SUV: Lamborghini LM002

Last month the internet was on fire after Auto Express started to spread a rumor about the revival of the Lamborghini LM002. However, as we noted in our article, the story sounded a bit off. For a proper Lambo SUV, the Audi Q5 platform would be too small, a V8 engine not noble enough and the £100,000 (US $156,080) price tag a tad low. That’s why we didn’t put much credence in the rumor.

It turns out we were right to take it with a grain of salt as Lamborghini CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, told British magazine Autocar that the Italian maker would give the green light to a four-door saloon inspired by the Estoque concept car.

“We have opportunities outside the supercar business, and we showed that with Estoque,” said Winkelmann. “It had a more enthusiastic response than we had expected. It was the right time to see if the brand could go outside of supercars. Even now, people are still emailing me about us making the Estoque”.

Mr. Winkelmann admitted that Lamborghini had only two choices for the third car of its lineup: a four-seat four-door and an SUV. But the latter doesn’t exist in the makers price segment and “it’s not a real luxury car”.

If something like the Estoque is going to be produced, the famous Italian automaker expects to attract new customers to the brand by being a more practical car. “If we are going to offer a third model, it could be a ‘first’ car, bringing people to our brand” Winkelmann concluded.

New Car 2012 Chrysler 300 Sedan

Knowing that we live in a world of reciprocity and “you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours”, we’re not at all surprised by the early reveal of Chrysler’s redesign 2012 model year 300 Sedan, courtesy of Motor Trend. For the record, the firm’s new model was supposed to break cover at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

In any case and until the higher-ups over at the Chrysler Group decide that the rest of the world is worthy enough of some pictures, you can gaze at MT’s gallery by clicking the link here. Check them out and tell us what you think about the 300′s new styling direction in the comments below.

Geneva 2011: Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid plugs in at the PalExpo

Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery

The automaker best known for its safety technologies is forging a new path its leadership of the green revolution with the new Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid. Revealed here at the Geneva Motor Show, the hybrid wagon is the first in its segment to combine a diesel engine with a plug-in rechargeable electric powertrain.

As we reported in the run-up to the show, the V60 Plug-In Hybrid offers its drivers a variety of propulsion options, alternating between two motors to adapt to conditions at the push of a button.

Outwardly the hybrid version looks pretty much the same as the already svelte sport-wagon we know, save for some new wheels and a charging port on the front-right fender. See for yourself in the high-res gallery of live images from the show floor below and check out the full tech details in the release after the jump.

Rest of 2012 Ford Focus line tops out at 38 MPG

2012 Ford Focus – Click above for high-res image gallery

The fuel economy wars have heated up in the hotly contested C-Segment. The latest salvo from Ford comes in the form of the Focus SE SFE (Super Fuel Economy) capable of 40 miles of highway travel on a single gallon of petrol. That ties the similarly new 2011 2011 Hyundai Elantra (40 mpg) and it's close to the 42 mpg from the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze ECO. But like its competitor from Chevrolet, most Focus models won't be able to keep pace with the big four-oh.

According to Kicking Tires, the rest of the Focus lineup will return a slightly less exciting 38 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg around town (31 mpg combined) when equipped with a six-speed automatic gearbox. The manual transmission Focus will hit 36 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg in city driving (30 mpg combined). Not best-in-class, but not too shabby, either.

It would have been a big win for the Focus if it could best the Elantra at the pump. On the other hand, the Focus does pack 12 more horsepower than the Hyundai and we're thinking it looks every bit as good. It's a good time to be in the market for a compact car.

Report: UK woman wins 30-hour standoff with parking enforcement officer

Walking out to find a boot on your car is about the third worst thing that can happen to your parked vehicle. (One and two would have to be finding out your car was towed or broken into.) Jessica Davey of Southern England walked out to find her Renault Clio wearing the extra metal on one of its wheels and was afraid that the tow company was next to pay her a visit. She decided to stay with the car and fend off any tow trucks... for the next 30 hours.

According to reports, the reason she got the boot in the first place is that her parking permit was not displayed on her windshield. It was, however, sitting in plain sight on the dashboard but not follow the rules to a T is apparently grounds for a bootin' in her neck of the woods.

Davey was worried that the cost to retrieve her car, should it be towed, would be more than the vehicle was actually worth. Her boyfriend tried removing the boot and was quickly arrested, but later released with no charges filed.

