We're used to the news cycle typically being slow this time of year, but there have been tidbits of industry news that caught our attention this week. On the plus side, one of the world's premiere car shows and auctions, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, is something to look forward to next month. We'll soon provide details of the many wonderful and rare cars heading there as well as other relevant details regarding what's in store for the upcoming 2013 auto show season.
The Nurburgring is Officially Bankrupt. Perhaps the world's most famous and recognized racetrack has just filed for bankruptcy. It was only back in 2004 that a group of investors began pouring millions of euros into the track in an attempt to turn it into something more like a resort. Their plans, including restaurants, stores, and even an amusement park, never came to fruition and the local state government instead invested some €500m - and there's still plenty of money owed to the banks. The EU now wants to end that spending and claim they won't pay the track's bills either.
No Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake for North America. Should we be surprised? Mercedes-Benz has just confirmed what we sadly suspected: they will not be bringing their recently unveiled CLS Shooting Brake to the U.S. or Canada. The reason is that buyers there are simply not interested in wagons. Based off the CLS four-door coupe and the E-Class, the Shooting Brake will be offered with a choice of two diesels and two gasoline engines. An AMG version, powered by a 5.5-liter turbocharged V8, will debut at the same time. Sales will begin throughout Europe this October.
However... 2013 BMW M6 Gran Coupe Confirmed for the U.S. BMW has confirmed they will in fact be offering the upcoming M6 Gran Coupe for sale in the U.S. A spokesman for the German automaker told Motor Trend the M version of BMW's latest model will arrive in showrooms sometime next year. We also anticipate an M division version of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 producing at least 560 horsepower. This is the same engine that will power the 2013 M6 coupe and convertible. Expect to see the M6 Gran Coupe debut later this year or early 2013.
2014 VW Jetta to Receive Turbo Four. VW fans that never took the five-cylinder engine that comes standard on models such as the Jetta to heart can look forward to a very much welcomed change. VW has confirmed the 2014 Jetta will drop the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine for a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with direct injection. This is the same 158hp engine with 185lb-ft of torque that powers the European Passat and CC. VW also announced the Jetta Hybrid will arrive in late 2012 and a launch control feature will be standard on Jetta GLI models with the dual-clutch transmission.
Porsche Recalls Some Panamera and Cayenne Turbo Models. Recalls are never a fun thing, but they can happen to any automaker. Porsche has just announced a recall for a specific number (270 to be exact) of their 2011 and 2012 Panamera Turbo and Turbo S models as well as the 2012 Cayenne Turbo due to a risk that a defective turbine wheel in the turbocharger may fracture and increase the risk of fire. This recall doesn't affect all models from those years, only the aforementioned number, and owners are currently being notified.