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Aston Martin Centenary gallery (2013)

To celebrate its centenary, Aston Martin gathered hundreds of its models from its 100-year history in Kensington Gardens, London. CAR's own Aston DB9 long-termer was in attendance, along with the new Zagata Centennial Editions and the CC100 Speedster concept. Check out the full gallery below.

Mercedes-Benz introduces nine-speed automatic gearbox

Mercedes-Benz has quietly slipped a new nine-speed automatic into its lineup as standard equipment on the European market E350 BlueTec. The new in-house produced unit, known internally under the name 9G-Tronic, has long been slated for selected Mercedes-Benz models. However, its existence was officially denied until the weekend, when Mercedes-Benz's German language website configurator went live with various updates for the E-class lineup -- including an entry signaling the 9G-Tronic is now available on the standard rear-wheel drive E350 BlueTec in place of the older seven-speed.

Aston Martin announces new Zagato collaboration

Aston Martin's history with Zagato goes back to the luscious DB4 GT Zagato of 1960. Since then, we've seen Milanese interpretations of the DB7 and V12 Vantage, both of which, like the DB4, wound up as limited-production runs. These two cars are a little different.

Mitsubishi upgrades the Outlander Sport

The base version of the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport will cost $19,470, not including destination. The Japanese company is touting the SUV as being American made due to its birthplace in the funnily named Normal, Illinois. All-wheel-drive models start at $22,070.

BMW i3 starts at $42,275

The electric BMW i3 mini crossover will cost $42,275, including destination, when it debuts to the press on July 29. The company is hosting three simultaneous launch events in London, New York and Beijing. The production version of the car was first seen at the Frankfurt motor show in March.

The Petersen Museum's proposed new exterior

This is not Architectureweek and granted, the Petersen Automotive Museum really does have to do something to its drab, Ohrbach's department store exterior to let people know there's a car museum inside. Shown here is what they're planning to do. The Petersen museum released this drawing of its planned exterior revision.

Lotus secures more funding, but five-year plan is dead

The five-car, five-year plan for Lotus developed under Dany Bahar is dead, according to an Autocar report. But rumor has it that the sexy Esprit concept could be revived at a low cost. Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil, managing director of the company that owns Lotus parent company Proton, DRB, confirmed that the company sold 70 cars in the U.K.

Mercedes-Benz reveals Vision Golf Car concept

Mercedes-Benz has revealed a concept of what it bills as the “ultimate golf cart” as part of activities at this year's British Open at the Muirfield Golf Club in Scotland. The concept was created at Mercedes-Benz's advanced design studio in California using ideas submitted by golf fans in a competition held by the German car maker. The swoopy two-seater adopts a number of design cues from current Mercedes-Benz models along with a doorless, one-box profile to give it a contemporary appearance that transcends traditional golf cart design.

One Lap of the Web: 'Blower' Bentleys, Abarth history and a Checker taxi-camper

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- When it comes to high-dollar collector cars, provenance is everything.

Mini showcases three Getaway concept campers

Mini has released three concept camping cars based on Mini models, each offering a huge variety of outdoor gear. The Mini Clubvan Camper has been rebuilt into the world's smallest luxury camper van, while the Mini Cowley has been coupled with a caravan trailer for two people. The biggest Mini of the group is the Countryman ALL4 Camp, which features a folding sleeping tent on the roof.

New Mazda3 to drive 9,300 miles from Hiroshima, Japan, to Frankfurt, Germany

The new Mazda3 (pictured) is trekking from Hiroshima to Frankfurt If you’re going to set a challenge for a new car, a drive from Hiroshima to Frankfurt – 9,300 miles – is probably one designed to show any flaws. And that’s exactly what Mazda are doing with the new Mazda3. The ‘Mazda Route3 – Hiroshima to Frankfurt Challenger Tour 2013′ will see eight new Mazda3s setting off from the Mazda factory in Hiroshima, heading for Russia, through Belarus and Poland before ending up in Frankfurt, Germany.

Porsche Macan production starts in December

The Porsche Macan (pictured) starts production in December with a bolder look It does seem that the baby Cayenne – the new, Audi Q5 based Porsche Macan – has been on its way for a while, but Porsche has now confirmed production will start in December, with first Macans hitting Porsche showrooms in early 2014. But despite the Macan having been spied many times, seemingly almost undisguised, we really don’t know what it will look like. That’s because Porsche’s man in charge of the design of the Macan - Michael Mauer – has admitted that Porsche has had to go back to the drawing board with the Macan to try and address its design in light of the huge success of the Range Rover Evoque.

