It’s not exactly to the awesomeness level of the skiing Lamborghini Gallardo but the first official video of the Volkswagen Polo GTI looks to be having its own fun running around in the snow.

The video shows a lot of action sequences of the Polo GTI frolicking in the snow and the smallest GTI from Volkswagen seems to be having a pretty good time doing so. Powered by a relatively light 1.4-liter twin-charged petrol engine, the Polo GTI produces as much as 180 horsepower and 250Nm of torque. It’s got a top speed of 142 mph and can clock a 0-100kmh time of just under seven seconds (6.9 seconds).

Video: 2011 Volkswagen Polo GTI has fun in the snow originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 12 March 2010 05:30 EST.

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After filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy last June, GM has decided to launch a marketing campaign centered on “Excellence for Everyone”. The new campaign will feature more of the Corvettes and Camaros we all love. The Detroit automaker doesn’t do a good enough job leveraging those iconic names to help the Chevrolet brand, according to Mark Reuss, president of GM North America.

“When have you ever seen ’Vettes and Camaros in ads for Equinox and Malibu?” he wrote in a web chat with the Detroit Press. “This will change.”

Change is something that GM should be getting accustomed to. This effort to boost sales comes after a new CEO, multiple restructurings, and the closing down of some of their dealerships (and then the reopening of some).

We should see the news ads appear sometime in the next couple of months and although the marketing campaign is centered on “Excellence for Everyone”, Reuss assures that this will not be Chevy’s new tagline.

GM To Launch “Excellence for Everyone” Campaign originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:23 EST.

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Carl Edwards received a three race probation as his punishment for the intentional wreck he caused at the Kobalt Tools 500 last Sunday. The probation will cover the races at the Bristol Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix International Raceway. This decision comes after NASCAR’s statement back in January about wanting to loosen the grip they had on the drivers by letting them police themselves.

“We’re promoting typical NASCAR driving, side-by-side racing with our type of race cars; and that’s what we talked about back in January,” Helton said “A lot of that came from the conversation of NASCAR taking stock of its rules and regulations to back away from the grip we may have on drivers that caused the driver to pull up to a car and say, ’Well, I think I can get around him, but maybe I can’t. And if I hit him, I don’t want to pay the price for what that costs.’

“So we were telling the drivers and telling the public that we told the drivers that we were going to back off on that grip we had. But there is a line you can cross. When you cross that line in our opinion, we’re going to get involved with you.”

Although some claim that this punishment is just what the racing doctor ordered, others say that Edwards got off too easy and should have further consequences to his actions. Drivers such as Carl Long, Robby Gordon, and Kevin Harwick, who have had their share of infractions with NASCAR state they feel NASCAR was too easy on Edwards.

Want to know what some NASCAR drivers think of the decision? Follow the jump for their comments plus the full story.

Edwards Placed On Three Race Probation originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:22 EST.

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The first customized Honda CR-Z made its first testings at the Suzuka test track. And while the video only shows the interior of the car, we can’t wait to see the final product!

Video: Honda CR-Z by Noblesse testing at Suzuka originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 11 March 2010 17:30 EST.

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The German tuner Kicherer has revealed the E50 Coupe tuning kit based on the Mercedes E500 coupe. Thanks to an software update and a sports exhaust system, the V8 engine’s power has been increased by 42 hp and 20 NM. And while in the standard model the top speed has been limited to 155 mph, in the tuner version it goes up to 205 mph.

The aerodynamic kit includes: a front lip, side skirts, a rear diffusor and special mirror casings. All components are made of top quality and ultra-light carbon. The car sits on 20 inch wheels.

Press release after the jump.

Kicherer E50 Coupe originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:00 EST.

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Could this be the Audi of the future? Maybe not, but it nonetheless is a very interesting design study.

Designed by noted designer Adriano Mudri, this concept study of the Audi RS7 combines an R8-inspired rear end with Lamborghini’s trademark scissor doors.

What’s more, similar to the side-plate on the Audi R8, the whole rear part of the Audi RS7, which contains the motorization, is a unique design feature that’s distinctive from its competitors. It’s aim is to make it easier and signalize the different engine configurations and compulsion varieties. Headlights with new LED- technology, which are very typical for an Audi badged car, are reduced to the maximum and “underline” the possibilities of this technology.

Audi RS7 Design Study originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:26 EST.

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As evidenced by its not-so-subtle appearances in this new promo video, Kia wants us to think of one word when talking about the new Sportage: ‘wow’

For the most part, it’s hard not to agree with that; releasing one of the most entertaining promo videos helps a lot too. Combining colorful graphics with some pretty slick shots of the Tucson’s exterior and interior – we love the orange stitching on those seats – this promo video hits the mark in, well, ‘promoting’ the Sportage. Not to the full extent of ‘wow’, but close enough.

The Sportage actually shares its platform with its local Hyundai counterpart, the Tucson, so if you can attest to the overall package of the Tucson, chances are you’re going to feel the same way for the Sportage.

As it stands, the Sportage is set for a fall arrival in the US and similar to the Tucson, will also come with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a later option for a smaller 2.0-liter variant.

Kia releases promo video for new Sportage originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 11:30 EST.

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We’re seen a lot of ‘Parking Fail’ photos over the years, but we can’t recall anything that can come close to what this guy is thinking. Yeah sure, parking is one of the most annoying things drivers have to live through, especially when the lot you’re going around on has parked cars to the brim.

While some drivers are patient enough to wait for a spot to open up, others – or the impatient types – tend to get a little too creative with how to find a parking space. Unfortunately, the drive of this Volkswagen Corrado isn’t the patient type but sure as heck is creative.

The only problem is his supposed ‘creativity’ can also be described as ‘idiocy’. Who in their right mind would park their car underneath a Monster truck – in this case, a monsterized Chevy GMT400? We’re thinking that the options boil down to types: either the ones that are lacking in functioning brain cells or those that have a car that doesn’t exactly come across as compliment-
inviting.

Either way, this is the epitome of ‘Parking Fail’, or just so we can go on a different direction; there’s nothing ‘FTW!’ about this man’s choice of parking space.

The Embodiment of ‘Parking Fail’ originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 9 March 2010 19:00 EST.

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Polyphony Digital has managed to create a trailer that has reminded us just how much we want Gran Turismo 5. As if we needed a reminder. It starts off with a few night shots that slowly start to rev up your engines before the trailer erupts into a series of high speed scenes. The trance music accompanying the trailer makes your heart race as you see images of the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG fly by the screen. Added to the mix are more racing scenes, a crash, and some NASCAR. All I can say is that I want more.

And don’t worry; if you haven’t had a chance to pick up a PS3, there is a quick reminder at the end of the trailer as to how much one costs.

Gran Turismo 5 “Nights” Trailer Leaves Us Begging For More originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 9 March 2010 16:18 EST.

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