U Spy: Another Mystery Sedan Awaits to be Unraveled, What do You Think it is?


The evolution of mobile phones into a technological Swiss army knife has made capturing a picture of anything interesting you may stumble upon as easy as lifting a finger.

Nevertheless, you'll have to be very observant to seize the moment as was the case with Carscoop reader Scott M. that quickly snapped a few shots of a heavily disguised sedan model on a freeway in Southern California before it got away.

In a very similar scenario to another "U Spy" story on a sedan model about a year ago (read more here), we'll have to admit that we’re not sure what it is we're seeing here.

Sure it looks like a mid-size sedan, but what about the brand and type of model?

The heavy camo and grainy pictures don't help much, but to open the conversation that you can continue after the break, our first though went to the production version of the Lincoln MKZ Concept shown in Detroit last month.

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Gas Price Jumps 10 Cents Just as Two Corvettes Show Up


As you may have noticed, gas prices have been on the rise these past few days. In fact, a gallon of gasoline now costs more than four dollars and in some cases over five or six dollars.

You can blame the oil companies, economy, world politics, government taxes, OPEC, Iran or maybe gas station owner greed.

Last Wednesday, ABC News’ Cecilia Vega was reporting on the rising gas prices at “World News with Diane Sawyer” live from a gas station in Los Angeles. After her introduction, the video showed footage from various U.S. cities.

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Redesigned 2013 Buick Enclave Teased, will Debut at NY Auto Show


Jumping from one international motor show (that would be Geneva) to another, General Motors revealed today that it would perform the world premiere of its redesigned 2013 Buick Enclave at the New York Auto Show, which runs from April 6 to 15.

Along with the announcement, the Detroit automaker also dropped a darkened teaser image of the new model's interior, which looks like it gained a revised center console featuring GM's new infotainment system.

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Hyundai i-oniq Concept is a RWD Electric Coupe with a Range Extender Petrol Engine


Following the release of a teaser sketch back in December, we now have the first official image of Hyundai's i-oniq concept study that is set to debut at the 2012 Geneva motor show next week.

Albeit not a coupe in the traditional sense as it sports a rear hatch, the i-oniq is a sporty looking model featuring a low roofline and sleek body work that represents the next evolution of the Korean brand’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ styling language.

Maybe it's just us, but from this angle, the front-end design brings to mind the Nissan 350Z.

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MTM's Colorful Geneva Motor Show Debuts Include 306hp Audi Q3 and $215k, 466hp VW T5


German-based tuning company MTM has shared photos and details of the vehicles it plans to debut at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon in a just a few days' time.

We'll start with the Audi Q3 crossover with the 2.0-liter TFSI engine. MTM's tune includes a power kit that lifts output from 170PS (168hp) to 310PS (307hp) allowing for the improvement of its 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time by two seconds to 6.1 seconds, its top speed from 212km/h (132mph) to 250km/h (155mph).

The tuning house also adds a custom exhaust kit, a rear diffuser, a sports suspension kit, 20-inch Bimoto lightweight alloy wheels shod in 255/35 ZR20 tires and the optional black-red-gold foil wrap seen on this car.

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SPY SHOTS: New 2013 BMW M6 Gran Coupe is On its Way


BMW is planning to inject some serious power under the hood of its sexy 6-Series Gran Coupe sports sedan with the addition of a flagship version wearing the iconic M badge.

However, don't expect any prizes for guessing the power source as it's a well-known fact that all upper level BMW M models are motivated by the same or in some cases, mildly modified version of the brand's 4.4-liter bi-turbo V8 engine.

We anticipate that it will be the same unit found in the brand-new M6 Coupe and Convertible models with the internal designation S63Tü.

And while there's always the possibility of BMW M engineers fiddling around with the electronics to push out a few more ponies, chances are it will deliver the same output at 560-horses (412kW) between 5,750 and 7,000 rpm, and a peak torque of 680Nm (502lb-ft) from 1,500 to 5,750 rpm.

