There's something deliciously old-school about the Land Rover Defender. The product of continuous development since 1948 and produced in its current form since 1983, the Defender is to SUVs what the Porsche 911 is to sports cars: unapologetically faithful to its original form. But while the iconic Land Rover is still the very embodiment of the go-anywhere vehicle, the company is reportedly preparing to give it a complete overhaul.

Initial reports pertaining to the development of a new vehicle typically come with few details because inside sources remain tight-lipped. In this case, it appears that there are no details to be divulged simply because Land Rover hasn't decided what they'll be yet. At this point, according to British reports, JLR is intensively studying what is needed before it goes ahead with development – which strikes us as a smart course of action when you're dealing with replacing a vehicle as legendary as the Defender.

All we know at this point is that the new Defender is likely to feature a highly adaptable chassis on which will be built a wide variety of body types, from convertibles to wagons to pickups. After Land Rover does finally decide on the way forward, it is expected to unveil a concept sometime in early 2013 before it can begin production in 2015.



[Source: Autocar]

Every year, more than 150,000 folks stroll through the halls of the Petersen Automotive Museum. The crowds have been coming to the Los Angles auto-institution since 1994, when the doors were first opened. And it looks like those doors will remain open for many years to come thanks to a very large donation by Margie Petersen and the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation. When we say "large" we mean it, because Mrs. Petersen just handed over $100,000,000 to the Petersen Museum Foundation.

Now, before you jump out of your seat because of all those zeros, we have to explain a bit more about that figure. This $100,000,000 donation is comprised of the 300,000 square foot building, cars that were part of Robert E. Petersen's personal collection, an undisclosed influx of cash (described as a "substantial unrestricted financial gift") and a "matching challenge."

We wanted to find out a little more with regards to just how this $100 million donation breaks down. A quick call to Buddy Pepp, Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Musuem, helped shed some light on the matter. While Mr. Pepp could not disclose the exact amount of the cash gift they're receiving, he did say that value is "enormous." He went on to state that it's "breathtaking" and will "enable us to do all the things we've wanted or need to do. It will catapult us to a world-renowned status. This donation will allow us to fulfill Bob Petersen's vision." Not only that, the "matching challenge" will make sure that the directing board keeps pushing to help the museum continue to grow.

We were hoping to get to the juicy details, and hear an exact figure, but it's good to know that the Petersen Museum is going to allow people of all ages to get a glimpse of automobiles from all eras. In fact, the total number of vehicles being donated from Petersen's private stock is 135, and that includes a handful of motorcycles as well. It's an incredibly generous gift from a couple that already give to many other groups and charities.

[Source: Petersen Automotive Museum]

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San Francisco hidden garage – Click above to view video after the jump

The only thing separating this urban San Francisco garage from true brilliance might be the gaudy "No Parking" sign plastered to it. While the sign is definitely useful for keeping pesky commuters from parking in front of your well-disguised garage, it kills just a little of the structure's mystique.

That said, the garage door/facade arrangement's double-hinge operation is nothing short of masterful, and we shudder to think how much time, money and blood sweat and tears the setup took to pull off. Once the door has swung out of the way, it reveals a surprisingly large amount of space, for any number of automotive shenanigans, without the threat of passerby getting a peak at your toys.

For privacy, a drool-worthy D.I.Y. ethic, and not scarring the street with another ugly garage door, this workspace is is right up there near the top of the heap. True, its practical purposes may be somewhat limited, but to those who appreciate this kind of engineering, that should be of little concern. See the garage in action after the jump. Thanks to all for the tips!

[Source: YouTube]

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The domination of racing teams and the factories that support them wax and wane across countless motorsports disciplines around the world from year to year. But arguably none has continued to dominate like Audi at Le Mans. Since the turn of the millennium, Audi has won the iconic French endurance race every year but two: In 2003 when its own sister company Bentley took top honors, and in 2009, when its chief rival, Peugeot took the win.

