Misc. Auto Shows auto news

Official: First Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG in America to be auctioned off at Boca concours

Of all the car shows around the calendar year, the Boca Raton Concours d'Elegance doesn't typically fall on our radar screen. But maybe it should, because the annual event in Florida - young as it is - has a history of offering firsts. Maybe not the first time a vehicle is seen in North America, mind you, but a first just the same.

Last year the event included the sale of the first examples of the Ferrari FF, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster and Audi R8 GT to be delivered in America. The year before that, it was the Audi R8 5.2 FSI (yeah, that's the one with the V10) and Ferrari California. And before that, the event's auctioneers sold off the first Audi R8 Spyder, Ferrari 458 Italia and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

Noticing a pattern here? Organizers have no intention of dropping the ball this year, when they'll be auctioning off the first U.S. deliveries of the new Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. Now if you're thinking that we haven't even seen the new SL63 AMG yet, you're absolutely right. The new SL itself has been shown, but not the AMG version, which is expected to pack Affalterbach's 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 with 571 horsepower on tap. Once the car has been unveiled and deliveries commence, the winner of the auction is guaranteed to be the first to get one in the United States.

As if that's not enough, there will also be an Audi R8 GT Spyder - one of only 50 slated for production and the only one in red to be made available in the U.S. - as well as a Lamborghini Aventador and a whole mess of special-edition Shelby muscle cars, with proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Follow the link for more info, or head down on February 25th to see the bidding frenzy at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.

Official: Cadillac to show XTS town car at Vegas LCT show [w/poll]

Town Car may be a nameplate still associated with Lincoln, but as any New Yorker will tell you, it's also a class of car and its application: large domestic luxury sedans used as chartered taxi cabs preferred by executives and highly valued professionals to get from one meeting to the next through Manhattan's notorious traffic. It's a market Lincoln itself is keen to retain, but with the demise of the Town Car as a model, it's pitching the MKT crossover for the application. Cadillac, however, is going with the XTS.

The top-end GM marque's new flagship sedan will be presented on February 13 at the upcoming International LCT (Limousine, Charter and Tour) Show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There, Cadillac will showcase the XTS W20 Livery Sedan Package, paving the way for extended-wheelbase and even sedan chassis to be made available sometime later this year.

So will Cadillac finally be able to leapfrog past longtime rival Lincoln in this vital market? Will the XTS prove the ultimate successor to the Town Car? Follow the jump for the full press release and cast your vote in the poll below.

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Official: Stealthy Jeep Grand Cherokee concept headed for production

Jeep is using the 2012 Houston Auto Show and 2012 Washington D.C. Auto Show to unveil a new production-intent concept. Based on the Grand Cherokee Laredo X model, what we have here is a mostly blacked-out version of Jeep's flagship product, with a few highlights in a finish Jeep calls Platinum Chrome.

Included in the blackout are the front grille (with Platinum Chrome mesh inserts), headlamp bezels and liftgate light bar. Platinum Chrome is also used on the lower front fascia. Unique to this model are 20-inch gloss black aluminum wheels in a split five-spoke design. This new Grand Cherokee concept will be shown in both Brilliant Black and Deep Cherry Red.

Curious why it's only known as the "Grand Cherokee Production-Intent Concept"? That's because there will be an online contest to help determine its official moniker. Will it be the Stealth, Noir, Dirty Dirty or the Back-in-Black edition? How about our personal favorite, the Grand Cherokee Emo Edition? That's for voters to decide. The winner "will have a chance to win a new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee," says Jeep in the official press release after the break.

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Official: Bugatti showcases the Bumblebee of Veyrons in Qatar

With a gazillion color options for every little part of the Bugatti Veyron, there's no reason why any two examples should be alike. (Except for maybe an inverse correlation between wealth and imagination.) So it would stand to reason that every Bugatti should be considered a special edition of one. And that certainly appears to be the case, as the French marque seems to bring out another special edition at every possible opportunity.

That opportunity last arose at the Dubai Motor Show, where Bugatti presented three unique examples of the Veyron Grand Sport, the vehicle that holds the title of "world's fastest convertible." Now the elite marque is returning to the Persian Gulf for the Qatar Motor Show with what appears (to our eyes, at least) to be one of the same examples, decked out in yellow and black - said to be founder Ettore Bugatti's favorite color combination. Thoughtfully, however, they've provided a brace of new real-world photos.

