We've already seen the magazine's take on the 567hp BMW M5 Competition Package, but how does the souped-up rear-wheel-drive M5 compare to the 577HP (585PS) all-wheel-drive Mercedes E63 AMG S?

In terms of performance, the two cars are very hard to differentiate, but the way each car puts the power down is very different. The BMW is wild and tail-happy, while the Mercedes is more contained but slightly faster thanks to its all-wheel-drive system.

Curious to see which car won the duel? Scroll down to watch the video and then tell us which one you'd choose to park under your garage.

By Dan Mihalascu

After turning the first-generation Corvette from a cruiser into a true sports car by giving it a powerful small-block V8 engine, Duntov set out to develop a mid-engined all-wheel drive sports car, fuelling rumors that the second-generation Corvette will have a mid-mounted engine.

That experimental car was called Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle II (CERV II) and its most important characteristic was the four-wheel drive system with torque vectoring. The car followed another experimental car called the Chevrolet CERV, which was completed in 1960 and was aimed at open-wheel racing. The CERV resembled an IndyCar and featured a light 500hp 377-cubic inch small block V8 that was also used on the CERV II.

Duntov wanted the CERV II "to incorporate all the features necessary to make it a successful contender, not only in sprints but in such long distance events as Le Mans and Sebring." He planned to build six cars, originally designated the G.S. 2/3, that would allow selective usage as two-wheel drive (G.S. 2) or four-wheel drive (G.S. 3). Using the Grand Sport label and frequent references to the Corvette suggests Duntov thought of a familial relantionship with the series production sports car.

The CERV II featured a fiberglass body, titanium hubs, conecting rods, valves and exhaust manifold, which made it weigh close to the targeted 1,400 pounds (645 kg). It had an unconventional four-wheel drive system that consisted of an 11-inch Powerglide torque converter and clutchless two-speed manual gearbox that hanged from the rear of the car and a second 10-inch Powerglide torque converter at the front of the car, with a second semi-automatic transmission.

Duntov wanted 35 percent of the power to be delivered to the front end at low speed and 40 percent at high speed. In tests, the CERV II reached speeds of up to 212 mph (341 km/h) and was capable to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 2.8 seconds.

Unfortunately, Duntov's plans for the CERV II were stopped in 1964, when GM informed him it will not enter racing with the car. The CERV II continued to be used as a research vehicle and in 1969, it was fitted with a new all-aluminum 427-cubic inch ZL1 V8. The 550hp engine is the one the car has now, with the current weight of the CERV II standing at 1,848 lbs (838 kg).

The car is functional and almost entirely original and is among the most important Corvette development vehicles in private hands today. The CERV II will be auctioned on Thursday, November 21, 2013 by RM Auctions, at an undisclosed starting price.

By Dan Mihalascu

The National Highway Safety Administration said on Thursday that "no evidence that the fire on a Washington state highway resulted from a Model S defect or violations of U.S. safety standards. The luxury car struck metal debris that pierced its lithium-ion battery pack."

Tesla CEO and co-founder, Elon Musk, was keen to point out that they've installed a "six-millimeter thick armor plate on the bottom of the car," further distancing the company from the implications of the fire. Evidently, though, the market did react, and shares fell by 10 percent in the two days after it all happened.

Moving over to the Silicon Valley-based automaker's European side of the business, Musk gave an interview while he was in London, where he illustrated his views on why the Model S is a suitable car for the Old Continent.

In fact, he even went as far as to say it's more suitable here, than it is in the US, basing the argument on several points, but especially the reality of distances being much shorter, and therefore making the dreaded range anxiety less of an issue. You can find the interview, in video form, courtesy of Bloomberg, after the virtual jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

In fact, some people are so obsessed with London's supercar scene that they have created YouTube channels dedicated to recording these rare vehicles, like "Supercarsoflondon" or SOL for short, which has been at it since 2008.

This week, they're celebrating the fifth anniversary of the channel with an 18-minute long video that contains footage from – yep, you guessed it, the past five years.

