Like any good crossover, under the larger wheels and slightly beefier body lies the A-Class compact car.  Inside there’s a lot of flash and luxury from the contrasting aluminum and natural leather, but most of the main components are already on Mercedes production cars.

While the car bigger brother, the GLK is known for having one of the largest engines in its class, the GLA will carry a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder motor.  The engine, which is likely lifted from the A-Class 250 Sport, seems to be the prerequisite capacity to fit into the small crossover class.  Its 211 hp will likely fit in well as it is about the same as the 2.0-liter turbo in the Audi, and BMW has to move up to a six-cylinder for that kind of power.  The seven-speed automatic transmission is one more gear than the BMW, the same as the Audi, and two less than the Range Rover.

While Mercedes has been a bit reluctant to send the A-Class over to the U.S. in the past (small, premium hatches aren’t usually our thing,) the GLA crossover is one they’ll get on this side of the Atlantic as soon as they can.  Still, we can’t be sure exactly when the small crossover will arrive because Mercedes has not yet even taken off the wild concept car pieces (like detachable roof-mounted cameras) to show us the production car that lies underneath.  Of course, we don’t have to squint too much to see the shape that will occupy M-B dealers in the near future.

While the details are scarce on this one, it seems to be about the same size as the MG Icon that was unveiled in Beijing last year (Shanghai and Beijing alternate who gets the show every year.)  We suspect Anthony Williams-Kenny, who penned both the Icon and the CS concepts, might have taken a little public heat for incorporating too many classic MG sports car elements into the Icon, and this is what can be done when designing with a more modern tone.  If this does have its roots in the Icon, then we can likely expect the 107 hp 1.5-liter engine as part o the package.

Styling concessions may have also been made to appeal more to Chinese customers.  Currently SAIC owns MG, and although much of the styling is preformed in England, production and most of the sales happen much further east.  We’ll probably know more on how this one is supposed to handle the roads of China and Europe when the full car is shown publicly, but for now, we’ll just have to take the word of MG that this car, “oozes British design flair while embracing the sporting DNA of MG, an iconic brand.”

If these pictures look at all familiar, it might just be more than a coincidence.  The Detroit Electric SP:01, has a profile that is a dead ringer for the Lotus Elise.  It makes sense considering this small company is filled with ex-Lotus employees, but it does feel a little odd considering Tesla has already fished these exact waters from 2008-2012 with their roadster.  Regardless, the Detroit Electric people say that the carbon fiber bodywork is “all-new”.

What should excite the speedy eco crowd is Detroit Electric says is car can achieve a 0-62 mph time of 3.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 mph.  This is a achieved by mating a 201 hp, 166 lb ft of torque electric motor with a vehicle that weighs in a very Lotus-like svelte 2,354 lbs.  Those using the SP:01 as a performance car will likely not get the full 190-mile battery range.

Inside, the party piece is a interface the company calls SAMI (Smartphone Application Managed Infotainment).  It does all the main functions found in other cars such as radio controls and satellite navigation, as well as the necessary battery range calculators.  What makes this a bit unique is that is can also act as a remote control unit, enabling the user to locate the vehicle, turn on the climate control system, and check the charge status.

The Detroit Electric SP:01 will cost $135,000 when it hits the international market this summer.  While it may seem a bit much, used Tesla Roadsters are currently listed for not much less, and they don’t come with the 3-year/30,000-mile warranty of the SP:01.  Plus, Detroit Electric says they plan to limit production to only 999 examples of this roadster before moving on to, “two other high-performance models that will enter production by the end of 2014.”

Detroit Electric is more than just reviving the name of a forgotten electric car icon, it is also holding true to the name by keeping their headquarters and factory in the Detroit area.  So we are a bit hopeful to see this ambitious company find a success where few others have.

The next WRX will not disappoint the loyal as Subaru will once again be delivering a high horsepower AWD champion.  Just how much power, though, remains to be known.  The current WRX makes 265 hp (305 hp for the STI), and we would expect this to be the same of better.  Subaru is a company that is becoming known for better efficiency, so some of the performance may really come from with the new WRX that spawns from this concept may just be about the car going on a stricter diet.

As usual, the next WRX will be Impreza-based.  Sure this one has some huge fenders, quad tail pipes, carbon fiber roof, and new hood scoop, but squint hard at this WRX, and the lines of Subaru’s more pedestrian sedan become clear.  What is more apparent is that the production car will fall in between the wild of this concept and the mild of the current Impreza.

When will we see this compromise? As impatient car addicts, we always feel the sooner, the better.  So hopefully will see a street-ready version before the LA show this fall.

The changers for the 2014 Camaro include a more angular front end with meaner looking headlights.  Around the back the taillights that took their inspiration from the second generation Camaro had the clock turned back even further as this update looks a bit more like the 1969 (gen 1) Camaro.  Not a whole lot of the major body parts changed on the 2014 Camaro, and honestly, the mild revision to the now four-year old Camaro would probably not get too much of our attention if it wasn’t for the gravity of the Z/28.

