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Most concepts you'll see on the show stands of the Geneva Motor Show will come packing some manner of sci-fi powertrain and ultra-expensive chassis and body materials. That's where the Toyota FT-Bh concept stands apart.

Toyota is calling it a "full hybrid city car study," so the FT-Bh isn't destined for production. However, Toyota's goal was to create an inexpensive, fuel efficient urban runabout that doesn't rely on expensive materials or complex manufacturing, but rather uses existing technology to make an affordable hybrid for the masses – something that would be perfect for Europe.

Thing is, Toyota is bringing just that to Geneva in mass-market form.

Joining the FT-Bh on stage is the production version of the Yaris Hybrid, which for all intents and purposes is exactly what the FT-Bh is: an inexpensive, small hybrid based off an existing platform and using tried-and-true technology. Packing a 1.5-liter gasoline engine mated with an electric motor, the Yaris Hybrid outputs 98 horsepower and is some 20% lighter than the Auris Hybrid. Toyota is calling it "Europe's first full hybrid supermini," which begs the question: Where's the line between a "supermini" and a "city car?" We'll find out when we're on the floor in Switzerland next month.

Get all the details on Toyota's Geneva plans in the press blast after the break.

Turin-based styling house Bertone has released a couple of sketches teasing its upcoming Nuccio Concept car. To be debuted at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, the Nuccio will reportedly be based on a mid-engine platform and is meant to commemorate the company's 100-year anniversary.

The Nuccio is named after founder Giovanni Bertone's son, who took over the company and separated it into two divisions, one for building cars and one for designing them for clients. Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone died in 1997 and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit in 2006, having led his eponymous company through its most successful years.

The Nuccio Concept will be a berlinetta (Italian for little saloon) of classic Bertone design, sporting a pronounced wedge shape that sits very low to the ground. No real details were provided with the two sketches, so we'll have to wait until the Geneva festivities kick off for any hints on the powertrain or seating configuration.

Some 36,000 Versa owners will soon be getting mail from Nissan. Automatic transmission-equipped 2012 Versas built between June 9, 2011, and January 13, 2012, may have defective shifter knobs or shifter assemblies, which could allow the car to be shifted out of park without first pressing the brake pedal.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report says that the defect increases the risk of crash or injury to pedestrians. The recall campaign is scheduled to begin on February 20, and concerned owners can call Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

To read the full recall report, click past the jump.

There's something undeniably enthralling about watching a vehicle perform outside of its intended element. It's why we love seeing semi tractors weaving their way around a road course and rally cars bashing down a rock-strewn desert path. It's also why watching a Formula car dash around the snow-covered Nürburgring paints a big ol' smile on our faces.

When winter weather recently set in on Green Hell, Andy Gulden, the chief instructor for the Nürburgring Driving Academy went out to have a little fun. After a quick tire change, Gulden and the Formula racer were happy as could be flicking around the infamous track.

Gulden doesn't hold back on the accelerator as he tackles the course, either. Fortunately for us, he was kind enough to strap a few cameras to the car before he rolled out of the garage. The resulting video is a look at the Nürburgring as you've likely never seen it before. Hit the jump to check out the clip for yourself.

Baby Of The Family Will Play A Big Role



Toyota's new 2012 Prius C doesn't look like a math problem, but that's what it is.

Hidden behind its attractive hatchback body and Toyota Synergy Drive hybrid powertrain, the Prius C is just a bunch of numbers. Numbers like the car's miles per gallon rating, its MSRP, how many can be produced and how many Toyota hopes to sell. Toyota ran these numbers through its "Do we build it?" formula, which is what caused the Prius C to come into being, but the good news is that this smallest of Prii adds up to more than what was put into it, and even introduces a bit of fun to the appliance-like Prius driving experience. Not much, mind you, but enough that its target audience – young people who want to buy the most efficient gas-powered vehicle on the market today – should take notice.

Here are some of the calculations that Toyota is making for its new Prius family. Instead of selling 136,463 "normal" Prius Liftbacks as it did last year (down from 140,928 in 2010), the Japanese automaker believes that three new models – the bigger V, the smaller C and the Plug-In version – will push cumulative Prius sales up to 220,000 in 2012 and then go up from there.

Last year, Toyota's group vice president for U.S. sales, Bob Carter, said he expects the Prius to be the automaker's number one nameplate by 2020. Sure, the Prius continues to sell well in green car circles and has been the best selling car in Japan for a year and a half, but for Carter's statement to come true, the Prius family would have to outsell the almighty Camry. Think about that. Think about the ambition – and challenge – behind those words. This is the equation that the Prius C needs to solve.

These days, you only have a Ball chair in your office if you're an evil genius or confused enough to think it's still 1962. The clever artists at Racing and Emotion Design are out to change all that, though. The company has taken it upon themselves to slather the spherical seating, as well as an "Egg" style chair, in some of the world's most famous racing liveries.

