Hyundai is keen to extend its green bandwagon and it will be at the New York Auto Show revealing its 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. A teaser image of the Hybrid automobile has been revealed by Hyundai and it gives us a glimpse of the distinctive looking front fascia.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will be a far cry from its non-hybrid version in terms of design. The front will feature a new-large mouthed grille, new headlamps and a sporty looking bumper with bigger air-intakes.

The Sonata Hybrid is supposed to feature the Blue Drive hybrid system and in its case, the combination will involve a 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder petrol engine, and a 30 kW electric motor with 205 Nm (151 lb-ft) of torque. The combo will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission while the motor alone will be powered by lithium-polymer batteries.

Look for the 2011 Sonata Hybrid unveiling at New York on March 31.

The Ford Focus RS500 limited edition which is being sold to wind up the production of the current generation Focus model has been detailed earlier than expected. Ford has stated ‘overwhelming interest’ in the hatchback as the reason for the early revelation of this commuter. The RS500 will be limited to 500 units and it will be sold in 20 European markets beginning in May.

The exclusive model comes with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder motor that produces 345hp with 460Nm of torque. Compared to the basic current generation Ford Focus model, this edition dashes 0.3 seconds quicker to the 100km/h mark , clocking a hasty 5.6 seconds. The top speed is also an appreciable 265km/h thanks to an updated ECU, a bigger air filter, a larger air intercooler and a widened downpipe. Custom RS500 limited edition signs include a console-mounted metal plate engraved with the car ID number, Recaro seats, a six-disc Sony Audio System and dual-zone climate control.

The Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon which is slated for a release at the upcoming New York Auto Show has been detailed prior to its debut. Scheduled for sales in late 2010 the Sport wagon offers a pleasing combination of performance and practicality. Where Volvo and BMW are dropping wagons in the US, Cadillac is ready to arrive with a variant that can please the best of speed freaks and the larger families. The wagon offers 720L of space behind the rear seats and this space more than doubles when the seats are folded. The engine choice includes a top bracket supercharged 6.2L V8 beast that renders 556hp with 551lb-ft of torque. This engine is mated to a 6-speed manual/automatic transmission and together the combination helps the car to dash from 0 to 60mph in 4.5 seconds.

For those of you who’d like to save some money and change your car’s oil yourself, we have a video tutorial that explains what you should do. What do you guys think? Can you change your own oil (and filters) on your driveway?

Ford has put in conscious efforts to reduce the bulk on the next-generation Explorer and the results are visible in these latest spy images. Thanks to a gush of wind that took the camouflage off the test model for otherwise, most design traits of the next-generation Explorer will have remained a mystery.

The snappier looking Explorer features a bold grille, projector-beam headlights, and sculpted doors. The next-gen model is riding on the same platform as the redesigned Taurus and it is based on the Explorer America Concept which was showcased at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. The probable engine options for the upcoming Explorer will include a 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 engine that can render 355 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. More details on the Explorer will be available when it is unveiled at the New York Auto Show next week. [via WCF]

Well folks, we won’t have to wait for some auto show to get a detailed glimpse at the upcoming Ferrari 599GTO as a set of spy shots have done the job for us. The unearthed images reveal a sturdily aggressive looking commuter, something that wasn’t hinted by the previous spy flicks. Coming from a French source, this set of images also affirms Ferrari’s love for the two-tone look which was also spotted in the previous images. The 599 GTO will sport a 6.0-liter V12 beast that will be capable of churning 690 hp at the max. Though the official details are yet to arrive, the base 599 GTO will bear a probable price tag of €267,136 and this does not include taxes. [via caradisiac.com via teamspeed.com]

As F1 pushes for better road safety measures, star F1 McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton was charged by the Victorian Police for exactly the opposite reasons. Lewis, the 2000 F1 champion was caught doing burnouts in his company car which is a silver 2010 E500 saloon. Lewis was pulled over by a Victorian Police divisional van and he will now be summoned for an improper use of a motor vehicle. His vehicle was also impounded for 48 hours but the officer on duty did appreciate the Briton’s co-operation. Lewis issued an immediate apology to team McLaren condemning his act, while he was terribly worried about denting his repute and he was visibly upset.

It is no hidden fact that brand Bugatti is the smallest yet the most exclusive name in the VW group which has number of special concepts lined up for approval. The 16C Galibier Saloon (hyper sedan) also belongs to that list of concepts and the production chances were meager until now because of the financial constraints. The 16C Galibier may hit the production floor as early as 2013 (despite the financial problems) as it has received rave reviews during motor shows and specific customer events. Once rolling, the Galibier production will be limited to 300 units only and each unit might cost around £900,000.