Autos

South Korean automaker, Kia, has given its European customers a sneak peak of the new GT trim which will be available on the Kia pro_cee’d GT and cee’d GT. The new Kia vehicles are scheduled to make their world premiere at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in March. The differences between the GT and regular models are not yet known but we do know that the cars will be equipped with a turbocharged 1.6-liter GDI petrol engine which will product 201bhp and 195 lb-ft of peak torque. Those are some pretty decent numbers for a 1.6-liter motor.

The Kia pro_cee’d GT and cee’d GT will only be available in a six-speed manual gearbox and will be capable of performing the 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds. Not the fastest time out there for a vehicle of this size but considering it’s a relatively small motor, I can forgive it.

The hottest little car in the tuning world is about to turn up the heat a little more with the unveiling of the convertible Toyota FT-86 Open. The FT-86 name was given to the concept version of the now Scion FR-S, Toyota GT86, Toyota 86, and Subaru BRZ. The FT-86 Open is still a “concept” and it will be making its first public appearance at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Apparently the Toyota FT-86 Open is only one stage from the production trim.

No word yet on whether or when the North American Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ will be receiving the convertible versions of this vehicle. The Toyota FT-86 Open will continue to have a 2+2 seating configuration and besides the missing roof, the overall appearance of the vehicle looks the same as the standard coupe. Changes that we do know about include new alloy wheels, and a couple of body modifications such as the windshield to accommodate the retractable roof. The roof will be a soft-top but I’m sure after market companies will be quick to provide hard-top options offering several variants in terms of design.

Today we get our first official look at the all-new, face-lifted 2014 Porsche Panamera, following yesterday’s leaked images.  Personally, I can’t really find anything different about this new car compared to last year’s model, aesthetically, but I’ll take Porsche’s word for it.

Die-hard Panamera fans will probably notice the subtle cosmetic updates which include re-shaped headlights, LED taillights, new turn signals, front bumper with larger air intakes, and new placement for the license plate.