Audi Q3 RS is coming

 The Audi Q3 RS is likely to make its debut in 2012. It will come with features such as suspension upgrades, custom interior pieces and a sporty body kit.

The 2012 Audi Q3 will be available in 3 varied four-cylinder engines—one TDI and two TFSI units. Each of these merges direct injection with turbo charging.

This car made its debut in the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. It boasts of a host of features and tech specs.

These include start-stop system, energy recovery system, four-link rear suspension, optional adaptive dampers, electromechanical power steering, and many more advanced features.

The gasoline and diesel engine are attached to a quattro permanent all-wheel drive as well as a 7 speed S tronic transmission.

The 2012 Audi Q3 will be available at a starting price range of EUR 29,900 in Germany.-blackfridaydeals.in

Test drive a Mitsubishi i-MiEV at the Australian International Motor Show

If you’ve been hanging out to drive an electric car for a while, the Mitsubishi stand at this year’s Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne could be a good one to check out over the coming days.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia is supplying three Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicles for test drives at the motor show as part of its AIMS Test Drive Experience program.

You can choose to either drive the car yourself or take a ride in the passenger seat in a demonstration that will last for around 20 minutes. Following the test drive, you will be asked to complete a survey that will assist planning for the future of EV travel and infrastructure in Australia.

The three cars are part of the Victorian Government’s Electric Vehicle Trial, which includes 60 cars from Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, Blade Electric Vehicles and EDay Life.

To take part in the AIMS Test Drive Experience, you need to visit Mitsubishi’s stand at the motor show, receive a drive token and register in the main foyer.

The 2011 Australian International Motor Show runs from July 1-10 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV goes on sale in Australia in August for $48,800 plus on-road costs, making it the first publically available mass-production EV in the country.-caradvice.com.au

2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Spy Shots

The current Mercedes-Benz B-Class has enjoyed reasonable success in most of the markets it has been launched in, selling over 120,000 units in its first year alone, but the next-generation model due later this year is expected to sell in even higher volumes and will be sold in the U.S. for the first time, though probably not until sometime in 2012.

The latest images show the B-Class in less camouflage, looking more production-ready than ever before, confirming it's drawing close to release.

To increase sales, there are rumors that Mercedes-Benz is planning to expand the range by adding new variants in addition to the regular hatch: a new coupe-cabrio, a sporty hatchback to rival BMW's 1-series range and possibly a four-door sedan with coupe styling.

One of the models confirmed for production, however, is the hatchback seen here testing in prototype form. It appears to retain the boxy look of the current model, although its side profile shares a definite resemblance with the 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class. The overall look will align closely with 2009’s striking BlueZERO concept family.

Shots of the interior reveal Mercedesdesigners have selected a steering column lever for selecting the gears and have moved the stereo and navigation screen further up the dash than on the previous model.

Expect to see a range of small displacement turbo engines and new hybrid variants offering in the B-Class family, as well as a hydrogen fuel cell model. The new 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class will be sportiest yet as a high-performance AMG variant was confirmed by the tuning arm's outgoing boss Volker Mornhinweg late last month. AMG currently offers V-8 engines exclusively but for the B-Class a new specially tuned four-cylinder engine will be developed. The model will compete with other hot-fours such as the Volkswagen Golf R32 and Audi S3. Expect to see a range of performance upgrades as well, including new brakes, a sporty bodykit and upmarket interior.

Mercedes-Benz previously reversed a decision to bring the current B-Class Stateside because of fears it would damage the luxury brand’s exclusivity and the low dollar exchange rate would make it too expensive.

However, unexpectedly strong sales of theSmart Fortwo minicar are prompting renewed interest in selling the B-Class, and even the A-Class, in North America.-motorauthority.com

2012 Bentley Continental GTC Speed Facelift Spy Shots

We’ve already seen prototypes for the facelifted 2012 Bentley Continental GTCbut here’s one of the high-performance GTC Speed model, which should make its appearance shortly after the debut of the standard model towards the end of this year.

The prototype seen here is wearing minimal camouflage, giving us a good look as to the styling that’s expected to feature on the facelifted 2012 Bentley Continental GTC Speed. We can clearly see a new bumper design incorporating larger intakes, as well as new exhaust tips and uprated brakes.

Bentley engineers are also expected to have refined the drivetrain, reduced overall vehicle weight and increased rigidity, all while keeping the exterior proportions much the same as the current model.

Under the hood will be the familiar 6.0-liter W-12 engine powering the entire Continental GT lineup. However, peak output should be lifted beyond the current GTC Speed’s 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque limit.

Gear changes will be handled by the same ZF six-speed unit, though should be quicker thanks to a Quickshift function that allows double downshifts. You’ll note that this unit was introduced on the facelifted 2011 Bentley Continental GT.

Performance numbers should come in at around 4.4 seconds for the 0-60 mph run and a top speed in excess of 195 mph.-motorauthority.com

2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe spy shots

BMW has been spotted testing the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe out on public streets in Germany. The car will be based on the new BMW 6 Series and will feature a four-door coupe layout.

From the front you can easily spot the new 6 Series resemblance, with its pronounced upper grille section and newly-designed BMW ‘Angel Eye’ headlights. The lower grille also spreads across the entire width of the front end, just like the new 6 Series.

Looking at the side is where things start to differ from the normal Coupe model. BMW has squeezed in rear doors to provide a four-door coupe layout. This will be BMW’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz CLS four-door coupe, and the Audi A7 Sportback.

Sharing the same theme as the Gran Coupe Concept unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show last year, the Gran Coupe name is also likely to be carried over to this production version. This will differentiate it from BMW’s usual ‘GT’ name attached to sedan-based coupes, such as the BMW 5 Series GT and the predicted upcoming BMW 3 Series GT.

The back of the car showcases a more steeply raked rear windscreen compared with the normal two-door coupe. It is also likely to feature some changes in rear end detailing to help distinguish it from the other models.

Providing power for the new model is said to be same engine line-up as the BMW 6 Series Coupe and Convertible. This includes the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, producing 300kW, and the 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine, producing around 235kW. A diesel version might also be on the cards further down the track.

The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is expected to go on sale sometime towards the end of next year.-caradvice.com.au