If any of you had doubts about the Ferrari California also sporting a manual transmission other than the standard automatic one, it should now be cleared as Ferrari has detailed the particular variant. It will feature a six-speed manual option which may be a tad low in terms of performance but it will reportedly meet a 10% customer demand. The manual version will pelt from 0 to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds which will be a whole 0.3 seconds slower than its automatic cousin. The manual variant will also consume more fuel at 13.1l/km compared to 17.9l/km of the DCT version. The top speed will remain the same irrespective the transmission-311 km/h.

Porsche has clearly denied the development of an even smaller version of the upcoming Porsche Cayenne SUV. Rumors were ripe that Porsche will look to develop a mini version of its upcoming SUV once it goes on sale at the end of May. The upcoming model is supposed to arrive in petrol, diesel and hybrid variants and as a matter of fact, it is the smallest ever Cayenne SUV produced by the moniker. As per Porsche, the Audi Q5 has dented the sales prospects of the Audi Q7 and a Porsche Mini may have the same effect on its bigger version. Porsche cannot afford to toy with the Cayenne SUV sales as half the company revenue comes from the Cayenne sales.

To make the EVs mainstream, it is important that big auto manufacturing names think about introducing small EVs in huge car markets such as the US. Chrysler is thinking on these lines and hence it has announced the Fiat 500EV for the American market. While the combustion engine Fiat 500 will go on sale later this year in the US, the Fiat 500 EV will begin production in 2012. Chrysler will be looking to price the small EV competitively as the Chevrolet Volt and Mini Cooper E also will look to target the market No great details about the Fiat 500 EV have been revealed but it is told that the US edition will undergo further development at the Chrysler head-quarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Fanatics waiting for the arrival of the BMW’s new Z4 GT3 Race Car will be pleased to know that scorcher has been detailed. The race car that was officially tested in March and has already been delivered to private BMW teams features a 4.0-liter V8 engine that can produce 473bhp. The engine is assisted by an ECU408 management system and the unit is together mated to a six-speed sequential transmission with Quickshift function.

The GT3 racing competitor has been aggressively designed and the heavy carbon fiber usage keeps the curb weight down to 1,200 kilogram. Other regularities include a racing anti-lock braking system, a roll cage, a fresh looking front axle and special rims with central locking and safety clips. For the curious ones eager to know it’s pricing, the all new BMW Z4 GT3 gets tagged for $402,488.

Hey kitty kitty!!!!

If you were about to make the mistake’ of buying the current generation VW Beetle, hold it right there! As per Autocar, the next generation VW Beetle arrival is on the cards and it may hit the market as early as 2011 after its LA Auto Show debut in November this year. Excitingly, the next edition could come with a 2.0-liter engine producing 210 bhp, making it the most powerful engine ever to bless the Beetle.

More to it, the US fanatics could get their hands on a 5 cylinder 2.5L model capable of churning 170bhp. Rumors are also ripe about a hybrid variant, but that remains yet to be detailed. The next edition will share some traits from the VW Ragster (Ragtop+Speedster) concept, especially the roofing, though the iconic features such as the rounded lights and wheel wings will remain unaltered.

(via Autocar)

Mazda MX-5 is an amazingly popular roadster and Mazda has successfully completed 20 years of sale in France alone. To mark the completion of over two decades, Mazda is unveiling a special edition Mazda MX-5 Black & Matte at the Salon du Cabriolet, Coupe & SUV in Paris. Limited details about the special edition car are available but the specific show car will come studded with logos, mirrors and other relevant accessories specifically crafted by jewelers to further glorify the effect of the matte black paintwork. It will feature the customary 2.0L engine mated to an automatic transmission. The specific number of units, release date and its pricing all remain a mystery as of now.

The financial crunch has taken its toll on every automaker and when GM can ‘literally shutdown’ MG comes across as no surprise. Had MG been thriving, the world would have seen a number of impressive sports cars bearing the moniker. Some recently spotted development sports car sketches reveal what MG was planning back in the year 2005. The trio of sketches includes a coupe, a reworked midget and the new TF roadster all of which were to use the updated 120-180 horsepower engine.

All these designs were created by automotive designer Lee Mitchell and this trio was to use the next generation TF architecture. These sports cars were to use an all-aluminum tub and the involved cost would have been £52-million which was £2-million more than the project cost. Interestingly, the designer still has hope as a Chinese investment group probably intends to back these designs.

McLaren has been a name that has mostly been heard around the F1 circuits but all this has changed with the launch of McLaren Automotive, a company that will strictly manufacture a range of super cars in the future. The company launch was accompanied by the launch of its flagship product, the MP4-12C which is touted to be a super car for a daily commute, though it can put the best ones to shame when pelted. The exact numbers are not yet known but the hopes are high as the company has its vast F1 experience to make the super car achieve astounding feats. The revealed details are that the MP4-12C rear-wheel driven beast will come with a 3.8-liter V8 engine capable of producing 600 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque.