Good news! No, it's not the new Dacia Sandero. Top Gear is coming back for another season of thrills, spills, chills and epic drives. We've been happily keeping ourselves entertained with new segments from Drive or back episodes from Fifth Gear, but what we're all waiting for is some new Top Gear. At the end of the day, the BBC show is just the best automotive television out there. And we're glad to report that Top Gear is coming back for its 19th season later this month. With the individual segments already filmed, the Top Gear team is reportedly set to start filming the in-the-studio bits starting on January 23, with the first of five new episodes to air starting on the 27th. We can't lie, this teaser video is one of the most annoying we've ever seen, but from the spliced footage we're able to see a Mercedes SLS AMG, Lamborghini Aventador, McLaren 12C, NASCAR-spec Toyota Camry, an APV and some EVs. Some of the footage seems to come from previous seasons, but we're looking to find out soon enough.
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Carbuzz
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TIGER PRODUCTIONS
A Ford Focus being turned into a rolling recording studio? Sure, why not. Typically we don't see cars of any genre being turned into a moving recording studio. There was the Nissan Juke transformed by Ministry of Sound into a rolling DJ booth, but a recording studio? That's what Galpin Auto Sports - one of the pre-eminent Ford dealers in America - did with this Focus. The custom project was carried out to promote the TV series "Gimme the Gig II", bringing in support from Ford and Grammy award-winning producer Don Was to bring it to completion. 
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The premium sport sedan segment has been dominated by the BMW 3 Series for years, but the next Audi A4 may be its most serious rival to date. With competitors like the BMW 3 Series and Cadillac ATS making things difficult these days for the A4, it's clear that Audi needs to redesign its luxury sport sedan in order to remain in the game. As most are already aware, this segment is fiercely competitive and the 3 Series has been constantly setting the benchmark for years. But now it's the A4's turn for a redesign, with details about the new model beginning to slowly trickle out. Reports are claiming that the next A4 could be powered by a new 1.4-liter TSI inline-four that'll produce up to 180 hp. 
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Rather than tell its story through a press release of photographic retrospective, Rolls-Royce commissioned Aljona Voynova to paint a picture in the sand, and captured the process on video. Drive through sand dunes from the Gulf emirates to the East Hamptons and you're bound to see a Rolls-Royce or two. So it may seem only natural to have the history of the company told in sand art. There is a lot of history to be told, after all. The company founded in 1906 by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce is well over a hundred years old now, and has established itself as one of the pre-eminent manufacturer of uncompromisingly luxurious and prestigious motor cars on the market. To tell the story, Rolls-Royce brought in sand artist Aljona Voynova, who paints a picture unlike one we've ever seen before. Several of them, as a matter of fact. The video may be related less directly to cars and more to a carmaker, and the dramatic music may be a bit much, but it's still something cool to see. 
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German luxury coupe gets a unique foil wrap, new wheels and a boost in performance. A relative newcomer to the car-wrapping business, Germany-based Wrapworks has turned its hand to foiling a Mercedes-Benz CL500, coating the coupe in White Matt Metallic with Acid Green accents. The grille was given a partial wrap and sports a new logo, while the wheels have been upgraded with 21" Lorinser alloys. By optimizing the ECU and replacing the muffler with a new stainless steel unit, output has increased to 410 horsepower (from 387) and 406 lb-ft of torque (from 391), raising the top speed in the process from 155 mph to 174. 
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Drag racers and hot rodders gather each year for a day of burnout madness. Here�s the best bits packed into one epic compilation video. Now in its twentieth year, the California Hot Rod Reunion brings together old drag racers, street rodders and hot rod enthusiasts to Bakersfield's Auto Club Famoso Raceway every October for a day of tire burning and track smoking. While dragging the strip is the main attraction, it's the burnouts that get people's pulses beating the hardest. This video, which comes to us courtesy of NitroAmerica, compiles the best that 2012's meet had to offer. From funny car and altered burnouts to slow-mo dragsters, this is one action-packed production made all the better by some classic Fu Manchu playing in the background. 
