We obsessively cover the auto industry…

Size still matters, but the quest to be number one is also getting more headlines. Mercedes-Benz is the latest to stake its future on taking the top slot, with CEO Dieter Zetsche aiming to be the world's largest premium maker by 2020. The specific number is 2.7 million vehicles sold that year, which represents an astronomical jump from 2011 sales of 1.26 million vehicles.

To home in on that target, Mercedes intends to build factories in China and in North America – either Mexico or the U.S. – with the North American factory coming online by 2018, according to a report in Auto News. The facility here would build the "next generation A class together with Daimler's strategic partner Nissan."

Mercedes didn't offer any clarification on the Nissan component or what else a new facility might build, nor what the synergies might be with it and the engine deal recently signed between Daimler and Renault-Nissan.

One very unusual electric car has debuted in Brussels. The Hiriko EV uses a hub-mounted electric motor at each wheel, though that's not the most interesting aspect of the vehicle. According to The Telegraph, the Hiriko uses an interesting rear suspension design that allows the vehicle to fold up, rotating the cabin vertically, to take up less space while parking. The partnership behind the vehicle say the car consumes approximately one third the parking space of a Smart ForTwo. Occupants enter from a single front door, and the Hiriko ditches the traditional steering wheel in favor of a joystick.

The vehicle is set to begin production in Spain next year, and the partnership behind the vehicle's development aims to use several European and American cities as testbeds for the bubble machine. The two-seater has been co-developed by a collection of Basque businesses, the Spanish government and the MIT media lab (you may remember the concept, from 2007). A total of 20 test vehicles are currently being built, and each vehicle is said to cost $16,253 to manufacture. No final price tag has been set, nor are there solid details on range, power or charge times.

Car and Driver is back with its annual Lightning Lap roundup for a sixth year, with 20 of the world's best vehicles taking to Virginia International Raceway to lay down the quickest time around VIR's 4.1-mile Grand West Course.

Included in this year's running is a suitably diverse spread of sports cars and sedans, ranging from the lowly Volkswagen Jetta GLI to the formidable Porsche Panamera Turbo S – a difference of 350 horsepower and over $168,000. And, just to add a bit more spice to the festivities, C/D introduced a new class (LLT) to include two trucks in the running: the BMW X5 M and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

But what C/D gives, it taketh away. Gone is the LL5 class ($250,000 and up) and so are the LLU cars, like the Mosler MT900S, the current Lightning Lap champion. And we're perfectly okay with that. After all, we're more interested in how the Lotus Evora S hangs with the Porsche Cayman R and where the BMW 1 Series M Coupe stacks up against the Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca – and not just for convoluted naming conventions. Check out a video after the break for a taste and then head over to C/D for the full story.

This time last year, the Safe Road Trains for the Environment (SARTRE) program hit a milestone. Using a specially equipped Volvo S60 with a big-rig taking the lead, the EU-funded researchers managed to create the world's first fully-functional road train, allowing the driver in the sedan to sit back and enjoy the ride without touching the controls.

Today, Volvo – the program's only automotive partner – has announced that the SARTRE program is in its final phase of testing, and that includes adding a few more vehicles to the rolling procession of autonomous cars.

Utilizing a combination of cameras and radar-based sensors, the vehicles in the platoon can travel up to 55 miles per hour while maintaining a 20-foot gap between each other. An electronics-packed truck takes the lead and handles driving for all the vehicles in the group, meaning there's still at least one driver in control.

By the end of this year, the SARTRE team hopes to have up to six vehicles rolling in line, with the potential to reduce fuel consumption, congestion and – naturally – driver error in the future. So when's it coming to market? That's up to automakers, governments and the rest of us to decide, so we're still quite a ways out. Make the jump for more details and to see the system in action.

Despite the popular saying, history cannot simply repeated. So, when faced with the possibility of losing the entire classic collection of cars that had made up the official Saab museum in Trollhättan after the officials in charge of the automaker's bankruptcy proceedings threatened to break it up, a few organizations stepped up to the plate to keep it together.

According to a report from Autocar, the city of Trollhattan, SAAB AB and The Wallenberg Foundation came up with the $4.05 million required to purchase the entire collection outright. A total of 120 cars are included, including the Ur-Saab, which is the first automobile built by the Swedish company.

Don't cry for the Dodge Avenger just yet. According to USA Today, Chrysler is set to introduce new midsized sedans to replace both the Chrysler 200 and the much-maligned Dodge Avenger. The vehicles will be built on a version of the same platform that underpins the 2013 Dodge Dart. That news runs contrary to word that the Avenger is headed to the great scrap pile in the sky after the current generation runs its course. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is looking to shore up the company's small car efforts and spread the cost of platform development across as many models as possible.

Marchionne also made mention of introducing a new hybrid hatchback under the Chrysler 100 nameplate, though details are scarce at the moment.

