If there was ever a reason to want to own a wagon, this might be it. Edo Competition’s BMW M5 Dark Edition features family transportation with 555-hp, from the stock 500-hp and 413 lb-ft of torque up from the stock 384 lb-ft. In addition to the performance upgrades, Edo Competition outfits the M5 wagon with an aero kit, upgraded interior and 20-inch staggered wheels and tires.

Mercedes-Benz has officially released details regarding the new B-Class and the brands plans to release a dedicated ‘eco’ version as well as offer four-wheel drive and a range of alternatively powered models after the initial launch.

Volkswagen shifted their sales strategy last fall when they lowered the price of their 2011 Jetta by $1,600. New buyers became more attracted to the vehicle and sales vastly improved. June’s combined U.S sales jumped 88 percent for the wagon and the sedan even with a price hike of $500 set last April.

Modifying wagons isn’t very widely accepted, especially not in Dubai. And that’s a shame because nicely tuned wagons look killer. Needless to say, we were pretty excited as soon as we saw this Cadillac CTS-V Wagon Race Car. Then reality stepped when we realized it’s just a rendering.

But while its CEO Victor Muller is looking for the money train to keep the company on track, Saab itself is preparing to launch the 9-5 Sport Combi in the US-market.

Well, there’s good indication that it will at least be heading for ‘South’ America, where automotive tastes tend to run more closely to those across the Atlantic.

The Barrett-Jackson auctions are famous for selling rare exotic cars for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Usually the cars that command the highest prices are limited production Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s and Aston Martin’s.

BMW UK has released another dramatic video detailing the 2012 M5. The M5 won’t go on sale until spring 2012, so we still have nearly a year before it hits the streets but this commercial is getting us very excited.

As part of their partnership with Volvo, Legoland in California features a pair of Volvo Driving Schools (for different age ranges) that are meant to teach youngsters your basic driving skills and techniques. Of course each Lego-built vehicle at these driving schools resemble Volvos and are Volvo-branded, so it was only a matter of time until employees found a Volvo driver within their ranks to play a prank on.

After finding the perfect target, the employees setup their own General Manager of Legoland California, Peter Ronchetti. As he was leaving for lunch one day, he was treated to a surprise when he realized his Volvo XC60 had been replaced with a life-sized Lego Volvo XC90. The Lego-built Volvo XC90 is a very impressive creation, built from 201,076 Lego blocks and requires a forklift to move around weighing in at 2,934-lbs.

It’s a pretty clever and cute little prank to play on their General Manager. Here’s to hoping he returned the favor to his employees with Lego-built paychecks.

Check out the video after the break.

Typically, such collaborations start from the very beginning, but that is not the case with Nissan and Mazda. While Mazda has been selling its Mazda5 mini-van (called Premacy in Japan) for a few years now, Nissan has just rebadged a version of it for itself, and are calling it the Lafesta Highway STAR, and it will be on sale in Japan, not some market where Nissan exists and Mazda doesn’t.

General Motors has officially announced pricing for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The sedan has been priced to start at $14,495 and the five-door model will start at $15,395.

Today, the Ford Transit Connect is targeted at taxi and delivery business. The vehicle is reasonably priced, great on gas and is nimble through narrow streets. However, Ford may choose to offer a seven-passenger version for young families that are not interested in bulky minivans. The next-generation Transit Connect arrives in a few years, and will allegedly be assembled in North America as a more refined vehicle. The current Transit Connect is produced in Turkey and the price comes in around $24,000 to $25,000 making it a very competitive alternative to minivans. Both gasoline and electric versions are offered, as well as models with side winds and panels.

The all new stylish 2012 Toyota Vitz model, sold here as the Yaris, appears to have new photos, that is if these pics from a Hungarian Toyota dealership’s Facebook page are anything to go by.

Volvo has planned several major changes for its 2012 model year lineup in the US. The automaker has discontinued the S40 and V50, after already cutting the V70 earlier in the year. The move is a big change for the Swedish company that built its name on safe and sturdy station wagons.

When Honda officially debuted the new 2012 Civic lineup at this year’s New York Auto Show, the Japanese automaker may have held back a little. Sure there was the Civic Coupe and Sedan, the Si, Hybrid and even a high fuel efficiency HF model, but now it appears as though the big H is preparing a 5-door hatchback version of its best-selling car.

Like the waistline of its parent country’s bikini models, Volvo is considering trimming down—cutting its product line in half, including its legendary wagons.

Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby announced that the Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid will come to the U.S. by 2014, with one major difference. While the European market V60 will use a diesel-electric hybrid system, the United States will get a gasoline-powered variant.

