France
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The Bugatti Type 41, better known as the Royale, was intended to be the biggest, most luxurious, most expensive car in the world. It was to be sold only to royalty. Launched into the teeth of the Great Depression, just six of a planned 25 were built. None of the original six has changed hands since 1999. Today, four are owned by museums and a fifth by VW Group, current owner of the Bugatti brand. Ownership of the sixth, which survives, is unclear. Now, there's a seventh Royale—more or less Packard-bodied prototype As described in The Old Motor (via Hemmings Motor News), the car is a...
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Audi Wins Le Mans 2011, R18 TDI Withstands Huge Crashes
Audi Sport has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the La Sarthe circuit in Northern France in one of the closest races in many years, but were it not for the strength and safety of the R18 TDI sports prototype, the weekend could have been very different. Less than an hour into the race, star driver...
Antony Ingram -
Don't Get The Le Mans 24 Hours On TV? Get An Audi Eye View
As we speak the Le Mans 24 Hour sports car race at Le Mans in France has been underway for just under an hour. If you're not lucky enough to be enjoying a beer by the side of the circuit or at least don't have access to a television feed for the race, fear not. Front-running team Audi has their own...
Antony Ingram -
Mon Dieu! France Fines Google $142,000 For Street View Privacy Violations
There's no denying that Google Maps is the king of online mapping services. It may have been slightly late to the party, but thanks to social features like sharable maps and the ability to drop in notes at specific locations, it quickly zoomed past competitors like MapQuest. One of Google Maps'...
Richard Read -
Urban Transport Of The Future? Bike Meets Car With E-3POD
The Royal College of Art in London, England has produced some of the auto industry's top design talent for 40 years now and attracts budding car designers from all around the world. On occasion, they hold competitions for their top talent to design vehicles of the future, mixing the best in car...
Antony Ingram -
Tara Reid Still Matters
Remember that face? It's Tara Reid, the Neve Campbell of her generation. Ah, memories. We haven't heard much from Tara lately, apart from occasional tidbits about her ongoing plastic surgery troubles and certain photos unfit for family-friendly websites like this one (but which can easily be...
Richard Read -
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 his work on the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 was rather handsome indeed, we thought it would be difficult for even a French car stylist to make the aesthetically-challenged Cayenne look any good - and we were right. With a front end that looks more like an upset fish rather than a stylish SUV, the...
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Bugatti reveals more photos of Veyron Grand Sport as production ramps up
Few cars carry as much prominence as the Bugatti Veyron, famous for its ultra-high price tag, striking looks and other-worldly speeds, but there will always be demanding customers wanting more. For them, Bugatti is offering an even more exclusive ‘roofless’ version labeled the Veyron...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
U.S. satellite listeners to get live broadcast of entire 24 Hours of Le Mans
The battle for the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans is already heating up with Peugeot protesting Audi's R15 race car, and things will only get hotter as the weekend approaches. If you don't want to miss a minute, then you'd better have satellite radio, because Sirius XM will be covering the event from...
Kenneth Hall -
Fiat may turn to PSA Peugeot-Citroen should Opel bid fail
Fiat's sudden interest in Chrysler and Opel highlight the Italian auto giant’s desire to build a large scale global manufacturing operation, but now that a deal with Opel appears to be far from certain there’s speculation as to where Fiat's interest will fall next. In top contention...
Kenneth Hall -
IKEA Leko turns out to be new car sharing program
While it never turned to be the April fool’s day joke we had all thought it to be, IKEA’s mysterious ‘Leko’ has turned out to be a new car sharing program launching in France next month. The new program is an online car-sharing service that will allow motorists to book...
Alex Kaufmann -
Renault Sport Experience: touring Europe with hot hatches
The best way to make a small fortune in motorsports? Start with a large one. Yes, the old adage is true as ever, but it need not always be, at least in a few cases. The Renault Sport Experience is one way to get some track time on the cheap, and it's getting ready to hit some of the most famous...
Kenneth Hall -
Mitsubishi's highly anticipated i-MiEV electric car prototype is set to be revealed this week at the Geneva Motor Show, but ahead of the car's unveiling the Japanese company has announced an interesting development. Mitsubishi has just inked a Memorandum of Understanding regarding cooperation between itself and European auto giant PSA Peugeot Citroen. The deal relates to the production of a Peugeot-branded electric car based on the new i-MiEV, a move which has been expected for some time now but has finally been officially confirmed. While Mitsubishi will manufacture the European-spec i-MiEV...
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Valeo releases windscreen-projected speedometer
Factory-installed options such as blind spot warning systems, park-assist radars and automatic headlights are often only available on luxury cars, and that too at a premium price. Now, French automotive parts supplier Valeo has unveiled a range of new driving and parking assistance devices that can...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford looking at asset sales in Europe
Ford of Europe is currently in talks with an undisclosed European company regarding the sale of one of its factories in France. The French government is eager to ensure a positive solution for the factory's 1,600 workers, and Ford of Europe's CEO John Fleming has assured that the mysterious...
Kenneth Hall -
Tiny Secma F16 Roadster offers unique French take on track-day toy
It shares its name with a famous American fighter jet for the obvious connotative reasons, but the resemblance ends there. A sports-roadster on the scale of a Smart ForTwo, the Secma F16 offers a bare-bones take on the sports car. Gullwing doors, a retractable top and the overall vibrant look make...
Kenneth Hall -
More details on Renault’s upcoming Megane Coupe
Images of the production Renault Megane Sport Coupe have been leaked once again, this time from a patent application filed in the European Union. The latest shots confirm the upcoming Megane Sport Coupe, due next year, will feature similar styling to the Coupe Concept (pictured) from March’s...
Kenneth Hall