Many of us haven't had the chance to view the new 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the flesh yet, so these candid shots from MB Passion Blog reader Christian Mrotzek are of interest as they're the first we've seen of the compact executive sedan out on the road.

We're not entirely sure which trim version of the C-Class is pictured here as the blue-colored saloon appears to be fitted with the base model's regular Halogen lights, but the Avantgarde Line's wheels and the AMG Line's bumper designs (according to what we saw on Mercedes' German site).

We'll remind you that the North American debut of the new C-Class will take place at next month's Detroit Auto Show.

Photos courtesy of Christian Mrotzek via MB Passion

It's definitely not one of the car's strong points, that's for sure, but then again, it's hard to make a four-pot sound good these days, so I was kind of expecting it to be better…

It's not the worst four-cylinder I've heard, but for some reason it doesn't excite enough, at least not according to those who have had the chance to drive one. Alfa Romeo has made some great sounding V6 engines over the years, and one of those in naturally-aspirated form would have complimented the typically Italian styling well.

So, what do you think: is the sound made by the 4C bad enough to make it a deal breaker, given its price tag and prospective rivals? The comments section lies below.

By Andrei Nedelea

Revealed in front of Saudi Arabia's "fashion elite" during a special expo named "You are the Queen" (we'd like to believe it sounds better in Arabian than in English…), the 760Li M Sport is an individualized version of BMW's top saloon offering made exclusively for the Middle East.

At the presentation of the car, Toni Yazbeck, Head of Marketing at BMW dealer Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors, said: "High-end fashion is about design perfection – an ethos that mirrors BMW. It is therefore fitting that we choose the 'You are the Queen Expo' as a platform to introduce the exclusive BMW 760Li V12 M Bi-Turbo, a vehicle that is a byword for luxury, elegance and innovation."

The special edition model retains the regular 760Li's 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 mill with 544PS (537hp) adding a raft of bespoke styling elements and colors starting with a choice of eight BMW M exterior shades named after some of the world's most famous tracks, such as Monte Carlo Blue, Silverstone II and Imola Red.

An M Sport aero package and 19 or 20-inch alloy wheels with double spokes, along with the aforementioned "M" badging and shadowline (or chrome delete) kit, complete the exterior revisions.

Inside, most of the interior is covered in soft Nappa Oyster leather available with orange, blue, red or black contrasting M color stitching and BMW Individual Piano Black wood trims.

BMW did not share any information regarding pricing or the number of cars it plans to build.

Story References: Alarabiya & Autoblog.nl

Citroën's managing director Frédéric Banzet told Autoexpress magazine that China's premium sector is a key market for growth and this explains the company's big investment into a new DS plant in Shenzhen together with Chinese partner Changan. The plant has already started making the DS5 in September, with the new DS 5LS sedan to be produced from March 2014.

"During the downturn we went through some difficult times, and we had to prioritize certain projects. We had to back the investment in China, as the whole business is far too reliant on Europe," Banzet said about Citroën's focus on China.

The next model that will be produced in Shenzhen is the production version of the DS Wild Rubis SUV study in the second half of 2014, with the plant estimated to reach a maximum production capacity of 200,000 units by 2016.

Finally, the third DS model that will launch in China will be a large luxo-barge arriving in 2015 and inspired by the spectacular Numero 9 concept.

Citroën doesn't rule out that some of these models, particularly the SUV, may arrive in Europe at some point, provided that build quality will be high enough. As for its European lineup, Banzet told the UK publication that the C5 mid-size sedan is unlikely to get a direct replacement model because of a huge drop in D-segment sales in recent years.

By Dan Mihalascu

Unveiled at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, the two models are presented in an official video with Jenna Kirkpatrick, Dodge Brand Manager doing the talking.

The two cars feature unique elements including the new "High Octane" red pearl coat paint, all-new 20-inch aluminum wheels, commemorative badging, unique key fob and a special limited-edition owner's kit and commemorative book that celebrates 100 years of Dodge heritage.

Scroll down to see what other features are offered on the two limited edition Dodge models from the video filmed at the LA Auto Show.

By Dan Mihalascu

Named the RM1, RM2 and XM1, these fresh concepts are for a regular looking edition of the hardtop roadster, a track special and a slightly taller-riding crossover version with protective cladding, respectively.

Daihatsu didn't say if these latest concepts sport any other changes under the body - in fact, it didn't say anything specific about the lightweight roadsters, so we don't know if any of these individualization options will materialize when the production Kopen comes into the light within the next year.

The lab benefits from 6,000 watts of light, allowing engineers to re-create any lighting condition in the world, which is a good thing especially when developing global cars like the 2014 Ford Fiesta and the new Mustang.

Known internally as the Lighting Lab, the facility uses a planetarium-like dome to simulate sunlight conditions from dawn to dusk, re-creating the phases of the earth's revolution around the sun. Furthermore, additional lights lining the perimeter of the dome can be adjusted to simulate the effects of weather conditions.

