Henceforth, sporting Hyundais will be marked with the letter N. The Korean automaker is launching “N” as a performance sub-brand to coincide with the official reveal of its i20 WRC car.

The new moniker will launch with a tie-in to the i20 rally car, featuring prominently with its Shell Helix livery. Additionally, Hyundai promises more factory-produced performance models wearing N badges in the future. The letter N was chosen in honor of Hyundai’s Namyang R&D center, says the automaker, though realistically it also happens to be one of the few remaining letters that hasn’t yet been commandeered by another company.

The i20 WRC was first revealed at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, but it was just a prototype car. Since then, Hyundai has formed a fully supported race team to go head to head against more established rivals.

Former Citroen driver Thierry Neuville and former Mini driver Dani Sordo have come on board as the A team for Hyundai-Shell. In addition, Juho Hänninen and Chris Atkinson pilot a second car in select races during the 2014 season.

Performance specs of the i20 WRC weren’t disclosed, but fans will be able to see it in action when it debuts at the 82nd Monte Carlo Rally January 16.

Lamborghini has published a second teaser video that previews the successor to the Gallardo. Tentatively christened Cabrera, Lamborghini’s newest supercar will likely bow sometime next year as a 2015 model.

Like the first film, the latest video sets the stage for the Cabrera’s unveiling and reveals nothing in the way of concrete details, but earlier spy photos indicate the Cabrera will borrow styling cues from the Lamborghini’s Aventador flagship. The Cabrera will also adopt the Aventador’s use of lightweight composites – such as carbon fiber and aluminum – which should result in a significant weight loss compared to the outgoing Gallardo.

Up front, the “eyes” of the bull are exposed, revealing that the Cabrera will adopt the same style of LED daytime running lights as the Aventador. Two large are inlets are also visible in the outer sections of the front bumper, with another scoop located in the center.

Out back we can now see Aventador-inspired taillights, along with quad exhaust outlets. There is also plenty of venting around the Cabrera’s rear haunches to feed its V10 engine, which is expected to produce at least 600 horsepower. The Cabrera will be offered exclusively with an automatic transmission.

Carbon ceramic discs can be seen peeking out from behind the Cabrera’s multi-spoke wheels, indicating the stopping tech will at least be on the car’s option list, if not standard.

Look for the Lamborghini Cabrera to make its auto show debut sometime in 2014.

Mercedes-Benz might remain in third place overall in the global luxury market, but the three-pointed star managed to outsell arch rival Audi last month for the first time in 2013.

Buoyed in part by the arrival of its low-cost CLA-Class sedan at one end and a new range-topping S-Class line at the other, Mercedes-Benz found 133,440 buyers for its vehicles last month. That figure represents an 11 percent gain over the year prior and it was also a hair over the 132,050 vehicles Volkswagen’s Audi unit delivered during the same period.

Through the first 11 months of the year, Mercedes-Benz has delivered about 1.32 million vehicles, enough to surpass its overall figure for 2012 with one selling month left in the year.

Still, both Mercedes and Audi trail BMW overall. Last month, BMW’s namesake division sold 149,660 vehicles and the German brand’s year-to-date sales have hit 1.5 million.

However, BMW’s dominance may be short-lived – at least if Audi and Mercedes get their way. Both brands anticipate overtaking BMW by the end of the decade.

The finalists for the 2014 North American Car/Truck of the Year awards have been announced.

Selected from a shortlist of 12 candidates in each category, the car finalists include the Cadillac CTS, Mazda3 and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, while the Jeep Cherokee, Chevrolet Silverado and Acura MDX were named truck/utility finalists.

The winners will be announced on January 13 at a press conference prior to the North American International Auto Show press days.

Vehicles are judged by an independent jury of 48 journalists on the basis of factors such as driver satisfaction, handling safety, design, comfort, value and innovation.

This year, General Motors led all manufacturers with six models named to the shortlist, including the Chevrolet Impala, Buick Encore, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS.

Previous winners included the Cadillac ATS and Ram 1500 in 2012, while the Hyundai Elantra and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque took home trophies in 2011.

Don’t forget to check back next month for the 2014 NACTOY award winners as well as Leftlane’s live coverage of the Detroit show.

Unscrupulous sellers roll back the odometers of nearly 200,000 vehicles each year, new research from car history report specialist Carfax suggests.

Drawing on the 12 billion records in its databases, CarFax found that 190,000 cars are hit with odometer fraud on an annual basis, costing consumers an estimated $760 million each year in lost value and unexpected repairs.

The majority of impacted have at least 50,000 miles taken off their odometer, Carfax researchers concluded.

“Odometer fraud is a calamity for car buyers,” Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax, said in a statement “There are serious problems that can arise from a rollback. Older, deteriorating parts lead to unexpected repairs while unperformed maintenance for the true mileage may compromise the safety and performance of these cars. Not to mention, each victim loses thousands of dollars because they pay much more than these cars are really worth.”

Notably, although some consumers believe digital odometers make tampering more difficult, Carfax warns that odometer correction tools available on the internet let con men quickly and easily make miles disappear.

What can used car shoppers do to protect themselves from rollback? Along with promoting its own history report service, Carfax recommends that buyers check that the vehicle’s condition is consistent with the odometer reading; ask the seller for service records that document the mileage; and get an inspection from an independent mechanic.

Photo by Nat Shirley.

Honda today released a single teaser image of its next-generation Ridgeline pickup truck, but fans of the most utilitarian Honda will have to wait a while before they can buy one.

