Insider: Alfa Romeo 4C gets 240PS / 270PS, Racing, Stradale & Roadster Variants Confirmed

Sergio Marchionne’s ambitious plan for the resurrection of Alfa Romeo calls for no less than six new models for launch in the U.S. market until the end of 2016. The thing is that, four of them are earmarked for 2015 and one for 2016, leaving just one model for this year: the 4C mid-engine sports coupe.

Thanks to a CarScoop reader who happens to be a Swiss dealer and who attended an Alfa Romeo meeting earlier this month, we are in a position to share several new details about the production 4C that will likely be presented at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Contrary to initial reports that its 1.7-liter turbocharged inline-four could put out as much as 300-horses, Alfa Romeo officials told dealers that its output will be 240PS or 237hp for the base model, the same as in the Giulietta QV from which it is borrowed.

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We Hear Audi to Debut New A3 Sportback at the Paris Motor Show

With the presentation of the all-new A3 three-door hatchback (pictured above) at the Geneva Motor Show in March, it was only a matter of time before Audi begun expanding the range of its premium compact model.

And the time for the five-door version of the series with the Sportback moniker has almost arrived as we just learned that the German automaker will debut the car at the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show in late September.

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Confirmed: Nissan will Offer New GT-R Track Pack in Left-Hand Drive Markets, but Not Yet in the U.S.

Many of you might remember that one of the most important changes to the new model year Nissan GT-R (sold as a 2013MY in North America, and a 2012MY in Europe and other parts of the world) was the addition of a new, street-legal track-focused edition named Track Pack.

At the time, Nissan told us that the GT-R Track Pack would be available exclusively for right-hand drive models in Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa, with sales starting this month.

Either Nissan changed its mind or the company was holding back on us because we learned that the GT-R Track Pack will be available on left-hand drive cars as well with production to begin in May.

"The vehicle will be available on Left hand drive version from May production," Christophe Amblard, a product manager for Nissan Europe, told Carscoop. "It will be available for the same markets as in the GT-R is sold currently except for Russia and Ukraine," he added.

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Bentley will Debut New Luxury SUV Concept at the Geneva Motor Show

What started out as a rumor and then later confirmed as part of Bentley's future product plans will be revealed in the flesh as a very close to production concept model at this week's 82nd Geneva International Auto Show.

We're talking, of course, about Bentley's upcoming SUV, which aspires to become the world's most luxurious and expensive crossover model.

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New Kia Cee'd Station Wagon to Debut at the Geneva Salon as well

The five-door hatchback version (pictured above) of Kia's second generation Cee'd model won't be standing alone at the South Korean firm's Geneva Motor Show booth next week, Carscoop has learned.

According to our sources, Kia will also host the world premiere of the estate version featuring an elongated rear end that will further increase its boot capacity offering an additional advantage over the hatch.

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Ford's Geneva Motor Show Presentations to Include Production Versions of Kuga and Fiesta ST

With less than a week left for the grand opening of the 2012 edition of the Geneva Auto Salon, we're continuing our reports on the vehicles that will make it to Switzerland with the Ford brand.

Today we can confirm that aside from the world premiere of the production B-MAX small MPV that we've already covered extensively, the Blue Oval will debut the European version of the 2013 Escape as the new generation of the Kuga SUV and the production version of last year's Fiesta ST Concept 3d.

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New Seat Toledo Prototype and Ibiza FR Heading to the Geneva Motor Show

We have more news concerning the VW Group's presence at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Show as we learned that Seat will bring a new Toledo prototype along with the FR versions of its facelifted Ibiza supermini range.

We weren't able to obtain more details, but it is believed that the Toledo study will mark a return to a more conventional saloon or liftback body style for the series after the confused third generation model that was essentially an Altea MPV with a boot strapped on the rear end.

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New VW Golf GTI Cabriolet and Polo GT Blue Confirmed for the Geneva Motor Show

We heard earlier this month that Volkswagen might introduce the production version of its Golf GTI Cabriolet at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon.

Carscoop can now confirm the news and add that the German company will also premiere another new model, the Polo GT Blue fitted with VW's new 1.4 TSI with a cylinder deactivation system.

The Golf GTI Cabriolet was previewed as a thinly disguised concept model at last year's Wörthersee fest in Austria, alongside the Golf R Cabrio study .

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MINI to Bring "Breadvan" Concept to the Geneva Motor Show

After the three-door hatchback, convertible, Clubman, Roadster and Coupe variants of the Mini, the BMW Group-owned British carmaker will preview yet another body style at next month's 2012 Geneva Motor Show via a thinly disguised concept model.

This one is called the Clubvan (though Breadvan may have been a more appropriate name in this case...) and as you probably have guessed by now, it's based on the Clubman. However, unlike the latter, the Clubvan study will do away with the rear seats and side windows offering a continuous loading bay stretching to the front passenger seats.

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Confirmed: Peugeot will Debut 208 GTi Concept at the Geneva Auto Salon

We just received word that the teaser picture released by French carmaker Peugeot earlier today is indeed the 208 GTi Concept as we suspected and it will make its world premiere at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon in the beginning of March.

