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One of the best racing games I've played lately is the Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit. Although Shift 2 Unleashed is just around the corner, the developers of the franchise did not forget about last year's game and they've launched three DLCs.

The first one, dubbed "Armed & Dangerous" went live on February 22^nd. At the beginning of this month, the second downloadable content was launched, named "Lamborghini Untamed". Two days ago the third one was released – "Hot Pursuit Porsche Unleashed".

Armed & Dangerous brings two new online game modes: Most Wanted and Arms Race.

Lamborghini Untamed adds three of the world's most famous Lamborghini's to the game: Diablo SV, Countach LP5000 QV and the Sesto Elemento. In addition, this DLC includes ten new events and four new trophies and achievements.  The price for this DLC is $6, 99 (560 Microsoft Points).

Last, Hot Pursuit Porsche Unleashed packs three new cars: 911 Turbo (1982 Edition), 959 and 911 Speedster. Also included in this downloadable content are the ten new events and four new trophies and achievements. The price of this DLC is $6, 99 (560 Microsoft Points).

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Trio DLC For NFS Hot Pursuit, Out Now

Renault Z.E. Models

The French automaker Renault will add the all-new Twingo to its Z.E. range of EVs in the second half of 2014. This will be the company's fifth electric vehicle, after the Kangoo, Zoe, Twizy and the Fluence. Jacques Bousquet, head of Renault Italy affirmed that the company's alliance with Daimler AG helped speed up the development of the next-gen Twingo-based Z.E. model, as the car's new platform will be shared with a future 4-seat Smart model.

He added that after the introduction of the Kangoo Z.E., more electric vans will be launched. Bousquet also said that the first Z.E. model that will be launched is the Fluence sedan, which will hit Renault's showrooms in mid-2011 and will have a base price of $36,200 (€26,000) including sales tax. For this model, customers will have to pay a monthly fee for the battery lease of $110 (€79), on a 36-month plan.

After Fluence, Renault will introduce the Kangoo Z.E., a small-sized commercial van that will have a starting price of $27,850 (€26,000) without the sales tax. Buyers will have to pay $100 (€72) per month for the battery pack. In its homeland, the van will be considerably cheaper – $20,900 (€15,000) since it will qualify for incentives, making the car equally priced to the diesel-powered Kangoo.

This December, the automaker will introduce the two-seater Twizy EV for a base price of $9,730 (€6,990) including the tax. Customers will have to pay a monthly fee of $63 (€45) for the battery pack. In mid-2012, Renault will launch the Zoe supermini, at a yet undisclosed price tag. The company said that they plan on selling 150,000 units per year of the Zoe Z.E. – a little too ambitious if you ask me.

The French automaker said that its plans are to sell 30,000 to 50,000 Kangoo and Fluence EV models annually.

Source: Renault

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Renault’s All-Electric Twingo, Due In 2014

Ford Fiesta

With its latest generation of the Fiesta, Ford has managed to sell more than one million units in Europe (they also sell the car in the United States). This important milestone was achieved by the Blue Oval 28 months after the model was introduced in Europe, in October 2008. The EU-spec version of the Fiesta is available in a three- and five-door configuration and is manufactured at the company's factories in Valencia, Spain and Cologne, Germany.

Ford Fiesta

The automaker said that since the original Fiesta was introduced back in 1976, they've managed to sell more than 14 million units. Ford said that almost 25% of the buyers come from the United Kingdom, customers that have purchased 239,472 units since late 2008. 70% of the UK sales consist of the five-door model, 76% picked a gasoline engine and almost 10% chose an automatic gearbox. The most popular color choice among Fiesta buyers is Panther black.

Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta Titanium model will get a Sony radio with CD player, USB and Bluetooth as standard features. The car also has automatic headlights and cruise control. 20% of the customers bought the top-of-the-line Titanium trim level.

