We were treated to a plethora of automotive news at the beginning of this month, due to the Geneva Motor Show taking place in Switzerland. Now, the industry is preparing for a next big convention, the New York Auto Show.

The show will open its doors on March 31 for the press, and on April 2 for the general public. Although not a lot of big reveals will appear, there are certainly going to be quite a few premieres for the US soil, with many Geneva exhibits making the trip across the Atlantic.

Curious to see just which are the most important reveals set to take place at the 2010 New York Auto Show? Then hit the jump to check our complete preview.

Acura

Acura will be sporting quite a few refreshed models in New York, but by far one of the most expected new models, especially by wagon fans, will be the Acura TSX Sport Wagon. While not a lot of things are known as of yet, a lot of voices claim that it will be a rebadged and slightly redesigned version of the European Honda Accord Touring.

Expect almost the same engines on the SW as the regular TSX, but you will still have to wait until fall, when the model reaches dealerships.

Audi

Audi won’t bring any completely new models at this convention, but rest assured as it will definitely showcase the 2011 A8 hybrid on US shores for the first time. For the purist petrol heads, the RS5 performance coupe will also be on show.

BMW

BMW will be showcasing some refreshed models in New York. Starting with the new 3 Series Coupe and Cabriolet, and continuing with the 2011 X5 SUV.

Besides the facelifts, the company will also showcase the Alpina B7 luxury limousine, complete with the xDrive all-wheel drive system. Given the USA’s appetite for hybrids, the 5 Series ActiveHybrid might also be showcased.

Cadillac

Cadillac will be making a lot of wagon fans extremely happy in NY, as it will showcase, after a very long wait, the CTS-V Sport Wagon model. With the extra space to haul around everything you want and the massive 556 HP 6.2-liter V8 under the bonnet, people will certainly flock to Caddy’s stand.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet’s betting big on the mid-size segment, and will showcase in New York two new versions of its upcoming Cruze sedan. The Eco one, as you might have guessed, improves on the fuel efficiency nature of the Cruze, while the RS trim will give people something better to look at until the rumored Cruze SS will make its appearance.

Hyundai

In New York, Hyundai wants to make a big splash, and has just started teasing the upcoming Sonata hybrid. As you may know, the mid-size South Korean sedan has a lot of fans in the US, many of whom won’t say no to a hybrid version.

Infiniti

Infiniti will no doubt showcase its new M sedans, but alongside the attractive models, it will sadly display the 2011 QX56, which, in lack of better words, is just plain ugly and outdated. Luckily, you’ll be able to clean your eyes with the more interesting Nissan Patrol.

Kia

Kia will be showcasing its own mid-size sedan at the upcoming convention, as the 2011 Optima (or Magentis) will be officially unveiled to the public. With a more aggressive design and tried-and-true engines, likely borrowed from the new Sonata, the Optima will attract its fair share of fans.

Lexus

Lexus is quite confident that a hatchback model can be successful in the USA, that is, if it’s a hybrid, like the recent CT 200h. As you know, the model was already showcased in Geneva at the beginning of the month, and quite frankly we’re not that impressed, given its Prius in Lexus clothing demeanor.

Lincoln

Lincoln, Ford’s luxury brand, will finally be on the receiving end of the much applauded hybrid powertrain already available on the Fusion and Mercury Milan. The 2011 MKZ Hybrid will certainly make some heads turn, but we aren’t so sure we want to pay extra for just a Fusion with a nicer interior.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz is betting big on the families which will visit the NY show, and will showcase the facelifted 2011 R Class “sports tourer” aka people carrier. Promising to combine the MB quality already available with looks that you can actually like for a change, the new R Class will certainly attract some people.

Nissan

Nissan will host a big reveal at its New York booth, with the new Juke crossover being set for its debut on US shores. The funky little model is bound to make a lot of “young, single men living in urban environments” extremely interested, but also other people not in the target demographic.

Subaru

Subaru will be presenting the newer and wider Impreza WRX in New York, aiming to borrow some of the charm of the top STI version for this lower-priced edition. New features, options and styling cues are also present, so you might want to drop by the Japanese carmaker’s booth.

If the WRX won’t get you there, then how about the already-teased 2011 Impreza WRX STI, which will receive a massive new wing to complete its aggressive package.

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Those are all of the completely new announcements set to be made at the 2010 New York Auto Show, but rest assured as many carmakers might prepare some surprise announcements these days. If you’re visiting the show, you’ll certainly have a lot of things to admire, but if you won’t get to go, rest assured as we’ll cover all of the big unveils right here, on RPMGO.com

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2010 New York Auto Show preview

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Times are changing pretty fast for a lot of carmakers, and tougher standards and regulations require more research into less exciting areas than some car fans might like.

