Audi Q6 (Rendering)

It seems that Audi is planning on a model to rival the very ugly BMW X6 and their answer will most likely be the Q6. Nothing is certain at the moment, but Rupert Stadler who is Audi's CEO, told the German press that "we can imagine a model between the Q5 and the Q7… a coupe-like, four-wheel-driven model."

If the Q6 will get the green light for production, it is going to be a crossover with a sporty styling and feature the same platform that underpins the Porsche Cayenne (another awful-looking car) and the VW Touareg. Hopefully, it will look better than the BMW X6 which is one of the ugliest cars I've seen in the last 4-5 years.

The car will probably get the same engines as its bigger brother, the Q7, along with a rumored hybrid powertrain, and a turbocharged V8 4.0-liter from the soon-to-be-released S6 model.

We don't know when will the Audi Q6 hit the dealerships, but it will most likely happen after the automaker launches the new generation of the Q7, which should occur in late 2012 / early 2013.

Source: Autoweek via Autoblog via WCF

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Audi Q6 Might Happen

2013 Opel Allegra

Rumors say that Opel's new Allegra model will be available starting with late next year and it is going to be a fun & fashionable runabout that will rival with the Mini Cooper, Citroen DS3 and the Fiat 500. Inside the company the model is known as the Junior and will be slotted beneath the Corsa, but it will not replace the Agila model. The latter will be redesigned in 2014 and will be a low-cost rival of the Ford Ka and the soon-to-be-released Volkswagen Up! / Lupo.

Although back in October 2009 it was reported that the new Allegra model will be based on the Trixx concept, our colleges from AutoExpress recently said that the new model will look like a baby Astra GTC and will feature a dramatic front fascia, LED-infused headlights and a contrasting roof. As far as the cabin is concerned, a stylish environment with high quality materials is expected.

Regarding the power units, we don't have any details, except for a possible 1.0-liter gasoline engine that will do 67 mpg (3.5 liters / 100 km) and CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km.

Opel's new model will hit the dealerships in late 2012 and will have a starting price of about $12,580.

Source: Auto Express via WCF

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2013 Opel Allegra In The Works

Renault DeZir

Our colleges from AutoCar took an interview with Renault's product manager Beatrice Fouche, and she said that Renaultsport is very important to the automaker's strategy and the company's plans are to introduce specific models only for Renaultsport. She added that they have already started working on this and probably Renault will launch a small-volume model in the years to come.

Although nothing is set in stone at the moment, Renaultsport's future lineup is expected to consist of two or three models. The first one might be a convertible variant of the DeZir concept and will feature a Clio-sourced turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline power unit that will develop 198 hp (201 PS / 148 kW) and 159 lb.-ft (215 Nm). The base price of this model will most likely be somewhere around the $48,470 mark.

Personally, I would have preferred that they brought back to life the Alpine moniker, but this is better than nothing, right?

Source: Autocar via WCF

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Renaultsport Might Become A Stand-Alone Brand

Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-Cell

Earlier this week, the German car manufacturer Mercedes has announced its plans to build a new fuel-cell production facility in Burnaby, Canada. The construction of this new facility will begin very soon and if everything goes according to the plans, it should be finished in early next year. After a couple of initial tests, the plant will start making fuel-cells in 2013.

The automaker hinted that the "next-generation fuel-cell stack will also be suitable for use in sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class or E-Class." Although nothing is certain at the moment, there are reasons to believe that the company thinks the fuel-cell technology is ready to take the spotlight.

Source: Mercedes-Benz via WCF

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Mercedes Working On Fuel-Cell Production Facility

The German car magazine Auto Bild reported this week that Audi is working on an A9 flagship coupe that might be launched in 2014. According to that report, the A9 will be a 2-door coupe based on the A8 limousine and will feature a "modern design." The car will measure over 5 meters and will get a highly-refined cabin. A cabriolet variant is also possible, and the base price will be of approximately 80,000 Euros.

Most likely, if there is going to be an A9 model; it will feature an aluminum space-frame (just like the A8) and source its core components from the MLB architecture (modular longitudinal architecture, translated in English). The A9 will also sport the same air-sprung chassis architecture and will be manufactured at the company's plant in Neckarsulm.