Volvo has just released a fascinating new version of their OnCall app for iPhone and Android phones that provides the owner with a range of beneficial features. The features include a car locator, incase you forget where you parked, remote door lock or vehicle health check. This app works on 2012 Volvo models and can be downloaded for free.

In Japan however, it is a different story. Suzuki cars are still very popular there and May 2011 is clear proof of that, since their WagonR was the best selling car in the land of the rising sun.

With Matrix sales slumping in the U.S, Toyota may not invest in a next-generation version when the 2013 Corolla hits dealerships. Only 14,592 Toyota Matrix’s were sold last year in the U.S which is down from 66,836 units in 2002. Matrix sales are still doing well in Canada, but Corolla sales are double that of the Matrix.

Given the reasonable success of its Sprinter over here, along with other recent commercial transplants from Europe, namely the Ford Transit Connect and upcoming Fiat based offerings from Chrysler, it probably isn’t surprising that Mercedes is looking at importing the Sprinter’s baby brother, the Vito, as an option.

After first introducing the Prius v at the Detroit Auto Show in January, Toyota has now released complete specifications on the new hybrid wagon with one important change; the car’s fuel economy. Back at Detroit, execs said they expected the car to achieve a 42/38-mpg (city/highway) fuel economy rating with a combined 40-mpg number. Toyota has since upped that for the production model by 2-mpg across the board, meaning it is now rated at 44/40-mpg for an average fuel economy rating of 42-mpg.

Volkswagen is planning a coupe and convertible variant of the traditional 4-door Passat sedan/ wagon. This coupe is slated to fit below the Audi A5, as well as the convertible version.

The wagon version of the Audi A6 has been released in Europe, with a sleek new roof and six engines (though not in the same car).

North America will be receiving the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E-Class AMG E63 Wagon, according to a leaked dealer order guide. BenzBoost.com reports the E63 wagon will get the same twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 that debuted in the E63 sedan at last month’s New York Auto Show. The wagon will also get the stop/start technology coupled with a seven speed MCT dual-clutch transmission.

Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group spent $1.7 billion last year to acquire Volvo from Ford Motor Co.,and now plans to spend as much as $11 billion on Volvo products and facilities over the next five years.

According to the Detroit Free Press, all-wheel drive vehicles are increasing in popularity and could account up to 30 percent of all autos sold by 2015.

Volvo is adding a bit of high-end luxury to their popular S80 and V70 models with special edition models. Starting with their sedan, the S80 will have an Executive edition featuring an espresso brown or black leather instrument panel. The soft-leather seats are ventilated with a massage function and the center console now sports aluminum touches. On the dash is a classy, analog clock while the door panels are finished off with leather. Those looking for extra luxury in the S80 Executive can opt for a fridge with Swedish crystal glasses for the rear bench.

So for the 2012 model year, the CTS range will be sporting a new grille. According to Cadillac, premium finishes have been added to highlight the combination of mesh and grille better. A newly tweaked logo has also been introduced with brighter colors and raised ridges.

General Motors European division Opel seems to be playing on the autobahn recently, because they have just unveiled a new version of the Insignia family car (sold as the Buick Regal here in America) called the OPC Unlimited.

This particular V50 example is a European market model, which features a 1.6-liter, diesel engine. Their task was to use hypermiling techniques to cover the distance between Volvo cars U.K. headquarters to the Volvo Ice Camp in the Tirolean mountains in Austria.

Mercedes-Benz‘s Sprinter was designed to be a luxurious commuter van, fit to transport multiple personnel in a more comfortable fashion than your typical box van. But clearly there’s a demand for a much more luxurious experience, and Brilliant Transportation has done just that with their Brilliant Van. They’ve taken your run-of-the-mill Sprinter and transformed it with an interior to rival limos and even the most high-end luxury sedans.

According to a report by Canada’s Minister of Transport, Chuck Strahl, under the NAFTA agreement, used vehicles from Mexico that can be modified to meet Canadian safety and emission requirements, would be allowed to be brought in.

It is a 2008 Maserati Quattroporte, which might be a nice car on its own. But what sets this example apart from the rest is the fact that it is a station wagon. It was customized by coachbuilder Carrozeria Touring Superleggera, a company that has in recent years built quite a name for itself and is also responsible for the new Gumpert Tornante.

Mercedes-Benz is planning to debut their updated 2012 C63 AMG Estate F1 Medical Car at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The refreshed C63 AMG Estate will be sporting the new C-Class facelift along with its AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed transmission. Additional aesthetic changes include an aluminum hood with modified powerdomes, radiator grille, headlights, redesigned front and rear apron featuring larger intake and side air vents.