Americans are saying “yes” to the 2012 Volkswagen Passat and the German giant is responding in kind by boosting production and adding jobs.

200 more positions are being created at the Chatanooga, Tenn. plant that already manufactures the car. According to Automotive News, the company will achieve this goal by increasing the number of cars produced per hour from 31 to 35. The plant opened in 2011 as part of VW’s plan to boost American sales to 800,000 by 2018.

We’re certainly not complaining about more Passats being available. Changes to the 2012 model make it feel a lot more like a luxury car. Some folks may struggle with the $33,000 price tag for the top-end model, but the base S starts at just $19,995. Read our review here and decide for yourself.

GALLERY: 2012 Passat SEL V6

[Source: Automotive News]

Audi is introducing their new line of bi-turbo diesel engines that will make their way into several A6 cars and the A7 Sportback.

Those included in the list are the A6 sedan, A6 Avant, Allroad Quattro and A7 Sportbacks. Next spring U.K. customers can look forward to those cars sporting the option of Audi’s most powerful V6 diesel to date. The 3.0-liter bi-turbo oil burner will have 309 horsepower and 479 ft-lb of torque. That will be enough to propel the A6 Quattro from 0-60 mph in just 5.1 seconds, while the A6 Avant and A7 will get there in 5.3.

There isn’t any news on those cars making their way across the ocean just yet, but Audi did well in the U.K. last year, selling 14 percent more vehicles than they did the previous year. Audi says part of their plan to continue that upward trend is to invest more money in new products for what looks like a hungry market.

While this is little more than speculation, it doesn’t seem that outlandish that Audi might decide to bring those products to market in North America. An A6 diesel has long been rumored for the US, but the date keeps scooting out of sight.

Hopefully the new engine will sell well in the U.K. and encourage Audi to expand its distribution. That said, we won’t be surprised if it takes a long time or just doesn’t happen at all. Afterall, we’re still staring at the A1 with envy as the clock ticks by. There’s also already a diesel engine being sold in the US, albeit one with only 225 horsepower, sold in the Q7, and soon to be available in the Q5 CUV and A8 sedan.

A grid of 58 vehicles at the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona made this year’s event one of the most competitive races in the history of the franchise. It was so competitive, in fact, NASCAR star racing driver AJ Allmendinger of the Michael Shank Racing #60 Ford/Riley car only beat Starworks Motorsport’s pole-sitter Ryan Dalziel by 5.198 seconds after 24 hours of heated competition.

After Allmendinger had won the Rolex 24, he described his last stint as, “the most fun three hours of racing I’ve ever done.”

Struggling for a race win at the Rolex 24 ever since 2004, Michael Shank Racing’s remarkable victory got even sweeter when its second Daytona Prototype crossed the line to clinch third and close out the podium. However, the battle between Allmendinger and Dalziel in their last stint was so relentless that the Michael Shank No. 6 sister car driven by Felipe Nasr couldn’t stay with the battle and fell back, finishing the race almost a minute behind. The top-three finishers were all Ford/Riley prototypes.

The #60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley was brought to the checkered flag by A.J. Allmendinger and co-drivers Justin Wilson, John Pew and Oswaldo Negri Jr. Starwork’s impressive 2nd place finish was thanks to the valiant driving performed by Ryan Dalziel and co-drivers Enzo Potolicchio, Lucas Luhr, Allan McNish and Alex Popow. Finally, in third place, the sister Michael Shank car was driven by Felipe Nasr, Michael McDowell, Jorge Goncalvez and Gustavo Yacaman.

Rumblings of a 3-Series GT might have been little more than a shudder from the rumor mill, but according to a story published on BMWBLOG a smaller version of the unpopular 5-Series GT is on the way.

It might seem strange that the company would launch such a niche car after the previous iteration failed so heavily. Maybe BMW is jealous of Mercedes-Benz. Whatever the reason is, expect to see them launching in March 2013.

They will feature the same rear glass to stubby bum you would expect on a 4-door hatchback from BMW, in fact they really look like a saloon version of the old 318ti with updated styling.

Engine offerings should be the same as the new 3-Series lineup, so expect to see a 2.0-liter twin-turbo four making 240 hp and a twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder making 300 hp in higher end models.

BMW did actually tweak the formula a little with this car, offering more rear legroom than the 5-Series version. Don’t expect to see these hit American shores, though. The company is releasing a touring edition of the 3-Series for American consumers which makes sense because it seems few people actually buy hatchbacks in the U.S.

[Source: BMWBLOG]

Porsche is upping the engineering ante with their 2013 911 Turbo, which our spy photographer caught yesterday, to deliver more power and better fuel efficiency all at once.

The new 911 Turbo will keep the same 3.8-liter horizontally opposed six cylinder engine as previous models, but it will have a new boost thanks to a complex tri-turbo setup similar to what BMW is using in the M550d xDrive and X5 M50d models, among others.

The system employs one smaller turbocharger and two larger ones. The smaller spools up more quickly at lower rpms, delivering an initial power boost that carries smoothly into the second and third larger units.

Although the horsepower ratings aren’t certain yet, the new system is expected to boost the 911 Turbo from 495 to 525 horsepower, which is quite close to the 530 hp 911 Turbo S.

Porsche is currently completing testing on the tri-turbo setup inside their 991, though further details can’t be that far off given that it’s slated for the 2013 model year.

GALLERY: 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo spy photos

[Source: Auto Car]

The Audi A1 will have a rolling cloth top in 2013, though further details are limited.

According to a report by German Auto Motor Und Sport, the company decided to go with a rolling roof instead of a convertible to save cost. The setup will be similar to what we’ve already seen in the Fiat 500c, though probably without the dropping rear window which promotes the convertible feel.

