Nissan has officially given the green light to the Godzilla-powered Juke-R for production on a built-to-order basis. Production will be extremely limited, so don’t expect to see any sitting around your local Nissan dealership.

Under the hood of the Juke-R is a 3.8-liter V6 that has been lifted straight from the GT-R. With that powerplant, the pint-sized crossover boasts 545 horsepower and is capable to reaching 160 miles per hour.

Thanks to overwhelmingly positive reactions to the Juke-R on the auto show circuit and at various automotive events around the world, Nissan decided to finally sell the quirky concept. A particularly warm response to the crossover in Dubai is what finally led to decision to offer the vehicle to consumers.

“The Juke-R was originally intended as a one-off concept to marry two of Nissan’s most innovative models,” said Gareth Dunsmore, Marketing Product Manager for the Juke. “But the reaction we had to the car in Dubai was amazing – people were making offers for the original on the street!”

Nissan hasn’t released pricing information on the Juke-R, but the automaker has launched a cinematic online movie to keep buzz going. The movie, title Desert Nemesis (below), shows the Juke-R taking on the world’s most exciting, road-legal cars through the roads of Dubai’s exclusive International Marina Club.

“With such a strong reaction, and with three genuine offers on the table, we decided we had to make the car a reality,” added Dunsmore. “We can’t let down enthusiasts who are this keen to add to their collection of cars. The Juke-R has become something of a phenomenon and I’m enormously proud of the impact it has had. There will be more news to come on Juke later in the year.”

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If you ever get involved in a car accident, you better hope that Patrick Dempsey is near by. The actor and race car driver pulled a teenage boy from a flipped car over the weekend near his home in Malibu, California.

“I was scared for my life. I was upside down,” driver Weston Masset, 17, told ABC News after he lost control of his Mustang, which rolled over three times, trapping and leaving him barely conscious.

Although Dempsey is widely known for his role as Dr. Derek Shepherd on the TV drama Grey’s Anatomy, he also spends much of his time auto racing, having competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. A lead driver and owner of Dempsey Racing, Patrick Dempsey competes primarily in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT class competition in the No. 40 VISIT FLORIDA/ModSpace/Construct Corps/Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 GT. Having spent considerable time behind the wheel professionally, he knows just what to do when the unexpected occurs.

After Masset flipped his car, Dempsey rushed to the scene with a crowbar in hand and pried one of the sports car’s doors open. He then pulled the injured teen to safety and called the paramedics.

When Masset opened his eyes, he looked at the actor and asked if he was famous. Dempsey replied, “I’m a doctor,” according to TMZ. After paramedics arrived, Dempsey followed the teen to the hospital to make sure he was going to be alright.

The editors of Wards Auto have named both the 2012 Hyundai Accent and 2012 Hyundai Azera to this year’s “Ward’s 10 Best Interiors” list. This marks yet another award from the publication given to Hyundai in recent months, following the 10 Best Engines award that was just given to the Accent for its 1.6-liter engine.

Both the Accent and and Azera have been designed with Hyundai’s “fluidic sculpture” design language that provides a contemporary, upscale look. But both sedans also boast a range of features that improve the feeling of spaciousness and comfort.

Despite its sub-$16K price tag, the Accent’s interior shows incredible attention to detail, according to the folks at Wards. It features a leather-wrapped steering wheel, swooping lines on the instrument panel, as well as many of the Hyundai-family center-stack elements that have made interiors such as the Elantra, Veloster and Sonata so appealing to a breadth of consumers.

The all-new 2012 Azera replaces a generation that was lacking in style, and it makes up for it in spades. The interior of the new model is exciting, stylish, and proves there’s no substitute for premium materials. And, for well-under $40K, the Azera’s interior boasts an array of niceties like heated and cooled front seats, panoramic roof and motorized rear privacy shade.

“Both Azera and Accent offer roomy, attractive cabins filled with features that offer maximum driver comfort and provide unsurpassed quality,” said Christopher Chapman, chief designer, Hyundai Design Center. “Like the performance and the exterior design of the two cars, the inside also impresses. Quality fabrics, straightforward controls and futuristic styling help the Accent and Azera look sleek and modern.”