USA Today reports the same platform may be used for the next-generation Jeep Liberty and Compass, which are slated to debut sometime in 2013. Marchionne says both vehicles will be trail-rated and capable of standing up to the kind of abuse Jeep buyers demand. Even so, the CEO says the vehicles will have their "origins in the architecture of a sports car."

Speaking of sports cars, Marchionne also made it clear Alfa Romeo is still coming to the States, though the Italian brand's strategy has shifted somewhat. The models headed to the U.S. market will be lightweight and powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine offering 300 horsepower. Certainly sounds good to us.

There are drawbacks to being the property of a larger conglomerate, to be sure, but there are also benefits. Taking advantage of group buying power, shared developments costs and synergies with products from other divisions, for instance. And these are things that, since splitting off from Ford a couple of years ago, Volvo does not have at its disposal any longer.

That's why the Swedish automaker is looking for a partner with which to share development costs – specifically those attached to developing a new small car range. Volvo is presently preparing to unveil the V40 (teased in the picture above), a new five-door hatchback/sportwagon positioned against the increasingly lucrative market currently dominated by the likes of the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series.

Whatever it is that Volvo needs to get its new projects off the ground and out on the road, apparently parent company Geely, the Chinese automaker that bought Volvo from Ford in 2010, doesn't have it.

Some vehicles are made to be stretched. Others, less so. A Lincoln Town Car, for example, is a good platform for a limo. A Mercedes-Benz S-Class, sure. A Rolls-Royce Phantom. We could even see the attraction behind a Cadillac Escalade limo, if we had to. But not an exotic supercar.

The folks over at Carbonyte would beg to differ, though. The British coachbuilder made its reputation, such as it is, by helping Mercedes-Benz and McLaren develop the chassis for the SLR. But after that, things took a drastic turn for the worse.

Following the SLR project, Carbonyte turned its attention to unusual stretch jobs that usually involve supercars we'd rather not see chopped up and lengthened. Among its first projects was a stretched Ferrari 360 Modena that did not please the people in Maranello. Then the firm turned a Smart ForTwo into a giant rolling Red Bull can, before setting its sights on the Bugatti Veyron and Koenigsegg CCX.

We're glad we never saw those projects come to fruition, but the company is now reportedly preparing to do the same with an Audi R8. Whereas the Ferrari job incorporated two giant gullwing doors to give access to all the rear buckets at once, the R8 project – commissioned by the same company that owns the Ferrari limo – appears to feature individual gullwing doors for each of the passenger seats.

The vehicle is reportedly tipped to be completed by this coming summer, and will retain the donor car's 5.2-liter V10 – but we'd guess not its all-wheel drive system, and none of its handling dynamics. Check out the renderings in the image gallery above and the ludicrously dramatic video after the jump.

Barrett-Jackson 2012, Camaro ZL1 vs Shelby GT500, Volkswagen says it's really #1, C7 Chevrolet Corvette



Episode #266 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Zach and Drew Phillips this week. Topics include the Barrett-Jackson auction, smack talk from the Camaro ZL1 chief, Volkswagen disputing GM's claim of #1 in the world, and a C7 Corvette sighting. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #266:

• Barrett-Jackson 2012
• Camaro chief says ZL1 will beat Shelby GT500
• GM beats Volkswagen, or does it? And does it matter?
• Chevrolet C7 Corvette spotted

In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
2012 Jeep Wrangler
2012 Nissan Rogue
2012 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Drew Phillips, Zach Bowman

---

Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

We don't imagine that many new-car buyers are cross-shopping their local Infiniti and Porsche dealerships, but there's at least one segment of the automotive industry where the two automakers both play ball: high-performance hybrid luxury sedans, which may be the single most conflicted niche of the automotive sphere in the known universe.

In any case, here we are with the Infiniti M35h and Porsche Panamera S Hybrid. Each one is marketed as both a somewhat greener luxury vehicle and a performance sedan. We'd guess it's the performance side of the equation that would be most interesting to the majority of buyers, leaving fuel efficiency a welcome bonus.

So, which one is faster? That's an interesting question. Usually, we equate that term with top speed, as "fast" connotes velocity. When acceleration is being contested, we generally ask which machine is quickest. And, if it's quickness you're after, Infiniti wants you to know that its M35h will out-accelerate its competitor from Germany. How quick is it? According to Motor Trend, the hybrid M goes from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds, but that's not the stat Infiniti is claiming. According to the post-jump press release, the M35h is "faster" than the hybrid Panamera from 0-100 (11.54 seconds) and in the quarter mile (13.41 seconds).

