Saleen Set to Announce All-New Car

Having won the right to use his name again, Steve Saleen has some big plans for the company he founded almost 30 years ago. 

As we reported last week, after a lengthy court battle, Steve Saleen, founder of Saleen Autosport in 1984 and creator of the Saleen S7 supercar, has legally regained the use of his name on all his products. He now intends to move the company forward with a brand new car and the requisite level of restructuring.Presently, Saleen heads SMS Supercars (Steven Mark Saleen), which has produced around 400 Dodge Challengers and Ford Mustangs with the SMS name, as well as a host of other impressive tuning projects.

Now that he has won back his brand name, he intends to begin production on a Camaro, with all three models to be offered in three trim levels. SMS badging will also be replaced across the board by the Saleen nomenclature.The S5S Raptor concept revealed at the 2008 New York Auto Show is set to get the green light (perhaps with a different name) "That's still a part of our plan. The S5S is still in our planning," Saleen said.As is the release of a brand new vehicle, which Autoweek are reporting will be announced in the next 90 days and that Saleen described will "be somewhat of a different direction."

The S5S Raptor boasted a 5.0-liter supercharged Ford V8 capable of 650hp and 630lb-ft of torque and was allegedly capable of a 0-60mph sprint time of 3.2 seconds and a 200mph top speed. So anything along those lines would be more than welcome.

Saleen Set to Announce All-New Car

[Report] Lamborghini MLC Concept For Beijing

According to the latest reports, the Lamborghini SUV concept will officially make its way to Beijing.

Lamborghini's 'Lambo Rambo'-replacement SUV/crossover will be making its debut at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. The MLC concept, as it will be known, has been seen leaked before and according to a report by Auto Express, will arrive in April.Though no specific details have emerged other than its name, the MLC concept is expected to head into production by 2015 (limited to 1,500 copies a year) and will probably cost somewhere in the range of $200,000.

The front-end of the new SUV concept will feature styling reminiscent of the Italian automaker's Estoque concept and will feature a front-mounted engine. The engine could come in the form of a 5.2-liter V10 with an output of around 584hp. A hybrid version is also expected to make its way out eventually and could boast a more impressive 600hp.A lightweight build could see a sub-4,400lbs curb weight thanks in part to a carbon fiber transmission tunnel and interior. It will reportedly run on a modified version for the Porsche Cayenne platform.

[Report] Lamborghini MLC Concept For Beijing

Ford Focus ST-R to Make its Racing Debut at Daytona Grand-Am 200

After a year in development and nearly five months after its public debut at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford’s Focus ST-R will make its racing debut this Friday at the Grand-Am 200 that takes place at the Daytona Motor Speedway.
Competing in the Continental Tire Sport Car Challenge ST class, the racing version of the production Focus ST is a fully prepared competition car. It sports a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, a new suspension specially tuned for track use, updated brakes and an FIA-approved roll cage.
The Blue Oval of course, is keen to stress the similarities between the production car and the racer.
Ford’s global motorsport activities Jost Capito said: “The road-going Focus features best-in-class handling, powertrains and brakes and has helped us develop a global technical specification for teams wanting to race the new Focus cost effectively.”
For the time being, the Focus ST-R is homologated for American and Canadian touring car racing series only and is available to order from Ford’s North American dealers.
However, Ford expects that customer teams will participate in a variety of series worldwide, including endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

Buick Excelle is the Best Selling Car in China for 2011, GM and VW Take 7 of the Top 10 Spots

In Europe, the most popular model in terms of sales in 2011 was the aging Volkswagen Golf with 485,547 units followed by the VW Polo and the Ford Fiesta, while in the United States, Ford's F-Series took first place with 584,917 units and was trailed by the Chevy Silverado and the Toyota Camry.

In China, while the overall top sellers continue to be commercial microvans, the bestselling passenger model for 2011 was the Buick Excelle with 254,000 units, according to data provided by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
The Buick model is offered in three different guises, the Opel Astra hatchback based Excelle XT, the Excelle GT sedan that is the same as the U.S. market Verano, and the older generation Excelle sedan. 
GM's Chevrolet Cruze finished third while the Chevrolet New Sail placed seventh. The VW brand saw the Lavida, Jetta, Bora and Santana models rank second, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
Completing the top 10 list is China FAW Group's Xiali, the Hyundai Elantra Yuedong and the Ford Focus that finished eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.

