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As is the way these days, Chrysler has begun an achingly slow striptease for the 2013 SRT Viper, with zoomed-in closeups and shadowy shots that are difficult to glean much from. But just as they did during your childhood, Hot Wheels may have a quicker way for you to get your hands on the Pentastar's super coupe. The hyper-pixelated image shown above appears to be the 2013 Viper wrought in diecast 1/43 scale. Reportedly from a poster showing the toymaker's 2012 line of vehicles, this could just be our best look at the big snake yet.

While the wheels appear to be exaggerated in typical Hot Wheels fashion, the greenhouse and the long hood all seem to fit what we would expect for a new Viper, including an aggressive hood that appears to have at least three vents. The gaping lower fascia and headlamps look to be new forms as well, and if we squint a little, the roof looks like it could be a double-bubble. If this image is correct, it would seem to be clear that Chrysler has not forgotten about the car's heritage. Will it be modern enough while retaining the Viper's stock-in-trade rawness? We hope to know more soon.

Perhaps more than most, Mercedes-Benz has proven to be remarkably adept at platform sharing, pulling and pushing at their various architectures to create new models. Take, for example, the marque's E-Class range, which in addition to sedan, coupe, convertible and wagon variants, spawned the CLS 'four-door coupe' – a model that itself inspired a whole slew of imitators. The rakish CLS will shortly spawn a load-lugging shooting-brake variant, too – Benz's offspring are having offspring. Could the same thing be in the cards for the SLS AMG?

Mercedes has already extended the supercar's appeal with a new Roadster variant for 2012, but as Autoblog can exclusively reveal, an alleged German patent filing suggests that the SLS may be in for an unexpected third bodystyle – that of an unconventional four-door. As shown here, Mercedes appears to be considering a set of rear-hinged demi doors to go along with the vertically sweeping main gullwing doors that would give access to a small back seat. In typical patent-ese, the paperwork suggests that the automaker is particularly concerned about minimizing weight gain and preserving structural rigidity, though it appears there is no fixed B-pillar present.

It isn't immediately clear if these alleged Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt documents are indicative of a production model, a show circuit-only concept, or just a bit of ambitious blue-sky designer thinking. For its part, when shown these documents and asked for comment, Mercedes-Benz officials wouldn't say anything beyond the standard "We won't take the liberty of sharing comments for any potential future products." We specifically asked if they would like to deny the materials, and they declined.

The paperwork shown here doesn't give away much else, certainly not touching upon whether any modifications would be made to the SLS' 571-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 or its rear-drive power delivery. The drawings accompanying the filing clearly suggest an extended wheelbase to accommodate the extra doors, as well as what looks like a second COMAND multi-function control knob on the console between the seats, but that could just be a bit of artistic license or perhaps some lazy cut/paste work in Photoshop duplicating the front seats.

Presumably, if a four-door SLS AMG were to come to market, it would likely come at a premium price for the extra engineering – the coupe model starts at $192,175 delivered, so we'd wager that the pricing would start with a "2" at the front, putting it in the hunt with cars like the Aston Martin Rapide and perhaps the Porsche Panamera Turbo.

Chevrolet's fire-breathing, Nürburgring-shredding Camaro ZL1 can now be custom configured for your very own garage – at least your virtual one.

The 580-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8-powered Chevrolet won't come cheaply, starting at $54,995, and choices are limited. Major options include paint (we're kind of fond of the $325 Rally Yellow scheme shown above, though perhaps it's a little too Transformersque), transmission choice (six-speed manual or automatic), wheel finish, sunroof and faux suede interior bits. Given that this is a small-volume model with serious performance intentions, we're not bothered by the limited decision tree offered by the configurator, and it helps tamp the bottom line down.

Build your own by checking out the link below, or compare and contrast builds against the ZL1's nemesis, the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 by checking out the latter's configurator here.

The Red Badge Of Courage



When it comes to high-end automobiles, there exists a surprisingly large group of well-heeled buyers seemingly only too happy to plunk down the vast sums required to buy the most expensive model in a given range. To these shoppers, a loftier price connotes that they are buying the best of the best, all but guaranteeing that they'll never suffer the indignity of being shown up at the valet stand. And while the notion that what is best is what's the most expensive is often correct, that isn't always the case.

