Porsche officially unveils the Panamera Turbo S ahead of New York debut

We reported yesterday that a Panamera Turbo S could be in the works with an official debut coming at theNew York Auto Show in April. We didn’t have to wait long to find out, as Porsche has released the first details about its new flagship four-door.

As expected, the Turbo S gets a power increase up to 550 horsepower, 50 more than the standard Turbo model, thanks to new twin turbochargers with enhanced turbines and modified engine programming. Torque is also up, 553 lb-ft compared to 516 lb-ft. Porsche says that the Panamera Turbo S is capable of reaching 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds as well as a top speed of 190 mph, all while returning an estimated 15/23 mpg. The car will reach showrooms later this Spring, with pricing in the U.S. starting at $173,200. You can read full details about the Porsche Panamera Turbo S in the official press release after the jump.

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Ford shows off 67-mpg Focus Econetic ahead of Amsterdam debut

We may have the 40-mile-per-gallon SFE trim on the 2012 Ford Focus here in the States, but European eco-warriors will soon be able to sink their teeth into the new Focus Econetic, designed purely with efficiency in mind. Ford claims that the Focus Econetic can achieve up to 80 mpg on the European testing cycle, or about 67 mpg here in the U.S.

Ford’s road to super-efficiency starts with the automaker’s 103-horsepower, 1.6-liter Duratorq diesel engine. That, combined with start-stop, smart regenerative charging, Eco mode and a revised final drive ratio allow this engine to perform as efficiently as possible at all times. For reference, the standard Euro-spec Focus equipped with the 1.6-liter diesel four is good for about 55 mpg (U.S.).

Aerodynamic enhancements consist of active grille shutters on the front fascia, as well as special low-drag wheel covers. We’re all for added efficiency, but it might be nice if these plastic wheel caps didn’t look like they were ripped straight from a 1992 Honda Accord.

The Focus Econetic makes its official debut next week at the Amsterdam Motor Show, with the first examples hitting the streets in early 2012. Both four- and five-door body styles will be available. Follow the jump for the full details.

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2013 Chevrolet Malibu leaks online

Well, what do we have here? It seems that the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu has leaked online on General Motors’ own media site. Only this lone picture has surfaced, but it gives us a very good glimpse at the next-gen Malibu ahead of the car’s official debut at the rapidly approaching Shanghai Motor Show.

Despite the fact that we can only see one angle of the car, it’s clear that the 2013 Malibu will be a nice looking piece of sheetmetal. Up front is the latest incarnation of the stacked Bowtie grille of the currentChevrolet range, flanked by a pair of multi-element headlights. The flanks are well sculpted, with a distinct Coke bottle kink that catches the eye.

We can’t see the rear of the car from this shot, but we know that the 2013 Malibu will sport tailights reminiscent of the Camaro’s four-pack of red lenses. And, judging by the few teasers of the interior, GM intends to pack its next midsize entry to the gills with all the latest technology.

Click on the image above to view the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu in high resolution, and let us know what you think in the Comments.

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GM releases another shot of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu will be unveiled on Monday at the Shanghai Motor Show. General Motors is expectedly making a big deal of the event, and started dropping teasers a couple weeks back. Those were followed by a full-on, high-resolution pic of the Malibu in red on Thursday. And now? Another picture of the China-spec car in blue. Since it’s static, we get a clean look at the new Malibu’s wheels and a better idea of the car’s profile

If you feel like you’re already overstuffed on the 2013 Malibu, try to save some room for the main course, which comes in the form of the sedan’s official debut in Shanghai..

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2012 Acura TL to debut at Chicago Auto Show

Acura has announced that it will debut the newly refreshed 2012 TL at the Chicago Auto Show next month. Details are slim as of this writing, but the automaker says that the 2012 model “further enhances its position in the segment with aggressive, yet refined styling and performance.”

In its current form, the TL has been praised for its high-quality and tech-friendly interior, not to mention the relatively impressive driving dynamics of the SH-AWD 6MT model. However, the biggest deal-breaker for the current TL has been its styling, which has garnered a whole slew of negative praise – especially the angular front fascia. We’ll have the full details on the 2012 TL closer to its official debut on February 9, so stay tuned.

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