You Can Now Drive the New 2014 Corvette C7 on Gran Turismo 5!

A couple of weeks ago, you may remember us telling you about a camouflaged 2014 Corvette C7 prototype that appeared in a couple of demo "screen saver" sessions on Sony's Gran Turismo 5 (GT5) racing game.

As it turns out, there's more to the appearance of the upcoming Corvette in GT5, as today, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, GM announced that starting from today, players of the game can download and –wait for it- drive the C7 Test Prototype!

The Detroit carmaker worked in collaboration with Polyphony Digital, the developer of the Gran Turismo franchise, to create the virtual Corvette C7 prototype.

GM pointed out that "careful attention was paid to the tiniest details from the creases and wrinkles in the soft camouflage used to disguise the new design to specific driving characteristics that are currently being tuned and refined ahead of the vehicle’s official debut", which will take place at the Detroit motor show in January,

Read more »

Nissan Brings Hi-Cross Concept to LA, Says it Explores Future Crossover Design

If you're experiencing déjà vu looking at the pictures of the Nissan Hi-Cross Concept, it's because the Japanese carmaker displayed the study at the Geneva motor show in March this year to preview the next generation of the European market X-Trail SUV.

So, what's it doing on this side of the Atlantic and the Los Angeles Auto Show then? According to the Japanese carmaker, the concept "offers a bold design statement about the next-generation of Nissan crossovers".

Read more »

Open Up and Say… Abarth: Fiat 500C’s Spicier 160HP Version Debuts in LA

The three-door 500 Abarth hatchback that is already available in the U.S. will be joined by its open-top sibling in early 2013.

Just like the hatch, the 500C Abarth that made its North American debut today at the LA Auto Show is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder. Its 160HP and 155 lb-ft (210), which rise to 170 lb-ft (230 Nm) in overboost mode are enough to accelerate the sporty city car from a standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) “in the low seven-second range”, in Fiat’s own words.

Read more »

All-New 2013 Toyota RAV4 Finally Breaks Cover at LA Auto Show [Photos & Video]

The 2013 RAV4 is undeniably one of the most eagerly awaited, and thus important, models of this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. And even though we’ve already seen the first images, we had no word on its specifications.

Now that Toyota officially revealed the fourth generation of its compact crossover, we finally have all the info on the latest iteration of the model that kickstarted the SUV trend as we know it back in 1994.

The all-new RAV4 is 179.9 inches (4,569 mm) long, 72.6 inches (1,844 mm) wide and 65.4 inches (1,661 mm) tall and sports a 104.7-inch (2,659 mm) wheelbase.

According to Toyota, the new RAV4’s architecture uses several grades of high-strength steel for key structural components and employs weight savings in other areas resulting in a more rigid, yet light, chassis.

It also uses a McPherson strut front and double-wishbone rear suspension setup with revised spring rates and dampers. There are disc brakes all around and, depending on trim level, 17-inch steel (LE) or 17- (XLE) nand 18-inch (Limited) alloy wheels.

Read more »

Hyundai Opens Veloster's Roof Like a Tin Can to Create C3 Roll Top Concept [w/Videos]

Gone are the times that carmakers used the terms' convertible' and 'cabriolet' to describe genuine open top models. Nowadays, you have Fiat calling the 500C a convertible and Citroen the DS3 Cabrio, well, a cabriolet, even though both models feature a roll over, cloth sunroof that happens to include the rear window.

We didn’t mention those two models by chance, as Hyundai has also attempted something similar with its new Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept that made its world premiere today at the LA Auto Show.

Read more »

Hyundai Shows Final Production Version of 6 and 7 Passenger 2013 Santa Fe in L.A. [Photos & Video]

We doubt anyone noticed it, but the three row, long-wheelbase 2013 Santa Fe displayed next to the five-seat 2013 Santa Fe Sport at the New York International Auto Show in April was a prototype. The more spacious Santa Fe model is making its world premiere in final production trim at the Los Angeles Auto Show today. Read more »

2014 Fiat 500e is a “Retro-Futuristic”, All-Electric Version of the Chic Italian City Car

The battery-powered iteration of Fiat’s 500 premium city car is finally here – and by here we mean the LA Auto Show, where it will make its world premiere and the state of California, where it will initially go on sale.

The 500e features a number of changes compared to its internal-combustion siblings. For example, its new bodywork has been shaped in the wind tunnel, resulting in a 13 percent reduction in drag thanks to improvements like the dot matrix front fascia, the restyled side sills, side mirrors, rear spoiler, flush-fitting 15-inch wheels and the underbody panels.

Read more »