Take that you devilish Acura-grille haters; with or without knowing it, famous Mercedes-Benz tuner, Lorinser, has followed in the footsteps of Honda's luxury arm crafting a beak-like grille on the 2010 E-Class Coupe. The new radiator grille is part of Lorinser's most recent package for the two-door German model.

Acura beak aside, body changes include a redesigned front bumper with integrated LED daytime running lights, new side skirts, a trunk lid spoiler, a rear bumper with a diffuser and a four pipe exhaust system.

A roof-mounted spoiler and new alloy wheels available in various designs and sizes up to 20-inches plus a 30mm lowered suspension round off the exterior package.

For the interior, Lorinser's offerings include aluminum pedals, a revised instrument cluster with a scaling of up to 330 km/h, a special floor mat set with leather lining and embroidered Lorinser emblem as well as illuminated door sills.

The German tuner said that it is currently working on several performance packages with more details to be released at a later date.

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A team of tuners, allegedly from Thailand, chose to sacrifice a 1990s Opel Calibra coupe to create this Aston Martin DB9 replica. We don't have any details on the project, but judging by the photos, we gather that it could fool an untrained eye.

While not a popular model for conversions, this isn't the first time we've seen an Opel Calibra being used as a donor car for the creation of a replica.

If you click here, you can check out a Calibra-based Porsche 911 Turbo replica that was up for grabs on eBay a couple of years ago.

Via: Topspeed & Motofilm

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Opel Calibra

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Welcome to a new series which will be following your favorite cars that made it from concept to reality. Strap in, it's about to get fun-u-cational. As always, any recommendations, suggestions, thoughts and ideas are much welcome.

Audi's TT: The little squashed Beetle that could (and did). This is the car that brought Audi some serious attention in the mid- to late-90's while also influencing design for the brand that always wanted to play in the BMW/Benz league. Mission accomplished.

Debut (Concept): 1995 Frankfurt International Auto Show (TT Coupe) ; 1995 Tokyo Motor Show (TTS Roadster)

Debut (Production): 1998 Paris Motor Show (1999 Model Year Audi TT Coupe) ; 1999 Geneva Motor Show (2000 MY Audi TT Roadster)

Lost in translation: Other than the Coupe's more cleanly styled rooftop design that did not include rear-quarter windows and the TTS's funky front fender vents, not a whole lot.

But we got to keep: Just about everything else including the baseball stitching on the roadster's seats. Sweet.

Fun fact: The TT name has a bit of a bickering going on behind it. While those clinging to the past stand by the fact that it hearkens back to the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) motorcycle race and NSU's Prinz-based 1000TT, 1200TT, and TTS of the 1960's, others claim Audi originally meant for it to stand for Technology & Tradition.

Did you Know? Due to some highly publicized high speeds crashes, Audi was forced to revise the TT's suspension and ESP settings, and to add a rear spoiler to force the car to stick to the road.

Where is it now? Enjoying a second generation with a more mature design that incorporates a retractable rear spoiler, and more trim levels that you can throw a shoe at, including a 5-cylinder, turbocharged 340-horse RS bomb-on-wheels.

By Phil Alex

Phil Alex was born in Rhode Island in 1985. He graduated with degrees in Finance and German from Wofford College in 2007 and has had an obsession with cars and travel. Currently he resides near Japan's international airport in Narita. He makes no apologies for his articles and welcomes all feedback, as long as it is adamantly worded. If for any reason you are inclined to vent some more, check out more of his posts on the Examiner here.

AUDI TT COUPE CONCEPT

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AUDI TTS ROADSTER CONCEPT

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1998-2006 AUDI TT COUPE & ROADSTER PRODUCTION MODELS

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BMW's North American division has released official details on the new 335is Coupe and Convertible models ahead of their world debut at the New York International Auto Show in April.

Based on the facelifted versions of the 3-Series Coupe and Convertible, the 335is feature a detuned version of the 340HP N54 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight six found in the also new Z4 sDrive35is.

In the 335is this unit produces 320 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque with up to 370 lb-ft of torque available through the use of temporary overboost. As a reminder, BMW replaced the 300HP twin-turbo six N54 with the new 300HP single-turbo six N55 in the 2011 335i.

Aside from the more potent 320HP engine, the 335is are also the first 3-Series models in the U.S. to be offered with BMW's 7-speed Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) with Launch Control as an option, in place of the standard 6-speed manual transmission.

BMW said that top speed of the 335is will be electronically limited to 150 mph or 241km/h.