The lower part of the body has been done up in lacquered carbon fiber, the upper part in bright yellow and the wheels in black along. Inside, the center console has likewise been finished in black, with seats clad in yellow leather with black stitching and the inverse for the dashboard, wheel and shifter.

While Molsheim apparently didn't feel the need to give this particular example a unique name, they might as well have. And for a few euros extra, we're sure they'd be glad to. As it stands, Bumblebee's aristocratic Alsatian cousin is available for a princely 1.58 million euros - a little over two million in dead presidents. But if this particular color combination isn't to your liking, 45 out of the original allotment of 150 units are still available to order, with prices starting at 1.4 million euros. Check out more details in the official press release after the jump.

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Auctions: SMS Supercars unveils 620 Camaro, auctions first example for charity at Barrett-Jackson

When Steve Saleen launched his new company, SMS Supercars, back in 2008, he announced that he would be expanding his portfolio of vehicles to include the muscle car offerings from Chevrolet and Dodge. First up was the 570 and 570X Challenger, followed soon after by the 302 Mustang.

Now, Steve Saleen's muscle car trifecta is finally complete, as SMS officially unveiled the 620 Camaro at Barrett-Jackson this week. The car maintains the styling cues featured on both the Challenger and Mustang with an aggressive front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser, butterfly hood and chrome 20-inch wheels. Inside is a custom leather interior, and under the hood, the 6.2-liter V8 has been supercharged to 620 horsepower and 570 pound-feet torque.

In addition to unveiling the car at Barrett-Jackson this week, SMS actually auctioned off the first production example last night. This particular car was also a special "Bondurant Edition" in honor of Steve Saleen's former racing teammate, Bob Bondurant, and the two decided to donate the proceeds from the sale to two charities: Cox Charities and the Make A Wish Foundation of Arizona.

So, how did the car do? Bidding for the SMS 620 Camaro eventually reached the $100,000 mark, meaning the two charities will be getting a significant donation and the lucky new owner just got a nice tax write-off. Did we mention a Bondurant three-day performance driving school is included with the car?

You can see photos of the 2012 SMS 620 Camaro in the gallery above, and check out a video of the car being auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson in the video after the jump.

Continue reading SMS Supercars unveils 620 Camaro, auctions first example for charity at Barrett-Jackson

Official: Lotus ramps up Indy racing program with Bourdais and Legge

The only thing more ambitious than Lotus and its expansive new product plan is the company's racing program. In the span of just a few years, the British automaker has launched forays into Formula One, IndyCar, endurance sportscar racing and even karting, all with its own factory-backed works initiatives. And in true Lotus style, it's not showing any signs of slowing down any time soon.

In line with its ambitions, Lotus rolled into the Autosport International Show - the preeminent annual motorsport expo in England - with a whole mess of racing cars and programs to go with them. The firm's F1, GP2 and GP3 teams have all fallen under the new Lotus Racing banner and all will wear the same black and gold livery. A new Lotus Club GT offers the full racing experience to gentlemen racers with the money to pony up for a track-spec Evora, similar to the Type 125 customer single-seater that just underwent further development by the company's grand prix team. But the real news comes from the IndyCar program.

After five years of exclusively using Honda power, the IndyCar Series is switching to a new chassis next season and with it is bringing both Chevrolet and Lotus on board as alternative engine suppliers. Lotus is already contracted to power three independent teams - HVM Racing, Bryan Herta Autosport and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing - who will each choose their new livery from the Lotus back catalog of color schemes. Dragon Racing, however, has been selected by the factory as its new works team in the series, running the same black and gold livery as the F1 team.

The team is owned by Jay Penske (son of Roger Penske), and has just announced its driver lineup for the upcoming season, bringing multiple Champ Car champion and former grand prix driver Sebastien Bourdais on board together with Katherine Legge, another DTM and Champ Car driver eager to steal some of Danica Patrick's spotlight. With Lotus providing the motivation, the upcoming season of open-wheel racing in America is shaping up to be an interesting one. Follow the jump for the full announcement.

