Toyota GT86 TRD New Hybrids - Paris Motor Show

Toyota has a long line of debuts planned for the upcoming Paris Motor Show, including several hybrids and the official debut of the GT86 TRD Performance Line of accessories.

The TRD items, including everything from interior and exterior parts, to mechanical upgrades, will be offered separately, rather than put together in pricey packages. Show goers will also get to experience the GT86 virtually with a GT86 racing simulator.

Several European market hybrids will also debut, including the Auris hatchback and Auris Tourer (wagon). Sharing a platform with the Corolla they will be a look ahead to the 2014 Corolla which will arrive in America in the near future, though it’s not clear if Toyota plans to offer a Corolla hybrid

In addition to these is an all new Verso compact MPV , while Toyota is sure to draw onlookers with the Toyota Racing TS030 Hybrid WEC race car, which after an embarrassing debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finished in second place at its most recent race.

2013 Lexus LS 600h F Sport - Paris Motor Show

Lexus bringing the all new LS 600h F Sport to the 2012 Paris Motor Show for its European debut, alongside a mystery concept car, the details of which are still hidden.

This new concept vehicle will be released online on September 17, but it’ll be up to speculation until then. Odds are that it is a new IS concept, although a new CT200 is also a possibility. A new RX is due sometime soon as well, although this concept could also be something brand new from the Japanese luxury brand.

Also debuting for the first time in Europe is the LS 600h F Sport, that most powerful hybrid in Lexus’ lineup. This car is reserved for the European market, although in America just get the LS 460 F Sport.

2013 Mini John Cooper Works GP - Paris Auto Show

Mini has revealed its fastest production car to date the second-generation John Cooper Works GP. Set to make its public debut in September at the Paris motor show, the go-fast hatchback builds on the solid performance credentials of the standard Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works with a slightly more powerful engine, upgraded suspension, reinforced body, larger brakes and various styling changes.

The pocket rocket packs 218 hp from a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine. Torque peaks at 1,750 rpm with 192 lb-ft, and an over boost feature allows for 207 lb-ft for spurts of speed. Drive is channeled to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Mini says the GP hits 62 mph in 6.3 seconds, and top speed is 150 mph.

The heightened dynamic properties of this model rather than outright straight-line speed set the GP apart, Mini boss Kay Segler said. Central to upgrades is an adjustable suspension that makes the GP highly suitable for track-day outings.

New adjustable dampers allow the ride height to be lowered by 0.8 inch. The geometry has been completely revised, with the front dampers turned 180 degrees and mounted upside down in a move Mini says helps provide significantly improved cornering ability, owing to added camber offset.

The car can lap the Nurburgring in 8 minutes, 23 seconds a whopping 18 seconds faster than the first-gen John Cooper Works GP.

Further changes include the adoption of grippy Kumho Ecsta tires; Recaro sports seats up front; a substantial strut brace set across the space usually dedicated to the rear seat; larger brakes; a re calibrated electronic-stability program with a so-called GP racing mode; and a range of subtle aerodynamic tweaks that help improve the drag coefficient.

Mini plans to limit John Cooper Works GP production to just 2,000 units, a quarter of which are heading to the United States, which is set to become the new car’s biggest single market.

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander EV plugs in - Paris Auto Show

Mitsubishi will display an Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle at the Paris motor show.

The body is based on the new Out lander, which debuted in July in Russia. It uses an electric system derived from the i-MiEV small car and other Mitsubishi vehicles.

The electric Outlander will operate in three modes: EV, series and parallel. EV mode uses only power from the rechargeable lithium-ion drive battery. In series mode, the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine operates as a generator; the system switches into that when the battery dips below a certain level. In parallel mode, both the battery and engine power the wheels.

The 12-kilowatt-hour battery has a cruising range of about 34 miles.

The Outlander also runs a twin motor four wheel drive system with two electric motors, one for each axle. Mitsubishi says it delivers a better response and more control than conventional systems. It's comprised of fewer parts than a mechanical system and works with the company's all-wheel-control system.

Outlander sales are down about 20 percent in the United States from last year. The SUV will hit the streets of Japan in early 2013, and then spread to Europe, North America and other markets around the world.

Mercedes F1 boss downplays Hamilton says 2013 driver decision still not made

Ross Brawn refuses to be drawn in by speculation that Lewis Hamilton could abandon McLaren and move to Mercedes next year. Brawn said that no decision had been made on who will drive alongside Nico Rosberg, who has a multiyear contract with the team.

Inevitably, the idea that Michael Schumacher will stop at the end of this season is gathering momentum, although Brawn said nothing was clear yet. Brawn said that Schumacher's future plans are not yet clear. Read More Story

2013 McLaren F1 successor - Paris Motor Show

Mark your calendars, because McLaren has scheduled the upcoming Paris Motor Show as the place it will reveal its plans for the future, which the automaker has teased in an image showing the silhouette of a car that could be an F1 successor.

2012 McLaren MP4 12C front on water While it has been confirmed McLaren is planning such a car, it would be a great addition to the carbon fiber clad MP4-12C. The McLaren supercar has a mid-mounted twin-turbo V-8 engine making 616 horsepower in 2013 models. The 2012 model, which puts out 592 hp, was featured in our Best Rivera’s Car competition, and nipped the Lamborghini Aventador a heels in the World a Greatest Drag Race 2. While the $241,800 car placed mid-pack in our 2012 Best Driver a Car competition, a McLaren F1 successor could challenge the top contenders for the crown in a few years.

