High Heels, Mini Skirts and Tuner Cars: Italian Edition


While we were focusing on the New York Auto Show this week, our Italian friends from Motorionline had their eyes set on the 8th edition of the 'My Special Car Show'. As with any other tuning event, the booth professionals made their presence felt, though admittedly, to a much lesser extent than you'd expect from a car show in Italy. Follow the jump for the complete photo gallery.

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New Renault Wind Coupe-Roadster Priced from £15,500 in the UK


Renault's UK division has released pricing and specification details for its Wind Coupé-Roadster. Customer ordering for the Wind, which is offered with the choice of two engines, a 133HP 1.6-liter or a 100HP 1.2-liter turbo, opens in May for first deliveries in July with prices ranging from £15,500 to £18,200.

In addition, the new two-seater model will be available to pre-order later in April in an exclusive, range-topping "Collection" limited edition guise, of which only 200 examples will make their way to Britain.

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GM Builds First Pre-Production Chevy Volt EV


In an important milestone for GM's much-hyped Chevy Volt project, on Wednesday, March 3, the first pre-production Volt rolled off the assembly line at the firm's Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant. The previous examples of the Volt had been built by hand.

These pre-production models will not be sold at GM's dealerships, but will be used to assess and fix any problems in the production system as well as to train the workers in order meet the quality targets set by the engineering team.

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NY Auto Show: 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon


[Updated with new Photos] Here is Honda's answer to the critics of the Accord CrossTour: the North American market version of Europe's Honda Accord Tourer that will be sold here in the States as the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon.

"The TSX Sport Wagon represents a smart choice for those seeking a vehicle with utility," said John Mendel, Acura's executive vice president of sales. "It's practical, fun to drive, luxurious and technically advanced, all while achieving an outstanding estimated highway fuel economy rating of 30 miles per gallon."

Along with an increased rear cargo space over the saloon, the TSX Sport Wagon also features a removable side panel to accommodate wider items such as golf clubs and integrated under-floor bins for hidden storage.

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NY Show: 2011 Infiniti QX Officially Unveiled, Priced from $56,700


[Updated with New Photos] Infiniti (officially) pulled the wraps off its all-new 2011 QX56 full-size SUV at the New York International Auto Show. Bigger and brawnier than its predecessor, the second-generation QX is based on the recently revealed 2011 Nissan Patrol. Infiniti's version features a unique front and end treatment, but the rest of the body has remained virtually unchanged.

"The look is clearly Infiniti with its signature Infiniti grille, broad shoulders and large greenhouse," says Ben Poore, vice president, Infiniti Business Unit. "It's rugged, sophisticated and completely captivating." Well, we'll let you be the judge of that.

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2012 BMW M5 Sedan Realistically Rendered


A member of the F10 bimmer forums has put his photoshop talents to good use creating a series of realistic renderings of the upcoming 2012 (or 2011, depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on) BMW M5 Saloon.

Due to arrive in 2011, the Bavarian automaker's new high-performance super saloon will be powered by a downsized, 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that was first used on the X5M and X6M.

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2011 Kia Optima Sedan Unveiled in NY: Offered with 2.4L, 2.0 Turbo and Hybrid Powertrains


Taking pride of place at Kia's New York Auto Show stand is the all-new 2011 Optima that will arrive U.S. showrooms in early fall.

Designed at Kia's studios in Frankfurt, Germany and Irvine, California under the guidance of Peter Schreyer, the all-new Optima is longer, wider, lower and most importantly, miles sexier than the vehicle it replaces.

Even though it looks nothing like the Sonata, the 2011 Optima actually shares the midsize platform and mechanical hardware with Hyundai's proposal in the segment.

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NY Show: 2011 Hyundai Sonata gets New 2.0 Turbo with 274HP


Along with the all-new Sonata Hybrid (read more here), Hyundai also premiered a new turbocharged version of its well-received mid size sedan at the New York International Auto Show.

The Sonata 2.0T, as the car is officially named, is powered by a new 2.0-liter Theta II twin-scroll turbocharged gasoline direct-injection (GDI) engine that produces 274 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque from 1800-4500 rpm with regular fuel.

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