Chevy Dealer Says 2012 Camaro Z28 with Supercharged V8 Production Begins in January 2012

The much anticipated Camaro Z28 will begin rolling off the production line in January 2012, according to a dealer that spilled the beans over at the Camaro5 forums after attending a National Chevrolet Dealer’s meeting.

Here's what BeckyD/RodgersChevrolet noted about the Z28 on the Camaro forums:

• 2012 Camaro Z28 production begins January 1, 2012
• Internally referred to as the "HP Model"
• 6.2L supercharged engine
• Magnetic Ride suspension
• 285F / 330R tires
• Hood design to have louvre/slat design seen in spy photos (dealers in attendance were shown a gray Z28 model)
• Slight (not major) updates to the interior, with some brighter trimwork

The dealer also gave out some additional info on the upcoming 2012MY Camaro, which is slated to arrive in dealership this summer. According to the tipster, GM told dealers that is preparing a 45th Anniversary special edition package with a "carbon flash color", all black interior and unique wheels, which will be available on both the coupe and convertible models.

Via: Camaro5

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Carscoop Reader Spots New Kia Cadenza Filling up in California

It's been a little over a year since Kia lifted the wraps off its stylish replacement for the Amanti, called the K7 in South Korea and Cadenza in other countries, but we're still waiting for the firm's flagship sedan to show up in the USA. However if these (fuzzy) photos are anything to go by, Kia may be getting ready to launch the Cadenza onto the U.S. market.

The silver-colored mid-size sedan was scooped by Carscoop reader Nick K., who you might remember from the first ever Prius MPV spy shots we posted last September, while filling up at a gas station in California.

"The other day I was sitting at a restaurant in Corona Del Mar, California and spotted a Kia Cadenza (K7). Here are the VERY zoomed in pictures I took with my phone," Nick told Carscoop.

The Cadenza, which sits above the Optima in Kia's range, is available in its home country with a choice of three gasoline engines ranging in output from 165HP for the four-cylinder model to 295HP for the 3.5 liter V6. All variants feature front-wheel drive and a new six-speed automatic transmission.

Kudos to Nick K. for the Kia spotting!

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New Honda Fit Shuttle: Leaked Brochure Reveals Station Wagon-Like Model

A bonanza of allegedly official brochure photos showing a new, station-wagon-like variant of the Japanese domestic market [JDM] Fit have leaked onto the internet. Named the Fit Shuttle, the car appears to be based on the recently refreshed Fit (Honda uses the Jazz nameplate in Europe, Australia and other international markets) featuring a longer body with taller roofline and a redesigned rear end.

As you can see in the brochure shots, the Fit Shuttle will be offered in two flavors, a Hybrid version powered by the same IMA system with a 1.3 liter i-VTEC engine featured on the five-door hatchback model, and a more powerful variant with a regular 1.5-liter gasoline unit.

According to the Japanese media, the Fit Shuttle will be introduced in its home market within the next few weeks with sales to start around March. We'll follow the story and keep you posted on any updates.

Kudos to J.F. for the tip!

Sources: Ryuji & Mincara

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SCOOP: New Pagani C9 Supercar Filmed Around the Factory

While Pagani is testing our nerves with its shadowy teaser videos, Youtube user 'Marchettino' caught the Italian supercar on test in its homeland. The first clean-sheet design Pagani in years, which is currently known by its C9 codename, is pegged for a debut at the Geneva Salon in March. The gullwing-door supercar will be powered by a new 6.0-liter bi-turbocharged V12 sourced from Mercedes-Benz's AMG division, tuned to deliver somewhere around 700 horsepower and over 1,000 Nm or 738 lb-ft of peak torque. Video follows after the jump.

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SCOOP: 2012 Kia Rio Spotted out on the Road

Like sister company Hyundai, Kia is in the midst of a new-product blitz that started a little over a year ago. Since the second half of 2009, the South Korean automaker has refreshed its lineup with a slew of new models such as the Forte Koup, Cadenza sedan, Venga mini MPV, Sorento, Sportage and Optima sedan.

Now, following the announcement on the completely redesigned Picanto city car that will break cover at the Geneva Show, our spy photographers snapped the next new model to be added to Kia's range, the 2012 Rio subcompact, while testing in Germany.

The prototype seen in these scoop photos is the five-door hatchback model, but the range will also include a four-door sedan. Although disguised, it's not hard to see that the new Rio 5d will be a more stylish proposal than the current model. From what's visible, the roofline looks more sloped while the front-end appears to feature a similar styling to the European market Picanto and Venga.

Underneath the skin, the new Rio will most likely share its platform with the latest Hyundai Accent, while powertrain options will depend on the market. In Europe, buyers should expect a similar engine lineup to the Kia Venga and Hyundai ix20, including a choice of 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter diesel and gasoline units.

Look out for an auto show debut later in the year, with sales kicking off in most markets before the end of 2011.

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VIDEO: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics “Spied” in Abu Dhabi

As previously reported, BMW has officially green-lighted a production version of the Vision ED plug-in hybrid sports car. So, it was only a matter of time before new information on the eco-friendly model would surface online. First we saw some pictures hit the Teamspeed forum, followed by this here video, but we’re not entirely convinced that both are part of a lucky scoop.

The quality of the photos lead us to think that we’re dealing with a viral and the fact that no one on BMW’s police-escorted crew noticed that their photo shoot is being recorded in an empty race track in Abu Dhabi doesn’t seem likely. Nevertheless, this is more proof that the Bavarian maker is ramping for an official presentation, probably due at a major international auto show this year, with a production model following in 2013.

The Abu Dhabi video is available below, along with two more clips, one showing how the Vision ED’s – allegedly named i8 in some reports – hybrid powertrain works and a new commercial featuring the same car.

By Csaba Daradics

Via: E90post

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Patent Drawings

While looking for the designs of the Smart Roadster model we showed you in our previous post, we stumbled upon these drawings of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK used for trademark filings. Being that an official video of the 2012 SLK has already been leaked online (you can watch it after the jump if you missed out), these pictures simply offer some additional -and unobstructed- views of the roadster model with the retractable hardtop.

Boasting a similar silhouette (though with edgier details) to the outgoing model, the new SLK will arrive in the market sometime next year offering buyers a revamped engine lineup of four-cylinder and V6 gasoline units, and if the rumors turn out to be true, a diesel option also. The range will be completed by a high-performance AMG model, said to be equipped with either twin-turbocharged V6 or a larger-displacement V8 engine.

Keep an eye out for the SLK either at the Detroit Motor Show in mid-January or at the Geneva Salon in March.

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