2011 Cadillac CTS-V

German auto tuner and car wrap specialists, Cam Shaft, have taken a decidedly foreign approach on their next project. Instead of using one of the many local vehicles coming from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Porsche, Cam Shaft went for a car that calls the land on the other side of the pond its home: the high-powered, svelte-looking Cadillac CTS-V.

In getting the American sports sedan, Cam Shaft decided that upgrades were in order, especially to the CTS-V’s powertrain and exterior. So they went out and re-tooled as much as they could on the car, giving more power to a car that already has 564 ponies worth under its hood. In addition to the upgraded powerplant, Cam Shaft also set out to make the car stand out from other sports sedans, by wrapping the CTS-V’s exterior body in a matte white foil.

The result is a car that’s as stunning as it is powerful: a noteworthy combination of style and substance all rolled into one awesome package.

2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe

BMW has just released some new information about the long awaited 1-Series M Coupe, including engine information, release dates, and the toys it will carry.

Under the hood will be the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 340 horsepower. That motor will be connected to six-speed manual transmission. There will no automatic option with this vehicle. That motor should be more than enough to haul around the car’s 3,307-pound weight.

The M1 will feature a chassis, braking system, and rear differential similar to the M3. In total, that power and these tweaks have made the M1 faster than the E46 M3 around the Nordschleife.

Update 12/10/2010: The wait is finally over! BMW has decided to reveal today the official information on the most powerful 1-Series in their line-up: the M Coupe. Official debut will be made in January 2011 at the Detroit Auto Show and sales will begin later in the spring. The new 1-Series M Coupe will be offered in three exterior colors: Alpine White, Black Sapphire Metallic and Valencia Orange Metallic, last one of course being our favorite.

Taking inspiration from the 1988 BMW M3 Sport Evolution, the 1-Series M Coupe is 1.3 inches (33mm) longer than the M3. Also, compared to the 2011 BMW 135i Coupe, the new model is 0.2 inches longer, 2.1 inches wider, 0.5 inches taller, and rides on the same 104.7 inch wheelbase.

UPDATE 12/13/2010: A few days after it’s long-awaited unveiling, the 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe was already seen at the Nurburgring performing its cursory test laps to determine its official ’Ring lap time. The 2011 1-Series Coupe just finished its date around the ’Ring, clocking in a time of 8:12, which is about 10 seconds faster than the E46 M3. More importantly than that, BMW’s latest addition to the M family posted faster times than its other competitors, including the E60 M5, the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and the Porsche Cayman S. Way to go, BMW!

BMW has also placed an online configurator for the new 1-Series M Coupe. And while the options are quite limited, putting together the coupe is quite entertaining!

2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

The Chevrolet Camaro SS - Mustang-lovers shield your eyes - isn’t exactly a car that needs much done for it to look and perform like a real muscle car, but when a tuner takes this vehicle and goes the extra mile then appreciation should definitely ensue. German tuner, Irmscher, may be one of those tuners as they have revealed a tuning package for the Camaro SS that not only updates the car’s look, but also makes some changes to the muscle car’s engine.

From the factory, a Camaro SS is powered by an LS3 engine that delivers 422 HP and 408 lb.-ft. of torque, but after a few tweaks, Irmscher has managed to obtain a total of 509 HP. With this new update, the Camaro SS can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds and hit a top speed of 275 Km/h (170 mph).

In order to handle the new power, the car also gets larger brake discs (380mm front / 355 mm rear) with 6 piston/4 piston calipers and a height adjustable suspension.

For the exterior, the Camaro SS gets a new door, hood, and roof decals, as well a new 22" black alloys and a new exhaust system

For comparison’s sake, let’s take a look at another Camaro SS that received a different kind of tuning treatment. The Camaro SS LS9 by Lingenfelter is anything but tame with its GM LS9 Eaton TVS2300 supercharged engine producing a massive 1,234 HP. Now you would think that the Lingenfelter package would be astronomically priced, but it sells for a total of $41,316. If that sounds expensive then you should know that the weaker package of the two, the Irmscher kit, is priced at 49,000 Euro, or $65,000 at the current rates. Doesn’t make much sense, does it?

