Bugatti Super Sedan Concept

Here is a new design study for a Bugatti saloon by Dejan Hristov.

While a little rough on the edges, Hristov's Bugatti Super Sedan design concept proposes a different look that draws closer to the firm's Veyron 16.4 coupe than the Galibier showcar.

In addition, instead of four traditional doors, the Super Sedan recomends a pair of large Gullwing-style doors that negate the need for a B pillar offering an easier access to the interior that can seat four passengers.

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Lancia Imperiale Concept

Independent designer David Cardoso is among those not pleased with Lancia's current portfolio and especially the new Thema.

The name Cardoso chose to use on his reborn Lancia flagship is somewhat unfortunate as the Chrysler used the Imperial moniker for its own series of luxury models from the 1920s to the 1980s and again in the early 1990's.

Name aside, Cardoso's Imperiale borrows the fastback body styling of previous Lancia cars such as the Gamma Berlina from the late 1970s.

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2014 BMW M4 / M3 Coupe

For those of you that just can't wait to get a peek at the next M3 Coupe or perhaps as we may come to know it, the M4, graphic designer Jacek Kolodziejczyk has put his skills to work developing a pretty realistic rendering of the coupe model.

The 30-year old artist used several styling elements found on the new F30 3-Series sedan while also borrowing some cues from the M3 Seadn prototype scooped over the past few months.

While BMW is keeping its cards tight against its chest for the time being, it is believed that both the next M3 Coupe and Sedan models will replace the current M3's naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 with a smaller displacement six-cylinder engine employing two or maybe even three turbochargers for 450-horsepower or more.

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De Tomaso Mangusta Legacy

Introduced in 1967, the first Mangusta was designed by the famed Giorgetto Giugiaro, who at the time worked for Turin-based coachbuilder Ghia, and was offered with a choice of Ford-sourced V8 engines. It was replaced by the cheaper to produce Pantera in 1971.

Keiser's design proposal blends several characteristic styling cues of the original Mangusta such as the low-placed headlamps with a more angular shaped body that features a pair of scissor doors.

“Like the original, it had to be spectacular and communicate an impression of wild ferocity and power while recalling the serenity of a feline at rest, and the elegance of the animal that doesn’t need to fear anything," says Keiser.

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Dodge Charger from The Dukes of Hazzard

Together with the original Batmobile from the 1960s "Batman" TV series and the De Lorean DMC-12 from the Back to the Future movie trilogy, the 1969 Dodge Charger also known as the General Lee from the "The Dukes of Hazzard", is one of the most iconic and memorable vecihles in the history of Hollywood.

And now, one of the original General Lees from the TV series is heading to the auction block at Barret Jackson's Scottsdale event in Arizona that kicks off on January 14.

Mind you, we're not talking about any General Lee but the very first car to appear on the first episode of the series performing its famous jump over a Hazzard County police cruiser.

Understandably, over the series' seven year run from 1979 to 1985, the producers used a lot of cars – some say more 300. So while it's one of the many General Lee cars used in the series, being the first makes its extremely special and it’s bound to draw the attention of collectors from all over the world.

Barret Jackson tells us the only cast member to ever drive the first car, which is fondly named "Lee 1", was John Schneider, who played Bo Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard.

After the series came to an end, the 1969 Dodge Charger was dumped in a junkyard somewhere in Metro Atlanta where it stayed for 23 years before it was rescued and professionally restored to its former condition over a 16 month period.

Barret Jackson says that there will be no reserve price for the Lee 1.

Photo Credits: Barret Jackson , Via Insideline

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New Audi A3 and R8 e-tron for 2012

The German premium automaker announced today a new plan to invest €13 billion, mainly in new products and technologies and in expanding its sites by 2016, while the company will also recruit some 1,200 specialists in 2012 in addition to 3,500 new employees it hired throughout 2011.

“We are aiming to achieve strong growth on an international scale and boost our lightweight construction and electric mobility areas of expertise in particular," said Thomas Sigi, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources at AUDI AG. "That is why we will be hiring even more people and are planning to appoint a further 1,200 experts next year.”

Audi said that in order to cover its needs for skilled employees over the next few years, the brand and the employees’ elected representatives agreed to offer permanent employment contracts to trainees, students from vocational training academies and participants of the StEP program (Study and Experience in Practice) once they complete their courses.

The carmaker's planned investment of €13 billion (US$17 billion) from 2012 through 2016 is the biggest investment program in Audi's history.

“To maintain our profitable growth, we will step up investment spending on new products,” said Axel Strotbek, Member of the Board of Management for Finance and Organization at Audi AG. “The Audi Group plans to invest over € 2 billion annually in new products and technologies.”

Audi said that more than €10.5 billion (US$13.7 billion) would be spent on the development of new models and on technologies of the future such as electric or hybrid drive.

The company also confirmed three new production models for 2012, including the A8 hybrid that employs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine, the next generation of A3, the 2013 A6 allroad quattro as well as the pure-electric R8 e-tron that will be built in a small series.

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