CARSCOOP

2015 Ford Focus Sedan Shows its Face Ahead of NY Auto Show [w/Videos]

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 10:05 PM PDT

Hot on the heels of the unveiling of the restyled Focus hatchback and wagon models at last month's Geneva Motor Show, Ford dropped the first photos and videos of the facelifted sedan version of the series that will enjoy its world debut at the New York Auto Show next week. Read more »

Nissan GT-R Blasts Away from the Cops After Illegal Street Race in California

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 05:33 PM PDT

If running away from the police sounds like a terrible idea, then doing so while you've been previously filmed on camera doing something that is evidently illegal and sharing that video online is, well, you know… Read more »

Stretched Mercedes C-Class Spotted in China Before Beijing Debut

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 05:02 PM PDT

Mercedes has done a rather nice job of hiding the extra 60 mm of length that their stretched C-Class has over the standard wheelbase model - the car's side profile is hardly distinguishable from it, despite promising more rear legroom and easier access. Read more »

Is Renault Trying to Win Back the FWD Hot Hatch 'Ring Record from SEAT? [Updated]

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:42 PM PDT

Update: Our spy shooter friends from CarPix also confirmed Renault's presence on the 'Ring and sent us these two shots

The current Renault Megane RS doesn't really have anything to prove any more, after it was for many years the most capable front wheel drive car you could buy and drive on the track. Now, it's a bit behind, though with the new face and various tweaks it remains competitive, and it's still just as fast as we've come to expect.

Read more »

U.S. Van Buyers Steer Away from Mercedes Sprinter Because of its Premium Badge

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:12 PM PDT

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van's biggest drawback in the U.S. may ironically be its coveted badge. Many van buyers aren't even considering the Sprinter because they believe the vehicle is too expensive, as it is produced by a luxury brand. Read more »

SVM Nissan Qashqai-R is Another GT-R in Sheep's Clothing

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 03:42 PM PDT

Nissan's 'Eureka' moment to squeeze the GT-R's fabulous inner workings under the skin of a seemingly harmless Juke and offer the resulting Juke-R for sale at a lofty half-a-million euros (think around US$690,000), didn't go by undetected in the tuning world, with one UK firm applying the recipe on a Nissan Qashqai+2 Mk1. Read more »

Ford Transit Turned Into a UPS-Branded 1,000HP Drift Van in Forza 5 [w/Video]

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 03:10 PM PDT

Why wouldn't you try to turn the Ford Transit SuperSportVan into a racing V8-powered drift monster, in Forza 5? The vehicle was recently added via the Top Gear car pack, and it's an obvious draw for those who want really stand out when drifting online. Read more »

Thought All Midsize SUVs Were Safe? IIHS Crash Ratings Say Otherwise

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 02:39 PM PDT

Ask any midsize SUV buyer from the US why he or she thinks owning a midsize SUV is a good idea, and for most, if not all, one of the main attractions is the safety these types of vehicles have been known to offer. However, that would clearly be a bit of a misconception, as the latest batch of crash test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveals. Read more »

Maserati 450S Driven by Stirling Moss in 1956 Mille Miglia Could Sell for at Least €4 Million

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 02:10 PM PDT

This superb 1956 Maserati 450S Prototype by Carrozzeria Fantuzzi is the exact racecar that Stirling Moss drove in the 1956 MilleMiglia, with Dennis Jenkinson alongside him. A works entry at the event, the Maserati 450S was restored with factory consultation in 1987 and is authenticated by correspondence from the carmaker. Read more »

EVO Pits Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series against Porsche’s 911 GT2 RS

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 01:45 PM PDT

While Mercedes-Benz will continue production of the SLS AMG supercar until the middle of this year, Porsche's 997-based 911 GT2 RS is no longer manufactured. However, that didn't stop EVO's Jethro Bovingdon from testing both cars on track to see which is faster. Read more »

Prior Design Muscles Up BMW 6-Series F12/F13

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 01:20 PM PDT

Without getting behind the wheel, your guess is as good as ours on whether a dramatic increase of a BMW 6-Series' footprint in width together with the associated body modifications improve or hinder the car's performance and handling characteristics on the road, but you can't deny that Prior Design's aero-kit does give the Bavarian coupe plenty of attitude. Read more »

Panoz Unveils 25th Anniversary Edition Esperante Spyder, Costs $181,320

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 12:56 PM PDT

Believe it or not, the Panoz Esperante is still being produced, despite the fact that it was introduced back in 2000. Furthermore, the low-volume American sports car manufacturer has released a special edition model of the Esperante Spyder, called the 25th Anniversary Edition. Read more »

