Nissan is preparing a rival for the Toyota GT86 / Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ trio of rear-wheel drive sports cars which could be revealed as early as next month at the Tokyo Motor Show (November 22 – December 1), according to Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer who spoke to MotorTrend magazine.

Nissan's answer to the Toyota-baru triplets is code-named Z35 and is rumored to be powered by the same engine in the 370Z, a 3.7-liter V6, albeit in a lower state of tune (the unit produces 330hp in the 370Z). The Z35 is also said to be available with an all-new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection and turbocharging that is expected to be more powerful than the V6.

Nissan currently offers a 2.5-liter engine in the Pathfinder Hybrid, where it develops 250 hp together with a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor. The automaker could use the same engine on the Z35 but in a more potent version. Later on, Nissan's performance division Nismo may develop range-topping model.

Although Andy Palmer didn't talk too much about the Z35, he had a lot to say about the GT86/FR-S/BRZ, labeling it as a car "designed for a 50-year-old".

"Do we have any competitors?" Palmer replied when the publication asked him about a small sports car. "Are you talking about the Subaru? It was a car designed for a 50-year-old. It's for a midlife crisis. That's not what we do," Palmer said.

"Are you coming to the Tokyo Motor Show? You'll see the answer to the midlife crisis. Except it won't be for the midlife crisis," the exec said, adding that the Z35 will be aimed at male car enthusiasts in their mid-to-late twenties.

By Dan Mihalascu

Pictured below is the Nissan Esflow Coupe Concept from 2011

Ford builds a variety of racing cars, but it's hard to find two models that are more far apart from each other than the Mustang Cobra Jet and the Fiesta ST global rallycross car (GRC).

While the former is designed to run the quarter-mile as quickly as possible on the drag strip, the other is a nimble little car made for crazy rallycross stages that combine dirt roads with asphalt and various obstacles.

There are more differences: the Cobra Jet is a rear-wheel drive monster powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine fitted with a Ford Racing-built Whipple 2.9L Supercharger, while the Fiesta ST GRC is an all-wheel drive supermini with a 550hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine mated to an OMSE gearbox with custom ratios.

The two cars were driven at the zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway by drag racing legend Roy Hill and rallycross driver/Top Gear USA presenter Tanner Foust. We won't disclose the outcome of the race, but we'll tell you that the race wasn't as one-sided as one would have expected.

By Dan Mihalascu

Not that we don't know what the new Porsche Macan will look like 95 percent or minus the headlamps and taillights, which are the only pieces of the exterior puzzle missing from the prototypes, but scans purportedly sourced from an upcoming issue of Auto Motor und Sport in which the SUV is compared to its Audi Q5 cousin, are said to show the final product.

But, we're also no strangers to photoshops (minor touch ups or not) being passed on as leaked images (Car&Driver's "We Leak the 2015 Mustang" is the most recent example that comes to mind…), so we're not ready to pop the debut champagne on the Macan just yet.

Until we find more information regarding these scans, feel free to give them a good look in the gallery after the break after we remind you that the Macan's debut is scheduled to take place at next month's LA Auto Show.

Story References: AMS via ClubMulholland and Worldcarfans

More cars have been added to the growing list of names for the upcoming Xbox One exclusive title Forza Motorsport 5. This week they're shining their spotlight on the Lamborghini Aventador, Audi R8 V10 Plus, (2009) MINI Cooper JCW and the BMW 1-Series M Coupe.

I noticed in some comments posted underneath our older stories, that not only is the list thought of as being a tad short and repeating some Forza 4 names, but some would also like to see more mainstream cars included – ones they can relate to for a change.

Sure, driving the really hot exotic supercars and hypercars in the virtual world against your friends is unquestionably fun, and the new Forza does cater for those who are into that, but there's just something unique about seeing the cars you're more intimately familiar with expertly recreated in 3D, and trying them out to see what they can actually do.

I know it may sound crazy to ask for fewer supercars, but if it gets the game sold, then why not. Putting in lots of family hatchbacks, sedans and cheap, plentiful and common cars definitely did the trick for the Gran Turismo franchise, and Forza doing the same to a greater extent would not be met with negativity from the supporting community of players.

Check out the updated list below, which unlike the official one, is alphabetically ordered for much improved viewing convenience. All new cars are in bold.

