Car Moon

These first photos - or computer enhanced pictures, we're not entirely sure, show that Lumma Design has gifted the Panamera sports sedan with an ultra-aggressive wide body kit that includes a modified hood with air outlets, restyled bumpers, a rear diffuser that incorporates quad tail pipes and a large rear wing.

The chunky fender extensions that house the 22-inch alloy wheels finished in black with silver rims along with the new side skirts round off the cosmetic upgrades. Furthermore, the sport sedan's ride height has been lowered by a significant 35mm.

We're not aware of the mechanical upgrades yet, but if the tuning company's work on other Porsche models is any indication, the CLR 700GT will boast more than enough power under the bonnet.

Via: Autoblog.nl , Source: Lumma Design

The hybrid drivetrain of the Suzuki Swift Concept combines a small displacement gasoline engine with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack. The concept car is designed primarily to be driven only on electric power.

For short distances, the electric motor is powered by the battery that's charged from a household mains socket. If the battery runs low, then the gasoline engine kicks in not to move the vehicle but to power a generator that in turn charges the battery.

Being a concept an all, Suzuki touched up the Swift Plug-in Hybrid with a different headlight treatment and new wheels on the outside, and a set of lightweight front seats with net-like surfacing and special trim on the inside.

The cube-shaped rear compartment measures 1,350 mm wide by 1,180 mm deep and 1,100 mm high and features a flat floor. According to Mitsubishi, it allows every inch of available space to be utilized - not that there's much to go around...

There are no changes to the drivetrain that consists of a 330-volt lithium-ion battery system located under the floor deck and an electric motor that drives the rear wheels and develops an output of 47kW or 64HP and 180Nm or 132.8-lbs/ft of torque.

What we do know is that the Skydeck can seat six passengers in three rows of seats and that it makes use of Lamborghini-style scissor doors up front and more conventional sliding doors at the rear. Power is provided by a hybrid drivetrain while the system's batteries are mounted underneath the center console that runs along the two front seat rows.

In particular, Penske had negotiated a deal with General Motors to source its vehicles on a contract-manufactured basis for a specific period of time, after which, the company would source vehicles from another maker under a similar contract-manufacturing agreement.

"Without that agreement, the company has determined that the risks and uncertainties related to the availability of future products prohibit the company from moving forward with this transaction," said Penske in a prepared statement.

GM said that it just learned about Penske's decision to terminate talks noting that the news is "very disappointing" and that it "comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality."

"As a result of PAG's decision, we will be winding down the Saturn brand and dealership network, in accordance with the wind-down agreements that Saturn dealers recently signed with GM. Pursuant to the terms of those agreements, the wind down process will be determined and communicated shortly," said GM's President and CEO, Fritz Henderson.

General Motors said that Saturn customers and owners will continue to be able to buy and service their vehicles at Saturn retailers during this process while when the wind down is complete, they will be able to service their cars at other GM dealerships.

"Today's disappointing news comes at a time when we'd hoped for a successful launch of the Saturn brand into a new chapter. We will be working closely with our dealers to ensure Saturn customers are cared for as we transition them to other GM dealers in the months ahead. I'd also like to thank every GM employee and Saturn retailer who worked so hard to try to make this new beginning happen for Saturn," said Henderson.

The Japanese automaker's Spartan press release notes that that the STI-prepped Exiga 2.0 GT Turbo has also received some minor interior upgrades while the under the skin, the vehicle's chassis has been "fine-tuned" to further improve handling. The 'Exiga Tuned by STI' is scheduled to go on sale in Japan after the Tokyo Motor Show.

This means that with the 211HP 2.0-litre turbocharged FSI engine, the A5 Prototype achieves a power-to-weight ratio of 161HP per tonne. For comparison, the 'standard' A5 Coupe 3.2 FSI V6 quattro with 265HP that weighs in at 1,540kg, is only slightly better at 172PS per tonne.

"The lightweight design of the test car not only enables a smaller engine to supplement a larger one with no impact on performance and gains in economy and emissions, but also has a knock-on effect on ancillaries such as the brakes and transmission, which can also be reduced in size and weight," said Audi.

"It also enables the car to change direction noticeably more keenly and nimbly and, thanks to the reduction in unsprung weight, to ride with even more refinement," the company added.

Even though the aluminium A5 Coupe Prototype isn't intended to make production, we suspect that the next generation model will most likely benefit from this lightweight concept.

In addition, the special edition model's interior has been dressed in a suede fabric that covers most parts of the cabin including the dashboard top and the Recaro bucket seats.

The new Subaru Impreza WRX STI A-Line Carbon is scheduled to go on sale in the Japanese market sometime after the show.