Lamborghini is no exception, as the flamboyant Italian supercar manufacturer has started taking measures to reduce its CO2 emissions and to cut back on weight. Now, being asked by Car and Driver, Maurizio Reggiani, the director of research and development of Lamborghini, has gazed into his crystal ball and revealed what the future holds for the company.

In short: less weight, more efficiency, fewer emissions, no force induction of any kind and, sadly, no manual gearboxes.

We already revealed the new center Lamborghini opened at the end of last year, in order to research newer and lighter materials, as it will play a big part in improving overall acceleration for Italian models and their efficiency.

The V10 and V12 units, now used in the Gallardo and Murcielago, will also receive a lot of improvements in the future, in order to increase efficiency. Among them we can include start/stop technology, as well as cylinder deactivation, and even flex-fuel capability. Among these systems, forced induction won’t make an appearance, according to Reggiani, who wants to keep the beautiful engines naturally aspirated.

But while things sound pretty good up until now, another major step for Lambo will be the elimination of manual gearboxes, as the six-speed manual is fitted to just five percent of all new cars. The executive did promise that the company will customize its own system, and not just slap on something from the Volkswagen group in the future models.

Overall, while purists will no doubt disapprove of these measures, Lamborghini needs to get with the times if it wants to still provide cars we can drive with the regulations of the present.

Source: Car and Driver

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Lamborghini’s future to include less weight, more efficiency, no force induction and no manuals

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After leaving its fans to speculate on just what the photos depicting a Lexus LFA Nurburgring edition mean, the Japanese company has finally decided to unveil the concrete details of this special package for the limited LFA supercar.

It seems that the Nurburgring will designate a special track-focused accessories package, including quite a few carbon fiber body parts like front and side spoilers, as well as a huge wing in the back. Besides that, the package will squeeze 10 more HP from the V10 engine, taking the final output to over 562 HP.

The most important change though, at least to tech-heads, will be the resynchronization of the gearbox, which will be able to shift gears in just 0.15 seconds. This means the power will be sent even more quickly to the alloy wheels, wrapped in high performance sport tires.

This package celebrates the entry of the LFA supercars in the upcoming 24 Hours of Nurburgring motorsport event, and will be applied to just 50 cars in the scheduled run of 500 LFA models. For the extra money you’ll also be able to get some special courses on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, as well as a year-long pass to drive on the circuit.

Source: Lexus

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Lexus details LFA Nurburgring package, only 50 units to be made

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The Formula 1 Australian GP in Melbourne wasn’t the only major news involving F1 drivers, as McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton held front page news after he was caught by Australian police after drifting and doing burnouts with his Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

Under the anti-hoon law in the country, his car was impounded for two days and an inquiry has been started. No other details were known up until yesterday, due to the Australian GP taking place. Now, some footage from a freelance camera man appeared on the YouTube account of ABC News, showing Hamilton interacting with the Aussie police.

Even though McLaren officials were trying to mask his identity, as you can see above, shots of Hamilton sitting in his Mercedes-Benz were captured. Soon after things calmed down, and the officers were preparing to tow the C63 AMG, another car, driven by a cop, arrived. Hamilton was then rushed, spy-style, from the C63 to the new vehicle (probably a Holden).

Check out the whole video of Lewis Hamilton interacting with the Australian police after the jump.

Source: ABC News via Autoblog

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Video: See McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton incident with Australian police

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It seems owning a car in a cold weather state in the US is proving to be quite hazardous to the safety of the vehicle. We’ve seen quite a few recalls issued for northern states for various models, and now Cadillac is joining the fray, by calling back all 2003-2007 CTS models, due to a brake problem.

Once again, the road salt used in clearing up snow is to blame, as it can infiltrate the front brake hose, eventually leading to a leak. This in turn results in longer stopping times and lengths, which, as you can imagine, isn’t very good when driving a car.

In case you live or purchased a car in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington D.C., West Virginia or Wisconsin, you need to get your CTS to your local dealerships ASAP.

Owners will be notified in May, and you may contact Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339.

Source: NHTSA

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Cadillac recalls all 2003-2007 CTS models from cold weather states over brake problem

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As Nissan revealed the 2010 Patrol SUV a few months ago, its Infiniti-badged brother, the QX56, was bound to also receive a new version, based on the high end Japanese SUV.

