Michael Schumacher’s aborted comeback with Ferrari after Felipe Massa’s season ended with a head injury may have been canned prematurely.

And while we were all disappointed that Schumi’s return to F1 didn’t materialize, we now have rumors that the seven-time world champion may be returning to race in 2010.

The twist is it might not be with Ferrari.

Schumacher and Mercedes GP (formerly Brawn GP) are in ‘preliminary talks’ over the prospect of Schumi driving for the team in 2010. With Jenson Button’s sudden defection to McLaren, Mercedes GP has yet to find a teammate for Nico Rosberg and Schumacher’s name has been brought up recently. If Schumi does decide to race for Mercedes GP, it would create a vaunted all-German pairing that could rival both Ferrari and McLaren.

Looking deeper into all of this, it doesn’t seem as far-fetched as it sounds; after all, Schumacher’s relationship with team principal Ross Brawn has been well-documented with the pair being responsible for Ferrari’s dominance for the better part of the decade.

In the event that Michael Schumacher ends up in Mercedes GP, it automatically makes the 2010 F1 season all that more tantalizing, so much so, that March can’t come soon enough.

Michael Schumacher could make a comeback with Mercedes GP originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 20:00 EST.

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Among all of the states in the US, California holds the distinction of having the most exotics and supercars roaming around the streets. After all, the glitz and glamour that comes with being in California affords most people the moolah to get their hands on one.

So it comes with a tinge of irony that three of the biggest exotic makers – Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bentley – have all decided to skip the LA Auto Show

The news that three of the most prestigious manufacturers have decided to pass on LA when a spokesperson for the event told the Detroit Bureau that the decisions by Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini to skip LA hinged on the fact that they’ve decided to ‘put their resources to better use’.
Translation: “We don’t want to incur any unnecessary expenditures, like showing up for an event like the LA Auto Show.

Continued after the jump.

Ferrari, Bentley and Lamborghini to skip the LA Auto Show originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 14:13 EST.

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One of the downsides of owning a high performance vehicle is that as soon as winter approaches and the mercury drops, those sticky summer tires become hard and brittle and don’t work nearly as well as they did just a few months ago. Another issue with wearing your Sunday best while out playing in the snow is that every bit of salt and debris will do a number on your finely finished wheels. However the aftermarket manufacturer Cargraphic has come up with a combination to ensure that not only will your Aston Martin look as good as it can all year round, but owners won’t have to compromise their car’s level of grip either thanks to the combination of winter spec Cargraphic IS-ONE wheels and Dunlop Wintersport rubber for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and DB9 super sports cars.

Press release after the jump.

Aston Martin Vantage V8 and DB9 got Cargraphic winter wheels originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 18:00 EST.

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The German tuning firm MTM has released the official details about their upgrade package for the Audi TT-RS sports car. Inspired by the Ur-Quattro S1 from Group B rally racing, the MTM TT-RS combines a powerful turbocharged five cylinder engine with Audi’s patented Quattro all wheel drive system to create a compact tuner car that is capable of besting even R8 super car owners.

MTM is offering the power package in three different stages. The top of the line upgrade gives the lightweight four wheel drive a total of 424 HP, 84 more ponies then from the factory. This level of output allows the TT-RS to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in four seconds and reach a top speed of 184 MPH. The other to packages offer TT owners either 404 HP or 408 HP, now we aren’t quite sure as to what makes up the 4 HP difference between the two, and MTM wasn’t getting into the specifics. Rounding out the upgrade package, MTM has also fitted the TT-RS with a set of their signature BIMOTO sport rims available in either 19 or 20 inch diameters as well a variety of spacers to get the car’s stance just right. No matter which combination of power and style you choose, it will take a very exotic 5.2 Liter V10 for any other Audi to come close to the level of performance available from this MTM modified TT-RS.

Press release after the jump.

Audi TT-RS by MTM – official details revealed originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 16:00 EST.

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Yamaha’s 2010 European range will feature a FZ8 model instead of the FZ6, which was having troubles competing with other middleweight models such as the Kawasaki Z750 or the Aprilia Shiver 750 as a result of its R6 engine being designed for horsepower rather than torque. Although we have no official information about the all-new 2010 Yamaha FZ8, it seems that the new model will come to fix that, hopefully, by making use of a V-twin engine.