The 335is Coupe performs 0-60 mph (96km/h) runs in 5.0 seconds with the optional 7-speed DCT and 5.1 seconds with the manual 6-speed. The 335is Convertible, meanwhile, requires 5.2 seconds for the 0-60mph run whether equipped with the 6-speed manual or optional 7-speed DCT.

Other notable upgrades under the hood include the additional radiator behind the left-side front air intake, along with a more powerful electric cooling fan, stiffer engine mounts and a new sport exhaust system.

Above and beyond the cosmetic tweaks of the facelift models, the 335is get M Style bumpers, the rear with an integrated diffuser, new kidney grille surrounds in high gloss black, Shadowline black window trim, wing mirror caps in high gloss black, and standard 18-inch light alloy wheels in ferric grey color (19-inch are optional).

Inside, the M Sport upgrades concern the M Sport steering wheel, sport seats, anthracite headliner, M door sills, M driver's footrest, M gearshift knob, and stainless steel sport pedals. The instrument cluster dials in dark grey with a "335is" badge on the tachometer face and the "335is" badge on the passenger side dashboard complete the changes.

The 335is will initially be available only in the U.S. and Canada with prices in the States starting from $50,525 including destination for the 335is Coupe, and $59,075 including destination for the Convertible.

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In celebration of the second anniversary of the UK launch of its popular 500 city car, Fiat brought a unique collection of special edition 500s from all over the world to its Marylebone showroom in London. These include the 500 Capri by Castagna, the 500 Valentino Rossi, 500 by Andy, 500 Diabolika, 500 Ron Arad, 500byDiesel, a racing Abarth 500 and the new limited-run 500 Pink, which went on sale in the UK earlier this week.

To mark the occasion, the dealership held a private preview for Fiat customers, VIPs and UK celebrities such as TV actor Angela Griffin and our personal favorite, Raef Bjayou - he's the smiley guy with the wicked hairdo on the right.

And for those that missed the opportunity to see the 500s, no need to get uspet as from today, each of the special cars will be displayed in the Wigmore Street flagship's showroom window, one at a time, until the end of February.

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So what if Alfa Romeo's long-awaited replacement for the departed 166 premium sedan has been put on hold for now (from what we've heard, same goes for the successors to the 159, Brera and Spider) while the Fiat Group revaluates the historic brand's future? It little matters to independent designers like Jacob Mcmurry who have the freedom to envision the future of any model they wish.

In this case, Mcmurry designed a futuristic-looking proposal for a range-topping Alfa Romeo in 2017 that is said to have been inspired by the Carnival of Venice - don't ask...

The designer claims that the 'pointy' Italian saloon with the weird boat tail end would be ideally equipped with a V8 diesel sending power to the rear wheels. More pics after the break.

Via: Yankodesign

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While Toyota's European press department gave us only a pair of photos and no details whatsoever on the revised 2010 Auris pointing towards the Geneva Show for more information, the Japanese firm's UK arm announced the launch of facelifted model releasing pricing as well specifications.

Furthermore, Toyota revealed that the sales of the British-built full hybrid Auris HSD that shares its gasoline-electric drivetrain with the Prius Hybrid will commence in July. We expect to see the production version of the Auris HSD making its world premiere at the Geneva Show in March.

Toyota wants us to believe that Auris has been fully restyled on the outside, but fact is, we doubt that your average buyer will even notice the changes.

These include a new deep front bumper, reshaped headlamps, revised grille and bonnet profile with stronger crease lines plus newly styled 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels.

The revised tail lamp clusters, the new rear bumper with extended corner sections and the integrated turn indicators on the door mirrors complete the exterior makeover.

Inside, Toyota said (but did not show) that a soft-touch material has been introduced across the top of the instrument binnacle and around the glovebox, while the centre console has been revised with changes to the instrument design.

The new white illumination for the Optitron instrument dials and the new cloth upholstery designs round off the interior updates.

Toyota added that the it has also fine-tuned the Auris' suspension and steering systems to improve driver feedback and handling.

With the exception of the Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) that will go on sale in July, the are no changes to the rest of the engine range that comprises a 1.33-litre petrol engine with Toyota Stop & Start technology, a 1.6 Valvematic petrol with manual or MultiMode transmission and 1.4 D-4D diesel, again with manual gearbox or Multimode.

In the UK, the revised Auris in three- and five-door body styles is on sale now with prices ranging from £14,463 to £16,495 - see detailed pricing in the list above.

