Audi Q3 RS Rumors give Birth to Rendering

The latest news from Audi is that the Ingolstadt automaker is working on a high-performance version of its new Q3 compact SUV. According to inside sources quoted by Auto Motor und Sport magazine in its most recent issue, the brand with the four rings has even decided on the powertrain, which is none other than the 340HP 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five found under the hood of the TT RS and RS3 hot hatch. Read more »

Report: Owners Leasing Cars May Be Able to Make a Profit

With the recent surge in used car prices in the U.S., many people leasing vehicles have discovered the surprising fact that the market value of their automobiles is greater than the dealer’s quoted residual (buyout) price.

All a would-be lessee needs to do is buy the car from the dealer and sell it on privately. The dealer gets the residual amount and the former lessee pockets a tidy sum.

Take the example of a 2008 Volvo XC90. With more than twelve months left on the lease, the dealer’s buyout price was a quoted US$18,500. Compare this to the amount the lessee was likely to get by selling the car privately: a far more substantial US$27,000. That’s a profit of US$8,500!

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Bentley Defies Crisis with a 20% Increase in Global Sales

Crisis? What crisis? For you and me, perhaps, but not for Bentley buyers. The VW-owned British luxury carmaker announced today a 20% increase in global sales for the first half of 2011 with 2,978 cars delivered to customers, the best start for the company since 2008. Read more »

New Exclusive and M Sport Editions Join BMW 3-Series Coupe and Convertible Range

You didn’t think BMW would leave its bread-and-butter 3-Series untouched for the new model year just because it’s actively working on a replacement, did you? Of course not. The changes to the 3-Series range are of far less importance than on the 6-Series and 5-Series lineups, and are mostly limited to the presentation of new special edition models and packages. Read more »

China Opens World’s Longest Ocean Bridge Measuring 26 Miles in Length! [with Videos]

China opened today to the public not just one or two, but amazingly four of the world’s longest over-sea bridges. Three of the bridges are part of the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway, which made its maiden trip today.

This project began in 2008, cost around US$33 billion and employed approximately 10,000 workers. It is expected to carry double the number of passengers than before (80 million versus approximately 40 million), whilst also reducing the time it takes to make the journey from 10 to less than 4 hours!

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New Toyota Yaris Wears a Sport Kit for its Australian Debut at the Melbourne Motor Show

After its world premiere in Japan last December as the Vitz, Toyota is gradually introducing the new generation of the Yaris in other markets around the world. Now, with the European version out of the way, it’s time for the Yaris to make its first appearance in Melbourne at this week’s 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS).

Revealed in show car form, the Yaris is fitted with a TRD-like sports kit comprising of a honeycomb grille, a restyled front bumper with larger openings and a chrome trim around the lower grille, side skirts, chunky alloy wheels and a new rear bumper with a diffuser plus a roof spoiler.

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Kia Hooks its Belgium CEO up to a Lie Detector to Dispel Doubts About 7 Year Warranty

If there’s one thing South Korea’s Kia does better than any other automaker, it is offering especially long warranties. In Belgium, for instance, the warranties across their entire range of vehicles extend to seven years.

That’s no mean feat, though intriguingly Kia Belgium have found that a lot of new car buyers believe the seven year warranty scheme is too good to be true. Either there’s a catch, or it doesn’t cover all Kia models, or there’s some extra charges that need to be paid first.

To counteract these rumours, and gain some additional customers, Kia Belgium hooked its General Manager Benoit Morrene up to a polygraph (lie detector) and let the general public ask him questions in an online, streamlining environment.

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