BMW’s third ‘X’ SUV, or SAC (Sports Activity Coupe) in BMW terms, has finally broken cover following a concept version that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. BMW will show the production model of the X6 at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13th.

The BMW X6 is expected to make its market debut in the second quarter of 2008 and will initially be available in two variants including the xDrive35i and the xDrive50i. The BMW X6 xDrive35i will be powered by a 3.0L inline 6-cylinder engine that produces 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. The xDrive50i will be powered by a 4.4L V8 engine that produces 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. Both models come with twin-turbo and direct injection. 0-60 for the xDrive50i comes in at 5.3 seconds.

Two diesel variants are also planned, the xDrive30d and xDrive 35d. Power will come from a 3.0L turbodiesel engine with outputs beings 235 horsepower for the xDrive30d and 286 horsepower for the xDrive 35d.

A diesel variant is planned following the launch of the gasoline models. The model will be called the xDrive35d and will carry BMW’s 3.0L sequential twin-turbocharged turbodiesel.

Update: The new BMW X6 xDrive35i will be the first to arrive in showrooms in April with prices starting at $53,275. The xDrive50i will arrive later this summer priced at $63,775.

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GM will debut one of the most anticipated cars of the year at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is said to be ‘an American supercar that brings the technology and engineering refinement of carbon-fiber, ceramics and electronics together in a distinctive design.’

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will be powered by the new LS9 supercharged 6.2L V8 engine officially produces 638-hp and 604 lb-ft of torque. The new Corvette ZR1 was built on the same aluminum-intensive chassis as the Corvette Z06 which features similar independent SLA front and rear suspensions, with aluminum upper and lower control arms. The ZR1, however, gets a new suspension tuning, which was optimized for the car’s steamroller-wide front and rear tires.

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will only be available with two options including chrome wheels and a “luxury” package when it hits dealerships next summer. Pricing is expected to be around $100,000.

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Chrysler showed off a new Dodge Challenger Concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show based on the famous 1970’s Dodge Challenger. After a positive response, a production version of the Challenger SRT8 was unveiled at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. The car will arrive in dealerships in late April carrying a price tag of $37,995 plus a gas guzzler tax of $2,100. The 2008 model year will be offered in three color including HEMI Orange, Brilliant Black and Bright silver. There will be no other models for 2008.

Power comes from a 6.1 liter HEMI V8 engine that produces 425 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. 0–60 mph comes in at the low 5-second range while 0–100–0 mph takes less than 17 seconds.

The whole production run of 6,400 cars is sold out.

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In the spring of 2008, BMW will be launching its next legend in the U.S. with the BMW 1-Series Coupe. Available in two versions, the 1-Series Coupe will come in two versions including the 128i and the 135i, both which share engines with the 328i and the 335i.

The 128i will be powered by a 3.0 liter inline 6-cylinder engine producing 230 horsepower. The 135i will be powered by BMW’s twin-turbocharged 3.0 liter inline 6-cylinder engine that produces 300 horsepower and a peak torque of 300 lb-ft. That gives the 135i the ability to do 0-62 mph in 5.3 seconds with a top speed of 155mph.

When the 1-Series Coupe arrives on U.S. soil it will carry a price tag of $29,375 for the base 128i and $35,675 for the 135i. BMW has also officially announced the BMW 1-Series Convertible which will also join the coupe in spring of 2008. The 1-Series Convertible will be powered by the same engine variants. Pricing will be announced closer to launch date.

Update: BMW has announced pricing on the 2008 BMW 1-Series Convertible for the U.S. Pricing for the 128i Convertible will start at $33,875 and $39,875 for the 135i Convertible.

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Lexus has never really been viewed as a high-performance auto maker that would compete with the likes of BMW’s ‘M’ models or Mercedes’ AMG. But at the 2007 North American International Auto Show, Lexus made a statement by revealing the IS-F as the first vehicle of the company’s high-performance F-Sport lineup. The ‘F’ badge, which stands for Fuji Speedway, will find its way on the GS sedan after the market debut of the Lexus IS-F.

