2009
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The Corvette C6.R GT1 car had its last hurrah at the Long Beach leg of the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship, but today General Motors unveiled the car that will be replacing it - the C6.R GT2, based on the Corvette ZR1. With the season half over already, Corvette Racing will be using the final five rounds to test and develop the car for next year. The decision to run the car in GT2 is based in part on an upcoming move to a unified GT category in ALMS racing, which will pit the ZR1-based racer against the likes of Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Viper, Jaguar, BMW, Panoz and Ford. "The...
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Mercedes-Benz could be next to drop out of F1
The value of Mercedes' involvement in F1 is still the topic of debate within parent company Daimler, board member Helmut Lense insists. Earlier this year, Lense was quoted as suggesting that Mercedes should be pulled out of the sport in favor of more worthy projects. Now, in the wake of fellow...
Alex Kaufmann -
Nissan GT-R: Nurburgring speed demon and...rescue vehicle?
Picture it: you're halfway into a hot lap of the Nurburgring's Nordschleife, braking hard for the infamous Bergwerk turn when your peripheral vision catches a glimpse of the rear-view mirror and you realize that Viper you just passed is coming in way too hot and there's nowhere for you to go. The...
Ralph Hanson -
GM returns to luxury leasing
General Motors announced a new leasing program today with enhanced lease deals on select 2009 and 2010 Cadillac and Buick models as well as several GMC and Chevrolet models. The leases, offered by U.S. Bank, are part of a pilot program that includes select GM vehicles sold in New York, New Jersey...
Ralph Hanson -
47% of first 80,000 'cash for clunkers' sales from American brands
Ford may be the only American carmaker reporting a rise in sales for July, but Detroit's beleaguered trio didn't fare too badly - almost half of the fuel-efficient upgrades sold in the CARS 'cash for clunkers' bonanza were GM, Ford or Chrysler vehicles, according to the White House. Only little...
Ralph Hanson -
On the back of falling sales and a model run that has lasted more than nine years, Chrysler decided back in January to end production of the PT Cruiser by the middle of this year. In June, we brought you word that the retro-styled wagon would live on for at least another year, and now Chrysler has made the news official. The rather brief official announcement made it plain that Chrysler isn't just sticking with the PT Cruiser for its good looks, but because it thinks the car is a successful and desirable model. “The heritage-styled Chrysler PT Cruiser continues to be a global success...
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Subaru holding WRX games in California
Residents of California will be in for a treat this weekend when Subaru holds its first ever WRX games - an event that will feature a full day of Subarus and driving experiences. According to Todd Lawrence, the promotional manager for Subaru America, the WRX games will allow people to experience...
Jeremy Weber -
Mr. Norm unveils 7.0L V8 Challenger and Cuda Convertibles
Legendary Dodge dealer and tuner Mr. Norm has already shown off its 'Super' Challenger and Cuda models earlier this year, but now the firm is back with some new Dodge Challengers and Cuda models on offer. Titled the 2009 426 Hemi Challenger and 426 Hemi Cuda Convertible, both vehicles are based on...
Ralph Hanson -
MTM takes on the Porsche Cayenne Diesel
German tuning house MTM has given the world some lightning quick creations in the past, but this time it is focusing on something a little more sedate - the Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Usually equipped with a 240hp (176kW) 3.0L V6 diesel unit, the Porsche Cayenne Diesel is hardly the most exciting car...
Alex Kaufmann -
First Porsche Panameras reach U.S. soil
Whether you love it or loathe it there's no stopping the Porsche Panamera now, with 31 models already transported to the U.S. via the cargo hold of a 747 jet. The 31 Panamera models will be the cars used for the model’s official North American debut, where the public will be able to see the...
Ralph Hanson -
Last Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roll off the line
General Motors’ announcement back in April that the Pontiac brand would be phased out by the end of the year and Saturn sold off, many of the automaker’s top models were immediately given a death sentence. Some of the cars that will be missed the most include hot items like the Saturn...
Ralph Hanson -
We did say 'snowy' white, didn't we?
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First Details of the 2010 Acura RDX Unveiled
Acura has released the first photos and details of the 2010 RDX.
Tim Healey -
French stylist Jeremie Paret turns his hands to the Porsche Cayenne
Last year we revealed the first major work of former French tuning magazine editor Jeremie Paret, who had dubbed himself as a car stylist rather than a tuner and set up shop with studios in Paris and Dubai to woo the wealthy and tasteful into handing over their cars for some style treatment. While...
Jeremy Weber -
Lexus IS-F joins British police ranks
Automakers and law enforcement seem to have a knack for joining together, especially when it comes to high-performance pursuit vehicles that give the car companies free publicity and provide the authorities with some much needed 'cool' factor. Continuing in the tradition of the Lamborghini Gallardo...
Kenneth Hall -
Brangelina Go REALLY Suburban
Calming the kids, or crafty product placement for the McCafe?
Richard Read -
Lincoln downsizing models, possible compact car and small crossover in the works
Lincoln will reportedly be taking a new approach to what sort of vehicles it produces, with plans to downsize vehicles in the wake of flailing sales of the Navigator SUV and other large cars. The new approach will see the American brand focusing on cars that will likely be the smallest Lincolns...
Ralph Hanson -
The race for the 2009 world championship took a sharp turn in Hungary on Sunday, as the sport’s former top drivers showed a return to form. Title contenders Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel both struggled: the Brawn driver just seventh at the chequered flag with tire wear problems, and Red Bull's Vettel suffering a hefty blow with a tumultuous race and retirement. It was therefore Mark Weber smiling most, despite the Nurburgring pole sitter and winner finishing just third. The Australian leapfrogged his teammate Vettel in the drivers' standings, and closed the gap to leader Button to...
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Hyundai Genesis highest-ranked new-model debut of 2008 says J.D. Power
Claiming the top spot in any J.D. Power survey is an important goal for carmakers, as buyers pay attention to the company's vehicle market metrics. But the 2009 Hyundai Genesis has won a particularly meaningful one, taking the 2008 Inaugural Vehicle Launch Index. The Vehicle Launch Index is an...
Ralph Hanson -
Sportec takes Audi S4 Avant output to 425hp
You'd think that spending the time, effort and money to get another 92hp out of your car would yield more than 0.1 seconds in the 0-62mph dash and the same top speed, but for the Swiss tuners at Sportec, that's unfortunately exactly what happened. Despite cranking the car up to 425hp from the stock...
Alex Kaufmann -
Bentley getting greener with cylinder deactivation technology
The pressure to show an interest in the ecological impact of driving is extending ever-upwards, so high that even Bentley is working on advanced fuel saving technologies for its cars. We’ve already seen the unveiling of the flex-fuel capable Continental Supersports, Bentley’s fastest...
Kenneth Hall -
Bob Lutz kills rumors of Pontiac G8 becoming Chevy Caprice
Pontiac may be dead in the water but some enthusiasts - and until today, Bob Lutz among them - have been clamoring for at least one of the brand’s cars to be rebadged and sold under another GM brand - the Australian-built Pontiac G8. Designed and constructed by GM's Holden subsidiary Down...
Ralph Hanson -
Hone your race track skills with Jim Russell’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Experience
Mitsubishi has teamed up with America’s Jim Russell Racing Drivers School to create an exciting new driver training course that utilizes the high-performance Lancer Evolution X in an effort to help willing participants hone their race track skills. Called the Jim Russell Lancer Evolution...
James Martinez