There's a brand-new Acura MDX on its way, but if you have been following CarScoop on a regular basis, you probably already know that as we have shared with you spy photos of the three-row crossover. What you may have not seen yet is the camouflaged prototype of the Acura model on film and on the move. Read more »
Here comes the 2014 Subaru Forester, and this time, it's official as the Japanese carmaker released the first photos and details simultaneously in North America and its home market of Japan. This is the fourth generation of the Forester since the model's debut in 1997 and as we've seen from previous pictures of the car, it doesn't stray too far away from the design of the current model. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if an untrained eye had a hard time telling the two apart… Read more »
Earlier today, we shared a dash-cam video of two truck drivers in Russia ganging up (to some extent) on a passenger car that had attempted to overtake them. Now, another video of a group of truckers that was recorded on September 9 has been making the internet and even television rounds in Russia – and this one is far more violent. Read more »
The good news about the V40 Cross Country is that we have a fresh set of high-resolution images and a pair of videos to show you following the introduction of the car the other day. The bad news is that if you live in the United States and thought the Cross Country's tougher looks may have persuaded Volvo to bring it to this side of the Atlantic, we hate to disappoint you, but that's not going to happen. We asked Laura DiStefano, Corporate Communications Manager for Volvo Cars of North America, and her reply was the same we got for the regular V40 hatchback: "No plans for the U.S." Read more »
The new generation of the more practical A3 Sportback, which was revealed online on Wednesday, will be joined by the spanking new S3 at Audi's Paris Motor Show stand next week. The performance model of Audi's MQB platform-based compact hatchback is lighter and more powerful than the model it replaces. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe early next year with a starting price of €38,900 (US$50,500) in Germany. At the heart of the car lies a newly developed 2.0-liter TFSI direct-injection and turbocharged gasoline engine that belongs to the EA888 engine family. 
The new powerplant weighs around five kilograms (11 pounds) less than the previous EA113 2.0 TFSI and is also much more powerful delivering 296Hp (300PS) at 5,500 rpm and 380 Nm (280.27 lb-ft) of torque between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm, an increase of 35Hp and 30Nm respectively. It redlines at 6,800 rpm. Read more »
Who knows why the driver of this small truck in the city of Częstochowa in south Poland was in such a big rush, but we can't really say that we have ever seen something like this… The driver and passenger of the vehicle filming the truck seem to be having a good time watching it speeding on the sidewalk and bypassing the traffic and the lights, so we gather some of you may too. Just hop over the break and check out the video that follows. Read more »
It appears that Jaguar is trying to capitalize on the interest surrounding its newest sports car after the first official image of the F-Type made the internet rounds on Wednesday by reminding us that the roadster will debut in a week's time at the Paris Auto Show, and more importantly, by sharing a new video. The new film released today includes footage of the British brand's vehicle dynamics team testing a craftily camouflaged pre-production model in the UK, Germany and Italy. In one instance, we see the speedometer's needle surpassing the 180mph (290km/h) mark. Read more »
In life, there are always two ways to see things: the glass can be half-full or half-empty. This may also be the case for some of the new TV spots Honda has prepared for its 2013 Accord, which goes on sale in the United States today, September 19. The multimedia campaign is named "It Starts with You" and it puts a lot of focus on new technologies that help drivers avoid certain situations that could place them in danger, including the LaneWatch blind-spot display and forward collision warning systems. Read more »
One man’s loss is another man’s gain. That’s the way it has always been and that’s the way it is today, especially in the corporate world. Case in point: China’s anti-Japan protests, which seem to turn uglier each passing day. Toyota, Nissan and Honda have been forced to shut down their plants after attacks on some of their operations and dealerships. Nevertheless, Chinese consumers still buy cars. If they shy away from Japanese vehicles, then they will probably turn to other brands from nations with which they have no quarrel. Read more »
First, there was the CLS: a car with four doors and four seats that claimed its distinctive styling and rakish glasshouse made it a four-door coupe and not a regular saloon. Well, no matter what they called it, the CLS brought Mercedes-Benz a nice profit thanks to its sales success and actually launched a brand-new niche, forcing Audi and BMW to follow suit with the A7 Sportback and the Gran Coupe respectively. Read more »
Audi will showcase a new addition to its redesigned A3 series at the 2012 Paris motor show from 27 September. The 2013 A3 Sportback is the more practical and versatile five-door version of Audi's premium compact model. The evolutionary (according to Audi, stale according to others) styling language of the A3 can be found on the Sportback variant as well, with the five-door variant employing the use of three side windows and a sloping tailgate design. For a sportier look, buyers will be able to opt for Audi's S-Line package that adds different bumpers, spoilers and larger alloy wheels. While the car's exterior dimensions at 4,310mm (169.7 inches) long, 1,780mm (70.1 inches) and 1,425mm (56.1 inches) tall are only slightly greater than on the previous Sportback, the new model now rides on a 2,636 millimeters (103.8 inches), an increase of 58 millimeters (2.28 in). 