The heart of the beast is the 7.0-liter LS7 small block V8 from the outgoing Corvette Z06.  It makes 505 hp in that car, so we expect power to be about the same.  For those wondering why Chevrolet would do this when they already have the 580 hp Camaro ZL1.  Well, just like the original 1967 version, the 2014 Camaro Z/28 is about offering a balance of good power and good weight.  In fact, there is a 300 lbs difference between the current ZL1 and Z28.

It is not all just engine in this package.  There is an aero package that includes front and rear spoilers. Chevrolet is particularly proud of the spool-valve suspension dampers that have multiple settings for track maneuvers. Keeping all this on the road are 19-inch wheels on Pirelli PZero Trofeo R tires and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes.  “We made nearly 200 changes to improve the track performance, which cumulatively make the Z/28 capable of 1.05 g in cornering,” according to Mark Stielow, Camaro Z/28 engineering manager.  “For perspective, with all other things, equal increasing maximum grip from 1 to 1.05 g can cut up to four seconds per lap.”

We’ll take their word on all the improvements for now, but we’ll certainly want to test it all out for ourselves sometime very soon.

Since we had to wait all this time for the Rolls-Royce Wraith, we are happy to report that the initial information indicates this car is more than just a Ghost with suicide doors.  For starters, both the Ghost and the Wraith are powered by the same twin turbo BMW-based 6.6-liter V12 engine, but the 624 hp in the coupe represents about an 11% improvement over the sedan.  This power boost means the coupe is the most powerful flying lady ever (with the exception of The Beast.)  Rolls-Royce says this shaves the sedan’s 0 to 60 time by 0.3 seconds down to 4.4 seconds.  If true, the Wraith is faster than the Porsche 911 Carrera.

That kind of performance sounds very uncharacteristic from the gentlemanly Rolls-Royce, and the company would seem to agree as they were quick to point out that,  “(the) Wraith is no GT bruiser.”  Rolls claims that they can make this coupe agile without compromising the famously comfortable ride.  Possibly the most interesting piece that is working behind the scenes to make sure everything cushy is the 8-speed automatic ZF transmission.  It now works in conjunction with the GPS system to predict what gear will be needed by analyzing the road ahead.

The Wraith’s exterior is a great piece of classic styling.  Although it carries the face of the Ghost, everything from the A-pillar going back is much sportier than the sedan.  In fact, the thick B-pillar that creates the fastback design almost is reminiscent of the classic Bentley S2 Continental coupes (built when Rolls owned Bentley.)

Where the Wraith is the most obviously based on the Ghost is on the carried over interior.  Those privileged few who have been behind the wheel of the Ghost will feel very much at home in the Wraith.  There is plenty of plush leather and real wood…and all of it is a dead ringer for the Ghost.

The pricing has only been announced for the European market so far.  Judging by the Rolls-Royce Wraith’s €245,000 cost, we will likely get it for no less than $275k by the time it reaches our shores later this year.

While there are only a few exterior modifications from the everyday A-Class five-door, there is a lot going on underneath the skin.  Mercedes is doing right by this muscled-up little guy and replacing the standard front-wheel drive (that could likely never handle the power) and replacing it with AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive with the three-stage dynamic ESP.  AMG also upgrades the suspension to a beefier three-link front and four-link rear.  The six-speed manual is traded in for the Mercedes SPEEDSHIFT DCT seven-speed paddle-shift sports transmission.  If any of this seems familiar, that’s because a lot of this is available on other AMG upgraded Mercedes cars…just never on a car this small before.

The idea here is simple, offer more power than a BMW 740 in a package the size of the 1-Series.  The A 45 even beats out the very limited run 1-Series M by 20 hp.  The only bad part is that we won’t see any variations of the Mercedes A-Class until the 2014 model year, and this ultimate hot hatch will likely not be the first one off the boat.

We’ll get to see the Mercedes A 45 AMG in person next month when it debuts at the Geneva Motor Show.  Sales will begin shortly thereafter with availability spreading through most of Europe by the end of this summer.  Pricing has not been announced yet, but expect this little guy to have a large price.

This same V8 is utilized by the AMG version of the Mercedes C-Class sedan, and today that finally breaks the 500 hp barrier with the unveiling of the C 63 AMG Edition 507.  As the name would suggest, this version uses the 6.2-liter motor from the normal C 63, but now it pumps out 507 hp.  With this new power, the top speed gets lifted from 155 mph to 174 mph.

This car is likely not much of a stretch for AMG.  The C 63 AMG in its basic form makes 451 hp, but they’ve already have packaging in place that takes the forged pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft of the SLS to boost power to 481 hp.  This next evolution just seems to want to slam a the door on its German rivals (after all, this is info is coming out before the Geneva Motor Show where BMW is expected to show off the new M3).

Available on the international market as a coupe, sedan, or wagon, Edition 507 cars also get special touches like a hood that resembles the C 63 AMG Black Series.  This is likely no accident as this special edition car is likely a slightly more pedestrian version of the wild machine.

