Melkus Presents New RS2000 Black Edition, Priced at a Hefty €149,900

If you've never heard the name Melkus before, we won't blame you. The German company founded by race driver Heinz Melkus started building racing and sports cars in the mid-1950s before closing shop in 1986 only to reopen again in the 1990s by Heinz's son Peter. Currently, the company's sole model is the RS2000, the range of which is being expanded with the addition of the new Black Edition variant.
There's no prize for guessing where it's name comes from. We'll just note that according to Melkus, this is no ordinary black paint job but a special black lacquer finish that requires six layers with each layer being sanded separately. The exterior upgrades also include a carbon-fiber bodykit.
The black color theme continues inside with the leather seats and Alcantara interior roof lining as well as numerous piano lacquer and carbon fiber applications. Melkus has also added a new infotainment system with a navigation function.
Under the sheetmetal, we find a new high-performance braking system, while the VW or Opel sourced 2.0-liter turbo engines (the buyer can choose which one he or she wants) both receive a mild boost from 300PS (296hp) in the regular RS2000 to 325PS (321hp) in the Black Edition.
The increase in power allows for a zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 270km/h (168mph).
And for all this, Melkus will charge you €149,000, which is equal to US$195,600 or £124,200, which probably explains why the RS200 Black Edition will remain a rare oddity.
Story References: Melkus via Worldcarfans

PHOTO GALLERY

New Photos of 2013 Volvo V40 Hit the Web, Including First Shots of the Interior

There's no end to the flow of official images of the new Volvo V40 hatchback. Following on from a pair of pictures we shared with you last Wednesday, we now have a new set with 16 high-resolution shots affording us the most comprehensive look at the V40 to date. On the outside, as we noted before, the new five-door compact model adopts the Swedish firm's design DNA with a shape that brings to mind Volvo's crossover models like the XC60 and XC90.
The latest batch of images includes the very first pictures of the new V40's interior. While you still get the feeling that it's a Volvo from details like the shape of the center console and the air-conditioning and audio system controls, the Swedish brand's designers added a rather futuristic looking instrument panel into the mix.
According to a leaked document that was posted online last week, Volvo's premium hatchback measures 4,500 mm or about 177-inches in length, making it only 20 mm or 0.77-inches shorter than the V50 station wagon, and considerably longer than its rivals like the BMW 1-Series 5-door model (4,324 mm or 170.2-in.)
The new V40 will be offered with a choice of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, details of which have not yet been released.
We'll have the opportunity to see the new Volvo V40 in the flesh during its world premiere at the 82nd Geneva International Geneva Show in March before it goes on sale later in the year.

Hat tip to Lloyd!

Story References: Worldcarfans

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Nissan Reveals New Almera Sedan for Russia, goes on Sale Next Year

The Almera nameplate is set to make a return to Nissan's lineup as a compact-sized sedan model, which the company says has been developed exclusively for Russia and will be manufactured locally in Togliatti on an all-new production line starting from early next year. According to the Japanese automaker, Nissan engineering teams in Japan, the UK and Russia developed the new Almera.
However, the single photo released by Nissan, suggests otherwise as the new Almera appears to be based on the second generation of the Japanese market Bluebird Sylphy that uses Nissan's B-platform and which was introduced in the country back in 2005.
Nevertheless, it's possible that Nissan made specific changes to the Almera to adapt it to the needs of the local market.
Nissan said the Almera will play a crucial role in significantly increasing the brand's share of the overall Russian car market by 2016
"Nissan already offers one of the broadest model line-ups of any foreign manufacturer in Russia, but to date we have not been strongly represented in the fastest growing mainstream market," said François Goupil De Bouille, Nissan Managing Director for Russia,
"Almera will change that and bring something new to the segment by offering outstanding value, unique Japanese design, interior space not previously available in this market sector and world-class quality The fact this is a car developed specifically for Russia, and manufactured locally in Togliatti, ensures it will fully meet the expectations and desires of our customers," he added.
The Nissan Almera sedan will receive its world premiere at this year's Moscow International Autosalon on August 29.

NISSAN BLUEBIRD SYLPHY

New Volvo V40 Five-Door Hatch gets its Video Debut as Well

The news on Volvo's fresh entry in the premium compact hatchback segment just keeps dropping in. After a boatload of photos were spilled onto the internet this weekend, we now have the first official promo video of the new V40, which will make its world premiere at next week's Geneva Motor Show.
You can watch the short clip in the video right after the break.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o0WtKn4edFo 

Surprise! New Kia K9 RWD Flagship Sedan Filmed Completely Uncovered

The brass over at Kia Motors was only ready for us to see a handful of teaser sketches of its soon-to-be released, rear-wheel drive flagship sedan codenamed "KH", which most of you may know as the K9. Of course, our spies were also able to snag some shots of a camouflaged prototype, but now, we have two videos of the actual production model without a hint of disguise, spotted on the road.
The two clips, which were probably filmed in South Korea (maybe our readers can help out here), reveal the K9 in all its glory - albeit in low-quality footage.
Kia hasn't published a lot of details yet, but it is reasonable to believe that the KH will share its platform architecture and mechanical hardware with the Hyundai Genesis. This means it could be offered with the same 3.8-liter V6, and 4.6-liter and 5.0-liter V8 engines as its Hyundai counterpart.
The rear-wheel drive model will be launched in Kia's domestic market towards the end of first half of 2012. While the Korean automaker has no plans to sell its flagship sedan model in Europe, a company spokesperson has said that it is evaluating plans for a North American launch with more information to be released later this year.
Many thanks to Bruno for the video find!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RZv1H_s4G4o