Mini Rocketman Canceled

Remember the Mini Rocketman Concept? It will now only remain a concept according to the latest reports. 

We can't say we're entirely surprised, but then again, we kind of are. According to a report coming from UK automotive magazine CAR, Mini's parent company BMW has canceled plans to build a production version of their Rocketman concept.The Rocketman, first display at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, was the automaker's attempt to show the industry what a scaled-down Mini could look like. In fact, it was closer in size to the original Mini and would have been marketed as a city car, if produced.
And with city cars, such as VW's all-new Up!, about to become what will likely be a solid source of income for automakers, it seems a bit strange that Mini would call off such a model. So what's the reason?According to CAR, BMW would have to make a considerable investment in order for the Rocketman to meet regulations, specifically in the areas of "stability, handling, and crash performance."If they had decided to move forward with the project, CAR estimates it could have been on the road by 2016. Fortunately, an all-new Mini Cooper is on the way shortly along with the Paceman.

Volkswagen Up! GT Gets the Green Light for Production

More Up! news out of Germany, this time concerning the sporty GT version.

Last week we saw some leaked photos of the five-door Volkswagen Up! and the German company saw it fit to finally release the official photos yesterday.Today they have announced that the GT version of the Up! which we saw in concept form at the 2011 Frankfurt International Auto Show will be making its way into production as well. The Up! GT, along with the beloved Golf, continues the automaker's presence in the popular hatch market. But will the Up! GT have the goods to be a true hot hatch?
According to PistonHeads, it will keep its 3-cylinder engine though it will come with a turbocharger. Mated to a six-speed tranny, it could put out as much as 110hp.The Volkswagen Up! GT concept which we saw at Frankfurt featured a sportier facade with extended side sills, black gloss-painted door mirrors and arch-filling 17-inch alloys. The exterior is complete with a deep roof spoiler, black diffuser and two chromed tailpipes. With 110hp, this could be a fun little hatch.Photos displayed are of the Volkswagen GT up! Concept.

Next Mazda6 to Debut at 2012 Paris Motor Show

The next-generation Mazda6 is set to debut next fall at the Paris Motor Show. 

The Mazda6 has often times been forgotten as that other Asian brand family sedan. Going up against competitors such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, Mazda's very worthy sedan has never fully been given the recognition it rightly deserves. And with slowing sales for the old 6er, Mazda is even considering moving production from Michigan, USA to Japan in order to cut costs. But still, they do have plans to move forward with the next generation.

And according to German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, the all-new model will have its official premiere at the 2012 Paris Motor Show next September.We've already been given an early preview of the car's new styling language from the Takeri Concept shown at the Tokyo Motor Show last November. Continuing with the brand's Kodo "Soul of Motion" design language, the Takeri concept is a bold step forward away from the current Nagari/smiley face look.If the production version looks anything like this concept, then Mazda may end up having the best-looking family sedan on the market.
Power will be provided by the automaker's new SkyActiv engines. Whether a diesel version will be offered is still unknown, but more details are sure to begin to emerge in the coming months.

BMW to Launch M Performance Series

BMW will launch a new range of cars with emotional appeal and everyday usability. 

Last year BMW unveiled a new product range, dubbed the i-Series, which will be dedicated to BMW's EV endeavors. At the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, BMW will reveal yet another way to milk its prestigious and highly lucrative M-line when it reveals their M Performance Automobiles.An awkward name perhaps, but it will certainly be much more profitable in the near future than the i-Series and much more entertaining to drive, to say the least.

The new model line was developed and will be produced by BMW's M division, so it will have a close relationship to its older siblings. However, it is intended to be the poor man's M car and therefore the performance is not expected to be at the levels of the M brand. "We are targeting our efforts at customers looking for more emotionality and more performance, but who don't want to forgo the everyday usability of their cars," said Dr Friedrich Nitschke, President of BMW M.Nitschke announced plans for further additions to the new product line-up, referring to "a range including a wide variety of model series, as well as both gasoline and diesel-engined variants".The intelligent all-wheel-drive system, xDrive, will also play a significant role in the BMW M Performance Automobiles, he added. The M Performance brand offers enhanced agility and outstanding precision on the road, plus design laced with emotional appeal.The harmonious interplay of engine output, power transfer, chassis technology and aerodynamic balance provides a captivating showcase for the familiar M genes - in day-to-day driving and beyond.
Photos displayed are of the 2012 BMW M5.