The latest generation Civic didn’t receive much praise from the folks at Consumer Reports. However, it looks like Honda redeemed itself with its all-new 2012 CR-V. The crossover edged past the all-new 2013 Mazda CX-5 in the organization’s recent comparison test.

Editors at Consumer Reports were particularly impressed by the CR-V’s functionality, its large backseat, easy access, cargo space, and its comfortable ride. Although they found that it still lacked the athleticism and fun of the CX-5 with its “Zoom Zoom” driving dynamics, that just wasn’t enough to overcome the overall family-friendliness of the Honda.

“While their overall scores were close, these two small SUVs have very distinct characteristics that will probably appeal to different types of drivers” said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Connecticut.

Both crossovers can accommodate five passengers, have comparable dimensions, and are available with front- or all-wheel drive. The CR-V and CX-5 each boast base prices in the the low-$20K range.

For the complete reviews of the 2012 Honda CR-V and the 2013 Mazda CX-5, check out the videos below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The 2013 Nissan Sentra hasn’t officially been revealed, but a glimpse of it was able to be seen at the recent Beijing Motor Show. The Sylphy is an all-new compact global sedan that’s likely to very similar to the 2013 Nissan Sentra, which is just one of five all-new products to emerge from the automaker over the next 15 months.

Nissan has released a teaser video of the 2013 Sentra (below), which shows only subtle details of the new sedan. But the styling matches up pretty closely to the newly unveiled Syphy. Unfortunately, few other details regarding the North American version of the sedan have been released.

As for the Syphy, the sedan will be powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine mated to Nissan’s next-generation Xtronic continuously variable transmission. Like the new 2013 Altima, don’t expected an entirely new powertrain, but one that’s been tweaked to maximize fuel economy. The new transmission alone will likely help to boost mileage and performance by a healthy margin over the current, aging Sentra.

In Beijing, Nissan also showed off a slew of zero-emission vehicles, including PIVO 3, a smart urban EV of the near future; ESFLOW, a pure EV sports car; and e-NV200, a versatile EV small van.

Find more details on the Sylphy (a.k.a. 2013 Nissan Sentra) posted below.

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Among several new SUVs to emerge from the Volkswagen Group by 2015 will be the Lamborghini Urus. This high-performance ‘ute stole the show at its debut at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, and it hinted at an entirely new platform that will underpin VW’s next generation of sport utilities.

Although Lamborghini isn’t known for off-roaders, the Urus Concept is actually the supercar maker’s second SUV. But two decades have passed since the boxy Rambo Lambo, and Lamborghini now has resources available from parent company VW to make a super SUV worthy of the raging bull emblem.

When the production Urus goes on sale, it will have plenty of company. Other high-end, high-performance offerings include the current Porsche Cayennen Range Rover Sport, and the BMW X6. But there are also all-new offerings that include the Maserati Kubang and the Bentley EXP 9 F that will go head-to-head with the new Lamborghini.

Although the Italian brand doesn’t have too much experience building SUVs, it stayed true to its core values. The four-seater Urus Concept produces around 600-horsepower and makes extensive use of carbon fiber to curb weight. Although it undoubtedly offers spirited performance, Lamborghini promises that the Urus will also boast an efficient powertrain with low carbon emissions.

“The Urus is a very concrete idea for the future of Lamborghini – as a third model line and as the perfect complement to our super sports cars,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “SUVs stand for freedom and emotion. SUVs make up one of the most successful market segments worldwide. The Urus is the most extreme interpretation of the SUV idea; it is the Lamborghini of the SUVs.”

Find more details on the Lamborghini Urus Concept posted below.

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The Beijing Sanlitun AMG Performance Center is a Mercedes-Benz dealer unlike any other. It’s the world’s first and only dealership that exclusively sells AMG-branded models. The new store represents yet another move by AMG to differentiate itself as its own distinct brand, much like other brands within the Daimler portfolio.

