BMW held a press event for its 2011MY 5-Series saloon in Lisbon, Portugal. The 2011 5-Series is based on a new vehicle architecture also featured in the 5-Series GT as well as the 7 Series luxury sedan. The 530d is powered by a 3.0-liter turbo diesel with 245hp and 540Nm of peak torque (398 lb-ft) that propels the car from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 6.3 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

The new 535i gets a new 3.0-liter straight-six with a single, twin-scroll turbocharger pushing out 306HP and 400Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque for a zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 6.0 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h or 155mph.

In Europe, the new 5-Series will also be available with two more diesels, a 184HP 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit (520d) and a 204HP 3.0-liter inline six (525d) as well as three more petrol engines, a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter straight six with 204HP (523i) and 258HP (528i) and a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 407HP (550i).

All versions of the new 5 Series saloon are available as an option with BMW’s new eight-speed automatic transmission.

Audi formally introduced its new A1 premium supermini on Tuesday before its public debut at Geneva Motor Show, which is scheduled to take place next month. 2011 Audi A1 is designed as a competitor for such models as MINI Cooper and Alfa Romeo MiTo.  Together with the first photos and full details, Audi has also released three videos that include a walk around the car with design boss, Stefan Siellaf.

It should be noted that Audi A1 supermini was first introduced as the three-door Metro Project Concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, followed in 2008 by the five-door A1 Sportback study in Paris.

At launch the A1 will be available with two gasoline and two diesel engines. All the engines will be direct-injection four-cylinder turbos with stop-start technology. The sales in European are scheduled to start later this year, while it is not confirmed if the car will arrive to the U.S. or not.

Bentley has released a new video showing an early impression of Mulsanne production.

It takes more than five days to create the Mulsanne’s steel and aluminum body. The process is so time wasting because “the seamless sweep of the Mulsanne’s roof, rear wing and boot can only be achieved by crafting a hand-brazed seam midway down the D-pillar, a task still best performed with ‘hand and eye’ by Bentley’s award-winning craftsmen.”

The first part of Mulsannes will be torn apart to examine the accuracy of the finished components and bodyshell. In total, more than “588 functions and relationships are regulated to ensure complete precision.”

Set to go on sale later this year, the Mulsanne will be priced from £220,000 in the UK and $285,000 in the US.

Cars.com

An Image from the 2009 LA Auto Show

The new promo video of Audi R8 V10 Spyder was released by the car manufacturer and we present it to your attention. The video is similar to the first promo of the R8 variant, which was intended for car buyers in UK and Germany. The promo video is only 1min 23sec long.

It should be noted that the Audi R8 V10 Spyder made its world debut last month at the 2009 Frankfurt International Motor Show. The vehicle is equipped with 5.2-litre V10 engine, which is also available for the coupe. The engine has a maximum output of 386kW (518 PS) and peak torque is 530Nm (391 lb-ft). According to Audi, the R8 Spyder accelerates from 0 – 62mph in 4.1 seconds with the top speed of 194mph.

The Spyder is equipped with a soft-top which uses electrohydraulics to open its canvass in 19 seconds and store it inside a compartment above the engine. It can also be activated at speeds of up to 31mph.

At the Tokyo Auto Salon Toyota took the wraps off its Sports Hybrid Concept called the GRMN (Gazoo Racing Master of Nurburgring). The concept is based on the MR-2 and comes with a mid-mounted 3.3-liter V6 engine. According to the manufacturer the vehicle can accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds.

Toyota MR2 Sport Hybrid Concept is a four-wheel drive hybrid equipped with Toyota’s THSII hybrid system. The concept weights 1500kg, with the total capacity of 392 bhp.

It is reported that Toyota will, most likely, produce other sports car with a similar hybrid system.

GM calls the XTS Platinum a concept model, but the 203.5 inches (5,170mm) long XTS is considered to strongly influence Cadillac’s future flagship sedan that will displace the DTS, and also the STS. The full-size sedan keeps all the usual styling cues of modern Cadillacs such as the sharp creases and vertical lights.

The concept’s interior consists of leather, wood and other high quality materials with modern technology like the Organic Light-Emitting Diode (O-LED) displays that replace the traditional gauges and screens. Under the Caddy’s bonnet is GM’s 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct-injection plus a plug-in hybrid system that deliver a combined output of 350HP and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Honda released the first official details and a photo of its new HSV-010 GT and has been developed to replace the racing variant of the NSX in the GT500 class of the 2010 Super GT Series.

The HSV-010 GT is based on the NSX’s replacement that Honda canceled at the end of 2008 due to the economic recession.

Honda’s new GT is slated to make its official racing debut at the Super GT season opener at the Suzuka Circuit, held on March 20–21, 2010.