If you have some time to spare, you can watch it right past the jump.

With the 499 units of the Ferrari LaFerrari already sold out and the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder on track to be out of stock too, the only hope for someone willing to spend an obscene amount of money on a rare supercar is to check out the classifieds.

How about an Aston Martin One-77 with 0 kilometers or miles on the odometer? This rare British beast (only 77 were built) exists and awaits its future owner in a Dubai luxury car dealership. Painted Pearl White and with a matching interior and blue dashboard, the left-hand drive One-77 was built in 2012 and is available for 7,500,000 AED ($2.04 million/€1.48 million).

That's around half a million dollars more than the car's original price when it rolled off the Aston Martin assembly line. Still, the One-77 looks mesmerizing and is from a traditional breed of supercars for which the words downsizing, turbocharging or electrification has no meaning whatsoever.

The most powerful and exclusive model from Gaydon is powered by a naturally aspirated 7.3-liter V12 engine developing 750 hp (760PS) and 750Nm (553.2 lb-ft) of torque. The One-77 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of over 354 km/h (220 mph).

By Dan Mihalascu

Now, the Swedes have brought out a new Drive-E powertrain for use under the bonnet of the S60/V60, but it's not based on the old D4, because this new 181 hp one loses one cylinder, and with it, a lot of charm.

Speaking of torque, Volvo omits to mention if the figure has changed or not, but the old 163 hp version had 400 Nm, which is close to what some mainstream V6 diesels make… What we can tell you without fear of misinforming is the Drive-E unit's claimed fuel consumption, which sits at 3.8 l/100 km or 74.3 mpg UK. Then, there are also the very low CO2 emissions, which are a claimed 99 g/Km if buyers go for a six-speed stick.

"The Drive-E diesels feature world-first i-ART technology with pressure feedback from each fuel injector instead of using a traditional single pressure sensor in the common rail" – still won't sound as good as before, though… "The combination of injection pressure at 2,500 bar and i-ART technology gives the customer an engine with high performance, improved fuel economy and considerably lower emissions. It is a breakthrough comparable to our invention of the lambda sensor for the catalytic converter in 1976," according to Derek Crabb Vice President Powertrain Engineering at Volvo Car Group.

Next up, Volvo has another two-liter unit with the wrong number of cylinders for auditory pleasure in store, and it's somewhat misleadingly named the T6. However, this one is fueled by gasoline, makes 306 hp and pushes the S60 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds, benefiting from being both turbocharged and supercharged. However, it's still touted as being efficiency-oriented too, using up just 6.4 l/100km (44.1 mpg UK/ 36.75 mpg US) and emitting an almost unbelievable 149 g/km CO2 – that's very good for its power output. These figures are achieved in conjunction with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox that will become available throughout the range. The new T6 debuts next year, so if you want a six-pot, with the prettier facelifted body, you still have some time to pick one up.

By Andrei Nedelea

We had a look at this owner spotlight video by AutoTrader UK that focuses on Cliff Graham, from Southport in the UK, and his prized silver four-door Aston Martin Rapide. He is so invested in his words that his presentation of why he bought his car, how he uses it and why he loves it makes perfect sense, even if the Rapide wouldn't necessarily be everybody's first choice in its price bracket.

After all, aside from looking and sounding pretty cool, it's flawed in so many ways as a practical, usable car that it can't be recommended based on logic alone. But then again, if logic and reason were the reasons behind why people bought Astons in the first place, the company would have gone out of business long ago, because they are lagging behind the pack from a technical and technological standpoint – good thing AMG came along to sort one of their problems…

Where they win points back is through the sentiments that they stir up inside their owners, a phenomenon best described by the video discussed here. Check it out after the virtual jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

Vossen had shared a teaser video of the new Corvette wearing the 20-inch (front) and 21-inch (rear) gloss graphite Precision Series wheels, but now it has released the full-length promo that includes some, not necessary, but certainly entertaining, burnout scenes.