Take this splashy Dragon Red Bentley Continental GT V8, for example. On the surface, this new model is just a cut-price coupe with four fewer cylinders and less horsepower, but make no mistake – this is the Thinking Man's Continental, not the Miser's.

Of course, word that the British automaker's latest should cost around 10 percent less than its 12-cylinder counterpart is unlikely to arch any impeccably manicured brows – we're going to go ahead and assume that the price differential won't really be of consequence to anyone with the wherewithal to shop for a Bentley. As a result, it will likely take a bit of individuality and pluck to show up at this season's Keeping Up With The Jones' Charity Ball in a GT V8.

Volvo's V50 wagon may have been discontinued following lackluster sales in the United States (it was phased out after the 2011 model year), but it's an important player in the Swedish brand's global portfolio, where small five-doors remain big business in other markets.

To that end, Volvo has just teased its forthcoming V40 ahead of next month's Geneva Motor Show on its Facebook page. (Here in the States, Volvo's S40-based load lugger was called V40 from 2000 to 2004). While we can't make out much other than a two-box shape, headlamps that wrap over the front fenders and what looks to be LED corner markers, the official posting confirms the vehicle's debut, along with a 'V40 Live Launch' social media campaign that encourages brand fans to interact with the company's designers. Head on over to Volvo's Facebook page for more information and come back here on March 6 to get photos and information from the V40's Swiss unveiling.

With the era of Ford's dominant Crown Victoria finally drawing to a close, automakers are working harder than ever to court law enforcement with more modern police cruisers. Key among their tactics? Facilitate easier fleet ordering by making common police equipment upgrades available from the car companies themselves instead of forcing precincts to seek out aftermarket specialists. Instead of sending their new cruisers off to third party vendors, those in charge of ordering new police cars can get them fitted with items like heavy-duty secondary batteries, special lighting, trunk coolers, laptop docking consoles and so on – all from the factory.

An unintended consequence of this shift in strategy is that the police cruisers are now more complex than ever, particularly in the area of wiring. Just ask Chrysler, which is now facing the recall of nearly 10,000 Dodge Charger police cruisers from 2011 and 2012 model years.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Chrysler will recall 9,688 cop specials because some vehicles could incur an overheated lighting harness connector that could cause the cruiser's low beams to fail. In addition, some Chargers may also suffer from an overheated power distribution center that could result in a loss of the vehicle's anti-lock braking and stability control systems. Just as they would with a car sold to the general public, Chrysler will notify owners covered in the recall and inspect and replace the affected parts free of charge.

Click through to the jump to read over NHTSA's official recall notice... and be safe out there.

Last year, Chrysler made a big splash in the advertising world with its "Imported From Detroit" campaign, a marketing blitz that kicked off with a Super Bowl spot featuring rapper Eminem behind the wheel of a Chrysler 200 sedan. The campaign jumpstarted a national dialogue about Detroit, went on to win an Emmy, and the tagline has since become a cornerstone of Chrysler's marketing efforts. But according to The Wall Street Journal, the Auburn Hills automaker isn't looking to return to The Big Game with Marshall Mathers – it's going with veteran actor Clint Eastwood.

According to the WSJ, Eastwood will feature in an expansive two-minute long ad and the action will likely center on the actor "giving the country a pep talk." While seemingly every other automaker has already spilled the beans on their Super Bowl marketing efforts, the Pentastar is playing its hand close to the vest, with the WSJ unable to get Chrysler to comment on the story.

Click past the jump for a quick refresher on Chrysler's Super Bowl ad with Eminem from 2011.

Things are shaping up nicely for next week's Chicago Auto Show, key among them this new Kia concept called Track'ster. Riffing on the Korean automaker's hit Soul compact, the Track'ster keeps much of the small car's boxy style, but turns the wick up considerably by scrubbing the rear doors, fitting a gaping front end, substituting massive showcar wheels and dramatically lowering the right height.

