The former will be piloted by Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala, while the latter will be driven by friend of 0-60 and Top Gear USA co-host Tanner Foust. If you ask us, it seems Tanner got the raw end of this deal; the slightly Martini-esque livery of the WRC cars is much more attractive to our eyes then Tanner’s Wiz Khalifa-black-and-yellow Fiesta. But that’s just our opinion.

With its drive channeled to all four wheels through a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox, the RS Q3 is claimed to hit 62 mph in 5.2 seconds and to reach a top speed of 165 mph.

By comparison, today’s top-of-the-line Audi Q3, the 208-hp 2.0 TFSI, boasts an official 0-to-62-mph time of 6.9 seconds and a 143-mph top speed with the same gearbox.

Distinguishing the concept from the standard Q3 on sale in Europe since mid-2011 is a series of exterior styling changes. Included is a reworked version of Audi’s signature single-frame grille sporting brushed- and polished-aluminum trims and a new insert.

Further visual tweaks include tinted headlamp assembles with carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic graphic elements, a more angular front bumper with larger lower air ducts, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic mirror housings, altered sills underneath the doors, a more prominent spoiler atop the tailgate, tinted tail lamps and a deeper rear bumper.

A one-inch reduction in ride height and upgraded 20-inch multispoke wheels also help set the Audi RS Q3 apart, endowing it with a more hunkered stance than existing Q3 models.

Audi won’t officially say when the RS Q3 will see production. However, insiders at the company’s Ingolstadt headquarters in Germany contacted by Autoweek suggest that plans are already under way to gear up a factory in Spain, where the Q3 is built, to begin production of the new performance-based SUV by mid-to-late 2013.

Audi’s quattro division is responsible for the development of all existing Audi RS models, including the RS3, the TT RS, the RS4, the RS5 and the mid-engine R8 coupe, roadster and GT

“The original A-class, you would say, ‘Oh, my God. I will never be able to sell that to anybody. What can I do to keep it out of the U.S. so I don’t have to deal with it?’” Jackson recalls.

Americans were unwilling to pay premium prices for small cars then, even if the cars wore luxury nameplates. And sales of such cars remain low.

But European luxury brands aim to change that dramatically in the next few years. Eager to increase sales and meet strict government fuel economy standards, they plan to roll out new small cars with premium prices and luxury content.

Now Jackson’s on board. Mercedes-Benz unveiled a concept version of the redesigned A-class coupe in April at the New York auto show. Jackson, on the other side of the fence as CEO of AutoNation Inc., the country’s biggest automotive retailer, calls it “absolutely beautiful.”

“That’s the car I want tomorrow,” Jackson says.

Although other luxury brands, such as Lexus and Cadillac, are making similar moves, Europeans are leading the charge. The A-class, expected in 2013 in the United States, is the first of a new generation of sub-$30,000 small cars that European automakers are convinced will sell in the United States.

Today, three European small luxury cars are on the market: the Audi A3 hatchback, the BMW 1-series coupe/convertible and the Volvo C30 three-door hatchback. They’re low-volume vehicles, with combined U.S. sales of 23,596 units last year.

A conservative tally of carmaker estimates shows U.S. sales of small European luxury cars at least doubling in the next few years. But some observers question whether the segment will ever be strong here.

“Even at 50,000 units, it is an insignificant number,” says Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends at TrueCar.com. “The potential growth for compact crossovers is much greater because of their utility.”

Mercedes-Benz and BMW will lead the effort to expand the segment. The route to success will be keeping the vehicles premium in content and performance, brand executives say.

