VIDEO: 2010 BMW 5-Series Prototype Gets Pulled Over by German Police!

Believe it or not, a 2010 BMW 5-Series sedan test mule was pulled over by German police on the Autobahn and the incident was briefly filmed by a camera woman from 'TVnews Hessen' that happened to be at the right place, at the right time - or at least that's the word on the street. According to the German media, the officers found the riveted-body of the BMW 5-Series prototype suspicious so they decided to take a closer look at the car - yeah right, as if it's the first time that cops see a camouflaged car on the Autobahn... But anyway. Skip the jump to watch the video that includes exterior and interior footage of the bimmer (allegedly a 535d) as it was inspected by the police. - Hat tip to Marcus!

VIDEO: Dodge Boys Racing Hot Charger Bus Commercials

Dodge's motorsport division has launched a new series of online ads featuring the company's 'big-bad' NASCAR bus that will be making an 88-stop tour across the country to promote the Dodge product lineup. Nicely done commercials, too bad that Chrysler's PR department (ha, that's a good one...) hasn't taken the time to promote the ads as we stumbled upon them by chance, but we guess we'll get the word around...

Honda Accord CrossTour Spied: BMW 5-Series GT Meets its Japanese Match?

The camouflaged prototype you're looking at the picture above is autoofcars2011.blogspot other than Honda's forthcoming crossover-liftback thingy, often called "CrossTour". The car was scooped by forum member GoVdubSPEEDGo aka "M. Balinsky" who came upon two prototype models while vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains. Not to be mistaken for Acura's upcoming ZDX model that follows in the lines of BMW's X6 SAV, the so-called CrossTour appears to be a fastback variation of the U.S. market Honda Accord with a slightly higher but more sloped roofline.

And yes, the first thing that came to mind upon viewing the photos of the CrossTour was that the new Honda appears to be surprisingly close in philosophy (but far apart in price) to the BMW 5-Series GT. Hopefully next time the Japanese carmaker decides to take an "adventurous" lesson from the Bavarian firm it will be for something more in the likes of the M3 or M5...

Source: VWvortex , Via: Autoblog.com

VIDEO: Volvo S60 Four-Door Coupe Concept First Drive

In about a year's time, Swedish automaker Volvo will perform the market launch of the all new S60 premium sedan that will be heavily based on the stylish S60 Concept that made its global debut at the Detroit Show this past January. We've already seen static footage of the four-door coupe design study but now Sweden's Teknikens Varld magazine took the one-off concept car for a quick spin. Unfortunately, Google has yet to find a way to automatically translate audio from videos, so unless you happen to hook up with a bilingual Swedish gal, you're better off lowering the volume in order to enjoy to the ride.

Via: Teknikens

Toyota Sends Dealers Back to School at New Corporate Sales College

As they say, learning is earning so Toyota has decided to bring dealers from around the world to its newly named 'Toyota Sales Logistic College' at the company's Japanese headquarters in Toyota City - we bet you anything that there's a professor somewhere there named Toyota... The automaker's goal with the four-week long courses is to re-educate dealers on how to serve customers the "Toyota Way". School opens for domestic dealers on June 1 with sales people from other countries including Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India and Panama set to take a seat from mid-July.

Although the sales program is opening for American dealers, according to Autonews, so far no one has enrolled from the States for the college's first year. The price for each four-week course has been set at 45,000 YEN or about $470 US with the current exchange rates with food and lodging being provided by local distributors in the dealer's home country

Via: AN (Sub. Req.)

'Aristocratic' Tuning: Hamann Rolls Royce Phantom and Drophead Coupe

Tuners are leaving no stone unturned these harsh economic times in their pursuit to make a buck or two. And what better candidates for some extra cash than the Rolls Royce Phantom limo and its convertible offspring, the Phantom Drophead Coupe. Though Hamann Motorsports has yet to disclose something official, these photos made their way into the net revealing the two cars. Aside from the massive 23-inch alloy wheels that are available in various designs, we didn't any other exterior changes on the Phantoms. A photograph of the interior though reveals that the German tuner has developed a new three spoke sport steering wheel for both models.

It is also said, but not verified, that Hamann Motorsport's Phantom package also includes an engine kit that boosts the 6.75-liter V12's output from 460HP to 535HP and maximum torque from 720Nm to 835Nm (615-lbs/ft). Along with the removal of the speed limiter, it is claimed that both Phantoms reach a top speed of 300km/h or 187 mph.

Via: Autoblog.nl

BMW Announces Special Edition M3 Coupe Models, Sales Start this Summer

In keeping with the special edition theme that seems to pervade the German car industry these days, BMW has announced that it will be releasing a quartet of M3 Coupes dubbed 'M3 Edition Models.' Available in four body colors with matching interior designs and a special features that include new light-alloy wheels and an even lower chassis, the M3 Edition Models will go on sale worldwide this summer with production limited to just six months. Depending on the respective Edition model, the body comes either in Alpine White Non-Metallic, Black Non-Metallic, Dakar Yellow Non-Metallic or Monte Carlo Blue Metallic.