2010 Lamborghini Murcielago

Platinum Motorsport has certainly been a permanent fixture on our pages the past couple of months, but their tuning packages for a variety of vehicles certainly call for that kind of attention. It’s not that their kits are extravagantly over the top - actually they are quite simple - it’s because it’s the simplicity in their style that make these vehicles stand out above the rest. And their package for the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 is another example of this.

The package for the LP640 includes a Premier 4509 kit and a new set of 20" Maya wheels painted in black. The exterior kit includes a new front bumper, new side pods, a new rear bumper, and a new rear deck spoiler. And whether you choose matte black or glossy black for the exterior color, the car looks amazing.

In fact, the car was amazing enough to catch the attention of a little rapper by the name of Mann, who, along with 50 Cent, featured the Lamborghini LP640 in the music video "Buzzin."

Jaguar still wants a supercar

We’ve been anticipating Jaguar’s supercar for quite some time now, but it seemed as if the British manufacturer wasn’t going to give it up that easy. The car’s been on then off a couple of times, but the unveiling of the C-X75 concept car at the Paris Auto Show may have been the next step in bringing for the British supercar. At the show, Jaguar’s chief designer, Ian Callum, said that the company wants a supercar that will take design inspiration from the concept itself.

"Our job as designers is to destabilize things and to dream of exciting cars the company is not making now. I happen to think Jaguar needs a car like this. Everything about it is new yet it recalls one of our greatest designs of all time, the XJ13. It’s no secret that the reception we’ve had for C-X75 has been fantastic. The company won’t allow such a reaction to be lost without at least having a detailed discussion about how it can best be harnessed."

However grand that may sound, Callum confirmed that a final decision on the production has yet to be made. If the stars align appropriately, however, the production version will adopt a regular powertrain and not the four electric motors delivering an outstanding 778 HP and 1600Nm of torque. Any guesses on what that powertrain will be?

2011 Audi A7 Sportback

The wait is over. After a not-so-surprising-but-apparently-surprising-to-Audi leak over the weekend, Audi has officially unveiled the Audi A7 Sportback and they describe it as a combination of elegant coupe, sport sedan, and practical wagon. The five-door, fastback coupe sees four different engine options –two gas, two diesel – and comes with features such as standard bi-xenon headlights, optional LED headlights, standard LED tail lights, and "all-weather light function." We can’t really decide what we think about the new A7 yet, so we’ll just go ahead and give you the facts so you can decide.

The 2011 Audi A7 Sportback will hit the streets with a 2.8 FSI engine producing 201hp and 280Nm, a 3.0 TFSI engine that produces 296hp and 440Nm, a 3.0 TDI producing 210hp and 400Nm, and a 3.0 TDI producing 242hp and 500Nm. These engines will be mated to a Multitronic CVT automatic for front-wheel-drive versions and a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission for quattro models. The 3.0 TDI multitronic will make the 0-62mph sprint in 8.1 seconds while top speed is limited to 145mph. Its fuel efficiency is rated at a combined 53.3mpg. We are unaware of whether or not all four engines will be available in the States, but we are guessing the diesel options won’t make it to this side of the pond.

Updated 12/13/2010: Audi has unveiled a new commercial for the A7 Sportback called Imagination Meets Engineering. Enjoy!

Bugatti opens up internship program for US college students

If you wanted any more reason to enjoy college apart from the non-stop partying and binge hook-ups, the most unlikely of automakers is giving you one more reason to, shall we say, stay in school.