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Official: Renault launches sleeker Scenic and Grand Scenic minivans

There's seldom anything particularly exciting or glamorous about a minivan. But that doesn't mean their producers can't keep trying. Enter the new 2012 Renault Scenic, and its big brother, the Grand Scenic.

Being European MPVs as opposed to American minivans, the Scenic - and even the larger, seven-passenger Grand Scenic - are typically smaller than the big family-haulers we're used to on this side of the Atlantic. But with facelift Renault has just given the line, they're also considerably sleeker-looking than the vehicles we're used to seeing lined up outside the local elementary school.

That much comes down to the new lights and bumpers front and rear, elements that Renault has packaged with an upgraded interior and a raft of new engines and technologies that set the new Scenic range apart from the one it replaces. A pair of low-emission engines - a 115-horsepower, 1.2-liter turbo and 110-hp, 1.5-liter diesel - join a range of powertrains topped by a 140hp 2.0 mated to a CVT and a 160hp diesel paired with a six-speed manual.

The Scenic family is also the first to incorporate Renault's new lane-departure system and hill-start assist, with a special Bose model (similar to the one found in the Koleos) topping the spec sheet. The new Scenic debuts at the Brussels Motor Show this week before hitting showrooms in 40 countries around the world.

Official: Ford gears up with new Fiesta RS WRC livery

Teams come and teams go from the World Rally Championship. But while this season will see the arrival of Volkswagen and Mini on the WRC stage as newcomers, one perennial challenger that will return is Ford.

Having replaced the long-serving Focus RS last season, Ford will carry on with the new Fiesta RS for another crack at the title it narrowly lost once again to Citroën last season. No fewer than twelve examples will be on the stage this season, but only two will be fielded by the factory-backed Ford World Rally Team, which has just revealed their new livery for the upcoming season at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, England.

Castrol returns once again as the main sponsor, its logo dominating the new color scheme which will be sported by returning five-time rally winner Jari-Matti Latvala (with co-driver Miika Anttila) and former champion Petter Solberg (with Chris Patterson). The latter replaces perennial runner-up Mikko Hirvonen, who left for Citroën this season. Check out the new livery in the high-res image gallery and the press release after the jump.

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Suzuki shows Concept XA trucklet in Delhi

Want to know how highly regarded the multiple-award winning Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is? At the recent Auto Expo in Delhi, India Maruti Suzuki showed a concept that is, to our eyes, extraordinarily reminiscent of the small English SUV - although we'll readily admit the glasshouse is a tweaked version of the current Suzuki Swift.

Called the XA Alpha concept, some reports say that it's underpinned by the Swift platform, while others report that the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy off-roader, based on the Jimny, provides the chassis. For comparison purposes, the XA is just a few inches shorter and narrower than an Evoque, but the same height as the Evoque four-door.

Plans for production are said to rest with audience reception, which appears to have - understandably - been quite positive. If and when a production version does arrive, you can probably kiss the suicide doors goodbye, but it is predicted to be offered with four-wheel drive and "a range of K-Series petrol engines and 1.3-liter DDIS engine." Click the link for more photos of the flexible Indian flyer.

Official: Toyota l'eggos updated Aygo

The 2012 Toyota Aygo is here with better looks, better fuel economy and emissions and better equipment. It's the supermini's first serious overhaul since it was introduced in 2005, and it borrows some of its aesthetic chops from the recently unveiled 2012 Yaris. A bulldog-y stance is emphasized with a jutting lower front bumper with a wide trapezoidal opening, while the lines above have been slenderized.

The carryover 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine has been tweaked for efficiency; its 67 horsepower and 69 pound-feet of torque remain the same, but rowing the five-speed manual will now get you 65.7 Imperial (54.7 U.S.) miles per gallon combined. You'll also hear less of it and the transmission due to increased sound deadening.

Trim options will include new hubcaps, seven exterior hues, a new unified finish on the instrument panel, and a new steering wheel backed by paddle shifters. It might look like just another tiny Eurocar, but the previous Aygo still earned the title of The previous Stig's favorite car, and that's a recommendation not to be trifled with. Pricing and other details will follow closer to its on-sale date, for now, there's a press release after the jump with more info.

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