Auto News 5

The connection between Lamborghini cars and dangerous fighting bulls extends beyond the raging bull emblem. The twelve-cylinder Aventador is named for a fearless Spanish bull that won an award in 1933; the Gallardo for a highly prized breed of fighting bull. Lamborghini's newest arrival, the limited-run Veneno that debuts publicly at the Geneva Motor Show, is also named for a strong, fast, and aggressive bull, one that in 1914 killed a Spanish matador. It’s a foreboding name for a car capable of 221 mph.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its A45 AMG hot hatch Monday night, offering a sneak peek of what we can expect from the CLA45 AMG that premieres later in March at the New York show. AMG says the engine is substantially different from the standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four powering the CLA250 that arrives in the U.S. this fall. The A45 AMG 2.0-liter four uses a twin-scroll turbocharger producing 26 psi of boost, almost twice the level of the base engine’s turbo.

As expected, the latest Porsche 911 GT3 drops a traditional manual transmission in favor of a PDK dual-clutch unit. Purists might bemoan the lack of row-your-own gears, but the truth is the 911 GT3 is designed for maximum lap times -- Porsche says 80 percent of GT3 owners use their cars on a track. The PDK shifts faster than you ever will, and it never misses a gearchange, so it's installed as standard on this model. The 911 GT3 debuts at the Geneva Motor Show with a heroic list of upgrades designed to make the 991-generation of Porsche's sports car an even better performance machine.