All that Yamaha has revealed so far is the future FZ8’s pretty face, but we can’t help wondering if it’s ever gonna make it to the United States. More information as we have it.

Teaser shot: 2010 Yamaha FZ8 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 15:48 EST.

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The German automaker Volkswagen has a long history with the independent motor vehicle manufacturing firm Karmann, most notably the classic VW Karmann Ghia that was styled by the Carrozzeria Ghia and constructed by the coach builder Karmann. More recently the Volkswagen Group announced that they have acquired the land, machinery and equipment at the Osnabrück site that formerly belonged to the Karmann holding company. The best part about the acquisition is that VW is planning on setting up a new manufacturing subsidiary and eventually break ground on a new project.

Production at the Osnabrück facility isn’t scheduled to begin until 2011, however current projections detail the creation of over 1,000 jobs by the year 2014. There has been no mention of whether VW will keep the Karmann staff on for the new project, however it would be foolish to let all of those experienced automotive craftsmen go due to their extensive experience building limited edition vehicles. One of the models that will be built at the Osnabrück site is the Volkswagen BlueSport diesel roadster as well as a drop top Cabrio version of the next generation Golf VI. It’s always nice to see old friends getting back together.

Volkswagen plans to build the BlueSport at former Karmann facility originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 15:30 EST.

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In 2010, Suzuki will celebrate 25 years of producing the GSX-R series and have created a limited edition GSX-R1000 for the occasion. Called the Suzuki GSX-R1000Z, the anniversary edition will only feature cosmetic differences compared to a standard GSX-R1000 K9 or K10 model (there’s no mechanical difference between the two model years anyway).

Only 1000 such bikes will be made and feature a gold or beige frame, swingarm and parts of the fairing combined with the dominant pearl white color on the fairing. Also, the Gixxer will feature 25th anniversary graphics on the fairing, mufflers, wheel rims and ignition key, as well as a serial number plate.

Suzuki plans to take the wraps off the GSX-R1000Z 25th anniversary edition this week at the NEC Show in Birmingham.

Suzuki GSX-R1000 "25th Anniversary Edition" originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 15:12 EST.

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Lexus recently unveiled the compact hybrid LF-Ch Concept earlier this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The forward thinking hatchback is a preview as to what the future of luxury will be all about, set to compete head to head with other efficient space saving luxury vehicles like the the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 when the LF-Ch makes its scheduled debut sometime in 2012.

In an official statement, Lexus General Manager Mark Templin said that “There is a group of buyers growing up now who won’t buy cars by the pound. We have already seen a structural shift to the smaller and lower-priced segments of the luxury market over the last couple years.” The compact premium segment has been strong in congested urban areas for years, especially in Europe. The challenge that not only Lexus but a host of other automakers are setting for themselves is how to get the American market to warm up to the idea of paying mare and getting less. One of the steps that will most likely be taken when the LF-Ch becomes production ready is the use of a conventional power train in order to pass the savings along to the customer, but with any success you can expect Toyota to release a hybrid versions shortly after.

Lexus LF-Ch Concept could be going into production by 2012 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 15:00 EST.

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The new generation BMW 5-Series sedan made its world debut today, and like everyone expected it comes with no surprise. The design takes cues from both the 7-Series and the 5-Series GT and offers the 5-Series a more elegant look.

The new 5-Series will be offered with a V8 engine and three six-cylinder petrol engines as well as two six-cylinder diesels. Line-up includes: BMW 520d with 184 hp, 535i powered by a straight-six with BMW TwinPower Turbo, High Precision Injection and VALVETRONIC with 306 hp, BMW 528i with 258 hp and BMW 523i with 204 hp. The top of the line, the 550i is powered by a V8 engine with 407 hp.

Diesel line-up includes: BMW 530d with an output of 245 hp and the BMW 525d with 204 hp. All the new 5-Series models come equipped with the new eight-speed automatic transmission. The BMW 550i comes as standard with BMW’s automatic transmission optimized for efficiency, just like EPS Electric Power Steering featured on all models.

Press release after the jump.

BMW 5-Series Sedan originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 23 November 2009 14:33 EST.

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