2009
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• What is it: The logical convertible version of Aston Martin's DBS sportscar • Key facts: 6.0-liter V-12 with 510 horsepower; 191-mph top speed; six-speed manual or automatic transmission • On sale: Now • Price: $300,000 (est.) The last piece in the Aston Martin DBS puzzle is about to be fitted in place, with the arrival of the 2010 DBS Volante convertible. Previewed at the Geneva motor show and in spy shots aplenty here at Motor Authority, the new aluminum-bodied roadster arrives in the U.S. later this year as a 2010 model. And, since we'll be driving the new...
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GM reveals Corvette ZR1-based C6.R GT2 race carThe 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...
Nelson Ireson -
Mercedes-Benz could be next to drop out of F1The 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 leasingGeneral 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 brandsFord 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 -
Only the G-Wagen can contain her.
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Chrysler officially extends PT Cruiser's lifespan by another yearOn 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...
Ralph Hanson -
Subaru holding WRX games in CaliforniaResidents 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 ConvertiblesLegendary 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 DieselGerman 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. soilWhether 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 -
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 Sky, Pontiac G8 and of course, the Solstice Coupe and Roadster. One of the first of many reports to come, Delaware’s The News Journal reports that production at GM’s 62-year old Boxwood Road assembly plant ceased on Tuesday. The facility will close or idle 14 plants in the next three...
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Lindsay Lohan Emerges From Snowy White Mercedes-Benz CLWe did say 'snowy' white, didn't we?
Richard Read -
First Details of the 2010 Acura RDX UnveiledAcura has released the first photos and details of the 2010 RDX.
Tim Healey -
French stylist Jeremie Paret turns his hands to the Porsche CayenneLast 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 ranksAutomakers 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 SuburbanCalming the kids, or crafty product placement for the McCafe?
Richard Read -
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 ever, an approach that some other luxury rivals have shied away from in fear of a U.S. market not ready for smaller cars yet. For the immediate future, Lincoln could be planning a number of surprises to help return the brand to prominence. Spearheading this approach is rumored to be a new compact...
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Return to form for former heroes at Hungarian GPThe 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...
Kenneth Hall -
Hyundai Genesis highest-ranked new-model debut of 2008 says J.D. PowerClaiming 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 425hpYou'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 technologyThe 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 CapricePontiac 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