Pagani Huayra makes its official web debut

After taking a look at our high-res image gallery below, we were tempted to say the Pagani Huayra made its o-fish-ial web debut… but we won’t. Oh, wait.

In any case, Pagani’s newest supercar can now be seen in all its glory, and we generally approve of the overall styling, despite the fact it’s got something of a bottom-feeder fascia up front. Moving past that, we see a pretty serious set of gullwing doors and enough slats, flares and strakes to fill the sketchbook of a Boeing designer.

All those aero aids will surely come in handy when all the fury of the Mercedes-Benz AMG-built 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine is unleashed on the hapless pair of rear tires – the Huayra is said to be capable of speeds up near 230 miles per hour.

Over 700 horsepower and about 740 pound-feet of torque will be sent to the ground through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Couple that with a weight of just under 3,000 pounds – aided by copious amounts of carbon fiber – and you have the makings of a 21st century rear-wheel drive rocket ship.

Inside you’ll find all the luxury touches you’d expect, including a cockpit slathered in beautiful hides and exposed aluminum and carbon fiber. You’ll also bask in the glowing blue gauges and multi-function display that controls audio, navigation and communications gadgetry.

Even if we’re just a tad stuck on that front fascia, there’s simply no arguing with this level of performance. Have a close look at the Huayra below, then check out the (translated) press release after the break.

The new Ferrari Four from a different angle

Red may be the iconic color for Ferrari, but not all Ferraris look good in the company’s trademark scarlet shade. Especially the flagship four-seat GTs, like the outgoing 612 Scaglietti and the 456 GT that came before it. But just about every car looks best from the front 3/4 view. So it may have stricken some as a little odd that when Ferrari unveiled the new FF, it only released three initial shots: a front view, a rear view and the side profile… all in red.

Now it’s released a handful of additional photos, including three shots of the test mule drifting through snow banks from the launch video, plus the solitary three-quarter front/side view you see above in silver. Is it looking better? Worse?

Aston Martin V8 Vantage S packs more power, attitude

Aston Martin has found a way to turn up the heat on its V8 Vantage with a new S model. The coupe packs the same 4.7-liter V8 under the hood as its predecessors, though the mad scientists in Gaydon have managed to wrench a full 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque from the eight-pot. The engine is now bolted to a tweaked version of the company’s seven-speed SportShift II transmission with even shorter ratios than before and the combined effect should be more than enough to snap your neck in style.

The engineers also bolted in a quicker steering rack, huge rotors and six-piston calipers up front to ensure this machine can take whatever level of flogging you deem appropriate.

The design crew at AM specifically lifted cues from the even mightier V12 Vantage and the race-bredVantage GT4. That means buyers can expect to find a carbon fiber splitter low on the front fascia and a pair of wildlife-swallowing inlets designed to feed those massive stoppers. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Volkswagen has taken another step towards making the one-liter car a reality, and this 200 mile-per-gallon dream could be on the roads within the next few years.

The Formula XL1 Concept combines a two cylinder TDI engine, electric motor, lithium-ion battery pack and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to achieve an astonishing 0.9L/100 km – just over 260 mpg to us Yanks. The included plug-in system, along with the XL1′s low drag and extensive use of lightweight materials has the potential to make the concept the most efficient vehicle to ever grace public roads.

The XL1 is making its debut at the Qatar Motor Show this week, and while it might look familiar to previous iterations, this latest version is more production read than its predecessors. Check it out from every angle in the gallery below and click past the jump for the full details.

We’ve got good news for the oil-burning fans of United States. Car and Driver is reporting that Mercedes-Benzwants to sell eight diesel models in the land of the free by 2014, and one of those will be a C-Class.

Odds are that the vehicle won’t show up until 2013, and when it does, it will come packing the Silver Arrow’s 2.1-liter turbo diesel mill with 204 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. That same engine is likely to find its way into the nose of the GLK as well, though the pint-sized crossover is expected to show its face sooner than its sedan cousin.

The GLK is likely to hit showrooms in the fall of this year as a 2012 model. Car and Driver says that when it does, it could bring some tasty figures to the table, including a 0-60 time in the seven second range and fuel economy in the high 30s.

Currently, Mercedes-Benz serves up a diesel option in its E, M, GL and R-Class models. The S-Class is set to join that party by the end of 2011.

Report: Next Mini to undergo major styling overhaul

The minds at Mini may be itching to stretch their design legs with the next generation Cooper. According toAutocar, BMW design guru Adrian van Hooydonk said that the third-generation hatchback will be a bigger design leap than the current generation, though he wasn’t exactly willing to dive into more detail on the look of the vehicle. Hooydonk did say that his army of artists is approaching the car with a clean sheet of paper, with a special focus on the interior and its central-mounted speedo. Still, we’d be surprised if the company decided to walk too far away from the brand’s core image.

The original Cooper soldiered on with nary a design change for 40 years before finally getting the axe. To some degree, Mini has chained itself to that legacy, and while the addition of new models like the Clubmanand Countryman have helped the brand distance itself from the Mini mold, we’re guessing that future iterations of the Cooper will still be easily identifiable as members of the pint-sized family.

Super Bowl MVP will receive a Chevy Camaro Convertible

The Super Bowl is right around the corner, and that means one NFL player is close to winning their dream prize. No, we’re not talking about the Lombardi tropy, but the Pete Rozelle MVP award, and more importantly the prize car that goes along with it. This year, the winner will get to feel the breeze through their un-helmeted hair because General Motors is supplying a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible for the most valuable player.

Previously, GM supplied a long string of Cadillacs for Super Bowl MVPs, and the Escalade proved to be the most popular ride of choice. Now the General is using the coveted NFL stage to highlight its newest drop-top… probably a better way to spend its money considering a 30 second spot costs up to $3 million. Wait…GM is doing that too. No matter, check out the press release after the break for the official announcement.