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The German tuning house offers tuned engines, body kits and bespoke interiors for all Porsche models. Here�s five of the best. One of the top tuners in the business, SpeedArt has been tuning Porsches since 1999, and for over a decade it has provided exclusive conversions and individual tuning packages for a range of 911, Cayenne, Panamera, Cayman and Boxster models. From a 400-horsepower Boxster to a 208-mph 911 Turbo, whether the cars are for track or road use, the Porsche specialist offers an array of aftermarket packages. Here we've lovingly prepared five of the finest for your viewing pleasure. more at CarBuzz: American Cruisers: Mercury MarquisRare Hemi Challenger on the Auction BlockThe Best of the California Hot Rod Reunion Dubbed the SP81-R, this SpeedArt 981-era Boxster has been upgraded with an aero kit comprised of a new rear wing and diffuser, side skirts and front spoiler for a sportier look and added downforce. The demo car has been finished in black and green and fitted with a new suspension and the customer's choice of several lightweight wheel options from LSC Forged Wheels, including the rims pictured here measuring 20 inches at the front and 21 inches at the rear. Performance boosts include a Boxster S package featuring a turbocharger that adds 80 hp for a total of 395hp. A new exhaust system with sport catalysts and manifolds are also part of the project. 
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The Dodge Challenger R/T stands as an icon of muscle cars, but few of them were fitted with the Hemi. These days cars are engineered with specific powertrain options in mind, but back in the day, automakers would sometimes let customers pick whatever engine they wanted. That's how the muscle car was born: take an ordinary vehicle, option the right engine and presto! you've got yourself a muscle car. That's how the original Dodge Challenger got its reputation. Joining the market late in the game, the Challenger was available with just about any motor in Chrysler's parts bin. 
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The ultimate rendition of the Continental to date previewed ahead of public debut at the Detroit Auto Show, with a 202-mph top speed to make it the world's fastest four-seat convertible. You may see this purple Bentley and think you're looking at yesterday's news, but what you're actually looking at is the world's fastest four-seat convertible. It's so fast, in fact, that it arrived early. Having leaked out over a week ago, the new Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible has just been officially released. So what's it all about? Well, for starters, there's the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 that's been upgraded to the same 616 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque as the GT Speed coupe. 
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What do a Lamborghini and the latest jumbo jet have in common? Lots of carbon fiber, that's what. As far as vehicles go, they don't come much different than the Lamborghini Aventador and the Boeing 787. Sure, they both reach high speeds with advanced aerodynamics, but the Lambo is an automobile with two seats and an internal-combustion engine, while the 787 is a jet aircraft with 200+ seats. What they share is their carbon fiber construction. While space-age materials and aircraft aluminum found their way into cars, carbon fiber went the other way, developed first for racing cars and only afterwards for aerospace. While Boeing has partnerered with BMW to recycle carbon fiber, when it comes to developing the stuff, the aircraft manufacturer teams up with Lamborghini. (Hence the special Boeing Dreamliner edition Aventador pictured here.) So to highlight their common interest in the lightweight material, the two released this promo video. 
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Custom body kit transforms this drop-top supercar into a racecar for the road. Arguably one of the sexiest cars on the road, it takes a man with discerning taste to invest in improving the looks of a Ferrari 458 Spider. And for that man UAE-based tuning house Different Car offers a body kit made up of understated add-ons that subtly enhance the lines penned by Pininfarina. Dubbed the F66, the custom body kit transforms the 458 into a LMP race car for the road while sporting a squarer front end seemingly inspired by a Lamborghini Gallardo. 
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The Mercury Marquis, another land yacht that did well during its time, was the brand's top-end model. But like the Mercury brand, it was killed off in 2011. There is a very good reason for having picked the Marquis/Grand Marquis instead of one of its platform-mates from Lincoln or Ford. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in New York City thinks of it as nothing more than an expensive taxi, and what's more, there's already a Lincoln in this series. As for the Crown Victoria, well, you'd just be scrolling through the pictures thinking "cop car". Younger readers won't remember a car called simply "Marquis", but rather the Grand Marquis, and so we should explain. 
