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These are the latest and most revealing spy shots of the upcoming 2012 Opel Zafira minivan (to be sold under the Vauxhall brand in the UK), which will receive its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before going on sale across Europe this fall.

The new Zafira was previewed in conceptual form at the Geneva Salon in March and will sit atop the Meriva in Opel’s MPV range rivaling the likes of Ford’s C-Max and Citroen’s Grand C4 Picasso.

From the looks of the lightly camouflaged test model, the Zafira has remained close to the Geneva concept car, with the most visible changes concerning the shape of the mirrors and the lower parts of the front and rear bumpers along with the reduced angle of the kink in the rear-side window.

When I say, “Electric Pickup,” you no doubt think of either the Ssangyong Actyon Sports-derived Phoenix SUT or one of those toy-like, Chinese-built neighborhood electric vehicles. What you may not think of is a bright green 1958 Chevy Apache owed by Canada’s Steam Whistle Brewery and recharged via wind power.

No, this isn’t a late April Fool’s Day joke: this is serious. And being green is serious business for Steam Whistle, which – among other things – uses renewable energy, recycles damn-near everything and supports various environmental causes as a sideline to its beer brewing enterprise.

Brewery manager Mike Kiraly came up with the idea of electrifying the ol’ girl and even uses it as his daily driver. He explains his brainwave: “What if we could take a sexy vintage ride, save it from the metal scrap heap and outfit it with a zero-tailpipe-emissions engine. Old-school style combined with a modern conscience.”

Project Kahn is jumping the shark on the royal wedding bandwagon with a special tune to celebrate Prince William and Kate Middleton's big day on April 29. Traditionally, royal weddings have been marked by commemorative stamps, coins and memorabilia, but times have changed and the British aftermarket specialist’s tribute is a subtly modified Maybach 57 limousine. Read more »

How many times have you come across a slow driver that refuses to let go of the fast lane? Probably more times that you can remember. In this video we see one of those drivers in a Honda Civic, the difference being that the person behind him / her is a state trooper.

Of course, when there’s a cop on your tail, you’ll slow down, but common sense says you should also move over and let him pass as soon as you find a chance to change lanes, something that this driver didn’t do. On the other hand, we see the double standards at play here with the police officer dangerously tailgating the Civic. But at least the video has a funny ending with the trooper forcing the Honda driver into the right lane. Watch the clip after the jump.

The main reason for which Mitsubishi will drop the Eclipse, Endeavor and Galant models from its U.S. range is to focus on developing zero-emissions vehicles like the Mitsubishi i (also known as the i-MiEV in Europe). The Japanese carmaker announced at the New York Auto Show that the plug-in EV will arrive in U.S. showrooms in November 2011, with prices starting from $20,490 (€14,100) for the standard ES model and $22,490 for the better-equipped ES version, government subsidies included. Read more »

In its third consecutive take on the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, German tuner Kicherer has released a new package with performance and styling modifications for Stuttgart’s supercar, and just to capture our attention, the company threw a beautiful female model into the picture (not included in the package).

The Nissan Leaf was named 2011 World Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show, taking the top spot ahead of the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A8. It is the second important award for the Japanese automaker’s all-electric car after being voted 2011 European Car of the Year. Read more »

In one of my most controversial blog posts, I chastised American motorists for their resistance to that shining light of roadway design: the roundabout. I argued that Europeans have had the roundabout for decades and are as experienced and accepting of them as anyone in the world.

Well, it turns out I may have been a little too optimistic in that statement as a recent survey by Central Contracts car leasing has shown. Asking visitors to their site to nominate their favourite roundabout, what Central Contacts got instead was countless emails highlighting their least favourite roundabout – and why they were nominated.

At the 2011 New York Auto Show, Volvo announced that the 2012 S60 R-Design sedan and XC60 R-Design crossover will receive significant horsepower and torque increases when they go on sale in the U.S. late this summer.

Both the S60 and XC60 R-Design models are powered by Volvo's most potent six-cylinder unit, the turbocharged T6 engine. Thanks to a series of upgrades, the T6 in the 2012MYs produces 325 horsepower and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque, an increase of 21 horses and 29 lb-ft (39 Nm) of torque compared to 2011 R-Design models. Maximum torque is now achieved from 3,000 rpm and remains available throughout the rev range.

The wraps only just came off the all-new but not-so-new looking 2012 Honda Civic at this week’s 2011 New York Auto Show, yet the Japanese automaker has already launched an advertising campaign for its popular compact model. The fully integrated national campaign is called “To Each Their Own” and it’s the creative work of Honda’s long-standing agency, RPA.

