2010
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Everyone in the industry is feeling the burn of a long, slow summer, but few are feeling as keenly as Lexus. Perhaps that's because the luxury import carmaker had so far to fall, having been the dominant force in American luxury cars for most of the past decade. But there's a plan afoot to help turn things around even as the market continues to falter. How? By shifting its focus to the entry-level luxury segment, reports Automotive News. The idea is to catch younger buyers that might not be ready to commit to a top-end vehicle, but want more than the mainstream carmakers offer. The core...
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Nissan prices 370Z Roadster from $36,970The 350Z Roadster caught a lot of flack for its awkward top-up proportions, and while the new 370Z Roadster has the top-down look nailed, the lack of official top-up shots has us worried it too will fall prey to poor design. Whatever the aesthetics, however, pricing is a known quantity, and it...
Nelson Ireson -
Lexus HS 250h tops 1,500 pre-orders in JapanThough it has already been ruled out for Europe where diesel is king, the 2010 Lexus HS 250h dedicated hybrid sedan is planned for the U.S. If early sales reports out of Japan are any indication, the HS should prove a bigger hit than some might have predicted. Over 1,500 buyers have placed orders...
Kenneth Hall -
Porsche GT3 gets new magnetic engine mounts from DelphiMagneto rheological (MR) fluid has some pretty amazing properties. It can change from a low-viscosity liquid to a very stiff, nearly solid substance in milliseconds with the mere application of a magnetic field. Now that technology is heading from shock absorbers to engine mounts, and the first car...
Nelson Ireson -
Production Volkswagen Bluesport roadster still a possibility?When it first appeared in Detroit back in January the Bluesport concept stirred talk of the revival of the roadster segment, and especially the Porsche 914 and 356. Unfortunately, the Porsche's rebirth was ruled out last month, and this had led to fears that the same fate may ensue for a planned...
Alex Kaufmann -
Report: Ford looking to spawn three sedans from new platformFord’s future models are to share common vehicle platforms across the globe, a practice that is the keystone of CEO Alan Mulally’s strategy to help shed costs and turn around the fortunes of the company. The first of these new global cars has already been launched in the form of the...
Ralph Hanson -
The era of epic supercars is certainly not over at Aston Martin, with the carmaker confirming the development of a brand new flagship model late last year. A life-size mock up was then put on display at the 2008 Paris Motor Show to tease the public and start building interest for the car, which is estimated to cost a cool £1.2 million. A technical design showcase at March’s Geneva Motor Show revealed more features, including its bespoke carbon-fiber chassis and V12 engine, and shortly after Aston Martin released the first tentative details about production plans. This was then...
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Spy shots: BMW's next 5-series up closeWith the 2009 Audi A6 facelift now on sale and the 2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class starting to hit 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...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Porsche Panamera Turbo lays claim to 7:56 Nurburgring lap timePorsche's intense rivalry with Nissan over Nurburgring lap times may have cooled off in recent months, but a new rivalry appears to be in the works, this time with Cadillac and the CTS-V. A report emerging from Germany today has the Panamera Turbo lapping the Nurburgring in 7:56 minutes - just over...
Kenneth Hall -
Nissan opens official shop at the NurburgringNissan's 370Z has turned heads and changed minds when it comes the future of the Z-car, and to help push the company's sporting reputation even further, Nissan has opened a shop featuring the car alongside the already proven GT-R at the infamous Nurburgring. Though it's known around the world as...
Alex Kaufmann -
Aston Martin releases new high-res shots of V12 Vantage in actionAggressive carbon fiber louvres, a bold engine note and the sheer speed of the thing are all that's needed to distinguish the Aston Martin V12 Vantage from its V8 sister. These latest high-res photos help capture all that's changed, and all that's stayed the same, adding to the photos previously...
Alex Kaufmann -
Chinese bureaucrats cause a ruffle by approving Mercedes and BMW cars for government useChina is now the single biggest market in the world for new cars but that doesn’t mean the government is slowing down on the purchase of cars for its official fleets. While this usually would not be worthy of reporting, the fact that the Chinese government has approved luxurious Mercedes Benz...
