2013 Dodge Avenger

Dodge unveiled the Avenger to the North American market back in 1995 as a two-door coupe. The model was produced until 2000 when Dodge decided to replace it with the Stratus coupe. Dodge used the Avenger name once again in 2007, but this time it was a sedan. The model remained untouched until 2011 when Dodge offered a small revision.

The current Avenger won the IIHS "Top Safety Pick" from 2009 to 2012, thanks to a very long list of standard safety and high-tech features that offer the driver and passenger the safest ride in the segment. There is also the V-6 engine which transforms it into the most powerful V-6 midsize sedan.

For the 2013 model year, the Avenger continues to remain unchanged. There is a choice of three trims — SE, SXT and the R/T — and the latter adds a sporty exterior look and a highly equipped interior. There is also a special Avenger Blacktop Edition, which adds an enhanced exterior look.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2013 Dodge Avenger.

Exterior

The 2013 Avenger continues to offer the same updated exterior look that Dodge announced back in 2011. This includes a revised lower front fascia and a chrome grille up front. On the rear, the Avenger gets LED taillights and an exhaust system with dual end pipes.

For the 2013 model year, customers can choose between eight exterior colors:

• Billet Silver Metallic Clear Coat
• Black Clear Coat
• Redline 2 Pearl Coat
• Bright White Clear Coat
• Tungsten Metallic Clear Coat
• Blue Streak Pearl Coat
• Crystal Blue Pearl Coat
• True Blue Pearl Coat

Standard Exterior Features

• Tinted Glass Windows
• Laminated Windshield and Front Door Glass
• Power Exterior Mirrors
• LED Tail Lamps
• Security Alarm
• Grille with Bright Crosshairs
• Body-Color Door Handles

2016 Acura NSX

After years of teasing and concept reveals, the Acura NSX is finally going to be a reality. This was confirmed by a press release from Honda informing us that it had selected a production facility: an all-new, 184,000-square-foot Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. This production facility will be inside Honda’s former North American Logistics facility nearby Honda’s R&D and engineering operations.

Little is known about the production version of the NSX except the fact that is will carry a mid-mounted, direct-injected V-6 engine and Acura’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system. The Sport Hybrid SH-AWD uses a trio of electric motors – one mated to the engine and two driving the front wheels – to help boost the V-6 engine’s performance and overall vehicle stability. The latest concept’s engine hooked up to a dual-clutch transmission and we expect the same from the production model. Unfortunately, Honda released no information on the total output and performance of the NSX, so we are in the dark here. We do figure to see at least 400 horsepower from the 2016 NSX and a 0-to-60 mph time around 4 seconds.

The 2013 NSX Concept is likely the one that is most similar to what the NSX will actually look like, minus the crazy headlights and wheels. The red and black leather interior is very realistic for production and the body isn’t too over the top to be considered for production.

Production will begin in Ohio in 2015, making this a 2016 model year not the 2015 model year that anticipated earlier. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Updated 07/25/2013: Today, Acura unveiled a prototype of the upcoming NSX that will lap the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course just before the Honda Indy 200 on August 4th. You can see the blue-liveried NSX above. We’re sure there will be many more images and videos after it makes its trip around the track, stay tuned for more in August.

Updated 08/05/2013: Acura finally put the NSX prototype on the track just before the Honda Indy 200. So far, the Japanese automaker has unveiled only a few image of the car lapping the 2.4-mile-long Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but we dig up a few videos on YouTube of the prototype lapping the course. You can read more about this prototype after the jump and you can see more images in our Gallery.

2014 Subaru BRZ STI

Ever since Subaru dropped the new BRZ onto the market, we knew that an even hotter STI version was sure to follow. Now, British magazine AutoExpress is offering a few details on this new model, set to arrive sometime next year.

The future BRZ STI will feature a more powerful version of the current 2.0-liter flat-four cylinder ’boxer’ engine. The output will be raised up to somewhere in the 250-horsepower area (an addition of about 50 horsepower), thanks to the modifications made to the engine’s variable valve control system. That will also allow for an even higher rev limit of around 7,500rpm with the help of a new freer-flowing exhaust.

Next to the extra power, the new STI will also be even lighter than the standard BRZ. It will also be distinguished by a dramatic bodykit, a stiffened and lowered suspension, lighter but larger 18-inch alloy wheels, and upgraded brakes.

One downside to the BRZ STI is that there will be no turbocharged version offered. Subaru says there is no space for it in the engine bay and they are reserving these version for models like the WRX STI.

When the BRZ STI does debut, Subaru would have taken the next step in their playful game of one-ups-man-ship. What say you, Toyota?