The campaign touts the idea that consumers are all different and there's a unique Civic for each of one of them, bringing attention to the variety of different Civic models. The ads feature five distinct characters, with each one of them representing a different model.

The stars are: Jack the urban woodsman who shows off the Civic Hybrid; Mitch the zombie salesman who’s into high-tech gadgets and drives a Civic Sedan; Teeny the monster college student in the fuel-efficient HF model; Aiko the young Ninja girl paired up with the Civic Si and finally, Cesar, the Champion Luchador who drives a Civic Coupe.

Produced since 2006, the fourth generation Mitsubishi Eclipse is nearing the end of its career and to mark the occasion, the Japanese manufacturer has announced a final special edition for the Coupe and Spyder models.

As Mitsubishi will cease production of the Eclipse after the upcoming 2012 model year without offering a replacement model, the SE Special Edition is the manufacturer's way of saying goodbye to a model series produced since 1989.

All Eclipse trim levels (GS, GS Sport and GT) will be available as SE Special Edition versions which includes “SE” side decals, black side mirrors and 18-inch dark finish alloy wheels, along with the high-end standard features available on the Eclipse GS Sport versions of both the coupe and convertible models.

There are tuners and there are tuners with some taking the easy way out going for a quick fix while others take up the challenge to create something truly unique. Italy’s Lucarelli-Monza belongs to the second category of tuners. The Monza-based tuning house has revealed details on its newest creation called the 500 Abarth Motore Centrale R230.

As its name implies, the heavily modified Italian hatchback gains a new layout with a mid-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive. Of course, such a radical change is not an easy task with the company having to re-engineer the entire vehicle.

Among other changes, the rear seats of the production model were dropped to create space for the engine while there’s also a new rear suspension set-up and a high-performance braking system with 335mm front- and 305mm rear- discs coupled with four-piston calipers.

After last year's electric scooters, the Mini brand continues to explore two-wheel territory, this time with a folding bicycle. The Mini Folding Bike stays true to the company's tradition, in the sense that it fits into the boot of almost any vehicle when it's folded. Not surprisingly, all Mini models can accommodate the small bicycle into their trunks. Read more »

Being a test driver for any automaker isn’t an easy task. In fact, there are times it can be downright dangerous, as this video clip proves. You see, it is one thing filming a prototype vehicle from a distance and on foot and another when a fool does it holding a cell phone camera on one hand and the steering wheel with the other while passing you on the autobahn at around 300km/h (187mph)… That’s just beyond stupid.

The cars in question here are a BMW M5 E60 and what is claimed to be a lightly camouflaged prototype of the next generation M5 F10, which we saw in concept form at this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. Watch the short video after the break.

Yes, you read that correctly. This is a video of a Nissan 370Z coupe challenging a chicken - a Mexican chicken with racing goggles and a helmet, to be precise- in a barn race, and it’s an official spot from Nissan Europe. The admittedly unusual commercial is the creative work of the folks over at the TBWA/G1 advertising agency. Take a look at the clio after the break and tell us what you think in the comments section below. Read more »

Remember the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale that was introduced last year at the Paris Auto Show? The Italian sportscar maker has brought a ‘softer’ version of the MC to the States that drops the “Stradale” word from its name. That is because the GranTurismo MC has a full automatic gearbox instead of the original Race Shift transmission and two extra seats in the back instead of a roll cage. Even so, the Granturismo MC is the fastest series production model Maserati has ever sold in America. Read more »

Fiat’s newly introduced 500C may not be a convertible in the real sense of the word, but the Italian company that holds the fates of Chrysler hopes to capture the attention of sun-seeking buyers with its panoramic canvas-top mini, which made its US debut at this week’s 2011 New York Auto Show.

Scheduled to go on sale this May, the new 2012 500C will be offered in two trim levels, the base Pop that is priced at $19,500, and the better-equipped Lounge, priced at $23,500. According to Fiat, the 500C is the only four-seat cabrio in the U.S. market. However, Fiat’s definition of a ‘cabrio’ is loose -to say the least- given that the 500C comes with full frame doors and columns, simply adding a rollover canvas top in place of the metal roof.

Mercedes-Benz used the 2011 New York Auto Show to reveal the updated 2012MY E63 AMG, which now features the new 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine instead of the old naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter unit. The new powerplant, already known from the CLS63 AMG, delivers 525 horsepower as standard, with an additional 32 ponies for a total of 557HP with the AMG Performance package. In base form, the 5.5-liter unit produces 7 more horsepower than the previous 6.2-liter engine.

