2014 Audi A8L TDI priced at $83,395

Audi will set the price of the 2014 A8L TDI luxury sedan at $83,395, including an $895 destination charge, the automaker said on Thursday. The addition of this vehicle gives the four-ringed marque a total of five A8 variants. The diesel A8L uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter engine that makes only 240 hp, but kicks out a very diesel-like 406 lb-ft of torque.

Zagato V12 triumphs at Villa d'Este

The Aston Martin V12 Zagato was victorious at this year's Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este, winning the Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes. The modern interpretation of the iconic DB4GT Zagato fought off competition from ten other entries including BMW’s 328 Hommage, Audi’s Quattro concept and the James Glickenhaus P4/5 Competizione Ferrari. Dr Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, said: “We are thrilled to see that this car conquered people’s hearts.

Tokyo Auto Salon pits performance autos against hybrids

The world's other big January auto show, the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, opened its doors to tuner enthusiasts in mid-month with a record 402 exhibitors. The Auto Salon fuses numerous styles, but the overriding theme this year was hybrid cars, with customized Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights at every turn. Good old-fashioned engine tuning is alive and well in Japan, where even new sports cars are being heavily modified, with cars such as the KRL Mitsubishi Evolution X and the HKS Nissan GT-R both boasting in excess of 600 hp.