Want to kick back in the same style as the Gulf Porsche 917? No problem. What if the Pink Pig is more your style? Racing and Emotion Design have you covered. The French designers have even worked up a chair in Ayrton Senna's helmet livery, as well as the colors found on the racer's Lotus 97T. In all, there are 21 separate liveries to chose from. We're particularly smitten with the BMW 3.0 CSL piece, though the various Gulf liveried thrones are likely to be sure winners.

Unfortunately, we won't be dragging one of these home to the lair anytime soon. The chairs each cost around $3,788 at current conversion rates, which means we'll just have to control our death ray from the comfort of the couch. Head over to Racing & Emotion or Classic Heroes to take a look at the full range.

General Motors took dead aim at the Ford F-150 during the Super Bowl by airing a spot for the Chevrolet Silverado. The ad featured a post-apocalyptic scene where only Silverado owners survived the end of the world and Ford customers were left to fade into the fossil record. Interestingly enough, however, the spot may not have had the intended effect of pushing more eyes toward GM products.

According to TheCarConnection.com, the ad may have benefited Ford more than Chevrolet. Kelley Blue Book keeps an eye on which vehicles visitors to the site are interested in, and Ford saw an immediate uptick directly after the GM commercial aired. Ford didn't have a big Super Bowl ad this year.

That wasn't all. Ford continued to see a swell in shopping in the days after the Super Bowl. Interest in the Silverado, meanwhile, rose slightly when the ad aired before leveling off during the remainder of the game and falling shortly thereafter. Interest in the F-150, meanwhile, continued to surge. According to TheCarConnection.com, the F-150 saw a greater boost in shoppers week over week while the Silverado fell off by 25 percent. Turns out Ford shouldn't have been so upset about the spot after all. Click past the jump to see the ad one more time.

A few months ago, we heard word Audi was hard at work on an even sharper version of its TT RS, and as it turns out, those rumors were true. Well, sort of. The German automaker has unveiled the Audi TT RS 'plus' in the EU, though the vehicle produces the same 360 horsepower as the fire-breather we sampled last year. The 0-60 mph dash takes the same 4.1 seconds, though buyers in the old country will have the option of outfitting their purchase with a seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic gearbox. Likewise, the TT RS plus is available in both hardtop and convertible configurations, whereas buyers in the U.S. can only have theirs as a fixed-roof coupe with a manual gearbox.

Interestingly enough, Audi lists the vehicle's curb weight at 3,196.7 pounds, which is just over 100 pounds lighter than what the company quoted us for the U.S.-spec model back in October. Given the weight reduction, we would expect slightly improved performance over the American TT RS, but the 0-60 mph figures are nearly identical.

It wasn't long after we drove the TT RS that whispers of an even brawnier TT RS 'plus' surfaced. The vehicle was rumored to have 385 horsepower and weigh in at 130 pounds less than the standard model. You know what they say: One out of two ain't bad... or something. Hit the jump for the press release.

Peter Nefischer, head of engine development for BMW, has said the automaker is currently working on developing three-cylinder engines to be used across the company's vehicle line. The powerplants would likely be different than the one found in the BMW i8 and wouldn't be partnered with an electric motor. Instead, engineers would turn to forced induction to maintain acceptable power levels. Nefischer said engineers have gone as far as possible with current engine technology, and the next step is smaller, more powerful variants.

So, when can we expect to see a three-cylinder 3 Series hit the streets? According to the report, the vehicle could be here in two years. BMW has already demonstrated the sort of gains that can be made by dropping cylinder count. Just look at the F30 328i with the vehicle's impressive power and fuel economy as an example. Will BMW bring 3 Series to the table with half the cylinders of the tried-and-true I6? Stranger things have happened.

It's amazing what a little regulation can do for an industry. In the past four years, the fuel economy of new vehicles has improved by an average of 14 percent, according to a new study by the University of Michigan. This increase comes on the heels of big hikes in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, which Congress raised in 2007 for the first time in decades. Since then, CAFE has been set at 34.1 miles per gallon by 2016, and a new proposal that's pending would raise the fuel economy standard to 54.5 mpg by 2025.

The Michigan study showed that the average fuel efficiency of 2012 light-duty vehicles on the market was 21.5 mpg, up from 18.9 in 2008. Adjusted for the vehicles that are actually purchased, the number is even higher, with 2011 coming in at 22.5 mpg. Researchers say that shows that consumers are buying models with better fuel economy.

The biggest efficiency improvements over the past four years came from diesels, which jumped 9.8 mpg, likely as a result of more diesel passenger cars being offered. Hybrids, oddly enough, saw their average fuel economy drop by 3 mpg's, no doubt because of a number of larger and thirstier hybrids hitting the market, like the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid.

Click past the jump to read the full press release.