Audi has introduced a succession of sports prototype racers to uphold its honor, from the original R8 through the R10 TDI and the R15 TDI that won last year. The latest is the closed-cockpit R18 TDI, which the German automaker has yet to field in an actual race but which has now undergone its first test sessions in the full battle livery you see here.

The trio of silver and black racers will again be differentiated by the red, yellow and black highlights, and feature a number of body parts crafted from carbon fiber, giving the R18 TDI a lightweight form on which Audi is banking to fend off Peugeot, which started off the season strong by defeating the outgoing R15 at Sebring.

Will the new R18 prove capable of shutting out its French rivals for the title event at Le Mans this coming June? We'll have to wait and see, but with the preliminary test sessions at the Circuit de la Sarthe reinstituted this past weekend after a two-year absence, the Audis were on top of the time sheets, the Peugeots only narrowly beating out the third of them. Follow the jump for press releases from the Paul Ricard and La Sarthe test sessions and take a closer look in the high-resolution image gallery below.



[Source: Audi]

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Lexus has been the king of luxury car sales in the U.S. for over a decade, but Toyota's high-end brand will likely lose its crown in 2011, due at least in part to the March 11 earthquake in Japan.

Certainly, Lexus was already facing a great deal of pressure from rivals like BMW and Buick, but Automotive News reports that Toyota VP and Lexus Group Manager Mark Templin says dealers are down to a 30-day supply of most models, and that vehicle shortages will be felt as early as this week. The problem is that some key components from Japan come from plants that are still shut down as a result of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The Lexus CT 200h is reportedly close to sold out due to the issues.

Further complicating matters is the fact that Lexus ramped up the leasing business three years ago, and those customers will soon be bringing back their luxury rides in large numbers. That's good news for dealers looking for products to sell, but it's bad for customers who may not have the ability to purchase a new Lexus model.

The automaker is looking to ease this issue by offering six-month lease extensions. At the same time, Templin knows many customers will simply purchase their lease vehicle outright, and he's asking dealers not to gouge those customers. The fear is that a shortage of models will result in more demand than supply, which could then jack up the price of Lexus models to unreasonable levels.

Since the automaker appears to be out of the running for the 2011 luxury sales crown, it seems natural that Lexus will come back with a vengeance in 2012. But Templin says the automaker may never again grab the sales crown, since luxury car makers are aiming down-market to improve corporate fuel economy averages. Templin opines that it won't be long before a luxury car maker hits 500,000 sales in a year.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

With such a broad (and ever-expanding) range of products, Mercedes-Benz is always bound to be introducing something new at any given moment. And in this case, the German automaker has officially confirmed pricing for its new CLS.

Joining the Three-Pointed Star is the swoopy new 2012 CLS. Mercedes will offer the second-generation four-door coupe as both the CLS550 (with 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8) and CLS63 AMG (with 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8) guise at $71,300 and $94,900, respectively (*plus $875 in destination charges). Follow the jump for the official announcement that also details how much cash you'll need to secure your own 2012 SLK roadster, whose pricing we revealed last week at the New York Auto Show.



[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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Brock Yates, Jr. joins Chris Shunk, Dan Roth and Chris Paukert for Autoblog Podcast #227 to talk about the 2011 Tire Rack One Lap of America, which starts this weekend. The crew also recaps the New York International Auto Show, Mitsubishi pulling the plug on the Eclipse and Endeavor, the push for standardizing push-button starting systems and your feedback and questions with the Q&A module. We've re-posted the Q&A at the bottom of this post so you can play along at home, too. Thanks for listening, we'll see you next week!

Autoblog Podcast #227: with Brock Yates, Jr. of One Lap of America, New York recap and more!

• New York Auto Show Wrap-up
• Mitsubishi to kill off Eclipse, Endeavor
• Fed mulling regulating push-button start
• Scion iQ delayed due to parts shortages
• Hyundai launches Assurance trade-in value guarantee

In the Autoblog Garage:

2012 Acura TL SH-AWD
2011 Kia Optima SX Turbo
2011 Infiniti M35h
2012 Mazda CX-7

• Runtime: 01:35:20

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It's rare enough to find one Lancia Delta Integrale for sale in North America. It's rarer still to find an example of one of the special edition cars Lancia made over the last two years of the Delta Integrale's life cycle. This week, though, Bring a Trailer is featuring two such cars from one Canadian seller.

