http://www.motorauthority.com/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:33:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/images/logo-footer.jpg http://www.motorauthority.com/ en http://www.motorauthority.com/rss http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038098_2010-bmw-m3-gts-shows-off-in-pair-of-new-videos http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038098_2010-bmw-m3-gts-shows-off-in-pair-of-new-videos Over 400 pounds lighter, a whole lot less concerned about comfort and far, far more aggressive in its performance, the 2010 BMW M3 GTS is one of the most intriguing vehicles to come out of BMW for some time. It's no secret that BMW has a strong record in motorsport, or that its cars are definitely one of the top drivers' choices among ...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:33:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038096_bmw-teases-next-5-series-with-kinetic-art-video http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038096_bmw-teases-next-5-series-with-kinetic-art-video BMW's next 5-Series has been spied in testing quite a lot, including the Touring version caught by our spies earlier today. But now BMW has stepped the game up to the next level, releasing an official teaser that shows off the next 5-Series ' roof and waistline through a novel kinetic sculpture. The art installation itself is ...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:22:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038094_report-cadillac-converj-approved-for-production http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038094_report-cadillac-converj-approved-for-production The off-again, on-again nature of the Cadillac Converj 's production plans cast a pall of uncertainty over any production announcement, but the latest reports out of Detroit say the lights are green for the luxury Caddy hybrid . Revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show , the Cadillac Converj concept was a highly refined, dramatically ...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:17:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038078_spy-shots-2011-bmw-5-series-touring http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038078_spy-shots-2011-bmw-5-series-touring With the 2009 Audi A6 facelift and the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class already in showrooms, attention now turns to the next-generation BMW 5-Series. A class leader since its inception, the 5-series Sedan and Touring wagon remain crucial vehicles in BMW’s lineup and with the next-gen versions now just months away from launch ...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:42:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038077_driven-2010-bmw-activehybrid-x6 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038077_driven-2010-bmw-activehybrid-x6 Unlike the mainstream market where hybrid technology is used to maximize fuel efficiency, luxury automakers have employed hybrid systems as a way to maintain or improve performance while making concessions to efficiency. The 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 , which our testers got to drive this past weekend, is a prime example. Based on the ...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:55:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038076_autonomous-audi-tts-to-tackle-pikes-peak-rally http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038076_autonomous-audi-tts-to-tackle-pikes-peak-rally We have a preview of one of the challengers that will tackle the very special Annual Autonomous Robot Race next July, a self-driving Audi TTS Coupe nicknamed Shelley. The vehicle gets its name from Michele Mouton, one of the most successful female rally drivers to date who played a significant part in Audi's racing history, and was ...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:30:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038074_hybrid-future-at-bmw http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1038074_hybrid-future-at-bmw Unlike the mainstream market where hybrid technology is used to maximize fuel efficiency, luxury automakers have employed hybrid systems as a way to maintain or improve performance while making concessions to efficiency. The upcoming 2010 ActiveHybrid X6 and 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 from BMW are prime examples of this philosophy, ...]]> Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:09:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037933_opel-boss-carl-peter-forster-calls-it-quits http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037933_opel-boss-carl-peter-forster-calls-it-quits Carl-Peter Forster, GM group vice president and president of Opel, will be leaving his role as head of the European operation and will advise the company during the transition to find a new CEO, it was announced today. With the departure of Forster, GM will initiate an immediate external search for a new CEO for Opel. Expected to replace ...]]> Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:36:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037928_gm-czar-lutz-heading-back-to-europe--to-opel http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037928_gm-czar-lutz-heading-back-to-europe--to-opel GM's sudden decision this week to reverse path and keep Opel rather than sell a majority stake to Magna and Sberbank raised a lot of eyebrows, and even some tempers, around the world. Today, a report from Germany is saying car czar Bob Lutz is to be the next Chairman of Opel's supervisory board, following today's announcement of the ...]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037927_toyota-to-put-2010-4runner-through-the-baja-1000-wringer http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037927_toyota-to-put-2010-4runner-through-the-baja-1000-wringer Toyota's involvement in motorsports has been a hot topic this week with their withdrawal from F1, and today's news is sure to draw some attention as well: the company plans to enter a near-stock 2010 4Runner in the "Stock mini " class of the SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. That's a major statement of Toyota's faith in the ...]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:02:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037924_mini-shows-off-10-art-cars-in-wash-me-video http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037924_mini-shows-off-10-art-cars-in-wash-me-video Borrowing a page out of parent company BMW's playbook, MINI's "Wash Me" art car video shows off the latest batch of art cars from the MINI lineup. BMW has long been known for its art cars, and the latest push, complete with a book based around these art cars, is to give MINI that same sort of history. By using the MINI as a ...]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:52:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037923_santa-monica-fisker-dealer-opening-a-hit http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037923_santa-monica-fisker-dealer-opening-a-hit Fisker's Karma plug-in hybrid has already won flocks of followers thanks to its stunning looks and powerful stat sheet, so it should be no surprise that the opening of the brand's Santa Monica dealership was met with a full house of guests and fans. The car itself has yet to come to production reality, and so far its only real-world test ...]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:06:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037916_chrysler-brand-being-phased-out-overseas http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037916_chrysler-brand-being-phased-out-overseas Wednesday marked the big unveiling of Chrysler's five-year recovery plan and while there has been a lot speculation about the company's new strategy, we can now reveal that CEO Sergio Marchionne is planning to phase out most Chrysler brands outside North America. The sole exception? Jeep , which will instead receive a boost to its ...]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:46:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037913_rolls-royce-working-on-ghost-hybrid http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037913_rolls-royce-working-on-ghost-hybrid Old-world charm, resolute styling and blue-blooded buyers may not be the first things one mentally associates with hybrid cars, but Rolls-Royce thinks the combination makes perfect sense. Instantaneous torque, quiet operation and excellent fuel-economy all work in favor of a gasoline-electric Rolls, so it comes as little surprise that ...]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:08:00 +0000 http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037910_garmin-ecoroute-esp-puts-virtual-gauges-on-your-nuvi http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1037910_garmin-ecoroute-esp-puts-virtual-gauges-on-your-nuvi Convergence. It was once a hot-button word in electronics. It has since fallen out of vogue, but the concept is still valid: the consolidation of multiple technologies into a single device as well as the adaptation of analog tech into digital form, lightening the gadget load while duplicating or expanding functionality. The Garmin EcoRoute ESP ...]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:33:00 +0000