2010 Hyundai Equus Spotted with U.S. License Plates in Los Angeles

Hyundai may not have any official plans to import the new 2010 Equus luxury sedan in the States -at least for the time being, but an example of the Korean firm's Lexus LS-sized flagship model with California distributor licenses plates was spotted by a member of the 'Genesis Owner' community in the city of Diamond Bar, located 30 miles east of Los Angeles.

However, before you start the speculative rumors, the forum member claims that Diamond Bar " is home to many South Koreans on US corporate assignments," and that Korean domestic market cars are a common sight in the area.

The big, rear-wheel drive four-door saloon shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Genesis and it is aimed at high-end luxury saloons such as the BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Currently offered only in Korea, the Equus is available with a 290HP 3.8-liter V6 and a 4.6-liter V8 delivering 366HP.

During it official unveiling at an event in Seoul in March, Hyundai said there are currently no plans to export the Equus to the North American or European markets. However, the Korean automaker brought the saloon over for show in New York in early April.

Thanks for the tip Alex! Photo Via: Genesis Owners

Mercedes Launches New GL-Class, ML-Class and R-Class BlueTEC Diesel Models in Europe

Beginning in autumn 2009, Mercedes-Benz will offer its trio of crossover models in Europe with its 'clean' V6 diesel engine featuring BlueTEC technology. Besides the GL 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC, European customers will have the ML 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC and R 350 BlueTEC 4MATIC models to choose from. Already available in the U.S., all three models are powered by a 3.0-liter V6 diesel producing 211HP at 3,000 rpm and 540Nm of peak torque from 1,600 to 3,400 rpm.

Mercedes-Benz developed the BlueTEC technology that focuses particularly on nitrogen oxides in order to reduce the emissions of diesel vehicles. The tech involves injecting a non-toxic aqueous carbamide solution called "AdBlueÓ" into the exhaust gas flow that then releases ammonia. In the downstream SCRcatalyst system the ammonia then converts up to 80 per cent of the nitrogen oxides into the harmless products nitrogen and water.

According to the German automaker, the GL350 BlueTEC 4MATIC, ML350 BlueTEC 4MATIC and R350 BlueTEC 4MATIC already fulfill the emissions limits of the EU 6 standard, which won't go into effect until 2014.

As for the BlueTEC models' combined fuel consumption, the ML-Class and R-Class variants both return an average of 8.7 lt/100km (27mpg US) while the larger and heavier GL-Class has been rated at 9.0lt / 100km (26.1mpg US).

Seat Ibiza ECOMOTIVE Sets World Fuel-Saving Record of 2.9lt/100km - 81.1MPG

We're always a bit wary of these fuel-saving records as the outcome always depends on a number of factors that include besides the car, the driver, condition of the roads, speed, traffic, weather etc., but whatev. According to VW Group's Spanish subsidiary, a Seat Ibiza ECOMOTIVE that's powered by an 80HP 1.4-liter diesel engine set a new record in its segment by covering a distance of 1,562 km or 971 miles on a single tank of fuel (45.53lt), resulting in an average consumption figure of 2.9 l/100 km or the U.S. equivalent of 81.1mpg.

Behind the steering wheel of the Ibiza ECOMOTIVE was Austrian long-haul specialist Gerhard Plattner who drove out of the Martorell facilities near Barcelona last Monday 27 April, after both the bonnet and the fuel tank filling mouth had been sealed. Plattner drove across Spain, France and Germany with the trip ending at the town of Göttingen, in lower Saxony, Germany.

Seat said that at some points along the way on motorways in Spain and France, Plattner brought the Ibiza up to cruising speeds of 110 km/h or 68mph- yes, that's not the kind of guy you'd like being behind in a one-lane country road.

General Motors Reviewing Offers for Sale of Saturn Brand

In an official statement released to the media this morning, GM announced that it is proceeding to the next step in concern of the sale of Saturn by reviewing bids from the potential buyers. The American automaker said that it has hired S.J.Girsky&Co as an advisor to help secure an agreement with a specific buyer later this year. In mid-April GM had revealed that a group of suitors that included some of Saturn's dealers and a company called Black Oak Partners had expressed an interest in buying the brand and its retailer network.

Cobra Technology & Lifestyle Gears Up the Mercedes-Benz M-Class

It's been a while since we last heard of 'Cobra Technology & Lifestyle', a tuning house that focuses on products for SUV models. Their latest project concerns the Mercedes-Benz M-Class for which Cobra has released a series of accessories that include a front guard made from high-gloss stainless steel that incorporates LED daytime running lights and stainless-steel rocker panel guards that have a tube diameter of 80mm and feature an integrated step for easier entering and exiting of the vehicle.

The list also includes a stainless-steel front guard with a tube diameter of 60 millimeters, scuff plate covers with illuminated Cobra Technology & Lifestyle logo and an extensive lineup of custom-tailored tire/wheel combinations with diameters ranging from 17 to 23 inches. The 23-inch alloy wheels feature eight double spokes and are available painted silver or black, with a high-gloss polished stainless-steel drop center and are fitted with high-performance tires in size 315/25 R 23.

AVUS Performance Audi A5 Coupe Matte Black with 275HP

It appears that AVUS Performance wants to avoid any mistranslation troubles after the outcry it caused in the media for the RS6 Avant 'White Power' moniker, so the German tuning boutique chose to play it safe and simply name its new proposal, the A5 Coupe Matte Black. The vehicle's stealthily looks were achieved by wrapping the car all around with matt black foil and painting some details like the front grille, mirror covers and the rear diffuser in a black finish.

The A5 Coupe's looks are rounded off by a set of 21-inch Jofiel black Limited Edition wheels in sizes 9,5x21" front and 11x21" at the rear and a set of S5 LED tail lights.

This A5 Coupe comes with Audi's 3.0-liter V6 TDI diesel engine featuring an upgraded ECU that helps boost output to 275HP and 600Nm ( 442.48 lb/ft) of torque. Last but not least, the German tuning house has equipped the A5 Coupe with KW coilovers with adjustable compression and rebound dampening.