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First Video of 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon Hits the Web


After the release of a second image of the new Chevrolet Cruze Station Wagon, we now have the first official video that provides a more in depth look at the compact estate model, which is scheduled to receive its world premiere at next week's Geneva Motor Show.

As we've noted in our previous articles, certain styling tweaks featured on the Station Wagon model such as the new front bumper and grille, alloy wheel designs, headlamp graphics and interior trims, will pass on to the rest of the Cruze range that includes the four-door sedan and in certain markets, the five-door hatchback, for 2012.

You can take a peek at the official footage in the video that follows after the jump.

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Vilner Studio Reimagines New BMW 5-Series Sedan's Interior


While a fairly new entry in the aftermarket industry, Bulgarian design studio Vilner is beginning to make a name for itself. The company specializes in designing more premium interiors and its latest work based on the new BMW 5-Series sedan (F10) is no different.

The car was created for Bulgarian footballer Kostadin Stoyanov who currently plays for CSKA Sofia.

Vilner redid the 5-Series sedan's interior in white leather for the outer parts of the seats, sections of the door panels, the center console and the lower part of the dashboard while it chose black Alcantara for the headliner and the center portions of the seats.

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Nissan Leaf Now Available for Order in All 50 States Across the U.S.


Starting from tomorrow, Thursday, March 1, the Leaf will become the first pure-electric car available for order in all U.S. markets as Nissan commences the final launch phase with the addition of the remaining 21 states.

The Japanese automaker said that those that had reserved a car in these states would receive an invite from Nissan to begin the ordering process on March 1, while other consumers from these new markets will be able to place a reservation starting from next week.

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Drag Racer Flips Motorcycle. In other News, Photographer Trips on Himself…


It's not often that you get to see two completely unrelated fails happening almost instantaneously in the same video, which is why this clip grabbed our attention immediately.

Remember to keep your eyes on the biker as well as the photographer on the lower corner. Video follows right after the jump.

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Ferrari F12berlinetta Configurator is Up and Live, See how the 730hp Exotic Looks in Different Colors


So you want to play around with the looks of the all-new Ferrari F12berlinetta, do you now? Well, then you will be happy to know that the famed Maranello automaker has just launched an online configurator for its most powerful production model ever.

For those of you seeking to waste some time, the online tool allows you to customize the exterior of the front-engined supercar through a wide choice of colors together with three different alloy wheels options and several finishes for the brake calipers.

On the other hand, your choices for the interior are limited to two colors, at least for now.

If you don't feel like skimming through Ferrari's website, we've picked 69 pictures of the F12berlinetta from several angles that you can check out for yourself in the gallery that follows below.

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Volvo Says the V40 Won't be Coming to the U.S. as There's not Enough Inerest in 5d Models [Updated]


We had a hunch that the all-new V40 hatchback wouldn't be making it to the United States after the Swedish automaker stated that it expects to sell 90,000 units per year with 85 percent of those or 76,500 cars earmarked for the European market.

Nevertheless, just to make sure, we contacted Laura DiStefano, who is the Corporate Communications Manager for Volvo Cars of North America, asking her if the Swedish company had "plans to bring the new V40 or any of its future derivatives to the U.S.A. or Canada".

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GM and PSA Peugeot-Citroen Officially Form an Alliance, Fiat Still Wants In


Well, that didn’t take long, did it? Only a week after the first report that General Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen were discussing a possible alliance in order to cut their costs and improve their performance in Europe and other regions, the two companies announced today that they have reached an agreement.

The global alliance between the world’s number one car manufacturer and Europe’s number two automotive group involves two main topics: the sharing of platforms, powertrains and modules, and a joint venture for the sourcing of US$125 billion worth of parts and services from suppliers.

GM will acquire a 7 percent stake in the French group, which is slightly higher than the 5 percent originally reported, but still enough to make it the second largest shareholder behind the Peugeot Family Group.