No word on pricing yet but we'll keep you informed once we find out. For now, check out the video below.

Aftermarket specialists will present a variety of ideas, from a mobile upscale clothing boutique to an on-the-go hot rod repair shop. Custom builders transformed six Transit Connect vans and four wagons by adding elaborate interior reconstructions, blazing graphics and eccentric exteriors.

By letting tuning companies work on the Transit Connect, Ford says it wants to show the van's versatility and creative potential – especially for commercial use.

Here are the 10 stars for Ford's Vandemonium exhibit at the SEMA Show 2013:

1. Blood & Grease took a Transit Connect cargo van and transformed it into a high-end fashion boutique on four wheels

2. CGS Motorsports envisioned a mobile speed shop for the drag strip

3. eJudged made a stylish mobile hot spot of the Transit Connect and loaded it with technology for the road

4. Impulse Marketing & Media transformed a Transit Connect cargo van into a baked goods delivery vehicle

5. K-Daddyz Kustomz created a mobile workplace for graphic design

6. LGE*CTS Motorsports turned a Transit Connect wagon into a Cross Country cruiser complete with top-of-the-line technology

7. Mobsteel chopped and lowered the Transit Connect cargo van and created the ultimate mobile billboard promoting the Detroit Steel Wheel Company

8. Pentech Automotive turned a Transit Connect Wagon into a vehicle for video game addicts

9. Strange Motion designed a Transit Connect Wagon especially for its BMX team, with room to haul six bikes and six people

10. The last custom concept is still a mystery, with Ford probably looking to unveil it directly at SEMA next month.

By Dan Mihalascu

According to a report from AutoExpress, the mid-engined P13 will be priced from £120,000 in the UK, which at current exchange rates is equivalent to €140,950 or $194,000. According to a "well-placed source" quoted by the magazine, the P13 will feature the same 3.8-liter V8 turbocharged engine as the 12C, but detuned to produce around 450 hp.

Thanks to its smaller size and carbon fiber construction, the P13 will weigh less than the 12C (1,434 kg/3,161 lbs) and be considerably lighter than the 911 Turbo (1,600 kg/3,527 lbs). This means the McLaren should be close to the 911 Turbo's 0-100 km/h time of 3.4 seconds.

The P13's styling is said to be inspired by the P1 hypercar rather than the MP4-12C, so the car may feature P1-style wraparound headlights with LED strips underneath. The baby McLaren will have a shorter wheelbase than the 12C, but will be based on the same carbon fiber monocoque.

Most of the development work is reportedly finished, which means we may see the P13 in late 2014, with sales to start in early 2015.

By Dan Mihalascu

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS

The answer, according to this video report from China, is a mind-blowing 18 men! Personally, my count stopped at 15, but I may be wrong and the report could be right, as three more men might be hiding out of the camera's sight of vision.

Feel free to make your own count in the video that you'll find waiting for you after the break.

While we wait for GM to tell us what exactly it has in store for the two sports models, how about we see the rest of Chevrolet's SEMA Show offerings.

Today, Chevrolet shared preliminary information and photos on a range of tuned concept models based on the all-new Impala, the Sonic, the Spark EV, the Cruze Diesel, the revised Malibu, and the Silverado pickup truck.

GM said that some of the accessories and parts featured on the SEMA Show cars are available from Chevrolet dealers, while others are being evaluated for production.

For more details on the Chevy's SEMA Show range, check out the official release below.

[From GM Press Release]

Chevrolet Performance Sonic RS concept

This performance-oriented Sonic RS concept   draws on the legacy of Chevrolet's high-performance vehicles yet reimagined for a new generation. It features engine performance, suspension/brakes and appearance upgrades developed by Chevrolet Performance engineers and designed to be installed by Chevrolet dealers.  

