Carscoops' A-to-Z Guide to the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show [Press Day 1]

The arrival of September means one thing for car enthusiasts: the new auto show season is upon us, beginning with the Frankfurt Motor Show, also known in Germany as the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA - International Automobile Exhibition), that occurs every two years, alternating with the Paris Auto Show.
The key dates to remember for this year's event are September 10 and 11 for the press when we will shift into high gear for the debuts, and September 12 through 22 for the public when you can visit the show.
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IAA: Lamborghini Gallardo Continues Life with LP 570-4 Squadra Corse Edition

The rumored debut of a concept previewing the Gallardo's replacement turned out to be just that; a rumor. Instead, what Lamborghini had to offer to Gallardo fans was another limited edition version, this one named the LP 570-4 Squadra Corse. And before you build your hopes up on getting one, let us tell you that it will cost €191,100 (equal to about 254,000 McDonald cheeseburgers in the U.S.), and that's before taxes. Read more »

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Suzuki-Powered Caterham Seven 165 Says No To Fat Wheels in Frankfurt

One of the main reasons why the Toyota GT86 and its derivatives are such a joy to drive are they can be tossed around. Sometimes, these cars are intentionally fitted with non-grippy eco tires to lose traction easily, but do so in a gradual fashion so as not to startle the driver – this means it’s fun for drivers of varying skill levels, in the sense that it’s flattering for noobs and rewarding for those who have had experience with similar equipment before. Read more »

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EU-Spec Kia Optima Facelift Makes Frankfurt Debut, On Sale in Early 2014

The current shape Kia Optima has really won a following all of its own in the US, where its good looks, and powerful turbocharged petrol engines make it a firm favorite – the fact that they sell it as a hybrid helps too. Read more »

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BMW Details Production i8 Plug-in Hybrid Coupe Ahead of Frankfurt Debut, Aims at Porsche 911

Next month's Frankfurt Motor Show will see BMW's new "i" sub-brand debuting not one, but its two first series production cars , the i3 electric hatchback that goes on sale this fall and which we've already seen, and the more hotly-anticipated i8 plug-in hybrid sports coupe that will arrive in dealerships worldwide during 2014.

BMW isn't quite ready yet to uncover the interior and exterior styling of the i8 2+2 seater coupe, simply releasing photos of a camouflaged pre-production tester, but it is ready to share initial information and specifications.

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ABT to Debut Four New Models, Including VW Golf Mk7, at the Geneva Motor Show

Widely considered as the world's biggest tuner of VW Group cars, ABT Sportsline will head to next week's Geneva Auto Show with a collection of four new models.

No doubt, one of the highlights at ABT's stand will be the firm's tune for the new seventh generation VW Golf hatchback, previewed here in a rendering, in which we get a taste of the cosmetic applications that include an assortment of aero parts, headlamp and mirror trims, and a new alloy wheel design from the ER-X line.

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Maserati Adds Two-More Seats to GranTurismo MC Stradale

When Maserati launched the GranTurismo MC Stradale back in 2010 at the Paris Motor Show, its goal was to create a more performance-orientated version of the Pininfarina-designed coupe, with more power, less weight and a stiffer suspension, which is why the Italians dropped the rear seats.

Now, Maserati is getting ready to premiere a new sub-version of the GranTurismo MC Stradale that keeps the regular model's four-seat configuration at next week's Geneva Motor Show.

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Land Rover to Debut New 9-Speed ZF Automatic Transmission in Geneva

Land Rover will be displaying a new 9-speed automatic transmission for use on its passenger cars and SUVs at next week's Geneva International Auto Show. The new ZF 9HP gearbox was developed by transmission specialist ZF with Land Rover being a lead partner in the project – or so the British company says.

Specifically designed for transverse applications, the ZF unit is rather compact in dimensions, as despite sporting three more gears, it is only 6mm (0.23 inches) longer and actually weighs 7.5kg (16.5 pounds) less than the outgoing six-speed transmission it will replace.

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2014 Chevrolet SS Officially Unveiled, Gets 415HP 6.2-liter LS3 V8 [w/ Video]

It may not have the firepower to worry the latest crop of German über-sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG or the BMW M5 but, nevertheless, the 2014 Chevrolet SS that was unveiled today at the Daytona International Speedway, where its racing version also debuted at the Daytona 500 NASCAR event, is a welcome addition to the Bow Tie’s range.

That’s because the new SS, which is the American version of the new Holden SS V and is built around GM’s global platform that also underpins the Camaro and Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle, marks Chevrolet’s return to rear-wheel drive performance sedans after a long absence.

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2014 Dodge Durango Facelift with 8-Speed Auto Pegged for Production in May

Not that we weren't expecting Dodge to update the Durango SUV after Jeep displayed the facelifted Grand Cherokee at the Detroit Auto Show this year, but Mopar-enthusiast site Allpar says it has the inside scoop.