The facility was also used to develop the 2015 Ford Mustang, more specifically to create highly legible gauges and new, glare-free aluminum dash panel.

"With the Lighting Lab, we can ensure that the first time a buyer sits in the 2015 Ford Mustang, that person will be able to see the interior as the designers originally envisioned it – in the best light possible," said Mahendra Dassanayake, Ford lighting technical specialist.

Ford's Lighting Lab can simulate light conditions at every time of day, while the additional lighting in the dome is used to vary weather conditions from bright sun to full cloud cover. You can learn how the lab works from the videos posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

In these photos, the Cactus makes a peek-a-boo like appearance, without revealing much about the production model that will receive its world premiere at the next Geneva motor show in March.

There are no press statements either, but Citroën officials have independently confirmed that the production C4 Cactus will keep largely true to the concept we saw at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show in September, right up to the use of the "Airbumps" incorporating air capsules to protect doors from scratches and minor damages, and the sofa-style front bench seating.

Since it is riding on the C4 hatchback's underpinnings, we know for sure that the Cactus will borrow the compact model's engine range of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel units, though, we'll have to wait for further details.

In the first ad featuring Robocop, the superhero finds drunken drivers and pulls them over. "Be ready to move in on my request," Robocop says and then asks a driver to drop the keys. "I'd put those down now if I were you."

The commercial also features actors Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman, as well as clips from the Robocop science fiction action movie, opening in theaters on February 14.

By Dan Mihalascu

Depending on which way you view this segment, the Gran Coupe is a four-door version of the new 4-Series Coupe or a sportier looking and handling edition of the 3-Series saloon that rides on a longer wheelbase length than either model.

The 4-Series Gran Coupe's closest competitor is the Audi A5 Sportback, but unlike Ingolstadt's model, the BMW will be available in North America where it will launch with a similar engine lineup to the 4-Series, so expect a 4-cylinder 428i and a six-cylinder 435i, both turbocharged, while Europe will likely get diesels as well.

Story References: Autohome via F30 Post

Thanks to Justin for the heads up!

Autocar was recently treated to a shotgun ride in the new Macan, on courses that put both its on- and off-road credentials to the test. What surprised us was just how easily it went up steep muddy and rocky inclines without a hitch, going back down again through the use of hill descent control – a must-have in this class and price bracket.

Street behavior is also promised to be of the excellent kind, and given the manufacturer's excellent track record in this area, we believe what's said in the video about it being agile and easy to thread through corners at speed; it's also praised for its stability too.

Check out the video after the virtual jump, but don't go thinking it's a review, because it's not.

By Andrei Nedelea

Amusingly, if we're not grossly mistaken, Loma's teaser for the upcoming GT7 Widebody kit for the new Corvette Stingray C7 is also a Photoshop, though the Spanish company says it will be released in the future.

For those C7 owners that want something right now, Loma says it offers a selection of wheels that are displayed in the following gallery. A funny thing about the three alloy wheel pictures is that all of them appear to have been…photoshoped (based on images from Autoblog.com, MotorTrend and a press image).

[From Loma PR]

• We are not like some other companies that live only from Renderings which will never make it to the market. Or do you remember how many Concept cars made it to serial production?
  
• We are also not like some other companies that screwed up with their past design and now try their luck with a new company and new products and call it a concept.
  
• We are not like some other companies that never saw a race track from inside the car but advising others what should be done on your car to make it better and faster.
  
• But most importantly we are not like some other companies which are playing with customers life by installing "something" on a high-speed supercar and hope nothing bad will happened. I remember that our enigeers and me as well have to study Aerodynamics for years to be able to find out how to improve something for what GM or other manufacturers have years to design and test.

"We are absolutely looking at different things in that field and we are very active behind the scenes in the development of these systems and how it fits into our profile," Chrysler's Asia-Pacific product planning manager, Steve Bartoli, told Australia's Drive.

"With greenhouse gas and regulatory constraints around the world, it is definitely pushing our hand in that way but we haven't made any decisions on that and we're not ready to talk about that," the executive added.

According to Bartoli, the biggest challenge is the reliability of electric motors and the range of battery packs under difficult conditions. "These are very complex and expensive systems, not just for us to develop but also for the consumers. Not only that, but range is a very important issue and we need to make sure how we can fit that into our systems because you don't want to be stuck in a creek in an electric Jeep that is going nowhere," he said.

However, Jeep is aware of the potential benefits of hybridisation and is evaluating new ways of integrating hybrid power specifically for serious four-wheel drive applications.

By Dan Mihalascu

The five previous crashes resulted in the death of three people with four more sustaining injuries when the vehicles they were travelling in smashed into the roadblocks.

In the case of the forceful Peugeot accident captured on a dash-cam video from a following car, the 42-year-old driver of the Peugeot van, Ivan Kalioglo, was injured and transferred to the hospital.