This isn't the first time Kia has toyed with the idea of a Soul spinoff – at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, it presented the Soul'ster, a rough-and-tumble concept vehicle with a small pickup bed. Thanks to a strong response from the public, the Soul'ster was understood to be under consideration for production, but its hopes reportedly fizzled due to the economic meltdown.

Despite being on the market since 2008, the Soul continues to pick up momentum in chunks. Thanks in part to a refresh for 2012 that addresses hopes for more powerful drivetrains, the Soul has emerged as one of Kia's best sellers – last month, it was only slightly outdistanced by the Optima midsize sedan, and it's outpacing Sorrento, which was Kia's best-seller last year.

Will Kia finally pull the trigger on a Soul variant? We should know more after the Track'ster makes the show circuit rounds.

Back when Honda launched the Crosstour in 2010, it fielded questions from the media asking why it chose to forego a four-cylinder model. At the time, officials indicated that a four-cylinder engine would result in minimal fuel economy improvements, noting that the company's aim was to target premium-minded customers for whom the 3.5-liter V6 seemed more appropriate.

But with the fog of slow sales often comes a need to rethink strategies, and Honda has responded to sluggish demand for the Crosstour with a new four-cylinder model for 2012 with a just-announced base price of $27,655 (*plus $810 in destination charges). That's about $2,500 less than a comparable six-cylinder model.

Despite Honda's earlier assertions, the new 192-horsepower, 162 pound-feet of torque 2.4-liter model actually does receive a rather substantial bump in fuel economy performance. The new front-drive trim nets 21 miles per gallon in the city and 29 mpg on the highway – the V6 only manages 18/27. Both the new four-cylinder and 271-hp/254 lb-ft V6 come with a five-speed automatic as standard kit.

In equipment news, all Crosstour models will now receive standard auto-dimming mirrors, a USB hookup, Bluetooth telephony and standard backup camera, among other features.

Honda shifted 17,974 Crosstour models last year, down 37.9 percent from its 2010 total of 28,851 units. The company had targeted sales of 40,000 units annually.

It won't be long before we see the official reveal of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, but predictably, the Internet won't be kept waiting. Consider us unsurprised that a set of grainy photos showing what is claimed to be a badgeless redesigned Santa Fe crossover has appeared ahead of schedule.

That said, we're thinking the chrome-heavy maw depicted in these shots suggests that this is probably an overseas version (ix45) – not exactly what we'll see in the States. At least, that's what we're hoping, as the wall of frontal brightwork seems out of step not just with the market, but also Hyundai and its styling position here in North America. That said, our moles confirm that this is "some version of Santa Fe" and suggest that the image above was likely part of an illicit photo shoot taken inside the plant in Korea.

We should know more in April, when the North American Santa Fe is expected to launch at the New York Auto Show. For now, however, check out AutoEvolution for a second look.

Mitsubishi has been something of a punching bag among both analysts and critics in the United States for some years now, with lukewarm reception to new products and meek sales figures. But while few were paying attention, the Japanese brand's pendulum made a mighty swing in the right direction in 2011, with sales finishing up over 40 percent year-over-year, making it the second fastest-growing brand in the States. Of course, total brand sales were just 77,995 (2010 sales: 55,683), but one has to start somewhere.

Buoyed by increasing demand for new products like the Outlander Sport, Mitsubishi isn't quite "feeling its oats" just yet, but it's alive and kicking. As further evidence, the company has just released a teaser image of an unnamed vehicle it plans to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Significantly, Mitsubishi indicates that this is the first time it has ever chosen to stage a global product reveal in Europe. The mystery vehicle, which appears to be a crossover – likely the next-generation Outlander – will go on sale in 2012. The second-generation Outlander has been on sale here since 2006, with a facelifted model arriving for the 2010 model year.

Mitsubishi says this is the start of a new, "re-focused design language," which evidently means moving away from the massive Lancer Evolution-inspired grille that currently adorns the Outlander. We like what we see here, from the gaping lower air intake to the U-shaped hood pressing and assertive headlamps. We'll probably have to wait until closer the Swiss show starts to get a closer look at the rest of the vehicle, but for now, check out the image above and the press release after the jump.