Now, a set of pictures were leaked onto the web, right before the QX56 debuts at the New York Auto Show tomorrow. As we can see, the design its pretty horrid (money can’t buy you style). While the new Patrol looks pretty elegant, the Infiniti version is quite the opposite. The more you stare at it, the more you’ll find some rather awkward styling cues, from the forehead-like top fascia, to the open mouth-like fender vent.

The overall shape is reminiscent of the Nissan Patrol, while the interior is pretty much copy pasted, with Infiniti badges replacing the Nissan ones. The Infiniti QX56 had a lot of things going for it, but if you really want a less awkward looking Japanese SUV and have some money left, take the Patrol.

What do you think? Will the 2011 Infiniti QX56 make a lasting impact on the New York Auto Show visitors? Good or bad? Leave your comments below.

Source: 4WheelsNews via Autoblog

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2011 Infiniti QX56 photos leaked before its NY debut

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Volkswagen is quite proud of its 13-vehicle US lineup, and like we saw with its SuperBowl ad, it wants to resurrect the old PunchDub game.

For those of you not familiar with it, the game consists of playfully punching the person next to you whenever you see a Volkswagen model.

Now, the punching antics are being explored with two new ads for Volkswagen models, promoting the CC (or Passat CC, as it is known in Europe) and the Tiguan crossover. Both play on the distinct attributes of each model, and are pretty funny.

Hit the jump to see these new Volkswagen PunchDub ads.

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Videos: Volkswagen brings more PunchDub antics with CC and Tiguan ads

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After revealing last week the first photo of the new 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX sedan, which will receive a wider body kit and a few slight alterations to its formula, the Japanese company is now teasing the 2011 Impreza WRX STI top-of-the-range edition.

As you can see in the teaser pic above, the new WRX STI will get an accessory quite a few fans have been clamoring: the iconic wing. Even though it still looks like it will retain the new hatchback body style (sorry sedan fans), the updated WRX STI will still impress a lot of people.

More details are bound to appear straight from the New York Auto Show, starting tomorrow, so we’ll supply you with the latest news.

Source: Autoblog

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2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI gets its new wing teased before NY Debut

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Chevrolet is carefully hyping up its upcoming Cruze sedan model, due to hit the market this fall. As you can imagine, the model won’t miss the upcoming New York Auto Show, and Chevy will also showcase a new, highly efficient variant, called Eco, and a special RS cosmetic package, at the convention.

The Eco version of the Cruze, as you could have guessed, will use an array of systems and technologies to improve the fuel average as much as possible. Due to the use of drag-reducing shutters on the lower grille, a deep front air dam and under-body panels, the turbocharged 1.4-liter Ecotec inline-four cylinder engine in the Eco Cruze will do a speculated 40 mpg highway, although the official EPA numbers have yet to be revealed. Either way, considering the great fuel numbers and the fact that the engine will still develop 138 HP and 148 lb-ft of torque, this special version is mighty impressive.

All of the trim lines for the Cruze, the LS, LT and LTZ, can be optioned with the special RS performance package (seen above), which sadly doesn’t offer any boost in power. Instead, you’ll be getting fog lamps (wow!), rocker panel extensions and a rear spoiler. On the inside, the RS pack will be adding special chrome trim and backlit instrument panels.

All in all, these new Cruze variants are bound to attract quite a few people at the Chevy stand in New York.

Source: GM

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Chevrolet Cruze gets efficient Eco version and RS package in New York

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As the New York Auto Show is preparing to open its doors tomorrow, new reports are now indicating that Ford will be revealing a special Lincoln MKZ Hybrid model, which is set to use the same gasoline-electric powertrain found on the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan.

The move isn’t very surprising, as Ford was bound to bring its hybrid technology to its luxury-oriented brand sooner or later. Expect the same 2.5-liter engine, running on an Atkinson cycle, coupled through the eCVT gearbox to an electric motor, which feeds off the power from a nickel metal hydride battery.

Given the extra equipment the Lincoln has on the inside and on the outside, future clients will see a small drop in fuel average from the standard set by the Fusion (41 mpg city/36 highway), but it will still be pretty good, as opposed to the Lincoln’s main rival, the Lexus HS 250h, which gets 35/34.

Overall, even though this will further split the allocation of hybrid subassemblies withing the Ford group, the larger price of the MKZ Hybrid will return a bigger profit than the Fusion or the Milan for the Blue Oval.

Source: Detroit News

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Lincoln MKZ Hybrid set to appear in New York

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