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2014 Ford F-150 Tremor revealed

Street-truck enthusiasts looking for V8 power with V6 fuel economy, look no further. In what initially looks like a baby Ford Raptor or a true successor to the F-150 SVT Lightning, Ford has revealed a special trim package for their F-150, named the Tremor. Featuring the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine packing 365 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, the Tremor comes with the short-wheelbase, regular cab and 4x2 set-up.

Next Hyundai Genesis partially revealed in spy shots

Thanks to an Autoweek reader, spy shots of the next Hyundai Genesis sedan found their way into our inbox this morning. The big four door was heavily camouflaged at rainy O'Hare Airport, but we can definitely see the winged Genesis logo on the wheels and the interior is Hyundai all the way. The front end looks blockier than the outgoing model, similar to the HCD-14 concept we saw at the Detroit auto show.

New Citroen Grand C4 Picasso – launches January 2014

The New Citroen Grand C4 Picasso (pictured) launches in the UK January 2014 If a Citroen C4 Picasso just isn’t big enough to plant your brood in, Citroen has always had an answer in the shape of the 7-seat Citroen Grand C4 Picasso. And now there’s a new one. Citroen has revealed the new Grand C4 Picasso early, ahead of an on sale date of January 2014 in the UK, which is even more capacious than the old Grand C4 and gets some styling changes to mark it out from its 5-seat sibling.

New (2014) Mazda 3 revealed – no prices yet

The new Mazda3 (pictured) arrives – and it looks good. The Mazda3 is already a better car than its sales would suggest, and the all new Mazda3 looks to be even more competition for the Ford Focus and VW Golf than ever before. Perhaps the only complaint about the Mazda3′s design is that it looks a bit too much like a shrunken Mazda6, but that’s a bit like moaning the DB9 looks like the Vanquish (well, the Mazda3′s not that good looking, but it makes the point).

One Lap of the Web: a 12-year-old with three Ferraris, burning Porsches and old futuristic cars

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Meet a 12-year-old kid who owns three Ferraris.

Nissan teams up with Williams for sporty Nismo cars from 2014

Nissan’s performance car skunkworks arm Nismo (short for Nissan Motorsports) has agreed a deal with Williams Advanced Engineering to co-develop faster versions of Nissan’s road cars from 2014. It doesn’t mean the Williams F1 team will be developing the forthcoming Nismo version of the GT-R, but the Formula One team and Williams Advanced Engineering are part of the same group founded by Sir Frank Williams. Sir Frank said: ‘Williams Advanced Engineering has a history of developing world class, high-performance products and this agreement is particularly exciting because of the ambition and potential of the Nismo brand.

Mark Webber quits Red Bull F1 for Porsche (2013)

Porsche has confirmed it’s poached Formula One driver Mark Webber from Red Bull Racing to race for it at the 2014 Le Mans 24hrs. The 36 year-old Australian has signed a multiple-year contract to drive Porsche’s new LMP1 challenger, which is aiming to give Audi a bloody nose in the world’s most famous endurance event next year. What does Mark Webber know about driving a Porsche endurance prototype at Le Mans?

Jaguar C-X75 Hybrid Supercar development showcased on video

Jaguar showcase the development of the C-X75 hybrid supercar on video After little news on the Jaguar C-X75 – Jaguar’s hybrid supercar – after production plans were cancelled at the end of 2012, this last week has seen a flurry of activity. We’ve had a few select publications given the chance to take a ride – and a brief drive – in the C-X75 at Gaydon, and Jaguar decided to release some new photos of the C-X75 in a fetching shade of blue. We’ve also had the suggestion that Jaguar will give the F-Type a 700bhp version of the C-X75′s hybrid powerplant.

Citroen C4 Grand Picasso (2013) first official pictures

This is the cavernous new Citroen C4 Grand Picasso, a bigger version of the C4 Picasso MPV we recently tested. The Grand Picasso stands 4590mm long – the same as its predecessor – but sees its wheelbase stretched to the longest in its class for maximum cabin space and enormous door openings. What it does share with the regular Picasso is a lightweight body structure and frugal downsized engines.

Mazda 3 hatchback (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

The Mazda 3 is back: lighter, more eco-friendly and supposedly better to drive than ever, promises Mazda. Brought up-to-date with Mazda’s new ‘Kodo’ design style from the 6 saloon and CX-5 crossover, the new Mazda 3 is a handsome hatchback, and boasts a far superior cabin to its predecessor. Is that enough to shoehorn buyers out of the VW Golf and Ford Focus? Get the full CAR story here.

Who's Where: GM Design announces major global restructuring of design executives

GM Design has announced a major reshuffle of its global leadership team, with Mark Adams, current executive director of Global Cadillac and Buick Design and GME vice president of Design, amongst the movers. Designed to boost the emphasis of the carmaker's various brands, including Buick and Opel, the restructuring – which comes into effect on 1 September – will focus on improving joint strategies, theme development and innovation. Mark Adams will head back to Germany to take up the position as GME vice president of Design and champion for Opel/Buick brand strategies and design language.

