in Germany and the Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

As well as the two track sessions, beautiful twisty turny roads have been selected so the driver gets to experience both road and track. The tour is ended by passing the secret factory workshops of Porshce, Ferrari and Aston Martin. RSRNurburg will teach the driver high speed driving techniques, correst use of the controls, the racing line and the best use of different variations through the convoy training system and finding the importance of balance.

Prices vary from  €249 which includes fuel and insurance for a half day package to €1495 per driver for a full day of racing at the Nurburgring racetrack.

[Source: The Lotus Forums]

According to a report from Autoblog North American-spec production of the Lotus Elise and Exige will end in August, leaving the brand with only the Evora to sell as its sole product.

Since its debut in 2004 the Elise, and its hardtop Exige sibling have won accolades from enthusiasts and journalists alike, but have always been a niche product. The end of the Toyota 2ZZ engine, which powered the Elise on our shores, likely contributed to this decision.

The Elise will continue to be sold in Europe with a new 1.6L four-cylinder engine until a replacement arrives in 2015.

[Source: Autoblog]

The Aston Martin Cygnet might seem like anathema to everything the company stands for, but Aston Martin is hoping that the Cygnet will become the number two seller for the brand.

With a projection of 1,500 units sold per year, the Cygnet would trail the Vantage as Aston’s stop selling model. Aston sold a total of 4,250 cars in 2010.

The Cygnet is based on the Toyota iQ city car, and Aston Martin is marketing the car not based on performance, but on luxury. ”Prior to Cygnet your choice was, you open the door and it smells of plastic; now you open the door, and you’ll be hit by this wonderful smell of leather,” Chief designer Marek Reichman told Automotive News.

[Source: Automotive News]

A McLaren MP4-12C was involved in a severe crash at the Nurburgring race track in Germany, prompting speculation that the car was attempting to record a lap time on the famed circuit before the first cars were delivered to customers.

Reports  from Evo magazine state that the MP4-12C was travelling extremely fast around the track before the incident, and squealing tires and the sound of an impact could be heard at one point. A covered truck then apparently collected the damaged McLaren. Meanwhile, Evo spoke to a McLaren representative claimed that there was no attempted made at setting a lap time, stating ‘The run came as part of the development program. The car was out there completing laps as part of ongoing tests and wasn’t trying to set a benchmark time. At this point we’re not trying to set lap times but we’re confident that the car will be very fast around the Nürburgring when the time comes.”

The representative later claimed that the car would be analyzed at the McLaren Technical Centre in England, and that it was not a production-spec vehicle.

[Source: Evo]

A “leaked document” (read: dubious rumor) claims that a coupe variant of the Opel Insignia sedan, may wear the famed Calibra badge. The previous Calibra was known for its slippery styling and turbocharged engines, and the Insignia would make a worthy successor.

Opel previewed an Insignia Coupe with their GTC Concept, which was powered by a 2.8L V6 with a twin-turbo setup, and this engine is currently used in the Insignia VXR good for 321 horsepower. A proposed coupe would be fitted with all-wheel drive, and have a shorter wheelbase to give the car sharper reflexes.

While Opel and Vauxhall cars aren’t sold Stateside, the car could make its easy over here as a Buick. The possibilities mulling in our heads, from a new Riviera to a Grand National successor, are definitely enticing, but we’ll wait for the real car to surface before we let our imagination run wild.

[Source: Auto Express]

Land Rover South Africa has taken the brand’s iconic Defender off-roader and converted one to run on fully electric power, with an 80 horsepower motor good for 63 miles of silent, emissions free driving at speeds of up to 37 mph. The Defender EV also retains a full four-wheel drive system despite its electric drivetrain.

While these numbers may not be too impressive in the real world, this Defender is meant expressly for use in Safaris, and Land Rover claims that the vehicle’s range is sufficient for 8 hours of driving in these types of conditions. The Defender EV is expected to debut at the Indaba festival in Durban, South Africa this month.

