Acura planning RSX successor?

Good news, Hondaphiles: Acura may be planning a return to the sports car game. According to Motor Trend, the Japanese automaker has plans to add up to three new performance-oriented models to its lineup over the next few years. While that includes a spiritual successor to the NSX, it may also mean that the RSX will return to life, as well. The entry-level sports hatch was nixed in the U.S. back in 2006, leaving the TSX to carry the burden of luring younger buyers to the brand.

MT reports that the RSX-successor is on the Acura near-term agenda, and that while supply issues kicked up by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters in Japan my delay the vehicle somewhat, it shouldn't be long before we start seeing three-door mules kicking around on public streets.

Under the hood, the vehicle will likely pack a modified version of the same 201-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine found in the recently unveiled 2012 Honda Civic Si. Expect to find a six-speed manual cog box, complete with a helical limited-slip differential, bolted behind that mill. Of course, this particular report has been kicking around since 2009, so we'll wait for a little more solid confirmation before busting out the welcome-back party hats.

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2012 Porsche Panamera Diesel

2012 Porsche Panamera Diesel The unmistakable, sleek GT silhouette is created by an overall length of 4970mm (195.7in) and short, sporting overhangs front and rear. This new model can be recognised by the lettering ‘diesel’ on the front doors. Measuring 1931mm (76.0in) in width and 1418mm (55.8in) in height, the Panamera Diesel is both wider and lower than comparable four-door models.

It is exclusively available with rear-wheel drive and uses a highly efficient eight-speed Tiptronic S as standard. The six-cylinder turbo diesel engine powers the new Gran Turismo from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 6.8 seconds, with a top speed of 150 mph (242 km/h). The Porsche Panamera Diesel is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine with a rated output of 250 hp (184 kW) achieved between 3,800 rpm and 4,400 rpm. The maximum torque of 550 Nm, available all the way from 1,750 rpm to 2,750 rpm, delivers high pulling power.

The Porsche Panamera Diesel offers a highly appealing driving range of more than 745 miles on one 80-litre tank, emits 172 g/km and delivers a Combined fuel economy of 43.5mpg (6.5 l/100 km). With the optional lower rolling resistance tyres, efficiency improves further still, to 167 g/km and 44.8mpg on a Combined cycle.

The Porsche Panamera Diesel costs £62,134 (80,183 euro in Germany inc. VAT) and is on sale in the UK from August 2011.

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Novitec Alfa Romeo 8C Spider is a sexy

Beautiful as it is, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is widely regarded as a miserable handler. That could be chalked up to the 1990s-era Maserati platform on which it was built, but one way or another, the very thought of giving such such an archaic chassis more power to contend with could be the worst idea since New Coke. But that's not about to stop the boffins over at Novitec.

Bolting on the same supercharger and intercooler as it did with the Maserati GranCabrio, Novitec has cranked output from the 4.7-liter V8 up from 450 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque stock to a certifiable 600 hp and 434 lb-ft, figures which Novitec pegs as good for a 0-62 sprint in 3.9 seconds (down from the stock model's 4.2). The German tuning firm has a penchant for tuning Italy's finest, and have this time turned their attention to the 8C Spider.

The modifications applied to the sexy Spider also include a remapped engine control module and a variable stainless steel exhaust. No word on a brake upgrade, but you'd have to be even crazier to dial in that much muscle without the shoes to keep it in check. Thankfully, however, Novitec has tinkered with the suspension, fitting new coils and adjustable dampers along with Pirelli-coated modular wheels (21 inches up front, 22 in the rear) in silver on the port side and black on starboard. With all that power on tap, we can only hope the modifications to the suspension prove enough to handle it all.

I love every line on this car- the coupe, too. My only teeny tiny objection is the simplistic round tail lights, a little too Opel GT quality for my taste. A more complex arrangement like the front pod would be more in keeping with the overall look.

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2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

Have you been dying to pour through images of the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet? Good news, everyone Volkswagen fans! The automaker has just released this mega-gallery of its all-new drop-top.

It's certainly a handsome little convertible, this Golf, but right now there's only enough room in the United States for one redesigned Volkswagen with a disappearing roof. The U.S. has been designated an Eos-only country for the time being, meaning our high-res image gallery is the closest you'll get to ever seeing one of these cuties in person.

What you are looking at is a Volkswagen Golf with no roof. It is also the first roofless Golf that will be offered for public consumption (in Europe at least, it's probably not coming to America) since 2003.

There's not really much else to say... except maybe that its windshield is raked further back than that of its hatchback siblings and that its updated fascia now boasts LED running lamps. See for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

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New Rumors About the Holden Ute Sport Compact Truck Heading to the U.S.A.