Mystery Porsche prototype destroyed in fire near Stuttgart

According to the Porsche-lovers at flatsixes.com, an unknown Porsche prototype caught fire after being taken home by an employee earlier this week. It reportedly took 19 firefighters to extinguish the blaze, which occurred in a home garage in Ludwigsburg, Germany (a city located near Porsche's home in Stuttgart). Fortunately, the employee and his wife suffered only minor injuries, but we assume the prototype is a complete loss.

XCar takes a ride around London street circuit

One year ago, in the run up to the Formula One British Grand Prix, Spanish bank Santander unveiled a video concept for a London street circuit that they suggested could host the race. The GP currently takes place at Silverstone Circuit. F1 head honcho Bernie Ecclestone said he loves the idea of holding it on the streets of the swinging city.

2014 Mazda 3 five-door revealed

Mazda has gained a fair amount of traction with its fuel-efficient Skyactiv technology, which was first fully implemented in production on the CX-5 compact crossover, followed by the 2014 Mazda 6 midsize sedan. However, unlike the CX-5 and 6, the Mazda 3, the company's best-selling vehicle, only enjoyed a mild Skyactiv makeover for the 2012 model year with the 2.0-liter Skyactiv engine and transmissions being made available on the second-generation model. This meant the 3 would have to wait until an all-new generation debuted to enjoy the entire suite of Skyactiv equipment, including the lighter-weight chassis, body and suspension.

Drayson breaks electric land speed record - Video

The Drayson Racing Technologies Lola B12/69 EV electric race car hit a top speed of 204.2 mph at a racetrack at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire, England, smashing the previous record of 175 mph set by Battery Box General Electric in 1974. Fittingly, Lord Paul Drayson was behind the wheel. In order to qualify for the attempt at the electric land speed record, the vehicle had to weigh less than 2,204 pounds (1,000 kg) without the driver.

2014 Mazda 3 photos leak before official reveal

Pictures of the 2014 Mazda 3 leaked online Wednesday on a Czech auto forum. Along with them was the ordering guide that reveals the selection of engines in the new hot hatch. The Mazda 3 is scheduled for an official reveal later today.

'Adam Seeks Eve' sketching competition winner announced

The top three designs of the ‘Adam Seeks Eve‘ international sketching competition have been announced. A judging panel of six professional designers and organizer representatives – chaired by exterior chief designer of the Opel Adam Niels Loeb – selected the top three designs from over 400 submitted projects. 23-year-old Marcell Sebestyén from Hungary claimed top honors with his design, while second place went to 36-year-old Lukáš Taneček from the Czech Republic.

Porsche 918 Spyder gets its own website

The Porsche 918 Spyder (pictured) now has its very own website It’s more than two years since the Porsche 918 Spider went on sale, but it’s now getting close to arriving in Porsche showrooms so Porsche has created a new microsite dedicated to all things 918. Since it went on sale, the 918 Spyder has been developed further and the production 918 will come with 4WD courtesy of its electric motors – one delivering 154hp (rear) and the other 127hp (front) – which, combined with 608hp from its 4.6 litre V8, promises 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds (and 7 seconds on just the electric motors) and on to 211mph. The new 91 microsite reveals Porsche’s self-imposed challenge was to beat the Carrera GT by at least 10 seconds on the Nurburgring, and there’s video of the 918 out playing at the Nurburgring, as well as plenty of photos and detail on exactly what the 918 offers.

New Infiniti Q50 starts at £27,950 for the Q50 2.2d

Infiniti are pinning the new Q50′s sporting credibility on Sebastian Vettel (pictured) Infiniti are hanging their future sales on a name change that sounds like a James Bond reference – with all Infiniti models now getting the ‘Q’ prefix – and Sebastian Vettel’s input and endorsement of the brand – he’s Infiniti’s Director of Performance (well, there’s a price to pay for Infiniti’s Red Bull sponsorship). The first outing for Infiniti ‘Q’ in the UK is the new Infiniti Q50, which gets a four cylinder 2.2 litre turbo diesel as its entry-level, and it looks quite promising with 168bhp and 295lb/ft of torque and emissions of 115g/km, which should mean official economy around 65mpg. Standard features on the Q50 2.2d include Infiniti inTouch (so you can Tweet and Like on the go), Infiniti Drive Mode Selector, Stop-Start, rear view camera, Climate, 17″ alloys, Voice and Bluetooth.

Drayson Racing set new electric car speed record

Lord Paul Drayson (pictured) celebrating a new electric car land speed record Last month we reported that Lord Paul Drayson’s Drayson Racing were plotting an attack on the world land speed record for an electric car. And they’ve cracked it. In a two-way run at Elvington, Yorkshire, Lord Paul Drayson – Drayson Racing’s CEO and former science minister – was behind the wheel of the Drayson B12 69/EV as it completed two mile long runs in the space of an hour to record an average – and new World Record (for its class) – of 204.185mph.