Although AMG vehicles are sold at some 195 dealerships in 18 countries, the new 381 square meter store is the first stand alone concept. Other AMG dealerships are merely stores-within-a-store, but the new AMG Performance Center has its own style and design to appeal to those who take performance driving a little more seriously.

The two-level store features editions and exhibits from Santoni and IWC. There’s also an exclusive Customer Lounge for consultations with customers on the upper level. The facility will also be home to AMG-related events including market launches, press conferences or media-effective VIP gatherings.

Customers visiting the store will be welcomed by floors of highly-polished black granite and custom furniture that creates what Mercedes calls the ideal setting for the AMG brand. Although the store is relatively small and sparse in its design, there are plenty of AMG vehicles on hand for test drives.

“With this new AMG Performance Center in Beijing we hope to be able to attract and care for current and potential AMG customers,” said Ola Källenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. “Here in Sanlitun Village North we enjoy a premium location, one where customers and all those interested can experience our brand claim “Driving Performance” intensely. The new store will act as an example for future “stand-alone” Performance Centers which are planned for other metropolis”

Honda’s still gunning to dethrone Toyota as the king of hybrids. Despite falling short with the likes of the CR-Z and Insight, Honda clearly doesn’t plan to abandon its assault on the growing family of Toyota Prius hybrids anytime soon.

At the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, Honda unveiled the Concept S, a stylish vehicle that could compete directly with the likes of the Prius v. The Concept S is likely to lead to a product model that will debut in China in 2013. However, it’s also expected to spawn a similar model that could be sold globally.

Like the Prius v, the Honda Concept S is aimed providing a little more interior room and cargo space than your typical compact hybrid. The jelly bean–like profile of the Concept S is also strikingly similar to that of the Prius v. But, Honda’s take on a larger, ultra-efficient people-mover is slightly better looking. Let’s hope that the production model stays true to the concept.

Unfortunately, Honda hasn’t revealed any details regarding the powertrain within the Concept S. The automaker also has yet to confirm whether we’ll see the Concept S, or similar vehicle, on our shores in the near future.

Honda has long focused on retail sales over fleet sales in an effort to help maintain value for each customer. That focus has certainly paid off, as Edmunds.com has awarded Honda with the 2012 Best Retained Value Award for the second consecutive year.

After five years of ownership, a Honda will maintain its value better than any other non-luxury brand, according to Edmunds.com. Honda had an average retained value of 47.9 percent after five years. The automaker’s luxury brand also fared well in the study, as Acura had an average retained value of 44.6 percent after five years.

“Honda has long had a reputation for dependable used vehicles, and that is reflected in today’s booming used-car market,” said Joe Spina, director of remarketing at Edmunds.com. “And with Acura beating out all other luxury brands, Honda’s family of vehicles continues to expand the company’s status as one of the best values available to car buyers today.”

John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda, added, “Honda’s focus on retail sales has always benefited our most important client: Honda customers. This valuable award from Edmunds.com is recognition of Honda’s unending mission of providing true value to customers – one that extends well beyond the showroom.”

Audi and Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati are both synonymous with performance, quality, and exclusivity. So, perhaps its no surprise to see the two brands come together. This week Audi purchased Ducati Motor in an effort to maintain and build  upon the motorcycle maker’s stellar global growth.

Just like Audi, Ducati has had plenty of success on the race track in recent years. Ducati has one numerous prestigious awards: in Super Bike, Ducati won 4 Riders World titles (2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011) and 3 Constructors World titles (2006, 2008 and 2011) and a total of 68 wins. In MotoGP, Ducati won 28 races, a Riders World title and a Constructors World title in 2007.

Audi shelled out $1.2 billion for the small bike brand, which some will argue it will leverage to compete even more aggressively against BMW. But most analysts see the acquisition as little more than a trophy as opposed to a move that enhances Audi’s business model in any concrete way.

VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech has long admired the Italian company’s expertise in design and light engines. His passion for the brand, and having passed on an opportunity to buy Ducati in the 1980s, may have been the real motivation for the acquisition.