While they appeared in concept form at one point in time, these drop-tops never made it to production. There are plenty of convertibles that should never have been allowed to make it onto the road, chief amongst them being the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. But what about the cabriolets that were nixed before seeing the light of day? As you�ll discover from the list, carmakers on both sides of the pond have toyed with convertibles, introducing them in concept guise before wimping out of putting them in production, or in some cases keeping them hidden away for years. Here are five of our favorites. more at CarBuzz: CLS550 Rides on K3 Projekt WheelsDefender Wide Track by KahnChevy Starts Work on New Captiva In 1989, BMW engineers developed an E34 M5 convertible with two lengthened front doors that seated four. The drop-top M5 was very close to production right down to its price tag, but just a week before its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, BMW killed it off. The top brass at the Bavarian carmaker were scared the car would have led to demand for 5 Series convertibles, which, in turn, would have adversely affected sales of the drop-top 3er. In 2010, BMW revealed the prototype as part of the M5�s 25th anniversary celebrations, having kept it under lock and key for the best part of 20 years.
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9:23 PM
TIGER PRODUCTIONS
Looking to upgrade your already expensive Euro-built performance car? The guys over at GSC are here to help. German and Italian-built performance cars are often the main focus of attention for aftermarket tuning firms � and for good reason. In fact, there are many good reasons why these companies like to lend their hands to upgrading the performance and overall specs of some of the world�s best-engineered cars. German Special Customs, also known as GSC, has been building itself quite a reputation for transforming already fantastic cars by not only upping their performance but also in giving them a dose of sharp, not overly overdone styling kits. Here are five examples. more at CarBuzz: Harris Drives SLS Electric DriveUltimate Aero World�s Fastest (Again)Unearthed: 1985 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Its 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 has been upgraded by 225 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque over the stock CLS63 AMG for a total of 775 hp and 848 lb-ft. The CLS63 AMG Stealth rockets from 0-62 mph in only 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 217 mph. Along with a KW coilover suspension and 20" wheels, GSC added a unique front bumper with LED daytime running lights and redesigned hood. Out back there�s a four-pipe exhaust and a rear bumper that features a carbon-fiber diffuser and air outlets. 
Source: Carbuzz
Police academy recruiters in the Gulf emirate of Dubai just had their jobs made a whole lot easier. If nothing else, Dubai is known as a city with plenty of money floating around and cheap gasoline. That marriage made in the desert equates to an abundance of highly-expensive, super-fast cars whose owners often find hard to drive within the speed limit. Enter the Dubai Police Department, which has become the first police force to add a Lamborghini Aventador to its patrol fleet - even if this isn�t the first time we�ve seen cops using supercars to patrol the streets. 
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Rumors of Audi opting to put an electric R8 into production appear to hold true. Having reported the Audi R8 e-tron project had been put on hold indefinitely, it was subsequently rumored the German automaker was considering a very limited run of cars. These latest spy shots of a prototype model undergoing winter testing add weight to that rumor. On the other hand, Audi could simply be testing its electric technology for use in another car. While sharing most of the R8�s styling and looks, the powerplant makes way for four electric motors. These combine to produce 308 hp and an incredible 3,319 pound-feet of torque. 
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Upcoming film set in the future includes a radical flying Bugatti. History has a way of repeating itself. In the 1930s the rich were driving Bugattis and living in sprawling mansions while the poor were starving in the streets. That�s also when Ettore Bugatti designed the Model 100 air racer while the Great Depression was still raging on and the world was on the brink of WW2. Fast forward to 2154, the year in which the upcoming sci-fi movie Elysium is set. The rich are living in an even more removed compound in the sky while the poor struggle on Earth below. And the rich are driving flying Bugattis. The film starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster hits theaters in August, but this first trailer shows, among other things, a flying Bugatti. The futuristic vehicle was displayed at Comic Con last year, but while we�ll have to wait to see the completed movie, you can check out the trailer below. 
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It seems Korea has more to offer than just affordable luxury cars. We didn�t anticipate much excitement from the Seoul Motor Show and, a Kia concept or two aside, our hunch proved accurate. However, there was more than just sheet metal on display in the Korean capital. As is often the case at less mainstream car shows, it�s the luscious promotional ladies that get snapped more than the latest sheet metal, and courtesy of our friends in Korea, Jeremie and Tri, we have a collection of some of the best-looking ladies from the show to share. Enjoy. 
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A Mexican group is planning to revive the Renault Alpine A110, dubbing it the SST-77. During the sixties and seventies, Mexico was licensed to build the Alpine A110, which it named the Dinalpin � a portmanteau that combines DINA, a Mexican automotive producer, and the French Alpines. With the revival of Renault�s former rally racing brand, today a group of Mexicans, led by Miguel Jimenez, wants to revive the Dinalpin with a streamlined design named the SST-77. Part of the project will be to build a new body made of fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon-fiber designed by Alejandro Castaneda. 
