BMW Z4 AC Schnitzer 99d

Developed as an eco-friendly sports car that adapts to AC Schnitzer's new motto "Efficient Performance", the 99d gets its name from its CO2 emission levels and the diesel powerplant housed under its hood.

More specifically, the tuning house fitted the Z4 with the BMW 320d Efficient Dynamic's 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine. After some performance upgrades, the four-pot's output was lifted from 163HP and 380Nm, to 190HP and 420Nm.

AC Schnitzer says the 99d can go from naught to 100km/h (62mph) in 6.9 seconds en route to a top speed of 235km/h (146mph), while returning an impressive fuel consumption of 3.8lt/100km (61.9 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of just 99.18 g/km.

To achieve these striking numbers, the German tuner also reduced the roadster's weight by 230kg (507 pounds).

"With the AC Schnitzer 99d, we've succeeded in building the previously inconceivable: an up-rated performance vehicle whose CO2 emissions have been reduced to 99 g/km and which, despite its sustainability, offers pure driving pleasure. That's Efficient Performance by AC Schnitzer," the company said in a brief statement.

According to the tuner, the price of the 99d is €149,000 or about US$205,500 at today’s exchange rates, but that's about all the details AC Schnitzer is willing to release before unveiling the car at the Geneva Salon.

De Tomaso SLS Crossover

One of the surprises at this year's edition of the Geneva Motor Show is the resurrection of the De Tomaso brand, which will re-launch with a production ready concept model, set to go on sale in late 2011. The Italian company filed for bankruptcy in 2004, but was brought back to life after Rossignolo former Fiat executive, Gianmario Rossignolo, acquired the brand from a Modena bankruptcy court in November 2009.

The Italian brand's first vehicle was initially codenamed SLC for Sport Luxury Crossover, but in the latest press release, De Tomaso is calling it the SLS, which stands for Sport Luxury Sedan. We know what you're thinking in regards to Mercedes-Benz's Gullwing-door supercar, but De Tomaso was quick to state the vehicle will not be sold as the SLS, with the final production name to be revealed during the Geneve press conference on March 1.

The four-wheel-drive SLS is a BMW 5-Series GT-like high-riding saloon / crossover that will be offered at launch with a choice of two gasoline engines, a 300HP V6 and a 550HP V8, with a diesel said to be in the works.

De Tomaso said the Pininfarina-designed SLS is built on an aluminum chassis using "an innovative construction technology called Univis", details of which are to be released in Geneva.

The crossover model's architecture will form the base for two more models, including a sports sedan and a coupe, with De Tomaso planning to invest €116 million (US$160 million) in the project.

The Italian firm's new owner said the company plans to build 3,000 units of the SLS annually, along with another 3,000 limousines and 2,000 coupes.

The SLS will be produced at the De Tomaso Automobili S.p.A. plant, a former Pininfarina S.p.A. factory near Turin and in the Livorno factory by ex-Delphi workers.

Spyker Sportscar

Spyker Cars N.V., the Dutch owner of Saab, announced today that is has started negotiations to sell its sports car brand in order to focus on the development of premium car maker Saab, which it acquired one year ago from General Motors.

The Dutch company said it will sell the assets of its Spyker sportscar business to the UK-based CPP Global Holdings Limited, owned by Russian millionaire Vladimir Antonov. The terms of the deal include an initial purchase price of EUR15 million, plus a further EUR17 million to be paid from future earnings over a six-year period. The money will be used by Spyker Cars N.V. to reduce its debt.

Once the deal is completed, the Dutch company will be renamed so it would not be confused with the Spyker brand. CPP Global Holdings Ltd. will become the owner of virtually all assets related to the Spyker business, including trademarks, intellectual property rights and, of course, the model range.

“Without Spyker we would not have been able to acquire Saab Automobile last year but the Spyker Business soon became a small fish in a large pond as a result. In terms of the overall results of Spyker Cars N.V., the Spyker Business had become immaterial, but to develop its business going forward, its cash needs are relatively significant,” said Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars N.V. and Chaiman of Saab Automobile AB.

"The management of the company has very exciting plans for Spyker and the brand is entering a period of major developments," CPP's managing director Brendan O'Toole added.

CPP Global Holdings has been producing chassis and body panels for Spyker since 2000 and the C8 Aileron model since 2009. The company's controversial owner, Vladimir Antonov, used to own 29.9 percent of Spyker through his Snoras bank, but had his share bought out by Victor Muller's Tenaci Capital before the acquisition of Saab.

BMW 550i AC Schnitzer

AC Schnitzer has prepared two production ready concept cars for this year's edition of the Geneva motor show. We've already told you about the first car, the diesel-powered 99d that is based on the BMW Z4 roadster, so here's the tuning firm's second proposal. The ACS5 Sport S Saloon is based on the latest BMW 550i sedan and is said to feature numerous performance and styling upgrades, though AC Schnitzer is keeping mum about most of the details.

According to the tuning house, the 550i's twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine with 407HP and 600Nm has been modified to deliver 540HP and 750Nm, which helps the sedan model to complete the 0 to 100km/h (62 mph) sprint in 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph). AC Schnitzer said that despite the power bump, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the ACS5 Sport S are equivalent to the standard BMW 550i.

Opel Astra Turbo

With the OPC version of the new Astra still in the works, German tuners are doing their best to offer Opel buyers several alternatives to quench their thirst for power. EDS, a relatively unknown tuner from Marl, Germany, has launched an impressive package for the most powerful version of the Astra with the 180HP 1.6-liter turbocharged engine.

The comprehensive engine tune includes a variety of modifications such as a new Garret GT28 turbocharger, ECU optimization, sports exhaust system, a new manifold, and other goodies that double the 1.6-liter unit's output to a whopping 360-horses and 480 Nm or 354 lb-ft of peak torque.

The tuning house also adds a Quaife differential lock, a new sports clutch kit, high performance perforated brake discs with 8 calipers and a sports suspension together with 20-inch wheels that are shod in Pirelli P Zero 235/35ZR20 tires up front and 275/30ZR20 at the back.

The exterior modifications are kept to a minimum and include new upper and lower grilles finished in black, side sills and a rear apron that houses a diffuser and the quad tail pipes.

Infiniti M30d

Given that Infiniti is making its first steps in Europe, very few tuners in the market have touched the Japanese brand's products. Having said that, it shouldn't come as a surprise that an Infiniti dealer has stepped in to fill the void. In particular, Infiniti Centre Hamburg in Germany has released two tuning packages for the recently launched diesel-powered M30d.

The "Stage 1 Package" for the M30d includes painted door handles (€600), red brake calipers with Infiniti lettering (€1,200 €), a lowered sports suspension (€1,495), a black radiator grille (€550) and a black-foil-covered roof (€400). The package is completed by an performance kit (€1,250) for the 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel boosting output from 238HP to 280HP.

The "Stage 2 Package" rounds off the tune with a set of 22-inch alloy wheels from Schmidt wrapped around 265/30 R22 Pirelli tires up front and 295/25 R22 tires at the back for a total cost of €6,800.

Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

Pictures of the new Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 are floating right and left lately, with the most recent one coming from Jalopnik. The new photo reveals the Italian supercar's profile that brings to mind both the Murcielago and the edgier-shaped Reventon. If you're wondering about how the rest of the car looks like, you might have to wait until its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1, however, given the way things are going, we wouldn't be surprised if we got an early unveil within the next couple of days. In the meantime, follow the break to check out the complete gallery of photos that we have of the V12-powered Lambo.