Forza 5 List of Cars

1983 Audi Sport Quattro
2010 Audi TT RS Coupe
2006 Audi RS 4
2011 Audi RS 5 Coupé
2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro
2013 Audi R8 Coupé V10 plus 5.2 FSI quattro
2012 Aston Martin Vanquish
2011 Audi RS3 Sportback
2012 Audi Team Joest R-18 e-tron quattro
1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA Stradale
1971 AMC Javelin-AMX
2001 Acura Integra Type-R
2008 Aston Martin DBS
2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe
2011 BMW X5 M
2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is
2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
1987 Buick Regal GNX
2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8
1970 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
2002 Chevrolet Camaro 35th Anniversary SS
1969 Chevrolet Nova SS 396
2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
2013 Dallara #9 Target Ganassi Dallara DW12
2013 Dallara #15 Target Rahal Letterman Dallara DW12
2012 Dallara #28 Andretti Autosport DW12
2013 Dallara #12 Team Penske Dallara
1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR
2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392
2011 Ford F150 SVT Raptor
2013 Ford Mustang GT500
2007 Ford Shelby GT500
2013 Ford Focus ST
2000 Ford Mustang Cobra R
1976 Ferrari 312-2
2012 Ferrari F12berlinetta
2009 Ferrari California
2010 Ferrari 458 Italia
2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
2011 Ferrari 599 GTO
1984 Ferrari GTO
1998 Eagle Talon TSi Turbo
1997 Honda Civic Type R
2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track
2012 Hennessey Venom
2009 Jeep Cherokee SRT8
1961 Jaguar E-type S1
2012 Jaguar XKR-S
2011 Koenigsegg Agera
2011 Kia Cee'd
2010 Lexus LFA
2009 Lexus IS F
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera
2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SV
2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
1997 Lamborghini Diablo SV
1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata
2010 Maserati GranTurismo S
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG
2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
1976 McLaren M23
2013 McLaren P1
1991 Mazda #55 787B
2011 Mazda RX-8 R3
1997 Mazda RX-7
2011 McLaren MP4-12C
1954 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X GSR
1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR
2002 Nissan Skyline G1994 Nissan 240SX SET-R V-Spec II
2010 Nissan 370Z
1993 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec
2009 Zonda Cinque Roadster
2012 Pagani Huayra
2010 Renault Megane RS 250
1987 RUF CTR Yellowbird
2013 SRT Viper GTS
2012 Scion TC
1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi
2005 TVR Sagaris
2003 Toyota Celica SS-I
1995 Toyota MR2 GT
2010 Volkswagen Golf R
1992 Volkswagen Golf Gti 16v Mk2

Rolls-Royce's Bespoke division has been quite active lately, with the Phantom Celestial being followed by the Ghawwass Phanton Coupé and the Ghost Chengdu Golden Sunbird.

The company's tailor-made crew has now crafted another model, the Chicane Phantom Coupé, inspired by an idea of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai Brand Manager, Mohammed EL-Arishy. While dining at the Goodwood Hotel, he had the vision of creating a unique car inspired by the historic Goodwood circuit and great racing drivers of the past.

"I wanted to create a motor car that captures the unique atmosphere and history of the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The Home of Rolls-Royce's connection to such an important centre of British motoring heritage is something that fascinates my customers," said the manager.

He consulted with Rolls-Royce's Bespoke design team and the final result is the Chicane Phantom Coupé, a one-of-a-kind vehicle that incorporates design cues and materials that evoke Goodwood's rich motor sport history.

It is the first contemporary Rolls-Royce that features colored wheels (matching the car's Gunmetal main exterior paint finish), with the exterior being further individualized by the matte black bonnet and windscreen surround, as well as the Bespoke coachline. Inside the cabin, the traditional wood-finish makes way for carbon fiber, a reference to the materials used nowadays in racing cars.

The interior also features hand-crafted details which allude to the car's historic motor racing theme like the chequered flag motif stitching to the seats. There's also a metal plaque with the car's name and another one with Goodwood's famous track layout located discreetly in the glove compartment.

By Dan Mihalascu

Technology has really made people lazier over the years as many activities have become automated, freeing up our time for other things. One activity that had remained intact was filling up the car with fuel, a thing that especially men like to do – because you know, it makes us feel like men.

