British sportscar manufacturer Lotus is seemingly getting ready to move into a new direction, leaving behind lightweight, track-ready models for new, more upmarket cars, in order to rival luxury manufacturers like Ferrari or Lamborghini.

The company has now confirmed that at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, it will reveal a new concept, previewing an luxury supercar. The new model will take the Esprit heritage and name much further than previous iterations, at least according to Autocar’s inside sources.

Rumors also revealed that the British company, owned by Malaysia’s Proton, will unveil a lot of other concepts in the French capital, all emblematic of Lotus’ new direction.

Not much else is know though, so fans of the company should be patient until the Paris show starts this September.

Source: Autocar

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New Lotus Esprit to be revealed in Paris

As we’re sure most of you know by now, Ford is investing heavily in establishing the 2011 Explorer SUV on Facebook. As such, it revealed a few weeks ago that if it will get 30,000 fans (likes, actually) on its Facebook page, it will organize a sweepstakes and give away one of the brand new SUVs.

Now, that goal has been reached. While no details have been revealed as of yet about the sweepstakes, the Blue Oval did reveal a brand new teaser photo of the 2011 Explorer.

As you can see above, the grille of the next generation SUV is pictured, alongside a bit of its headlight, a part which was revealed last week.

The official presentation of the next generation 2011 Ford Explorer SUV is scheduled on July 26. At that time, locations all around the USA, including New York, Chicago or Los Angeles will display the new model. The biggest celebration will be at the ‘Glass House’ showroom, right beside Ford’s HQ in Dearborn, Michigan.

Source: Ford

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2011 Ford Explorer reaches 30,000 Facebook fans, shows off its grille

Porsche surprised everyone when it unveiled the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car. The model, equipped with a 480 HP flat-six engine, has a flywheel assembly that, when needed, can feed power to two electric motors located at the front of the car.

While some didn’t approve of such blasphemy, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid proved itself in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance event.

Now, Porsche has announced that it will take its hybrid racer in October to the Road Atlanta circuit. No, it won’t race Mini, but it will race in the Petit Le Mans race, counting for both the Le Mans International Cup and the American Le Mans Series.

Seeing as how the Le Mans governing body, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, hasn’t revealed the official regulations for hybrid race cars, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid will run as an unclassified model.

The company didn’t miss an opportunity to show off, and revealed a new video of its track-ready hybrid. Check it out after the jump.

Source: Porsche

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Video: Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid to race in ALMS at Road Atlanta

Rumors of revival of the iconic Mazda RX-7 sportscar are as old as the actual car itself. Ever since the Japanese company replaced the RX-7 with the RX-8, the whole automotive industry deemed it a certainty that the 7 will return.

We’ve been treated with a wide array of rumors and speculation up until now, but seeing as how the RX-8 will be phased out of production soon enough, due to not meeting emissions standards, the RX-7 revival is talked about even more.

Now, thanks to Autocar, a new batch of details from ‘inside sources’ has appeared. According to the British magazine, the new RX-7 might appear around 2013, and sport an improved rotary engine. This time though, an electronic turbocharger might be added, in order to increase the performance of the sportscar.

The rest of the details were already known, as it will boast rear-wheel drive and its design will pay homage to the older RX-7.

Sadly, as much as we want to see another rear-wheel drive Japanese performance coupe, this is just a rumor, so don’t get your hopes too high.

Source: Autocar

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New Mazda RX-7 rumors say it will pack a turbocharged rotary engine

Washing a car, in the minds of most drivers, is one of the most trivial things you can do. That’s why many just limit themselves to doing it at home, thus saving the money they would spend at a regular car wash.

When you own a supercar though, things change a bit. That’s why a young entrepreneur from the UK decided to open up one of the country’s most expensive car wash and detailing services.

While it isn’t exclusive to supercars, the price for the complete treatment, £7,200 (nearly $11,000) makes sure that only the richest customers visit his dedicated shop.

What does he do to charge such a huge amount of money? He uses various types of washing fluids, taking both the exterior and interior through several cycles of cleansing. Afterwards, special waxes are used to guarantee a smooth finish. In some cases, he even uses a microscope to detect imperfections in the car’s paint. The whole process takes upward to 250 hours.

Don’t believe us? Hit the jump and see a video interview of the young entrepreneur while he takes care of a Lamborghini Gallardo.

Source: SWNS via Automarket

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Video: Check out Britain’s most expensive car wash – $11,000 a wash

Just as Fiat officially revealed the 500 Blackjack edition, boasting the all-to-present matte black paint job, Italian coachbuilder Romeo Ferraris revealed its own customization project, based on the 500C convertible.

Entitled the Fiat 500C Sardinia, the customized model boasts an interesting green paint job, in honor of Italy’s Emerald Coast line. The exterior is complimented by a set of gold and silver accents, as well as a sand-colored cloth top. Rounding off the customization package are a set of 16-inch wheels and dual-pipe exhaust.

On the inside, Romeo Ferraris decked out the 500C with a two-tone light beige leather, while the dashboard and gear knob received an interesting cork treatment. Emerald green floor mats compliment the exterior paint scheme.

Only 50 such models will be made, and you can be sure that they will fetch a pretty penny.

Source: OmniAuto.it via Autoblog

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Fiat 500C Sardinia by Romeo Ferraris revealed