GLOBAL

2016 INFINITI Q30 Makes Global Debut Ahead of January Arrival to USA Showrooms

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This is a big year for Infiniti. A bevy of new products hope to invigorate the range in its core US market, but also establish a foothold in the premium compact markets of Europe and China. To that end, the new Q30 is a big next chapter for the firm. It joins the new 2.0-liter turbo engine option on the 2016 Q50 and a production-spec Q60 (coupe) coming in January. The Q30 comes in two flavors stateside: the base, Premium and Sport. The Q30S wears a unique nose clip with beautiful swirls around its lower grille/jawline. Special wheels, boxed twin …

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2016 Toyota PRIUS 9

2016 Toyota PRIUS Intros Future-Tech Design, Sharper Handling and 10% Efficiency Bump

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New new Prius made a splashy debut last night in Las Vegas — marking a new phase in hybrid-electric cars right in a desert city that neon and AC made possible. Is this fun-loving mission a disconnect for the ultra-responsible Prius? Not at all: the new Prius adds efficiency and new tech to the classic Prius merits, but injects a healthy share of fun and style for the first time in 2016. What does this mean? Let’s break it down into three buckets: tech, fun and style. TECH The basics are that the new Prius is 2.4-inches longer, 0.6-inches wider …

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2016 Toyota FORTUNER Global SUV Previews US-Market 2018 Lexus GX460 Replacement

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  Here is an interesting global reveal that is being de-emphasized by Toyota USA and Toyota’s EU divisions. This makes sense when you think of where the new Fortuner SUV will be sold: in Southeast Asia, Australia and Middle Eastern markets. The Fortuner occupies a curious place in the Toyota global range: bigger than the 4Runner but also based on a ladder pickup frame. It is smaller than the big Land Cruiser and Sequoia, but will supplement the Land Cruiser Prado versus replace it. That Prado is the closest relative to the US-market Lexus GX460. So what is this truck? …

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TVR Inks New Sportscar Deal with Gordon Murray and Cosworth – 2018 Launch Possible!

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If there are two better names than Gordon Murray and Cosworth to attach to the TVR rebirth, we cannot imagine them. All are icons of English performance — and together promise great things. A new sportscar announcement today includes no new sketches or even outlines of the upcoming new TVR, but it does signal work behind the scenes. The car will be designed and produced using iStream from GMD and engine mechanicals via Cosworth. iStream is intended to be a highly robotized assembly system using the latest in 3D printing and materials to give low-weight and high-strength components. The iStream …

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2016 Lotus Evora 400 3-tile

400HP, 4.1s 2016 Lotus Evora 400 Is Leaner and Meaner 2+2 With Designed-In Downforce

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First look tonight at the new Lotus Evora 400 — a tweaked and updated version of the promising sports-car with mid-mounted V6 power, a supercharger with 50 extra horsepower to deliver 4.1-second sprints to 60-mph, and even an available IPS automatic transmission. The big news of the Evora 400 is its cooler style, better aero slipperiness combined with almost double the downforce of the existing Evora S. Inside, the new Evora 400 is far more advanced with new controls and new tech throughout. The center stack is incredibly modern and delivers Porsche-beating design details for things as everyday as the …

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2015 Infiniti QX30 Concept 2

2015 Infiniti QX30 Concept Headed for Geneva

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  The newest Infiniti is almost here! The QX30 Concept’s first teaser image is official, and is almost a dead ringer for the Q30 concept seen at Frankfurt 2013. From the back at least, the new QX30 does appeal to be significantly more SUV-ish than the low-riding Q30. This would imply there might be road and trail versions of the model in the cars. This version is also nearly production-ready (tires aside…) and should arrive in global Infiniti showrooms by December, we predict. The premium compact crossover is likely to be an influential design template, later rolling upmarket with a …

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AC Schnitzer BMW 228i and 235i Parts Now Available For Global Shipping!

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Engine power kits, exhaust systems, strings, body kits and interior goodies are all part of the AC Schnitzer BMW 2 series upgrade catalog — but the lowering springs really make the most visual difference in the overall stance of this awesome sports coupe. For performance and intensity on throttle, the new ACS exhaust sounds outstanding too.   AC Schnitzer BMW 2 series F22 Wheels (18″ to 20″ available)   AC Schnitzer BMW 228i and 235i   http://www.ac-schnitzer.de/en/bmw-cars/products-models/2-series/f22-coupe-since-2014/engineering/

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Best of Awards – Coolest New Watch, Above $50k: Louis Vuitton ESCALE Worldtime

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  We’ve covered the affordable side of the watch gift market with the Skagen Havene — how about the ultra-exclusive end. There are hundreds of ways to part with tens of thousands when buying a fine timepiece — but what about for the person who already has Bell & Ross watches, is bored with Rolex and Tag, and for whom the Cartier tank is too small these days? For these gents, we present this gorgeous watch with 24 time zones depicted by stunning hand-painted motifs in the edges of the dial. In the inner circles are the hour, minute and …

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2015 Ford Mustang Global Sales Celebrated with New Burton Morris Pop Art for #MustangUnites

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The Mustang has been coveted by global shoppers for decades — guys and gals who longed for the affordable performance and bad-ass spirit of a pony car, but were only offered hatchbacks instead. That is the past; the 2015 Mustang will now be exported to more than 120 global markets for the first time. To handle this momentous occassion, Ford commissioned Burton Morris art studios to create custom #MustangUnites pony emblems to show how the Mustang might fit in with the locals in these new home countries. Check out all the variations below, and cruise over to the splash page …

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TVR Sportscars Brand Chronology 1956-2006 Plus a Roadmap to Global Sales for 2014 and Beyond

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TVR is one of the greatest success stories in British sports cars. Not by sales or commercial volume, mind you, but the global popularity of TVR is evidence of: — universal appeal of low-volume sportscars with character — broad appeal of English-language auto journalism with a highly qualitative edge — global appetite for automotive and supercar-themed entertainment content — the power of visceral appeal to an exotic car that is nothing like anything sold locally or by big OEM makes As an American who has lusted after TVR’s since first glimpsing the Tuscan in the pages of BBC’s TopGear magazine …

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2015 Renegade is Laughable, Euro-Trash Caricature of a “JEEP” — Arriving From Italy in Feb 2015 from About $16,500

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The one thing thing American buyers have liked least about the Fiat 500? Its size. Buyers also dislike its performance and pricing that easily crests $22,000 — yet lacks comfort, economy, tech and usability features that are standard equipment on the $12,000 Nissan Versa Note SR. But surely — it will be far more competent than the 1998 Dodge-Neon-based Compass and Patriot? No? Larger? No. Cooler? Please? That is a biggg negatory, ghostrider. With products like this, one wonders the prescription glasses spec of the man in charge. Who would approve these monstrosities? So how to make the 500X into …

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