The parking enforcement officer, Anthony Brindley, stuck around to make sure the boot stayed put. Brindley said he could remove the boot if Davey paid the £110 ($180 USD) fee. She continued to stick to her guns and the seat of her Clio. Brindley also hung tough, but 30 hours later he moved on. That's when Jessica Davey set to work and removed the boot herself.

In the end, Jessica Davey and her Renault Clio persevered and tasted freedom. Davey did miss a day of work because of the matter, and we're curious how much that cost her.

Geneva 2011: Pirelli shows off 2011 F1 tire with trio of racers

Pirelli 2011 Formula 1 Tire Display - Click above for high-res image gallery

To the uninitiated, the choice of tires in motor racing can look about as insignificant as what refreshments they're serving in the grandstands. But those in the know are all too aware of the enormous effect the right – or wrong – rubber can have on a race's outcome. So in the world of Formula One racing, the switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli as the official tire supplier is pretty big news.

The Italian rubber company is suitably proud of its selection, and to show off its wares, Pirelli brought a trio of contemporary grand prix racers – a Red Bull, a McLaren and a Ferrari, no less – to the Geneva Motor Show, wearing their new boots. These look to be last year's cars wearing this year's tires, but that's to be expected as the front-running teams in question frantically prepare their cars for the new season. Take a closer look in our high-res image gallery below.

Nissan/Playstation GT Academy winner to go from armchair to racing seat at Le Mans

Lucas Ordonez is a 25-year-old Spaniard who began competing in Nissan and Playstation's GT Academy when it first got started back in 2008. Of the initial 25,000 participants, Lucas weeded himself out as the quickest and was given the chance to take his skills from Gran Turismo to a real race track. Three years on, Lucas is preparing himself to take on a full LeMans Cup schedule in 2011.

Lucas' season begins in March, behind the wheel of a Signatech Nissan LMP2 machine at the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. From there, it's on to the holy grail, the 24 Hours of LeMans, followed by five more LeMans Cup races across the globe.

There are likely to be more people like Lucas coming down the pike: the European GT Academy will start its fourth installment on March 4, and Nissan and Gran Turismo recently started the American version. More details can be found in the official release after the jump. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Video: Walter Röhrl spins a million-dollar Porsche 904... with us inside

Walter Röhrl spins a Porsche 904 – Click above to watch video

We're currently bombing around Mallorca, Spain on the launch of the Porsche Cayman R, and to make up for the massive monsoon that's coated the roads and nearly made a glorified go-kart track undrivable, our gracious hosts from Stuttgart brought out a legend. Actually, two of them.

None other than Walter Röhrl was flown in to show us "professionals" how a proper racing driver does it, and in between laps in the hotter, lightweight Cayman, the German racing legend took us for spin in something far more exotic.

According to Porsche, if there's a vintage, racing equivalent of the Cayman R, it's the historic Porsche 904, and this 911-powered 1965 example is one of only 20 ever made and came right from the personal garage of one of Ferdinand Porsche's progeny. This particularly immaculate 904 is probably worth over $1 million, but that didn't matter to Röhrl, who flung the featherweight (and seatbelt-less) coupe around the track with the kind of sideways fervor we'd expect from a World Rally Champion. Oh, and when we said "spin" we meant it. Follow the jump for the in-car footage, and excuse our incessant cackling – we're still trying to pry the grin off our face.

Geneva 2011: 2012 GTA Spano makes world debut with 820 horsepower

2011 GTA Spano – Click above for high-res image gallery

GTA Motor has just rolled out its brand-new supercar, the V10-powered, 820-horsepower Spano here at the Geneva Motor Show. The car has a carbon fiber-kevlar composite and aluminum chassis, and will be limited to a run of 99 examples worldwide.

With all that power and very little weight, the Spano makes it to 60 mph in under three seconds, and GTA says it will top out at 217 mph. The car carries massive 380 mm (nearly 15-inch) six-piston caliper AP Racing disc brakes with ABS, and the brakes sap off speed with the help of a ridiculous wide set of Pirelli PZero Rosso 330s (19- and 20-inches wide, respectively).

The car is designed with performance in mind, but it's not a totally stripped-out track-day car, keeping things civilized with a panoramic roof and a carbon fiber luggage compartment complete with fitted bags.