Well, it looks like the near future may change that as well, because Husky and Fuelmatics have developed a robot that can fill up the gas tank on its own. The only condition is to have a capless fuel tank – and of course, to park the car with the fuel door towards the robot. The new equipment has been demonstrated at the 2013 Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to Husky, the robot shortens refueling by 30 percent. You can watch it at work in the video below.

Don't forget to tell us your opinion in the comments section.

By Dan Mihalascu

Peugeot is working on making its HybridAir technology, which uses compressed air to boost a small capacity petrol engine, available for its road cars. Just like an electric motor, the Hybrid Air system can operate in zero emissions air mode, with compressed air used to drive the hydraulic motor, which then turns the transmission and the front wheels.

The system can also operate in petrol-engine-only mode, or petrol and air altogether. The compressed air tank is refilled by a hydraulic pump under deceleration or braking.

Showcased on the 208 Hybrid FE Concept, Peugeot's Hybrid Air technology could lead to production cars averaging 100 mpg UK (2.8 l/100 km). According to a report from AutoExpress, the French carmaker won't bring the technology to its road cars earlier than 2015, but when all details will be sorted out it expects improvements on the 100 mpg figure.

On a typical B-segment car like the Peugeot 208, the technology could bring an average fuel economy of 97.3 mpg UK (2.9 l/100 km) and CO2 emissions of 69 g/km. That would be a serious improvement over the most efficient 208 in the range today, the 1.4 e-Hdi, which emits 87 g/km.

Using solutions from the 208 FE Hybrid concept, Peugeot believes efficiency figures can be further improved to around 141 mpg UK (2 l/100 km).

By Dan Mihalascu

Factory tuning house Mugen has turned out its take on the newly released JDM 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan with the release of a number of parts (mainly) for the styling and to a lesser extent, performance aspects of the car.

Mugen has developed two different aero packages, one for the Odyssey's more sporty Absolute trim and the other for the B/G grade, with both including a front grille piece, front spoilers, side skirts, LED fog lights, rear apron and roof spoiler.

There's also a wide selection of alloy wheels in 18-inch and 19-inch diameter with or without performance tires, along with a specially developed sports exhaust system for the Odyssey's new 2.4-liter four pot with one or two tailpipes, braking pads, suspension kits, floor mats for the passenger and boot areas and interior trim bits.

Mugen said all kits and parts will be available for order from November 1, the same day that the 2014 Odysseys goes on sale in Japan.

There has been a lot of hype about the BMW i3 lately, and for good reason. It's BMW's first series production electric car as well as the smallest model it makes with the blue and white roundel logo. Furthermore, it has a carbon fiber body and it kicks off the BMW i sub-brand. So what's it like to drive?

We've already featured a video review of the i3 from a German blogger, but this latest one comes from AutoExpress. The handling is described as pretty good thanks to the rear-wheel-drive setup, 50/50 weight distribution and the low center of gravity. However, it's not the sort of BMW one would want to go drifting with.

The reviewer points out the hot-hatch-like acceleration, as well as the quality of the interior. Overall, the car is described as a really desirable electric vehicle, which is not something one can say about the Nissan Leaf, for example.

Probably the most important thing in this review is the range test. The reviewer wanted to see if BMW's claimed driving range is attainable. Scroll down to watch the video to find out if it is.

By Dan Mihalascu

Wrapping up the Toyota Group's SEMA Show offerings (for now, and unless the Japanese automaker has some more surprises in store for us next week) after the announcements for the Toyota and Scion brands, is Lexus, which plans to display nine customized concepts, including the winner of its "Modify the 2014 IS Competition".

We'll remind you that the winner was Robert Evans who saw his virtual design coming to life with the 2014 IS 350 featuring a unique aero package, a carbon interior kit, special three-piece wheels and a custom paint job. It was created with the help of the tuners at VIP Auto Salon.

The other displays at Lexus' SEMA booth include five more 2014 IS Sedans, as well as customized versions of the first and second generation IS, plus a special LFA build – see more details in Lexus' listing below.