Unique exterior features include the black finish on the openings on the engine compartment lid and the exterior mirror caps while the BMW kidney grille, the side gills and the dual tailpipes on the exhaust system come in dark eloxy-plated chrome.

The M3 Edition Models rides on 19-inch forged M light-alloy rims in double-spoke design that are available either in black or in the classic rim color. Furthermore, on the Alpine White, Black and Monte Carlo Blue models, BMW offers the same rims in a special white contrasting color with polished spokes.

BMW has also upped the M3 Coupe's interior. All models come with black leather seats feature contrasting seams (white on the Alpine White and Black models, yellow on the Dakar Yellow and blue on the Monte Carlo Blue) as well as vertical trim stripes on the upper section of the backrest and at the front of the legrest.

Same goes for the leather/ plastic trim on the center armrest, the center console and the armrests on the door panels. The entry trim bars in Checkered Flag Design bearing the "M3" model designation round up the interior upgrades.

The special edition M3 Coupe models also come with a sportier suspension set up that lowers the entire body by 10 millimeters or 0.4-inches. Other than that, there are no other mechanical changes with the M3 Edition Models holding on to the 4.0-liter V8 engine that produces 420HP with power being transferred to the rear wheels either through the standard six-speed manual gearbox or via the optional M double-clutch seven-speed gearbox. As a reminder, the manual version goes from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.8 seconds while the twin-clutch gearbox model in 4.6 seconds.

BREAKING: Report Claims that GM and Magna Reach Preliminary Deal on Opel - Vauxhall

Citing an unnamed source close to the negotiations, Reuters reported on Friday that General Motors has reached a preliminary deal with Canadian auto parts supplier Magna International on the sale of Opel and Vauxhall. "We have an agreement in principle between GM and Magna," the source was quoted as saying. The two sides are said to have reached a tentative agreement and are now scrambling to work out the details before meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later on Friday to sign a memorandum of understanding. Earlier today, Italian carmaker Fiat S.p.A pulled out of the talks with the German Government in Berlin over a financing dispute.

Via: Reuters

GM to Build New Small Car at Idle U.S. Plant and Not China

Faced with heavy criticism after it was revealed that it was planning to increase vehicle imports from lower-wage economies such as Mexico and China, General Motors announced on Friday plans to build a future small car in the U.S. utilizing an idled UAW-GM facility. The automaker's vague press release does not give out any details on the car (though everything points towards the 2011 Chevy Spark) nor the location of the plant with GM saying that the selection of the site "will be determined in the future". However, the carmaker did note that the re-tooled factory will be capable of building around 160,000 cars annually, which can be a combination of both small and compact vehicles.

According to General Motors, the introduction of the small car will boost the company's percentage of U.S.-built cars and trucks sold in the States from about 67 percent today, to beyond 70 percent by 2013.

"Small cars represent one of the fastest growing segments in both the U.S. and around the world," said Fritz Henderson, General Motors President and CEO. "We believe this car will be a winner with our current and future customers in the U.S."

"I would like to personally thank the UAW for agreeing to work with us to ensure our overall manufacturing competitiveness in the United States. It takes a special effort by everyone to bring a domestically produced small car to market in a cost-competitive and profitable way - but that is what we are going to do together," Henderson added.

2009 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter gets New Diesel Engines and 6-Speed Gearboxes

For the 2009MY, Mercedes-Benz's Sprinter van has been updated with the introduction of a new generation of diesel engines and six-speed manual transmissions along with numerous, but of less importance, features. The new four-cylinder OM 651 diesel engine is a completely new design sharing only shares its overall displacement of 2.15-liters with its predecessor. It is available with three outputs (95HP and 250Nm, 129HP and 305Nm, 163HP and 360Nm) and complies with the stricter Euro 5 emission standard.

The range-topping 3.0-liter V6 OM 642 diesel engine has been revised for 2009 producing a slightly higher (190HP at 3,800 rpm) output and a ten percent increase in maximum torque (440Nm at 1400-2400 rpm).

Both the four-cylinder and V6 diesel engines are offered with a new ECO Gear six-speed manual transmission with a low first gear and high sixth gear. The transmission is available in two versions, namely the ECO Gear 360 for the four-cylinder engines and the heavy-duty ECO Gear 480 with wider gear teeth and a more rigid housing for the six-cylinder diesel engine.

Other improvements for the 2009MY Sprinter include the enhanced ESP trailer stabilisation system, the new adaptive brake light, heated wide-angle mirror, lower position of the front foglamps and automatic transmission with Start-Off Assist plus a new wireless hands-free system and radio units.

