All Hail Breaks Loose in Dallas, Cars and Drivers Under Attack by Baseball Sized Hailstones

A cataclysmic thunderstorm that produced baseball-sized hailstones for over three hours hit Dallas, Texas, late Wednesday afternoon, leaving thousands of residents and drivers stunned and scared at the same time.
State officials predict that the damages from the storm that include many broken car windows could well exceed $400 million.

Despite the fact that several drivers were caught off guard on the road when the hailstorm started to intensify, some were calm enough to film the apocalyptic scene on their cell phone cameras.

Other car owners shot some videos of the damages caused to their cars the following day. You can check out all the clips right past the jump.

NSFW Warning: Some videos contain foul language

Hyundai Elantra Coupe Priced from $17,445*, $1,695 More Than the Lesser Equipped Base Civic Coupe

With its sight firmly set on the Honda Civic Coupe, Hyundai has announced pricing for the all-new Elantra Coupe following its world premiere at the Chicago Auto Show this past February.
The 2013 Elantra Coupe starts at $17,445 for the base GS rising to $19,745 for the sportier-tuned Elantra Coupe SE, with both MSRPs excluding a $775 (*) freight charge.

By comparison, the base 2012 Civic Coupe with 140hp starts at $15,755, but as Hyundai points out several times in its press release (…), the Honda models lacks several standard features that are found on the GS such as alloy wheels and air-conditioning.

"The Elantra Coupe also has a remarkable content advantage over Civic Coupe," says Hyundai. "For example, Elantra comes standard with a six-speed transmission and four-wheel disc brakes, features not found on any Civic Coupe."

Aside from the air condition and 16-inch wheels, other standard features on the base GS include heated front seats, AM/FM/SiriusXM Satellite Radio/CD/MP3 audio system, steering wheel audio controls, illuminated vanity mirrors, cruise control, Bluetooth, external temperature gauge, fog lights, power locks, power heated mirrors, remote keyless entry with alarm, 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback

The SE grade adds 17-inch alloys with P215/45R17 tires, a sportier tuned suspension, power sunroof, leather seats, steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum pedals and a rear spoiler.

Regardless of the trim level, all Elantra Coupe models are powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 148-horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque, linked to 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmissions.

The automatic model returns an EPA estimated 28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway, while the manual delivers 29 mpg city and 40 mpg highway

Classic 1960s Mercedes SL Pagoda Refashioned by Vilner Studio

Modifying an all-time classic such as the 1963-1971 Mercedes-Benz SL roadster, nicknamed "Pagoda" after its concave hardtop, is never an easy task but it is one that the crew over at Sofia, Bulgaria-based tuning studio Vilner is willing to take.

The design studio prepared the classic SL for one of its clients starting with the exterior that was finished in a warm clay color with a matte mocha hue for details such as the wheels and the racing decals.

The same two colors were used for the interior that was re-trimmed in leather from top to bottom, while Vilner also redid the décor as well as the roadster model's trunk.

As a final touch, the client asked Vilner to add Gentle Pagoda labels both on the exterior and interior of the car.

First Official Photos of 2012 Seat Toledo Compact Sedan Leaked?

We knew that it was only a matter of time before the Spanish-flavored twin of the Czech Skoda Rapid sedan would make its debut in production trim, but the crew over at the Seat Fans Club speeded the process by dropping what we believe to be the first official photos of the new Toledo.

Not much has changed from the near-production Seat Toledo Concept displayed at the Geneva Salon this past March, with the Spanish brand simply replacing the upscale trim pieces from the study's exterior and interior like the grille surround, large alloy wheels and flat bottom steering wheel with more conventional pieces.

The website that posted the photos says that the production car will launch in Europe with a choice of four petrol engines, including a gutless 1.2-liter three-cylinder unit with 74hp (75PS) and 84hp (85PS), a more peppy 1.2-liter TSI turbo with 104hp (105PS) and a 1.4-liter TSI turbo with 120hp (122PS).

The diesel range is said to include a 1.6-liter TDI CR with 104hp (105PS) and from 2013, a 1.6-liter TDI CR with 89hp (90PS).

The new Toledo compact sedan will be offered with both manual gearboxes and a DGS dual-clutch transmission.

Like its Skoda Rapid twin, the Seat Toledo is expected to make its first public appearance at the Paris Motor Show this fall, with sales to follow shortly after.

Thanks to Bruno for the tip!

2014 Kia Sorento Crossover's Updated Looks are a Secret No More

The refreshed for the 2014 model year Kia Sorento has been inadvertently revealed early as a completely undisguised model was photographed (allegedly) in its home market of South Korea.
The obvious bodywork changes concern the redesigned fascia with new headlights sporting "eyebrow" accents on top, a wider upper grille that now extends to the lights and a new front bumper with different air vents and upright fog lamps.

In a similar fashion, the rear end of the crossover model has been reworked and now features new tail lamps (possibly with LED fixtures) together with a redesigned tailgate and a tweaked bumper.

The rest of the body seems to be unchanged.

We still do not know for sure if and what kind of changes Kia will make to the crossover model's interior and engine lineup, but we...promise to tell you as soon as we find out.

Hagwalah This: Saudi Bus Full of Passengers Drifting

Just when you think you have seen it all from Saudi Arabian drifters, along comes a fresh video to remind you that they will always find a new way to endanger themselves, the crowd and other road users.

So what's more dangerous than a Japanese sedan practicing Saudi style drifting known as 'hagwalah'? Why a bus full of people that insist on not wearing their seatbelts, of course!

Catch the video right past the break.

IAA 2011: Mansory BMW X6 M

The Swiss aftermarket specialists from Mansory bring to the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show their own interpretation of the BMW X6 M. The new aftermarket program follows the steps of the X5M by Mansory revealed and just like the X5 M twin, the Mansory BMW X6 M package includes an impressive power upgrade to around 670 HP / 493 kW and a 950 Nm of torque at 5900 rpm.

The Mansory BMW X6M can run from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and can reach a top speed of 300 km/h.

At the front, the X6 M by Mansory showcases a redesigned front spoiler with larger air intakes and an extra light bonnet made entirely of carbon which, with its ventilation channels, optimizes air flow to the engine.

The car has 70 millimeters more width at the front and 80 millimeters at the rear.

At the back a newly designed skirt comes into play using an integrated diffuser which has room for four stainless steel exhaust pipes from the MANSORY sports exhaust system. A roof spoiler for additional contact pressure and a rear spoiler lip give the MANSORY X6 M more stability at high speeds.

Nearly all the aerodynamic components are fabricated by the engineers from high-tensile polyurethane (PU-RIM) and from prepreg autoclave carbon, characteristic of MANSORY. In the process, the preformed carbon-fiber parts are given a permanent shape in autoclaves by the effects of vacuum and heat which guarantees a perfect surface finish with low weight.

Enjoy the photo gallery!