Testing of the F1 car has reportedly started in Europe and, according to Autocar, only 500 are planned for its production run. The price could be well over $1 million, and while rumors suggest power could come from a V-8, a V-10 remains a possibility. Only 100 of the BMW V-12-powered, 627-horse McLaren F1s were built during its production run from 1992 to 1998, and until the Bugatti Veyron came along, the F1 held the production-car top-speed record at 243 mph.
While it‚ a unclear at this point what these flowing lines form, we expect to get more information on the mystery car over the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for updates on the McLaren and other Paris Motor Show debuts.

Price: NA
Body Style: Coupe
Performance & Efficiency: Engine: 3.8L V eight-cylinder DOHC with variable valve timing

2014 Infiniti LE-Concept

At the Paris Motor Show, celebrating the 2014 Infiniti LE Concept, wander from the familiar Infiniti models, its European premiere. Zero-emission driving pleasure in a compact sedan with its eye-catching Warranty: Infiniti takes with all-electric LE Concept in Paris with the promise that in the period of about two years, a zero-emission vehicle in selected countries to bring to market. The standard model assumes not only the advanced drive system for the Infiniti LE concept. Most of his characteristic design elements also remain, but the entire car should radiate through and through dynamic luxury. Even the sophisticated interior and user-friendly technologies are planned for the series - including the innovative wireless charging system.

The revolutionary design of the four-door cleverly combined with dynamic elegance by striking Infiniti elements are linked with completely new design approaches. The proportions are balanced; the high tail supports the feeling of fluid movement. On the front end, you meet the distinctive grille featuring the unique Infiniti double sheet. Behind the effect richly illuminated emblem hides the charging port for the energy storage. The headlights and taillights with LED technology reflect the design guidelines recently Infiniti's concept car, as well as the C-pillar into crescent shape and strong shoulders.

Concept is powered by a LE 134 hp (100 kW) electric motor, which is from the start a torque of 325 Nm, enabling a range of 160 km. In boost mode, 80% of the large 24 kWh battery in just 30 minutes again be full of energy.

Nor is approximately 470 cm long Infiniti LE Concept, a study, but already in 2014, the electric car on the market.

2013 Audi R8 Facelift

The Audi R8 facelift was officially revealed ahead of the Paris Motor Show in September. If you’re not a fan of the car, the changes will appear small at first glance for Audi R8, let’s start with the cosmetic side of things. The front end has receive a makeover: new fascia with full-LED headlights, a six-point grille and redesigned intakes.

Round the back, the biggest change in my opinion would be the exhaust system. You can no longer tell them apart, as both the oval tips of the R8 V10 and the quad tips of the R8 V8 have been dropped in favor of a simple but very cool circular design.

Still setting the V8 and V10 apart is the shape of the side blade for the engine air intakes, which have a kink and are larger for the bigger of the two, as well as differences in the diffuser and splitter design. The R8 facelift rides on new 18-inch wheels with tires sized 235/40 front and 285/35 rear for the base car, or 19-inch with tires 235/35 and 295/30 for the V10.

Now, onto the engine front, where both the base 4.2-liter V8 and 5.2-liter V10 remain (sadly) untuned. This means you’ll still have 424 hp (430 PS) and 430 Nm (317 lb-ft) for the V8 and 518 hp (525 PS) and 530 Nm (391 lb-ft) for the V10. This will keep the current owners happy, but the facelift comes with a better gearbox, as the 6-speed automated manual R tronic has been replaced with a new 7-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission.

The R8 V8 Coupe takes 4.3 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) with the new R tronic box, while the V10 does this in a very supercar-like 3.6 seconds and also gets a new top speed of 314 km/h (195mph).

If you want to go even faster, Audi has launched a new range-topper called the V10 Plus. This is powered by a revised 5.2-liter with 550 PS (542 hp) which replaces the GT, a special version that was limited to just 333 examples.

Audi also plans to sell its electric-powered R8 e-tron, though we should have more details about that in Paris.

2013 Audi S3 - Debut at Paris Motor Show

If you want a hot hatchback, you’re not exactly wanting for choice these days. From affordable superminis to exotic six-cylinder monsters from BMW, there’s something for everybody. However, there’s only one with quattro all-wheel drive that also offers a relaxed, luxury attitude to life.

Yes, it’s the S3, and there’s a new one on the way, a fact clearly demonstrated by the numerous prototype sightings. But when exactly will we be able to buy the new Audi S3? Pretty soon actually, as the car will debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, which is going to start at in September.

The news comes not from an official Audi press release, but from a speculative report released by Autocar (Autocar.co.uk) magazine. They say the S3 will bow together with the new five-door 2013 Audi A3 Sportback.

The new S3 will make use of a turbocharged 2.0-liter TFSI engine pushing out around 280 hp. That’s not a significant increase in power, but at least you can expect economy to be improved, most likely through cylinder deactivation or start and stop.

Lada X Ray Small Crossover Concept

One of the more impressive debuts from Russia's local auto industry at the ongoing 2012 Moscow International Auto Salon is the Lada X Ray, a concept for a small, three-door crossover model.

The styling of the X Ray is the brainchild of the company's new head designer, Steve Mattin, who has previously worked at Mercedes-Benz on various models including the ML-Class and GL-Class, before he joined Volvo in 2004 where he oversaw the designs of S60, V60, and XC60 concept.

You have probably already seen the pictures but now we have two videos of the prototype to share with you including one that shows the car in motion on the road.

While AvtoVAZ Lada doesn't have any current plans to produce the crossover study, its styling is believed to influence the company's future portfolio, where Renault and Nissan Alliance currently own 25 percent of AvtoVAZ, Russia's biggest automaker, but plan to invest about $750 million to take a 75 percent holding in the company. The deal will come into force by 2014.

Source : carscoop.blogspot.com

Lada X Ray Small Crossover Concept Video