[From Lexus]

• Second generation, 2007 IS 250 featuring 20-inch wheels, an aero package, and  F SPORT performance accessories from owner Andrew Atigehchi (Lexus Booth, #21601)
  
• First generation, 2004 IS 300 with a ProLex Performance Supercharger, custom dual exhaust and JDM Altezza grille from owner Maricar Cortez (Lexus Booth, #21601)
  
• 2014 IS 250 F SPORT all-metal wide body by Paul Tolson and Gabriel Escobedo (Outside Central Hall)
  
• 2014 IS 350 F SPORT featuring 20-inch Vossen CVT directional wheels and Tommy Kaira full aero package and dual exhaust by Vossen (Booth #46119)
  
• 2014 IS 350 F SPORT by Seibon Carbon with custom Seibon Carbon exterior, 20-inch racing wheels and A'PEXi SPL suspension (Booth #21609)
  
• 2014 IS 340 by Philip Chase with a 2JZ-GTEengineswap, and five-speed manual transmission (Booth #24621)
  
• 2014 IS AWD by Gordon Ting with BrembohighperformanceGTbraking system, TEIN USA custom Street Flex coilovers, and GReddyperformanceexhaust and airintakesystem  (Booth#40041)
  
• 2012 LFA by Guy S. De Alwis of Endles Automotive with an Artisan Spirits carbon fiber aero kit and 20-inch staggered Work Gnosis HS202 wheels in a Brush Silver Clear finish (Toyo Tires Tread Pass)

If you have been eyeing Ford Australia's Falcon Ute, here's your chance to get one right here in the States – and not any version, mind you, but the "only Prostreet Ford BA XR8 drag race in the world" according to the RKMCCA auction house selling the car this Friday at the Charlotte Convention Center.

The car's flyer also states that it is capable of "running consistent 8-second quarter mile passes on the drag strip, but even more impressive it can be titled/registered as a kit car depending on your state's rules and driven on the street", as it comes with everything that is required for street cars, including turn signals, and brake lights.

If you take a glance under the huge hood scoop, you'll be greeted by a massive….8.9-liter (540ci) big block V8 with numerous upgrades such as roller rockers, a custom grind solid roller camshaft, steel race crankshaft, H-beam connecting rods, forged pistons and ATI balancer, hooked up to a Powerglide 2-speed automatic transmission with a 3,500rpm stall converter.

There's no mention on output, but all data points to several hundred horses – let's put it this way; you won't feel any lack of power with a car running the quarter mile in 8 seconds…

We're also told that the Ute was "recently fully rebuilt and everything brand new from every wire to every part was replaced per the owner's request", with the auction house saying it anticipates a sale price of between $90,000.00 to $120,000 (€66,200 to €88,300 at today's rates).

The Jeep Wrangler, redesigned in 2006, is an old-fashioned vehicle, particularly if you look at its axle setup. Both axles are solid, taking its inspiration (like it has for everything else) from the World War II's military general purpose vehicle. These have the advantage of offering superior degrees of wheel articulation, thus being excellent off-road and for fitting custom parts to easily.

However, AutoNews says that the next-gen Wrangler, due in 2016, may ditch the traditional setup, and just go down the wishbone route like everybody else. This would make it a far better road-going SUV, and would put it in line with all of the other models in the Jeep range, none of which retains the solid axle idea.

If this is done, there will be many who will complain that it's become just another model in the Jeep lineup, but they'll probably keep the familiar styling cues so as not to estrange all of its buyer base. Make no mistake; it will still remain a capable off-roader, though it is reportedly going to be more heavily reliant on electronics – taking the Land Rover route to conquering the terrain by way of rotating knobs and switches.

This news comes after the model recorded 11 percent better sales through September of this year, so it's still appreciated as is, and would be for years to come. Still, a new and fresh approach is not bad in principle, especially since Jeep brand boss Mike Manley said "We're already in an environment where it's a challenge to produce a vehicle in that way, and it's going to get harder," making it clear that "What I can tell you is that the vehicle is absolutely fundamental to our DNA, and it's going to become progressively harder to make sure that the vehicle meets all of the standards that are required for it."

At least Mr. Manley is aware of the consequences of getting it wrong, as he jestingly concluded that "Frankly, I know that if I screw up the next Wrangler, then I probably wouldn't be able to leave my house for a long time."

By Andrei Nedelea

"Hi guys, would you be interested in featuring this as a Halloween special?" was the email we received late last night from our Australian reader Lee. Call us weak-willed, but we're suckers for beautiful and exotic supercars here at Carscoops so we asked Lee to forward us a few more shots of his Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4.

While at a first glance it would appear that the nicely done two-tone exterior with a black body and wheels, with orange accents, was wrapped specially for Halloween, it turns out that this is how Lee ordered the car from Lamborghini.