The limited edition car comes standard with special lightweight 19-inch wheels painted in black or silver.  The Edition 507 also has more stopping power thanks to larger composite brakes with six-piston aluminum calipers on the front and four-piston units at the rear.  This helps reduce unsprung weight and adds to this car’s 4.2 second 1-100 kph (0-62 mph) performance — about 0.3 better than the standard C 63.

According to Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG’s management board, the Edition 507 was developed because, “We are offering our loyal customers an attractive model variant which boasts even higher performance and at the same time is visually exciting.”  So although there has been no pricing announced yet, this special edition AMG is beginning to sound like it comes with the kind of exclusivity reserved for only those with very deep pockets.  But hey, at least this car comes with a free trip to the AMG Driving Academy.

To start with, the 6.0-liter V12 engine jumps from 470 hp to 550.  This 17% difference may seem like an amazing leap, but it is within Aston’s grasp considering the new Vanquish gets 565 hp out of the same motor.  All the extra power under the hood will now put the super sedan’s 0-60 mph time in the sub-five seconds category.

Outside, Rapide S loses the pronounced double-bar front end, and it is replaces with a prominent single grille.  The lower part of the intake is masked by a darker carbon fiber panel, which give the body-colored side elements almost a winged effect.  While this tweaked face helps remind Ford that there is only one Aston Martin sedan, the design seems to be more motivated by updating elements from the new DB9.  The rear end also is modified to include a little more of a ducktail.

Inside, Aston is offering more luxury options like a piano black package and some handsome red and black leather sport seats for all four occupants.  Oddly, the new instruments from the Vanquish have not yet made it into the Rapide S.  Although we will likely see that upgrade soon now that the Rapide production has moved back home to Aston’s headquarters in Gaydon, England.

We don’t yet have word on a price, but it likely won’t stray too far from $210k.  We’ll know more as these sedans get closer to our shores in the upcoming months.  Until then, enjoy a few more details from the launch video:

Last year at the North American International Auto Show we were first introduced to the Chevy Volt of full-size pickups by Bob Lutz.  VIA’s plan involves taking Chevrolet Silverados from Lutz’s former employer and sandwiches a 402 hp electric motor and lithium ion batteries into the frame.  The vehicles can be run as a plug-in hybrid with the truck’s 5.3-liter V8 gas engine used to generate electric power after the battery’s 40-mile range is exhausted.

As VIA returned to the Detroit show for an encore year they must have decided that electric trucks was not going to be enough to lure the masses to their booth.  So the company hired Duo de Luna, a two-woman trapeze act to warm up the crowd.  Somebody at VIA knew what they were dong because not only was this tandem high wire act pure art, but also it didn’t hurt to present the majority male auto press with a two attractive women in costumes worthy of a European auto show.  It sure beats any magic act put on by Audi (yes, Audi really did hire a magician.)

If this wasn’t enough, before we got to see Maximum Bob give his speech on maximum power trucks, the crowd was treated to a hologram in which Lutz had a conversation with Mr. Lightbulb, Thomas Edison.  The hologram was less 2Pac live and more pulled from a Disney dumpster, which was a shame because it turns out the company’s products can stand out on their own.

Short-shorts and historical icons couldn’t distract from the real main showcase, the concept XTrux.  This truck’s blocky stance, custom bull dog front end, huge fenders, off-road tires, and suspension kit seem to borrow a direct page from GMC’s Sierra All-Terrain HD Concept from a few years ago — not too surprising since VIA is still utilizing GM’s current full-size trucks that are on their way out the door.

What’s particularly interesting about the 4×4 XTrux concept is that it has two of VIA’s electric motors installed to make a grand total of 804 hp.  There really isn’t much practical use for an extended-range electric desert runner, except for possibly getting to repeat to everyon  Lutz’s overzealous remark that, “It has the power of a monster truck and the fuel economy of a Prius.”

Back in reality, VIA also debuted another car that is much less exciting but much more useful.  The Presidential is a luxury-optioned Suburban with extended-range electric capability.  This has always seemed like the most logical path for consumer use of VIA’s vehicles.  After all, these large luxury green machines can serve everyone from the CEO of Whole Foods to celebrities who want to appear eco-friendly but don’t want to give up the SUV.

While it may seem that we are overly positive on VIA’s products, we are just being optimistic.  There is still a large gap between VIA Motors and success.

Although the company has upgraded their plans from using GM’s 4.3-liter V6 to a larger V8 to generate the electric power, these still have shortcomings compared to standard trucks.  For example, torque on the electric motor is now up to 295 lb-ft, which is about as much as a mid-range 4.8-liter Silverado has.  Still, the extra weight of the electric motor and batteries limits payload capacity (full details in the last VIA story).

The true test of its capabilities will come as VIA begins to get trucks and vans on the road later this year to customers such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Verizon.  If they can grab a corner of the commercial vehicle market and a few deep-pocket green-minders, then maybe this startup automaker can stick around long enough to hire a full circus to entice us at next year’s show.