Good motorsports films don't come up terribly often, but now and again, we get lucky. In 2011, we were graced with the very fine Senna documentary, and it appears there's another period Formula One racing piece that could be worth watching on the silver screen soon: Rush.

We've known for some time that this project, which chronicles the 1976 F1 season-long battle between Austria's Niki Lauda and Britain's James Hunt, was in the cards, and we also knew that Ron Howard had signed on as producer. Howard, you may recall, is the Academy Award-winning force responsible for such films as A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13 and Frost/Nixon. But we hadn't heard much about filming getting underway – until now.

Thanks to these new photos taken at Germany's Nürburgring by our friends at PistonSpy, we now see that work on the film has begun. We have to say, James Hunt's Marlboro-liveried McLaren looks particularly fetching in these photos, and it must be a thrill to see and hear these vintage F1 cars lapping the legendary Nordschleife.

We're already cringing in advance for Howard's recreation of Lauda's massive crackup at the German Grand Prix, a crash that saw him sever his right ear and suffer facial burns (you can see in-period video footage of the fiery crash after the jump). Lauda would return after missing just two races and storm back into the points chase in pursuit of James Hunt and his McLaren. Hunt would eventually win the World Championship by a single point. For dozens of additional images, be sure to check out PistonSpy at the link below.

We've just returned from a Detroit Auto Show media roundtable with Klaus Draeger, member of the Board of BMW AG, Development, and he's helped shed some light on both some near- and far-term developments for BMW in the States.

Draeger confirmed that BMW has absolutely no plans to expand the 1 Series lineup in the U.S. with a hatchback variant like the new generation F20 range sold in Europe. While Draeger says that the 1 Series has done a "wonderful job" for BMW, he notes that the model is positioned very differently in the U.S. and Europe. In the States, the 1 Series is a car for hardcore driving enthusiasts, but in Europe, with its fuller range of (primarily lower-power) engines and bodystyles, the 1 Series is positioned as more of a family car – an entry point to the brand (70 percent of European 1 Series buyers are new to BMW).

In the short-term, Draeger confirmed that the 740i six-cylinder model will receive the company's xDrive all-wheel drive system before the end of the year. The system is currently available on the V8-powered 750i, but with the biggest market for the 7 Series being the New York tri-state area, not having the additional foul weather performance of xDrive in the I6 has left a vacuum in the model lineup.

In more general terms, Draeger says we can expect to see electric power steering and start/stop systems in all BMWs, and indeed, a number of models in the company's portfolio already feature the fuel-saving technologies.

Also on the fuel-saving front, Draeger says that X5 diesel sales are going well in the States, accounting for roughly one-third of sales. Despite that, the X6 will not get a diesel variant, as the current model only has two or three years left in its life and it wouldn't make sense to introduce one this late in life. However, he wouldn't rule one out for the next-gen X6, nor was he willing to preclude a diesel's inclusion in the new X3. The new generation 3 Series and current 5 Series are also likely candidates for oil burning motivation, but they won't happen this calendar year.

When asked if BMW is happy with X6 sales, Draeger said "Yes. Absolutely." As a followup question, Draeger was asked if it then made sense to do a similar variant on the X3, and he said "Yes. Yes." Unfortunately, he wasn't at liberty to elaborate.

Finally, BMW officially announced yesterday that its smallest crossover, the X1, will go on sale here soon (likely not before a mid-cycle refresh), but Draeger maintains that there is "no real synergy" to justify bringing production to the U.S.

Audi has confirmed at the Detroit Auto Show that its 2013 A8 will be available with a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 in the United States. Delivering 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque through all four wheels, the A8 3.0T will be sold in both both short- and long-wheelbase formats and it will be one of a growing crop of vehicles sold in North America with start/stop technology. The move follows confirmation that Audi will also market its flagship luxury sedan with a 3.0-liter six-cylinder TDI diesel engine.

Both powertrain combinations have already been offered in the A8 in other markets, and both engines have already been featured in other Audi models sold here, but these powerplants will be the first six-cylinder A8s sold in North America. Audi has not released official fuel economy estimates for these new powertrains.