Welcome to the Hooniverse News! This is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or the bull. I also throw in a little opinion of mine, just because I can. This week: 

• A Nissan GT-R for the track-day enthusiast

• BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo is a thing now

• Volkswagen Beetle GSR makes a comeback

• Chevrolet Cruze is getting a diesel

• Plus full Chicago Auto Show coverage from Autoweek 

2014 Nissan GT-R Track Edition

Another day, another GT-R. This one is dubbed the Track Edition, and as the name suggests, it’s one of the most track-oriented GT-Rs yet. By removing the stuff it doesn’t need and adding a few meaningful performance enhancements, this edition takes an already potent track machine and makes it a little better.

Starting with the things they don’t give you, the rear seats (if you can call them that) are gone and the twin turbo V6 still retains its 545 horsepower and 463 lb.-ft. of torque. There are, however, plenty of new goodies that make the inevitable price increase worth it. For starters, new fuel injectors and improved throttle mapping make the car marginally faster when in the mid-to-high RPM range while a new oil pan baffle stabilizes oil turbulence and pressure during those high-G maneuvers. The 6-speed dual clutch transmission still provides lightning-quick shifts (as quick as .15 seconds) and the same differential oil used in Nissan motorsports competition is standard, in case you were wondering.

The suspension is enhanced with Bilstein DampTronic gas pressure shocks and higher spring rates that were born on the Nürburgring. That plus the improved brake cooling, sticky Dunlop run-flat nitrogen-filled tires, and the all-wheel-drive system – which can split power and torque in almost any way imaginable depending on road conditions and/or how rapidly the guard rail is approaching – is what makes the Track Edition GT-R worthy of its name. The car is topped off with a functional front chin spoiler made with carbon fiber, a bigger dry carbon spoiler out back, forged lightweight RAYS wheels, and bucket seats inside that hold you into place better.

Production is limited to just 150 examples for the U.S. market with deliveries set for this May. No pricing is available yet.

Source: Nissan

BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo

BMW’s Gran Turismo nameplate is taking another victim expanding into the 3 Series line for the first time. The 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo can easily be dismissed as an almost-wagon for people who refuse to buy the 3 Series Sport Wagon currently on sale, but the 3 GT does offer a few benefits that no other 3 Series can offer. 

Those benefits include more trunk space than the 3 Sports Wagon/Touring – almost an entire cubic foot of it! – for a grand total of just over 18 cubic feet and  practical features like the large load aperture and 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats. Overall, the GT is roughly 8 inches longer, has a longer wheelbase by 4.3 inches, is taller by 3.2 inches, and offers more ground clearance than any other 3er. That not only helps out with the significant cargo room gain, but also improves rear seat headroom and makes entry/exit out back easier. Styling-wise, BMW has done their best to fit the current 3 Series design cues onto a larger car and still make it look like an actual 3 Series… so take that as you will.

The 3 GT will be offered with the same trim levels as every other 3 Series, those being the Sport, Modern, Luxury, and M-Sport lines that offer a wide variety of options that appeal to a wide variety of BMW buyers. Three petrol engines and two diesel engines will be offered in Europe along with a choice between a standard 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic, but chances are American buyers won’t get quite that much to choose from when it goes on sale later this year.

Source: BMW

2014 Volkswagen Beetle GSR

Does this sound a bit familiar? If you know your classic Beetles you may remember a model from 1973 dubbed the GSR that wore a yellow and black paint job and offered a more sporting driving experience. 40 years later, Volkswagen has decided to bring it back. 

Like the original, the 2014 Beetle GSR is only available in bright yellow with black striping, which makes sense seeing as how GSR is an acronym for “Gelb Schwarzer Renner”, which is German for “yellow black racer”. The “racer” part is where the powertrain comes in… sort of. A standard 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-banger is upgraded to produce 210 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque which gets sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG automatic transmission. Apart from a larger rear spoiler, that’s really it as far as performance upgrades go.

The list of aesthetic updates is a bit longer. Starting from the outside, buyers get 19″ aluminum alloy wheels that hide black brake calipers, and the aforementioned wing and paint job. The interior continues the yellow and black theme with black leather seating surfaces being highlighted by yellow stitching. 

Just 3,000 Beetle GSRs will be produced and they’ll go on sale this Fall. Pricing will be available closer to launch.

Source: Volkswagen

2014 Chevrolet Cruze gets diesel power

Starting this Spring, Chevrolet will answer the prayers of many by offering a turbodiesel engine in the 2014 Cruze. It’s always big news when an American car company offers diesel power in something other than a truck because, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed, it really doesn’t happen very often. For GM, the last time that happened was when Reagan was president.

The engine that’s causing all the ruckus is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel that produces 148 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque and is built in Germany alongside all the other diesel engines Europeans have been getting all along. 0-60 mph is rated at 8.6 seconds, but to help with acceleration, they’ve given it an overboost function that can force a total of 280 lb.-ft. of torque (available at just 2,000 RPM) for up to 10 seconds at a time. Efficiency is rated at 42 mpg on the highway and is touted as being the cleanest diesel ever put into a GM passenger car… which it damn well should be after a 30-year gap. 

Pricing starts at $25,695 (including destination) and standard features include 17″ alloy wheels wrapped in ultra-low-rolling resistance tires, an Aero Performance Package, a 6-speed automatic transmission, and leather seats. Production is set to being in April and buyers in 13 “targeted markets” (near larger metropolitan areas) will be able to drive one home as early as May. By July or August the rest of the nation will be able to pick up theirs.

Source: Chevrolet

Extended Chicago Auto Show coverage from Autoweek

Most of the news this week has come from the Chicago Auto Show going on right now, and like always, our pals at Autoweek are bringing live and full coverage to the web. For the full scoop on the show attendees, like an updated Toyota Tundra, a practical Kia 5-door, and a gaggle of NISMOs, check out Autoweek’s full coverage right here.