If you have been a fan of the turbo-charged motor in the current Acura RDX, you may not like what you’re about to read.

At the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit MI., Acura unveiled the 2013 RDX, which is to ditch its unique turbo-charged motor for a more conventional 3.5-liter V6 motor.

This new engine does pack a bigger punch. It develops 273-hp, that is 33-hp more than the current model. Acura said its customers were not very happy with the fuel-economy of the turbo-charged motor, so it has gone with a more conventional V6. Helping it achieve better fuel-economy will also be its new 6-speed automatic gearbox (current version has five-speeds). Acura has already carried out EPA testing for this vehicle, and the result is 20-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway.

The new model will be available as either a front-wheel drive or all-wheel model.

The new RDX will also be longer than the out-going model, which didn’t offer much rear-seat legroom or much trunk space.

So in many areas, the new RDX seems to be a better vehicle than the one it replaces. Will it still be as much fun to drive? We will let you as soon as we get to drive one.

GALLERY: 2013 Acura RDX

Scion Racing has made its 2013 FR-S Drift Car official at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Less than a week ago, we spotted photos of the same car testing, and our assumptions proved correct: This is the Formula Drift race car for Ken Gushi and the 2012 drift season.

Built in collaboration with GReddy, the FR-S drift car will feature 600-hp and over 500 lb-ft of torque and is presumed to be turbocharged. That’s all the details Scion fed us with on the new drift car, but we’re sure we’ll be hearing more as the Formula Drift season opener on April 6-7th, approaches. But judging by its decals, it appears that the FR-S will operate with KW suspension and Gushi will be drifting on Hankook tires for the 2012 season. GReddy’s brake calipers peek behind the Rays wheels and there’s no doubt Cosworth had their hands in building the powerplant.

We can’t wait to see this thing go sideways.

GALLERY: Scion Racing FR-S Drift Car Official Photos

GALLERY: Scion Racing FR-S Drift Car Detroit Auto Show Debut

See AutoGuide’s complete 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here

Discuss this story at FR-Sforum.com

Audi has unveiled a themed vehicle in the form of their Q3 compact SUV at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. The Audi Q3 Vail is named after the famous winter sports venue in the US with winter sports and functionality as its theme.

The themed design targets young enthusiasts of winter sports who love skiing or snowboarding and represents a new, potential variation on the SUV concept. The Q3 Vail sports an Energy Red exterior that features gold pearl while the add-on body parts are finished in a matte gray quartz-based paint. Aluminum and glossy black details also enhance the exterior styling.

Features that caught our eye on the Q3 Vail include the flared wheel arches and running boards which Audi announced that they plan to incorporate into the extensive range of Q3 accessories. Up top, the aluminum roof rails were designed specifically for transporting skis and snowboards, with their display vehicle rocking carbon fiber sports equipment.

Wheels for the Q3 Vail come in the form of 20×8.5-inch in a high-gloss finish mated to 255/45/20 off-road tires. The interior continues the same color scheme as the exterior with a titanium gray Alcantara headliner while the majority of the interior is black with red accents. Aluminum is used to highlight the instrument cluster while other trim pieces have been finished in high-gloss black.

And for the winter sports fans, the side wall of the trunk houses a charging station and can also be used to store flashlights while charging them inductively at the same time. There is also a Thermos bottle in the cup holder between the front seats that’s able to chill or warm drinks. Both sport LED lights to show the current charge level, while the flashlights can also play double-duty to warm your hands of ski boots thanks to an infrared heating element.

Powering the Q3 Vail is a 2.5L turbocharged, five-cylinder TFSI powerplant with 314-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The Q3 Vail is a great concept in showing off what the new Audi model can potentially do for the everyday consumer.

GALLERY: Audi Q3 Vail Official Photos

GALLERY: Audi A3 Vail Debut

Acura‘s new ILX sedan, based on the Honda Civic sedan, officially features Acura’s first hybrid system and has made its debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The 2013 Acura ILX will become the automaker’s new anchor in a strategy to capture entry-level luxury buyers.

Acura’s target market with the ILX are intelligent, young professionals. The 2013 ILX Concept that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show today featured 19-inch wheels and was announced to have three different powertrains, including Acura’s first hybrid. Even though Acura isn’t positioning the ILX as a technology vehicle, there is still plenty of features for technophiles to love including Pandora Internet Radio, rear-view camera and text-to-speech messaging.

The three powerplants that will be offered for the ILX include a 2.0L four-cylinder with a five-speed automatic transmission, a 2.4L with a six-speed automatic and the 1.5L four-cylinder, 93-hp hybrid powertrain from the Honda Civic hybrid. Acura did specify that its hybrid system will be tuned for more performance and as a result, will have less fuel economy than Civic’s 44-mpg.

The production version of the ILX will debut this Spring and as a result, no pricing was announced. Acura did however state that they anticipate pricing to be “well below $30,000.”