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Porsche is planning to unveil a flat-four engine later this year to power the Boxster/Cayman. It�s been decades since Porsche built a four-cylinder engine, with the 968 the last model to feature its straight-four unit. But if rumors emanating from flat6news are to be believed, a new turbocharged flat-four engine could make its debut at September�s Frankfurt Motor Show. The all-aluminum engine will serve as the marque�s entry-level sports car powerplant. Based on the current 3.8-liter flat-six that powers the Carrera S, the new 2.5-liter four-pot unit will feature two less cylinders, direct fuel injection, VarioCamPlus and a single turbo. 
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The one-of-a-kind 1998 Pregunta prototype is being offered in France for a cool 1.6 million Euros. Prior to Audi taking control of Lamborghini in 1998, a last-minute agreement was signed in Sant�Agata between the Italian supercar maker and French coachbuilder Carrosserie Heuliez to create a one-off model in order for Hueliez to celebrate its 50th participation at the Paris Motor Show. Based on a Diablo, the result was the radical-looking Pregunta (Spanish for �question�) that was presented first at the 1998 Paris Auto Show and then at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. 
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After setting the record in 2007, six years on the SSC Ultimate Aero has reclaimed the title of world�s fastest production car. Earlier this week, Guinness World Records officially stripped the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport of its �world�s fastest� production car title. After holding the title for three years, Guinness suddenly realized the record-breaking Veyron had been modified in order to reach a speed of 267.8 mph. Its speed restrictor, which limits each of its 30 customer cars to 258 mph, was deactivated for the run, which is a clear violation of Guinness rules. It was subsequently assumed the crown would pass to the Hennessey Venom GT that recently posted a 265.7 mph top speed. 
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The Hybrid Hydrogen Aston Martin Rapide S will become the first car to race with hydrogen power. As we reported in the run-up to Geneva 2013, Aston Martin will be racing a hydrogen-powered Rapide S at the Nuburgring 24-hour race in May. And here it is. The pioneering car, called the Hybrid Hydrogen Rapide S, will become the first hydrogen-powered car to compete in an international event and will put the Green into the Green Hell by becoming the first zero CO2 emissions sports car to complete a race pace lap at Ring. Working alongside hydrogen experts Alset Global, Aston�s engineers developed a prototype twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 to power the Nurburgring car. 
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For a time, sheer lunacy was enough for TVR to sell cars. But it wouldn�t last forever. You�ve really got to love TVR. Unfortunately, as TVR found out, this did not mean that you had to buy one. TVR made wild, loud and outrageous-looking cars, and that�s all great fun for a little while, but when it came to getting people to live with them, TVR�s cars always struggled. It turns out that people who have the money for such a car and people who have nothing to live for, and are therefore willing to drive one regularly, are rarely the same people. 
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�under debate, with both Ford and Toyota claiming the crown with their mass-market compact cars. The other day Ford announced that its Focus was the top-selling car in the world. That's quite a claim, but didn't come from nowhere: it was ostensibly backed up by the analysts at Polk, which reported that the 1.02 million Focus models sold last year make it more prolific than anything else on the road. Toyota, however, begs to differ. The Japanese giant says it sold 1.16 million Corollas last year, which would make it more popular among customers than the Ford Focus. 
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The tuner�s latest set of alloys are looking sharp on this CLS that also features an AMG body kit. Tuning specialist K3 Projekt has revealed its latest creation based on a 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS550. Before adding a set of its alloys, the aftermarket firm set about lowering the four-door coupe with a Renntech lowered suspension before improving the styling with an AMG aero package. The wheels are a set of 20-inch K3 Projekt F2 wheels finished in matte black and gunmetal grey, which add a new dimension of style and aggression to the CLS550. 
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A. Kahn Design�s Chelsea Truck Company has released a new aftermarket program for the Land Rover Defender. Under its new expedition vehicles umbrella, the �Chelsea Truck Company,� A. Kahn Design has revealed its latest aftermarket program dubbed the Military Grey Land Rover Defender XS90 Chelsea Wide Track.The Kahn Military Defender comes with a range of exterior enhancements, including a wide track arch kit made up of front and rear wide wings with integrated vents and bolt apertures, a new front grille, hood vents with mesh, side vents with mesh, a satin black roof and extended wheel arches, liquid red brake calipers, and undercar Kahn logo projection floor light. 
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Spy shots of a chopped up Orlando reveals Chevy is working on the next-generation Captiva/Opel Antara. While these spy shots seem to show nothing more than a chopped up Chevy Orlando, looks can be deceiving. What we have here, in fact, is the new platform of the next-gen Captiva, better known in Europe as the Opel Antara, being tested within the minivan. Said to be based on a new platform called D2XX, the new compact crossover is being readied for a 2015 release. The same D2XX platform will also underpin the new Chevrolet Cruze, which is due out in 2014. 