The 208 GTi Concept will be powered by the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine Peugeot shares with BMW’s fast Minis. The study will be very close to the production model that will follow in less than a year's time.

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BMW to Reveal New M6 Coupe in Geneva and M6 Cabrio in New York

For the past couple of years, we've been following the development of the next generation BMW M6 in both coupe and convertible guises but now the time has come to begin the final countdown for their reveal.

According to sources, the new M6 Coupe will make its grand premiere at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon in early March with the Convertible to break cover about a month later at the 2012 New York International Auto Show in April.

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We Hear: 2013 Ford Fusion to get Two Turbocharged Gasoline Engines Plus Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid Variants

In roughly two days from now, Ford will lift the covers off the next generation Fusion at the Detroit Motor Show.

While the Blue Oval has not released much information yet on the Fusion, which will be marketed as a 2013 model in North America, we were able to confirm the initial engine lineup.

The 2013 Fusion will arrive in U.S. dealerships later this year with a choice of four powerplants. The gasoline range includes a pair of EcoBoost four-cylinder gasoline units with a displacement of 1.6-liters and 2.0-liters.

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Volkswagen to Debut Beetle-Based Electric Hot Rod at the Detroit Motor Show

We just learned that Volkswagen's surprise debut at next week's 2012 North American International Motor Show in Detroit will be a pure-electric concept model based on the new generation of the Beetle – despite previous reports saying otherwise.

The conceptual EV version of the recently launched 2012 Beetle will sport a heavily modified body with a lowered roof and wider fenders with its looks slightly resembling the Volkswagen Ragster Concept (pictured above) that was displayed at the 2005 Detroit Motor Show.

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Porsche to Debut New Panamera GTS at Los Angeles Auto Show

[Porsche Panamera Turbo pictured above]

We've known for some time that Porsche is planning at least one world premiere for the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show that kicks off on Wednesday, November 16; we just didn’t know what - up until now, that is.

Today we learned that one of the new Porsche models that will break cover in LA is a fresh addition to the Panamera sports saloon lineup.

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Production VW Up! Ditches Rear-Engine, Rear-Wheel Drive for a Traditional FWD Setup

It won’t be long before we get our first glimpse of the production version of Volkswagen's all-new Up! city car that scheduled to have its official world premiere at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show.

But here's a little something we learned. While the three-door hatchback model's looks are very similar to the original Up! Concept car displayed at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, under the sheetmetal it's a different story as Volkswagen has ditched the study's unique rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.

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Porsche to Unveil New 550HP Panamera Turbo S this Week

*Standard Porsche Panamera Turbo pictured above

There have been rumors floating around the internet lately about a new flagship version of Porsche’s Panamera sports saloon named the Turbo S. We asked around and according to Carscoop sources, the new Panamera Turbo S is in fact real and it will be revealed by the end of this week.

The most potent model of the Panamera series to date is based on the Turbo model. It features a modified 4.8-liter turbocharged V8 engine delivering around 50 more ponies for a total output of approximately 550HP. Top speed is pegged at 307 km/h (191mph) and it will hit 100km/h (62mph) in 3.8 seconds. That’s compared to the standard Panamera Turbo’s 303km/h (188mph) top speed and 4.2 sec. sprint time.

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Saab's Geneva Motor Show Surprise is Sports Car Concept Called the Phoenix

When Saab first revealed its plans to debut a new concept model at the Geneva Salon a couple of weeks ago, the Swedish company did not release any details whatsoever about the study. And while Saab is still keeping its cards close to its chest, we managed to find out that the study is called the Phoenix and that it's a sports car concept equipped with a turbocharged petrol-electric hybrid powertrain. The Phoenix is the work of Saab's new design boss of former Bertone fame, Jason Castriota, and its main purpose is to preview the brand's next styling direction.

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Ferrari to Show Greener 458 Italia with HELE System in Geneva

The new Ferrari FF won't be the only model from Maranello to make its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Salon, as Carscoop has learned that the Italian supercar maker will also introduce a greener version of the 458 Italia equipped with the company’s HELE (High Emotion, Low Emission) technology, which improves CO2 emissions and reduces fuel consumption.

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Geneva Motor Show to Mark the Return of the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet

If you never fancied the Eos as a replacement for the good ol' traditional Golf Cabriolet, then you'll be happy to know that the Geneva Motor Show will host the world premiere of an all-new soft top Golf model. The last time Volkswagen offered a convertible variant of the Golf range was almost a decade ago with the facelifted Mk3 version that was marketed alongside the Mk4 Golf.

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MINI to Debut...Mini Concept at Geneva Motor Show

Carscoop has learned that Mini will lift the covers off a brand new concept model at the Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March. The three-door design study is said to hark back to the classic Mini in terms of its exterior dimensions while keeping up with the times in terms of safety requirements and occupant space.

The concept will measure a little over 3.4 meters in length, essentially splitting the difference between the current three-door hatchback (3,723 mm) and the original 1959 Mini (3,050 mm).

We also learned that Mini's study will sport a 3+1 seat configuration similar to that of the Toyota iQ and that its design and tech features, including a variety of weight saving tricks and components, will be applied to the next generation of Mini models.

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