UPDATE 10/23/2012: Just a few days ago, Subaru unveiled a Subaru BRZ equipped with STI upgrades at the 2012 Australian Motor Show in Sydney. We knew this wasn’t this wasn’t the real Subaru BRZ STI deal, but it confirmed the fact that great things were going to be coming from Subaru in the near future.

Now we hear that Subaru is preparing a turbocharged direct-injection version of the horizontally opposed, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine used in the standard BRZ. This engine will feature a single twin-scroll turbocharger and straight direct-injection developed in-house and not the DI/port-injection system developed in cooperation with Toyota.

This engine could deliver up to 280 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque, transforming the upcoming BRZ STI into a real competitor in the sports car market. (AutoNews)

UPDATE 08/05/2013: Subaru unveiled today the first teaser image for the upcoming BRZ STI, which will make its world debut later this fall, either at the Frankfurt Motor Show or in Tokyo.

UPDATE 08/05/2013 (2): Yup, another update for the first Monday of August... Subaru has just release yet another teaser image, which you can see above.

Click past the jump to read more about the upcoming Subaru BRZ STI.

gallery: 2012 Subaru BRZ Concept STI

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Competitors

Nissan 370 Nismo

The STI version of the Subaru BRZ will not add much — if any — power to the base BRZ, so its competition is limited to higher-performance versions of the models that already compete with the base BRZ.

The 370Z Nismo comes equipped with a 3.7-liter V-6 engine that delivers a total of 350 horsepower and 276 pound-feet of torque. This amount of power is considerably more than what we anticipate the BRZ STI to deliver. This goes to show that if you are willing to shell out a little more money, you can upgrade to a far more power sports car than the BRZ STI.

2013 Subaru WRX RS40

Two things we’ve come to learn about Subaru in the past month: it has a special place in its heart for Australia and its doing all it can to give the soon-to-depart current-generation WRX the swan song it deserves.

The Japanese automaker’s Australian arm is introducing a limited-edition WRX model in Australia, called the WRX RS40. If you’re wondering what the "RS40" means, that’s an allusion to Subaru’s 40th anniversary in Australia and considering that the legendary sports sedan is nearing its last legs, it was only appropriate for the folks Down Under to give it a proper send-off on the same year Subaru is celebrating the big "4-0" in the country.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the WRX RS40 dons the iconic WR Blue Mica finish that has become a trademark for the model for so many years. Subaru also added a slew of new aero components, including STI front and rear spoilers, a strut-tower brace, special "RS40" badges, and of course, a set of 17-inch gold-finished alloy wheels.

There aren’t a whole lot of interior modificatons, but where it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. Recaro sport seats with blue Alcantara inserts are the unquestioned highlight of the cabin upgrades and are complemented by a new short-throw shifter, and an individually numbered plaque.

No performance upgrades were given to the WRX RS40, so expect the same 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that develops a tidy 195kW (261 horsepower) at 6,000 rpm and 343 Nm (253 pound-feet) of torque at 4,000 rpm. Suby will offer only 300 units, each priced at AUD$4,500 over the base WRX price.

Unfortunately, it’s exclusive to Australia so if you’re thinking of getting one, you’ll probably have to jump through multiple hoops to get one.

Click past the jump to read about the base WRX STI

Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Beginning with the next-generation models, the WRX and STI lines will officially go their separate ways. But even if the split makes us all bummed, we can take comfort knowing that for one last time, both Subaru arms gave us a treat of an Impreza.

It’s one of those rare cars that pack a healthy combination of looks, power, and performance. We’re going to miss the current generation Impreza WRX STI, but if there was a way to give it the proper adieu, Subaru Australia certainly took care of it.

2014 Volvo S80

Volvo is one of those automakers that rarely makes a splash in the auto scene. Unless it comes out with a concept - a feat in itself - it’s usually content with just sitting out of the spotlight and producing cars that are known for their fuel efficiency and safety.

That being said, we still have to give due attention to the automaker, especially when it decided to roll out a bevy of new models for nearly its entire product line.

One of these models is the new S80, the Swedish automaker’s luxury sedan. Previous versions didn’t really inspire a whole lot of interest from the market, but that doesn’t mean that the new S80 doesn’t come with some interesting new features about it that could make it a safe choice for a luxury model.

We certainly see some merits on the new S80. Sure, there are some things we don’t like about it too, but with a brand like Volvo, the case is always the customer taking what he can get.

Updated 08/02/2013: Volvo announced today that the 2014 S80 luxury sedan starts at $39,900. Click past the jump to see all of the pricing details.

Find out more about the 2013 Volvo S80 after the jump

Exterior

When you’re describing the exterior of the S80, you’re not going to expect any sort of award-winning designs. Volvo has never been the type to wow with aesthetics. Having said that, the new S80 does come with a host of exterior upgrades that makes the sedan look a little more appealing.