Of course, the A1 is still just another German treat that North America gets to ogle but not touch. Don’t expect the tiny bundle of fun to make its way to our shores until the second generation, which is a long way off.

Audi also speculated that the new A9 luxury sedan could be offered with a new V12 engine.

[Source: World Car Fans via Auto Motor Und Sport]

BMW is proving again that a smaller engine doesn’t need to mean less oomph after announcing that the 2013 X-Series will be switching to a 4-cylinder engine.

The company will start producing their new X-Series crossovers this April. The biggest change for American consumers will be the single horsepower boost the 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i will get despite the downsized engine. BMW decided to swap out the old naturally-aspirated inline six-cylinder that made 240 horsepower for a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four that puts out 241 horsepower.

The more powerful 300 hp version, however, will get the same turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6. Both versions are probably a good thing because the push toward a smaller engine means the lower-end X3 will get a bit of a boost in gas mileage, putting it in line with the 2.0-liter turbocharged Audi Q5, while still achieving more horsepower.

[Source: Inside Line]

Since the debut of the new Carrera at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year the P-car faithful have been eagerly anticipating the launch of the next-gen 911 Turbo. That launch date is getting closer with our latest spy photos of the every day exotic giving a closer idea of just what the future holds.

Sharing a wheelbase with the Carrera, the new Porsche Turbo will be roughly 4-inches longer end-to-end and as is obvious from the photos will sport a significantly wider track and accommodate an all-wheel drive system. Of note, the rear spoiler on this test mule appears to be fixed, but expect an automatically-deploying unit on the production model. With the sleeker styling of the new 911 combined with these aggressive new rear haunches, the 911 Turbo is finally beginning to look more like a car that offers supercar levels of performance.

While no details about the upcoming twin-turbo flat-six engine have been released, considering the current Turbo S makes 530 hp we expect no less from the new Turbo. Even 550 hp would be a solid bet. Also, the Turbo could finally see a top speed that reaches the 200 mph mark.

Expect a major overhaul on the 911 Turbo’s interior with significant inspiration from the Panamera.

GALLERY: 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo Spy Photos

In 1989, Rick Moranis played a nerdy dad who accidentally downsized his children to an insect scale in Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. He probably wouldn’t have believed it if someone told him that 23 years later automakers would be doing the same thing to their cars.

For those of us living in the North American 2012, there are increasingly large swarms of little cars buzzing around the streets. The din their tiny engines makes isn’t overwhelming yet, but just wait.

General Motors’ German subsidiary, Opel, is planning to release a micro car they’re calling the Allegra (or, tentatively, Junior). No, not the allergy medication, though the thing is small enough to be mistaken for a bee in ragweed season, at least compared to the standard American palate. When the Allegra hits Europe in 2013 it will probably stand to compete against cars like the Volkswagen Up, MINI Cooper and Fiat 500.

In fact, it’s a solid 3.3 feet longer than the Mercedes-Benz spawned Smart ForTwo, which looks like a cross between a golf cart and an alien space pod. Our spies caught the Opel Allegra on camera during winter testing, but what’s the big deal? Opel cars aren’t sold in North America, right?

Well, not necessarily. Rumors are floating around that the not-so-smallish micro car might make it overseas rebadged as a Buick. (Why not? It’s not the first Buick to come from Opel). And with the recent launch of the Fiat 500 and the Scion iQ on our shores, the market for mini-cars is growing.

Of course, the name will likely change to keep big pharma happy.

GALLERY: Opel Allegra/Junion Spy Photos

Hyundai has made incredible gains in the global market, challenging larger automakers in markets they once dominated. While Volkswagen has globally sold a record number of vehicles in 2011, Hyundai Motors and its Kia affiliate have exceeded VW’s numbers in the United States. According to senior analyst of auto website Edmunds.com Jessica Caldwell, “Hyundai offers compelling design at an affordable price– a win-win for must consumers. Brand exposure has long been the problem for Hyundai, but that has certainly eased.” The South Korean automaker has made some smart moves to gain publicity, including ads aired during the Super Bowl as well as the company’s sponsorship of the World Cup.

The pressure on Volkswagen doesn’t end at North America, however, as Hyundai intends to bring the fight to Europe as well. Chief operating officer Allan Rushforth for Hyundai Europe said, “It’s very important for Hyundai to be successful. Europe is a top priority because it affects how the company is perceived elsewhere.”

Just as European nations tackle a debt crisis and consumers face austerity measures, Hyundai looks to offer products that mix great value, reliability, European styling and handling. While Volkswagen focuses its attention on challenging GM and surpassing them for the title as world’s largest automaker, Hyundai sneaked up on the German Automaker as Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at Germany’s University of Applied Sciences, said, “Hyundai is one of VW’s most serious challengers. The mix of good value, quality and design is a solid basis, and they’ve been getting more innovative every year.”

During the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, a video was posted on YouTube capturing a concerned conversation between VW CEO Martin Wintekorn and his associates at Hyundai’s show floor. Upon studying the adjustable steering column inside the Hyundai i30, Winterkorn  noted, “Nothing rattles. Why can they do it? BMW can’t. We Can’t.”

Winterkorn adds, “It’s become increasingly clear that whoever’s at the front has a lot of opponents. Our competitors are attacking Volkswagen all over the world.”

For Hyundai’s European offensive, the South Korean automaker has prepared a $12.4 billion investment, intended for plant upgrades and vehicle technology development.  Meanwhile, Volkswagen steels itself against imminent competition by holding onto a 62.4 billion euro budget to invest in factories and new vehicles over the next five years.

GALLERY: Hyundai Elantra

[Source: Bloomberg]