The new cars are different from the halfhearted attempts in the late 1990s and early  At that time, BMW offered the 318ti–a 3 series with a lopped-off rear end–and Mercedes-Benz in 05 sold its odd-looking C230 and C320 hatchbacks. Those cars failed after a short run

This is what the world has come to.   GM is putting a four-banger in a Cadillac.
But this isn’t the I4 of old, this is a modern, direct injected turbo with variable cam timing.  The GM 2.0L Ecotech makes 270HP and 260lb-ft of torque.  It is a similar engine to the Ford 2.0L Ecoboost which is now the fuel economy option for the Explorer.
By comparison, the FWD versions of the famed Northstar engine family (LD8) made 275HP and 300ft-lbs, out of a whopping 4.6L of displacement

The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport was driven by Bugatti’s official test-driver, Pierre Henri Raphanel, who returned two runs. On the first try, he obtained 265.3 mph; on the second run, he got 269.6 mph. The officials at TUV and Guinness took the average of both times, which came in at 268 mph when rounded.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport gets its horsepower boosted from the 1,001HP found in the normal Veyron to 1,200HP and with 1,106 lb-ft of maximum torque to boot. Top speed for the production models will be electronically limited to 259 mph to protect the tires. Bugatti says that the first five Super Sport to come off the production line will be special in that they will have the same configuration as the car used to break the land-speed record. More details can be found in the press releas

Paramount and DreamWorks have officially announced that Transformers Dark of the Moon 2011 or Transformers 3 will be released on July 1, 2011 in the US. Transformers Dark of the Moon or Transformers 3 is the third film in the Transformers film series, directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to Transformers and Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. Transformers Dark of the Moon will be presented in regular 2D, Real D 3D and IMAX, featuring Dolby Surround 7.1 sound.

Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro are set to reprise their starring roles, with Peter Cullen returning as the voice of Optimus Prime. Ehren Kruger, who collaborated in the writing of the second film, was again involved in the writing. Despite having initially been confirmed for the film, and with the film already into principal photography, it was announced that Megan Fox would not be reprising her role from the previous two films. With Fox’s character Mikaela being dropped, Sam was assigned a new love interest, who will be played by English model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Also, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, having written the first two films, did not return for the third installment in the series, which Orci had earlier somewhat anticipated, fearing the duo would “risk getting stale”. Bay has stated this would be his last installment in the series

2011 Mazda Takeri Concept. The Mazda Takeri concept car exploits Mazda’s new design language, KODO – Soul of Motion, to bring a new level of strength and allure to mid-size saloon styling. Under its appealing exterior is benchmark SKYACTIV Technology, including Mazda’s first regenerative braking system. This technology converts kinetic energy to electricity during deceleration, stores it in capacitors and then uses it to power the vehicle’s electrical equipment – reducing load on the engine and saving fuel. Combined with the new SKYACTIV-D diesel engine, Mazda i-stop, new lightweight structure, aerodynamic and chassis technologies, regenerative braking – enables the Mazda Takeri Concept to achieve excellent fuel economy together with vigorous performance and a comfortable high-quality ride.

2011 Mazda Takeri Concept. Based on Mazda’s new design language, ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’, the Mazda Takeri is designed to express “an intuitive sedan identity” and “an overwhelming emotional beauty” as the latest platform for Mazda’s breakthrough SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY. Takeri provides a supremely comfortable ride feel, thanks to the satisfying power of SKYACTIV-D and new lightweight and aerodynamic technologies. It also features the i-stop idling stop system and Mazda’s first regenerative braking system. The regenerative braking system efficiently converts kinetic energy to electricity during deceleration, stores it in capacitors and then uses it to power the vehicle’s electric equipment, thereby reducing load on the engine and saving fuel. Thanks to these electric devices, the Mazda Takeri Concept achieves excellent fuel economy.

2011 Mazda Takeri Concept. The regenerative braking system is the second step in the process of building block Mazda. Following the renewal of existing technologies, such as engines and bodies,  Step One of the Building Block Strategy is idling stop technology (i-stop), Step Two is regenerative braking technology, and Step Three is electric drive technology

Peugeot, the French carmaker has released its 3rd new model into the Chinese market in the last 18 months, the new Peugeot 308 compact sedan, which made its debut at the at the Chengdu Motor Show in last mid-September. Manufactured locally by Dongfeng Motor Corporation, the Peugeot’s Chinese partner cooperation, the new Peugeot 308 Sedan joins the carmaker’s extended offerings in the C-segment that also include the Peugeot 307 and 408 saloons.