Toyota’s U.S. division announced a voluntary recall involving certain 2007 through 2008 model year RAV4 and certain 2008 Highlander and Highlander HV SUVs sold in the States over potentially faulty air bag sensors. The Japanese company said approximately 214,000 RAV4s and 94,000 Highlanders and Highlander HVs are covered by the recall that does affect any other Toyota or Lexus models in North America. Read more »

Mazda is getting ready to enter the raging mpg war in the compact passenger vehicle segment in the States with the launch of its facelifted 2012 Mazda3 that made its U.S. debut today at the New York International Auto Show.

While the exterior and interior refinements are modest, the updated Mazda3 debuts the first application in North America of the Japanese firm’s suite of SKYACTIV fuel-saving and performance-oriented technologies, achieving 40 mpg on the highway. Within it lies Mazda’s all-new SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine hooked up to either a new SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission or a SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual gearbox.

Kia’s brand-new Rio small sedan was joined by the hatchback version of the sub compact model named Rio5 at this week’s New York Auto Show. Unlike the four-sedan that received its world premiere in the Big Apple, we got our first taste of the Rio5 at the Geneva Salon in March. The only visible styling changes over the European model, concern the colored turn signals up front and the market-specific trim options inside.

The 2012 Rio5 is available with a 1.6-liter GDI four-cylinder engine with the option of either a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic. The direct-injection four-pot delivers 138 horsepower, and thanks to the addition of Kia’s ISG start-stop technology, it returns 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

The mighty 300 SRT8 was not the only new model on display at the Chrysler booth at the New York Auto Show, as the Auburn Hills automaker also presented two new versions of its full-size sedan, the sportier 300S and the more luxurious 300C Executive Series.

The 2012MY 300S has a more distinct look than the standard model, new interior materials and features, plus a touring-tuned chassis (performance-tuned in combination with the HEMI V8 engine). The latter has 25 percent quicker steering and 20 percent heavier on-center feel than the entry-level 300 model, with both modifications contributing to sportier handling.

Yesterday, we brought you a first look at the redevelopment of Subaru’s Impreza Sedan and Hatchback from its world premiere at the 2011 New York International Auto Show. Today we have the first videos of the redesigned compact model in both four-door saloon and five-door hatchback guises, thanks to the official B-roll footage from Subaru.

Bypassing the somewhat disappointing styling as the visual impact of last year’s LA Show Impreza Concept was lost in the translation from concept to production car reality, Subaru’s Honda Civic rival boasts a roomier passenger area despite the fact that exterior dimensions remain the same.

Based on the recently refreshed Corsa OPC, the Nurburgring Edition is a limited series version of Opel’s hot-hatch of which only 500 units will be produced. However, exclusivity is not its only advantage. The special edition Corsa OPC receives an increase of 18HP, so that the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine goes from 192 to 210HP, posting an impressive power rating of 131.4 hp per liter. Read more »

Even though Mercedes-Benz did not mention the ‘Gulf’ word, it’s not hard to see the source of inspiration for the SLS AMG special displayed at the company’s New York Auto Show booth. The Stuttgart-based automaker names the vintage color ‘Boudalis Blue’. Other bespoke touches include the contrasting orange color surround on the inner wall of the front grille along with the flat black multipsoke wheels, and matching color badges and logos. Read more »

Jaguar’s revised for the 2012 model year XK series in Coupe and Convertible form made its world premiere alongside the refreshed XF and XFR sedans at this week’s 2011 New York International Auto Show. The changes on the XK are more subtle than on the XF and are purely cosmetic.

The mild redesign shares many elements with the flagship 550-horsepower XKR-S revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The most significant changes are found at the front of the XK that gains new and slimmer by 15mm headlamps that incorporate LED signal functions and running lights. There’s also a larger oval grille and new bumper design, while the XKR is distinguished by a black mesh grille.

Despite looking as a sports car, engine capacity reduction is not unlawful to do, especially when the issue of efficiency in the red-hot. That is what BMW on its flagship roadster, BMW Z4. From 6-cylinder engine, trimmed only 4 cylinders.

But do not jump to a new machine-coded underestimate this N20B20. Although only a capacity of 2.0 liter 4-cylinder (the previous 3.0-liter 6-cylinder), many benefits can be utilized latest BMW Z4, one of them is certainly a much lighter weight.

Especially when the material used is aluminum, the only light engine. So, do not be surprised if the old engine torque can exceed the 3.0-liter 6-cylinder. And of course, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine is much more economical fuel.

Like the 3,000 cc six-cylinder engine, this machine also incorporates highpressure direct-injection and Valvetronic intake control, so that it can produce power up to 245 hp at 5000 rpm and 350 NM of torque at 1250 rpm. While the 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine, only 310 Nm of torque.