• A Stage Kit, cold-air induction and a high-flow exhaust system allow the 1.4L turbo engine to produce more power for a more exciting driving experience
  
• The engine enhancements are complemented by a track-tuned suspension system and higher-performance brake upgrade kit, featuring Wilwood front calipers
  
• The suspension kit lowers the ride height for a sportier stance
  
• Chevrolet Performance 18-inch, split-five-spoke wheels complement the lowered look with aggressive style
  
• Lemon Peel Yellow exterior with blue graphics; tinted headlamps and fog lamps; blue-accented window moldings and rear hatch trim
  
• Additional exterior accessories, including color-tinted grille trim, headlamp rings and mirror caps are available from Chevrolet dealers and complement custom graphics and other accents that can be easily duplicated by creative owners
  
• Re-trimmed seats in black leather, with Lark Yellow contrast stitching.

Ricky Carmichael All-Activity Sonic concept

The All-Activity Sonic concept returns for the 2013 SEMA Show – this time, it adds something the American Motorcycle Association champion, X-Games gold medalist and NASCAR racer Ricky Carmichael can truly appreciate: An all-new performance package with parts from Chevrolet Performance. Highlights include:

• Chevrolet Performance 1.4L Turbo Stage Kit with high-flow exhaust
  
• Chevrolet Performance cold-air induction
  
• Chevrolet Performance suspension kit with lowered ride height
  
• Chevrolet Performance brake package with Wilwood front calipers
  
• Chevrolet Performance 18-inch wheel-and-tire package featuring custom gloss black with green lip

The exterior is painted satin black that is pearlized with blue, along with custom graphics. The Sonic's body is accented with a concept rear wing spoiler, smoked lamp housings, ground effects package and a unique grille. It also wears a THULE roof rack.

Inside, FOX Racing boardshort material is used on the seat inserts, which complements dark green and black leather instrument panel trim and door trim with lime green piping. A matching, green/black-trimmed flat-bottom steering wheel continues the theme. Additional interior features include an upgraded sound system, a Chevrolet Accessories pedal kit and a custom aluminum shift knob.

Personalization Sonic concept

Equipped with several performance enhancements, this Victory Red concept represents an undeniably fun take on Sonic – with a larger emphasis on personalization. Highlights include:

• Body-color door handles with chrome stripe
  
• Chrome liftgate and mirror cap trim
  
• Chevrolet Accessory exterior graphics package
  
• Chevrolet Accessory door sill plates and all-weather floor mats
  
• Chevrolet Accessory footwell lighting package and pedal covers
  
• Kicker^® 200-Watt DSP amp with 200-Watt powered subwoofer (also available with Chevrolet MyLink).

Some exterior details will be changed during the SEMA Show, giving the car a different appearance throughout the weeklong convention. It also features:

• Borla performance exhaust
  
• Chevrolet Performance suspension kit (with lowered ride height)
  
• Chevrolet Performance brake package with Wilwood front calipers
  
• Chevrolet Performance 18-inch wheel-and-tire package.

Spark EV Tech Performance concept

A pure-electric urban mini-car designed for fun driving, easy ownership and head-turning style, the Spark EV uses no gasoline, but its GM-built motor and drive unit deliver 400 lb-ft of instant torque – more than the classic 1969 Camaro SS muscle car with a 350 V-8 – for exhilarating acceleration. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds.

The Tech Performance concept builds on Spark EV's performance with a unique power-delivery algorithm that enhances acceleration. Stronger axles support the greater power – helping transform this electric mini car into a mini-muscle car. Additional features:

• Custom exterior color and graphics, a unique backlit Chevrolet "bowtie" emblem in the grille and performance billet aluminum wheels
  
• Chevrolet Accessory sill plates, floor mats and pedal covers
  
• Body-color trim plates and green stitching on the shifter boot and steering wheel
  
• A military-style flip-up "activation switch" on the instrument panel adds a fun, high-performance-oriented touch of style to this plug-in performer
  
• Lightweight features that enhance performance

Urban Cool Impala concept

All-new for 2014, the Impala's aggressive good looks contributed to a 64-percent rise in retail sales in September. The Urban Cool concept builds on  the Impala LTZ with custom-painted grille accents, Chevrolet Accessories concept ground effects and Chevrolet Accessories concept 20-inch wheels painted to match the grille accents.

