Bentley has decided to go green, and the fabulously white coupe you see above is how they’ve done it: “a muscular two-seater that delivers supercar performance and a highly focused driving experience.” Sounds green so far, right?  It’s called the Continental Supersports, and the marque from Crewe hasn’t merely pulled out all the stops… they created a few extra stops, just so they could pull them out as well.

Under the hood is the Supersports’ main event: the most powerful engine Bentley has ever created, it is a 621 brake horsepower, 590 pound-feet of torque, E85-capable W12 that pulls the ghostly looking thing to 60 in just – ready for this? – 3.7 seconds. The engine is fitted with sensors to monitor how much gasoline and/or ethanol is being used, and power and torque stay constant no matter what the ratio is. Speaking of torque, all of it is available at the low, low rpm of 1,750. In case there’s a Polaris rocket in the next lane you need to teach a few lessons.

While that engine might take the title card, there is a massively full undercard as well. That 3.7-second 0-to-60 flip is not only about the engine, it’s about the fact that the car is 110 kilograms lighter than its 4-seater brethren. The Supersports has rear deck where back seats once resided, and it has also scored a raft of weight-saving components like the wheels and those carbon fiber thrones. It also benefits from Quickshift, which halves gear change times.

Of course, there are a gaggle of additional details, but you don’t need us to tell you about it. There’s a detailed press release after the jump, and a gallery of high-res photos below. If this is the future of green, *ahem,* yes, over here please.

[Source: Bentley]

Last week’s teaser image of the 2010 Kia Sorento was just to whet our appetite, and now new images have surfaced that show big changes are in store for Kia’s CUV. The biggest deal is that the Sorento will move from a traditional body-on-frame construction to a unit-body design. The new look is more muscular, following some of the same themes as the sharp looking Forte. In the North American market, the new Sorento will reportedly carry a four cylinder or the snarly 3.8-liter Lambda V6. Attendees of the Seoul Motor Show in April will get to feast their eyes on this version of the Sorento, code-named XM. Sales also begin in April, so Kia’s West Point, Georgia manufacturing site is doubtless winding up as we speak.

[Source: The Car Blogger]

When the Nissan GT-R launched last year, the automaker stated an official 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds. Shortly thereafter, the buff books began reporting faster sprints to the magic mark, ranging from 3.3 to 3.4 seconds. Although they rarely divulged how they accomplished the feat (some admitted to using a one-mph rollout, others claimed superpowers), we knew things would change for the 2009 model year.

The refreshed GT-R is equipped with a few extra ponies and a reworked launch control system, and according to our friends at GTRBlog, a Nissan test driver clocked a 3.3-second 0-60 mph run while testing at the automaker’s Tochigi track… with the VDC on.

Nissan has decided not to officially restate the 2009 GT-R’s 0-60 time, leaving it to independent testers (read: the media) to confirm or deny this new rumored run. So for the time being, the 3.5-second figure will stand… until an outside source performs a thorough, repeatable and instrumented test.

[Source: Nissan, GTRBlog]

This is no way to treat a 1963 Corvette split-window coupe. Found in Washington by one of Google StreetView’s drones, there’s actually no barn to this barn find, just a car left sitting in the gray mist that folks in the Pacific Northwest call “weather.”

This Corvette had a 12-year shelf life, and then according to the owner, it’s “been veggin’ on the spot since ‘75.” If you are interested, it’s one of the fuel injected models and comes with an extra engine and other parts. Of course, if it’s been sitting there for 34 years, it could fall to pieces when you try to move it… and you’ll probably find more than a few dead (or perturbed) animals lurking thereabouts. But that wouldn’t stop you, would it? Check out the gallery below of this forlorn ‘63 Vette.

[Source: Corvette Blogger]

The current Volkswagen Golf (a.k.a. “Rabbit”), which is a 2010 model, hasn’t made it through the front nine, and already the next Golf is being teed up behind it. The new model is planned for 2012, two years earlier than planned, perhaps because VW wants to recast what the Golf represents with a return to frugal-yet-sporty motoring.

If these AutoExpress renderings are at all accurate, the reskin won’t make your jaw drop, as there is little planned for the hatch’s exterior save for a few tweaks. It is the philosophy of the car that takes a new stand, however: the Mk VII is rumored to ride on a smaller platform than the MkVI, borrow parts from the Polo, employ lightweight body panels, and get VW’s Twin Drive plug-in diesel hybrid engines.

