Porsche has confirmed the launch of three new models ahead of its appearance at next week’s Detroit Auto Show.

Visitors to the show will see the 911 Cabrio for the first time. It will hit showrooms a few months after the Coupé variant of the 911 goes on sale in February.

Pricing is unannounced, but the vehicle is believed to boast a 3.8-liter V6 engine producing 294kW of power, with a seven-speed automatic transmission.

Luxury carmaker Bentley says that its sales surged last year on the back of strong performances in China and the United States, the world’s two biggest auto markets.

Total sales soared 37 percent to 7,003 vehicles last year, said Volkswagen‘s upmarket British-based division in a results statement.

Bentley, which is headquartered in Crewe, England, said sales rocketed by 69 percent in December alone to 1,059 cars, compared with the same month in 2010.

Iconic automaker Mini is rumored to be preparing an all new model which will push its popular styling further than ever, in the shape of a van.

Sources within BMW have confirmed that a Mini ‘van’, designed for cargo carrying, is set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show, which kicks off in Switzerland in March.

The Mini van eschews rear seats in favor of a flat floor with the rear side windows going too, to make way for metal sides similar to modern delivery vans.

Update: BMW announced January 5 that US sales totaled 247,907 throughout 2011, beating Mercedes-Benz to the top spot by just 2,715 vehicles.

In a first, two German manufacturers — Mercedes-Benz and BMW – are dueling for the honor of being the top luxury brand sold in the United States.

Right now, BMW holds a slight lead, but US sales for Mercedes surged in November, climbing more than 40 percent.

Electric car maker Tesla has announced a special edition model of its Roadster sports car, as it prepares for the debut of its new Model S (pictured above).

The brand, which created the world’s first high-performance electric car in the Roadster, will sell just 15 of the Final Edition Roadster models.

Although the specifications of the model haven’t been changed, it is finished in distinctive Atomic Red paint, dark stripes and exclusive anthracite aluminium wheels.

Chrysler is set to launch an Italian-inspired luxury version of its 300 Series flagship at the forthcoming North American International Auto Show (January 9-22).

The interior is decked out in black or “mochachino” Poltrona Frau “Foligno” leather from Italy and hand-sanded matte wood.

According to Chrysler, such features were “once limited to some of the most exotic Italian luxury cars” –  presumably a reference to Ferrari and Maserati, both owned by Chrysler’s parent Fiat.