A lowered stance further accents the sporty style while the LTZ's high-intensity discharge headlamps and light-emitting diode, or LED, daytime running lamps lend a more sophisticated appearance. Inside, the trim is painted high-gloss piano black and anodized low-gloss black, contrasting with Sky Cool Gray leather-trimmed seats that also feature perforated leather inserts and orange stitching.

The Urban Cool concept rocks with the Impala's available 11-speaker Bose^® Centerpoint^® Surround Sound System, which connects to the Chevrolet MyLink system via an eight-inch-diagonal color touch screen.

Malibu LTZ concept

With a raft of technology, comfort and refinement enhancements, as well as a new front-end design, the 2014 Malibu takes on one of the industry's most competitive segments with greater roominess, greater efficiency and greater connectivity. The Malibu LTZ SEMA concept delivers greater style, too, with performance-style ground effects and Chevrolet Accessories 19-inch wheels with a Sterling Silver finish. A Borla exhaust system lends a throatier note to the 259-hp, 2.0L turbocharged engine. A concept Stage Kit and cold-air induction system support greater performance, too, from an engine that already delivers 295 lb-ft of torque, the most in its class.

Personalization Cruze Diesel concept

A distinctive ground effects package by 3dCarbon, as well as an updated front fascia and chin spoiler give this Cruze Diesel concept a fresh, athletic aesthetic that supports its 258 lb-ft of torque (350 Nm) – and 0-60 capability of 8.6 seconds. Inside, the sound system is upgraded with Kicker Audio components and an ambient lighting package has been added. With its 2.0L clean turbo-diesel engine, the Cruze Diesel offers EPA-estimated 46 mpg on the highway – better than any non-hybrid or gasoline-powered passenger car in America. It can travel 717 miles on a single tank, or about 10 hours of highway driving.

In related news, BMW also issued a fresh batch of images of the more artistic kind, in some of which, the 2-Series poses together with the iconic and now classic 1602/2002 series from the 1960s and 1970s. Needless to say, the Bavarians want consumers to see the new 2-Series as a spiritual successor to that car.

You can spend a few minutes of your time with the 2-Series online configurator here and read more details about the car in our previous posting here.

Thanks to Taylor from 2series for the tip!

The reviewers (there are two of them) first begin to comment on the Model S' interior, which they say is "all about the big screen," and because it's meant to draw your attention to it, the fledgling manufacturer has put less emphasis on material quality – its overall finish does not reflect is high price tag, according to the video.

As for handling, the reviewer says yes, the car is competent, but no it's not an agile little sports car dressed up as a big family car. We are lead to understand that the Model S needs a bit of time to settle into a corner, after the driver has sent his or her input through the steering wheel. It grips and steers brilliantly (no surprises here), but we are warned that it definitely shows its weight, and it's not necessarily the most engaging of drives – a Porsche Panamera or Aston Martin Rapide would serve you better in that area.

However, since this review is a different take on the Model S, the conclusion reached at the end is also an unusual one, but it's an understandable choice given the presented arguments. Now, check it out after the jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

Before we tell you what we think, we'll just say that the scanned images are from Japanese magazine Best Car, which is notorious for its future car renders that are often portrayed as near official imagery. We'll add that Worldcarfans had posted the same story in September titled "Lexus GS F spied virtually undisguised" with the author also throwing in the phrase "Best Car's render" at the end.

So what it is? Well, in our opinion, Best Car snapped some spy shots and then had its artists enhance the vehicle color- and detail-wise adding, for example, hugely exaggerated front fender vents – seriously, did you notice how deep they are; you can probably hide a kid in there!

In other words, the answer to the question we posed in the title is "digitally covered". For an unmolested look at the upcoming GS F super saloon, check out our scoop pictures here.

