According to a report from Reuters, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., which owns Volvo, is ready to bet that U.S. consumers might like a few inches of extra rear legroom. The company plans to start offering the Volvo S60L in North America next year. The S60L debuted in China just in 2014 following the solid success of the S80L there, a long-wheelbase model which hit the market a few years after the debut of the second-generation S80 in 2006
The 2014 Volvo S60L features a wheelbase that has been stretched by 3.1 inches, for a total of 112.4 inches. Production of the S60L started in Chengdu, China, in October of 2013, and that car has been selling briskly by all reports. The lengthened wheelbase benefits rear-seat passengers, though the gain in legroom is greater than the gain in wheelbase as the interior has been refined as well for extra room in the back

For every luxury SUV out there, there is a luxury tuning company that wants to turn it up to 11. Well there's good news if you're an owner of a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL, and you think that it's just a little too plain for your tastes. Larte Design, a European tuning company based in Russia, wants to make your 2014 GL just a little more ostentatious with its first U.S.-market tuning kit dubbed “Black Crystal
For the low, low price of $28,000, you can add an “aggressive” sharply angled, crystal-inspired body kit, 22-inch alloy wheels, and a new exhaust system. The new front bumper will feature LED daytime running lights by German supplier Nolden, along with carbon fiber inserts, and lots of air intakes
Along the rear you'll find a Formula One-inspired brake light (so you can channel your inner Nico Roseberg), and a unique four-pipe stainless steel exhaust system. An ECU upgrade is available for European models only, but Larte says that they are working on one for the U.S. market
There is no word yet on the prices of individual parts as of this writing. You can go to Larte's website here to check out their other products and learn more about its “Black Crystal” package

This is how it starts. First the Audi Robotic Telepresence (ART) system, then Skynet. Well, maybe there are a few steps in between, but the slope is indeed slippery. Audi announced its newest servicing technology, the ART robotic system on Tuesday; it will allow Audi technicians at Audi of America to virtually diagnose vehicles at Audi dealerships across the country.
The ART technology will provide a one-on-one virtual link (think Skype for mechanics), which connects to a rolling robot that has a video screen and camera attached. The robot's mobility will allow the technician complete access to the vehicle in question. A borescope and handheld camera will allow technicians on location to show and diagnose problems that might be hard for the robot to access.
“ART was designed with both Audi technicians and consumers in mind,” says Brian Stockton, general manager, technical support, Audi of America. “The device will give local service technicians valuable one-on-one interaction with their counterparts at Audi of America, which will not only benefit the speed and depth of service at the dealer level but create an improved ownership experience for the customer in general.”
Audi hopes to implement the program at over 100 dealers nationwide. At the moment, Audi is testing pilot programs at a handful of dealers in various states. Dealers need only a Wi-Fi connection to implement the technology, which can be operated via tablet or a computer.
This technology represents a logical step in the diagnosis and repair of vehicles. If one looks a bit farther, however, this could be the first step toward fully automated vehicle servicing and the complete elimination of human mechanics (and possibly human error). Full autonomy is the future. Whether that's a good thing remains to be seen.

he Lancia Stratos, a car that needs no introduction, has seen astronomical appreciation lately. Rightfully so: Even if it hadn't won the 1974, 1975, and 1976 World Rally Championship in Group 4 racing, it would still look like a million bucks. Derived from the Stratos Zero, the most mind-bending concept car ever produced, the Stratos remains a brilliant reflection of an era defined by the Countach, the Carabo and the Modulo
What we have here is an original, low-mileage Stratos in reddish-orange, with a beige interior and gold wheels -- Lancia was doing bling rims when Subaru was still sweeping its warehouse of scattered 360s. After it rolled off the line in Turin (following a few miles on the roof, we hope) it went straight to London. It has just 54,800 kilometers on it -- 34,051 miles, most of those presumably inducing sheer terror. "The handling of the Stratos is so extremely well and off-course [sic] the power of the car is amazing," says the seller. "It is almost possible to feel every stone on the roadBut of course. The Stratos is that unholy combination of a short wheelbase, a sub-2,000-pound weight, a 200-hp, 2.4-liter V6 from a Ferrari Dino shoved in the back somewhere for a frightening 37/63 rear weight split, and the unsettling notion that if you crash one you'll have to declare bankruptcy. "The Stratos was somewhere between scary and suicidal for an unprepared driver," claims Sports Car Market. "The almost-square layout, once it starts to go it takes a very quick driver to catch it. As evidence, a friend of mine was almost killed during a demonstration ride on a residential street a few years back. The car was destroyed
Finally, a car that lives up to its aggressive looks