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Ford's Geneva Motor Show Presentations to Include Production Versions of Kuga and Fiesta ST


With less than a week left for the grand opening of the 2012 edition of the Geneva Auto Salon, we're continuing our reports on the vehicles that will make it to Switzerland with the Ford brand.

Today we can confirm that aside from the world premiere of the production B-MAX small MPV that we've already covered extensively, the Blue Oval will debut the European version of the 2013 Escape as the new generation of the Kuga SUV and the production version of last year's Fiesta ST Concept 3d.

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Forklift Gets it Wrong while Trying to Move a Shipping Container


Moving around a 40-foot shipping container weighing several tons in the air is not an easy task by any means. A lot of things can go wrong, and in this case, they did. Luckily, no one seems to have been hurt (or at least not seriously) in this accident, though the driver of the forklift was definitely shaken like a rag doll.

Head past the break to watch the video

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Bitchin' 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit to Pace NASCAR Races in Phoenix


Maybe it’s the Mad Max syndrome, but there's something very cool (just as long as you're occupying front seat...) about mean looking police cars like the 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit, which as we learned today, will pace both NASCAR Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series races in Phoenix on March 3 and 4.

The pace car will assume its role in full police livery on top of a matte black finish combined with white accents for the body.

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Land Rover Builds 1 Millionth Discovery, Prepares an Epic Road Trip to China to Celebrate


Some 23 years and one model change after Land Rover introduced the original Discovery back in 1989, the British automaker rolled out the 1,000,000th example of its capable SUV at the Jaguar-Land Rover's Solihull assembly plant in the UK.

The Discovery, which first came to market as a third model sitting between the more luxurious Range Rover and the rough'n'tough Defender, set records sales of almost 45,000 units last year across 170 worldwide markets.

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A New Video on the Pagani Huayra Supercar


When it comes to supercar exotics like the Pagani Huayra, we never miss the opportunity to share with you a new video that comes our way.

This latest find is the work of the crew over at eGarage who filmed a short clip of the Huayra with the promise to release more footage in the near future. Here's hoping that next time, they'll skip on the annoying music background and let the 700-horsepower V12 powerhouse do the singing…

You can check out the video after the break.

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Volkswagen Whisks the Covers Off the New Golf GTI Cabriolet


With each passing day, we are edging closer to the 82nd Geneva Motor Show premiere on March 6 and more models are coming out in the open.

One such case is the Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet. Just yesterday, we received word that the production version of concept model shown at last year's Wörthersee meeting in Austria will be displayed at VW’s 2012 Geneva motor show stand, and today we have the first official details and images of the car.

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New F12berlinetta is the Most Powerful and Fastest Ferrari Ever [Photos and Videos]


Maranello has blown the covers off the successor to its 599 GTB Fiorano and a direct opponent of the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. The car was rumored to be called the F620 GT but as it turns out, we will come to know it as the new F12berlinetta.

Billed as the fastest and most powerful regular production Ferrari in history, the F12berlinetta sports a 6.3-liter naturally-aspirated V12 engine that produces 730HP (740PS), which translates to a specific output of 116HP per liter. It also delivers a peak torque of 690Nm or 508.9 lb-ft, 80 percent of which is available at just 2,500 rpm, while it can rev up to 8,700 rpm.

The 12-cylinder unit is linked to an F1 dual-clutch transmission with close gear ratios that drives the rear wheels.

Ferrari says that the F12berlinetta accelerates from 0-100 km/h (62mph) in 3.1 seconds and from zero to 200 km/h (124mph) in 8.5 seconds en route to a top speed in excess of 340km/h (211mph+) adding that it also completes a lap of the Fiorano circuit in 1.23", faster than any other Ferrari road car.

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What Would You Want to Drive in a Post-Apocalyptic World?