The first car is one of 400 1992 Lancia Delta Integrale Martini 5 Special Editions, built to commemorate Lancia's fifth World Rally Championship. The Martini 5 also marked the first run of special edition Integrales. According to the seller, this one has been upgraded with Martini 6 decals, 17-inch Speedline wheels and a catalytic converter-less Group B exhaust system.

Inside, there's an aftermarket OMP steering wheel, Alcantara trim and a pair of delicious Recaro buckets. The seller says he still has the original wheels if the 17s are a bit much. Though the car is apparently street legal in Canada, it will need a catalytic converter if it's going to pass a smog test in Vancouver. Those of us in the States will have to make do with a show and display exception, or wait until the car is 25 years old before it can be registered.

The second car is one of 250 1994 Lancia Delta Integrale Edizione Finale cars made specifically for the Japanese market. Like all Edizione Finales, this example wears Rosso Amarento paint, and carries a laundry list of the Delta's most desirable options. That means a set of anthracite gray 16-inch Speedline wheels, push-button start, carbon fiber trim, aluminum pedals, a passenger footrest and the same Recaro furniture that graces the Martini Delta. On top of all that, the Edizione Finale received a bump to 250 horsepower, thanks to revised engine management.

Both cars are available exclusively through BaT, though we doubt they'll be sticking around too long given their rarity and desirability. Unfortunately for us, they're priced accordingly. The 1992 Martini 5 car is listed at a heady $80,000, while the 1994 Edizione Finale is "just" $65,000. Head over to Bring A Trailer for more.




[Source: BringATrailer]

We've taken a couple crazy cab rides in our lifetime, but we've never paid up for a ride that took us from New York to Los Angeles. John Belitsky and his buddy Dan Wuebben have done the deed, though, with cabbie Mohammed Alam providing the yellow Ford Escape taxi. The cost? $5,000. The media attention from paying a cabbie five grand to take you cross country? Priceless.

If you're thinking that this sounds like the script to a movie, Belitsky is probably thinking the same thing. CNN reports that the investment banker and son of a cab driver is heading to Hollywood to pitch the story as a movie idea, adding "we're going to take it to some movie people when we get there and see what happens."

We're all for a good (and we stress "good") road trip movie, but we're more impressed with the fact that Belitsky was able to convince a cab driver to take the fare in the first place. The traveling pair reportedly asked more than a few cabbies if they were up for the journey, but only Alam was interested in risking the hefty fare. But even at $5,000, Belitsky got off easy on the trip. We're guessing the trip would have cost at least three times as much if the meter were actually running, and the cab driver still had to get his Escape all the way back to the Big Apple.

Hit the jump to watch a WBIR video report about the trio's momentous road trip.

[Source: CNN]

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Volkswagen is working hard to make sure it accomplishes its North American assimilation plan. In order to fully realize its ambitious 800,000-unit volume target, the automaker will be required to introduce an even greater variety of vehicles into its existing lineup. Jonathan Browning, CEO of Volkswagen North America, says that he and his team understand this, and a few new VW family members could wind up in U.S. dealer showrooms.

According to Car and Driver, Volkswagen believes that an additional crossover is needed to help round-out the lineup. This vehicle would need three-rows of passenger seating, and its crosshairs would target the likes of Ford's Explorer and the Honda Pilot. For whatever it's worth, the scuttlebutt we've heard is that VW is considering a stretched Tiguan to fill this duty, as a three-row Touareg would be too costly for the family-oriented segment.

Volkswagen could also be looking to go small. Though its current European-market Polo seems like an easy solution, VW believes that's not the case. The car is not ready for U.S. consumption, and it would require a bit of "Americanizing" before VW will sell you one.

We love the Polo and are looking forward to whatever form in which it arrives, but we'd love to see us some Scirocco and Amarok, too.

[Source: Car and Driver]