High-pressure injector device up to 200 bar, the position adjacent to the spark plugs, also would make the intake of fuel so more quickly and completely. And asiknya, this latest BMW Z4 only need 1 liter of fuel for a distance of 12 km.

Toyota’s North American subsidiary, Scion, surprised us today at the opening of the 2011 New York Auto Show with the world premiere of its new FR-S sports coupe concept. We say ‘surprised’ not because we weren’t expecting a Scion-badged Toyota FT-86 to make its appearance in the Big Apple, but because of its refined design that made us forget about the FT-86 II concept we saw less than two months ago at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Read more »

This year, the New York International Auto Show takes place between April 22 and May 1, coinciding with China's Shanghai Auto Show (April 21 – 28). Even though the Shanghai show is growing in importance, the Big Apple plays host to several world premieres including the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, the 2012 Subaru Impreza in both sedan and hatchback forms, the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 and the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, just to mention a few.

Mixing exciting new automobiles, and attractive ladies is no new concept in the world of motor shows, but we for one, never get tired of it… Fortunately, for us, this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in China had plenty of both for our viewing pleasure boasting many new production and concept models as well as exotic beauties from the Far East.

Click through the jump to enjoy our high-resolution photo gallery of the lovely booth ladies of the Shanghai Auto Show, which runs from April 21 to April 28.

BMW Alpina B7 A custom-stitched steering wheel connects the driver to the B7's soul. The BMW/Alpina relationship has evolved to produce high-vitality concoctions with utmost efficiency. Instead of modifying a standard car into a special, Alpina delivers its parts assortment to the 7-series plant in Dingolfing, Germany, for BMW to assemble. Nearly finished B7s - available in short and long wheelbases with rear- or all-wheel drive - are shipped to Alpina's Buchloe works for some final touches.

Alpina's bill of materials includes a heat-treated cylinder block, special cylinder heads, turbochargers with larger compressor wheels, and intercoolers with 50 percent greater heat-exchanging capacity. Exterior upgrades include front and rear spoilers, a small rear extractor, and appropriately hunky rolling stock.

Case in point: in twenty seven years of reviewing cars, I even have never before had the prospect to drive an Alpina tweaked BMW. conjointly accessible may be a monstrous V12, sensible for 512hp and pitiful fuel mileage. Best of all, the Alpina B7 is absolutely lined by BMW’s four year, 50,000 mile warranty, which has a full maintenance program. therefore what constitutes an Alpina upgrade? very little Alpina niceties abound. The steering wheel hub contains the regal Alpina crest that consists of a vertical crankshaft brand. Matching cloisonné center hubs determine the special Alpina turbine-design road wheels. The Alpina wasn’t only 1 of the fastest cars on the road, however conjointly one in all the fastest cars at Laguna Seca’s Media Days. 2011 BMW ALPINA B7 SWB

BMW first offered the Alpina B7 to US consumers for model years 2007 and 2008, based on the previous-generation 7-series sedan. The super-sedan returns for 2011, available in both short- and long-wheelbase versions of the current 7 Series sedan, and the option this time of adding BMW’s X-Drive AWD system.

Visually, the Alpina B7 is set apart from lesser 7 Series cars by tasteful styling modifications. The B7 wears 20-spoke, 21-inch Alpina Classic wheels (which are notable for the fact that the air valve is hidden under the wheel’s center cap). BMW’s M vehicles tend to be cars heavily focused on performance, with that performance prioritized above comfort. The car features a version of BMW’s electronically-adjustable suspension with Active Roll Stabilization. Selecting Sport and Sport+ changes the throttle mapping in the Alpina-programed ECU to a more aggressive program. Gears can be changed manually using the Alpina Switchtronic buttons on the steering wheel or nudging the gear selector frontward or backward.

Alpina replaces BMW’s standard instruments with blue-faced items with luminescent characters and orange needles; the characters illuminate white in the daytime, and orange at night. When wearing polarized sunglasses during the daytime, the head-up display disappears – a problem that BMW has had from time to time with its in-car LCD displays as well. The interior of the Alpina B7 sedan features Alpina blue illuminated door sill trims, a heated steering wheel, and an Alcantara headliner with charcoal leather trim on the A-, B-, and C-pillars. The dashboard, door panels, center console, and seats are upholsterd in matching, hand-stitched Lavalina leather with nicely-detailed stitching; and the headliner is upholstered in beautifully-stitched charcoal Alcantara.

