Hyundai i40 sedan

Hyundai has released this rendered image of the upcoming i40 sedan variant which the Korean automaker will be debuting at the Barcelona Motor Show next Thursday.
This car, Hyundai likes to boast, is very European. Designed at the automaker's European headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany, this sedan version of the i40 wagon is meant to take on the likes of the Ford Mondeo and VW Passat in Europe.

Details are spare, though, except that the car comes with a wheelbase of 2.77 m.

Engines that will likely make it under the hood of this Hyundai are the 1.7-liter diesel ( in two variants, 115 PS / 85 kW and 136 PS / 100 kW), the 1.6 GDI with around 140 PS (103 kW) and the 2.0 liter Theta II unit with 177 PS (130 kW).

More details are sure to follow after the Barcelona unveiling.
The i40 sedan will go on sale later in the year while the i40 wagon variant has already gone to market.

Mugen Honda CR-Z

Mugen has announced that its CR-Z will use a supercharged version of the standard 1.5-litre i-VTEC petrol engine. The engine internals will be beefed up considerably to handle boost pressure, while the Integrated Motor Assist electric motor will remain unchanged, providing extra power.
Mugen says the supercharged 1.5-litre will boast figures of around 147kW of power and 245Nm of torque. This will put the little CR-Z into the same league as the John Cooper Works MINI Cooper S and the Renault Clio RS 200 Cup, in terms of power and weight. Colin Whittamore of Mugen Europe, recently announced,
“The idea was to use the significant advantage of the early torque provided by the Honda IMA electric motor, then increase the torque available from the petrol engine gradually, to first maintain and then increase this.
“A supercharger and complementary electronics allow us to very neatly map the IMA to the extra power and torque of the engine in a unique package, giving a smooth, integrated and powerful driving experience.”
The Mugen CR-Z will be unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK in July. Even though Honda currently has no plans to sell the vehicle as a part of its line-up, upgrades are likely to become available from Mugen as a separate package.

Buick Regal Turbo

As you first approach the vehicle you notice the abnormally wide sport tires. Past Buicks featured large flabby side-walled tires, which gave the car added comfort. Not in 2011 though. The optional 19-inch aluminum rims and Goodyear Eagle RSA high-performance tires are ready for the track and not just an old couple’s Sunday drive.

Once you’re finished gawking at the tires, the vehicle design will catch your attention. The sleek body lines blend aspects of traditional Buick design with all the proportions of a sporty coupe. Plus, they’ve still incorporated the chrome waterfall grille – a signature in Buick’s design set.
TURBOCHARGED ENGINE DELIVERS PLENTY OF EXTRA THRUST

Out on the road you’ll have a perpetual grin on your face with 220-horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque under your foot. The 2.0-liter Ecotec four-cylinder turbo engine uses direct injection technology to optimize performance and a twin-scroll turbocharger to build more power at lower rpm. This all translates into some serious G-forces pushing you back in your seat when the light goes green.

Dodge Charger R/T

The 2011 Charger R/T carries a 5.7-liter V8 dishing up 370 bhp at 5,250 rpm and 395 lb-ft at 4,200 rpm. It's backed by five-speed autobox.

With its iron block and pushrod-actuated two valves per cylinder, this mill might appear to be lifted directly out of the sixties. However, it sports a few modern twists. For one, when creating this Hemi a few years back, Chrysler ditched the hemispherical combustion chambers (while smartly retaining the evocative moniker).

Next, the Hemi's got the ability to shut down half of its cylinders by essentially 'collapsing' the hydraulic lifters that actuate four of its eight intake valves. This cylinder deactivation system saves fuel during certain part-throttle situations by increasing the engine load (e.g., opening the throttle) on the remaining four cylinders.

Chevrolet Volt extended-range EV

The Chevrolet Volt extended-range EV has a base MSRP of $41,000. For most Americans who buy one, this can be reduced by $7,500 thanks to a federal tax rebate. Additionally, some buyers will be able to take advantage of state or local government incentives that will drop the after-rebate price below $33,500, like the 2,500 Detroiters who can get free installers and a $40 flat monthly rate from DTE Energy. The people with the absolute cheapest entry point for a new Volt, though, could be those in Lansing, Michigan.

That's because the local utility, Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL), will offer incentives that match the $7,500 from the feds. According to the Lansing State Journal, the incentive is, "a $7,500 cash rebate to the first 25 buyers of the Volt in BWL's service area and install high-speed charging stations for those who make the list." The financial assistance comes from a $750,000 grant from the federal government that is meant to promote electric vehicles in mid-Michigan. BWL will also buy two Volts for its own use with the money.
The bad news? This amazing deal is limited to the just 25 people, and it doesn't seem to include any other plug-in vehicle (why no Nissan Leaf love?). If you're only helping 25 people, why not just buy some Volts to give away? In any case, it's a pretty sweet deal, and we would be surprised if other local governments are working on similar programs with their own federal grant money. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to go make a phone call.

Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors will be expanding Chevrolet of Europe's lineup by adding a five-door Cruze, and while we won't get our first look at this new hatchback for a few weeks, GM has decided to preview it early with a few pictures on the web. Sure to be one of the major draws at the Paris Motor Show in just a few weeks, the liftback ought to compete nicely with the 2012 Ford Focus five-door, but don't expect GM to offer the more functional Cruze in the United States. "Americans don't like hatchbacks," remember?

Much like the Aveo RS and Buick Regal GS from this year's Detroit Auto Show, GM calls the Cruze hatchback a "show car," but in this case, that means that it's somewhere between the stages of concept and prototype. Don't expect the body to change, but we can easily see the front LED light bar and larger wheels being scrapped for the sake of cost-cutting.

Chevrolet says it will begin selling the Cruze hatchback across Europe in mid-2011 and pricing will be announced closer to the model's on-sale date. Follow the jump for the full details in GM's press release. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

K&N Cold Air Intake 69 Typhoon - Direct OE replacement

K&N Cold Air Intake 69 Typhoon - Direct OE replacement
Part Number: K33691209TS
Manufacturer Number: 69-1209TS
K&N Cold Air Intake K&N Cold Air Intake
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K&N 69 SERIES TYPHOON COLD AIR INTAKE SYSTEM -- Not legal in California and other states adopting California Emissions Standards; Not for sale or use in California and other states adopting California Emissions Standards; Cannot be shipped to California and such states; Provides additional power up to 7.13 h.p. at 5111 RPM; 96 to 99 percent filtration efficiency; Includes silver intake tube, black heat shield, red air filter, and all the necessary hardware for installation; High-flow intake kit for sport compact and sports car; Features T-6063 aluminum intake tube that is custom engineered and aerodynamically designed to drive air into your engine; Its washable and reusable air filter is made of multiple interwoven layers of surgical cotton gauze infused or charged with oil for outstanding filtration and airflow; Comes with a heat shield that is custom designed to isolate and provide cooler air; Virtually eliminates intake tract restriction by replacing the air filter and the entire air path to the engine; Can go up to 100,000 miles between cleanings depending on driving conditions; Easy to install.