Volvo fitted the S80 with new front and rear bumpers that exude a more stretched look that makes the car look wider. We’re not sure what that accomplishes apart from being a little more difficult to park in smaller spaces.

Volvo describes the changes as adding a more sophisticated elegance to the car but we struggle to see where the sophistication is, especially when the automaker retained the old Volvo lights on the rear.

Ultimately, judging the look of a Volvo is like telling a giraffe it’s got a long neck. There are no surprises and nothing that will make you stand up and take attention.

2014 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S 5 Million Facebook Fans Edition

Porsche has never been bashful about being a proponent of social media as a way of communicating with its fans. Time and again, the German automaker has taken to its Facebook and Twitter pages to get input from its fans.

There were even a couple of times in the past where Porsche built specific special edition models for its Facebook fans, including the Cayman S Facebook Edition and the 911 GT3 R Hybrid Facebook Edition.

Back in February, Porsche took it up a notch when it invited its five million fans on Facebook an opportunity to customize a unique Porsche 911 Carrera 4S.

After five months of hearing the fans’ replies, Porsche has finally unveiled the vehicle and appropriately enough, has christened it as the 2014 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Facebook Edition.

Featuring Porsche’s "Sport" exterior package for the 911 Carrera 4S, the one-off sports car received a fancy Aqua Blue finish to go with a multitude of new aerodynamic and performance components, including a new double rear wing, a new sports exhaust system, PASM sports suspension, privacy glazing and wheel spacers. Spicing up the package is a set of 20-inch white Carrera S wheels.

Inside, personalized touches alluding to its builders were prevalently displayed, highlighted by custom inner-door sills with the phrase ’‘Personally built by 5 Million Porsche Fans’ engraved on it with matching blue illumination.

A subtle performance tweak was also given to the 911 Carrera 4S Facebook Edition’s 3.8-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. Whith these modifications in tow, the sports car’s output now generates 430 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque to go with a sprint time from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds to go with a top speed of 186 mph.

Click past the jump to read about the other "Facebook Edition" models Porsche has built in the past years

2010 Porsche BTR-II 600 EVO Ultra Edition by SpeedART

Do you remember the 997 Turbo BTR-II 650 EVO SpeedArt unveiled back n 2010? Today the same tuner turned its attention to the BTR-II package one more time and came up with a new version. This time around, the kit is called BTR-II 600 EVO Ultra Edition and unfortunately, it is a little bit less powerful than the first edition, but one benefit it that the tuner applied the kit to a convertible model.

This tuning kit pushes the Porsche’s engine to 600 horsepower — 50 horsepower less than the BTR-II 650 EVO model. To achieve this output level, the tuner installed its Powerkit III system, a sports exhaust system with a sound switch, 200-cell sports catalytic converter and 84 mm tailpipes. Peak torque was also increased to 590 pound-feet. This represents a significant increase over the base 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque delivered by the 997 Turbo.

Next to the extra power, the BTR-II 600 EVO Ultra Edition received an adjustable sport suspension with PASM and air lift for more ground clearance and a meaner appearance.

Click past the jump to read more about the Porsche BTR-II 600 EVO Ultra Edition by SpeedART.

Porsche BTR-II 600 EVO Ultra Edition by SpeedART in Detail

The exterior also saw some reworking. as it received a BTR-EVO Aerokit "Carbon-Edition," which includes a new front spoiler and bumper with larger air intakes, new side skirts, a new rear bumper, and a larger rear wing. SppeART also fitted the 911 with new gullwing doors.

The car now sits on a set of forged, 20-inch wheels painted in a cool combination of black and red.

For the interior, SpeedART added red carbon, red stitching and red instrument dials.

2013 Land Rover Range Rover Vogue Signature Edition by Kahn Design

If you believed this week would pass by with no upgrades from Kahn Design, you were very mistaken. The British design firm just sent us the official details on its latest offering: a 2013 Range Rover 4.4 SDV8 Vogue Signature edition.

The model is painted in a very cool Avus Bianco Pearl White hue combined with the roof coated in a contrasting piano black, a lower boot lid spoiler, brake calipers finished in liquid gold, mirror caps in piano black and door accents in pearl grey.

For those customers interested, you will have the chance to admire all these cool Kahn cars at the Westchester Cup, on the Sunday the 28th of July or at the Land Rover Billing Fest, on the 26th, 27th and 28th of July, in Northampton.

Land Rover Range Rover Vogue Signature Edition by Kahn Design in Detail

Kahn design limited its changes to just some minor exterior updates and the right choice of colors. There is also a set of RS600 wheels painted in gunmetal grey and a new panoramic glass sunroof.

