Porsche 918 Spyder Plug-in Hybrid Super Car with More than 770HP

The wait for Porsche's most radical sports car ever, the 918 Spyder, is nearing its end with the Stuttgart based automaker having completed the development of the pre-production prototypes, the first photos of which were released today. First seen as a concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid supercar that will enter production at the end of September 2013. Porsche said that the first customer deliveries will take place "before 2013 is out".
Previously, the Germans had announced that prices in the U.S., excluding destination and handling, will start at $845,000 (equal to €655,000), and in Europe from €645,000 (equal to $835,400) before VAT and country-specific charges.
The new 918 Spyder features a driveline that combines a mid-mounted V8 gasoline engine with a displacement of more than 4.0-liters and an output that exceeds 500-horses driving the rear wheels through a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, with two electric motors, one on each axle, with a joint output of at least 218-horses.
Porsche pointed out that while the system's combined output will surpass the 770hp mark, the 918 Spyder will return a fuel consumption of just 3.0lt/100km (78.4mpg US or 94.2mpg UK), evidently with the use of the electric motors, which are believed to be able to power the car alone for at least 25 km (16 miles).
The company previously quoted a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of more than 320 km/h (199 mph), though these numbers are not final.
The flagship Porsche model is built around a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic monocoque and features fully adaptive aerodynamics and an adaptive rear-axle steering.
The styling of the pre-production 918 Spyder remains close to the original concept with changes including the new headlamp fixtures, different wheels, the addition of full size exterior mirrors, the subtly redesigned rear end and the relocation of the exhaust pipes from the sides to the top part of the engine compartment.
Porsche has also designed a manual roof system with removable panels that can be stowed away in the front luggage compartment

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Citroën C1 Connexion Special Edition

A Citroën C1 that was configured by the French brand's UK Facebook fans in April, will enter production later this year, the company announced today. Some 24,000 configurations for the C1 Connexion were submitted to Citroën UK's Facebook with the most popular being a 3-door version of the mini finished in a Caldera Black body colour with Scarlett Red exterior and interior detailing, together with alloy wheels.
The C1 Connexion special edition is based on the VTR trim with the 1.0-liter 68ps petrol engine matched to a manual transmission with standard amenities including day-time running LEDs, air conditioning and electric front windows.
Melina Kacherou-Carage, Head of Digital Marketing at Citroën UK, commented: "This project has really captured the enthusiasm of the Facebook community. We’ve had thousands of configurations, so much positive feedback and now the first images of C1 Connexion, which will be ready to go on sale later in the year. You liked it, now we’re making it."
The French carmaker said that in the next phase of the C1 Connexion project, the company is inviting fans to help design the badge for the special edition model, with submission to close on May 18.

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2014 Infiniti Compact Model in Austria

In a joint statement released on Thursday, Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand and Austrian auto manufacturer Magna Steyr announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding for the assembly of a new Infiniti premium compact model. Infiniti said that production of its new entry-level model is slated for 2014 and it will be sold in key markets around the world including Western Europe. The Japanese automaker did not say if it will offer the car in North America.
"This new vehicle represents a significant opportunity for the Infiniti brand to reach new consumers and grow in key markets such as Western Europe,” said Infiniti boss Andy Palmer. "We are pleased to be working with Magna Steyr to realize this important product."
While Infiniti did not give any specific details about the car, it did say that Etherea concept (pictured here) shown at the Geneva Salon last year "provides a possible glimpse of the future"
At the time, Infiniti itself had described the Etherea as "part elegant coupé, part spacious sedan, part practical hatchback and even part tall crossover".
Regardless of how close the production model will be to the Etherea in terms of styling, Infiniti's rival to the BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 is expected to be based on Mercedes-Benz's new MFA platform architecture that underpins the latest A-Class hatch as part of the strategic tie-up between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler.

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