Kenneth Hall -
This week Motor Authority had the opportunity to take a ride along in the new 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo at BMW's Performance Driving Center with chief instructor Jim Clark at the wheel. So what is our first impression? In a word, surprised. Looking a lot like a lower, less aggressive X6, the 2010 BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo's innovative cargo and passenger solutions let a lot of both fit into a more compact form factor than a traditional SUV, but with a ride height that gives more command than a typical sedan. We’ve all known that since the car was officially unveiled in May - the...
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Lexus IS C production struggling to keep up with demandIn the midst of its U.S. marketing blitz for the 2010 IS C, Lexus is working hard to build enough cars to meet consumer demand. Currently about 1,200 cars are leaving the Kyushu factory each month, but according to a Lexus official, that's just barely enough. The IS-C was introduced last October at...
Ralph Hanson -
Report: Lexus IS F Convertible planned for early 2011 launchDespite there being no plans yet for an IS Coupe or a high-performance F version of the new IS C Convertible, officially, a new report has surfaced and claims that a Lexus IS F Convertible is in the works. Coupe and convertible versions of the IS-F would be welcome by fans, and it would also likely...
Ralph Hanson -
Fisker signs deal with Quantum to source Karma plug-in hybrid systemWhile big brand automakers like Toyota and General Motors are still more than a year away from launching their respective plug-in hybrid vehicles, small start-ups such as California's Fisker Automotive intends on having its own plug-in hybrid on sale this November. The company today took a step...
James Martinez -
2010 BMW 5-Series GT May Replace Wagon in U.S.BMW's controversially styled new 5-Series GT will be heading to U.S. showrooms later this year. When it does, it could take the place of the current 5-Series Wagon altogether. According to BMW's Martin Birkmann, head of product planning, "it's possible" that the hatchback 5-Series could be the...
Nelson Ireson -
Future Buicks: small cars, front-drivers, and four-cylinders aheadWith GM sailing off into the future minus a handful of brands--Saturn, HUMMER, Saab and Pontiac among them--Buick counts itself as one of the lucky nameplates in the new GM. What's next? A compact Buick lineup of four or five vehicles, with more compact dimensions and smaller engines than fans of...
Martin Padgett -
Hurtling along at a cool 143mph (230km/h) in BMW's 2010 X6 M at Road Atlanta just before you shut it down hard for turn 10A, there's a brief moment where you wonder if it's even physically possible for the 5,324lb (2,415kg) missile you're now a part of to slow down enough to make the turn and avoid surfing the sand into the runoff area. But the moment passes and soon enough you're throwing the car into a four-wheel drift and pegging the throttle as you confidently accelerate up the hill to start a new lap. That, in a nutshell, is all you need to know about the X6 M. Our time with the car was...
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Car Czar Rattner Wants Cadillac Free, And SoonWith General Motors setting a land-speed record in clearing bankruptcy court, the White House and de facto car czar Steven Rattner want out of General Motors, and quick. GM could exit bankruptcy as soon as tomorrow, now that a federal court has okayed the Section 363 sale of the "new GM" assets to...
Martin Padgett -
Spy shots: Saab’s next-gen 9-5 takes shapeThe Saab 9-5 is long overdue for an overhaul, with the current model first hitting the streets as far back as 1997. A totally redesigned model was rumoured to make an appearance last year but its release was pushed back due to limited resources at Saab and the introduction of the facelifted 9-3...
James Martinez -
Sporty R-Design XC60 joins 2010 Volvo lineupVolvo has revealed the latest addition to its sporty R-Design lineup with the introduction of the all-new XC60 R-Design SUV. Set to go on sale shortly after its debut at this September's Frankfurt Motor Show, the modified XC60 has been spruced up with a specially tuned lowered sports chassis and a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Hennessey working on 705hp ‘Z700’ Corvette ZR1 for 2010The world's fastest and most powerful production Corvette, the 638hp (476kW) ZR1 has become the pinnacle of American sports cars. After all, for most ZR1 owners, having a car capable of Nurburgring times of 7m 26s is more than enough to satisfy performance to satisfy their need for speed. However...
James Martinez -
Last Saab 9-5 rolls off the line after 12 years of productionThe Saab 9-5 is one of the oldest vehicles still in production, having first appeared as far back as 1997 and only experiencing one major update since then. Now, just months out from the debut of the all-new 2010 9-5 at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Saab has ended production of the...
James Martinez