Ford Fiesta

Source: Ford

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Ford Sells One Million Fiesta Units In Europe

2012 Acura TL Sedan

Personally, I never was a big fan of Acura as most of their models have a pretty weird appearance. With their 2012MY TL model, things have remained just about the same, a car that is just as unattractive as the Honda Accord. The model will be out later on this March, and the company decided to release the pricing list along with a new batch of photos.

2012 Acura TL Sedan

The entry-level model that will be available with a front-wheel drive and a V6 engine that produces 280 hp, mated to a Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic gearbox, will have a base price of $35,605. Adding the Technology Package that offers a navigation system and a 440w premium audio system, the price increases to $39,335. If you choose the Advance Package that comes with ventilated front seats, bigger rims and a new blind spot information system, you'll have to pay $41,535.

2012 Acura TL Sedan

Moving on, the 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD that is offered with a more powerful V6 engine that develops 305 hp, which is mated to the same Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic transmission and has an all-wheel drive system, has a starting price of $39,155. With the aforementioned Technology Package, the price is $42,855, and with the Advance Package, the price goes up to $45,085.

2012 Acura TL Sedan

The TL SH-AWD that is offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox and the Technology Package will set you back $42,885.

2012 Acura TL Sedan

Source: Acura

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2012 Acura TL Sedan Pricing Revealed

Lamborghini Gallardo Tricolore

This year Italy is celebrating 150 years since its unification, and such an important event like this couldn't have been ignored by Lamborghini. In honor of this glorious event, the supercar maker will roll out a special edition of the Gallardo, dubbed Tricolore. As you might have guessed, the name pays tribute to Italy's flag, which decorates the car in the shape of a three-colored stripe that stretches across the bonnet, the driver's seat and the roof. In addition, this special edition Gallardo will be available with carbon-fiber mirror caps and a white paint

The Lamborghini Gallardo Tricolore will be officially launched on March 16 in Turin, at an exhibition that is going to be dedicated to the anniversary of the Italian state. Unfortunately, the automaker did not reveal any information about the car's engine and its performance and they didn't tell how many units they will roll out, probably 150.

Sources: Quattroroute, Omniauto, Carscoop

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Lamborghini Gallardo Tricolore Announced

2012 Kia Soul

Our colleges over at Carscoop managed to take a couple of spy shots of the upcoming 2012 Kia Soul. The car was caught testing in Germany and due to the camouflage we can't tell you that much, except that the exterior mirrors have been redesigned and they now house the turning lights.

2012 Kia Soul

Most likely, the facelift version of the Soul will borrow some of the cues that we've seen on the new Rio and Picanto hatchbacks, like the pulled back headlamps along with the more pronounced bumpers. Most likely, the interior will also be updated here and there.

2012 Kia Soul

The current mode offered in the United States is available with two gasoline power units, the entry-level 1.6-liter that produces 122 hp and the more powerful 2.0-liter that outputs 142 hp. For the European market, the Soul is offered with a 1.6-liter turbodiesel that cranks out 126 hp and 1.6-liter gasoline engine, good for 124 hp.

2012 Kia Soul

According to Carscoop, there is a good chance that in both regions, the Korean automaker will replace the standard 1.6-liter gasoline engine with the one on the Hyundai Veloster, which is a 1.6-liter four-pot power plant that features a direct-injection technology and can produce 138 hp and 123 lb.-ft of torque at 4,850 rpm. For the European market, the facelifted Soul will probably get the Hyundai-Kia Group's newer 1.7-liter turbodiesel unit that will be offered in two states of tunes.

Source: Carscoop

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Spy Shots: Kia Soul Facelift

Veritas RS III Roadster

A couple of years ago, the Veritas RS III Roadster has entered in a limited run production of only 30 units. That model had a powerful V10 5.0-liter engine that developed 507 hp (373 kW) and 383 lb.-ft (520 Nm) of torque. According to Translogic, the company will introduce a plug-in hybrid variant of that model that will come with an electric motor which will develop 141 hp (143 PS / 105 kW) and the aforementioned V10 5.0-liter engine, borrowed from BMW.

