New Saab 9-3 to Debut in Early 2013 with a Different Name, 9-2 Successor Still on the Table

Refreshingly enough, this isn’t a story about Saab’s troubles. Instead, it is a ray of hope as the Swedish carmaker lays out its plans for the future. These include a replacement for the aging 9-3 sedan, which according to Saab’s North American president, Tim Colbeck, will debut in the first quarter of 2013.

The new 9-3 will be an all-new model and will feature, as Colbeck says, an “edgy reinterpretation of design cues from the company’s past”, though he declined to elaborate.

What he did divulge though is that Saab is seriously contemplating dropping the 9-3 moniker and adopting another one from the company’s heritage: “There’s a chance we might move away from that” was his statement.

Colbeck also revealed that Saab has plans for the development of a smaller model which would be a modern-day successor to the 92 that was produced from the late ‘40s till the mid-50s: “It wasn’t in the business plan prior to the new investment, and now it is”.

In the meantime, the Swedish company said it will introduce in US this fall the 2012MY versions of the 9-4X and the 9-5 sedan and station wagon

Story sources: Autonews [Sub. Req.]

Bad Ass Ford Transit Powered by a 440HP BMW M5 V8

The European market Ford Transit van isn't exactly the first vehicle that springs to mind when it comes to drifting - at least not in stock form. Then again, the modded Transit you're about to enjoy burning a lot of rubber in the videos after the break is far from stock.

This "Made in Poland" monster van packs the almighty 4.9-liter V8 engine from a BMW M5 E39, tuned to deliver around 440-horses, up from the standard model's 400HP.

Scroll down to watch Polish RallyCross Champion Marcin Wicik put the BMW M5-powered Transit through its paces.

Sources: Youtube via Jalopnik

SPIED: Ferrari Continues Work on 599's Replacement

After the launch of the 458 Italia and more recently, the four-seater FF, Ferrari is now concentrating on the development of its next supercar, which will replace the 599 GTB Fiorano and is currently known by its F152 codename.

Our spy photographers caught up with a test mule of the F152 wearing a modified body shell of the current 599 GTO over a new chassis that is believed to share many components with the FF.

Ferrari's four-seat supercar will also lend its new 6.3-liter V12 with direct-injection technology to the F152, but further honed to develop around 700 horsepower. However, we won't see the FF's all-wheel drive system as Ferrari will keep the F152 strictly rear-wheel drive.

Power will likely be transferred to the road through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and an electronic differential on the rear-axle.

The 599's replacement will make extensive use of composite panels to further reduce the car's weight and boost performance and handling.

While Maranello continues to be silent on the matter, recent reports suggest that the production version of the Ferrari F152 may be revealed as early as next year at the 2012 Geneva auto show.

Is this the JDM 2012 Toyota Camry?

We've seen official teaser shots and unofficial video footage of the next generation of the 2012 Toyota Camry that give us a rough idea of what the North American market version will look like when it arrives in showrooms later this year,

However, the USA and Canada aren’t the only markets expecting the new Camry. So is the Asia Pacific region, albeit in a slightly modified form.

Now, thanks to a forum member of VW Vortex we have what appears to be scans from an unnamed magazine allegedly featuring brochure shots of the Japanese domestic market [JDM] 2012 Toyota Camry.

If these pictures do indeed show the real thing (we can't be 100 percent sure), then the JDM Camry will get a different fascia with reshaped headlamps as well as modified tail lights.

In the brochure we see that there are two engines listed, a 2.5-liter unit codenamed 2AR-FXE and a 2.4-liter powerplant identified as the 2AZ-FXE. Both engines are linked to an electric motor (hence the two different output numbers) and will be offered on the Camry Hybrid.

Under the engine list, we find a fuel economy rating of 26.5 km/lt that equals 62.3mpg US and 3.7lt/100km, however, this number denotes the Japanese driving cycle and as such, cannot be directly compared to U.S. or Euro figures.