Sony Says PS4’s DriveClub is Making "Spectacular Progress" [w/Video]

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 12:31 PM PDT

Sony has been keeping things quiet when it comes to its much talked about social online racing experience called DriveClub. This has been the case ever since the first launch delay was announced and now, we no longer have one of those to look forward to. Read more »

This is What Happens After Someone Dings Your Car at a Parking Lot

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 12:06 PM PDT

Don't you just hate it when you return to your car at a parking lot only to discover a large scratch or a ding on the doors and/or bumpers? Sure you do, and we've all been to this dark and stormy place that brings the French sailor out of us multiple times. Read more »

McLaren Expects to See Fourfold Profits Increase in 2014

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 11:34 AM PDT

The P1 will be making McLaren a lot of money this year, and by a lot, we mean that the company is expecting its profits before tax to be four times greater than what they recorded in 2013. Read more »

Instead of the Onyx Supercar Peugeot Gives us the €135,000 Onyx Sofa…

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 11:03 AM PDT

No doubt, Peugeot Design Lab's new Onyx sofa made from handcrafted Volvic volcanic lava stone merged with hi-tech carbon fiber is an intriguing piece of display-style furniture that the French say was inspired and named after the Onyx Supercar and Supertrike concepts from the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Read more »

Hartge Puts the Tuning Focus on New BMW 4-Series Convertible

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 10:15 AM PDT

For more than three decades now, Hartge has been honing and producing special parts for BMW's automobile range, even as the Bavarian automaker itself is persistently reaching into new grounds and evading tuner space with its sub-divisions like BMW Individual, M Sport and M Performance. Read more »

Seat Ibiza FR Edition Gets Cylinder Deactivation, £15,920 Price Tag in UK

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 09:40 AM PDT

The new Seat Ibiza FR Edition offers warm hatch performance, bold supermini styling and excellent economy with the recent addition of Active Cylinder Technology (or ACT for short) to the list of features. Read more »

BAIC Looking to Buy European or U.S. Auto Brand, Which One Would You Propose?

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 09:10 AM PDT

China's Beijing Automotive Group, the owner of the BAIC brand, announced last Thursday that it wants to buy a mid to high-end brand in Europe or the United States in order to increase its global presence. State-owned BAIC, which is also Daimler AG's partner in China, said it has already thought of a few candidates. Read more »

Sketch Plays with Male and Female Driver Stereotypes

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:45 AM PDT

The witty minds over at Los Angeles-based production company JLE have churned out a new video sketch titled "How Guys/Girls Drive" in which they make fun of a number of gender-related typecasts when people get behind the wheel of their car. Read more »

Mercedes' Refreshed Sprinter gets a "Red and Racy" Makeover by Hartmann

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 08:16 AM PDT

Who ever said that big, brawny commercial vans have to look strictly professional? German aftermarket tuner Hartman believes otherwise with its new "red and racy" upgrade package for the facelifted Mercedes-Benz Sprinter series, and with the possible exception of the two-tone wheels, the rest doesn't look half bad given what they had to work with. Read more »

New Kia Soul Mk2 Launches in the UK Priced from £12,600

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 07:55 AM PDT

Kia's second generation Soul has landed in Britain, bringing with it promises of greater space, a higher quality cabin and sharper driving dynamics. It's offered with a choice of two 1.6-liter engines, five trim grades and on-the-road prices ranging from £12,600 to £21,550. Read more »

AE Stages Fratricidal Duel Between VW Golf R and Seat Leon Cupra 280

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 07:24 AM PDT

The Seat Leon Cupra 280 may have set the Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record for production front-wheel drive cars, but it isn't the most powerful hot-hatch in VW Group's stable. The VW Golf R and Audi S3 share that honor, with 300PS (296hp) each from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Read more »

Scoop: Mini Clubman, Take Two

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:59 AM PDT

The second iteration of Mini's Clubman has swapped its conceptual clothing and big wheels from the Geneva Motor Show for a yellow outfit that leaves the details to the imagination of the viewer. Read more »

Ford Gives the Vignale Treatment to S-MAX Concept, Arrives in 2015 [w/Videos]

Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:45 AM PDT

Ford has unveiled the S-MAX Vignale Concept at Milan's Salone del Mobile, the world's leading furniture design expo, with the study previewing a production version that will be the second Ford Vignale vehicle to go on sale in Europe after the new Mondeo Vignale arrives next year. Read more »