New Special Edition Volkswagen Touran Freestyle

Those folks down at Wolfsburg sure love their special edition models. This time it's the Touran minivan's turn for the marketing spotlight as VW has announced the release of the 'Freestyle' model. The cosmetic package includes smoked headlights and tail lamps, tinted rear and side windows, matte chrome grille and roof bars plus 16-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Touran Freestyle gains leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel, gearshift knob and handbrake lever, decorative aluminum trim and enhanced standard equipment that includes an upgraded audio-and GPS system.

In Germany, the special edition version of the Golf-based Touran minivan is available with two petrol (102HP and 140HP) and two diesel engines (105HP and 140HP) as well as an EcoFuel variant that can run on natural gas producing 150HP. Prices start from €25,925 which comes to around $36,000 with the current exchange rates.

FIAT Skips Talks with German Gov. on Opel, Disagrees with Emergency Funding

Italian automaker Fiat S.p.A, has announced that it will not attend a scheduled meeting today with the German government due to "perplexed" financial issues that came up during talks for the acquisition of GM's Opel unit. In a prepared statement, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchione said that the Italian automaker had not been informed of key financial factors and data on Opel and that the company could not take "unnecessary risks" to fund Opel on an emergency basis as requested by Berlin. However, Fiat said that the company is still interested in buying Opel and is committed to continue discussions with all parties involved in order to find a solution. Hit the jump to read the full statement from Sergio Marchione.

"The search for a partner for Opel which has been initiated by General Motors, and which has involved the German government due to the request for financial assistance, has been a complicated and uneven process," said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer of Fiat S.p.A.

"We have been involved in these activities for a number of weeks now, and have tried to follow in a responsible manner the requests made by the various parties involved in the selection process. The issues that emerged from the last round of negotiations on Tuesday and Wednesday have left us perplexed, since we had not been advised until then of certain key financial factors and data which we consider to be essential to the formulation of a proper merger offer."

"Given the nature of the process itself and its short duration, Fiat has been unable to have full access to the financial records of Opel to determine its precise financial condition and thus properly frame a merger proposal that would be fair to General Motors as the seller and to Fiat S.p.A."

"The last round of requests which would require Fiat, among other things, to fund Opel on an emergency basis while the German government determines the exact timing and conditions of the interim financing, would expose Fiat to unnecessary and unwarranted risks."

"It is in fact unreasonable to expect, on the basis of prudent business judgment and proper governance of its affairs, that Fiat would provide funds to an organization whose financial details and position remain unknown to date. The brevity of time between the request and the date that the commitment must be made is such that proper due diligence cannot be performed."

"We remain committed to finding ways to bridge the expectations of both General Motors and the German government," continued Sergio Marchionne, "but the emergency nature of the situation cannot put Fiat in a position to take on extravagant risks. We have already offered to contribute our auto business assets to the merger on a debt-free basis and thus provide substantial, and absolutely necessary equity to the merger, but also the related cash-flow stream which will help stabilize the performance of the combined entities during the integration and restructuring process. More cannot be asked."

2010 MINI Crossman: New Spy Shots of Five-Door Crossover

The highly anticipated MINI Crossman (bear in mind that it could be named Crossover or something entirely different) has been out testing again and our spy photographers where on spot to capture it red handed. While the prototype models continue to wear the full body psychedelic camouflage, these latest scoop photos give us a better view of the car. Changes from the more avant-garde Crossover Concept seen at the 2008 Paris motorshow include the replacement of the complicated asymmetric doors with conventionally hinged rear doors and a normal liftgate (don't let the disguise fool you into believing that it features Clubman-style split rear doors) instead of the concept's huge side-hinged door.

The Crossman, which is larger than the Clubman, will be first production MINI to measure more than 4 meters in length. Expect its exterior dimensions to be similar to the concept measuring around 4,050mm (159.5-in.) in length, 1,830mm (72.0-in.) in width and 1,598mm (62.9-in.) in height.

Even though this has not been officially confirmed, it is believed that the Crossman is loosely based on BMW's upcoming X1 SUV with the two crossovers sharing the same platform and plenty of technology including the Bavarian firm's all-wheel drive system dubbed 'xDrive'. From the photos it is evident that the Crossman features an increased ground clearance which should help bolster its (soft) off-road credentials.

From what we understand, MINI will offer the Crossman with a mix of new and currently available four-cylinder diesel and gasoline engines, the latter in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms.

Notably, it will be built the first MINI to be built outside the UK at Magna Steyr's factory in Austria as the British automaker's Cowley plant does not have sufficient capacity to handle production. The Crossman is expected to arrive in MINI showrooms sometime during the second half of 2010.