Celebrating 50 Years of Queensland’s Lakeside Park [with Gallery]

Nestled somewhat innocuously behind a golf course in Pine Rivers Shire, South East Queensland, Australia, is historic Lakeside Park Raceway. It holds the distinction as the Queensland’s first permanent, purpose-built racetrack and has sat - for fifty years - on the banks of Lake Kurwongbah. It is a monument to both motorsport and Australia’s can-do attitude, having been built on a foundation of favors, borrowed equipment and volunteer labor - not to mention a former dairy farm.

It is 2.4 km (1.5 miles) of bitumen and yet, it is so much more. Several Aussie motorsport legends – including Dick Johnson, Tony Longhurst and Mick Doohan – cut their teeth at Lakeside. It may not share the prestige or recognition afforded to other tracks like Mount Panorama or Philip Island, but to those who know it Lakeside is just as beloved.

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2011 NYIAS: All-New 2012 Kia Rio5 Hatchback

Kia’s brand-new Rio small sedan was joined by the hatchback version of the sub compact model named Rio5 at this week’s New York Auto Show. Unlike the four-sedan that received its world premiere in the Big Apple, we got our first taste of the Rio5 at the Geneva Salon in March. The only visible styling changes over the European model, concern the colored turn signals up front and the market-specific trim options inside.

The 2012 Rio5 is available with a 1.6-liter GDI four-cylinder engine with the option of either a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic. The direct-injection four-pot delivers 138 horsepower, and thanks to the addition of Kia’s ISG start-stop technology, it returns 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

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2011 New York Auto Show Debuts: A to Z Guide [Updated]

This year, the New York International Auto Show takes place between April 22 and May 1, coinciding with China's Shanghai Auto Show (April 21 – 28). Even though the Shanghai show is growing in importance, the Big Apple plays host to several world premieres including the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, the 2012 Subaru Impreza in both sedan and hatchback forms, the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 and the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu sedan, just to mention a few.

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The Beautiful Ladies of the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show

Mixing exciting new automobiles, and attractive ladies is no new concept in the world of motor shows, but we for one, never get tired of it… Fortunately, for us, this week’s 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in China had plenty of both for our viewing pleasure boasting many new production and concept models as well as exotic beauties from the Far East.

Click through the jump to enjoy our high-resolution photo gallery of the lovely booth ladies of the Shanghai Auto Show, which runs from April 21 to April 28.

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Mercedes Debuts Striking A-Class Concept in New York, Confirms Production Version for North America

Following a world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz showed off its dynamic A-Class concept to the crowds of New York, and confirmed that the production model will head to North America.

In Europe, the production A-Class will launch next year. As for the US, Autonews reported that Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz Cars, would not specify a time frame vaguely stating that the A-Class would arrive “some time in this decade.”

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All-New 2012 Subaru Impreza Brings Smaller Engine with less Horsepower but Promises for 36 MPG

The New York auto show hosts the world premiere of the fourth generation Subaru Impreza, showcased in both 4-door and 5-door body styles. Developed under the Subaru’s concept of “Redefining Value, Redefining Class”, the new Impreza is allegedly more fuel-efficient and fun to drive, while offerings better interior space, despite having the same exterior dimensions as the outgoing model.

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2012 Jaguar XF Facelift Makes World Premiere at New York Auto Show

The new model year brings a refresh for Jaguar’s XF and XFR sedans, which were both revealed in a world premiere today at the New York Auto Show. The British firm’s BMW 5-Series rival receives restyled front and rear bodywork, along with some subtle changes inside and for certain markets including Europe, the introduction of a new four-cylinder turbo diesel engine.

On the outside, Jaguar tried to bring the XF into line with the new XJ, though some may also see common themes with the original C-XF Concept, especially up front with the new and sleeker headlamp designs that incorporate LED daytime running lights arranged in a distinctive Jaguar ‘J-Blade’ signature.

The 2012 XF benefits from revisions to the grille, hood, and front fenders, which incorporate new triangular side vents, while Jaguar also added larger tail lamps with full-LEDs for stop, tail light and turn signal functions. In addition, the trunk lid trim has been redesigned. The XFR’s newly styled bumpers and alloy wheels complete the exterior makeover.