The focus on reduced weight will mean more punch from VW’s smaller TDI engines. The Twin Drive, which is three electric motors mated to a 1.5-liter diesel, works on battery power alone at 31 miles-per-hour or below, and doubles the gas mileage of the 2.0-liter TDI. VW is also working on a Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) that ditches the spark plugs in a gas engine to give it the fuel efficiency of a diesel. If VW can bring all of those things together in a couple of years and keep the fun-to-drive factor, the MkVII Golf sounds like a clear winner.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Check out the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser if you’re feeling the retro-styling groove that this bundle of metal’s been sporting since its inception. Since its debut in 2001, not much is different in the outer-chassis styling, but the inside keeps getting better and better.

In ’06 the interior got a much lauded update, and it’s still getting some thoughtful readjustments.  Inside, the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser utilizes a 2.4 liter inline four-cylinder engine that’ll get 150 horsepower. There’s also a turbocharged version of the same engine that’ll step the horsepower up to 180. With the manual transmission, this car can do 26 mpg on the highway and about 21 in town, but the automatic transmission suffers about 2 mpg all around.

Of course, the turbocharged engine will knock off even more efficiency, coming in as low as 18 mpg in the city. Look for the 2009 Chrysler PT Cruiser at dealerships for between $17,750 and $24,260.

We’re getting a peek at the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS Class, considered by its maker to be a “four-door coupe.” It actually has all the marks of a sedan, given its four front-hinged doors, nice back seats, and full trunk. What we’re hearing here is just some delicious marketing marinade.

You’ll have to make your mind up for yourself. Whatever it is, this thing looks terrific. Sleek all around. A skin-of-your-teeth fastback profile.  Under the hood, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS Class uses either a 5.5 liter V-8 engine that makes 382 horsepower, or a 6.2 liter V-8 engine that cranks out up to 507 horsepower. Unfortunately, the smaller V-8 only gets 21 mpg on the highway, and just 14 mpg in town.

The big engine fares even worse. This is one screamer that won’t be dainty with its gas bill. Look for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS Class on lots for between $70,700 and $96,300.

We’re taking a look at the 2008 Hummer H2, a seriously enormous car that’s perfect for people who are afraid of everything. Once you strap yourself into this beast, you’ll be able to confront of all your problems without breaking a sweat.

If you’re not able to talk your way out of a situation, you can just drive over it instead. If you’ve got a ton of problems chasing you around all the time, you’ll be able to just explode through the nearest brick wall and out into the open countryside.

Taking a look at its guts, we see that the 2008 Hummer H2 utilizes an enormous 6.2 liter V-8 engine that can get 393 horsepower. The engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and together the H2 can tow up to 8,200 pounds. There’s a full-time four wheel drive system powering the H2’s formidable tires.

Unfortunately, the H2 drinks gasoline like an alcoholic drinks crappy beer, and it’ll put out as few as 10 miles to the gallon even on highway driving. Look for the 2008 Hummer H2 at dealerships for about $57,425.

We’re getting a few sniffs of the 2008 Buick Lucerne, a big boat of a rig that’s fun to cruise around in if you’ve got a big gut and tons of time to kill. This is a full size sedan that reminds people that the driver has lived a long, sometimes frustrating life, but has ultimately come out on top. That’s why you’re staring at a Buick. Not too shabby, driver.

Under the hood, the 2008 Buick Lucerne comes standard with a 3.8 liter V-6 engine that’ll put out 197 horsepower. In the CXL Special Edition, a 4.6 liter Northstar V-8 is the engine of choice, and it’ll make 279 horsepower in its wake. Then there’s the Buick Lucerne Super, which utilizes a souped-up 4.6 liter Northstar V-8 that’ll get 292 horsepower.

Mileage ratings for the V-6 engine hover around 16 mpg in town and 25 mpg on the freeway, while the V-8 will see just about 15 mpg in the city and only 22 on the big road. Look for the 2008 Buick Lucerne in the lots for between $27,275 and $38,980.

If you’re looking for a mid-size SUV that offers a creamy-smooth ride and a comfortable, luxurious interior, check out the 2009 Mercury Mountaineer. This is an intelligent, well-designed truck-based rig that’s perfect for families and for hauling lots of cargo. Despite its somewhat outdated chassis design, the styling is actually comfortingly familiar and easy on the eyes.

Inside, the 2009 Mercury Mariner utilizes either a 4.0 liter V-6 engine that’s coupled to a five-speed automatic transmission, or a 4.7 liter V-8 engine that’s paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The V-6 engine makes about 210 horsepower.

Utilizing all-wheel-drive and the V-8 engine, the Mariner scores a 6960-pound tow rating. The V-6 engine finds a fuel efficiency of about 13 mpg on the freeway. Check out the 2009 Mercury Mariner on lots for between $28,700 and $35,030.

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