"The car was ordered from the factory with many unique features and fully optioned," Lee told us in an email.

"I've had a Caballo ECU update which brings it up to 740hp, the Lamborghini exhaust upgrade, carbon fibre pieces on the exterior, optional black wheels, orange calipers, sportivo interior, rear camera, parking sensors, rear badge in orange, multifunction perforated steering wheel, Lamborghini sound hifi option, carbon engine cover, black tyre valve caps, custom floor mat clips with my name on them, I ticked all the options boxes...," he added.

Check out more photos of this black beauty in the gallery past the jump, and if you have any Halloween-themed cars in mind that you would like to share, post them in the comments area.

Thanks to Lee for sharing the pictures!

Incorrect engine timing is what caused this nitrous-injected Chevrolet Corvette C6 to catch fire while it was doing 180 mph or 288 km/h driven by its owner Buddy Schulz at the Texas Mile. It wasn't a heavily modified car, though, but the Stage 2 nitrous shot kit kind of clashed with the smooth running of the LS3 V8, instead of helping it make the claimed 625 hp that it was known to be capable of.

The fire itself isn't of the extremely spectacular kind, but we bet Mr. Schulz didn't feel the same way as he was rushing to get the racing harness uncoupled so as to get out of the burning vehicle (while it was still moving).

In the end, he threw himself out, just before the 'Vette came to a complete stop, but instead of having a negative attitude about it afterward, he was apparently talking about the next engine that he's going to use for the car. He probably would not have been positive about it if the fire would have spread to the other parts of the body too…

Thankfully, as the YouTube uploader states in one of the comment replies, "most of the car was saved and can be rebuilt."

By Andrei Nedelea

While North American consumers have been left in the dark about the arrival and pricing info on the new 4C, European customers are beginning to receive their cars.

To celebrate the delivery of the first five examples of the 4C 'Launch Edition', Alfa Romeo held a special ceremony at the Balocco Test Centre in Vercelli, Italy.

Pierluigi De Silvestro from Switzerland, Philippe Walch from France, Carlos Diniz from Germany, Aldo Mariani from the Netherlands and Stefano Zanotti from Italy, are the lucky owners of the first five of a total of 500 numbered editions earmarked for the European market.

Along with a number of Alfa officials, the Italian carmaker invited racing legend Nicola Larini who received a trophy in memory of the DTM title he won in 1993 behind the wheel of the Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti, which remains to this day the only 'non-German' car to have won the German touring championship.

The European 'Launch Edition' of the 4C is offered with two available liveries, the 'Alfa Red' and the matt 'Carrara White', and comes with a carbon aerodynamic kit, including headlights, spoiler and door mirror covers, to reduce weight, along with a rear aluminum extractor in a dark finish, Bi-LED headlights, and 18-inch front and 19-inch rear alloy wheels in a dark treatment.

Furthermore, the special edition sports front air intakes, brake calipers in a specific color, a racing exhaust system and suspension kit with a different calibration for shock absorbers and rear anti-roll bar, while inside, the seats and steering wheel are covered in leather and microfibre and trimmed with white or red stitching, depending on the exterior color chosen.

Mechanically, the Launch Edition features the same 236hp (240PS) 1.75-liter turbocharged engine as the regular 4Cs.

BMW's extensive customization plan and endless list of options mean that the boxes you tick will define the experience you'll ultimately end up having for years to come, every time you go for a drive. This naturally applies to their Motorsport offerings too, and therefore it's also true for the upcoming M3 and M4 models as well.

Below, we have the preliminary list of options for both, courtesy of Bimmerpost, but it's not the final one that buyers will be presented with, but rather the one dealers will be using to spec up their showroom cars.

Nothing you'll see there is surprising or out of the ordinary and it's all structured into packages, but there are apparently two new paint finish choices to go for: Yas Marina Blue and Austin Yellow.

Look through the list, and tell us which options you'd have, which you wouldn't and if you think anything is missing and could/should be added in the final customer-ready version.

