New BMW M5 Nighthawk Special Edition with 567HP Limited to 10 Units for Japan

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Continuing a long tradition of special edition models for the Japanese market, BMW announced today the release of the new M5 Nighthawk with bespoke styling features and a power and chassis upgrades.

We don't know yet if BMW has plans to offer the very limited production run M5 in other parts of the world, but in Japan, only 10 examples will be made available for order exclusively in August, with first deliveries scheduled for October this year.

The exterior of the car is painted in a BMW Individual Frozen Black Matt, with a slightly darker Matt black shade used on the 20-inch alloy wheels, while the front kidney grilles, door handles, exterior mirrors, exhaust finishers, and diffuser are painted in a dark-chrome color. LED headlamps come as standard.

Inside, BMW's designers opted for a full leather Merino interior in a bright Sakiru orange shade, coupled with the BMW M Performance carbon interior trim.

The Nighthawk M5 also comes with the newly announced Competition Package (also available on the 2014MY M6) that lifts the output of the bi-turbo V8 from 552hp (560PS) to 567hp (575PS) allowing for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 4.2 seconds or 0.1 seconds faster than the standard M5. Other upgrades included in the package are a sportier and lowered suspension setup, plus a unique tune for the Active M Differential, rack-and-pinion steering and M chassis control system.

In Japan, the new M5 special edition model is priced at 18,200,000 Yen, which comes to around $181,600 or €141,400.

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Report Says VW Seriously Considering XL1-Based XR1 Lightweight Sports Car

This is not the first time we’re hearing rumors ofan XR1 lightweight sports car from Volkswagen, which will feature a similar architecture as the one used on the ultra-frugal XL1 hybrid, but do away with some of the fuel-saving tech, and slot in a two-liter petrol engine, most likely from thelatest Golf GTI, or some sort of high-powered force-fed three-pot unit.

This means that the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time stated by CAR Magazine for the XR1 of under 4.6 seconds, is feasible, if the car has good traction and can quickly get its 850kg (1,873 pounds) ofestimated weight going.

However, the quest for efficiency won’t be completely neglected, if the car does move from just being an idea, and actual prototypes are built and testing is commenced. The aim is to make it use less than 70 mpg UK (4 l/100 km or 58.3 mpg US), while still offering the strong acceleration and top speed around the 190 mph (~300 km/h) mark.

Handling should also hypothetically be something the XR1 could excel at, having its engine in the middle, using carbon-fiber to keep weight and center of gravity down and getting considerably wider tires than those fitted to the efficiency-minded XL1.

Finally, it is speculated that if it does get made, pricing will hover around the £40,000 (€46,150 / $60,000) mark, making it a far more accessible vehicle than the price-impaired XL1.

Note: VW XL1 pictured above and below

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VW Replaces 2.5L Inline-Five with New 170HP 1.8L TSI Turbo in the U.S. for 2014MY

It's the end of the line for Volkswagen's venerable 2.5-liter five-cylinder gasoline engine in the States as the German carmaker announced today that it will gradually replace it with a new 1.8-liter turbocharged and direct-injection four-cylinder TSI on the Jetta, Beetle, and Passat models.

Built in a new VW factory in Silao, Mexico, theEA888-codenamed 1.8-liter unit delivers the same output as the 2.5L unit at 170hp, but peak torque is improved by seven lb-ft at 184 lb-ft and is delivered much lower in the rev range, while the Germans say that is also offers significant fuel mileage gains - up to 17 percent on the highway in the Beetle, for example.

Initially, the new 1.8-liter TSI will be fitted to the 2014MY Jetta range and the Passat SEL, and will be followed by the rest of the Passat lineup and the Beetle later in the model year.

Other notable changes for VW's 2014 model year lineup include the launch of the limited production and retro-themed Beetle GSR, the expansion of the R-Line range to include the Beetle Convertible, Touareg, and Tiguan from this fall, while all VW models are now E15 capable.

Also new for 2014 is the VW Car-Net connected services for Beetle, Beetle Convertible, CC, Eos, Jetta, Passat, and Tiguan models, which includes crash notification, roadside assistance, stolen vehicle location assistance, remote vehicle access, boundary and speed alerts, a vehicle health report, and a POI service on vehicles equipped with a navigation system.

VW added that for the 2014MY, the Routan carries over without changes as a fleet model only.

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New 2014 Suzuki SX4 Compact Crossover

Seen in its final production outfit at this year’s Geneva Motor Show in March, the new generation of the Suzuki SX4 has a couple of months before it begins arriving in showrooms across Europe in late September, so the Japanese company is freshening up our memory with a new collection of photos and the release of output and fuel economy figures.

While Suzuki held on to the same name as before, the SX4′s more mature replacementmoves up a category, from the B- (sub-compact) to the C-segment (compact) eyeing to compete against established mainstream rivals such as theNissan Qashqai, which itself, will soon give its place to a new model.

More than 160mm longer than the outgoing SX4 at 4,300 mm (169.3 inches) long, as well as 10mm wider and 10mm taller, Suzuki’s crossover rides on a 100mm longer wheelbase promising to offer much improved room for passengers as well as their luggage (430 liters vs. 270 liters).

Suzuki’s ‘AllGrip’ all-wheel drive system with four driver-selectable modes named, auto, sport, snow, and lock, will be available in conjunction with two engine options.

The first powerplant is a 1.6-liter turbo-diesel rated for 118hp (120PS) and 320Nm (236 lb-ft) of peak torque connected to a 6-speed manual and standard start-stop system returning 4.2 l/100km (56.0 mpg US or 67.3 mpg UK) and 110 g / km of CO2 emissions in the combined test cycle.

The other engine is a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated petrol, also delivering 118hp (120PS), but less than half the torque of the diesel at 156Nm (115 lb-ft). With the standard 5-speed manual (there’s an optional CVT with steering wheel paddles), the 2014 SX4 has a combined cycle fuel consumption of 5.4 l/100km, equal to 43.6 mpg US / 52.3 mpg UK.

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