Luxury 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL AMG

An official picture of the updated 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL (see the spy shots here) in AMG guise has been found by our fellow bloggers over at Autoblog.nl. The facelifted CL gets a new snout with a more pointed design and a single, instead of two, horizontal bar on the grille along with new LED daytime running lights.

We still don't know if there are any changes under the hood, but it is believed that like the new CLS AMG, the CL 63 AMG coupe will get Merc's new 5.5-liter bi-turbocharged V8 engine delivering 544 ponies in standard form and 571HP with an optional performance package.

Flamboyantly unique Audi S5 Coupe

Found for sale on eBay is this flamboyantly unique Audi S5 Coupe featuring a killer color combination that makes it stand out like a lime in a bowl of lemons. And this ain't no vinyl wrap; the "Porsche Lime Green" exterior finish was a special factory order that cost the owner $2,500. Open the door and you'll see why most manufacturers don't allow customers to combine certain exterior shades with certain interior colors even if they are available.

Chevrolet Cruze Irmscher Edition with 186HP

Chevrolet and its European tuning partner Irmscher presented a humbly beefed up version of the Cruze compact sedan with cosmetic and performance upgrades at this week's AMI motorshow in Leipzig, Germany.

Dubbed the Cruze Irmscher Edition, the car gets an optional boot lid spoiler along with 18-inch alloy wheels shod in beefier 225 sport tires and aluminum door sills.

Irmscher's performance modifications include a 25mm suspension drop and exhaust silencers with elliptical twin exits along with a 36HP and 146Nm boost for the 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine increasing total output to 186HP and 466Nm at 2,300 rpm.

According to the tuner, the diesel version accelerates from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 8.0 seconds.

Luxury 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class Facelift

This here is the refreshed 2011 CL-Class, which despite the rumors, doesn't adopt the S-Class Coupe moniker as part of Mercedes-Benz's new nomenclature that started with the new E-Class Coupe that replaced the CLK. For its mid-life facelift, the CL coupe has received a mild redesigned and a new bi-turbo V8 engine.

Visual updates include a redesigned front bumper housing LED strips with chrome surrounds for the daytime running lights, a reshaped hood, new headlamps and a more V-shaped grille.

The LED turn indicators and position marker lamps along with the reprofiled rear bumper and newly-designed tail lamps round off the exterior changes.

Inside, the higher-quality trim materials and new color options are matted with redesigned multifunction wood/leather steering wheel steering and additional ambient light spots.

Under the bonnet, there's a new 4.7-liter bi-turbocharged V8 engine with BlueDIRECT technology for the CL500 (CL550 for North America), which comes with a revised version of Mercedes-Benz's seven-speed automatic gearbox with an integrated stop-start system and brake energy recuperation.

The eight-cylinder unit produces 429HP, a 12 percent increase in power over its predecessor, which had an output of 382HP. At the same time, torque was raised from 391 lb-ft to 516 lb-ft, an increase of 32 percent.

Furthermore, the new V8 engine achieves a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy and 23% improvement in CO2 emissions.

The CL500 / CL550 4MATIC requires 4.9 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 100km/h (62mph), a 0.5 second improvement over the previous model.

The range also includes the CL600, with its 510HP 12-cylinder biturbo engine and 612 lb-ft. of torque that accelerates the luxury coupé from a standstill to 100km/h (62mph) mph in a 4.5 seconds. Top speed on both models is electronically limited at 250km/h (155mph).

For buyers needing more power, Mercedes will debut the new CL63 AMG and CL65 AMG models later this year.

Among the many tech highlights is a new Active Lane Keeping Assist safety feature that utilizes a camera mounted on the inside of the windshield and a radar system that scans the side of the roadway, to gently apply the brakes when the driver steers away from his lane.

Luxury Qvale Mangusta

One of the 270 or so Mangusta sports cars that were produced by Qvale between 2000 and 2002 is up for sale on eBay with the current owner asking $26,500 to depart with it.

The Qvale Mangusta has quite an interesting history behind it involving many different people and companies over the years.

Designed by Marcello Gandini (notice the signature shape of the rear wheel arches), responsible for the styling of many cars including the Lamborghini Miura and Countach, Maserati Quattroporte and the first generation BMW 5er, the 2+2-seater convertible began its life at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show as the De Tomaso Bigua.

However, due to various problems (chiefly financial), it never made it into production as the Bigua with De Tomaso selling the rights to the car to the Qvale family, a US importer for high-end European cars.

Qvalve went ahead and renamed the car after an older De Tomaso model, the Mangusta and begun production at a new assembly plant in Modena, Italy, in 2000.

The Mangusta features an odd roof system with a targa-like removable center panel and a separate mechanism that allows the rear section to electrically rotate into a dedicated space behind the seats, thus allowing the car to be a Coupe, a Targa or a Roadster.

Power comes from a Ford Mustang-sourced 4.6-liter V8 with 320-horspower and 314 lb/ft of peak torque that propels the Mangusta to 60mph (96km/h) in 5.5 seconds and to a top speed of around 150mph or 241 km/h, while returning 26mpg on the highway (all manufacturer figures).

