2010
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Cylinder deactivation has been with us for several years in big V8 engines. Both GM and Chrysler have used it and Audi now offers it on its S range. Rather firing on all cylinders during steady freeway driving, the units use cylinder deactivation to save fuel when the power demand is low, shutting off the power to half the cylinders. Volkswagen thinks the technology could be of use in smaller engines too and is introducing the world's first 4-cylinder engine with cylinder deactivaion. The technology will be seen in Volkswagen's next generation 1.4-liter TSI engine. The current model fitted in...
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SRT Chief Gilles To Race Targa Newfoundland With Viper SRT10
Saying your brand is all about performance is one thing, but actually putting your own butt on the line in an all-out open road rally is another. SRT Brand president and CEO Ralph Gilles isn't afraid--even when he's doing it in a Dodge Viper SRT10. Gilles will join experienced Targa Newfoundland...
Nelson Ireson -
Rolls-Royce Celebrates Year Of The Dragon With Special Phantom
Next year is the Chinese year of the Dragon, a very important year on the Chinese Zodiac, and with China being so important for Rolls-Royce these days, the British automaker has decided to build a special edition range of Phantom sedans called the “Year of the Dragon Collection”...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Dodge Viper Spy Shots
The 2013 Dodge Viper is expected to be revealed early next year, possibly at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show in January.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Power Boost For MkVII Volkswagen Golf GTI: Report
Development of Volkswagen’s MkVII Golf is well underway, with the new car on track to come onto the market towards the end of next year as a 2013 model. While a conventional hatchback shape will remain, designers are thought to be going for much sharper styling in an effort to make the new...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Zagato And British Coachbuilder CPP Form Joint Venture
One of the first fruits of the joint-venture established by Zagato and CPP was the stunning Aston Martin V12 Zagato.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Now here’s the kind of news that makes our day; Ferrari enthusiasts using the spectacle of exotic and vintage supercars to raise awareness and funds for worthy charitable organizations. We’re talking about California’s Ferrari Owners Group (FOG) and the organization’s annual charitable rally, which will see some 50 Prancing Horse badged cars travel from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to Los Angeles and in the process raise more than $100,000. The rally, which kicks off on September 23 and runs for two days, will showcase Ferraris of all models and years and...
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Ferrari Previews New Customization Program
Ferrari already has its One-to-One customization program and for the right price will build you a completely new body under its Ferrari Design division, but now the automaker looks to be working on yet another customization program that appears to be targeted more at the mainstream Ferrari...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chrysler Considering GT Racing Return With 2013 Dodge Viper
A little over a decade ago Chrysler was dominating the international GT circuit with its first-generation Dodge Viper race car, taking home a hat-trick of GTS-class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1998 to 2000, as well as a win at the 24 Hours of Daytona during the same period. Now, with a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Dodge Viper Has Supplier Issues But Remains On Track For Debut Next Year
The 2013 Dodge Viper, the third iteration of the iconic American supercar, is on track for a debut early next year, most likely at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The information was revealed recently by Ralph Gilles, the new head of Chrysler’s standalone SRT performance division and current...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin Cuts Rapide Production On Weak Demand: Report
Sales of Aston's $200,000-plus super sedan may not be hot enough to support the company's planned production volume.
Nelson Ireson -
2010 And 2011 Porsche 911 Recalled Due To Faulty Wheel Locks
Certain versions of the iconic Porsche 911 are being recalled due to a potentially dangerous central locking hub on the wheels, which if untreated could cause a crash. The affected models are the high-performance--and high-pricetag--911 Turbo, GT3 and GT2 models from the 2010 and current 2011 model...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
One of the Nurburgring Nordschleife’s living legends, ‘Ring Queen Sabine Schmitz, will no longer be offering enthusiasts the chance to ride shotgun with her in a BMW M5 around the famous German circuit as she, along with the current BMW M5 ‘Ring Taxi’, are retiring from service. The Ring-Taxi service will still be available, though the car is being downgraded from the soon-to-be superseded E60 M5 to an E90 M3 Sedan. And performing the driving duties will be instructors from the BMW Driving Experience program, though that’s been the case most of the time anyway as...