Powered by a 5.0L direct-injection V8 engine, the Lexus IS-F produces 416 horsepower with a peak torque of 371 lb-ft. 0-62 comes in at 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 200mph. Lexus is also rumored to be working on a lighter and faster IS-F model dubbed the IS-F/R. Power for the IS-F/R is expected to come from a 5.0 liter V8 engine that pumps out 429 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque. Weight is expected to be dropped by 220 pounds through the use of some carbon fiber on the body along with a stripped down interior.

The Lexus IS-F went on sale in Japan on December 25th with a starting price of 7.66 million ($65,742). Globally, Lexus hopes to sell 7,000 units next year, 5,500 of those are estimated to come from the U.S.

Update: Lexus has announced the pricing of the U.S. spec IS-F at $56,000.

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Jaguar revealed the replacement for the S-Type at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show with the beautiful mid-size sports sedan called the Jaguar XF. Based on the Jaguar C-XF, the production version retains most of the sleek design from the concept besides minor changes to the front end. The new Jaguar XF gives the British auto maker a strong chance to compete with German rivals such as the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

In the UK, the Jaguar XF is available in four different variants including 2.7L V6 diesel, a 3.0L V6 producing 240 horsepower, a 4.2L naturally aspirated V8 producing 300 horsepower and a 4.2L Supercharged V8 producing 420 horsepower. In the U.S. the Jaguar XF will only come in a 4.2 liter V8 engine and a 4.2 liter Supercharged V8. The base 4.2 liter V8 Jaguar XF will go for $49,975 while the Supercharged variant is priced at $62,975.

Jaguar is also preparing a XF-R that is reported to be powered by a 500 horsepower V8 engine, giving it the ability to compete with the BMW M5 and the Mercedes E 63 AMG.

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Between 1969 and 1974, and then again between 1989 and 2002, Nissan offered high-performance car enthusiasts with what’s become an icon in the automotive industry, the Nissan Skyline GT-R. However, when Nissan debuted the successor of the supercar at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, it decided to drop the ‘Skyline’ badge but added more power and sexier looks, creating the hottest and fastest ‘Godzilla’ to date.

The new Nissan GT-R is powered by a 3.8 L twin-turbocharged DOHC V6 engine that produces 473 horsepower and a peak torque of 430 lb-ft. According to Nissan 0-62 comes in at 3.5 seconds but the guys Edmunds have managed a time of 3.3 seconds. Top speed is limited at 193mph. Nissan has confirmed a Nurburgring lap time of 7:38.54 seconds.

Nissan will begin taking orders for the brand new Nissan GT-R on January 1, 2008 while deliveries will begin sometime in June 2008. Nissan is allocating only 1,500 units of the GT-R for the U.S. next year with a starting price of $69,850. The premium model will run you $71,900.

It has been confirmed that Nissan is will introduce a lighter and more powerful GT-R called the GT-R Spec V. The Spec V will arrive in the U.S. in 2010.

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The 2008 BMW E92 M3 is the hottest M3 that the Bavarian auto maker has ever put out on the market. While the 2008 M3 resembles the E92 3-Series in every way, almost all the body panels are unique to the M3. The car is powered by a 4.0L V8 engine that produces 414 horsepower and a peak torque of 295 lb-ft. 0-62 mph comes in at 4.8 seconds.

The 2008 BMW M3 comes standard with a six-speed manual gearbox. While the SMG transmission option was originally expected to debut later next year, BMW is rumored to be planning on an all-new double clutch gearbox known as DCT. The transmission is expected to debut a year after the initial launch of the 2008 M3. BMW has also released the sedan version of the new M3. Both are expected to hit the U.S. market in spring of ‘08.

Updates:
- BMW announced pricing information for the BMW M3 Coupe and Sedan at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The BMW M3 Coupe will go on sale in March starting at $57,275 along with the M3 Sedan which will start at $54,575.

- The 2008 BMW M3 Convertible has also made its debut. Pricing starts at $65,725.

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