2016 McLaren MP4-12C will Receive a Power Boost

When McLaren announced the 2013 MC4-12C sports car it also announced a 25-horsepower power boost over the previous year. Now it looks like the same treatment will be applied to the 2014 MP4-12C.

The announcement was made by a McLaren engineer during a recent test drive by Jalopnik’s own Travis Okulski. Of course, this was all the info he revealed, as, according to them the level of power is "undetermined at this time." Uh huh…

Until McLaren is good and ready to let out all of the details, we are left to speculate. The 2013 MP4-12C delivers 616 horsepower to its rear wheels and the 2014 P1 puts 727 horses to the pavement,. We suspect that the MP4-12C will split the difference, which would put it at about 672 horsepower. Sounds good to us!

Of course, we could all be crazy and the increase may be just 5 horsepower, but we’ll have to just wait for the guys across the pond to break their silence.

Audi Quattro to Return in 2016 with 600 Horsepower

A source within Audi has told Autocar that at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi will unveil a new version of the Quattro Concept Car, which was unveiled for the first time at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. While the first version delivered a total of 402 horsepower, it is rumored that the new model will deliver somewhere around 650 horsepower.

The concept will be followed very shortly by a production version. It will be offered in very limited numbers and will be put on sale in early 2014. Unlike the concept, the production version will deliver "only" 600 horsepower.

The model will be built on the same platform as the A5 Coupe and, while the concept used a turbocharged 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine, the production version will use a heavily tuned version of the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine combined with cylinder deactivation. The engine will mate to a seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters, which will allow it to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about 4 seconds on its way up to atop speed of 186 mph.

The new Audi Quattro will be produced at a dedicated line at the Quattro division in Neckarsulm, Germany and will be priced at about £125,000 - about $194,000 at the current exchange rates.

2016 SRT Viper GT3-R

The SRT Viper is preparing to prove what it is capable of this weekend at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The GTS-R version underwent intense testing over the past few weeks and we are pretty certain it will do great. It looks that while testing the GTS-R, SRT also put some time in working on a GT3-R version that will be raced in upcoming GT competitions.

The new GT3-R was developed by Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) Motorsports team and will borrow most of its technology from the GTS-R version, including the engine, chassis, suspension, electronics and aerodynamics.

The model is powered by a V-10 engine mated to a sequential transmission with a multi-disc race clutch and paddle shifters. The GT3-R will race on a set of lightweight wheels combined. Dragging this racing serpent to a halt are six-piston front brake calipers.

The new SRT Viper GT3-R is priced at $459,000. Customers can now place their orders and first deliveries will be made in late 2013.

2016 Audi A8

The third-generation Audi A8 has been around since 2009 and since then, we’ve seen numerous facelifts and upgrades attributed to the German automaker’s resident high-class luxury sedan.

For the 2014 model, the A8 has again been treated to a number of revisions, which include similar updates made to the rest of the Audi lineup, including subtle but still noticeable tweaks to the front bumper and front grille. Similarly, Audi’s famous LED lighting technology can still be found on the A8, albeit with its own set of minor modifications.

As far as the powertrain, the 2014 A8 still features the same pair of engine options found on the 2013 model: a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 that develops 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque and a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that produces 420 horsepower and 444 pound-feet of torque for the 4.0T.

These upgrades are expected to bolster the A8’s standing in the competitive luxury-class segment. They’re much needed, in our opinion, given that the BMW 7-Series is still pushing strong and Mercedes has just launched the next-generation S-Class.

Spy Shots: Hot Weather Forces the 2016 Mercedes C-Class to Drop Some Cover

Last time we caught the next-generation Mercedes C-Class out for a testing session, it was just starting to lose some of its camouflage. Now, it looks like the strip down continues, as the prototype our spies caught today has less camouflage than ever.

The car was caught while undergoing hot-weather testing and in this stage it was simply too hot to slather the C-Class in heavy camo. Luckily for us, our spy photographers happened to be in the area and they snapped some detailed pictures.

It’s pretty clear that the new C-ClCarsass will feature the same design language as the recently launched E-Class and S-Class models. Under the hood, we expect to see gasoline and diesel engine options, plus a hybrid version - a first for the C-Class.

