A report coming out of Australia finds the seven-seater variant of the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer (pictured) is scheduled to make its public debut at a major auto show next year.
Tentatively called 2-Series Grand Tourer, BMW’s next people-mover will ride on the same front-wheel drive UKL platform as the aforementioned Active Tourer, the MINI Hardtop and the next X1 crossover. The Grand Tourer will look similar to its five-seater sibling from the tip of the front bumper to the B-pillar. Beyond that, it will gain a stretched wheelbase and a noticeably longer rear overhang in order to free up extra space in the cockpit.

The Grand Tourer is expected to be mechanically identical to the Active Tourer. Entry-level models will be offered with a three-cylinder 1.5-liter gasoline-burning engine while upper-spec models will benefit from a 2.0-liter turbo four linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A frugal 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbodiesel mill will be available in select markets.

If the rumor proves true, the BMW 2-Series Grand Tourer could be introduced at next year’s edition of the Geneva Motor Show. It will go on sale across Europe by next summer, but whether or not the people-mover will be sold in the United States is up in the air.

Photos by Ronan Glon.

British boutique automaker Radical has introduced a new range-topping track car called SR8 RSX.
The SR8 RSX stands out from nearly everything else on the road thanks to a striking design inspired by the LMP2 racers that Radical enters in the 24 Hours of Le Mans every year. Interior pictures were not published but the automaker promises its latest model is fitted two FIA-certified bucket seats and a seven-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) screen that displays vital information about the car and its surroundings. A built-in wi-fi connection lets the driver download data.

Power for the SR8 RSX comes from a 3.0-liter V8 engine tuned to produce 440 horsepower at 10,500 rpms and 280 lb-ft. of torque at 7,500 rpms. Radical is keeping performance specifications under wraps until the SR8 RSX is shown to the public but it promises the car tips the scale at a hair under 1,900 pounds.

Designed and built in-house, the V8 engine is certified to go 40 hours between rebuilds, which equates to approximately a full season of racing. It spins the rear wheels via a seven-speed sequential gearbox controlled via shift paddles.

Eligible to compete in the 2015 European Masters Championship, the Radical SR8 RSX is scheduled to go on sale across England next January with a base price of £109,950, a sum that converts to approximately $175,000. At the time of writing Radical is not planning on offering the car in the United States.

Hyundai has introduced a new luxury sedan called the Aslan. For sale in its home market of South Korea only, it splits the difference in size between Genesis and the Azera.

The Aslan (meaning “lion” in Turkish) is powered by two versions of Hyundai’s GDi direct-injection V6es. The base version gets a 3.0L generating 270hp and 229 lb-ft of torque, while an optional 3.5L produces 270hp and 255 lb-ft. The sole transmission option, a 6-speed automatic, sends power to the front wheels.

Styling, derived from Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language, is reminiscent of the 2015 Sonata up front, with a prominent vertical-bar chrome grille and swept-back headlights lined with LED running lights. However, the Aslan’s side profile is that of a traditional sedan, with a longer hood, more acutely inclined windshield and longer trunk deck than the Sonata. Curiously the taillights scream Kia rather than Hyundai.

The cabin is surprisingly luxurious, swathed in leather and wood trim and designed in the image of traditional luxury sedans rather than a family car moving upmarket. An 8-inch multifunction screen is integrated smoothly into the dashboard, sitting just above a premium sound system by Lexicon.

The Aslan will be available in South Korean showrooms by month’s end starting at approximately $37,000. 2,200 have already been pre-ordered. At those prices, it would make a decent Toyota Avalon rival if it were sold in the US.

A lifted Jeep rear-ended a customized Ferrari 458 Italia Friday night as both vehicles exited the Las Vegas Convention Center at the close of the week-long SEMA show.

It has become somewhat of a Sin City tradition to watch the parade of extravagant show cars leave the LVCC. Since SEMA is not open to the public, car enthusiasts line the streets of Paradise Road every year on the last day of the show, hoping to catch a glimpse of the animals as the circus leaves town.

This year, spectators got more than they bargained for as a customized Jeep Wrangler collided with the butt of a heavily modified baby-blue Ferrari 458. The Italia, wearing a $30,585 aero kit, belongs to Liberty Walk LB Performance, currently one of the hottest tuners in the aftermarket scene. The Japan-based tuning house specializes in extreme wide-bodied and lowered exotics ranging from BMW M3s to Nissan GT-Rs to Lamborghini Aventadors. The style is inspired by the bosozoku speed tribes of 1970s and 80s Japan.

A video of the incident begins while the camera is pointed at the Liberty Walk Aventador slowly moving through the post-SEMA traffic. Then, a gut-wrenching crunch followed by the absolute freak-out by spectators can be heard as the camera swivels to find the bumper of the Jeep nestled up cozily against the Ferrari’s rear deck and spoiler. As the Jeep backs up, half the spoiler comes with it.

To his credit, the always smiling Liberty Walk head honcho Wataru Kato made the best of the situation, rousing the crowd to cheers of “LB Performance!” and “Banzai!” He later posted on Facebook, “… nobody got injured and the guy hit our 458 did not do that on purpose. We are happy we had a great time with all people helped us at SEMA. See you guys next year again.”

To sate fans, SEMA introduced for the first time this year a SEMA Ignited after-show show that is open to the public. Watch two angles of the crash below (Warning: NSFW language expressed very loudly).

A low-resolution picture of a Japanese brochure has prematurely revealed the facelifted Mazda CX-5. The crossover is scheduled to make its debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show that will open its doors to the press and the public in a couple of weeks.
Visually, the CX-5′s front end gains modest updates including a new radiator grille with horizontal slats, smaller fog lights and LED headlights inspired by the ones found on the recently-introduced Mazda2. The usual assortment of new alloy wheel designs and paint colors seem to round out the list of updates.

Pictures of the interior were not leaked so whether or not Mazda has made any changes in the cockpit is up in the air.

What is nearly certain is that Mazda will not make any mechanical modification, meaning entry-level models will carry on with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft. of torque. Buyers after more grunt will be able to step up to a 2.5-liter four-cylinder good for 184 horsepower and 185 lb-ft. of torque.

Official information about the facelifted Mazda CX-5 will emerge over the coming weeks. The CX-5 is scheduled to go on sale across the nation next spring.

Stay tuned to Leftlane for live images of the CX-5 and of Mazda’s brand new Juke-fighting CX-3 straight from the show floor in Los Angeles starting on November 18th.

A new report coming out of Germany finds that BMW is in the early stages of developing a small crossover that will slot beneath the second-generation X1.
Tentatively called 1-Series Sports Cross, the crossover will share its front-wheel drive UKL platform with many current and upcoming members of the BMW lineup including the next-gen X1 and the 2-Series Active Tourer. It will be roughly the same size as a 1-Series hatchback but it will look noticeably more rugged thanks to a raised ground clearance and off-road-inspired styling cues.

Power for the 1-Series Sports Cross will likely come from three-cylinder gasoline- and diesel-burning engines found under the hood of the MINI Cooper and the aforementioned Active Tourer, among others. Front-wheel drive will come standard and all-wheel drive might be available at an extra cost on upper-end models.

If the rumor proves true, the BMW 1-Series Sports Cross will debut in 2019 at the very earliest. It is too early to tell whether or not the crossover will be sold in the United States or if it will exclusively be distributed across Europe and in China.

Entry-Level Expansion
The Sports Cross won’t be the only new body style when the next-gen 1-Series arrives. In addition to the expected three- and five-door hatchback variants of the car, BMW is currently developing a four-door sedan that will be aimed squarely at the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class and the Audi A3 sedan.