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Next-Gen Dodge Viper Appears In Chrysler Dealer Ordering System: Report
We have expected the return of the Dodge Viper given the frequent confirmation from the company. We didn't expect it--and still don't--until late 2012 as a 2013 model year car, despite reports of a 2012 model popping up in the Chrysler dealer inventory system, according to Allpar.com. To make it to...
Nelson Ireson -
2010 And 2011 Volvo XC90 SUVs Recalled For Power Steering Fault
Volvo, together with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has issued a recall on 2010 and 2011 model year XC90 SUVs due to a potential fault affecting the vehicles’ power steering system. The affected vehicles, of which there are 350 units across the country, are those...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fernando Alonso Slides Ferrari 458 Around Track: Video
Perhaps in celebration of the extension of his Formula 1 contract with Ferrari to 2016, Fernando Alonso took a Ferrari 458 around the test track in Fiorano. He brought a passenger along for the ride, and the unidentified man seemed to enjoy it, based on his unabashed giggling. We'd probably giggle...
Tim Healey -
Ferrari Superamerica 45 Flips Its Lid: Video
Remember the Ferrari 575M Superamerica? The one based on the 575M Maranello but with a cool folding hard-top that simply flipped over? Well, Ferrari has built another exotic with the innovative roof system, this time based on the 575M’s successor, the 599 GTB Fiorano. Like the previous car...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Dodge Viper Does Burnout Minus Its Body: Video
Remember the Saab 9-3 wagon that received a heart transplant from a Dodge Viper we reported on yesterday? Well, here is the Dodge Viper, minus its body, just before being inserted into the shell of the awaiting Scandinavian wagon. As we can see from this video, the bodyless Dodge Viper, complete...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Saab's future may or may not be in jeopardy, and that's a shame, because if the brand disappears, we won't see creations like this hopped-up 9-3 wagon anymore. Some crazy Swedish tuners took a crashed Dodge Viper SRT10 and turned it into the Saab 9-3 SRT10 MegaPower. The builders had planned on rehabbing the Viper back to normal, but due to the damage and a lack of available parts, the group instead decided to combine the Viper's engine and mechanical bits with the body and chassis of a Saab 9-3 Sport Combi. The build wasn't easy, as the tuners had to do some maneuvering to get the 8.4-liter...
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Aston Martin V12 Vantage Drops In At Performance Driving Course
The Aston Martin Performance Driving Course is about two things--helping you understand the capability of your car in a safe and controlled environment and making you a safer, better driver. However, the course isn’t only open to current Aston Martin customers. For a fee of $2,500, anyone...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Viper ACR Sets Record At Miller Motorsports: Video
The 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR is a beast of a car, and as we reported last month, it has set the lap record for a production car at Miller Motorsports Park. Driven by Kuno Wittmer, the car set a time of 1:59.995 on the 3.048-mile Outer Course at Miller. At an average of 91 miles per hour, its the...
Tim Healey -
The American Alfa: Zagato Gives Us the TZ3 Stradale
Truth be told, the all-new Zagato TZ3 Stradale isn't exactly a concept. It's more of a very limited special edition street car. But the press release that accompanied its debut refers to it as a "design exercise" and "avante-garde car," which pretty much equates to "concept car" in our book...
Chris Weiss -
Dodge Looking To Expand Customer Base With Next Viper
The outgoing Dodge Viper was known for its brutish driving dynamics, and that separated it from other similarly-priced sports cars. Now, the company is looking to cast a wider net for potential buyers. Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles told Automotive News that Dodge is talking to owners of competing models...
Tim Healey -
Lingenfelter Set To Unveil 800 Horsepower Twin-Turbo 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
Aftermarket performance maven Lingenfelter Performance Engineering has more Camaro upgrades in store for the Camaro5Fest that takes place this weekend at the Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. The company will be bringing an 800-horsepower twin-turbocharged Camaro to the festival...
Tim Healey