The five-door model is also 35 millimeters (1.38 in) longer between the axles than the three-door version, resulting in an increase in rear passenger legroom. The luggage compartment offers 380 liters (13.42 cu ft) of space in the basic configuration and can be expanded to 1,220 liters (43.08 cu ft) with the rear seats (60:40 split) folded down. Read more »
While most manufacturers do their best to hide their latest models from prying eyes before their official launch, Porsche has been quite forthcoming about its new supercar, the 918 Spyder. In fact, it has already released a barrage of information, including the specifications of its 770+ HP hybrid powertrain and (provisional) performance figures: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) comes in 3.2 seconds and top speed exceeds 320 km/h (199 mph). Today, Porsche announced on its Facebook page that the 918 Spyder has lapped the Nordschleife in 7:14’. That's better than most supercars, including its Carrera GT predecessor and the Lexus LFA Nürburgring edition, but behind the "old" Dodge Viper ACR (7:12.13) as far as production models are concerned. Read more »
If you think that paddle shifters are a recent innovation, you might want to reconsider: the first-ever application was on the Bollée Type F Torpédo a century ago in 191, and that car is on display at the Le Mans circuit museum. In the following years many manufacturers, such as Chrysler, Citroen, NSU and Mercedes-Benz, to name but a few, tried to do away with the clutch, torque converter and/or gear level but electronics were still a long way from reaching maturity and the companies didn't persist with the concept. Read more »
Just like carmakers in real life, independent designers drawing conceptual studies on paper or on computer screens will often revisit their work and implement styling changes to evolve their projects and/or possibly even address criticism about certain aspects of the design. This seems to be the case with Italian designer Marco Procaccini from MP Car Design and his Alfa Romeo Orazio Satta, which we first showed you back in September. Read more »
This new spy video shows the next iteration of Infiniti's G series premium saloon giving it a go on the track that all carmakers, small and large, fine-tune their future products, Germany's famed Nürburgring. The all-new G series will launch late next year (as a 2014 model in North America) with the world premiere rumored to take place at the Geneva Salon in March, though, we wouldn't be surprised if Infiniti chooses the Detroit Motor Show in January instead. Read more »
Static presentations aside, visitors at this year's SEMA aftermarket show also enjoyed, how should we say, a few extracurricular special events, which took place just across the street of the Las Vegas Convention Center. One of those events was the Global Rally Cross held at a makeshift racetrack that you can watch in the second video after the break, but that's not the real reason why we're telling you this. Read more »
It has been said over and over again that seat belts are there for your own safety and should be worn by all passengers at all times, but some people just don't seem to get it. In yet another display of what can happen when a driver or a passenger neglects to wear their seatbelt, a woman sitting unbuckled at the back seat of a Kia Cerato that drifted (it seems the driver fell asleep or was not paying attention to the road) and crashed into the side walk before turning over, was thrown out the rear window. Read more »
Sure Apple's new iPad Mini might have some shortcomings including its smaller, 7.9-inch non-Retina Display and a steep price tag, but in regards to its footprint, it looks like it could be the perfect fit for automotive applications. No sooner than it landed on the market, an audio system specialist from Florida named "Soundwaves of Tampa" went ahead to become the first company in the field to install the tablet in a car and specifically, on a 2012 Toyota Corolla sedan. Read more »
As if there were not enough irrational drivers on Russia's roads, pedestrians and car owners alike now have to keep an eye out for driverless vehicles with a mind of their own. Captured on camera is a strange incident that took place the other day in the city of Perm, formerly known as Molotov, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. Read more »
There is nothing wrong with flying the Stars and Stripes during an election year; after all, in a democracy, people get to hear all sides and then decide whom they will vote for. Unless, of course, your argument is based on a wrong assumption. Even worse if you make a statement in front of a wide audience based on misinterpreting a news report… Mitt Romney, the Republicans’ 2012 presidential candidate, told an Ohio crowd last Thursday night that Jeep is considering moving all of its production to China. Read more »
The new powerplant weighs around five kilograms (11 pounds) less than the previous EA113 2.0 TFSI and is also much more powerful delivering 296Hp (300PS) at 5,500 rpm and 380 Nm (280.27 lb-ft) of torque between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm, an increase of 35Hp and 30Nm respectively. It redlines at 6,800 rpm. 
The five-door model is also 35 millimeters (1.38 in) longer between the axles than the three-door version, resulting in an increase in rear passenger legroom. The luggage compartment offers 380 liters (13.42 cu ft) of space in the basic configuration and can be expanded to 1,220 liters (43.08 cu ft) with the rear seats (60:40 split) folded down. 