When starting the car and buckling the seatbelt, the belt cinches up a bit, tugging over the shoulders of the driver and front seat passenger, then releasing again to allow normal movement. The rear seats are heated, and each outboard position has its own climate control zone. Despite the car’s big footprint and enormous wheels, the turning radius seems quite small.

On the road, stomping on the accelerator produces from a standstill produces a chirp from the rear tires (mitigated by the car’s stability control system), followed by the type of acceleration uncommon in nearly any passenger car. Alpina worked near magic in the B7’s suspension tuning. In oversteer situations, the big BMW responds predictably to throttle and steering inputs, like something much smaller. Alpina has also done a good job in tuning the B7’s stability/traction control. While the system doesn’t turn OFF, it has a “Traction Mode”, which allows controlled rear wheelspin and oversteer; this mode can be manually chosen, but it is selected automatically if you choose Sport+ setting for the adjustable suspension. The Alpina B7 tested was equipped with a rear view camera in addition to front and rear parking sonar, but not with BMW’s surround view camera system nor with the self-parking system I sampled on the BMW 535i.

Following a world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz showed off its dynamic A-Class concept to the crowds of New York, and confirmed that the production model will head to North America.

In Europe, the production A-Class will launch next year. As for the US, Autonews reported that Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz Cars, would not specify a time frame vaguely stating that the A-Class would arrive “some time in this decade.”

The New York auto show hosts the world premiere of the fourth generation Subaru Impreza, showcased in both 4-door and 5-door body styles. Developed under the Subaru’s concept of “Redefining Value, Redefining Class”, the new Impreza is allegedly more fuel-efficient and fun to drive, while offerings better interior space, despite having the same exterior dimensions as the outgoing model.

The new model year brings a refresh for Jaguar’s XF and XFR sedans, which were both revealed in a world premiere today at the New York Auto Show. The British firm’s BMW 5-Series rival receives restyled front and rear bodywork, along with some subtle changes inside and for certain markets including Europe, the introduction of a new four-cylinder turbo diesel engine.

On the outside, Jaguar tried to bring the XF into line with the new XJ, though some may also see common themes with the original C-XF Concept, especially up front with the new and sleeker headlamp designs that incorporate LED daytime running lights arranged in a distinctive Jaguar ‘J-Blade’ signature.

The 2012 XF benefits from revisions to the grille, hood, and front fenders, which incorporate new triangular side vents, while Jaguar also added larger tail lamps with full-LEDs for stop, tail light and turn signal functions. In addition, the trunk lid trim has been redesigned. The XFR’s newly styled bumpers and alloy wheels complete the exterior makeover.

Making its debut at the Big Apple is a concept for a high-performance version of the Lexus CT 200h hybrid hatchback conceived and executed in partnership with Fox Marketing.

Starting with a production CT 200h, the tuner modified the 1.8-liter gasoline engine by adding an Eaton supercharger along with a Climax Racing intake manifold and a Yonaka air to water intercooler among other upgrades to push output to an estimated 300HP. Additionally, Fox Marketing said it has boosted the factory batter power, but did not provide further details.

Welcome to Carscoop’s coverage of the 2011 New York International Auto Show, which we'll be covering live from the show floor thanks to the brilliance of modern technology and a little of your much appreciated patience. Like our trip to the Tokyo Auto Salon, we'll be bringing you photos of all the new models, the ladies, and live pics as we walk around the show.

For the truly live updates, simply check out the window (unlike Tokyo, uploads should be much more fluid), while higher-res "live" photos will appear as soon as we manage to peel ourselves away from the metal and get plugged back into the computer. Also like Tokyo, we'll be doing our best to keep up with comments and requests, so feel free to get involved as we take you along with us.

With fuel prices on the rise again, efficient sub-compact models like the Accent are coming back to the spotlight. At the 2011 New York Auto Show, the South Korean automaker pulled the wraps off its latest iteration of the Accent in U.S.-spec. Slated to hit dealerships this summer, the 2012 Accent is offered in both five-door hatchback and four-door saloon body styles and promises to deliver a best-in class fuel economy of 30mpg city and 40 mpg highway.

Along with the standard version of the all-new 2013 Malibu, Chevrolet also introduced the ECO-flavored variant of its mid-size sedan at the New York Auto Show. The Malibu ECO returns a fuel consumption of 38 mpg (6.19 liters/km) on the highway and 26 mpg (9 liters/100 km) in the city, with Chevrolet boasting that it’s the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in the company's 100 year-long history.

The new version features GM’s eAssist “light electrification” technology, which is the company’s way of saying it is a micro-hybrid car. The eAssist uses a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor-generator to enable regenerative braking electric assist and start-stop functionality.