As for the rest of the relevant statistics, the EPA estimates that the M35h will manage 27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway, for a combined rating of 29. The Porsche Panamera S Hybrid is rated at 22 city, 30 highway and 25 combined. Seems the M hybrid takes both the acceleration and economy awards. Check out a video released by Infiniti after the break, where you'll also find the press release, if you're into that kind of thing.

The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. So, apparently, do the world's automakers. At least, that is, when it comes to Le Mans. Case in point: the new Toyota TS030 Hybrid, the Le Mans prototype that the Japanese automaker has just revealed, mere days after Peugeot announced its departure from the endurance racing scene.

Shorthand for the third Toyota Sport prototype – following the TS010 and TS020 that challenged Le Mans in the '90s – the TS030 is the first LMP1 to employ a hybrid drivetrain. (Peugeot was experimenting with a similar system before shutting down its program, and Audi is rumored to be testing one as well, but has yet to announce it to the public.)

Toyota Hybrid System – Racing (THS-R) couples a 3.4-liter V8 to one of two potential electric motor setups: a front-mounted system developed by Aisin AW or a rear-mounted one from Denso. According to regulations, the electric boost can only drive one set of wheels, and Toyota has yet to decide which, although the 500kJ capacitor supplied by Nisshinbo is already a lock.

The carbon fiber chassis, meanwhile, was developed in-house by Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Cologne, Germany – the same outfit that ran the company's F1 team and has been looking for a new project ever since. The facility will serve as the team's headquarters as well, from which it will field one car in its debut at the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – the second round of the inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship – on May 5. Toyota is planning to field a second car at Le Mans in June, but while the first car's driver roster is already confirmed, the team has yet to decide on its second line-up.

Follow the jump for the full press release and spec sheet, and check out the first batch of official images in the high-res gallery above.

Touchscreens are becoming common and touch pads – like those in the Audi A7, A8 and next A3 – are gaining traction, but the next input revolution might not be gesture controls, it's likely to be "smart fabrics" and BMW is already toying with the technology.

Researchers at the Polytechnic School of Montreal, Canada have developed a new flexible, polymer-based fiber that can be woven into existing fabrics. Essentially, it's a capacitive pad that can register touches and swipes when alternating current is plumbed through the fibers. Think about running a finger along your seat fabric to adjust the amount of lumbar support or swipe across the dashboard ahead of the passenger to open the glovebox. Even better, this new material can be cleaned like more traditional fabrics, one of the biggest stumbling blocks in previous iterations.

BMW did something similar with its Vision ConnectedDrive concept from last year's Geneva Motor Show, utilizing capacitive panels embedded in the seats and dash. And according to a BMW spokesperson speaking with New Scientist, the automaker is looking into the technology further, but unfortunately, it isn't providing a timeline on when it could come to market.

With a gazillion color options for every little part of the Bugatti Veyron, there's no reason why any two examples should be alike. (Except for maybe an inverse correlation between wealth and imagination.) So it would stand to reason that every Bugatti should be considered a special edition of one. And that certainly appears to be the case, as the French marque seems to bring out another special edition at every possible opportunity.

That opportunity last arose at the Dubai Motor Show, where Bugatti presented three unique examples of the Veyron Grand Sport, the vehicle that holds the title of "world's fastest convertible." Now the elite marque is returning to the Persian Gulf for the Qatar Motor Show with what appears (to our eyes, at least) to be one of the same examples, decked out in yellow and black – said to be founder Ettore Bugatti's favorite color combination. Thoughtfully, however, they've provided a brace of new real-world photos.

The lower part of the body has been done up in lacquered carbon fiber, the upper part in bright yellow and the wheels in black along. Inside, the center console has likewise been finished in black, with seats clad in yellow leather with black stitching and the inverse for the dashboard, wheel and shifter.

While Molsheim apparently didn't feel the need to give this particular example a unique name, they might as well have. And for a few euros extra, we're sure they'd be glad to. As it stands, Bumblebee's aristocratic Alsatian cousin is available for a princely 1.58 million euros – a little over two million in dead presidents. But if this particular color combination isn't to your liking, 45 out of the original allotment of 150 units are still available to order, with prices starting at 1.4 million euros. Check out more details in the official press release after the jump.

Convertibles have long been the chariot of choice for the devil-may-care crowd, and for good reason. Peeling the roof off of a vehicle has all sorts of negative ramifications, from safety concerns to handling woes and increased chances of skin cancer for those inside. Then there's the ever-present threat of foul weather. But who cares? You only live once and they're making more cars every day, right?

That logic may hold true for your $600 Chrysler LeBaron Convertible, but the argument gets a bit weaker when we're talking about a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. The owner of one such vehicle recently parked their ride and left the big Rolls with its roof laid back just in time for a torrential downpour to set in. According to experts, the total damage may cost more than $100,000. The owner is said to have returned to the vehicle, seen its condition and walked away, unconcerned. Hit the jump to see the video for yourself.