Citing inside sources, the site said it has been told that the 2014 model year Dodge Durango will enter production in May this year, with first deliveries expected to start in late June. What this means is that we will likely see the facelifted Durango making its world premiere at the New York Auto Show at the end of March.

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2014 Chevrolet SS Officially Unveiled, Gets 415HP 6.2-liter LS3 V8

It may not have the firepower to worry the latest crop of German über-sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG or the BMW M5 but, nevertheless, the 2014 Chevrolet SS that was unveiled today at the Daytona International Speedway, where its racing version also debuted at the Daytona 500 NASCAR event, is a welcome addition to the Bow Tie’s range.

That’s because the new SS, which is the American version of the new Holden SS V and is built around GM’s global platform that also underpins the Camaro and Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle, marks Chevrolet’s return to rear-wheel drive performance sedans after a long absence.

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Holden Unwraps New Commodore SS V, Previews 2014 Chevrolet SS [w/Video]

It looks like Holden is trying to grab as much attention as it can with the new generation Commodore VF by spreading out the presentations for each different model of the range.

After the unveiling of the regular Commodore this past weekend, GM's Australian subsidiary announced the performance SS V , which is the closest thing we've seen to the 2014 Chevrolet SS Sports Sedan, which is scheduled to debut this Saturday, February 16 at the Daytona International Speedway.

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Redesigned Toyota 2014 Tundra Pickup Truck wants to be a Ford F-150 when it Grows Up

The most "American" model in Toyota's lineup is without question, the Tundra full-size pickup truck; and how could it not be since it was designed and built here in America specifically for domestic buyers.

Nevertheless, for all its Americanness, the Tundra hasn't really been able to compete against the country's best-selling pickup for 36 years and best-selling vehicle for 31 years, the Ford F-Series, which sold 645,316 units last year, a 10 percent increase over 2011. By comparison, Toyota sold 101,621 examples of the Tundra in 2012, up 22.6 percent from 2011 when it delivered 82,908 units.

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2014 Corvette Convertible Officially Confirmed for Geneva Motor Show

Just last week, there was a rumor going around the internet saying that General Motors may choose the upcoming Geneva International Auto Show in March for the world premiere of the convertible version of its 2014 Corvette Stingray.

On Tuesday, America's biggest automaker made it official and even released a teaser sketch that outlines the shape of the ragtop sports car, though, the previously available renderings that may or may not be sourced from Chevy, give us a much better idea of what the car will look like.

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New Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet with 265PS is the Last Hurrah for the Mk6

Volkswagen is sending off the sixth generation of its Golf series with a powerful bang in the form of the new Golf R Cabriolet that was officially revealed today after many months of teasing.

At the heart of the first-ever open-top "R" badged model and simultaneously, the fastest-ever production Golf Cabriolet in the history of the series, beats the same 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four petrol as found in the Golf R hatch, albeit slightly de-tuned at 261hp (265PS).

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Chevrolet Unveils 148HP, 42 mpg 2014 Cruze 2.0-liter Turbo Diesel, Priced at $25,695

Rising gasoline prices along with the vast improvements made in diesel engine technology in the past few years mean that car manufacturers are much less reluctant to introduce oil-burning models in the U.S. market that, unlike Europe, clearly isn't too fond of them.

Chevrolet chose the Chicago Auto Show to unveil the Clean Turbo Diesel variant of its best-selling Cruze small sedan. The 2014 model that will be sold in the U.S. and Canada is powered by a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine that puts out 148HP and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

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New BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo: 130 Photos and Videos

Chris Bangle has long resigned from his role as chief designer of BMW, but the Munich-based brand with the blue-and-white propeller badge continues to cause controversy with the styling of its models.

We'd hardly call the 5 Series Gran Turismo (GT) a commercial success, yet BMW still has faith in the 'tall liftback' recipe, so it applied the same treatment on the smaller 3-Series range as it races to cover every single niche possible in the premium segments.

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New Subaru Viziv Concept to Make World Premiere in Geneva

Here’s our first look at the new Subaru Viziv Concept that will be fully revealed at the 83rd Geneva International Auto Show in early March.

Subaru tells us that the Viziv is "a future-generation crossover concept" that embodies the brand value of "Enjoyment and Peace of Mind" - if that makes any sense to you…

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Honda to Debut New Civic Wagon Concept and Updated NSX at Geneva Auto Show

With the 2013 Geneva Auto Show being less than a month away, auto manufacturers are beginning to reveal details about the models they will debut in Switzerland.

Honda today announced that it has three premieres for the event. The first one is the Civic Wagon Concept, which the Japanese company says will provide “strong cues” for the production model that will be added to the European C-segment model’s line-up, likely within the next year or so.

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Official: New Q50 will be the First Infiniti Model to Share Engines with Mercedes

After its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show in January, the all-new Infiniti Q50 that replaces the G series sedan, will head to Switzerland and the Geneva Motor Show in March for its European debut.

The big news at the Swiss show will be the presentation of the European engine range for the Q50, which will be the first Infiniti model to feature new powertrains sourced from Daimler and its Mercedes-Benz brand.

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