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2011 New York Auto Show Live Coverage: Walk Around the Motor Show Floor with us

Welcome to Carscoop’s coverage of the 2011 New York International Auto Show, which we'll be covering live from the show floor thanks to the brilliance of modern technology and a little of your much appreciated patience. Like our trip to the Tokyo Auto Salon, we'll be bringing you photos of all the new models, the ladies, and live pics as we walk around the show.

For the truly live updates, simply check out the window (unlike Tokyo, uploads should be much more fluid), while higher-res "live" photos will appear as soon as we manage to peel ourselves away from the metal and get plugged back into the computer. Also like Tokyo, we'll be doing our best to keep up with comments and requests, so feel free to get involved as we take you along with us.

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2011 NYIAS: Hyundai Pulls the Wraps off U.S. Market 2012 Accent

With fuel prices on the rise again, efficient sub-compact models like the Accent are coming back to the spotlight. At the 2011 New York Auto Show, the South Korean automaker pulled the wraps off its latest iteration of the Accent in U.S.-spec. Slated to hit dealerships this summer, the 2012 Accent is offered in both five-door hatchback and four-door saloon body styles and promises to deliver a best-in class fuel economy of 30mpg city and 40 mpg highway.

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All-New 2012 Honda Civic Lineup Debuts in New York, Prices Start from $15,605

The ninth-generation Honda Civic made its world premiere in New York today. The new Civic’s highlights are a mildly revised style and a fuel-efficient lineup, made up of the following models: the conventional gasoline-powered Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe, the high-performance Civic Si Coupe and Sedan, the Civic Hybrid, the Civic Natural Gas and the Civic HF (an all-new high fuel economy model).

For 2012, Honda announces higher fuel economy ratings, up by as much as 8 percent on the highway in the Civic Sedan and Coupe models equipped with automatic transmissions.

The base model Civic DX Coupe has an MSRP starting price of $15,605 (€10,750), which is unchanged from the outgoing model. The base Civic Sedan and Coupe models are powered by a 1.8-liter i-VTEC engine that delivers 140 horsepower and 128 lb-ft (173.5 Nm) of torque.

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Nissan Leaf NISMO RC: Purpose Built Track Racer Debuts at New York Auto Show [Updated Gallery]

There has been a lot of conversation lately about electric cars and racing, with some even talking about introducing the technology into the F1 stage. Nissan, on its part, has a lot to gain in terms of awareness given the brands focus on the development of dedicated electric vehicles like the Leaf.

With this in mind, the Japanese carmaker developed a purpose-built prototype racer loosely based on the production Leaf that will receive its first public outing at the 2011 New York International Auto Show . Compared to the production model, the Lead NISMO RC (for Racing Competition), does away with the rear doors, rear seat, trunk, audio system, navigation, carpeting and other amenities, while gaining a mid-ship location for the battery pack, electric motor and inverter.

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465 Horses Make the 2012 Grand Cherokee SRT8 the Fastest Jeep Ever

Jeep has given the SRT treatment to its flagship Grand Cherokee and the result is the creation of the firm’s fastest and most potent production model ever. How does a 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) acceleration of 4.8 seconds or a quarter mile time in the mid-13 second range sound? This is what the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is capable of, and the reason for these figures lies under the SUV's bonnet.

The Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology division (SRT for short) equipped the performance SUV with an all-new 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine that delivers 465 horsepower and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque.

Compared to the outgoing model powered by the 6.1-liter HEMI V8 unit, the new Grand Cherokee SRT8 has an extra 45HP and 45 lb-ft (61 Nm) of torque. About 90 percent of peak torque is available between 2,800 and 6,000 rpm. The Grand Cherokee SRT8 can do 0-100-0 mph in the mid-16 second range and has a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).

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2012 Nissan Versa Sedan Unveiled, Priced from a Low $10,990

It looks like our first reaction to link the Chinese market Nissan Sunny, revealed in December 2010, to the North American 2012 Versa, was spot on, as these photos clearly prove. Nissan’s new entry in the affordable small sedan segment is a very awkward looking proposal (to say the least…), which probably stems from the fact the Versa / Sunny is based on the Micra’s V-platform architecture, hence the odd proportions of the body.

“The new Versa Sedan stands out as the only expensive looking car in the segment – with a lot of eye power,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America.

“Its sculpted, dynamic proportions are modern without being gimmicky, projecting a much higher sense of design value than you might expect in a vehicle with a $10,990 starting M.S.R.P."