[Source: Auto Express]

MG Rover may have been able to retain much of its British character after being acquired by Chinese automaker SAIC, the company’s tie-in with General Motors may see the next generation MG Rover products use GM technologies, including platforms.

The Roewe 750 sedan, formerly based on the Rover 75, may be based on the Epsilon II platform used on the Buick Regal and Opel Insignia, which would help bring the car up to a level suitable for European sales. A new range of turbocharged gasoline and diesel 4-cylinder engines are also being developed, along with a crossover and a plug-in hybrid variant of the MG5 compact hatchback, although GM’s involvement in these projects is unclear.

MG is also hoping to expand its UK dealer network to 50 stores in the near future, and the fact that much of the engineering work is being carried out at MG’s historic Longbridge facility should make the cars an easier sell in such a competitive market.

[Source: Autocar]

The MINI Countryman was originally offered with a 2+2 configuration that made it somewhat impractical for a significant portion of potential buyers, who need the fifth seat for whatever reason.

MINI eventually decided to offer a fifth seat option in Europe, but has now decided that North Americans can have the option of a middle seat as well, a move that will no doubt open up the Countryman to a new demographic, and allow MINI to charge more money. Look for the fifth seat option to become available starting in September.

Rolls- Royce is expecting a massive sales increase in the second quarter of this year, thanks to increased demand spurred by their “cheaper” Ghost model, which retails for a mere $246,500.

The introduction of the Ghost in 2010 helped sales jump 167 percent, spurred by enormous growth in China. The brand expects to open 11 showrooms in the country by year’s end, with China eventually overtaking the United States as its largest market. Nevertheless, Rolls-Royce will open a further 4 dealerships in the US by year’s end.

[Source: Reuters]

Despite a 13 year hiatus from producing road-cars, McLaren is now planning on launching a new road-going vehicle every year, starting with the introduction of the new MP4-12C supercar.

While timelines are still hazy, we do know that forthcoming products include an MP4 GT3, intended for international motorsports competitions, and an open roof MP4-12C. Beyond that, a new smaller sports car aimed at the Porsche 911 and a flagship supercar positioned above the MP4-12C should give the brand a suitable product line to do battle with sports car makers from Italy and beyond.

McLaren also is experimenting with new technologies to maximize horsepower and fuel economy, including new battery technology that can extract one horsepower from a lithium ion cell the size of a AA battery. While McLaren claims that getting this into a road-going car isn’t going to happen immediately, the company is advertising aggressively for hybrid system engineers on their website. Truth be told, there’s far worse than a KERS system in a sports car, even if “purists” bristle at the though.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

One of the worst kept secrets at the New York Auto Show belong to Jaguar, which unveiled their revised XF and XK luxury cars, including a 550 horsepower XK-RS.

The XK-RS is billed as the fastest Jaguar ever, with a 550 horsepower version of the 5.0L supercharged V8. Jaguar hinted that their power rating was a bit below what the car’s actually capable of, and we’ll welcome the chance to verify this claim, as well as the car’s 186 mph top speed.

The XF sedan gets minor styling tweaks both inside and out, while the XFR gets a more aggressive bodywork treatment to help differentiate it from the more sedate members of the XF family. A new Jaguar leaping cat badge will also be found on the decklid, giving teenage vandals a new target for their hijinks.

Gallery: 2012 Jaguar XK-RS and XF

If you’re buying a Jaguar XKR, you are probably the kind of customer who expects to be swaddled in leather, but an Italian special edition tore the leather out and replaced with with plaid Alcantara.

The example pictured above is finished in a pattern known as “Prince of Wales check” and is a bit more subdued than the hipster style Buffalo plaid we were expecting. The car in question is actually a super-rare XKR 75, which already came with an exclusive leather interior. Guess this new material makes the car even more rare – but maybe not any more tasteful.

[Source: Autoblog]