Ford's pony-car also provided the five-speed manual gearbox, steering wheel system, the dashboard, switchgear and a whole bunch of other bits and pieces.

Most Mangustas were exported to the USA but Qvale never managed to achieve its sales target of around 900 cars a year and ended up selling the rights to the Mangusta to Britain's MG Rover Group in 2003. MG used the car's underpinnings to build the short lived Xpower SV from 2003 to 2005.

New Chevrolet Cruze CS Sport Kit for UK Market Model

Chevrolet has launched a new sport package called "CS" for the UK market Cruze. Available from mid-July on all trim and engine variants of the Cruze, the styling kit includes a set of 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels finished in white, a lowered suspension, a boot spoiler, unique CS graphics and matching carpet mats. Chevrolet has priced the sport package at £1,595, which includes VAT and fitment.

In Britain, the Chevrolet Cruze is offered with a choice of two petrol engines, a 1.6-liter unit with 113HP and a 1.8-liter unit with 141HP, and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel available with 125HP and 150HP versions.

2011 Fastest Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster Reader Spy Shots

Carscoop reader Benjamin L. has grabbed some new spy shots of the next generation Mercedes-Benz SLK. Apparently, the German automaker is still conducting real-world testing for the new hardtop roadster as Benjamin snapped this prototype earlier today wondering around the outskirts of Paris in a black plastic suit of armor.

Like the current version of the SLK, Stuttgart's BMW Z4 rival will feature a two-piece folding metal roof, but it will also receive all of Mercedes' newest gadgets and accessories.

While the heavy camouflage doesn't allow us to get a clear view of the new SLK's looks, it is expected that Mercedes will drop the current model's F1-inspired nose in favor of a much bolder grille and more geometrically shaped headlamps, all themed after the SLS AMG Gullwing model.

Previous spy shots (see here) confirm that the new SLKs interior will be completely revamped with the dashboard styling also inspired by the Gullwing supercar.

There will be significant changes under the skin as the two-seater model will make use of the new C-class platform and suspension hardware, tuned to deliver more responsive handling characteristics.

Powerplant options at launch are expected to include Mercedes-Benz's latest-generation four-cylinder and V6 petrol units, with an AMG version featuring either a twin-turbo V6 or a turbocharged V8 to follow later on.

Luxury 2011 Ford Shelby GT500

Even though the 2011 Shelby GT500 carries a base price of $49,495 without any options ticked, Ford has already received more than 3,000 orders for the 550HP Mustang since the car was announced earlier this year. But despite the sales success, the Deaborn-based automaker said today that U.S. sales of the 2011 Shelby GT500 will be limited to just 5,500 units for this model year.

"We are pleased with the pace of retail orders for the 2011 Shelby GT500," said Fritz Wilke, Mustang brand manager. "The car continues to be popular with sports car enthusiasts and collectors who are blown away by the increase in horsepower and performance. The limited production of the 2011 should make this year even more desirable."

Based on the latest Mustang, the 2011 Shelby GT500 is powered by a new aluminum-block 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine, which churns out 550 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque.

New 2012 Chevrolet Aveo Sedan and Hatchback

What you see here are official design patent drawings of the all-new 2012 Chevrolet Aveo four-door sedan and five-door hatchback models, filed by General Motors. The next generation of GM's Ford Fiesta rival was teased in concept form with the sporty Aveo RS hatchback study at 2010 Detroit Auto Show in January while shortly after we also got a sneak peak of the sedan variant through some leaked illustrations.

The drawings of the five-door model suggest that the production version follows pretty closely to the RS concept minus of course some snazzy details like the shaved door handles, big alloy wheels and the more pronounced side sills that made the concept model really stand out.

However, the hatchback does keep the concept study's hidden rear door handles that are concealed in the C-pillars. The sedan, on the other hand, gets a more conventional design.

We're likely to see the production versions of both the sedan and hatchback Aveo making their official debut by the end of this year's auto show season, possibly even at the Paris show in September, with sales following in 2011.

Luxury 2011 Citroen C4

Following on from yesterday's release of the first photos of Citroën's new C4 compact hatchback, we just got our hands on a short static film as well as details on the engine range that will be available at launch.

When it goes on sale across Europe after its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show, the French firm's Golf-rival will be offered with a total of three petrol (plus one LPG capable) and three diesel engines.

The gasoline range includes a 95HP 1.4-liter unit coupled to a five-speed manual, a 120HP 1.6-liter available with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, an LPG capable version of the 1.6L unit, and finally a 1.6-liter turbo with 155HP that's hooked up to a 6-speed semi-automatic gearbox.

Diesel fans can choose between a 1.6-liter HDi producing 90HP or 105HP (both linked to a manual gearbox), and a 2.0L HDi with 150HP coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission.

Furthermore, the two 1.6-liter HDi units are available in e-HDi versions that come with a semi-automatic 6-speed transmission and Citroën's new pseudo micro-hybrid system that features the latest generation Stop & Start system.

Output remains the same on the two e-HDi variants but fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are improved over the standard HDi models.