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2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 Brings the Thunder with 465HP 6.4-liter HEMI V8

It’s big, it’s brash, it’s powerful and it’s attempting to take on the sport saloon segment. Yes, it’s the all-new 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 and it was revealed today at the New York International Auto Show that runs for the public from April 22 to May 1.

The flagship model of Chrysler’s redesigned 300 series packs a more muscular 6.4-liter Hemi V8 pushing out an estimated 465-horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque, up 40 horsepower and 45 lb.-ft. over the 6.1-liter mill it replaces. All that power is channeled to the rear wheels through a carried over five-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Chrysler’s projected performance numbers include 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint time in the high 4-second range; quarter mile in high 12 second range; 0-100-0 mph (0-160km/h-0) in less than 16 seconds, top speed of 175 mph (281 km/h) and stopping power from 60-0 mph in 120 feet.

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2013 Ford Taurus Receives Facelift, Plus New 237HP 2.0-liter Four-Pot and Updated 290HP 3.5-liter V6

The New York Auto Show will welcome the world premiere of Ford’s updated for the 2013 model year, Taurus. For those of you that want the short story, Ford’s chubby-looking mid-size model receives a minor exterior makeover, a redesigned dashboard and improved materials inside, plus changes to the engine lineup that include the introduction of a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four banger.

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2012 VW Beetle in the Flesh with New Gallery and Videos

We reported on the unveiling of the all-new 2012 Beetle yesterday, but since then we got our hands on a slew of fresh photos shot during the presentation of the car in Shanghai, as well as in Manhattan, New York, and Berlin in Germany.

For the most part, the first reviews on the ‘less flower, more power’ styling direction of the New Beetle’s replacement in general do appear to be on the positive side, but for Volkswagen, this needs to translate into consumer spending when the car goes on sale this fall.

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2012 VW Beetle Configurator Goes Live, Plus New Photo Gallery

Dreaming of a new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle? Well, if you live in Europe or North America, you’ll have to wait until this October and September respectively to grab one, but for those of you in a hurry to see what your 2012 Beetle could look like, VW’s configurator is available for everyone to play with on the firm’s German website. Unfortunately though, at the time, the options are limited to a choice of exterior colors and alloy wheel designs.

In addition to the news on the configurator, we’ve also found a fresh batch of photos of the latest generation of the Beetle, which you can ogle on in the gallery after the break. For more details on VW’s newcomer, check out our previous post here.

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Citroen Reveals Family-Sized DS5 Crossover ahead of Shanghai Premiere

Citroen has officially dropped photos and information on its all-new DS5, which is the latest addition to its DS sub-brand and the largest one yet. Measuring 4.52 meters in length, 1.50 meters in height and 1.85 m in width, the DS5 sits between the C4 and the C5 in Citroen's range, with the company describing the car as an alternative to the more conventional C5 with a higher ground clearance, more refined interior and a crossover shape.

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Mazda Minagi Concept is the New CX-5, Production Version to Debut at this Fall’s Frankfurt Show

Mazda today confirmed what many of us already suspected – that the Minagi concept shown at the 2011 Geneva Salon earlier this year will form the base for a production model that will be called the CX-5. In addition, the Japanese firm also announced that the compact crossover model will make its international debut in production guise at the forthcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show to be held in Germany in September.

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2012 Volkswagen Beetle: All-New Bug Grows up

Ladies and gents, say hello to the all-new, third generation Volkswagen Beetle that was unwrapped today ahead of its world premiere at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show and New York Auto Show. The newest interpretation of the Bug comes 73 years after the launch of the original Beetle in 1938, which sold an amazing 21.5 million units, and 13 years after the debut of the New Beetle in 1998 that managed to sell a little over 1 million units until production ended in 2010.

When it goes on sale in North America and Europe in the fall of 2011, and the rest of the world from early 2012, the latest model will be known simply as the ‘Beetle’ as Volkswagen dropped the ‘New’ from the car’s name.

If someone asked us to summarize the qualities of the 2012 Beetle in a few words, it would be: larger, more mature and unisex. Starting with the design, VW’s goal was to make the 21st century Beetle appeal to both genders. As a result, the VW Group’s chief designer Walter de Silva and his team offered the Beetle a meaner and lower-slung look that draws on cues from the Beetle Ragster concept shown in Detroit in 2005. The overall styling is far less bulbous and more chiseled compared to the New Beetle, while keeping the retro feel of the series.

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