2009

General Motors has confirmed that Pontiac's struggling Torrent SUV will be canned this week due to poor sales and a need to remarket the brand as a lineup that specializes in cars. The news comes from the company’s North American vice-president of Buick, Pontiac and GMC, Susan Docherty, who...

In the world of high-end car modification, there's extreme, there's insane, and then there's Mansory. But anyone that's actually been inside a Mansory vehicle knows the attention to detail and craftsmanship that goes into their over-the-top designs - they reek of quality. So the chopped, dropped...

One of the most talked about electric cars in recent times is the Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster, a car that is becoming increasingly popular in performance circles because of its supercar performance and cutting edge technology. Well-established Porsche tuner RUF, a company that has been...

For many readers of this site the Dacia name will be largely unknown but those in the know will immediately recognize it as Renault’s budget brand for emerging markets. For years the Dacia name could only be found on a limited range of econo sedans but lately it has been showing up at...

Renowned German tuner AC Schnitzer has developed a number of heavily modified cars in the past, the most recent being its new kit for the facelifted 3-series range. Lately, however, the tuner has decided to take a more subtle approach to customization, releasing a set of custom wheels and aero...

Get ready to fight off the green-eyed monster of jealousy, as those lucky Brits have landed yet another pair of spicy limited-edition hatches. The already-impressive Vauxhall Astra and Corsa VXR will now be available with special Racing Edition packages to celebrate the company's success in the...

In the battle for supremacy in the Aussie performance saloon market, the respective performance divisions for both Holden and Ford have unveiled two new special edition cars at this week’s Melbourne Motor Show. Representing the Ford camp is the F6 E concept car, which the Blue Oval is using...

Epic rally racing has lost some of its luster in the world scene, though rallies like the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and Carrera Panamericana were once the premier motorsports events in the world. One place where that spirit lives on is in the Targa Newfoundland. This year, one of the entrants will...

Unlike many of their competitors, the Belgians at Caractere don't do the European version of tacky, flashy tuner cars. Instead, they focus on adding minor enhancements that give the owner a unique look without clamoring for attention. The design program for the Audi A3 offers a range of front and...

Nissan has announced base pricing for the all-new Cube minicar earlier this month, starting at $13,990. Now it has revealed pricing for the full line, including the special-edition Krom, which starts at $19,360. Four variants of the Cube will be sold, dubbed the Cube 1.8, Cube 1.8 S, Cube 1.8 SL...

Starting this year, all new cars assessed under the Euro NCAP scheme will have to be fitted with some form of electronic stability control (ESC) in order to gain a rating of five stars. This puts the Euro NCAP scheme at the forefront of crash testing, though some other regions are also making...

HKS was one of the first major tuning houses to work on Nissan’s legendary GT-R supercar, developing performance kits and accessories as early as the 1989 R32 model right up to the latest R35 model. While many rival Japanese tuning firms specialise in simple off-the-shelf mods, the...

Yesterday’s grim news that General Motors had decided to pull the plug on its High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) caused shockwaves around performance circles, with many believing some of the company’s top sports cars, both current and future, could meet their demise. The HPVO is...

In what may come as a surprise to many, General Motors has decided to disband its High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) as it seeks to reduce costs and focus on mainstream products. The go-fast center consisted of a small skunk works of GM engineers who worked in the company’s suburban...

GM Performance Parts offers some very interesting gear for the go-fast racer or modifier, including whole engines available for whatever project one can come up with. The GM division is now offering its ultimate package: the LS9 supercharged V8 from the heart of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 supercar...

With all the doom and gloom surrounding the auto industry and the economy in general, it is interesting to see that Rolls-Royce, the manufacturer of some of the most lavish cars on the planet, is enjoying record sales. Last year, the carmaker from Goodwood, UK, sold a total of 1,212 cars, its fifth...

In late 2007 BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer revealed plans for several all-new models including a design study called the Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS). Today we have the first tangible evidence of the new PAS in the form of the 5-series Gran Turismo (GT) concept vehicle. Set to debut at next...

Fresh from its de facto split from Ford, Mazda is moving forward with the final touches on its 2009 lineup. Most of the 2009 U.S. range was revealed in mid-2008, but the MX-5 facelift has been kept secret. Today Mazda has let the new car out into the open, with full specs, photos and pricing. The...

Prototypes for Land Rover’s facelifted Range Rover Sport have been spotted again, this time undergoing cold weather testing in Northern Europe. The performance SUV already received a series of upgrades in 2007, including the introduction of a 3.6L twin turbo diesel V8, so for its next update...

Helping children with rip-snorting automotive hardware is nothing new, but Carroll Shelby's latest charity auction will also serve to inaugurate the Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The car on the block is a 2009 Shelby 427 GT500 Super Snake, good for 605hp (451kW) and sure to bring a good...