In Chevrolet's recent Super Bowl ad, which was set in a post-apocalyptic world, a bunch of friends chose to drive the Detroit brand's Silverado pickup truck, sans one Dave, God rest his soul, who drove a Ford F-150 - we didn't say it, GM did.

In the dystopian future world of Mad Max, The Man with No Name chose a supercharged Ford Falcon XB GT351 for his transportation needs.

In a similar scenario, the crew over at Popular Mechanics came up with a list of 10 vehicles that they would want as their "trusty steed" if the world went berserk.

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New Jaguar XF Sportbrake Unveiled Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show


A station wagon model probably isn’t what comes to mind when you think about Jaguar but times and attitudes changes and the British brand is willing to give it another try after its hapless X-Type Sportwagon.

At a first glance, Jaguar's new XF Sportbrake is a handsome creation, although those abnormally large LED tail lamps look somewhat odd from certain angles.

Jaguar says that every panel on the XF Sportbrake, from the B-Pillar and back, is completely new. Added touches include the silver signature line running the entire length of the car while the gloss black C-Pillar is reminiscent of the XJ limousine. The polished roof rails will be offered as an option.

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MINI Spices up Countryman Crossover with 215-horsepower JCW Variant


The largest Mini of them all, the Countryman crossover, will soon accept a new member into its family as the BMW Group owned British automaker will debut the John Cooper Works (JCW for short) model at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

The new JCW Countryman is fitted with Mini's all-wheel-drive system known as ALL4 as standard with power coming from the latest iteration of the firm's 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine featuring a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and a variable valve control system.

In European specification, the turbo'd unit is rated at 215bhp (218PS) and 280Nm (207 lb-ft) of peak torque or 300Nm (221 lb-ft) with the overboost function.

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New Seat Toledo Prototype and Ibiza FR Heading to the Geneva Motor Show


We have more news concerning the VW Group's presence at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Show as we learned that Seat will bring a new Toledo prototype along with the FR versions of its facelifted Ibiza supermini range.

We weren't able to obtain more details, but it is believed that the Toledo study will mark a return to a more conventional saloon or liftback body style for the series after the confused third generation model that was essentially an Altea MPV with a boot strapped on the rear end.

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New Photo Gallery of Citroën C4 Aircross


Citroën may have kissed its old ways goodbye when it comes to developing it cars (well, for the most part), but its eccentric designers from the 1970s and 1980s seem to have been put to work to create its official press site that has to be one of the quirkiest and unnecessarily complicated we've ever used.

But all's well that ends well and after more than an hour of cursing and clicking, we are now able to share with you 50 photos of the new Citroën C4 Aircross that will make its grand premier at next week's Geneva Motor Show.

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Kids Crashing Peugeot 107 Mini: Is it Real or Fake?


Whilst this video of a couple of children playing around with a Peugeot 107 that they allegedly end up crashing makes for a good laugh, we can't say for sure if its staged or not.

Like its Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1 siblings, the Peugeot 107 is available with an automated manual gearbox, so theoretically at least, it is possible for a youngster to put it in reverse gear as depicted in the clip.

Check out the video after the jump and tell us what you think.

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Spied: Mercedes-Benz Testing Renault Kangoo-Based Citan Van


Here's our first real life glimpse of Mercedes-Benz's upcoming Citan urban delivery van that was teased through a handful of sketches earlier this month. If the Citan's shape looks familiar, that is because it's based on the Renault Kangoo series.

To elaborate, the two automotive groups have formed a strategic alliance that will see them working together on a number of projects including, but not limited to, the development of a common platform for the next Smart models and the Renault Twingo.

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Fisker Appoints Ex-Chrysler Executive Tom LaSorda as its New CEO


In a move that most likely has to do with the company's recent troubles including problems with the Karma's batteries and news that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) froze a $528 million federal loan, Fisker announced today that it has named former Chrysler Chief Executive Tom LaSorda as its new Chief Executive Officer.

In addition, Henrik Fisker, the company's co-founder and the original CEO, was appointed executive chairman.

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