First Pictures: Bentley set to Unveil Facelifted GTC & GTC Speed

The Bentley Continental GTC has gotten a facelift and a new sibling with a little more pepper under the hood.

The Continental GTC now also comes as a GTC Speed with the W12 upgraded to 600 hp from the standard GTC's 552. The new engine numbers now make this cabriolet able to max out at 200 mph (324 km/h), with the roof on, of course. With the roof down you lose about 5 mph - a real tragedy.

The Speed does the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 4.5 seconds, about 0.3 seconds faster than that slow poke, lumbering colossus, the regular, run-of-the-mill, discount, dollar store GTC.

The Speed also gets a lowered suspension of about 10 mm, which is fancy, automotive engineer parlance for 1 centimeter. The ESP system adds a Dynamic mode for better cornering too.

The standard GTC also gets a new ESP mode called Sport Traction, in case you want to enter it in a WRC rally. Hey, wouldn't it be something to take one of these half-million dollar Bentleys through a few stages of the Wales Rallye? Just a thought.

Optics get a do-over too, just barely. The GTC has a new front bumper, grill and larger air intakes. The Speed variant has larger exhaust pipes and gets 20-inch wheels. On the inside, a new steering wheel and Mulliner-spec quilted leather upholstery.

Jaguar has all but confirmed speculation that a new XJ

Jaguar has all but confirmed speculation that a new XJ is due to go into market as early as June 2009 according to statements by Jaguar executives. Jaguar MD Mike O'Driscoll said of the carthat it 'takes, we believe, the luxury saloon to new heights in terms of its technical enhancements'. That was during an event previewing the brand's upcoming new engines.

The vehicle will be a radical design departure for the XJ label, promising to look more like a four-door coupe than a big sedan. Currently Jaguar's superstar car is the XF and Chief Designer Ian Callum had intended for it to take on coupe-like looks even as a four-door sedan. This was achieved partly by getting the rear roofline to slope towards the back more like an XK than a saloon. Similar-looking cars include the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and the Mercedes-Benz CLS. With the XJ that philosophy will be taken to the next level.

Power sources for the new car will include Jaguar's new 3.0 V6 turbo diesels and petrol V8s. While a supercharged petrol V8 will power the high performance XJ-R, no plans have been made for a diesel V8.

With the XJ the company hopes to enhance its rising position in the world of luxury cars in a segment currently dominated by the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. However, Jaguar is not very interested in going high-volume on its cars, adopting a ‘quality over quantity' attitude instead.

Rumors: New Lotus Esprit postponed until 2011

It's been about 4 years since Lotus discontinued the Esprit V8 and a new Esprit has been a long time coming. It will now be a littler longer time in coming.

It appears Lotus has delayed the debut of the new Esprit, which was due for launch this year, until 2011.

Speculation is that Lotus is working on a hybrid version of the Esprit, which has been said will be powered by BMW's 4.4 liter V8. The 4.4 liter, bi-turbo V8 with 400 hp is already employed in the BMW X6. The Esprit may be taking that engine to about 500 hp. Possibly, also as part of a hybrid marriage with an electric motor.

Details are few on the enviro-friendly intentions of Lotus for the new Esprit. But Lotus has been laying the ground work lately for its push into new propulsion technologies. It recently announced development of an electric Lotus with extended range capabilities through a petrol-powered generator. It is also developing a hybrid drivetrain for motorsport in a partnership with Honda based on the Civic hybrid technology.

The Lotus Esprit is meant to compete with models such as the Ferrari 430 and the Lamborghini Gallardo. Having a hybrid supercar on the market would give it a competitive edge, but it must get the new Esprit to market first.

Jaguar XF-R Revealed

Official pictures and details of the new 2010 Jaguar XF-R have finally emerged. The executive British cat was designed to take on cars like the Audi RS6, BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63/ CLS 63 AMG.