Automotive News reports Hyundai is still mulling the possibility of a luxury sub-brand. Vehicles like the Equus, Genesis Sedan and Genesis Coupe would all sail under a new Genesis brand sold through Hyundai dealerships. The models would also receive a new alphanumeric naming system to avoid redundancy. Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of sales for Hyundai Motor America, told Automotive News the automaker is currently discussing whether or not selling premium vehicles with a Hyundai badge on the hood is restricting the company from moving more units.

The report says many Genesis buyers are opting for dealer-installed Genesis emblems in place of their Hyundai badges already. Even so, no final decision has been made about the possible rebranding nor has any time table been placed on the move. Zuchowski says if the Hyundai does decide to segregate its luxury models from the rest of the fleet, it would likely coincide with a significant redesign. That means if it happens, the shift will land in 2013 at the earliest.

Ten years wouldn't seem like much of an anniversary for an automaker, or even a sub-brand. But we're not talking about a make here, we're talking about one model. That's right: The current Range Rover has been on the market for a decade, which is a rather long life-cycle for any automobile, but Jaguar Land Rover isn't the least bit embarrassed. In fact, it's celebrating the anniversary with a series of special edition models.

Picking up where the Vogue model leaves off, the Westminster Edition features a cabin decked out in leather trim, thick carpeting and piano lacquer veneers, with illuminated treadplates, polished pedals, a 19-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system with Dual View display and heated and cooled front seats. JLR's 4.4-liter turbodiesel V8 pulls all four 20-inch, 10-spoke wheels through an eight-speed automatic.

Meanwhile the Autobiography edition is available with the same engine, or with the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with six-speed automatic. The Range Rover Design Pack distinguishes the exterior, while the Range Rover Seat Style Pack makes the cabin an even more opulent place to be with the reclining rear seats and moveable front passenger seat you'd expect to find in a limousine.

Full details can be found in the press release after the jump, including pricing in Land Rover's native market since these won't be available in the U.S.

The growth of NASCAR over the past decade has been one of the stories of American sports – and not only was the series getting huge viewership, it was attracting stars from other series and its drivers were breaking left-turn-only taboos at Le Mans and the Race of Champions.

Still, the dream couldn't continue unabated, and lately NASCAR has been battling dwindling audiences at some of its big races and disappearing big-money sponsorships. To get around it, teams are doing three things: getting more sponsors, finding those sponsors further away from the traditional corporate playground, and engaging in "non-traditional sponsorships."

Even big teams like Richard Childress Racing are playing the volume game, expecting to have more than 40 sponsors helping it pay for this season. If a marquee player needs to go to such lengths it's to be expected that little teams have to work even harder, and there are only so many blue-chip firms to go around. That's how you get Quicken Loans, American Ethanol and Freescale Semiconductor showing up on fenders and at corporate events.

And non-traditional sponsorships are how you get the AARP involved. When the non-profit wanted to publicize its drive to end hunger among the elderly, it sponsored Jeff Gordon's car for 66 races over three years, from 2011 to 2013 – but won't sponsor the other remaining 42 races in those seasons. That kind of creativity is what NASCAR hopes will allow it not only to enjoy its popular moment, but popular longevity.

The all-electric Tesla Model X crossover was unveiled at a red-carpet, velvet-rope style event at the Tesla Design Studios in Hawthorne, CA tonight, with company co-founder Elon Musk confirming that the Model X will start production late next year and that full production is expected in 2013.

With luminaries such as California Gov. Jerry Brown in attendance and a post-announcement concert by Foster the People, Musk presented a CUV that, as rumored, has so-called "falcon-wing" doors that are similar to those of the old gull-wing vehicles but bend in the middle, allowing them to be opened in tight spaces while offering better access to the rear and third row of seats. Musk said the Model X, which is expected to be priced similar to the $57,500 Model S sedan set to debut this summer, can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, or 0.2 seconds quicker than a Porsche 911. The vehicle, which Musk says can seat "seven real adults," actually has front and rear electric motors that instantaneously shift power from one to the other to maximize traction, Musk said. He added that the CUV's turning radius was comparable to that of a Mini Cooper.

Musk, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,000 people, touted the Model X as having, "more room than a minivan, more style than an SUV and more performance than a sports car." Indeed, with no internal combustion engine, the vehicle has substantial rear cargo space behind the third row of seats as well as a "frunk" in front of the car (which provided the evening's only glitch with a sticky latch. See video of that after the jump). Musk said that the "frunk" has the same storage space as the rear cargo area of an Audi Q7. Musk should know, since he owns one.

Musk also said Telsa will start deliveries of the Model S sedan – upon which the X is based – "no later than July" and will start taking online reservations for the Model X at noon Pacific time Friday. Tesla is expected to produce between 10,000 and 15,000 Model X units a year starting in 2014.