The German aftermarket specialists at Steinmentz have revealed their latest tuning program for the Opel Astra Sports Tourer. This package includes new aerodynamic components, alloy wheels, a lowering kit and various styling elements.

The car can get a 40mm lowering kit that has been matched to the vehicle's FlexRide system. It also sports a Watt linkage integrated into the rear axle, 19-inch alloy rims wrapped around in 235/35 R19 Michelin or Continental tires.

The car has been fitted with an updated front apron, bespoke lower and upper grilles that have a black finish, polished stainless steel door handle surrounds (not that great in my opinion), profile stripes, along with a dual exhaust pipes configuration.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As far as the cabin is concerned, the German tuner has installed a digital display that shows the gear the car is in, along with aluminum trim decors and new floor mats.

Source: Steinmetz via Carscoop

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Steinmetz Opel Astra Sports Tourer

Honda unveiled yesterday its new small city car that was created for emerging Asian markets like China, India and Thailand. Dubbed Brio, they've previewed the production version of this model last year with the Brio concept. This tiny car measures 3,610 meters long, 1,680 meters wide, which makes it 290mm shorter than the Jazz model and 1 cm narrower.

The car is powered by a Jazz-sourced 1.2-liter i-VTEC engine that produces 90 hp and can do 47 mpg (5 liters / 100 km), and is Euro 4 compliant. This power unit can be mated to either a 5-speed manual transmission or a CVT gearbox.

The units that will be sold in Thailand will get two front airbags, disc brakes, ABS and EBD. For the Indian market, the Brio will be a little bit different, adapted for the market's requirements, and will hit the dealerships in the following months. Honda said that they want to sell about 40,000 units of the Brio in Thailand this year, where it will have a base price of $13,180.

Source: Honda

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Honda Brio Revealed

Jaguar released yesterday a recall notice that affects certain 2010MY XF models and XK sports cars due to a potential problem with the power assist steering system. In the document filled with the NHTSA, the automaker said that the power assist steering pipes have been assembled with zinc-nickel plating that might not provide a sufficient corrosion protection.

The company added that over time, the corrosion of these pipes might lead to the pin-holing of the pipe, allowing pressurized power steering fluid to leak into the under-hood and engine bay area. Jaguar added that aside from causing a loss of power assist steering, this leaked fluid could ignite if it comes in contact with a hot surface or an ignition source, leading to a vehicle fire.

This recalls affects 6,085 units sold in the United States, including 4,545 XFs and 1,540 XKs, the cars produced from June 27, 2009 through March 10, 2010.

The recall should begin on or before April 11 and the automaker's technicians will have to replace the power steering fluid pipes with parts made to the required corrosion protection specification. This procedure will be free of charge.

Source: Carscoop

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Recalls: Jaguar XF And XK

Although the hybrid technology incorporated in our cars may seem new, it’s actually something that engineers have been working on for over 1000 years. The first hybrid car was invented in 1888 and the first hybrid patent was completed in 1909.

Infiniti thought of putting all that history together in their new ad for their M35h. The car maker suggests that its vehicle is the top result of a hundred years of evolution and it can give you the best performance money can buy: 360 hp and a 32 mpg fuel consumption.

Our opinion is that the insight was good, but they could’ve spent a little more time over the details. Still, it’s a decent commercial. Watch it below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via Zercustoms.

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Infiniti M35h ad- 100 years of hybrid technology

Even Honda which sells probably the most reliable cars in the world is having problems with one of their models. We are talking here about the US-spec 2011 Civic model which has a problem with a possible defective fuel pump module. The Japanese automaker will recall 18,056 Civics from the 2011 model year.

According to NHTSA – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the roll-over valve inside some fuel pump modules may have been damaged during the car's production phase and might cause fuel leakage in the event of a roll-over incident. The good news is that no injuries or crashes have been reported because of this problem.

Honda's dealers will have to inspect the Civic's fuel pump module and if it is necessary they will replace it, free of charge of course. The safety recall will begin on or before April 11. If you are one of the 18,056 owners, you can contact the company's customer service department at 1-800-999-1009.

Source: Carscoop

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Recalls: 2011 US-spec Honda Civic

At the 81^st edition of the Geneva Motor Show which was organized at the beginning of this month, the German automaker Opel presented the Zafira Tourer Concept, proving for the first time ever (at least in my opinion) that MPV can be very attractive. Our colleges at Carscoop have managed to take a couple of spy shots with the production version of this model which will make its first public appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show later on this year.