In order to play at this level Jaguar has provided a potent engine for the XF-R in the form of a 5.0-litre V8 with a whirling supercharger plugged into it plus an uprated 6-speed automatic gearbox. The engine produces 510hp (380kW) and 625Nm. In comparison the previous generation S Type R, the XF-R's spiritual predecessor, made 399hp (298kW) from its 4.2-litre supercharged motor. For this power the XF-R gives back a 0 - 60mph time of 4.7 seconds. Jaguar also did a 0 - 100km/h (62 mph) run which came back as 4.9 seconds on the clock. A combined fuel economy of 12.5l/100km (18.8mpg US) is stated by Jaguar.

In terms of specification Jaguar did not skimp on features for their new top-of-the-range XF. Wheels are 20-inch alloys coupled with larger ventilated disc brakes. A new body kit featuring wider side skirts and a bonnet with louvers gives the car a more purposeful stance even when standing still. There's a new front end with a shiny upper mesh grille and a black lower mesh grille. The XF-R also has a new rear spoiler and four round tailpipes. The "R" moniker placed on the four brake calipers as well as the rear end makes it clear where this car stands in the Jaguar hierarchy.

Interior comes with soft grain leather as standard, adjustable sports seats and a dark chequered aluminium trim on the dash. The "R" is also seen just above the glove box and at the bottom of the steering wheel. The XF-R will come with a choice of eight exterior colours including one called Salsa.

More of the Jaguar XF-R will be on display at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit.

BMW testing the next generation 3 Series platform

Three years before the official launch and BMW has already started testing the next generation 2012 BMW 3 Series. The F35 platform will be quite different from the current E9x models and the first visual change that we noticed is the increased wheelbase along with a wider body.

As we learned from sources close to BMW, we are still a year away from the time the first 2012 3 Series prototypes will hit the road for testing and the final design will be chosen this spring.

An interesting fact pointed out by our friend at BMW is that the Progressice Activity Coupe based on the next 3er platform will be launched prior to the new 3 Series. This is similar to the Progressive Activity Sedan coming out before the 2010 BMW 5 Series. The PAC will be introduced when the Progressive Activity Sedan is officially announced.

Audi A7 Sportback Concept Images Leaked

Audi's Sportback concept will make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show which begins in less than a day. These are the first leaked images of the car. The Sportback concept represents the future Audi A7, a four-door 2+2 coupe said to be larger in size than the current A6. As much as it is a concept, Audi's recent design philosophies are all over the Sportback including those LED lights and the smiley grille, though this time it's upside down.

The vehicle's roofline and smaller rear window shows a fastback blueprint which could mean the A7 is a full-on hatch. It will be built on Audi's new modular longitudinal build kit (LBK). This modular setup can be adjusted for length, width and height to suit whatever application it's needed for. Other future large Audis are expected to use the same chassis setup.

The A7 will mark Audi's entry into the four-door Grand Tourer market where at the moment the Mercedes-Benz CLS reigns supreme and Porsche's new Panamera has also entered. Other players like the Aston Martin Rapide and BMW CS concept-based car will soon join the segment. The production car should be seen on many roads by the last quarter of 2009.

VW Concept Blue Sports Breaks Cover

Volkswagen's Concept Blue Sports premieres in Detroit as a study in combining great fuel economy with a sporty drive and looks. The roadster measures some four metres in length but weighs less than 1200kg. VW has put a turbo diesel engine in it and that tips the performance scales even more in its favour.

The engine is a 2.0-litre TDI that makes 180hp (134kW) from 4,200rpm and a hefty torque of 350Nm made from just 1,750rpm. Said to be capable of a 0 - 100km/h time of 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 226km/h (140mph), the Blue Sports concept emits just 113g/km in harmful C02 gasses. It averages 4.3 litres per 100km (55mpg US/ 66mpg UK) in fuel consumption.

Not to be classified as a lightweight with no proper credentials, the car runs on massive 235/35ZR19 tyres front and 245/35ZR19 rear. The gearbox is VW's trusted quick-shifting DSG with 6 forward gears and one reverse.

Technologies adopted are bi-xenon LED headlights outside, a touchscreen that controls infotainment sources inside and an easy-to-use top that can be removed in seconds. Could the Concept Blue Sports be pointing towards a future Scirocco cabriolet? Time will tell.