Starting with the combustion engine in the 1880s and ending with the GPS system in the 2000s, "The Evolution of the Modern Car" animated film is a welcome reminder of how far the car has come since its early days. It also shows how many things we take for granted in our cars nowadays. Can anyone imagine the modern car without rubber tires or electric starter? I guess not.

So why would Kia want to review the history of the modern car? Well, it's a promotional video portraying the Korean carmaker as a company that wants to lead the charge for the future of car technology instead of looking towards the past.

You can watch the animated film after the break.

By Dan Mihalascu

Rumored by the local press to be members of the Chinese triad, but dubbed simply goons on drugs by Bay himself, they attempted to extort "thousands of dollars" to leave the filming crew alone. Two brothers were eventually arrested after they allegedly demanded 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (close to US$13,000).

On Thursday, a new report stemming from Hong Kong stated that a second extortion attempt took place during filming, something that Bay denied.

"I'm here to set the record straight again…my crew and I have been having a great time in Hong Kong despite what you may have read about us being "rocked by a second extortion attempt."  Totally untrue," Bay said in a posting. "A few bad dudes have definitely not ruined the experience.  We shoot from sun up to sun down, and the local HK crew have become part of our on-set family.  We're in the middle of busy streets, in businesses, and even in people's homes, and everyone we've met has been very accommodating and generous.  It's been a once in a lifetime experience we'd all consider doing again."

As for last week's incident, Bay described it in a lengthy posting on his website thusly:

"Yes, the story is being passed around is not all true! Yes, some drugged up guys were being belligerent asses to my crew for hours in the morning of our first shoot day in Hong Kong. On guy rolled metal carts into some of my actors trying to shake us down for thousands of dollars to not play his loud music or hit us with bricks.

Every vendor where we shot got paid a fair price for our inconvenience, but he wanted four times that amount. I personally told this man and his friends to forget it we were not going to let him extort us. He didn't like that answer. So an hour later he came by my crew as we were shooting, carrying a long air conditioner unit. He walked right up to me and tried to smack my face, but I ducked threw the air unit on the floor and pushed him away. That's when the security jumped on him. But it took seven big guys to subdue him. It was like a Zombie in Brad Pitt's movie World War Z—he lifted seven guys up and tried to bite them. He actually bit into one of the guards Nike shoe, insane. Thank god it was an Air Max, the bubble popped, but the toe was saved.

Then it took fifteen Hong Kong cops in riot gear to deal with these punks. In all, four guys were arrested for assaulting the officers. After that, we had a great day shooting here in Hong Kong. The place couldn't be better."

Photos Courtesy of Michael Bay, Video via TMZ

Speaking with Autonew Europe, Johann Jungwirth, head of Mercedes' North American R&D division, confirmed the news and said the automaker will offer the Google Glass application as soon as the tech giants makes Google Glass commercially available. Currently, the wearable device is available only to a handful of developers for $1,500, but will likely go on regular sale next year.

"This is an example of a seamless transition as you stay connected when you get to your car, when you drive, and when you leave your car," said Jungwirth.

The Google Glass will be able to guide drivers to their cars, transfer a destination address to the vehicle's navigation system and even offer infotainment applications.

Over the long run, Mercedes wants drivers to access all information stored in their smartphones, tablets, computers and other digital devices in their cars.

While Jungwirth wouldn't divulge more details, Konrad Wessner, general manager of Germany-based market research agency Puls, told the publication that drivers could use Google Glass for more applications.

"Drivers can access the Internet and infotainment applications with less distraction," he said. "Normally, you must take your eyes off of the road and look at a car console screen, but with Google Glass, your line of vision remains on the road."

If you're thinking about safety, you're not alone as Mercedes itself admits there could be some problems. "We obviously don't want people using Google Glass when they drive," said Jungwirth.

