New York Show: Suzuki Kizashi 3 Concept

The Japanese carmaker confirmed earlier reports today about the unveiling of a third iteration of the Kizashi Concept series at the upcoming New York International Show later this month. According to Suzuki, the Kizashi 3 not only represents the completion of the concept series but most importantly, it will provide us with a closer-to-production vision of a future sport sedan offering from the Japanese carmaker. Also on stand in New York will be the other two concepts of the series, the Kizashi 1, which made its debut at the 2007 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, and the Kizashi 2, unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show last October.

MINI to Reveal Near-Production Coupe Model this Week, Roadster in Frankfurt

This Wednesday, on August 26, the MINI brand will turn 50 and to celebrate the occasion the British automaker will reveal the first photos a two-seater coupe concept car based on the hatchback model ahead of a planned debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Carscoop's inside sources, the most distinctive styling features of the coupe variant of the MINI are the steep windshield and of course the new roof.

Our source told us that the concept car will be based on the John Cooper Works Mini using the same 1.6-liter twin-turbocharged four-pot that pumps out 211 horsepower and a maximum torque of up to 280Nm or 207 lb-ft with overboost deployed.

However, the coupe promises to be quicker and even more capable than the three-door JCW Mini as it is lighter due in large part to the weight saving aluminum roof and the elimination of the rear seats.

According to our insider, the Coupe concept will be joined in Frankfurt by the long-anticipated Roadster model. What our source didn't reveal is when or if these two sporty versions of the Mini will make it into production.

And yes, the photo above is a photoshop based on an older MINI concept car that we drew up a couple of months ago when the first rumors broke about the Roadster model.

Stay tuned on Carscoop as we'll have the Full Monty on the MINI Coupe on Wednesday.

[Source: Carscoop]

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS: High-Res Gallery and Full Details on 450HP Hardcore 911

Described by Porsche as the "most sporting road-going 911 yet", the rousing new 911 GT3 RS is the closest thing you can get to a racing version of the 911 while remaining street legal and it is set to make its first public appearance at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show. Based on the recently introduced 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 facelift, the latest generation RS model benefits from increased engine power, lower weight, shorter transmission ratios and an optimized chassis.

The hardcore RS, which sets the foundation for homologating the racing version of the 911 GT3, is powered by a tweaked version of the GT3's naturally aspirated 3.8-liter flat-six tuned to deliver more power and rev even faster and more dynamically. It produces a maximum output of 450 horsepower or 15 HP more than its GT3 counterpart and 35 HP more than the previous generation 997 RS.

Power is delivered to the rear wheels exclusively through a low-ratio, six-speed manual gearbox with a short-throw gear lever. Porsche is keeping the performance figures to itself for the time being, but for the record, the standard 435 HP GT3 accelerates from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 312 km/h or 194 mph.

The RS also features wider front and rear tracks as well as additional wheel arch covers that increase the span across the nose. The pronounced wheel arches house 19-inch alloys shod with 245/35 ZR 19 sports tyres up front and 325/30 ZR 19 at the rear.

Other goodies include the specially set-up Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system and the active engine mounts (Porsche Active Drivetrain Mounts - PADM) that can change their stiffness and damping effect to resist the movement of the drivetrain in the bodyshell. Furthermore, Porsche replaced the car's conventional lead battery with a lithium-ion battery that helps reduce weight by more than 10 kg or 22 pounds.

The Stuttgart automaker said that the new model's carefully honed aerodynamics develop even more downforce than on the GT3. Talking about aerodynamics, you may have noticed that the RS gets a larger-than-life carbon-fibre rear wing with aluminum supports while other styling changes include the hard to miss bright red accents and livery, the specific dual tailpipes of the lightweight titanium sports exhaust and unique front and rear parts.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS is expected to go on sale in most European countries at the end of the year, with the UK and the United States following in early 2010.

 [Source: Carscoop]