Peugeot said that with the launch of the new Peugeot 308, it intends to strengthen its presence within the very competitive category, with a full year sales target of units.
Together with the Peugeot 307 and 408 Sedans, Peugeot aims to sell 1cars in the C-segment in 2012, which will account for about 60% of the brands total sales in the country.
The new Peugeot 308 Sedan goes on sale in China with 2 gasoline engine choices, a 1.6-liter unit with 106HP and 142Nm, and a 2.0-liter producing 147HP and 200Nm of peak torque, both of which are available with automatic and manual transmissions

According to Car and Driver, Cadillac is undecided, but one or both bodystyles could migrate to the smaller ATS platform. While neither of the two CTS variants has been any great shakes sales-wise (Cadillac does say the wagon has outsold its BMW 3 Series equivalent), the models are seen as important tools to woo shoppers – conquest sales in particular.

We might add that since General Motors remains committed to the idea of making Cadillac a global brand, a smaller coupe and wagon model could give the marque entry into larger volume segments in Europe. For its part, C/D expects Cadillac to position a coupe between the ATS and next CTS, mimicking pricing and hierarchy strategies at Audi and soon, BMW. The publication also predicts that a wagon will stay in the CTS family, as it “better meets the needs of older, richer luxo-wagon buyers,” noting that ATS wagon intenders could likely be wooed into the SRX anyhow.

2013 Ferrari 458 Spider joins the 458 Italia, widening the range of Ferrari’s mid-rear engined V8s and offering the same uncompromising technological solutions, handling and performance in a refined open-top configuration. It is equipped with a Ferrari patented, fully retractable hard top, a world first for a sports car with this lay-out.

2013 Ferrari 458 Spider is powered by Ferrari’s 570 CV 4,499 cc V8 which was named International Engine of the Year 2011. The power is transferred to the road by Ferrari’s class-leading dual-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission through the sophisticated E-Diff, itself integrated with the F1-Trac traction control and high-performance ABS for maximum handling dynamics. The car delivers 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in under 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h.

Certain features, such as its accelerator pedal mapping and the damping of the multilink suspension, have been calibrated to guarantee maximum sportiness and absolute driving pleasure with the top down, in line with Maranello’s exclusive spider tradition. Even the engine soundtrack has been honed to ensure that the car’s occupants are completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience.

Entirely in aluminium, the hard-top solution adopted for the Ferrari 458 Spider offers a number of advantages over the traditional folding soft-top, including a reduction of 25 kg in weight compared to Ferrari F430 Spider and a deployment time of just 14 seconds. Fully integrated into the styling of the car, the hard-top was engineered to fit neatly ahead of the engine bay without compromising aerodynamics or the performance of the car. The small space needed to house the roof enables the designers to include a generous rear bench for luggage behind the seats.

The rear of the car is characterised by innovative forms with the buttresses designed to optimise the flow of air to the engine intakes and the clutch and gearbox oil radiators. For maximum comfort whilst driving top down the Ferrari 458 Spider features a generously-sized adjustable electric wind stop. The design was perfected to slow and diffuse the air in the cockpit, enabling normal conversation to be held even at speeds over 200 km/h.

New technical solutions adopted for the chassis guarantee identical levels of structural rigidity with the roof up or down. The result is a car that is truly exciting to drive, blending extreme performance with the responsiveness that has always characterised Ferrari’s open-top berlinettas.

Its category-topping performance aside, the new car also boasts class-leading fuel consumption and emissions levels. Thanks to the HELE (High Emotion Low Emission) system, in fact, fuel consumption on the combined urban cycle stands at 11.8 l/100 km with CO2 emissions of 275 g/km.