Brabus’ latest creation is an 838-horse wagon. Based off an already potent Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon, the German tuner tweaks the base Bahnstormer to new heights, including an estimated 186 mph top speed.

Brabus says the 850 package contains its most powerful engine yet, built from the E63′s 5.5-liter V8, bored to 5.9 liters with forged internal bits and a billet crankshaft. Twin turbos and custom manifolds help bring the torque up to 1,069 lb-ft, but Brabus says it’s had to electronically limit it to maintain engine longevity.

As is the custom, Brabus has designed its own add-ons, in the form of an aggressive chin, rear diffuser, 19- or 2o-inch wheels and garish “B” logo where the three-pointed star once stood. The interior has been redone as well, with grid-stiched leather upholstery and Brabus branding throughout.

Available for either rear- or all-wheel-drive E63 estates, the new 0-62 time clocks in at 3.1 seconds. Mercedes-Benz’s stock 155-mph electronic speed limiters are removed, allowing for the increased top speed. Brabus has already produced a sedan version of the E63, which is capable of 217 mph.

The striking Lexus LF-LC concept revealed at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show may go into production as a follow-up to the LFA supercar.

According to Autocar, the LFA’s chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi and Lexus’ Executive Vice President Mark Templin both hinted that we have not seen the end of the LF-LC.

Tanahashi, in typically cryptic Japanese fashion, said that “I have the expectation that the car will be launched,” said Haruhiko Tanahashi, “I personally hope the LF-LC will be built. I think most of Lexus’s concept cars have been turned into production cars.”

Templin played his cards closer to the chest, saying in broader terms that Lexus is preparing a range of F-badged performance models with a “car like the LFA” as the range topper. However, Templin was quick to couch his statement by saying, “It doesn’t mean we have something on the drawing board.” He also suggested that the F brand would be united by a hybrid performance theme.

If Tanahashi and Templin’s words prove true, the LF-LC would slot above the RC300h recently revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show, but sit below the $375,000 LFA in price and performance. Something in the Porsche 911 Carrera range is expected.

Citroën has published two teaser images that preview an upcoming premium compact sedan likely dubbed DS4 Sedan.

Based on the long-wheelbase C4 L distributed throughout China, the DS4 Sedan will gain a more upmarket front end that will borrow styling cues such as squared-off headlights and chrome trim around the radiator grille from the close-to-production Wild Rubis concept that was presented in Shanghai earlier this year. Out back, the car will gain a set of horizontal LED tail lamps and a discreet spoiler integrated into the trunk lid.

Expect the DS4 sedan to offer a lavish interior with leather upholstery on the seats, door panels and dashboard and the latest generation of Citroën’s touch screen-based infotainment. Chrome trim around the air vents and on the center console will finish off the upmarket look.

Reports indicate the DS4 sedan will be powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine available with either 163 or 200 horsepower. Power will be sent to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Built in China by a joint-venture operated by Citroën and Dongfeng Motors, the DS4 will be sold locally through the automaker’s growing network of stand-alone DS showrooms. Like all Chinese spec DS models, the sedan will not wear Citroën’s trademarked double chevron emblem in an effort to widen the gap between the firm’s regular C-badged lineup and the more opulent DS-badged models.

Official information about the DS4 Sedan will emerge in the coming weeks, and the sedan is scheduled to go on sale across China next March with a base price of about 180,000 yuans, a figure that converts to about $30,000. The DS4 Sedan will only be distributed in its home country and it will not be available in Europe.

A new report finds Nissan will begin production of its all-new, Golf-fighting five-door hatchback in Barcelona, Spain, next July.

The hatchback will likely be dubbed Almera, a moniker used from 1995 to 2006 on two generations of a similarly-positioned hatchback. Its overall styling will be influenced by the design language found on the 2014 Rogue (sold as the X-Trail in the U.S.) and the new Qashqai, meaning it will be fitted with angular headlights, a shiny V-shaped grille and horizontal tail lamps out back.

Mechanically, the Almera will be offered with a wide range of four-cylinder gasoline- and diesel-burning engines including a frugal 1.2-liter and a time-tested 1.5-liter oil burner. Power will be sent to the front wheels via either a six-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Almera will help Nissan regain a much-needed foothold in Europe’s passenger car market.

“We cannot just be a crossover brand. We can make the Almera work. Getting it right is not an easy or quick answer, but the results of the Qashqai have bought us time,” explained Shiro Nakamura, Nissan’s design chief, in an interview with English magazine Autocar.

Official details about the 2014 Nissan Almera will emerge in the weeks leading up to its public unveiling at next March’s Geneva Motor Show. While Nissan has not commented on this, rumors indicate the Almera is being designed exclusively for the European market and it has not been earmarked for U.S. sales.