First Shots Of The Next Generation Mercedes CLS

Remember where you saw it first!

Quick Spin: Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione proves beauty is only skin deep

The 8C has been around long enough that you already know what matters. It's stunning, perfectly proportioned and should only be available in one color: Competition Red. Beneath its achingly gorgeous carbon fiber exterior you'll find the same platform that underpins the Maserati Gran Turismo, along with a dry-sump 4.7-liter V8 hand assembled by Ferrari. A six-speed sequential gearbox channels the bent eight's 450 horsepower (at 7,000 RPM) and 354 pound-feet of torque (at 4,750 RPM) to a limited slip differential nestled between the rear wheels, delivering a claimed 0-60 MPH sprint of 4.2 seconds and a top speed over 180 MPH.

Rendered Speculation: Ferrari 458 "Scuderia"

The new Ferrari 458 Italia isn't even out on the street yet, but already the automotive rumormill is churning out speculation over a potential Scuderia version. When outlining the roll-out of upcoming Ferrari models for the near future, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa dismissed any such speculation as premature, but that's not going to stop some. Hence the rendering you see above, courtesy of user DJ at Teamspeed.com.

Since this can of worms has already been opened, the first thing we can say is that, while Maranello will in all likelihood produce a lightweight, slightly more powerful version of the new 458, it's probably several years away. The Italia is already expected to eclipse any previous benchmarks set by previous "volume" Ferrari road cars. And when it does, it almost certainly will not be called Scuderia – based on the 360 Challenge Stradale and the 430 Scuderia, it appears Maranello's keen on changing up the naming scheme with each new model. One board member suggested 458 Tifoso in tribute to Prancing Horse's dedicated legions of fans, but whatever name Ferrari decides on, and whenever it makes its way into the limelight, expect the supercar to drop a little weight, gain a little power and wipe the smirk off of any competitor's mug.

Read Article

Now We've Seen it All: Pink Audi R8 in Holland

Just when you felt life was getting a little bit boring, along comes this piece of literal Dutch eye candy to remind you that many people are crazy. Yes sir, that's an Audi R8. Yes sir, someone painted it pink. But not just pink – light candy pink with darker pink blades. Now, let's say for a second that the carbon fiber blades are actually baked pink plastic. That would be kinda OK in our book. However, since they are obviously nothing but regular carbon fiber painted pink, we're against them. Moreover, they look slightly purple. And pink and purple simply do not match.