GALLERY: Acura ILX Sedan Concept Official Photos

GALLERY: Acura ILX Sedan Detroit Auto Show Reveal

See AutoGuide’s complete 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage here

And watch a first look video of the Acura ILX below:

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First announced back in late November of 2011, Porsche has officially debuted its 911 Carrera Cabriolet and Carrera S Cabriolet at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The new 911 Cabriolet features a soft-top, retractable roof  with a glass rear window that has been glued directly to the outer fabric skin. The 911 Carrera Cabriolet will start at $97,300 while the Carrera S will be priced from $108,000.

The powerplants in both models will be identical to the 911 Coupe, with the Carrera Cabriolet sporting a 3.4L with 350-hp while the Carrera S Cabriolet will be powered by a 3.8L with 400-hp. Both models will feature Porsche’s newly developed seven-speed manual as the standard transmission, but an optional seven-speed PDK double-clutch transmission is also available.

America is Porsche’s largest market for the 911 Cabriolet model, so its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show made sense for the German automaker.

The new-generation 911 Coupe will be available in the US starting next month and Porsche announced that the Cabriolet variant will be following a few months later.

GALLERY: 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet

See AutoGuide’s Complete 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here

No surprises here, but details on Volkswagen‘s new Jetta Hybrid has been revealed ahead of its official debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Powered by a 1.4L turbocharged engine with 150-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, the hybrid is combined with a 36-hp electric motor giving it a total output around 170-hp.

Volkswagen is claiming that the Jetta hybrid will get a 45-mpg combined rating, which is around 20- to 30-percent more efficient than the standard Jetta. The hybrid will also feature a seven-speed DSG transmission that can be decoupled from the engine to give the Jetta Hybrid all-electric operation for 1.2-miles up to 44-mph in E-mode. Otherwise, the Jetta can run in all-electric mode up to 37-mph.

The Jetta Hybrid weighs in 221-lbs more than the standard Jetta, giving it a total weight of 3,531-lbs.

AutoGuide.com will have more details when the Jetta Hybrid makes its official debut today.

GALLERY: 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid

For complete 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage, See Here

The rumors of Volkswagen bringing an electric concept to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show are true as VW revealed its E-Bugster Concept today. The all-electric Beetle features a three-inch chopped roof and 20-inch wheels, giving us that hot rod look we expected.

VW integrated their Blue-e-motion electric drive unit to the current generation Beetle, giving a preview to the product debut in the Golf. The E-Bugster features an electric motor and 695-pound lithium-ion battery underneath the rear seat and trunk floor. Combined, the Bugster manages a 100-mile driving range and can have its pack charged to 80-percent in 30 minutes with a Level 3 quick charger. The motor offers 114-hp and 199 lb-ft of torque to the Bugster.

The exterior styling of the E-Bugster also slightly differs from the standard Beetle, getting tweaked front and rear bumpers featuring LED daytime running lights.

AutoGuide will be sure to get more photos of the E-Bugster in its flesh at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

GALLERY: Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept

Part of “the biggest statement Lincoln has ever made at an auto show” is the MKZ sedan concept, which is set to debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show right around the corner.

Up until now, we haven’t even had a single idea on what the concept may look like, but Lincoln has released the first official teaser of the sedan ahead of the show. The photo reveals the return of the full-width taillight for Lincoln, but more importantly proves that a fully new redesigned vehicle for the brand is the right direction to help Ford reinvigorate sales of their luxury brand.

AutoGuide will have more on its official debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Until then, see the complete show preview here.

Rumors are brewing that Volkswagen will be heading to this year’s Detroit Auto Show with a surprise debut in the form of an all-electric concept. It is believed that the concept will be based on the current generation Beetle, but has been modified similarly to Volkswagen’s Ragster Concept that debuted back in 2005.

The 2005 VW Ragster Concept (pictured above) sported a heavily modified exterior with a lowered roof and wider body. The Beetle-based Electric Concept that should be debuting at the Detroit Auto Show will be similar in style while sporting an electric motor.

In addition, VW is planning to debut a hybrid version of the Jetta.

Check back on January 9th, when the Detroit Auto Show begins and AutoGuide will have live coverage from the event.

GALLERY: 2005 Volkswagen Ragster Concept

[Source: Carscoop]

Hyundai is set to finally debut the 2013 Genesis Coupe at next week’s 2012 Detroit Auto Show, and to stir up some excitement they’ve released a new teaser video for their next-generation sports coupe.

The teaser surprisingly reveals quite a bit of the new Genesis Coupe, albeit in actual bits and pieces rather than full car shots. Nonetheless, there aren’t any real surprises as to what it’ll look like after all the photos we’ve seen, but it’s nice to see more details on the newly revamped model. The 3.8 badge that’s also seen in the video proves that the new Genesis Coupe will be plenty potent with its Lambda V6 with 345-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Check out the video after the break.

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