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Lotus Eterne: Lotus flagship saloon revealed

The Aston Martin Rapide mimicking Lotus Eterne You’ll have to stick with this if you’re going through these in chronological order. There was no way we could seriously do one story on all of the Lotus announcements today, so you’re getting one for each. Sort of.

Lexus IS (2013) more details of new 3-series rival

Lexus has pulled the cloth back on the all-new Lexus IS at the 2013 Detroit motor show, and announced more details of its new hybrid 3-series rival. This will be the first hybrid Lexus IS, and UK sales will start in summer 2013.  What do we know about the new hybrid Lexus IS?  The IS300h combines an electric motor with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The torque output is yet to be confirmed, but there's 217bhp and Lexus is aiming for a sub-100g/km CO2 output and fuel consumption of at least 65mpg. Figures like that are likely to grab the attention of fleet managers, as Lexus hopes to close the gap on rivals like the BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-class and Audi A4.  There's a non-hybrid model too, but this IS250 will be powered by a 204bhp 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine. It won't be a fleet favourite.  The IS250h has a six-speed automatic transmission, the IS300h has a CVT gearbox, and both cars are rear-wheel drive.

Simeone museum lays out history of competition sports cars

Unlike Europe, with its multimillion-dollar manufacturer-sponsored auto museums, the United States has built its auto museums almost entirely with private money. Traveling around the country, you can find spectacular collections such as the Nethercutt in Sylmar, Calif., small enthusiast-run museums such as the Pierce-Arrow museum in Buffalo and everything in between. There are museums for hearses, microcars, tractors and every conceivable form of transport--including a museum in Ferndale, Calif., for human-powered vehicles.