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Mercedes ML 63 AMG WIDE BODY by Expression Motorsport

Belgian tuners Expression Motorsport has released a set of photos and details featuring their latest project, the Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Wide Body. The company's in-house aerokit is meant to "differentiate this ML from those of a more traditional variety."

And that it does. A new front fascia swaps the bulky-looking standard bumper with a three-section unit that incorporates LED daytime runners, and what appears to be small, halogen fog lights. They also installed a front spoiler, and designed a more aggressive look for the hood. New, bulging wheel-wells fit bigger 22-inch wheels. A new rear bumper combines F1 lighting, and a lightweight rear diffuser.

2011 Lexus LFA is wicked and this way comes

It's taken nearly four days to wrap my head around the 2011 Lexus LFA, and if I'm honest, I'm still not halfway there. The combination of a decade-long gestation, a half dozen prototypes comprised of two different materials, a high displacement V10 that cuts fuel at 9,500 RPM and a $375,000 price tag has left me incapacitated and trembling in a caffeine and nicotine-fueled fetal position for the better part of a week. I can't make heads nor tails of Lexus' first foray into supercardom, simply because nothing exists in the four-wheeled world to put it into perspective. Judging by your comments, I'm not alone.

It's a front-engine GT, but its MSRP means it doesn't compete with the Ferrari 599. It's a technological tour de force nearly on par with the Bugatti Veyron, but its 202 MPH top speed doesn't come close to the V-max of Ferdinand Piech's quad-turbo masterpiece. It's lithe and nimble, but lacks the directness and tactility of the Lotus Elise. Its 3.7-second zero-to-60 time falls short of the GT-R, and it can't come close to the Nissan's point-to-point brutality. There's simply no frame of reference to apply, which begs the question: Why? Why has Lexus invested hundreds of million of dollars, ran a dozen races and developed nearly every single component in-house to build a scant 500 LFAs and offer them to the world's elite?

It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma coated in carbon fiber. And there's obviously more to this story than simply driving impressions and photos. So after last week's barrage of LFA news, it's time to take a step back... then get stuck right back in.

The general consensus is that Toyota built the LFA simply because it could. That's just a poor excuse to prevent your head from exploding. The LFA represents more than just a V10-powered, carbon fiber plaything; the investment in development, technology and manufacturing appears to be a cornerstone of ToMoCo's future products and Toyota President Akio Toyoda's vision for the automaker. But let's put the bird's eye view aside for the moment and revel in the details, beginning with the styling.

Compared to the concept that rolled out at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show, the production LFA bears more resemblance to Toyota's follow-up in 2007. The flat, pointed exterior has evolved into a scooped and ducted coupe that's far and away the best application of Lexus' L-finesse design language to date. But as everyone is quick to point out, the LFA is unabashedly Japanese. And that's only the half of it. Literally.

BMW 535i looking at cheaper Gran Turismo

The famed automotive pot-stirrers at Autocar are at it again. According to two blurbs from the UK publication, BMW's new 5 Series Gran Turismo may spawn at least one less costly, less powerful variant, but a high-performance M version is apparently off the table.

On the fuel and financial economy front, Bimmer is reportedly considering adding four-cylinder powerplants to the controversial new five-door, including the 175 bhp diesel from the 320d. A twin-turbo diesel may also be in the cards. The fear here is that the premium-priced 5GT may in fact be priced too aggressively, as it stickers above a comparable 5 Series Touring model. In any case, we don't expect to see the less-powerful diesel Stateside, although we wouldn't be terribly suprised if the company chose to shoehorn in something like the twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel already on offer in the 335d.

On the M side of the equation, Autocar says that the gasoline V8-powered 550i will remain the pinnacle of the range, as BMW has "ruled out" a M-Technik variant. Given that BMW has recently seen fit to move M beyond traditional cars (see: X5 and X6) and that these higher performance models often have thicker margins attached, this strikes us as somewhat curious decision – especially as the 5GT figures to be the most dynamically promising of the bunch. This source also doesn't jibe with what we heard from BMW officials just last month when we drove the car in Portugal. At that time, the official line was that no decision had been made, but knowing glances and meek smiles seemed to indicate that things looked good for the model.