By Andrei Nedelea

COLORS

300 – Alpine White
B39 – Mineral Grey Metallic
475 – Black Sapphire Metallic
B50 – Sakhir Orange Metallic
A29 – Silverstone Metallic
B67 – Austin Yellow Metallic
A96 – Mineral White Metallic
B68 – Yas Marina Blue Metallic
INTERIOR UPHOLSTERIES

CSAT – Cloth/Leather combination Carbonstructure Anthracite/Black
X3A9 – Silverstone Full Merino Leather
LKA9 – Silverstone Extended Merino Leather
X3DA – Sakhir Orange/Black Full Merino Leather
LKDA – Sakhir Orange/Black Extended Merino Leather
X3JR – Sonoma Beige Full Merino Leather
LKJR – Sonoma Beige Extended Merino Leather
X3SW – Black Full Merino Leather
LKSW – Black Extended Merino Leather
PACKAGES

Driver Assistance Plus (ZDB)

5AG – Active Blind Spot Detection
5AS – Lane Departure Warning w/Collision Mitigation
5DL – Side and Top View Cameras
8TH – Speed Limit Info
Lighting Package (ZEP)

552 – Full LED Lights
5AC – Automatic high beams
Executive Package (ZEC)

248 – Heated Steering Wheel
322 – Comfort Access keyless entry
3AG – Rear-view camera
502 – Retractable headlight washers
508 – Park Distance Control
610 – Head-up Display
655 – Satellite radio with 1 year subscription
LK – Extended Merino Leather
or X3 – Full Merino Leather
OPTIONS

2MK – M Double-clutch Transmission with Drivelogic
2NK – M Carbon Ceramic Brakes
2VF – Adaptive M Suspension
2VY -19″ Light Alloy Wheel Double-Spoke Style 437 M with Mixed Performance Tires
2VZ – 19″ Black Light-Alloy Wheel Double-Spoke Style 437 M with Mixed Performance Tires
403 – Moonroof (will delete the CFK Roof)
415 – Power rear sunshade
4CE – Anthracite Wood Trim
4LY – Aluminum Blade Interior Trim
5AC - Automatic high beams
5DL - Side and Top View Cameras
5DP – Parking Assistant
688 – Harman Kardon surround sound system
6AN – Concierge Services
6NS – Enhanced USB & Bluetooth plus Smartphone Integration
OPTIONS AMONG LIST OF STANDARD OR 100% OPTIONS

2PN - 18" Light Alloy Wheel V-Spoke Style
459 - Power Seats
4MC - Carbon Fiber Interior Trim
494 - Heated Front Seats
609 - Navigation system
ZMT - Manual Transmission
NOTES:

2NK requires ordering 2VY or 2VZ
4CE will add 4DM to the order
4LY will add 4LX to the order
4MC will add 4LX to the order
5DL requires ordering ZEC
5DP requires order ZEC
CSAT cannot be ordered with ZEC
ZDB requires ordering ZEC
ZLP will delete STD or 100% equipment 522 & 524

The Qashqai crossover is Nissan's best-selling vehicle in Europe and the Japanese carmaker wants to make sure the all-new model will follow in the footsteps of its successful predecessor. After the teaser photo showing the car under a veil, Nissan has now released photos and a video from the new Qashqai's development phase that shows the crossover during testing in various conditions and places around the world.

Unfortunately, the car is heavily camouflaged so we don't get to decrypt its styling. However, Nissan says that in the process of developing the second-generation Qashqai, it has left "no stone unturned".

According to Nissan, the new model will set "new benchmarks for active safety technologies, driver comfort and refinement, and will rewrite the crossover rulebook"..

It won't be long before we see what exactly Nissan is talking about, as the all-new Qashqai will be revealed on November 7.

By Dan Mihalascu

To celebrate its first 100,000 fans on its corporate Facebook page, Audi has issued the first driving footage of the Sport Quattro Concept. The study was one of the highlights of this year's Frankfurt Auto Show and is expected to spawn a production version that would be a tribute to the original Audi Quattro.

The short video shows the Sport Quattro climbing a winding mountain road and revving its twin-turbo V8 engine. It sounds cool, but I would have preferred the turbocharged 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine that was fitted on the 2010 Quattro Concept.

As a reminder, the 2013 study features a hybrid powertrain consisting of 552hp (560PS) 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine and an 148hp (150PS) disc-shaped electric motor which draws its energy from a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery. The hybrid system's total output is 691hp (700PS) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft), with a modified eight-speed tiptronic transmission sending power to all four wheels via the quattro powertrain.

The Audi Sport Quattro Concept sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph).

