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Volkswagen Beetle 2012

Volkswagen took the wraps off their latest generation Beetle, affectionately known as the Bug, at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show a few weeks ago. First introduced during the Mesozoic era, Beetle is one of the very few nameplates which has survived a long timeframe and still manages to be a favourite of many.

In comparison to the previous generation Beetle introduced in 1998, the new one is longer, wider and sports a roofline that extends further backwards while featuring an aggressively-raked front windshield and increased wheelbase. The Beetle shall host a range of new exterior and interior appointments including newly designed horse-shoe shaped tail-lamps, LED daytime running lights, Bi-Xenon headlamps, Panoramic sunroof and Keyless access through satellite navigation systems. Airbags and ESP, alongside the standard ABS and EBD systems, are available to assure safety.

Volkswagen offers a choice of three gasoline engines for the Beetle – a 1.2-litre TSI engine rated at 104 hp, a 1.4-litre TSI engine rated at 158 hp and a 2.0-litre TSI engine rated at 200 hp. A diesel-electric variant shall be available for the UK and US markets , with a 1.6-litre engine rated at 104 hp aided by start-stop battery regenerative systems for optimum fuel efficiency.

While the pricing aspects are unknown, the Beetle with the new face shall go on sale in the American markets during fall of 2011. UK customers have to wait a bit longer until early 2012. Expect a GCC launch somewhere around the same time.

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Tesla Model X Roadster

Plugging intο the future. In a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Cοmmissiοn, Tesla announced plans tο end Roadster prοductiοn in December. While this is a tad peculiar, since the Mοdel S will nοt be launched until mid-2012, Tesla is cοnfident that they can survive οn selling the remaining inventory οf Roadsters during their year and a half lοng production hiatus.

The filing alsο revealed the company will intrοduce a Model X cοncept later this year. Details are limited, but the crοssover will incοrpοrate the functionality οf a minivan with the consumer appeal οf a sports-utility vehicle. If everything gοes according tο plan, Tesla will launch a production Mοdel X in 2014.
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BMW 3 Series Production End In October, And The Next-gen Coming In Spring 2012

The Productiοn οf the current E90 and E92 BMW 3 Series will come tο an end fοr good in October, in preparation fοr next spring's launch οf the all-new F30 3 Series. Befοre the gas models bοw οut, the oil-burning 335d will cease productiοn in August. The death οf the current 3er makes room fοr a sleeker, less cluttered version οf the car which clings clοsely tο the more aggressive new BMW design language.

Amοng the changes will be flatter kidney grilles as well as shοrter οverhangs, as well as a more muscular stance. The new 3s will alsο get a bump in efficiency, with a range οf turbocharged fοur- and six-cylinder mills, with the outside chance οf a three-banger jοining the lineup later on. The next M3 will ditch V8 pοwer in favor οf a twin-turbo inline-six spοrting abοut 450 horsepower.
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Renault's French Dealers Offering 45 Percent Discounts on Clio

The Renault brand’s sales are down 35 percent since May 1 in France and this has forced local dealers to offer hefty discounts to customers on certain models, a French radio station reported. According to the BFM radio station quoted byReuters, dealers are offering discounts as high as 45 percent on some versions of the Clio supermini. For instance, certain dealers are selling the Clio for €7,990 ($11,400), even though the factory sticker is €14,100 ($20,120).
Renault admitted that the French car market remained on a downward trend, but refused to comment the report according to which its sales were down 35 percent. "We cannot communicate on May data before early June...The market for May in France seems down," a Renault spokesman said. He added that decreasing sales were partly due to the end of a car scrappage scheme.
France's successful car incentive program was terminated in December 2010, but drivers who bought cars as part of the program could register them until the end of March.
Renault was one of the hardest hit carmakers in Europe in April recording a 13 percent drop in sales compared to last year with 105,799 units. In the same month, car sales in France declined by 11 percent, according to ACEA, the European automakers association.
Europe's car market shrank for the third consecutive year, falling to 13.8 million vehicles in 2010 from 16 million in 2007, the last year in which it recorded a sales growth.
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VW Releases Golf GTI Edition 35 Specs and Price

Developed to celebrate 35 years since the launch of the original Volkswagen Golf GTI in 1976, the GTI Edition 35 will make its premiere at the Worthersee Tour (June 1-4) in Austria. A 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine that develops 235-horsepower and 300 Nm of torque (221 lb-ft), 25HP and 20 Nm more than the standard GTI, powers the limited edition hot-hatch.
However, Volkswagen says the engine is not an upgraded version of the standard GTI's unit but a detuned version of the AWD Golf R's four-pot, adapted for a FWD setup. With 25 more horsepower than the standard GTI and a power-to-weight ratio of 6 kg/hp, the Golf GTI Edition 35 reaches a top speed of 247 km/h (153 mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.6 seconds (gains of 7 km/h and 0.3 seconds respectively).
Like the standard GTI, the Edition 35 is equipped with the XDS electronic differential lock for improved handling and can be fitted with the optional six-speed DSG transmission. The average fuel consumption is rated at 8.1 liters/100 km (29 mpg) for the manual model and 8 liters/100 km (29.4 mpg) for the DSG version.
The VW Golf GTI Edition 35 has a starting price of €30,425 ($43,750) in Germany. To mark the debut of the new model, VW has released a commercial entitled "Are you GTI enough?” which highlights the intense feelings drivers get from the car. Scroll down to see the anniversary GTI raising the adrenaline levels of a female driver.
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Graf Weckerle-Tuned Ferrari 458 Italia

It seems that there is a tune for just about everyone and everything these days, from subtle to extreme, and all points in between. We do not know where exactly this Ferrari 458 Italia from German tuning firm Graf Weckerle fits in that spectrum, but those odd-looking alloy wheels are sure to catch the attention of every passerby.
Featuring a design that would be more suitable in an antique fireplace screen, the so-called “fleur-de-lis” 21-inch alloy wheels are a trademark of Graf Weckerle and are hand-assembled out of 184 individual pieces. The tune also includes hand-painted stripes, a sports exhaust system and an engine upgrade that both help push output to 600-horsepower, and a lowered suspension.

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Honda Civic 2012 Sedan and Coupe Designs in Europe

A peek through the European patent office files revealed images of Honda’s freshly launched in North America, 2012 Civic in both four-door sedan and two-door coupe guise. Given that the European market will get its own, bespoke version of the Civic, chances are that Honda simply wanted to cover its back like most of the competition just in case another automaker (we are looking towards you China) got any crazy ideas.
However, it is possible that Honda will offer the four-door saloon model in certain European countries to compete against the Volkswagen Jetta. With the exception of one version of the Civic sedan seen in this set of images and which features slightly modified taillights with additional strips that extend towards the license plate holder, there are no other differences compared to the North American Civic.
The European version of Honda’s compact model will make its world premiere at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September. It will be available in five-door and three-door body styles, while the Japanese automaker has also confirmed the development of a smaller displacement turbo diesel engine that will fit right under the current 2.2-liter i-DTEC unit.