Scoop: New Renault TwinFun Concept Looks Like a Modern Day 5 Turbo [w/Videos

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A never-before seen Renault concept named TwinFun or TwinRun (we can't make out the fifth letter on the name placed on the tailgate), has been captured on camera while it was being filmed for what we assume to be a promo clip in the city of Madrid in Spain.While you will be forgiven to mistake it for a Gallic Fiat 500, the presence of the mid-engine Renault 5 Turbo from the early 1980s in one of the pictures explains where the French carmaker drew its inspiration for the three-door hatch.
At this time, we have no official information on the small Renault hatch, but we're thinking it could be a concept for the next Twingo, which is being co-developed with Mercedes-Benz's Smart division, sharing its underpinnings with the new ForTwo – something that would explain its size, and the side vents that suggests it has a rear-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive.

Photo Credits: KM77 and Autoweek.nl , Story References: Autoblog.nl
Thanks to Loren for the tip!

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VW Golf Mk7 Wins 2013 World Car of the Year Award at the New York Auto Show

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 |

Less than a month after being declared the 2013 European Car of the Year, the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf bagged another prestigious award, the 2013 World Car of the Year, the results of which were announced during a press conference at the New York Auto Show.

The Golf beat other three finalists to become the winner, including the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Porsche Boxster / Cayman, and the combined entry Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ / Toyota GT-86.

It is the second consecutive year that VW has won the World Car of the Year Title and the fourth time since 2009. The Volkswagen Up! won last year, the Polo in 2010 and the Golf VI in 2009.

The jury most appreciated the Golf’s versatility. “Right sized, but spacious, practical and comfortable inside, the latest Golf has been brought up to date with a fresh if evolutionary design, a range of new engines, plus an impressive list of equipment and safety features. What’s more, it’s fun to drive. If ever there was a car for everyman, the Golf is it,” reads the official press release.

The international jury panel comprises 66 automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world. To be eligible for the overall 2013 World Car award, the candidates must become available for sale on at least two continents during the period beginning January 1, 2012 and ending May 30, 2013.

The jury also handed out three more awards, the 2013 World Performance Car, 2013 World Car Design of the Year and 2013 World Green Car. The first went the Porsche’s Boxster / Caymanmid-engined sports cars, with the jury noting that Porsche achieved all of its targets with the two vehicles. “The Boxster needed to be seen as less of a fancy secretary's car and the Cayman needed to be set loose to be an even better Porsche sports car than the iconic 911. In both instances, mission over-accomplished," wrote one of the jurors.

The 2013 World Car Design of the Year went to another sports car, the Jaguar F-Type roadster, while the 2013 World Green Car went to Tesla’s Model S electric sedan.

By Dan Mihalascu

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After Pikes Peak and the Andros Trophy, Dacia Tries Sweden's Touring Car Championship

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 |

Dacia has been one of the most stably growing automakers in Europe in recent years, and in 2012, they managed to sell 360,000 cars around the world. Along the line, they decided to add a bit of zest to the Dacia name, and ended up witha monster Duster which raced at Pikes Peak, andanother Duster, specially-designed to be driven on ice, which competed in the Andros Trophy.

Now, they're moving into the Scandinavian (formerly Swedish) Touring Car Championship, most frequently called STCC.

However, they have not used the company's only crossover as a base this time, opting instead to use the new Logan sedan. It is the first incursion made by Dacia into the realm of asphalt racing, and the northern European championship will pit it against cars like the Chevy Cruze, VW Scirocco, Honda Civic, BMW 320i and even an old Alfa Romeo 156.

The touring-Logan is gets its motivation from a V6 engine, and sends all of its 400+ hp to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox. Performance should be good, because with its unusually low stance, and weight of 1,100 kilos (2425 pounds), and that high horsepower rating, the numbers look good.

The blue Logan is now set to go into the wind tunnel for further tuning, and then it will be further tested, before debuting in the 2013 season on 3-4 May, at the Knutstorp track. The final race of the year will take place on 21 September, and it is the last of eight races.

We are very eager to see this thing in motion, because it looks very purposeful and should prove enjoyable to watch. It also reminds us of a WRC version of the first Dacia Logan, called the S2000. However, that project never got off the ground and all we are left with are low quality videos from 2004.

By Andrei Nedelea

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Listen to the 7.0-liter V8 Soundtrack of the New 2014 Camaro Z/28 [w/Video]

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 |

Billed as the most track-focused production model in the Camaro's history, the spanking-new Z/28 is the poster child of the redesigned 2014 model of Chevrolet's muscle car series that was released at this week's New York Auto Show We've seen the new Camaro Z/28 and read the preliminary specs, so how about we give you a taste of what its C6 Corvette Z06-sourced and hand-built 7.0-liter V8 sounds like? If that…sounds interesting, make the jump over the break to watch the video.
The Z/28's eight-cylinder lump is rated at an estimated 500 horsepower (373 kW) and 470 lb.-ft. of torque (637 Nm), with the only transmission choice being a row-your-own gears six-speed manual.
The original 1967 Z/28 was fitted with a 4.9-liter (302-cubic-inch) small-block V8 producing 290 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque. Despite having a significantly larger displacement, the LS7 engine in the 2014 Camaro Z/28 weighs approximately 20 percent less, while also delivering nearly 73 percent more horsepower than the 1967 302 engine, according to GM data, but then again, that's something to be expected after almost five decades of development...

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NY Auto Show: New BMW 328d is One of Many Diesel Models Coming to the States

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 |

The United States has finally received its version of what many call "the best all-rounder in the world" – the BMW 320d. However, for marketing reasons we don't fully understand, they did not use the European model name, going instead for 328d, despite the fact that the car runs a two-liter diesel. Revealed at the New York Auto Show, the oil-burning BMW is one of many new diesels Germany has lined up for U.S. introduction.

Since the F30 3-Series has been discussed before, we'll go into more detail about the 328d's powertrain. The engine is a 2.0-liter unit, with two turbochargers and direct injection. It is good for 180hp and 290 pound-feet (393 Nm) of peak torque and returns a claimed 45 mpg on the highway (5.2 l/100km) – if the European version, which we are very familiar with, is anything to go by, that figure can be improved on.

BMW is only offering the 328d with its smooth eight-cog automatic and optional xDrive all-wheel grip – a manual option will not be offered.

According to an Autonews report, some 25 percent of all X5 SUVs bought in the US are now diesels, and with this 3-Series diesel and a six-cylinder 5-Series diesel on the way, the Bavarians are slowly beginning to cover all of the bases. BMW has not had a diesel 3-Series in the range since it stopped Stateside-sales of the 335d, in 2011. The new 328d is expected to cost around $40,000, when it goes on sale this fall.

Aside from BMW, Audi is also looking to increase the number of diesels it offers in the US. Their range of compression-ignition-powered vehicles is currently limited to three: A3 hatch, A8 sedan and Q7 SUV. These models will be joined by the A4, A6, A7 and Q5 crossover for the 2014 model-year. Audi says that half of all new A3s sold are diesels, and so are 36 percent of the Q7s they sell, so the market is clearly there now, and will grow in coming years.

By Andrei Nedelea

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