Volkswagen CC Facelifted (2013)

To reinforce its point, VW has made some changes to the styling of the 2013 CC that made its world debut this week at the LA Motor Show.

While the main bodywork stays the same, the front end of the CC sports a new chrome grille, redesigned headlamps with LED daytime running lights and a different bumper. It’s a similar story at the rear end that gains LED tail lamps and new boot and bumper designs.

The cabin features new climate controls and trim options, stainless steel door sills – and that’s about it on the design department. However, one significant upgrade in the 2013 CC is that there is now seating for five, with a three-seat rear bench taking the place of two individual buckets.

There are no changes to the engine line-up, which in the States, includes a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 200HP and a 280HP 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6, both with direct injection tech.

What has changed compared to the outgoing model is the addition of driver assistance systems, such as the Side Assist Plus with Lane Assist that warns you of vehicles in the car’s blind spots and, if necessary, makes the required direction changes to avoid an accident.

The updated 2013 CC, which will be launched first in Germany in February and subsequently in the rest of Europe and the U.S, can also be ordered with Dynamic Light Assist and a (rather useful, we guess) traffic sign detection system.

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Audi A1 Sportback 5-Door Hatchback (2011)

The exterior dimensions of the Sportback remain almost the same compared to the three-door model at 3.95m long, 1.42m tall and 1.75m wide with a wheelbase of 2.47m.

The exterior styling is what you would expect it to be: an A1 with five doors – nothing special here other than that the Sportback will be available with contrasting roof colors. 

The same goes for the interior, the only difference being that it is now easier to access the rear seats.

The A1 Sportback will be available in Europe with the same engine lineup as the three door model including the 1.2 TFSI and 1.4 TFSI turbocharged petrol engines and the 1.6-liter TDI diesel, all of which are offered in various outputs.

The new A1 Sportback will most likely receive its world premiere at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show on November 30.

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Ferrari Celeritas Barchetta Concept

The Ferrari Celeritas that is the work of Aldo Schurmann, a student from the Istituto d’Arte Applicata e Design in Turin, Italy.

Schurmann's two-seater study for a barchetta-style Ferrari supercar is different and makes no apologies for that with its shape bringing to mind Formula One car's of the 1950's and 1960s.

The concept is pictured in several different colors but all feature a common matte black finish on the center parts of the car. It also gets a distinct pair of adjustable wings at the back.

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HDT Commodore VL/VE Group A (1980's)

The 1987 HDT Commodore VL SS Group A prepped by Australian racing legend Peter Brock. So before we get into the details on the new VL/VE Group A package, allow us to fill you in on a bit of the history.



Up until the late 1980s, Peter Brock was running HDT, or Holden Dealer Team, but GM's Australian division subsequently cut ties with him after he began publicly supporting and fitting all HDT models with the a device called the "Energy Polariser".


It seems that Brock was undergoing a weird phase in his life then and had somehow been convinced that the "Energy Polariser", which was a box containing crystals and magnets, mysteriously gathered all the lost energy from the car and put it back, bettering performance and handling through "aligning the molecules". Weird stuff indeed…


More than two decades after and following Brock's death in a racing accident in 2006, the "Energy Polariser" is making a comeback as a tribute to the Australian legend in HDT's new VL/VE Group A Plus Pack based on the latest Commodore.


Along with the magical box, HDT's proposal comes with all the styling hallmarks of its classic predecessor including 1980's type aero components, a huge bonnet scoop, large 20-inch alloy wheels, original Peppermint Red body finish, a Bilstein suspension package, performance brakes and a heritage interior with rectangular headrests.


Power comes courtesy of a modified 6.2-liter V8 LS engine delivering a healthy 350kW or 470-horses along with a peak torque of 610Nm (450 lb-ft), and if that ain't enough, HDT also offers an optional supercharger package.


Only 250 examples of the VL/VE Group A Plus Pack Commodore will be built, each with its build papers, Peter Brocks’ signature and individual build plate.

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