The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL is officially out of the bag before its debut at next month’s Detroit Auto Show. And like its predecessors over the last five decades, the new SL continues to offer S-Class luxury and innovations in a svelte, drop-top package.

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The Detroit Auto Show is right around the corner, now just a few weeks away. And with each approaching day, we get a clearer picture of what to expect when the doors open at Motown’s Cobo Hall on January 9.

Here we have our first glimpse at a new concept car which Lexus will be unveiling at the show. All we have to go on so far is the teaser image you see above, but from what we can tell it looks very aggressive, and rather sportscar-like.

Penned by Lexus’ Calty studio in Newport Beach, the concept is said to preview a bolder new design language for the Toyota luxury division.

Everyone knows there is nothing slow about the Ferrari 458 Italia. Of course, that doesn’t mean the completely insane 2932 pound 1115 horsepower Koenigsegg Agera R doesn’t have the power to make the 458 look a lot slower than it actually is.
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Have we told you how badly we want a reboot of the Toyota Supra (and the Honda NSX)? One of the iconic cars of Gen X youth, the Supra died an untimely death in the mid-1990s along with the rest of the Japanese sports car market. This was, of course, long before most of us had managed to graduate from college and get decent enough jobs to be able to afford anything more exciting than a used Honda Civic.

So yes, we hang on every word out of Japan, and the latest comes via Motor Trend. It’s reporting that a hybrid, 400-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 powertrain is being tested for possible release in 2015. The new Supra would look a lot like the FT-HS concept that Toyota showed at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, according to the magazine, which also says that if we really want to see this Supra successor, we’d better hope the Toyota GT 86/Scion FR-S does well.

The rumors have been swirling for the better part of six years and now Acura has confirmed that the next generation NSX is finally on its way. The Detroit Auto Show will play host to three new Acura models, with the centre ring occupied by a concept version of Acura’s next-gen supercar.

Playing second and third fiddle will be the automaker’s interpretation of a compact luxury sedan, dubbed the ILX and competing in the same class as the BMW 1 Series, new Mercedes A-Class and Lexus CT200h. Power will be sent to the front wheels by either a 2.0-liter inline four or an optional hybrid drivetrain, with pricing somewhere south of $30k thanks to its Civic roots. Finally, Acura will show off a prototype version of the 2013 Acura RDX that gives current owners more of what their after, including fuel efficiency.

There isn’t much in the way of hints or details from Honda, but we do know that the NSX will take aim at the Audi R8 with a V6 hybrid powerplant mounted amidships and sending power to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The exterior will most certainly be inspired by the concept playing beside actor Robert Downey Jr. in the third Ironman instalment and pricing won’t be anywhere near that of the Lexus LFA – Honda wants this to be obtainable, and if C/D is to be believed, it’s already been approved for 2013 production.

SOURCE via Autoblog

In Germany, having a reliable car is almost a rite of passage. That is, you won’t be granted passage onto the roadways if you’re car hasn’t passed the government’s strict testing regime.

Called the Technischer Überwachungsverei and generally shortened to TÜV, the organization first gets its hands and diagnostic equipment on your new car after its third year of service, and then again every two years after that. If your car fails its first go-round at the TÜV, it gets sent to a repair shop. If it fails again, it’s off to the great junkyard in the sky.

No wonder, then, that consumers are eager to see the results of the TÜV’s checkups year after year. And for 2011, after 7,779,312 million inspections, the Toyota Prius and Porsche 911 have taken home golden trophies in two different classes.

Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Germany’s iconic sports car was found to be so reliable, even after 10 or more years of ownership – after all, we’d imagine that most owners take extremely good care of their pride and joy. Plus, the 911 employs a design that practically dates back to the dawn of the German automobile itself, which means Porsche has had plenty of time to refine its mechanicals.

If you’re looking for something a bit newer, it seems the Toyota Prius is your best bet. For the second year in a row, the Japanese hybrid hatchback earned top marks in the three-year-old category, beating out the Toyota Auris and Mazda2.

And the worst? The Ford Ka. After 10 years, Ford’s mini-mobile fails its TÜV certification a whopping 38.9 percent of the time. As for the three-year-olds, the Dacia Logan’s 12.7-percent failure rate puts it in last spot. Now we know why Proton isn’t sold in Germany.

The Scion FR-S may not be big on power, but Toyota and Subaru engineers have delivered a lightweight, rear-drive coupe at what should be a palatable price point. That sounds like a recipe for track day fun if you ask us, or you can watch the post-jump video for visual evidence.

One drifter as he has his way with the FR-S on a track, and his camera was capturing the frames for proof. The cockpit commander in question here is Formula Drift racer Ken Gushi, and he seemed easily able to nose in and kick out the rump, often without the use of the parking brake. Well, he’s a professional drifter to begin with, and also the tarmac is slightly dame. A light rain may have helped the drifts along a bit, but we’re encouraged by what we see. Hit the jump for some entertaining sideways shenanigans. And by the looks of it, this ride’s insurance premium will be rather high.

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The Nissan Leaf became the first 100% electric vehicle to be named the Japan Car of the Year for 2011-2012 on Friday at the Tokyo Motor Show. Nissan’s Leaf, which hit the roads in the US in December of 2010, was sold mostly in the US and Japan – and the award recognized it as the first mass-marketable all-electric vehicle to make it past the production phase and into thousands of homes. Check out the video interview with Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga about the honor after the jump.

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BMW has finally revealed its long-awaited Mercedes CLS competitor: the 6-Series Gran Coupe. This Gran Coupe becomes the third installment in the 6er line-up along with the coupe and convertible variants.

The 4-door coupe which borrows majority of its exterior looks from the current 6-Series is 111mm longer than its coupe counterpart, from a total length of 5,007mm and a wheelbase of 2,968mm. In comparison, the current CLS has a 2,875mm wheelbase, which is slightly shorter than the Gran Coupe.

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There’s a vehicle for you if you have reoccurring nightmares about uncertain river crossings in the classic computer game Oregon Trail. The Iguana 29 is an amphibious vehicle designed to slowly go where no boat has gone before.

At the push of a button, the craft can lower two tank treads to pull itself across land at around five miles per hour, or about a quarter of the speed of the average automotive journalist shuffling his way to an open bar. So, it’s not quick, but the machine could be incredibly useful in areas with exaggerated tides where docking your craft can be a hassle. The Iguana 29 simply allows owners to drive their boat up onto the beach, safe and sound.

With the treads stowed on open water, the Iguana 29 is good for a top speed of 35 knots, which is a far cry quicker than its land capability. How much will you have to pay for such a fine piece of engineering? Try $290,000. On second thought, we’ve never been much bothered by tides, exaggerated or not. Hit the jump to check out a video of the Iguana 29 in action.

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