Auto show

2015 Acura NSX Specs

Renault is a company accustomed to winning in Formula One. In the past ten years alone, it has claimed an unfathomable six world championships, first with Fernando Alonso two years in a row and then powering Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing to four consecutive titles. But suffice it to say that things havent been going so well this season since the introduction of the new hybrid turbocharged V6s as Mercedes-Benz has stolen its thunder. The teams it supplies arent happy, and neither is the French automaker itself. Which could go a long way towards explaining why its changing the top leadership in its F1 operations.

As of July 3, Renault Sport F1 president Jean-Michel Jalinier is stepping down, exercising "his right to retirement for personal reasons," according to the statement below. In his place, Renault has appointed two successors.

Jérôme Stoll, who has until now served as the companys executive vice president, Chief Performance Officer and director of sales and marketing, is stepping up to serve as the divisions president, all the while maintaining his existing roles. Alongside him Cyril Abiteboul has been named Managing Director of Renault Sport F1, having previously served as its Development Director and Executive Director before taking over the Caterham F1 Team prior to its recent sale and his dismissal.

Well have to wait and see whether the shift in leadership will help Renault get its engines up to speed for next season, because if it cant, it may find its four current customer teams (Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Lotus and Caterham) looking elsewhere for motivation.

There was a rumor back in April that Mercedes-Benz was busy developing a C450 model that would sit in between the current top-shelf C-Class, the C400, and the coming-soon C63 AMG. It appears that is entirely the case, and our spy shooters have the photos to prove it, showing off the newest model with no camouflage (in fetching Touring guise, no less).

Wearing a C450 4Matic badge at the rear and Sport AMG emblems on the front fenders, exact details about the new model still arent confirmed. The 4Matic designation indicates all-wheel drive for this particular vehicle, but rear-wheel drive could be available, as well. Power is rumored to be increased from the current 329 horsepower from the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo V6 in the C400 up to 367 horsepower.

Of course, the C450 doesnt get a full suite of AMG upgrades â€" those are reserved for the C63. However, buyers should still be able to show that they have something special. These spy photos highlight the C450s diamond grille, large wheels and quad tailpipes nestled in a rear diffuser. The car is also rumored to benefit from an improved suspension and brakes.

As these photos show, the model is being tested as a C-Class Touring, but a sedan version is almost a certainty as well. Besides, the wagon isnt even confirmed for the US yet. Our spies claim that the Sport AMG will likely be ready for sale by 2015. That seems hard to debate, because the car seen here looks ready to hit the road today.