The combined total power will be 641 hp (650 PS / 478 kW), which will allow the 2,821 pound (1,280 kg) RSIII to do the 0-60 mph in only 3.1 seconds, and hit a maximum speed of 127 mph (205 km/h).

Running in electric mode, the Veritas RS III Plug-In Hybrid will be able to travel up to 31 miles (50 km) before the batteries are emptied. Thanks to the fact that the electric motor powers the car's front wheels, the model has a de facto AWD system that should guarantee predictable handling and ensure safety.

Veritas RS III Roadster

There isn't any info regarding when they will introduce this hybrid variant, but we do know that a coupe version will be out this summer and an EV variant will be launched sometime in 2013.

Source: Translogic via WCF

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Veritas RSIII Plug-In Hybrid In The Works

Audi R8 e-Tron

During the automaker's annual press conference, Audi revealed some juicy info about their future product lineup as far as the United States market is concerned. The company plans on introducing diesel power units for the A6, A8 and the Q5 models, aside from the ones already available in the A3 and the Q7. They will not launch a diesel engine for the A4 until 2014 or 2015, when the redesigned model will hit the dealerships.

Audi R8 e-Tron

In early 2013, Audi plans on introducing an e-Tron model. Although nothing is certain at the moment, rumors say that it could be the R8 e-Tron, which will be a worthy rival for BMW's i8 model and the Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell, cars that will be launched during that same period.

Audi R8 e-Tron

As a reminder, the Audi R8 e-Tron prototype comes with a 42.4 kWh lithium-ion battery that sends power to four electric motors that produce a combined power of 308 hp (312 PS / 230 kW) and 3,319 lb.-ft (4,500 Nm) of torque. With these hardware specifications, the car can reach 60 mph from start in 4.8 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 124 mph (200 km/h). On a single charge, the car can travel up to 154 miles (248 km).

Source: Audi via WCF

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Audi Reveals Future U.S. Lineup

According to Auto Week, the Japanese automaker Honda will launch the plug-in hybrid variant of the Accord in 2012. Although details are limited, the car will most likely adopt the plug-in hybrid technology that Honda presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show. In other words, the new "green" Accord will be fitted with a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter petrol power unit, a 6 kWh lithium-ion battery, along with an electric motor that can produce 161 hp (163 PS / 120 kW).

With this setup, the plug-in hybrid Accord will be able to travel a distance of up to 10-15 miles (16 to 24 km), running only on electricity and up to a speed of 62 mph. Using a standard 120V household outlet, the battery will be charged in 2 to 2 and a half hours, while using a 240V rapid charger, it will only take about 1 to 1 and a half hours.

Source: Autoweek

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Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid, Coming Next Year

Brabus 800 Widestar

For those of you who think that the Mercedes G55 AMG needs a little bit more muscle under the bonnet, the engineers over at Brabus have exactly what you need. They have come up with the most powerful SUV ever made as the V12 bi-turbo 6.3-liter engine can crank out 788 hp (800 PS / 588 kW) and electronically limited 811 lb.-ft (1,100 Nm) of torque.

Brabus 800 Widestar

These impressive figures allow the Brabus 800 Widestar to do the 0-60 mph sprint in 4 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 149 mph (240 km/h). They also worked on the SUV's suspension and installed an adjustable sport unit, along with a high performance braking system that comes with ventilated discs that measure 380 mm in the front and 345 mm in the rear.

Brabus 800 Widestar

The looks of the car have been upgraded a little bit here and there, and this model comes with modified fascias, wheel arch extensions and a rich selection of wheels in sizes from 20- to 23-inches.

Brabus 800 Widestar

As far as the interior is concerned, Brabus added a new sport steering wheel, stainless steel scuff plates and a revised instrument cluster. If you're interested in this model, you can order it with bespoke leather upholstery and an exotic wood trim.

Source: Brabus

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Brabus 800 Widestar