The European Car of the Year-winning Insignia officially got the OPC treatment earlier this month, but we're told a SportTourer version will soon follow. The Opel Insignia sedan already jockeys for position with Audi's S4 sedan, and the SportTourer OPC can expect similar competition from the Avant. Using the same 2.8-liter V6 turbo ECOTEC engine, the SportTourer OPC will pump at 325 HP and 295 lb-ft or torque, likely giving it a similar 0-to-60 MPH time of 5.8 seconds and 155 MPH top speed. What's that you say? We need milk? Okay, I suppose I'll go get some. Vrooom!

The chassis will also receive some performance tuning to go with its stiffer HiPerStrut suspension and 10mm lower ride height. The SportTourer OPC will also receive the Haldex IV all-wheel-drive system that debuted on the Saab 9-3 Turbo X last year along with an electronic limited slip differential (eLSD) in the rear with techy active torque vectoring to allow for a more stable and dynamic cornering profile.

Expect to see the same Brembo brake pacakge, with 320mm rotors on the front, and deep 19- or 20-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in sandpaper like grippy rubber.

Around the same time as the Opel version, Vauxhall will also release their version; the 2010 Vauxhall Insignia SportTourer VXR. What about us in the States you ask? That's yet to be seen, but as we mentioned earlier in the month, China might receive a Regal GNX version pending how sales ride on the newly revealed 2.0 Turbo version. That doesn't exactly answer the question, but we have heard that GM is pondering whether or not to bring the Insignia over here as a Buick, but with the current financial situation being faced by the General, we won't believe anything until we see it. While we're asking questions — How about an Audi RS4 fighter, or is that asking waaaay too much? [illustration via KORSdesign]

Henrik Fisker’s little coachbuilding shop will take the wraps off of the Fisker Karma production car at the Detroit Auto Show and will have a little something extra to show off their range of abilities. Fisker’s little something extra will actually be a little less by removing two of the doors and the roof from the Karma sedan. Officially dubbed the Fisker Karma S Sunset, the concept will feature the same plug-in Q-DRIVE lithium-ion battery powertrain good for 50 miles on a single charge and roughly 408 horsepower from two electric motors. A small gasoline engine turns the generator and should allow for extra range, though it’s not yet been determined what that range will be.

The Karma S Sunset Concept will feature a very similar design to its production sedan sibling, though the four-door setup will be replaced by two larger coupe-like doors and the roof will be missing, instead replaced by either a retractable soft or a hard top convertible. Other changes will occur to the lower rocker area with a newly sculpted body side and detailing. The front end design will likely remain the same in order to share the Karma family face, but could receive unique treatment if there should ever be a production version. The interior will be similar to the Karma production sedan, but rear seat occupants will be a little more squeezed due to the packaging of the convertible top.

The Fisker Karma S Sunset will officially make its debut on January 12th at the Detroit Auto Show, until then take a peek at the illustrations from KORSdesign.

Ford has taken the smart approach by loosening the hold on the Gillette razor design team, giving us Yanks some of the Euro flavor we’ve been asking for. The 2010 Ford Taurus, set to make its official debut next month at the Detroit Auto Show, is finally on track to become a competitive sedan all over again. Using the recently released Lincoln MKS as its base (which itself is based off the current model Ford Taurus / Ford Five Hundred), the new 2010 Taurus appears to be more sophisticated in every way.

The front fascia will receive the most attention from critics as the three-bar razor bladed grille is now gone, replaced by an attractive Euro-inspired electric razor with more detail and depth. The lower fascia gains some of the Euro-flair as well with twin fog lamps situated to either side of a new trapezoidal center intake that appears to be divided in thirds. The headlights are horizontal units that rise ever-so-slightly on their outward edge to visually connect with the sculpted body side character line. The A-pillar runs downward and toward the center as it creates the power dome (a design quickly becoming a centerpiece of every non-Mustang in the Ford car lineup) at the leading edge of the hood, bearing resemblance to the 2010 Fusion and seemingly drawing from the Ford Interceptor Concept.

The profile of the 2010 Taurus is less formal than the previous model and has gained some attractive surfacing. The shoulder line is strong and arcs slightly as it runs from the headlights rearward to meet just before the tail lamps. The wheel arches are more pronounced and have a more muscular feel to them, giving the 2010 Taurus a very strong stance. Although we question the need for the artificial side vents and would have hoped it was a trend that would have gone away by now.

The rear design hints at the Ford Interceptor Concept in its tail lamp treatment and in the upper deck-lid surfacing. The Ford emblem is now set in a chrome trim piece sitting at the center of the trunk surface that runs horizontally to intersect with the tail lamps. The lamps themselves are a take on the Interceptor but lose the depth from the concept as they are now fairly flush to surface. The 2010 Taurus is a large vehicle and Ford has done its best to lose some of the visual mass by utilizing many horizontal elements and pushing the details outward. The lower body line is a dark grey plastic that also helps to lessen the visual mass, a technique also used on the 2010 Mustang.

The 2010 Ford Taurus looks to be on track to fix some of what was wrong with the very bland previous generation and we hope Ford delivers. We’ll bring you more info as it becomes available, until then take a peek at the illustrations we commissioned from KORSdesign.

Click here for our rendering of the new Honda hybrid!

As far as a name, the one thing we're told it won't be is "Insight." As far as a sales target and strategy Honda plans to bring to market four new gas-electric models over the next four years, as part of a broad global strategy to boost hybrid sales to 500,000 units by 2012.

To overcome the Prius as the current hybrid champ, Honda has ditched the two-seat coupe format of the previous generation hybrid-only model and added a couple doors. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — the added size gives increased passenger room front and rear, and interior volume similar to the current Civic Sedan.

The larger model also allows for a larger battery pack as this hybrid will likely use a battery system similar to GM’s Chevy Volt, with a small 1.3-liter gasoline (or alternative fuel — we're still not entirely clear on what other tricks may be up Honda's sleeves) engine — the same IMA engine from the Civic hybrid — to power the battery pack for extended range. We've also been told to expect said engine to be mated to a continuously variable transmission. We even expect Honda may have a trick or two to take advantage of the current PHEV trend as well, giving the “Insight” a short driving range on pure battery power. But that part is pure speculation.

Although the design of the new Honda hybrid sedan seems very similar to the current Toyota Prius, it’s most likely due to aero requirements and not a blatant copy/paste of the Toyota. As seen in the most recent photos, the headlights will be horizontal units that pull rearward into a feature line running the length of the car towards tightly wrapped tail lights. Due to the aerodynamically efficient raked roofline, the rear of the car will feature a similar treatment to the hatch of both the first-gen Insight and the Prius to allow for rear visibility. Overall, as you can see from the rendering, expect the next-gen hybrid to feature similar styling to Honda’s other alternative fuel lovechild, the FCX Clarity.

Another issue faced by the engineering team is that the new hybrid is expected to be a global hybrid — meaning, expect it to be designed in such a way as to have it built to meet sales requirements in many markets.

Honda’s new hybrid sedan will be marketed underneath the Civic Hybrid in their lineup and we're told will carry a price tag of around $18,500. We'll see it in person when it debuts at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. You'll see it on the streets in April of 2009.

Some say he has a tattoo of a Saleen S7 on his rear end. Others tell us he was born with a penchant for oil rather than his mum's milk. All we know is he's called the Auto Insider and he's always ready to provide the scoop from the other side of Eight Mile.