BMW i3 EV will cost from £30,680 – less than we expected

The new BMW i3 EV (teased above) will costs from £30k The new BMW i3 electric City Car is due to be revealed in production guise on 29th July, ahead of which BMW has revealed it will cost from £30,680 – meaning a showroom sticker price of £25,680 after the EV taxpayer ‘grant’. That price is for the pure EV i3 – not the range-extender – which comes with a rear mounted 168bhp electric motor, a top speed of 93mph and a range (in ideal conditions) of around 80 miles between charges. At a retail price of £25k, the i3 compares favourably with other EVs like the Nissan LEAF, which costs from £21k, and the Chevy Volt at £30k (although that is a range extender).

Aston Martin Zagato Centennials (2013) first official pictures

Aston Martin’s long-time coach-building collaborator Zagato has pulled the wraps off a pair of special edition Astons to celebrate the Newport Pagnell brand’s 100th birthday. Christened the DBS Coupe Zagato Centennial and DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial, the specially-commissioned cars combine typically striking Zagato styling cues with Aston mechanicals. Aston Martin DBS Zagato Centennial: the headlines The coupe car’s most eye-catching feature is the typically Zagato double-bubble roof profile, accentuated by a polished metal strip that swoops from the car’s beltline across the rear window.

Aston Martin Coupé Zagato Centennial and Spyder Zagato Centennial

American car collector Peter Read has commissioned a pair of Zagato-bodied Aston Martins that coincide with the British marque's centenary. The DBS Coupé Zagato Centennial and DB9 Spyder Zagato Centennial are the hard- and soft-top siblings are the latest in a long line of collaborations between the two companies. But while many have been – an admittedly more exuberant – expression of contemporary Aston design language, the Centennials have a stronger individual identity with an almost sedan-like aesthetic with forward-leaning noses and long Kamm tails.

Zagato celebrates Aston Martin Centenary with Zagato DBS & DB9 Spyder

The Aston Martin e DBS Coupé Zagato Centennial (pictured, built for a Japanese entreprenuer Zagato and Aston Martin have a long history of working together to produce very special limited editions of AML cars, from the beautiful DB4 Zagato to the recent V12 Zagato. So it’s entirely appropriate – as this is Aston Martin’s Centenary year – that Zagato produce an Aston Martin Special Edition to mark the event. In fact, they’ve gone one better by producing two special Astons for the centenary – the Aston Martin DBS Coupe Centennial and the Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Centennial.

Top Gear Tonight: Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series & SLS Electric, Hovercraft Car & Hugh Jackman is SIARPC

Top Gear tests the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series (pictured) against the SLS Electric Drive We’re already halfway through the latest series of Top Gear – Series 20 – with tonight’s episode 4 leaving just two more show to go before the end of the season. Tonight we get Messrs Clarkson, May and Hammond looking for a solution for negotiating flooded regions (which just happens to be running in the longest dry spell in the UK for years) and it seems the solution is to build a car that turns in to a hovercraft. That will be the cue for the boys to appear in wetsuits as they take their creation for a trolley down the River Avon, a trip that will no doubt be more than a little eventful and wayward – hovercraft are not exactly point and steer.

New BMW 4-Series shows its sporty side with M Performance add-ons

The BMW 4 Series M Performance Parts have been revealed (pictured) The new BMW 4-Series Coupe may not have arrived in BMW showrooms yet, but that hasn’t stopped BMW showcasing how you can spend extra money on your new 4-Series with a range of M Performance accessories. So when you do go and spec up your new 4-Series you’ll also be able to tick some of the boxes on the M Performance Accessories list for your dealer to fit when your car arrives for delivery and (almost) turn it in to an imitation M4 Coupe if you wish. Probably the biggest seller will be the showy stuff, like the M-Performance body kit which adds a lower front bumper with carbon fibre splitter and bigger air intakes, bigger sills, new back bumper with diffuser and ducts, carbon fibre spoiler at the back, dark chrome trim and carbon fibre door mirror caps.

Alfa Romeo to drop MiTo & Giulietta & go RWD

The Alfa 4C (pictured) is the first part of Alfa’s plans to make proper drivers cars The argument has always been made that you’re not a real petrolhead unless you’ve owned an Alfa. But really, it’s quite some time since Alfa made proper petrolhead cars. In recent years Alfa’s focus has been on competing in the mainstream hatch market, with cars like the MiTo and Giulietta, and credible though those cars are, they’re more Fiat than Alfa.

Volkswagen mulls new Phaeton for the US market

Volkswagen is giving some serious thought to bringing back the Phaeton sedan to the U.S., Automotive News reports. We haven't seen the Phaeton since 2006, when it was withdrawn from the North American market after lackluster sales. Built at the same factory as the much more expensive Bentley Continental GT and sharing much of the underlying mechanicals, the Volkswagen Phaeton managed to be a slower seller in the U.S.