Before the Global Financial Crisis of 2009, the subsequent bankruptcy GM and the disillusion of the Pontiac brand, as many as half of the Holden Commodores built in Australia were destined for the U.S. and the world in the form of the Pontiac G8. A thinly disguised Holden Ute even made a showing at the 2008 New York Auto Show as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck. Since then – and after GM’s government sponsored recovery – rumors have been rife that the Holden Commodore and its ute bodied brethren could return to the United States badged as Chevrolets.

It’s big, brutish and comfortable with a bevy of engine and equipment options to suit virtually any budget or taste - so long as those tastes only extend to, “Big, brutish V6 or V8 engined utes”. With petrol prices on the rise once again and the predictable financial struggle some tradesmen have been experiencing, many are looking to downsize. It’s a poorly kept secret that many Americans are quite fond of the Australian-made and Commodore-derived, Holden Ute, which we recently drove in Queensland.

Ex-Holden boss and current GM President, North America, Mark Reuss explains:

“The bandwidth we have on pick-up trucks in the US is huge. When you look at fuel prices today, I think there's going to be a segmentation of that bandwidth. I've lived in Australia and I've seen where fuel prices are US$5 a gallon, and lots of tradesmen will use a ute with a tray on the back to do lots of different things, and they don't need the bandwidth of a big pick-up truck.”

New emissions regulations set to be introduced stateside in 2016 are likely to make conditions all the riper for a lighter, sportier model to sit alongside Chevrolet and GMC’s more “heavy duty” models. So there’s certainly a market for the Holden Ute (or a Holden Ute-derived vehicle) in the U.S., though there probably won’t be an attempt at conquering the North American market until the VE Commodore’s successor lands Down Under in 2014.

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New Dodge Ram 5500 Long-Hauler Concept Sport truck

The Chrysler Group claims, “they don’t get much bigger” than its new Ram Long-Hauler Concept truck and at a whopping 24 feet (about 7.3 meters) long, who can blame them? Based on a Class 5 Ram 5500 Chassis Cab, the monstrous Long Hauler rides on an extended wheelbase measuring 197.4-in. (5,014mm) in length, which is more than enough to fit a Mercedes-Benz E-Class (191.7-in)! The concept truck is also 79.1 inches tall and tips the scales at an environmentally…unfriendly 9,300 lbs (4,218 kg), or close to 2.5-times as much as a Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan. Ram says the Long-Hauler has a maximum Gross Combined Weight Rating of 37,500 lbs (16,783 kg).

To quench its appetite, the Detroit firm’s engineers fitted the Long-Hauler with three fuel tanks with total capacity of 170 gallons (643 liters). Power comes courtesy of a 6.7-liter inline six-cylinder Cummins Turbo Diesel engine rated at 800 lb.-ft. of torque, which is hooked up to a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission with four-wheel-drive transfer case coupled to a 4.88 Dana 110 axle with dual rear wheels.

Other highlights include the full Kelderman Air Suspension and 19.5-inch Alcoa aluminum wheels, while Ram customized the apparently spacious 2+2 interior with several options such as a DVD player with overhead screen for rear seat passengers and a rear center console that includes a refrigerator, cup holders and tray tables.

The Auburn Hills automaker said that while only a concept for now, it will show off the Ram Long-Hauler across the country over the next eight months “to gauge public opinion” for a possible production version.

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BMW 3-Series Still Top Dog Despite Strong Competition

A good all-rounder with sporting pretensions and cred, a nice assortment of engine and equipment options, and perhaps most importantly, a variety of body styles including a coupe and station wagon derivative that have ensured its market supremacy. Never cared for the four-door version, but the two-door versions are automotive icons. Easy to see why this series is still on top. In the ingloriously named, “small premium car segment”, the BMW 3-Series is king.

All 3-Series models are doing their bit to keep sales high. According to a study released by R.L. Polk & Co., from 2008 through this past February, the 3-Series sedan covered around 60 percent of the model's retail registrations, with the coupe, convertible and station wagon versions accounting for the rest of the sales.

Still never liked BMW, never did and the 3 series is all they concetrate on and besides it feels too safe and protected when in a Benz you have that feeling of slight danger and excitment, BMW's are to bland and ugly. Unfortunately for the Bavarian automaker, the queen (Audi), prince (Mercedes-Benz), princess (Lexus) and duke (Cadillac) have not been sitting on their laurels.

There’s a coupe and station wagon variant of the Cadillac’s meaty CTS sedan, while Audi has added the weirdly named A5 Sportback and A5 / S5 coupe to compliment the A4 range. Even Lexus has a folding hardtop IS convertible and Mercedes-Benz will soon bring the C-Class coupe to market. So without the body style thing to fall back on, there’s not a whole lot to differentiate – say – a BMW 3-Series from an Audi A4 / A5 except for personal driving preferences and brand identity.

However, at least for now, the 3-Series is retaining its place as America’s (and indeed, the world’s) favorite small premium car. This in spite of strong competition, changing tastes in the market and the slump in the premium segment following the GFC.

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