Probably the most obvious change would have to be with the choice of wheels which are now smaller and less cool. In addition, it has more generous exterior mirrors, updated tail lamps and a more dull tail pipes design. Most likely, the interior will be a toned-down version of what we've seen in the concept, but we should expect that the Zafira will sport Opel's updated Flex7 seating that allows the middle row of seats to fold flat into the floor.

The MPV will be powered by one of the gasoline and turbocharged diesel engines, including here more eco-friendly and frugal EcoFlex versions, along with an OPC version (VXR for the Vauxhall Zafira) that will be fitted with a 4-cylinder gas turbo engine that will offer many ponies to play with.

Source: Carscoop

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Spy Shots: Opel Zafira

Our colleges from WCF have managed to take a few spy shots with the forthcoming 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, which will be the most powerful Shelby GT500 ever made. According to Car and Driver, the car will feature a new V8 5.8-liter engine which will be a bored-out version of the current V8 5.4-liter. This power unit will be fitted with a TVS supercharger instead of an Eaton blower. All of these changes will allow the engine to output a whopping 620 hp (629 PS / 462 kW), which is a good 70 hp (71 PS / 52 kW) more than the current model.

The 2013 model will get an updated design that will eschew some of the traditional styling details. Although nothing is certain at the moment, the GT500 will get an updated grille, modified bumpers and LED lightning units, along with other aesthetic changes.

The good news is that the car will have a pretty affordable price tag of only $60,000, which will create some serious problems to its primary rival, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Source: Car & Driver via WCF

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Spy Shots: 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

At the beginning of this month, certain rumors regarding the discontinuation of the Evo X surfaced the Internet and now the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi is doing some damage control. The company's UK subsidiary has put out a press release in which they've announced that the price for the Evo X will be reduced; making sure that the current generation of the model is still present in the market. After the current series is phased out in 2012/2013, the new model will have to undergo some significant changes.

This press release was put out in order to give a boost to the Evo X, but at the same time it doesn't say anything about its future, only that it will still be around in some form. Most likely, some hybrid versions will be introduced, while at the same time, some of the high-octane variants will be discontinued.

As a reminder, the current Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X is a 4-door rally car with street-legal specifications and is being made in Japan. The car has an S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) all-wheel drive system and the engine is mated to a dual-clutch gearbox – (TC-SST) Twin Clutch Sports Shift Transmission.

Since the introduction of the Evolution series in 2000, Mitsubishi has managed to sell more than 6,000 units. The FQ-300 SST is the base model and offers 300 hp (304 PS / 224 kw), all for a starting price of $47,700 (UK market).

Source: Mitsubishi via WCF

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Mitsubishi Talks About The Evo X

Porsche will be heading to this year's Nurburgring 24H race with the 911 GT3 R Hybird Version 2.0, the upgraded model of the original version. It features a 6-cylinder 4.0-liter engine that develops 464 hp (470 PS / 346 kW), along with two electric motors that produce a combined power of 201 hp (204 PS / 150 kW), which is 40 hp (41 PS / 30 kW) more than the previous version.

The engine powers the rear wheels, while the electric motors are in charge of the front wheels. The car can offer an instant power boost of 197 hp (200 PS / 147 kW), which is very good especially when overtaking.

Design-wise, the Version 2.0 model comes with a more aerodynamically optimized shape that reduces fuel consumption and drag. In addition, the German engineers managed to shave off 110 lbs (50 kg) from the original model, which means that the updated car has a curb weight of 2,866 lbs (1,300 kg).

Inside the cabin, most of the controls have been installed to the steering wheel, which means that the driver will no longer have to take his eyes off the road when he wants to operate the car's functions.

Source: Porsche via WCF

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Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid Version 2.0 Revealed

MUGEN Euro is the UK-based subsidiary of Honda's Japanese tuning partner MUGEN, and they've announced that they are working on a performance variant of the CR-Z hybrid, which according to the manufacturer will offer a similar level of performances with the Type-R. The new body kit will feature an updated front apron, a grille with LED daytime running lights, side skirts and a roof-mounted wing.

They've said that we should expect for a performance boost for the 1.5-liter petrol-run hybrid system but they didn't release any info. The car is still its development stage and at the moment there are no plans for a production version so nothing is certain, maybe it will be just a show car. We'll have to wait and see.

Source: Honda via WCF

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Preview – Honda CR-Z MUGEN