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Retro design may have been hot for a while. But as CarBuzz editor-in-chief Noah Joseph points out, they may soon become a thing of the past...just like the cars they were designed to emulate in the first place. Not long ago it seemed the entire industry was going retro. Volkswagen had brought back the Beetle. BMW had brought back the Mini. Jaguar's XJ and S-Type were thoroughly retro designs. Chrysler was building the PT Cruiser and Plymouth Prowler, as Chevy was the HHR and SSR. Ford took a retro approach with the Thunderbird, and perhaps most relevant of all, the throwback-style Mustang. The theme had some merit, but as we flip the calendar to another new year, we here at CarBuzz can't help but wonder if the retro design phase is behind us. 
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If you're going to build a one-off Raptor for a client, then you might as well go all the way by adding performance upgrades and a killer new sound system. Ford's F-150 Raptor is unquestionably the coolest off-road pickup truck on the market today. It's also been the focus of many aftermarket tuning efforts that have been able to further push the insanity factor which the testosterone-induced truck bestows. This has been done previously through either enhanced performance or, in the case of Galpin Auto Sports, a full dosage of improved electronics, power upgrades, and suspension work. 
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Lamborghini starts off the new year by recounting its 50-year history. 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. and there are some big things planned to celebrate half-a-century in the car-making business. Included in those plans are expected a a special anniversary edition Aventador and a replacement for the aging Gallardo. With this teaser video, Lamborghini is showing just how far it has come, looking back on a rich history that begun with company founder Ferruccio Lamborghini creating a touring car after being constantly let down by his Ferrari. From the original 350 GT to the Aventador LP700-4, some of the finest supercars ever devised have emerged from the factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese. We expect the next 50 years of Lamborghini to be no less exciting. 
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It dates back to the 1930s, but the Morgan Three-Wheeler is still unique and ridicuously cool even today. Starting the New Year off with something a bit different than usual, this week car-guy extraordinaire Jay Leno takes a closer look at his 1932 Morgan Three-Wheeler. Often considered to be a bit more motorcycle than car, the Three-Wheeler was immediately cool even when it first went on sale decades ago. Comparing it to a World War I biplane when driving it, the Denim Chin (as we like to call him) describes the trike's top speed of 80 mph as feeling more like 180 mph due to its loud engine and low ground clearance. Despite its age, this old Morgan has no problem going at highway speeds with the rest of traffic. It's clear that Leno has a special fondness for this car, and we can't help but feel satisfied knowing that Morgan has put it back into production. 
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California-based tuning house reveals an extreme widebody kit and carbon-fiber trim package for the R230 Mercedes-Benz SL. Typically know for tuning Lamborghinis, Renown Auto Style has turned its hand this time to the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, creating a wide-body package dubbed the R230 Sidewinder. The package makes the roadster ten inches wider than the SL65 Black Series and an inch wider than a Murcielago. It consists of front and rear bumpers, hood, side skirts, front fenders, rear-quarter panels, trunk spats, rear diffuser, wheel well liners and a new water tank. A choice of 3-piece concave alloys include the 20" Renown RX10-C wheels featured here. 
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One of the loweset-mileage original 1967 Shelby GT500s is heading to the auction block in a few weeks. There are still many original Shelby GT500s in existence today, but even in this highly sought-after company, this one is quite special. Set to hit the auction block early next month at the Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale, Arizona, is this 1967 Shelby GT500. What makes it special is that it's one of the lowest-mileage original '67 Shelby GT500s in the world, with just 9,841 miles on the clock. It's currently owned by a guy named Steve Becker, who just happens to be an expert on circa 1965-70 Shelby Mustangs. 
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For any DeLorean and Lego fans out there, the "Back to the Future" Time Machine set series has finally arrived. It's about time. For many people, Legos represent a feeling of youthful nostalgia while others still continue to play with them well into adulthood. We consider ourselves in the latter group, and along with our love for anything "Back to the Future", we were especially excited when it was recently announced that a Lego DeLorean Time Machine series will soon be gracing toy-store shelves. It all started when some BTTF and Lego enthusiasts submitted the Time Machine designs to Lego Cussoo. 
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