Needless to say, Russian authorities should have already taken measures to make the construction zone safe for drivers and workers alike.

The ones we are referring to are the "Axela Sport Mazda Design Concept 2014" and "Atenza Sedan Mazda Design Concept 2014", which are more or less the same as the SEMA Show Mazda3 and Mazda6 ClubSport studies respectively, with different paint jobs.

Other cars to be found at Mazda's TAS stand will be the North American Mazda6 Skyactiv-D diesel-powered racer from the Grand AM GX series, and three pre-production studies, the Mazda6 estate-based "Atenza Wagon Mazda Design Concept 2014", Mazda3 sedan-based "Axela Sedan Mazda Design Concept 2014", and the "CX-5 Mazda Design Concept 2014", all featuring mild aero modifications and bespoke wheel setups.

From the concept's silhouette, we can make out it's a coupe model and that it doesn't look related (at least not directly) to the new RC and RC F cars due to the different design of the profile window line.

As with most other upcoming concepts of the GT6 Vision series (excluding Mercedes which went as far as presenting a real-life sized model), Lexus and Playstation are keeping hush about any details surrounding the model, so we'll just have to wait it out to learn more.

Scheduled to go on sale in Japan at the end of January 2014, the pint sized Flair is a tall-riding "Kei car" with five doors, available two-tone paint jobs and plastic moldings on the bumpers and wheel arches to create the allusion of an SUV.

It can be had with a choice of two CVT-paired 660cc (0.66-liters) engines with or without turbocharging in both FWD and AWD layouts, delivering a fuel economy of up to 29.2 km/l (equal to 68.7 mpg US, 82.5 mpg UK and 3.4l/100km).

Mazda said it's targeting monthly sales of 500 units, with prices in Japan ranging from 1,285,200 to 1,607,550 yen (US$12,300 to US$15,400).

Only just out, and one model-year ahead of everybody else, the WRX has fallen into the hands of YouTube reviewers, and on first impressions it seems like a decent evolution, even with the snowmobile transmission option – a crisp new six-speed manual is available, thank goodness, and to me, that's really the only available option.

Strangely, the reviewers talk more about this new Lineartronic transmission than the actual driving dynamics of the car, so we'll have to wait for some other drivers to take it on track and document their findings there.

Until then, the street test videos for it lie after the virtual jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

Regarding the Shelby versions of the 6th generation Mustang, the word on the street is that, they will carry the Shelby GT350 moniker with a recent screenshot from Ford's dealer promo order system that popped up the SVTP forums supporting the story.

The poster of the screenshot noted: "So I just went to order 2015 promo stuff, they list all 2015 models for vehicle photographs and guess what, there is a Shelby GT350 listed!!!!!!! oh by the way, this is dealer promo stuff so its legit, not a shelby ship thru package."

An older report from MustangDaily had said that, the new factory GT350 will use Ford's 5.0-liter Coyote V8 offering more power than the 420+hp GT, but less than the insane GT500 of the outgoing Mustang with its 662-horsepower blown 5.8-liter V8.

As far as the other models in the 2015 Mustang range, the chart does not list the 305hp+ 2.3-liter turbo engine as an option, but this could be explained by the fact that Ford may offer it as an upgrade to the V6.

Daimler AG board member Thomas Weber said the carmaker is preparing its plants in Germany, the United States, China and South Africa to build the next generation C-Class using a modular production system that allows it to build several different versions adapted to local markets.

"In the past we built cars, today we develop generations of models," the head of development at Mercedes-Benz Cars told Reuters. The long-wheelbase C-Class sedan is part of Daimler's plans to roll out production of its biggest selling model across four continents in six months.

"There will be a long-wheelbase version for the specific needs of Chinese clients. This car will be built in China, exclusively for that market," Weber explained. An estate and will be added when the car launches next year, following the official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

The all-new C-Class is built on a modular architecture that will also underpins the next generation E-Class executive sedan. Thanks to the advances in efficiency, Weber said production figures will be raised faster than in the past.

Mercedes-Benz hasn't stopped production of the current generation model, which still enjoys solid demand – 316,000 units were built in the past 12 months at the Bremen plant in Germany. The carmaker will phase in production of the new model in a seamless manner, with increased production expected after the roll out of the new model.

By Dan Mihalascu

It's still a really new model so there are hardly any out on the road yet (even standard 4-Series are still rare), so this Silverstone Metallic one snapped up by reader Sebastian for Bimmertoday, shows an alternative hue.

If you ask me, the color itself is okay, but it's still not a top choice for the car, especially on such a dim and overcast day like the one it was photographed on, and not with the darker contrasting wheels.

The beige leather interior with no wood trim does redeem it a bit, though.

Scroll down and check it out after the virtual jump, where the gallery awaits.

By Andrei Nedelea