The next Pagani will be called the Huayra, according to trademark applications, and it will be shown in March at the Geneva motor show.

Huayra, a word said to be derived from a South American language and meaning “wind,” follows suit with the Zonda, which means a “wind that blows on the Andes.”

In a 50-second teaser, the camera catches bits of the interior of the Pagani. And in another video, the outside is shown near the Pagani factory testing with minimal camouflage.

Despite audio present in the paparazzi-style ambush, the sound of the purpose-built Mercedes AMG powerplant is lost amidst traffic.

The latest pictures of the Huayra show a revamped front end with larger air intakes and a curvaceous grille.

While the profile lacks any significant changes, the redesigned rear end with the quad-tip exhausts and much larger rear diffuser is imposing.

 

It seems as if Hyundai is looking to expand its upstart presence, moving past needling luxury stalwarts Lexus and Mercedes-Benz with its Equus and Genesis sedans, and midpriced behemoths Honda and Toyota with its stunning new Sonata. With the release of the Curb concept, the South Korean automaker looks to have youth-market players such as Nissan, Mazda and Scion in its crosshairs.

The funky small crossover, the profile of which looks like a mash-up of the Nissan Murano and the Range Rover Evoque, bows Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It is the first concept car designed by Phil Zak, formerly of General Motors Europe, who joined the Hyundai Design Center as chief designer in 2009.

[Source: Automotive News.]

 

 

 

 

Car companies are going full bore into the world of mobile apps, perhaps none more aggressively than Ford. And the Blue Oval is revealing an innovative one for the 2012 Focus electric at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

 

Called MyFord Mobile, the app works for smartphones and some other phones, as well as via a secure Web site. It allows users to show the state of charge, locate electric stations, start charging and select routes with MapQuest.

 

The app also offers remote-start capability and a car-locater feature. Additionally, owners can use the app to record achievements for eco-driving prowess--and then brag about them on Facebook and Twitter. It also breaks down driving characteristics on a scale of “Zen to Zippy.”

 

Chevrolet, perhaps as celebration for the Camaro beating the Ford Mustang in the sales game for the first time since 1985, has put up its online Camaro convertible configurator, meaning you can start playing around to see how your dream drop-top Camaro would look -- and what it would cost.

Like Autoblog, we noticed how quickly the price jumped. Base 1LT models start at $29,150, but of course we opted to begin things with the 2SS model, which boasts the 6.2-liver V8 engine with manual transmission, starting at $39,650. Add a Hurst short-throw shifter, $380; 21-inch machined aluminum wheels, $4,680; LPO and quarter flares, $370; and a racing-stripe package, $470 for gray stripes on a Cyber Gray Metallic body job, and you're quickly looking at a ride that costs almost $50,000.

Ah, but what a ride:


Anyone who's inclined to play around and find the best value-for-the-money combination, let us know what you come up with in the comments.

 

Hot off the heels of being named one AutoWeek's Best of the Best 2010 -- in the company of the Jeep Grand Cherokee -- the Cadillac CTS-V will try to make some impressions on the track at Sebring next month, as part of the SCCA World Challenge GT series. Unsurprisingly, the wedge-shaped, knife-sharp coupe, known for its formidable power, looks right at home all gussied up for the racetrack.

A couple more shots after the jump. 

 

General Motors has pulled a quick one on the world by announcing a new addition to the Buick family. The carmaker will offer a new compact model for 2012 called the Verano. Based on the same architecture as the Chevrolet Cruze, the new baby Buick will -- supposedly -- deliver much of the Chevy’s solid ride and quiet cabin, but throw in a little extra power to boot. Rumor has it that the vehicle will come from the factory with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine under the hood, and that the engine will supply around 177 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque.

Those numbers are up substantially over the figures that the same engine produces in the Chevrolet Malibu, where it musters up 169 horsepower and 160 lb-ft of torque. That means, given its relatively small size, that this should be one quick Buick. This strategy seems to follow GM’s master plan for Buick, its middle child: The company has already delivered a much smaller, sportier Regal, in a step toward building what could be loosely defined as a sport sedan. While the 2011 Regal isn’t going to be busting the BMW 3-Series’ chops any time soon, it is a vast improvement over what the company had  been producing. 

Electric-car maker Think has brought on its third high-profile executive in the past four months, welcoming William Nowicke -- who held several senior-level manufacturing and engineering jobs at Chrysler before his most recent role as vice president of turnaround specialist AlixPartners -- in the newly created role of vice president of global operations. According to Automotive News, it's a role that needed creating:

"Within the last 13 months, Think has started European production in Finland with contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive; refurbished a U.S. plant in Elkhart, Ind., and started output there for the North American market; and announced plans to open new product-development and engineering facilities at company headquarters in Oslo."

Think also recently brought on former Ford and Fiat Group executive Barry Engle as the company's third CEO, and Brit Michael Lock, former CEO of Ducati's North American operations, as chief marketing officer.