New 2013 SRT Viper GTS Launch Edition

In a somewhat unexpected move, the Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand has previewed a new limited edition version of the upcoming 2013 Viper ahead of its world premiere at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California. The car is named the SRT Viper GTS Launch Edition and it pays homages to past Viper Coupe reveals in 1996 and 2006. It is finished in the Viper's distinctive GTS Blue paint with dual Bright White stripes running the entire length of the sports car and it rides on five-spoke polished forged-aluminum design wheels.
The interior of the special edition model will feature a serialized dash plaque, while Black Laguna leather with contrast stitching will cover the seats, door trim, instrument panel, steering wheel, grab handle, shift knob and center console. In addition, the headliner is done in Alcantara while the white bezels are finished in Satin Silver.
Power comes from the same all-aluminum, 8.4-liter V10 delivering 640 ponies and 600 lb.-ft. of torque as the regular models.
"Designed with Viper loyalists in mind, the 2013 SRT Viper GTS Launch Edition model brings back the classic paint schemes that have adorned all previous Viper coupe launches to help us celebrate the return of our brand’s flagship performance machine to the supercar market," commented Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of the SRT brand.
Chrysler didn't say how many Viper GTS Launch Edition it plans to build.

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Lexus LS 460, 600h L and 460 F Sport

To better compete with the finest that Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar have to offer in the full-size luxury sedan segment, Lexus put its fourth generation LS under the knife. But you probably already know that since the 2013 model year version of the Japanese brand's flagship was officially revealed at the end of July.
What's new is a fresh assortment of photos of all three models including the LS460, the LS460 F Sport and the LS600h L that Lexus released this week and which show us the cars in different shades and more importantly, out of the studio and into the open.
In the U.S., Lexus has said that the 2013 LS460 will be the first to arrive in the market in October followed by its more dynamic sibling, the LS 460 F Sport in November and the hybrid LS600h L in December.
Pricing has not yet been announced; though don't expect any significant changes over the current version's MSRPs.
If you want to refresh your memory, or if you just haven't had a chance to read it yet, click here for our full story on the 2013 Lexus LS.

2013 LEXUS LS 460 F SPORT

The New Fiat 500L Smiles for the Camera

After many failed attempts to gain at least some ground in the larger categories, the Fiat brand is refocusing its attention on the A-, B- and C-segments. At the Geneva Motor Show, the Italian company lifted the covers off a new model named the 500L, which in some way replaces the Idea. Fiat's latest car may borrow the name and the looks of the 500 (and to some extent, the Mini Countryman as well…), but underneath the skin you'll find the larger platform of the Punto.
At 4,140mm long, 1,780mm wide and 1,660mm tall, it's 594mm longer, 153mm wider and 175mm taller than the three-door 500. The Italian company says its boot has a capacity of close to 400 liters and that is is able to hold up to five roller suitcases or a full-size pushchair.
In Geneva, Fiat presented the five-seat version of the 500L, but the company is also planning to introduce a longer variant with seven seats.
Series production of the 500L will begin at Fiat's Serbian plant Kragujevac later this year with European sales to start in the fourth quarter of 2012.
It will be offered with two petrol engines, a 0.9-liter turbocharged twin-cylinder unit and a 1.4-liter unit, plus a 1.3-liter Multijet II turbo diesel.
According to sources, Fiat will offer the five-seat version of the 500L in North America, but not the seven-seat model.

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Jaguar Shows More Versatile but Equally Stylish XF Sportbrake

If you live in Europe and are interested in an executive station wagon, you will soon be able to add one more vehicle to your shopping list as Jaguar is attempting to draw customers away from the Audi A6 Avant, BMW 5-Series Touring and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate with its new XF Sportbrake. Jaguar's second ever estate model is based on the XF sedan riding on the same wheelbase but it adds 48mm of rear headroom for the rear passengers while there's also 550-liter of boot space with the seats up and 1,675 liters when they're lying flat.
Critically for a vehicle in this segment, the XF Sportbrake looks the part, building on the stylish lines of the sedan model. Everything from the B-pillars and back is new with Jaguar's designers borrowing the XJ saloon's gloss black treatment for the C-pillar.
"Creating the Sportbrake was a great opportunity for us to extend the XF's design aesthetic," said Wayne Burgess, Studio Director, Jaguar Design. "The flow and connection of lines that lead the eye around the car result in an entirely practical estate car consistent with Jaguar's reputation for drama and elegance."
For now at least, the XF Sportbrake is powered exclusively by Jaguar's range of four-cylinder and V6 diesel engines, the most potent of which is the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 275PS (271bhp).

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