Honda Accord Crosstour gets 4 cylinder option

In the late 2009, when Honda launched the Accord Crosstour, it was told that the only available powertrain would be a V6. Now VTEC reports that a memo has been sent to the dealerships states that a four-cylinder Crosstour will be available this year.

Though the details about the sedan has not yet released, we can assume that it would have the same 2.4-liter engine currently available in Accord. VTEC also reports that a larger four-cylinder unit is currently in works for the CR-V crossover. We can expect that the four-cylinder engine will only be available on lower-trim Crosstours, likely without an all-wheel drive option.

Audi A1-Etron - An alternative to the BMW Mega City

Audi has come out and stated that the German automaker is butting heads with its parent company. The two has been having conflicts over the creation of the Audi A1 E-tron. Volkswagen was riled when they came to know that Audi wanted to launch a range-extended EV with a gasoline rotary engine instead of following the rest of the VW family.

Reports state that Audi wanted to create an alternative to the BMW Mega City Car. Volkswagen would like to have all the brands under its watch and use similar platforms. Audi says there's no conflict between the two companies but Volkswagen has not commented for this.

Honda CRZ - Japan Car of the Year

The 2011 Honda CR-Z may not be selling successfully in U.S., but it has received the Japan Car of the Year title and hence Honda has decided to launch a new special edition version. This edition will only be available in a special "Pearl Dipusafaiaburu" blue paint.

This hatch uses unique 16-inch alloy wheels and premium metal pedal pads. Honda has also decided to take an extra effort of placing a "Japan Car of the Year" sticker on the rear quarter glass behind the driver's side door. Neither fuel economy nor power has been improved but it seems that it will only be available for Japanese

Ferrari 458 Italia - 2011 Robb Report Car of the Year

Motor Trend may prefer the Chevrolet Volt, but the well-heeled readers of the Robb Report have a considerably different set of priorities when it comes to picking the best of the best. That's why the luxury magazine has decided to name the Ferrari 458 Italia as its Car of the Year.

The 458 scores high marks for its exterior design, interior materials and overall performance, and the Prancing Horse beat out thirteen other vehicles for the award. The stunning Italian sports car topped the Audi R8 V10 Spyder, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, Bentley Mulsanne, Maserati GranTurismo Convertible, Audi A8L, Aston Martin Rapide, BMW Alpina B7, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Jaguar XJ Supersport, Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, and Lotus Evora.

Porsche to hire 1,000 employees

Porsche is planning to double its sales to about 200,000 per year with the help of more money and manpower. The German automaker is planning to hire 1,000 employees in which half of them will be building the company's forthcoming small crossover under the working name 'Cajun,' while the other half will be developing new vehicles. If the sales target are met, they would add another 500 employees by 2018.

Porsche would also expand its lineup from four to seven models to reach its sales goals, while also forking over up to 750 million Euro to upgrade its Leipzig factory. The latter is believed to be the main candidate to build the Cajun when production begins in 2013.

Audi struggles to meet buyers demand

The Volkswagen Group wants to reach the number one in global sales and profits. In order to achieve it, Volkswagen has to increase its production of Audi. Audi has been struggling to meet the demand for A3 and A6 and hence buyers have been waiting for 3 to 4 months to take delivery.

Though the waiting times are longer, car buyers are not willing to leave Audi and choose BMW and Mercedes-Benz. All these three automakers have reported record sales in January and the waiting times are much longer for vehicles like BMW X3.

While all these three auto makers are struggling to meet the demand, Audi is in the toughest spot with wait times up to 2 months longer than its competitors. Since Audi contributes 47 percent of VW's profits, Volkswagen group should address this problem in a timely manner.

2012 Dodge Charger SRT8

The new 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 holds a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 putting out 465 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque will find a welcome bay in the garages, and this Charger is no exception. The five-speed automatic is a bit of a disappointment in this day and age, but something tells us a few 12-second trips down the good ol' 1320 ought to ease that bit of pain, as would an autobahn blast at the Charger SRT8's 175 miles per hour top speed.

Toyota Prius price to drop soon

Toyota has already began to make sales predictions for the year 2020. The automaker is confident that Prius will continue its spot as Japan's best-selling model. However it seems that that the exceptional sales volume of Prius may drive Toyota to drop its price.

Japanese car buyers consider the mainstream Prius as a "friendly" model and not a "leading edge" vehicle. This "friendly" image pits the Prius in direct competition with vehicles such as the bargain-priced, subcompact Honda Fit. Kitagawa, who polled 1,972 Japanese car owners, tells this, "As the Prius becomes more of a mass-market car, it may be time to think about lowering the price."

Gas-electric Prius are not sought by tech-savvy Japanese buyers but now it's the mainstream model, Kitigawa argues, that the cutting-edge appeal, which commanded a premium price has faded away.

2012 GTA Spano at Geneva Motor Show

GTA Motor has released its latest brand, Spano at the Geneva Motor Show. It's a V10-powered, 820-horsepower car with a carbon fiber-kevlar composite and aluminum chassis. The maximum production of this car would be just 99.

The Spano with its power and little weight reaches 60 mph in under three seconds and it can top out at 217 mph. The car has a 380 mm six-piston caliper AP Racing disc brakes with ABS. This car is designed with a panoramic roof and a carbon fiber luggage compartment complete with fitted bags considering its performance.

Ferrari FF took its spot at Geneva

Ferrari joined the Geneva Motor Show with its new model, the Ferrari FF. It's a pure Ferrari car but it is entirely different from the its other models. The Ferrari Four is a four-wheel-drive, four-seat shooting brake. Until now its shown in red and in beige but its also displayed at Pininfarina in white which is showed here.