There are some chances that the A9 will get a new power plant developed by Audi, a V8 4.0-liter, along with the other V6 and V8 engines from the current A8 flagship. Also a possible option would have to be VW Group's massive W12 6.3-liter.

Source: Auto Bild via WCF

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Rumors – Audi Working On A9 Model

Tiny – at just 39-inches wide, the Translogic Tango is narrower than a Honda Goldwing motorcycle!

Safe – Rick Woodbury, the creator of the Tango, said that the driver should be quite safe behind the wheel thanks to its reinforced doors and the FIA-certified roll-cage.

Fast – this electric two-passenger car is capable of doing the 0-60 mph sprint in less than four seconds.

Ugly – just look at it! Isn't this the most hideous thing you've ever seen or what? It's even uglier than the G-Wiz, which I never thought that was possible.

Source: Translogic via Autoblog

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Translogic Tango – Tiny, Safe, Fast And Ugly

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK

The newest engines developed by the German automaker Mercedes come with a lot of technologies implemented in order to greatly reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel efficiency (up to 10%). These new power units require a much leaner fuel-to-air ratio, and for this reason, the United States is not a current market.

The reason behind this situation is that according to Bernhard Heil, Daimler's powertrain development vice president, the gas in the United States contains sulfur at the rate of 95 parts-per-million, which is just about twice as much as these new engines can tolerate. The problem is that the excess sulfur clogs the nitrogen oxide-capturing traps.

United States is not the only country that sells gasoline with a high amount of sulfur in it, as there are many areas in Africa and Asia that have such kind of gas that is not suitable for the newest engines developed by Mercedes-Benz. The first power unit of this generation is the V6 direct-injected 3.5-liter in the C350 sport sedan and the SLK roadster. This 302 hp engine will not benefit from the lean-burn technology for the cars sold in the United States.

Source: Ward's Automotive via Autoblog

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U.S. Fuel, Not Suitable For Next-Gen Mercedes Engines

The current situation in Japan has affected almost all of the car manufacturers and the latest news is that BMW and Volkswagen have decided to evacuate some of its employees from the country. According to Automotive News Europe, the German automaker BMW has 750 people working in Japan, and about 50 of them have returned to their homeland already.

As far as Volkswagen is concerned, they have approximately 600 workers in Japan, and about 30-40 of them have left the country due to the earthquake and the tsunami that up until now killed more than 10,000 people and did incommensurable damages.

Most likely, other manufacturers will do the same thing in the following period.

Source: Automotive News Europe via Autoblog

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VW and BMW Evacuate Employees From Japan

ARX-01e

Highcroft Racing has dominated the LMP2 class in the American Le Mans Series for the last four years and in 2011 they'll step up in the big leagues with their new ARX-10e model that uses the engine and the chassis as the previous model. Some of the most significant changes they've made include the heavily updated aerodynamics package and a larger air restrictor for the V8 3.4-liter engine, which now offers more power.

The ARX-01e was developed by Wirth Research and uses the Honda Racing Development (HRD) branding, instead of last year's Acura designation.  Tequila Patron, the former sponsor, has stepped up to title-sponsor the ALMS series, the new car is being used by Michelin to promote its latest performance street tires.

The first tests with the car were organized at Sebring a while ago, where it will take part in the 12-hour race this week.

Source: Highcroft Racing via Autoblog

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Honda Performance Development Introduces ARX-01e LMP1 Racer

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted fuel efficiency information of used cars on its fueleconomy.gov website. These are not new fuel economy figures, but the agency did apply the updated fuel economy logic that was instituted three years ago, which means that if you own a '95 Honda Civic that was once quoted at 40 mpg, the new rating is 33 mpg. EPA is tracking fuel economy dating back to 1984 so there is a comprehensive list of ratings available. The agency hopes that anyone who is selling a car will use this tool from now on.

Although the idea is great, it isn't that relevant in my opinion because as far as the fuel consumption of a used car is concerned, it depends greatly on how good or bad was the car driven and how the owner(s) took care of it. However, I hope that this rating is linked to the car's VIN (vehicle identification number) so that the used car dealers will not intentionally pick a different trim level so that they'll post a better mileage.

Source: Consumer Reports via Autoblog

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EPA Ratings Available For Used Cars