One Lap of the Web: New Transformers, home-built cars and two Mercury Marauders

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Michael Bay has been releasing the cars of “Transformers 4” for the past couple of months, and the latest one to be revealed is the Pagani Huayra (“why-ra”).

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray drops by

We know you all love looking at pictures of the upcoming Chevrolet Corvette as much as you love other things you may do on the computer… As you eagerly await its arrival, check out some Instagram shots taken during a recent photo shoot (yes that is a Lada in the background). As always, stay tuned for more information regarding the C7 Stingray.

Ford promote accessible & affordable technology in new campaign

Ford’s Active Park Assist parks a Focus on the roof of a skyscraper We do sometimes moan that cars are becoming so clever that it won’t be long before the driver’s just the blobby thing behind the wheel to keep an eye open as clever technology does its stuff. That said, modern technology is certainly doing wonders for tasks that many find irksome and difficult behind the wheel, and Ford are cleverly tapping in to their new technology to demonstrate just how helpful their new cars now are for the stressed driver with the Ford Primary Brand campaign. Ford‘s new Primary Brand campaign is focusing on technology like the new(ish) Active Park Assist that uses sensors to measure parking spaces as you drive by (not too quickly – you have to give it a chance) and then, at the push of a button – with the driver just following instructions for brake, gears and accelerator – neatly parks your new Ford for you.

New 2014 Mercedes S-Class order book opens – price from £62,650

The New Mercedes S-Class (pictured) costs from £62,650 The all new Mercedes S-Class was officially revealed last month, and went in to production last week, and now the order book opens for Mercedes new technological tour de force in the UK. At launch you’ll have a choice of three engine options – diesel, hybrid and V8 petrol – and a choice of standard wheelbase or long wheelbase (which adds £3,000) with the cheapest model being the S 350 BlueTEC. The S350 BlueTEC SE gets the 3.0 litre Mercedes diesel V6 with 255bhp and 146g/km emissions and the promise of 51.4mpg, with the AMG Line models getting the same engine but costing from £67,685.

One Lap of the Web: Porsche at Le Mans, F-150 reclaims the flag and Foose talks classic rods

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- We covered the 24 Hours of Le Mans top to bottom including every make and class, but if your preferred marque is Porsche you might enjoy the Porsche Purist's look at how cars from Stuttgart fared during the endurance classic, complete with photos, stats and results.

Porsche 918 Spyder microsite goes live

Porsche is entering the hybrid-hypercar market this fall with its pretty 918 Spyder. We saw the first concept 918 way back in 2010, and we've been seeing official photos and video of 918 pre-production mules testing for quite a while now. The early impressions of the driving experience are in, and from what we understand, it's pretty incredible.

Lotus and Daniel Simon collaborate on C-01 hyperbike project

Lotus has announced the impending launch of its first motorcycle, the C-01, penned by automotive designer and futurist Daniel Simon. The C-01, previewed on the left, will be a hyperbike with integrated racing technology made from materials such as carbon, titanium and aerospace quality steel, and will be powered by a 200hp engine. It is designed to reflect a combination of lifestyle, design and high-end technology.

Renault Twizy Cargo turns the Twizy EV in to a van

The Renault Twizy Cargo (pictured) turns the Twizy EV in to a small van. If only the Renault Twizy EV was a sensible price, it would make a perfect commuter car. With dimensions that give it a footprint not much more than a motor cycle, the Twizy offers much for commuters in congested urban areas.

Fiat 500L Trekking goes on sale: Price from £17,095

The Fiat 500L Trekkiing (pictured) is now on sale in the UK The Fiat 500L – Fiat’s 500 on steroids – went on sale back in December (and we’ve also had the 7-seat 500L MPW revealed), and now we get the rufty-tufty version of the 500L – the Fiat 500L Trekking – arriving in the UK, and costing from £17,095, just £700 more than the equivalent 500L without the butch bits. The 500L Trekking comes with Fiat’s Traction+, a clever traction technology that gives the 500L more grip on slippery surfaces, more rugged front and back treatments, bits of black plastic cladding and a set of 17″ alloys to make it look more suited to the boot sale car park than the regular 500L. Specification is based on the 500L Lounge – which means stuff like 5″ Touchscreen, Bluetooth, Hil Hold, electric door mirrors, Cruise, Climate, auto lights and wipers, electric windows and front fogs all come in the price.

Jaguar C-X75 Hybrid Supercar back in the spotlight

Jaguar release new photos of the C-X75 Supercar A few days ago we heard that the hybrid underpinnings of the canned Jaguar C-X75 were going to find their way in to the F-Type to produce a 700bhp monster. We had our doubts about that, but it does seem clear that Jaguar are not going to let the C-X75 just disappear in to oblivion. For reasons probably known only to Jaguar, they’ve suddenly decided to release a new set of photos (above) of the very good looking C-X75 in a fetching shade of blue – a better look than the pale metallic paint job on all the photos we’ve seen so far – despite the project being shelved.