In a recent video shot outside the Nürburgring, YouTube author 'swsthebest1994' had the opportunity to film Jaguar engineers in a camouflaged 2015 F-Type Coupe prototype revving its V6 engine (the V8 has quad pipes instead of the two central exhausts).

We don't know if the British firm's engineers were also in the green F-Type Roadster that was following the Coupe tester (what do you think?), but they sure put a smoky show when they left…

Turn up the volume on your speakers and enjoy the video below.

The digital transformation of the Sportsvan into a 2015 CrossGolf fell into the hands of Remco Meulendijk who updated the concept with all those rugged styling cues we expect to find in a production version, such as the higher ride, grey plastic cladding on the wheel arches, side skirts and bumpers, roof rails and bright silver accents on the front and rear bumpers.

The only thing we'd change would be the wheels and perhaps add some more silver accents on the mirror caps.

If you're asking us when VW will produce a new generation CrossGolf, the answer is we don't know yet, but chances are it won't be long after the market launch of the new Golf Plus.

Designer: Remco Meulendijk

It's regional divisions also play a role in this, as is the case with this specially modified "punk" Coupé by MINI Brasil, which comes complete with a huge Mohawk, studs, spikes and…wait for it…a ring-style piercing.

Mini apparently took the punk (feel free to call it kinky) Coupe for a number rides across the South American country to get the attention of local consumers.

See the pictures in the gallery after the jump.

In this spy video that comes to us via the crew from Bimmerpost, a number of X4 prototypes were filmed testing both on public roads and of course, the Nürburgring, which has become a second home to all German (and not only) carmakers.

Like the X3 with which it shares everything under the skin and its bigger brother, the X6 as well as the X5, the new X4 will be manufactured at BMW's Spartanburg factory in the USA, with production and consequently sales, scheduled to start in 2014.

While we know that the regular diesel and gasoline powertrain options will be common with the X3, the question remains whether BMW will place an "M" moniker along with a more powerful turbocharged engine in the X4.

Honda pointed out that "details and technical changes will be announced in the coming weeks", but it did share a single photo of the 2014 Civic Si Coupe showing the car's revised rear end.

Apart from a new boot mounted spoiler, the car also features a reworked trunk lip, new tail light fixtures, and a redesigned rear bumper that incorporates a small diffuser.

It is possible that Honda made some minor changes to the front end as well, since the coupe remained largely untouched from last year's facelift. Honda did not say if we should expect any upgrades to the current Civic Si's 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 201HP and 170 lb-ft of torque.

Note: Grey car in the pictures is the revised 2014 Civic Coupe Si, while the red-colored model is the 2013MY

However, someone disagrees and that someone happens to be Japanese rivaling carmaker Toyota, which according to Detroit News, said it sold 590,760 examples of its Corolla compact in the same period, excluding derivatives like the Matrix.

So how does Toyota explain the discrepancy? A spokesman from Japan's biggest automotive firm told the Detroit daily that Polk does not receive data from all markets where the Corolla is sold.

Polk, on the other hand, maintains that its data is correct.

"The Polk data reported by Ford earlier this week is accurate based on the single nameplate 'Ford Focus,'" said Anthony Pratt, a vice president of forecasting at Polk. "Polk does not report on or track global sales data so does not comment on (automaker) sales claims."

Whatever the case for the number 1 spot, Ford said that its global Focus sales grew by 20 percent in the first half of 2013 from the same period last year, "driven primarily by increasing demand from customers in China and other Asian countries".

China is the Focus models' single biggest global market and accounts for one-third of total sales. This year, Focus deliveries in China are up 137 percent from 2012. At the same time, Ford has scheduled two weeks of down time at its Michigan factory that produces the Focus, due to stagnating sales in the States.

The above scenario played out in the Romanian town of Braila when a 300kg (close to 700 pounds) bull escaped from a nearby farm and started running on the road. Shortly after, the animal crossed paths with the cop, and decided to play the charging game knocking him down.

Eventually, the animal was found, tranquilized and sent back to its owner, who will likely have some explaining to do.