Bugatti, the very same ones that make the $2 million Veyron, is offering an internship program at their office in Herndon, Virginia to any interested college student. The part time internship will cover 20 hours per week where interns are tasked to perform a variety of jobs including “coordination of press activities in cooperation with Bugatti’s public relations firm, scheduling of press cars for events, communication of planned activities to secure involvement of Bugatti dealers as necessary, and coordination of press activities with Bugatti S.A.S. priorities.”

Oh, and there’s also that part about vehicle transportation, which means that if the stars are aligned and the intern is lucky, he or she might get a chance to drive a Veyron.

If you’re interested – and why wouldn’t you be – you can apply for the job at the link we’re giving. Just be sure you’re in the up and up when it comes to being drug free because Bugatti is going to conduct drug testing. If you are, go ahead and apply!

2010 Skoda Fabia RS IRC Special Edition

Skoda’s 2010 IRC Championship win may not have gotten a ton of headlines from the press, but it certainly hasn’t stopped the automaker from releasing a special edition Fabia RS that was created to celebrate the automaker’s title win in the IRC, or as some folks would call it, the breeding ground and stepping stone towards the more famous WRC.

For their special edition vehicle, Skoda decked the Fabia RS with a Rally Green exterior paint with racing livery all around it and stickers taken from the official championship-winning S2000 rally car. There’s also the addition of a white roof to complement the Rally Green body color, as well as a set of 17-inch alloy wheels to finish off the dazzling look of special edition Fabia RS.

As for performance, Skoda gave the car a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 177 horsepower and 184 lb/ft of torque and is mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission that accelerates from 0-60 mph in 7.3 seconds with a top speed of 139 mph.

The special edition Fabia RS IRC has yet to be given a price tag by Skoda, but according to the company, the model will only come in limited quantities with only 200 units being built.

2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

The long-awaited debut of the Lamborghini Murcielago successor appears to be coming sooner than later after it was reported that Lamborghini has filed for a trademark in the US for the name “Lamborghini Aventador”, leading to questions as to whether this could be the official name of the Lamborghini Jota. Though nothing has been confirmed yet, there seems to be enough reason to believe that the Aventador could very well take the mantle from the Murcielago as Lamborghini’s next hypercar.

A select group of customers were on hand to see the new bull-buster, and, based on what’s been seen, the Aventador looks to have taken a lot of its styling cues from the Lamborghini Reventon. How much of it is Revenston-inspired still remains to be seen. What we do know is that the ‘Aventador’ name will stick around given the lengths Lamborghini went through in obtaining a trademark for the name. So is it safe to say that the Murcielago successor will officially be named the Aventador? We’ll put our eggs in that basket and say yes.

UPDATE 12/14/10: We were doing our usual Facebook surfing earlier today when we chanced upon the fan page of the Lamborghini Club of Los Angeles. To our surprise, we came across a photo of the Aventador LP700-4 that the page says is the "ONLY real front end photo of the Lamborghini Aventador released so far". Check out the photo in the gallery; it won’t be too hard to find.

2010 Mercedes SL 63 AMG Shadow Line

Having a Mercedes SL63 AMG in your garage is already reason enough for your neighbors to feel supremely jealous of you. But what if you had a way to knock that ‘envy meter’ up a few more notches? Would you do it?

If you answered ‘yes’, then we have the perfect interior styling program for you. Courtesy of the folks from Vilner is this new styling program called the SL63 AMG Shadow Line.

Among the upgrades included in the Vilner Shadow Line program includes a steering wheel that’s been outfitted with thicker hand-stitched light gray perforated leather. The sports car’s doors were also given a red perforated leather treatment with an ornamental design on the door handles, which, incidentally can also be found on the car’s center armrest and at the back of the headrest. The seats were also dressed in the same black and red color scheme with a headrest dressed in leather with white stitching and accompanied by an embroidered ‘Shadow Line’ name on it.

The changes are minimal compared to what we’ve seen from Vilner in the past. But when it comes to interior styling, the company’s ‘Shadow Line’ package just might be the answer you’re looking for if you ever decide to give your SL63 AMG a classy and beautiful dress-up.