By Dan Mihalascu

For a second year in a row, Toyota is organizing the Dream Build Challenge competition for the SEMA Show, but whereas in 2012 it had four of its own race car drivers build a one-off model, this time, it called in athletes from other sports as well.

The four competing models (in Toyota's own words) are the following:

-BMX rider Drew Bezanson with partner Skullcandy created the "Crusher Corolla" inspired by music and BMX.

- Supercross stars Justin Brayton and Josh Grant with partner Joe Gibbs Racing Motocross, built "Let's Go Moto Tundra" for desert competitions and training

- Freestyle skier Simon Dumont and partner Oakley will showcase the "Ultimate Dream Ski 4Runner" complete with customized ski racks and a grill.

- NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman and partner Kyle Busch Motorsports built the "CamRally" capable of handling rougher terrain

You can vote on which one you like more at the ToyotaDreamBuild site for the next few days ahead of their SEMA Show reveal on November 5 in Las Vegas.

In addition to the aforementioned concepts, the Toyota brand will also showcase a couple more custom models, including a Triathlon-Themed RAV4 and the DC Shoes Tacoma truck.

Have you ever looked at a wrecked car and thought it looked like a work of art? Well, if you answered yes, you're not alone as some people apparently appreciate the aesthetics of a totaled car.

French artist Bertrand Lavier wrote off a Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 and saw in the wreck a work of art. It's important to say that the artist didn't intervene on the car (other than crashing it), with the red Dino being a combination of Bertone's design, Maranello's craftsmanship and the forces of physics.

Lavier was simply stunned by the beauty of the wrecked car, which is part of the so-called "ready-made" art movement that considers some common objects as art. At this year's edition of the FIAC, an international exhibition of contemporary art that takes place each year in Paris, the Ferrari was one of the strangest objects on sale.

The Dino was sold by the Yvon Lambert art dealer for $250,000 (€181,185) to an unidentified Turkish collector. It remains a mystery to me why anyone would spend so much money on a totaled Ferrari, when a good Ferrari Dino GT4 can be found for about €30,000 ($41,400) in European classifieds – you can drive it and then wreck it…

The Bertone-designed Dino 308 GT4 was powered by a 3.0-liter V8 engine developing 252 horsepower (255 PS). The mid-engined 2+2 coupe was called Dino to differentiate it from Pininfarina-designed Ferrari V12 models. However, at the public's request, the Dino name was replaced with Ferrari at the end of 1976. Ferrari produced around 2,800 units between 1973 and 1980.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: Bloomberg

Last night, Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-1, in Game 6 of the baseball World Series (never understood why they insist on that name, but that's a different story) earning their third championship in the last 10 years.

Good for them, but as is usually the case with important sports events anywhere in the world (remember what happened in Vancouver in 2011?); with the help of plenty of alcohol, some fans turned into rioters overturning and running over cars and climbing traffic lights until the early morning hours of Thursday.

As pointed out in a Huffington Post report, there were nine arrests made in connection to the riots.

While some cars were…mauled and overturned, we found at least one that was saved thanks to the efforts of some fine Boston police officers who did their job and chased away the rioters before they had the chance to turn over a Nissan sedan – and it was all captured on a video by Alan Wurman, which you can watch below the break.

People climb up to the top of traffic lights outside of Fenway (Jessica Rinaldi for The Boston Globe) pic.twitter.com/VSeNXlTyFH

— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) October 31, 2013

Some folks posed atop an overturned car outside of Fenway Park.(Jessica Rinaldi For The Boston Globe) pic.twitter.com/UU7ZVAlkn5

— Andrew Ba Tran (@abtran) October 31, 2013

More damage to vehicles on Boylston pic.twitter.com/XUITyBg8Ql

— JHammann (@JohnHammann) October 31, 2013

Car flipped over on Boylston pic.twitter.com/xchdqKnew3

— JHammann (@JohnHammann) October 31, 2013

After giving us a first look at its fifth generation Odyssey for the Japanese and other markets around the world including Australia, but not North American that gets a completely different model (albeit with the same name), back in September, Honda has now come out with plenty more photos and details on the car.

Set to go on sale in Japan this week with prices ranging from 2,490,000 to 3,730,000 Yen (about US$25,300 to US$37,900), the new 2014 Odyssey is offered exclusively with a newly developed 2.4-liter DOHC i-VTEC gasoline engine with direct fuel injection.

