Daily Drivers : Car News And Reviews

In order to set the world straight on its sometimes confused brand image, Chrysler has announced that Dodge will be refining its focus, with the brand moving towards a more “extroverted, aggressive and exciting” product line.

Mazda is celebrating 25 years since the debut of it’s wonderful two-door convertible, the MX-5 Miata. The company has just announced pre-order availability of the 2015 MX-5 Miata 25th Anniversary Edition. Beginning on May 20, 2014, the pre-order system will be available to allow interested buyers to add their names to the queue for one of the 100 special-edition roadsters.

Back in January, we had an opportunity to drive the BMW i3, and thought that they really hit the mark with their enigmatic electric vehicle. At the time, the car was available only in Europe, and U.S.

The process of building cars has always fascinated us, as vehicles go from raw materials like sheet metal, rubber and paint to the fully-functional cars we trust to take us to and from work, school and occasionally to the track.

The Audi S1 is a cool little hot hatch for the European market, and even with its stock 231 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, it’s supposed to be a pretty fun car to drive. But when it comes to professional racing, there’s always room for improvement, and in the case of DTM champ Mattias Ekström, he’s going to really be pushing this little car to its limits.

Volvo brings together its sporty R-Design line with the efficiency of a hybrid drivetrain with the new 2015 Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid R-Design. Volvo did well in 2013 with its diesel V60 Plug-In Hybrid, selling more than 8,000 plug-in hybrids over the year and is adding a higher performance option to the lineup with the R-Design, adding the R-Design front, rear diffusor and 18-inch “Ixion” wheels.

Perhaps the most unusual vehicle to ever surface from MINI, this one-off Paceman pickup truck was the result of a collaboration between the apprentices and instructors at the BMW plant in Munich. The vehicle started off as a MINI Cooper S Paceman, and was transformed into a two-seater with an open-bed storage area in place of rear seat and hatchback.

Volkswagen is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the VW Golf, in part, with the introduction of an upscale Golf concept car, the “Golf Edition” at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show. The Golf Edition boosts the otherwise understated Golf with a striking exterior paint finish along with new exterior details and a luxury interior.

Mercedes-Benz tosses their hat into the crossover ring with this concept vehicle that’s designed to combine the best of a car and an SUV. The Concept Coupé SUV sports a style that’s distinctly Mercedes, while creating a form that’s unique in the market.

Volvo has revealed a new plug-in hybrid ahead of its debut at the 2014 Beijing International Auto Show. The gasoline-electric hybrid, officially dubbed the Volvo S60L Petrol Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (or S60L PPHEV) is based on the long-wheelbase S60L sedan and will be offered exclusively in the China market.

Chrysler has refreshed the Dodge Charger for 2015 with some dramatic new changes to its front fascia and some nice tweaks all around. With a large black grille that extends down to the front splitter and is framed by new LED lighting, the Charger’s front end will make a bold statement when you see it (briefly) in your rearview mirror.

With styling that recalls the classic Jaguar Mark 2 from the 1960s, Japanese automaker Mitsuoka Motors has announced a limited edition of its Viewt sedan, the Viewt Haru special edition. Just 15 of these limited-edition cars will be made, five in each of the three colors of light green, beige and blue.

Audi has announced a new edition of its high-performance RS7 which will premiere at the New York International Auto Show this week: the RS7 Dynamic Edition. Featuring the RS7’s standard 560hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine, the Dynamic Edition will carry over the standard model’s blistering performance; like its 0-to-60 time of just 3.7 seconds and combine it with an exclusive performance-oriented suspension.

A while back, MINI asked buyers to vote on a custom edition skin for the 2014 MINI Cooper, and the results are in. The winner: a design called DeLux – by Alex Coyle. While it’s not officially a TRON tie-in, it sure looks like the MINI and a lightbike got together to make this car.

BMW will be the first car company to introduce laser headlights to the automobile market when it rolls out the BMW i8 later this year. But the German automaker isn’t stopping there and has just announced the development of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology for use in its vehicles in the future.