Scalded-cheetah Nissan GT-R runs a 7.98 quarter-mile

Eight-second cars are often funny-looking and monstrous-sounding. To get into the eights in the mid-1960s, Dick Landy hacked up his Dodges, altering the wheelbase for better weight transfer. Within a couple of years, the full-on nitro-sucking flopper would come to be the quickest thing with four wheels and a body with some resemblance to a production automobile, ushering the Funny Car era.

BMW previews new M4

BMW has revealed several retro-fit enhancements for the new 4-series coupe, part of its M-Performance line of options. In the process the company has provided the first clues to its upcoming M4's appearance; the M4 will replace the just-discontinued BMW M3, and sources tell Autoweek the new performance coupe will make its world debut at the Detroit auto show next January. The performance package consists of an aggressive aero kit, various interior trim upgrades and suspension modifications.

Fuji Heavy Industries celebrates 60th birthday

Fuji Heavy Industries, the corporate parent of Subaru, celebrated its 60th birthday a few days ago. The storied multinational company makes everything from wind turbines to airplane parts, and conducts business in more than a hundred countries. Even though the origins of the company date back to 1917, the Fuji Heavy Industries we know today was formed in 1953.

Hyundai ix35 Hydrogen FCEV arrives in the UK

The first Hyundai ix35 Hydrogen FCEVs hit the road in London (pictured) The Hyundai ix35 FCEV is the world’s first hydrogen powered production car (although production is very limited at the moment) and the first five ix35 FCEVs are about to hit London’s roads. The hydrogen-powered ix35s are part of the London Hydrogen Network Expansion (LNHE) project which aims to build acceptance of hydrogen powered vehicles and build a proper hydrogen transport infrastructure, initially on London and the south east. Hyundai are actually planning to build 1,000 ix35 FCEVs over thye next couple of years, but the majority of those will be heading for Europe where the EU has a number of projects running to promote hydrogen use for road vehicles.

BMW 4-series M Performance (2013) first pictures

BMW has revealed a range of M Performance accessories for the BMW 4-series ahead its arrival in UK showrooms this October. The accessories include both mechanical and cosmetic changes and will be offered to customers from January 2014. What do the M Performance models add to the BMW 4-series?

Honda Jazz Hybrid (2013) first official pictures

Honda city car gets a new hybrid drivetrain and dual-clutch gearbox – and a claimed 102.8mpg The new Honda Jazz Hybrid has been revealed, with massive improvements in fuel economy for the smartly packaged and keenly priced urban runabout. Its 102.8mpg (UK) claim puts the current Jazz Hybrid’s figure of 62.8mpg in the shade, as well as that of the Toyota Yaris Hybrid with 81.0mpg. It will be shown at the Frankfurt motor show this September before arriving in UK showrooms in 2014.

Alfa Romeo to dump front-drive hatches for rear-drive saloons

Alfa Romeo is set to drop the Mito and Giulietta hatchbacks around 2015, as it switches to solely rear-wheel drive models, CAR's Georg Kacher reveals today (Friday 19 July). The sensational news, which will be music to car enthusiasts' ears, is part of a radical, new plan involving closer collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Starting in 2015, Alfa will roll out a BMW 3-series rival, followed by a 5-series rival in 2016.

McLaren P1 XP2R caught at the Nurburgring. A ‘Special Edition’ P1?

The McLaren P1 XP2R (pictured) caught at the Nurburgring The McLaren P1 is pretty much out in the open, and has even had it’s dynamic debut – in the hands of Jenson Button – at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. So why is there a McLaren P1 blatting round the Nurburgring wearing a small badge that says ‘XP2R’? Is this a ‘special’ P1; perhaps the first hint that McLaren are going to produce an even more extreme P1?

Concept Car of the Week: Citroën C6 Lignage (1999)

By the late ‘90s, the bold but ageing Citroën XM was becoming irrelevant compared to the freshly updated German sedans. The press even started to suggest the XM would be the last high-end car to carry the double chevron. What they didn't know was that the designers were already working on the next model, although that wouldn't be ready until few years later.

Faurecia opens new Shanghai Technical Center

Faurecia has opened a new technical center in Shanghai, China, which will also serve as its Chinese headquarters. The automotive equipment supplier wants to reinforce its research and development capabilities and engineering localization in the world's largest automotive market. The new 18,000 square meter Faurecia China Tech Center is made up of the Training Center and the Tech Center, which includes an industrial design facility, two showrooms and various prototype workshops alongside five labs for testing, acoustics, airbag, complete seat and quality inspection.