For the interior, Kahn opted to fully trim it in perforated leather in any color that a buyer can dream up.

2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible

Times have changed in America, that much we can tell you.

Remember the day when mid-sized convertibles were as trendy as the mullet hairstyle? Those days are long gone, which is why it’s a little surprising that automakers are still producing these vehicles.

Consumers still love convertibles, but these days, it has to be of the sporty variety. The 2013 Chrysler 200 Convertible is not a sports car, but it does come with the capability of being a convertible. So you can say that the vehicle offers the best of both worlds, right? The sporty performance of a coupe and the open-air freedom of a convertible all wrapped in a midsized vehicle’s body.

To be fair, there are a number of positive attributes with the 200 Convertible. It’s been completely refreshed to make Chrysler forget about the forsaken Sebring. It also has an impressive powertrain configuration that does justice to its looks.

So there’s still hope for the 200 Convertible. But hope is fleeting, especially in the auto industry and ultimately, the midsized convertible is a dying breed.

Chrysler may have something with the 200 Convertible but for the most part, it’s going to take a lot of convincing to get people interested in this kind of car these days.

Exterior

The promise of a clean and sleek midsized convertible isn’t lost on us. Give credit to Chrysler for putting in the work on providing the 200 Convertible with its redeeming qualities.

The front end looks clean, maybe even too clean that it hardly inspires anything more than an ambivalent reaction. The inclusion of LEDs on the projector lamps is a welcome sight, as is the streamlined quality that harkens back to those old bulky convertibles of yesteryear.

Speaking of its dimensions, the 200 Convertible is really long. Too long, at least, for our liking. The car’s decklid is a challenge to open, something that should have been expected for a car this size yet you would’ve hoped Chrysler had already addressed. Closing it isn’t a problem but you would’ve liked it to be the same for both ends.

You can’t talk about this model without discussing the folding hardtop, which may look good but is just too bulky and complicated to even use.

2008-2013 BMW M3 by Edo Competition

Edo Competition is a tuner specialized in updating Ferrari and Lamborghini models, but it looks like this time it made an exception as it came up with a pretty wild body kit for the BMW M3 Coupe. Should we be surprised that the kit comes shortly after BMW announced the M3 Coupe will go out of production?

Called GTRS5, the new kit is focused on updating the look of the M3 and transforming it into a sporty, aggressive beast. The kit is entirely made in carbon fiber and includes a new front spoiler, new front splitter and front wings, new side skirts and a new rear wing. As an option customers can also get a carbon bonnet and boot lid.

If you really like the M3 GTRS5 and you want to order it, you better hurry up as only 40 units will be made.

BMW M3 by Edo Competition in Detail

Edo Competition did no updates under the hood, but it worked on making the V-8 engine to sound more aggressive. To obtain this throaty sound, it installed a new exhaust system with four end pipes made in carbon fiber and hidden into a special carbon rear diffuser with enlarged fins.

The M3 GTRS5 sits on a set of 20-inch VS-320 Vörsteiner aluminum rims painted in black. The tuner also installed a Brembo sports braking system with 380 mm (14.96) discs and red-painted, six-piston calipers on the front axle.

Keeping the M3 glued to the track is a variant 3 coilover suspension.

2014 BMW X5 by Lumma Design

The 2014 BMW X5 will not hit showrooms until late in November, but Lumma Design has already found a way to improve it. The new Lumma kit applies to both diesel and gasoline models, and will be available for order starting in March 2014.

As with any other kit developed by Lumma, the new CLR X5 RS starts by upgrading the exterior look of the car. The new aerodynamic kit starts with a new front spoiler bumper with enlarged air inlets and integrated daytime running lights. There are also new, custom-made side skirts and a new hood with large built-in vents.

Lumma also took the X5’s backside to a new level, as it installed a new integrated diffuser and a new rear spoiler with specially placed panels. Lastly, a set of powerful-looking wheel-arch flares help to give the X5 a more aggressive stance.

Lumma gave the X5 an even more aggressive look by adding in a set of wheels painted matte black with decorative strips. The wheels are sized 10-by-22 inches with 295/30R22 tires mounted on the front axle and 12-by-22 inches with 335/25R22 tires on the rear. Customers can also opt for rims coated in an elegant black or a silver finish.

A Sweet-Sounding Exhaust with Engine Mods Coming

The tuner also offers a new exhaust system with four oval end pipes. Lumma also promised that in the near future we will see some performance upgrades too.

Flashy Interior

For the interior, Lumma is offers an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel in leather, Alcantara or carbon; high-quality velour floor mats edged with leather and embroidered with the LUMMA crest logo; and aluminum pedals with non-slip rubber studs.