The Japanese automaker says that the next Ridgeline won’t be on the road for nearly two years. Until then, Ridgeline devotees will need to snap up the last examples of the current model before production ends in the middle of 2014.

Despite its age, Ridgeline has seen a 29 percent uptick in sales – to more than 16,000 delivered during the first 11 months of 2013. Still, that figure is less than half of what any of the Detroit automakers typically sells in a single month.

Not a lot is known about the next-generation Ridgeline, but it’s safe to bet that it will continue to use V6 power and a unibody architecture derived from the automaker’s Pilot crossover. A new Pilot is due out about the same time as the Ridgeline, and both will almost certainly be powered by an updated version of the automaker’s ubiquitous 3.5-liter V6. Both front and all-wheel-drive Ridgelines are likely to return.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see Honda take the wraps off of a show car version of the next Ridgeline at an upcoming auto show before debuting it in the flesh at the 2015 New York International Auto Show. But a lot can change between now and then, so stay tuned.

Nestled into an unassuming warehouse not far from Honda’s American headquarters sits a diverse collection of vehicles that would make just about any car enthusiast green with envy.

Honda has long produced some of the world’s most interesting vehicles, even if its 2014 lineup is a little lighter on excitement than it once was. Sharing space with workaday Civics and Accords from years gone by are sporty coupes – like an early 1990s Prelude with innovative four-wheel steering and a pair of low mileage Acura NSXs representing both bookends of that mid-engined rocketship’s lengthy run.

Artfully but not pretentiously arranged, rows of Honda and Acura production cars share space with a smattering of concepts, various racing cars, motorcycles and, of course, a few oddball items like a vintage generator. After all, Honda likes to say that it’s more of an engine builder than a carmaker – and generators are engines.

Getting a feel for Honda
Although it is not formally open to the public, Honda’s unofficial Torrance, California, museum does occasionally host car clubs and enthusiast groups.

Unlike the visitor-friendly Honda Collection at Japan’s Twin Motegi race circuit, which is open to the public and even includes a gift shop, the Torrance facility is more of a warehouse that happens to be arranged as a museum.

The cars stored in Torrance are occasionally used for Honda’s marketing efforts – for photo shoots, auto shows, media gatherings and occasional enthusiast events. They may not be used often, but the collection’s cars run and drive. In addition to the cars in the well-lit space we had the opportunity to visit, Honda keeps some other vehicles in a less picturesque storage facility. For example, there were no SUVs, crossovers or vans represented in Torrance during our visit – even though Honda has a number in its North American collection.

What was shown was a diverse fleet of vehicles ranging from the brand’s earliest efforts in America – like the 1962 Super Cub 50, a small motorcycle that was the first Honda-badged product sold here – to the brand’s FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle. That Super Cub is parked in front of a facade identical to the small shop where American Honda first set up operations. Today, of course, Honda occupies numerous buildings dedicated to designing, engineering, marketing and servicing its vehicles.

Honda doesn’t necessarily pluck cars from its assembly lines to fill the museum. Instead, the museum’s curator, Brad Long, told us that the automaker has often been forced to track down extra clean used Hondas and Acuras to fill its needs. Today, Honda often allocates a press fleet or early production “pilot” model for its American collection – but not always.

Ironically, the museum is located just a couple of block away from Toyota’s museum. Long told us that the two museums plan to collaborate on open house days in the future.

We hope that Honda will open up its Torrance facility to the public more often; these cars provide an intriguing glimpse into the automaker’s illustrious history.

Highlights

• A remarkably avant-garde blue over red N600 occupies very little space in the museum. Surprisingly roomy inside, this little runabout is in unrestored condition after being used as a marketing vehicle by a seatbelt manufacturer.

• A 2000 Civic Si customized in a pretty typical early 2000s Southern California tuner style served as a model for one of Hot Wheels’ most successful toy cars ever.

• A burgundy 1983 Accord sedan showing just 8,000 miles. Acquired for about $16,000 recently out of an Indiana Honda dealer’s collection, it is representative of the first handful of Hondas built in the U.S. at the automaker’s Ohio assembly plant.

• One of the last Acura NSXs ever built, a bright red example that displays less than 100 miles on it. If anything, we consider this to be something of a shame since the NSX remains one of the best-handling cars ever. Across the museum was a 1991 NSX with more than 80,000 miles on it.

• 1964 Honda E40 Generator. Easily one of the smallest Honda-badged items ever made.

Though the Sprinter 4×4 was originally announced as a Europe-only model, Mercedes-Benz has decided that it will likely also offer the van in the United States.

As its name suggests, the Sprinter 4×4 is a variant of Mercedes’ full-size van that has been fortified for inclement weather and off-road excursions with an all-wheel-drive system. The setup features push-button activation and a fixed 35/65 output split between the front and rear axles, while four inches of additional ground clearance further enhance capability.

Those interested in venturing far beyond the beaten path can opt for a low-range transfer case.

In the United States, buyers should plan on a 188 horsepower, 325 lb-ft of torque 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 mated to a five-speed automatic as the only powertain option. The 2.1-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder and six-speed manual available in Europe aren’t likely to make it across the pond.

The Sprinter 4×4 should arrive in U.S. showrooms no later than 2015, according to an Automotive News report. As with Mercedes’ other Sprinter models, it will also be marketed under the Freightliner brand.

For the complete story on the Sprinter 4×4, check out the debut article here.