Daily Drivers : Car News And Reviews

Up until now, diesel-based MINI Coopers have been limited to just 116 horsepower, and the more powerful engines have been reserved for MINI’s gas-powered Cooper S model. Now, MINI has outed a new diesel variant which combines power with fuel efficiency.

Excited for the 2015 Ford Mustang? While you can’t yet drive one, you can at least start designing your dream car over on the Ford website. The 2015 Mustang configurator will let you play with the 10 available paint colors, and equip of the options you’d like.

The aftermarket tuning specialists at Pogea Racing have applied their magic to the Fiat 500 Abarth and boosted the 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine to 168hp. That may not seem like a big power output, considering the 500 Abarth rolls off the line with a 160 hp under the hood, but it does mean that Pogea was able to access the locked down EUR 6 ECU of the 500, something that other aftermarket tuners haven’t yet been able to accomplish.

BMW recently announced the 2015 edition of its X6 crossover SUV and, on the heels of that announcement, has revealed the M Sport edition of the vehicle. The X6 M Sport is a purely cosmetic upgrade to the 2015 X6 and consists of both exterior and interior modifications.

Smart has revealed the special Brabus Fan Edition of the smart Fortwo that was chosen by fans in  the recent online design contest. Participants were able to mix and match body colors, wheels, and other options to create their favorite designs and the one with the most votes was declared the winner.

Self-described “automotive manipulator” Theophilus Chin seems to have an obsession with turning everyday cars into pickup trucks – a la the Chevy El Camino and Subaru BRAT. This time, Theo has taken the sporty little Audi TT and turned it into a pickup.

MINI has expanded its lineup of sporty tiny cars with a big heart with the new MINI Cooper 5 Door. Although based on the MINI Cooper two-door coupe, this 5 Door’s longer wheelbase and extra pair of doors provide for greater functionality and position it as an alternative to the wagon-like Clubman.

BMW only brought 29 special edition 30th Anniversary “30 Jahre M5″ Editions to the United States and they were sold only through a special hotline. The cars sold out quickly, even at a price of $138,275 (USD).

The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is one of the most distinctive crossover SUVs on the road, and it’s marketed as the ideal blend of luxury and utility. The vehicle comes in two primary body styles, a 5-door, and a 3-door coupe.

While making engines smaller and more fuel efficient and moving to alternative energy sources are the most prominent ways of reducing vehicle emissions, cutting weight is also an important part of the equation. Obviously, reducing weight means the vehicle doesn’t need to work as hard, thus reducing energy consumption, emissions and fuel costs.

For this promo video touting its new 2015 Golf GTI, Volkswagen not only managed to get stunt driver Tanner Foust behind the wheel, but they attached literally dozens of GoPros all over the vehicle to let us choose our own perspective on Tanner’s tricky driving maneuvers.

At the AMI Leipzig 2014 show, Volkswagen is showing off a special edition of the convertible Beetle, in tribute to the classic Karman Beetle Cabriolets built from 1949 to 1980. The Beetle Cabriolet Karmann Edition has been fitted with a Sioux Brown folding soft top, 18-inch alloy wheels, and limited-edition badging.

ABT Sportsline often takes their aftermarket tuning skills to the biggest Audi sports sedans, like the Audi RS6 Avant, but they’re not afraid of also tackling the smaller range of Audi cars. In this case, ABT applied their tuning magic to the Audi S3 sedan and the result is a boosted sports sedan that’s not only quicker but also has some new styling touches.

Google has been working on autonomous vehicle technology for several years now, and even has had its self-driving cars on public streets. But up until now, its cars have entirely been based on modified production vehicles.

Bentley has been planning to release its first ever sport utility vehicle in the not-too-distant future, and is starting to show off bits of the vehicle. The Bentley SUV will pack in the same sort of true luxury, performance and craftsmanship found in their other cars, and the company claims it will be the “world’s most powerful and luxurious SUV.”