Story source: VW Vortex

New Ferrari 458 Italia Spider to get a Retractable Hardtop?

We recently told you about a report from German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport saying that Ferrari is planning to hold the world premiere of the open-top 458 Italia Spider at next month's 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

While the report stated that the Spider would get a "soft top", Darren from Teamspeed came in contact with Carscoop and told us that the Italian exotic will definitely feature a retractable hardtop and that they have seen the car "first hand".

Well, it won't be long before we find out, but in the meantime, scroll down to check out the artist renderings of the 458 Italia Spider.

Via Teamspeed

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Under Investigation Over Fuel Leak Complaints

Federal safety officials are looking into allegations for possible fuel leaks on the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine (TDI).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] said that so far, it has received seven complaints alleging leakage from the fuel line to the No2 fuel injector, all from vehicles with low mileages ranging from 2,470 to 7,764 miles.

The safety agency added that it is also aware of a single complaint claiming leakage from the No2 fuel injector line in a Volkswagen Golf model equipped with a 2.0-liter TDI engine.

"A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences of the alleged defect," NHTSA said in a statement.

ABT Plays Around with the New Audi Q3 Crossover

ABT Sportsline, the German tuning company that has long specialized in modifying anything produced by the Volkswagen Group, has released details on its upcoming program for the new Audi Q3 small crossover.

Cosmetically, the tuning house has developed a bespoke front grille, a new front bumper with larger air inlets on both corners, rocker panels, a rear apron that makes space for the quad tail pipes, a roof spoiler and carbon fiber trim splats.

Buyers will also be able to choose from two alloy wheel designs in sizes from 18- to 20-inches.

Under the hood, ABT Sportsline will offer a variety of power kits for both diesel and petrol engines. The 140HP 2.0 TDI jumps to 170HP, the 177HP 2.0 TDI to 195HP, the 170HP 2.0 TSI is bumped to 210HP and the 211HP 2.0 TSI to 250HP.

A lowered sports suspension will also be available when ABT launches the program later this year.

2012 Lexus IS F: European Model gets Revised Chassis

Even though only a year has passed since Lexus revised its European market IS with a Euro 5 compliant 5.0-liter V8 and some minor styling tweaks such as the LED front lights and a new instrument panel design, the Japanese carmaker has just introduced a 2012MY version of its high-performance sports sedan.

The big news for the new model year IS-F is the updated chassis with Lexus promising a better overall driving experience and improved comfort thanks to the new shock absorbers, larger stabilizer bars and a revised suspension geometry.

The IS-F's 5.0-liter V8 engine with 423-horses that allows it to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.7 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 270 km/h (168mph), remains unchanged.

In addition to the chassis tweaks, the Japanese automaker added two new features to the options list including a set of 19-inch alloy wheels in a 14-spoke design from BBS, and an available two-tone, black and crimson leather trim for the interior.

Lexus said that pricing remains unaffected with the IS F starting from €70,600 (equal to about US$101,500) in Germany.

*All photos are of the 2011MY Lexus IS F

Frankfurt Preview: VW Video Announces Up! Production Model

It has been four years since VW revealed its first Up! project car at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007 with a small concept model featuring a versatile interior. Since then, the German company has revealed many more iterations of the Up!, including the five-door “Space-Up!” in regular and “Blue” Fuel-Cell flavors, the Milano EV, and the “Lite” breadvan.

What we have learned in the meantime is that the Up! will spawn a whole range of new cars, not only for the VW brand but also for its “sister” companies Seat and Skoda.

At next month's Frankfurt Motor Show, we will see the first production model in the Up! series that will be built in VW’s factory in Bratislava, Slovakia.

We still don’t know which one it will be, but we would put our money on a 3-door version. VW has begun its campaign by releasing a short video announcing but not showing the up!, which you can watch after the break.

VW UP! CONCEPTS