The four-cylinder unit is rated at 173hp (175PS) in front-wheel drive configuration and 182hp (185PS) in all-wheel drive, with both versions hooked up to a new CVT, with the option of a 7-speed mode and paddle shifters.

Along with the new powertrain, the 2014 Odyssey rides on a newly designed platform with different suspension components for improved ride quality and handling – according to Honda.

Available in seven- or eight-passenger configurations, the Odyssey features sliding rear doors and a lower-floor platform together with a higher ceiling than in the previous model to increase interior space. It also features flexible seat arrangements and a larger cargo area that is easier to load and unload.

Honda said that the Odyssey sports a variety of driving support systems, including the multi-view camera system that displays views from multiple wide-angle cameras on the navigation screen and the Honda Smart Parking Assist System that "automatically analyzes camera images, calculates the parking space boundary and provides steering inputs to support the driver in parking the vehicle".

The facelifted 2014 Turbo S is now the fastest Porsche Panamera you can buy, gaining 20 hp over its predecessor for a total of 562 hp / 570 PS. That puts it 49 hp over the regular Turbo, and ensures that there are plenty of silly performance numbers to boggle the minds of your friends with, while they stretch out in the back of the new extended-wheelbase Executive model that's also become available for this engine variant.

However, despite the power boost, the benchmark sprint is still dispatched in 3.8 seconds - the old car had a 0.2 seconds lower claimed time with the use of launch control, but in the case of this new one it is no longer mentioned. Top speed is ever so slightly higher, going up to 309 km/h or 192 mph, making it 2 km/h faster than the old model.

The 4.8-liter V8 gets new turbos and is a claimed to be 11 percent more efficient than before, averaging an estimated 10.2 l/100km on the European combined cycle. Part of the reason why it's been made more efficient (probably) are the 50 Nm / 37 lb-ft of extra torque that add up the total figure up to 750 Nm / 553 lb-ft.

Aside from these performance enhancements, there's the Executive long-wheelbase model. It adds some interior features, and a bit of extra rear legroom and better soundproofing/glazing on the side windows for added acoustic refinement.

German pricing for the Turbo S starts at €180,024, and the Executive model at €197,041. For Stateside buyers, the base model will be available from $180,300, while the lwb variant will reach $200,500 not including delivery charges.

By Andrei Nedelea

Many believe that using Google Glass while driving can be, if not a direct safety hazard, certainly a distraction (even automakers have admitted that it is), but is it currently illegal to wear them? A California cop certainly thinks so as he handed out a ticket to a woman who was reportedly initially  pulled over for speeding.

On the ticket, the unnamed officer wrote that Cecilia Abadie was "Driving with Monitor visible to Driver (Google Glass)."

According to a CNET report, Abadie said the actual law informs motorists not to "drive a vehicle equipped with a video monitor, if the monitor is visible to the driver and displays anything other than vehicle information global mapping displays, external media player (MP3), or satellite radio information."

Abadie posted a photo of the ticket on her Google Plus page along with a post in which she's asking for help to understand whether the officer was right or wrong:

"A cop just stopped me and gave me a ticket for wearing Google Glass while driving! The exact line says: Driving with Monitor visible to Driver (Google Glass). Is #GoogleGlass  illegal while driving or is this cop wrong??? Any legal advice is appreciated!! This happened in California. Do you know any other #GlassExplorers  that got a similar ticket anywhere in the US?"

Without claiming to be legal experts, if you ask us, a lot depends on whether she was using the Google Glass (and for what use) or simply wearing the device. What do you think?

The CLA is the smallest sedan exponent of the new design direction adopted by Mercedes-Benz. It's basically a distilled down CLS, meant to look as rear-wheel drive as possible given the A-Class platform constraints, as well as the traits of the aforementioned new look.

I'm not going to talk out about it being successful or not, but I will say that the shape does perhaps look a bit out of place shrunken this small, especially when you see the car in person – the new C-Class and S-Class both look more natural. It still has unusual lines to be observed, and in order to make deciphering their role/significance easier, Mercedes has uploaded a selection of videos full of insight from the design team that drew them up.

What they have managed to achieve masterfully is to make the car look posh and expensive, though the bigger wheels are mandatory in order for it to be fully realized. That says a lot about those for whom this is aimed, and what they feel is important in a new car (or don't, rather).

By Andrei Nedelea