The new-generation Mercedes C-Class will make its world debut in September at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

2016 Audi R8 V10 by XXX Performance

Exactly one year ago, XXX Performance unveiled a tuning kit for the Audi R8 V10 version. Now, the tuner has turned its attention to the R8 one more time and came up with a new, extravagant and exclusive wide-body construction for the R8.

The tuner started by making a series of upgrades under the hood. It added a chip, a carbon air-box and a new exhaust system with valve control. These updates increased the V-10 engine’s output up to a stout 650 horsepower.

XXX Performance continued by adding an aggressive GT-X650 wide-body kit made in carbon fiber. The car was also wrapped in a very cool blue CFC chrome wrapping and place on a set of 20-inch, three-part GTR forged wheels wrapped in Hankook tires sized 235/30R20 up front and 325/25R20 on the rear.

Click past the jump to read more about the Audi R8 V10 by XXX Performance.

2016 Peugeot RCZ R

At the 2012 Paris Auto Show, Peugeot unveiled the 2012 RCZ R Concept - a preview of the most powerful road-going car in Peugeot’s extensive history. Now, one year later, the production version will make its world debut at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The production version will keep the same 1.6-liter THP engine found in the concept version that delivers a total of 260 horsepower. Along with this high-output engine, the RCZ R will also receive a bespoke suspension setup, a specific and distinctive wheel design, and with a Torsen limited-slip differential.

At the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed Peugeot will display two red RCZ R models, driven by UK Peugeot 208 GTi Ambassador, Bradley Philpot – a finalist in the recent Nürburgring 24-hour race that saw three Peugeot 208 GTi cars win their SP2T class.

Click past the jump to read more about the standard Peugeot RCZ.

2016 Ford Mustang Could Drop the "Shelby" Moniker

The next-generation Ford Mustang has been in development for some time now, but all we have seen so far are mules. Now, Road & Track has caught the elusive 2015 Mustang out for testing and dug up some tasty tidbits of information the new Mustang.

The first good news is that the model will finally get independent rear suspension and the base model will keep the usual V-6 powertrain. Next engine in the lineup is a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder with an output of about 350 horsepower. This version may mark the return of the old "SVO" trim level from the 1980s. The top version will be, as usual, the GT model that will carry the same 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 engine with its output boosted to around 450 horsepower.

As for the SVT version, Road & Track claims that it may drop the “Shelby” name and adopt a new "Cobra" name. Also, this version may drop the supercharged engine and will go the all-motor route, much like the Camaro Z28.

Rumors suggest that the new generation Mustang will make its auto show debut before the close of 2013.

Click past the jump to read more about Ford Mustang.

Volkswagen XL1 Could Inspire an America-Bound XR1 Sports Car

A 235 mpg car, like the Volkswagen XL1, could be a dream car on the current market, but the problem is that the XL1 is too expensive and limited to just 50 units, with none of these units arriving in the U.S.

The good news is that the XL1 could get a sportier, XR1 variant that could also arrive here in The States. The future XR1 would be built on the same structure as the XL1, but it would offer performance figures to rival the Porsche 911 for half the money.

If produced, the XR1 will use lots of carbon fiber to keep the weight down and will be offered with a powertrain that will deliver 70 mpg. Rumors suggest that the XR1 could get a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger and a turbo- or supercharged three-cylinder engine. No matter what engine is used, the XR1 will most likely use a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, will be about 230 pounds lighter than the XL1 and will offer a more conventional look.

First details suggest that the XR1 will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds and will hit a top speed of about 190 mph.

2004 BMW M3 CSL

BMW used the CSL name for the first time back in 1972 when it unveiled the 3.0CSL - a special version of the Six CS (E9) developed to race the European Touring Car Championship. In 2004, that named was used once again, but this time on a road-going M3 CSL (Coupé Sport Leichtbau).

The CSL version was about 240 pounds lighter than a regular M3, thanks to the use of many weight-saving technologies inspired by Formula 1 cars. The model also boasted 17 extra horses under the hood than a standard M3 and thanks to its front-engine, rear-drive layout and the SMG-II gearbox, it delivered the purest driving dynamics of any BMW of the time.

The M3 CSL was limited to only 1,400 units and was offered only in two exterior colors: Silver Grey Metallic and Black Sapphire Metallic. The model never made it to the U.S. market and in the British market it was considered a very expensive car, as it was about £20,000 ($32,000 at the current exchange rates) more expensive than a standard M3.

Click past the jump to read more about the BMW M3 CSL.