2010 TOYOTA AURIS FACELIFT

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TOYOTA AURIS HSD HYBRID CONCEPT STUDY

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Italy's Fiat Group, which recently bought a 20 per cent stake in Chrysler, is continuing to shake up its executive and business structure. Today, the company's boss, Sergio Marchionne revealed plans to create a new group for the sporty Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Abarth brands that will be headed by Harald J. Wester, born in Linz am Rhein, Germany, on 26 February 1958.

As part of these plans, the 52-year-old former VW and Audi executive was appointed today CEO of Alfa Romeo automobiles replacing Sergio Cravero, who will assume responsibility for Product Portfolio Planning & Product Concept of Fiat Group Automobiles.

Fiat said that Wester will maintain his current positions as Chief Technical Officer for Fiat Group and Fiat Group Automobiles and Chief Executive Officer of Maserati and Abarth.

"The purpose of bringing the Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Abarth brands under the same leadership is to emphasize and leverage the value of the shared qualities of the three brands in terms of their sporting characteristics and performance," said Marchionne.

Recent reports state that Marchionne is reviewing several options for the Fiat Group's money losing Alfa Romeo marque.

According to Autonews, among the options under consideration is to stop all investments for the brand leaving Alfa with two new models, the Giulietta and MiTo hatchbacks and three older cars, the 3-Series-fighting 159 Sedan / SportWagon, the Brera Coupe and the Spider.

If the new Giulietta five-door hatch proves successful, then Marchionne would revaluate the brand's future, otherwise Alfa could find itself in a very difficult position.

However, it's 100 per cent certain that if for any reason Fiat decides to shut down the brand in the near future, the company will face a public backlash in Italy and elsewhere as Alfa Romeo is a historic marque with many hardcore fans around the world - if you thought Saab has many loyalists, wait till you see the "Alfisti"...

Fortunately though, there's also another option on the table for Alfa and that's to invest in the historic brand by using common platforms with Chrysler's mid-size models for the 159's replacement and a new range-topping sedan that would rival the BMW 5-Series, with both cars being built and offered in the States as well.

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This week, BMW held a press event for its 2011MY 5-Series saloon in Lisbon, Portugal giving journalists their first taste of the all-new premium sedan before it goes on sale in Europe this March and shortly after in other key markets around the world. If you follow the jump, you can watch videos of both the new 535i and 530d from the Lisbon presentation as well as a short film on sedan's new parallel-park assist system.

As a reminder, the 2011 5-Series is based on a newly developed vehicle architecture also featured in the 5-Series GT as well as the 7 Series luxury sedan.

The 530d is powered by a 3.0-liter turbo diesel with 245hp and 540Nm of peak torque (398 lb-ft) that propels the car from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 6.3 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

BMW claims that the 530d returns a combined fuel economy in the EU cycle of 6.3lt/100km or 37.3 mpg US.

The new 535i gets a new 3.0-liter straight-six with a single, twin-scroll turbocharger pushing out 306HP and 400Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque for a zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 6.0 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h or 155mph.

The petrol model returns a combined fuel economy of 8.5lt/100km or 27.7mpg US.

In Europe, the new 5-Series will also be available with two more diesels, a 184HP 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit (520d) and a 204HP 3.0-liter inline six (525d) as well as three more petrol engines, a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter straight six with 204HP (523i) and 258HP (528i) and a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 407HP (550i)>

All versions of the new 5 Series saloon are available as an option with BMW's new eight-speed automatic transmission.

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These photographs of a diecast model that appears to show the yet-to-be revealed Renault Twingo CC in production guise, surfaced on the internet today. According to the interwebs, the diecast was produced by Norev, a French company well known for its scale models.

Mind you that this is not the first time we've seen future production models previewed through a diecast - the same thing happened with the Citroen C4 Picasso back in 2006 and more recently with the latest-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate last summer.

Meaning, it's not out of the ordinary for automakers to share their designs with scale model makers. Only thing is that the diecasts shouldn't be shown before the actual product...

Now, back to the Renault Twingo CC, the styling of the scale model seems pretty much consistent with what we've seen in the spy photos up until now- see below.

Based on the popular Twingo hatchback, the two-seater CC is said to feature a rotating central-piece rooftop that stows away inside the boot.

It will keep the hatchback model's front-wheel drive as well as the range of small-displacement petrol engines that include a 1.2-liter turbo and a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter unit.

Even though most anticipated that Renault's small cabrio would be unwrapped at last year's Frankfurt Show, obviously that didn't happen. Chances are that we'll see the car making its debut either at the Geneva Salon in March or at the Paris Show in autumn.

Via: Blogautomobile

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