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Rumors from parent company BMW's home country suggest a handful of new Rolls-Royces are on the drawing board. Rumors abound of a Rolls-Royce product expansion. The auto marque whose lineup previously centered exclusively around the Phantom has since expanded to include the Ghost and the Wraith coupe based upon it, but rumors persist that the Goodwood marque is planning a few more. Two months ago we brought you a report that Rolls was planning a new V16 roadster to serve as a halo model and stick it to rivals Bentley and Bugatti, but now there are further reports of new Rolls-Royces under consideration. 
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Competition winners in Budapest were treated to time in the passenger seat next to the drift king. The original Hoonigan Ken Block was recently seen in Hungry working his magic with a beaten-up 1991 Ford Sierra wagon. Having done the business with that, the drift champion was then invited to the capital Budapest, which was holding its annual AMTS tuning show, in order to take some contest winners for a spin in a Fiesta ST. After getting first-hand experience with the Gymkhana legend, the fans were able to test their skills on a special track fashioned on Europe�s largest ice skating rink (but without the ice). 
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An understated aftermarket program transforms the luxury EV into a more attractive proposition. Fisker has been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late. Funding disputes with the government, recalls for the Karma, hundreds of models lost in Hurricane Sandy and the cancelation of its second model, the Atlantic. On top of that the company�s founder, Henrik Fisker, quit last month after disagreeing with management about how the business was being run. So it makes for a pleasant change to see the Karma in better light, with a rare makeover for the electric car coming from Orlando-based tuner Ultimate Auto. 
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The Lotus Eclat was a rare model and had unusual styling even when it debuted back in 1974. The situation at Lotus�s Hethel, UK, headquarters is hopefully a lot healthier than it was a year ago, and every night we say a little prayer that something can be worked out to save what is perhaps one of greatest sports car makers ever. Names such as Esprit, Elan and Elite are perhaps the marque's most famous but there were other lesser known models like the Eclat that were just as impressive. Made from 1974 until 1982, the Eclat was a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive coupe with a fastback body style. 
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Latest spy shots of the facelifted BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo reveal more skin. BMW plans to roll out facelifted 5 Series models in the summer, with this, the 5er GT amongst them. These latest spy shots show the Gran Turismo wearing practically no camo, save for a splash of black-and-white at the front, which is where most of the upgrades are being made. BMW is apparently giving the GT a new front fasica and headlights, while only make minor changes to the rear. Engine changes to the 5 Series will include the 535i's N55 unit replaced by a new turbo inline-six. 
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Lamborghini design study revives the wedge-shaped supercar for the 21st century. While studying at the prestigious Milan-based Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD), Mohammad Hossein Amini Yekta worked on a project in collaboration with Lamborghini that aimed to combine the brand�s values with essential lines. The result is the Ganador, whose primary design feature is the division between the upper and lower sections. Using a straight, sloped line that encircles the supercar, the wedge-shaped silhouette is highlighted, while the side windows appear to reflect in the lower air intake. 
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The Monte Carlo reached its peak in the mid-Eighties with the V8-powered Super Sports model. It was all downhill from there. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo is one of the more recognizable nameplates the brand has made. True, it�s not quite up there with greats such as the Corvette, Camaro, Impala and even the Malibu, but the Monte Carlo has a nice history all of its own, including its days participating in NASCAR. The Monte Carlo first debuted in 1970 and was powered by a series of V8s, as was common for that era. And almost from the get-go, the car was a sales success. 
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The war-torn Afghan capital has held in its first-ever "exotic" car meet. We�ve seen a flurry of car meets in the Middle East including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Iran. And it�s the latter�s South Asian neighbor that has gotten in on the act with Afghanistan hosting its first ever Cars & Coffee event in the capital city, Kabul. The Islamic country has been at war since 2001, so it was nice to see the locals enjoy a distraction from the ongoing conflict by checking out a smattering of exotic metal. With Osama out of the equation and an exit strategy from the war-torn nation in place, the next time the car club meets up we can only hope for some finer metal to display. 
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Could the success of the revived Three-Wheeler prompt Morgan to take things even further with a motorized monowheel? We take it as a given that a car has four wheels. But some automakers are out to challenge that assumption. Morgan is one of them, having recently revived its classic Three-Wheeler to the critical acclaim of Anglophiles and enthusiasts the world over. But while the Three-Wheeler joins Morgan�s range of conventional four-wheeled coupes and convertibles, rumors circulating the British motoring press indicate that Morgan could be looking at dropping another wheel or two to recreate the classic One-Wheeler. 
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