It seems that a lot of people can’t seem to choose between a regular 911 Carrera S or a more hardcore 911 GT3.

As such, the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS has been officially revealed by the German company ahead of its upcoming debut at the Paris Motor Show.

As you can expect, its performance and power figures fill the space between the Carrera S and the GT3. It has a 3.8-liter flat-six engine, capable of 408 HP and 310 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

The car has the wider body of the all-wheel drive Carrera 4, and SportDesign front and rear fascias, not to mention the 19-inch RS Spyder wheels. The interior has also been wrapped with Alcantara and a few new features. It can also be had with all of the accessories currently available in the Porsche catalog.

The 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS will be available in coupe and convertible forms, starting at $103,100 and $112,900, respectively. If you want to see the new Porsche in action, hit the jump for an official video.

Source: Porsche

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2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS gets ready for its Paris debut (video included)

Chrysler held a special dealer meeting behind closed doors a few days ago, where it revealed a lot of new models and refreshed existing ones. We’ve already seen the 2011 Town & Country, the 2011 Jeep Patriot as well as been teased with the promise of a 2011 Chrysler 200 sedan that will wipe the Sebring from existence.

But according to an inside sources, cited by the Wall Street Journal, dealers were also showcased one very special model, the 2012 Dodge Viper.

As you all know, the existing supercar has been axed from production, and will return at the end of next year as an all-new model.

According to the WSJ report, the car shown was a radical departure from the current Viper design, going for a more upmarket look. It will retain some of its flamboyance, as it was reportedly painted in 25 layers of red to make it stand out.

Other specific details aren’t known just yet, but expect it to retain the formula that made its predecessor such a huge success.

Source: WSJ

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Next gen 2012 Dodge Viper reportedly shown by Chrysler to dealers

Last week, the Mini Countryman WRC rally-spec prototype was officially revealed to the public, albeit fitted with the swirly camouflage, on the private test track of rally team Prodrive.

Now, a new video depicting the Countryman WRC in action has been revealed.

The footage showcases the Mini crossover taking on the tough gravel roads of Portugal in a very speedy manner. Don’t forget, though, that this is just a prototype, and the final version will be revealed in spring of 2011. Until then, check out the video after the jump.

Source: Autoblog

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Video: Mini Countryman WRC proves its worth on gravel

Say what you will about BMW, but the German company really knows how to promote its models through new and interesting ways.

With the upcoming BMW M3 Tiger Edition, limited to China, the company took things in a rather peculiar direction, and released a new short film, depicting the car’s upcoming launch on Asian soil.

For those who forgot, the M3 Tiger will boast a special Fire Orange Metallic paint job and have tiger heads embroidered onto the seats.

We’ve already seen some rather interesting promotional images but this new video really takes the cake. Check it out after the jump.

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Video: BMW M3 Tiger promotional video goes a bit overboard

A few months ago, Hyundai revealed that for the 2011 model year, its Genesis Coupe will be getting a more hardcore edition, dedicated to those that want to personally customize their own rear-wheel drive sports car.

The 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe R-Spec has now officially been detailed and priced, and it’s quite an interesting pitch.

For $26,750 (not including the $800 destination charge), you will be getting the 306 HP 3.8-liter V6 with a manual transmission. That’s the price that you would normally pay for a Premium spec 2.0-liter Genesis Coupe, and the cheapest V6 in the range.

Still, you will be getting some features from the Track spec, including sports suspension, Brembo brakes and a Torsen limited-slip differential. You won’t be getting luxuries like automatic headlights, cruise control, sunroof, a rear spoiler or chrome accessories though. But the less features, the better, as the R-Spec is 68 pounds lighter than the Track one.

Expect the 2011 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec to arrive in dealerships in the following months.

Source: Hyundai

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2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe R-Spec gets priced

Among the myriad of refreshed and all new model announcements, Chrysler has also revealed a revised version of its bread and butter model, the Town & Country mini van.

The 2011 Chrysler Town & Country will add a lot of extra features, as well as a brand new engine, in order to attract practical families that want something to haul around the kids with.

First off, the new Town & Country is equipped with the SafetyTec package, which includes over 40 safety features, with things like blind spot assist or rear cross-path detection.

The interior has been slightly upgraded, but keeps the same Stow ‘n Go seating and storage system, which allows easier access to the third row of seats. The center console has been upgraded, as new features were added to keep passengers entertained. Customers can choose from dual DVD systems, which can play different discs on two separate screens, or even Sirius satellite TV or Flo TV, each with dedicated children broadcasts.

Under the hood of the new 2011 Chrysler Town & Country sits the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, rated at 283 HP and 260 lb-ft of torque. Even though its power is more than enough for a regular minivan, the fuel economy is also pretty decent. The EPA rates the new Town & Country at 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg highway.

The 2011 Chrysler Town & Country will be rolling into dealerships at the end of the year.

Source: Chrysler

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2011 Chrysler Town & Country revealed

Ford is definitely amping up its safety technologies, and after revealing the innovative seat belt passenger air bags at the beginning of the year, it has now presented a new airbag technology.

Set to premiere on the 2012 Ford Focus, the new airbags have an array of features. The driver airbag will use a tether to pull in the lower part of it, in order to protect the driver’s rib cage and chest in case of a front impact.

The side airbags have also been improved, with the addition of air vents. While that may sound weird, the air vents are there to soften the blow in case of an impact. Taller inhabitants will naturally block those vents with their shoulders, increasing the effectiveness of the airbags on their own.

Last but not least, the front passenger airbag will have adaptive venting technology. Basically, the car monitors the weight of the person riding in front, and adjusts the amount of air that is required to be pumped into the airbag in case of a crash. This will prevent the airbag from actually hurting the passenger if it’s blown with too much power.

Overall, this new technology sounds mighty impressive. Hit the jump to see a video with it in action.

Source: Ford via Autoblog

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Video: Ford reveals new airbag technology, will debut it on 2012 Focus

Toyota and Tesla are partnering up to launch a special RAV4 electric crossover around 2012, but this doesn’t mean other companies aren’t also planning similar things.

According to a new Reuters report, Hyundai and Kia have some big plans in terms of electric vehicles for the next few years. According to it, the companies want to produce 2,500 EVs by 2012. While Hyundai will no doubt build some of its early concepts, Kia will do much of the grunt work.

Reuters says that the South Korean company will launch an electric crossover by 2013. It will first be offered to government agencies as part of a test fleet, but Kia is confident it will launch it on the global market soon after that.

No exact details are known, not even what type of batteries it will use, the newer, more expensive lithium ion or the older, but less efficient nickel-metal hydride.

Still, expect more electric vehicles to appear from both companies, as they are partners with the South Korean government in a new strategy to have 20% of the nation’s passenger vehicles be electric by 2020.

Source: Reuters via Autoblog

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Kia reportedly planning electric crossover in 2013

Honda has recently announced a brand new recall, affecting specific Accord Crosstour models.

It seems that 3,336 models have a problem with the front passenger airbag. More specifically, the airbag hasn’t been tested properly with child-sized crash test dummies. Even though Honda specifically advises children under 12 to ride in the back, the Japanese automaker has issued a recall for the affected models.

Owners will be notified in the following weeks, in order to get their car back to the dealership so that it can have its airbag system inspected. If a fault is found, it will be replaced, free of charge. For more information, you can contact Honda at (800) 999-1009.

Source: Honda

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Honda recalls Accord Crosstour models over passenger airbag issues