2011
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Home of the Ultimate Driving Machine and bringer of Joy to drivers, BMW has revealed its latest powerplant and to the casual observer or diehard enthusiast neither corporate phrase sits very easily with the new engine. The reason? It's a 3-cylinder, and it's low capacity. Buyers in Europe are used to seeing BMW engines as small as 1.6 and 1.8 liters so the new 1.5 liter unit might not be too much of a shock, but U.S. buyers are rarely offered anything lower than 2.5 liter straight six engines and latterly 2.0 liter turbocharged fours. The new 3-cylinder engine is effectively half of one of...
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Modified BMW M3 On Track At Spa Francorchamps: VideoDutch IndyCar and GT racer Junior Strous recently hit up the track at Spa Francorchamps, producing a blistering time and this exquisite video. Strous claims it's a record for the track, but given the modifications to the M3 and the non-race conditions, it's not clear which record he set. Whatever...
Nelson Ireson -
Chrysler Wants Your Service BusinessDo you drive a Honda, a Ford or a Volkswagen? How about a Chevy or a Lexus? By the end of the year, your local Chrysler Group dealer (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Fiat) will probably be able to service (but not necessarily repair) your car. Thanks to the recently announced partnership between Mopar and...
Kurt Ernst -
Lojack Lists The Ten Most Stolen Cars Of 2010If you’ve ever had a car broken into or stolen, you know the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Maybe you even blame yourself for parking in a remote corner of the lot (to avoid door dings), or maybe you start to second guess your choice of cars. If only you’d bought something...
Kurt Ernst -
540-HP Callaway Silverado: Quick LookCallaway is best known for tuning Corvettes, but that hasn't stopped the company from focusing on other niches. Like trucks. The Callaway Silverado is the first in a line of Callaway SportsTrucks, and the package offers more power and unique styling for Chevrolet Silverado owners. There are two...
Tim Healey -
2011 Mopar Charger Photos ReleasedWe've already seen a sketch of the 2011 Mopar Charger, and now Dodge has released details and a handful of photos. The Mopar Charger will be powered by the 370-horsepower, 395 pound-foot 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, and the engine comes equipped with a specially-tuned controller that matches maximum engine...
Tim Healey -
We’ve already seen race bred versions of the Aston Martin Vantage designed for the GT2 and GT4 competitions but now Aston Martin and its racing division, Aston Martin Racing (AMR), is developing a new GT3 car. Based on the V12 Vantage production car already in showrooms, the new Vantage GT3 race car will serve as the replacement for the aging DBRS9 and will see its first action in the 2012 GT3 season. You may recall, the DBRS9 was first launched in 2006 and has since seen 26 chassis built and raced to multiple victories in national and international series across the world. Now, with...
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Mopar And Magneti-Marelli Team Up For Avenger Rally Car: VideoEarlier this week Chrysler made a cryptic announcement that it would unveil a new strategic partnership, a new production car, and a new "race-inspired" project car, with both vehicles to be on display at the New York Auto Show. Today, Chrysler let the race-inspired project out of the barn, and...
Nelson Ireson -
Project Kahn Unveils New RS300 Range Rover SportThere's nothing wrong with a completely stock Land Rover Range Rover Sport. It's one of the most luxurious, capable on- and off-road performance SUVs available, and in supercharged trim it’s able to give some sports cars a run for their money. However, the fact that it’s so good in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MINI Inspired By Goodwood Preview: 2011 Shanghai Auto ShowOn the surface, the respective MINI and Rolls-Royce brands appear to be worlds apart; one sells small, relatively affordable hatchbacks targeted at hip youngsters, while the other is steeped in tradition, costs a fortune to own and is all about big, brazen sedans oozing luxury. Delve a little...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Twin-Turbo Hennessey Cadillac Escalade Outruns 2011 Nissan GT-R: VideoThe Nissan GT-R is no slouch even among cars costing twice its price or more. It's also a very large car in relation to much of its competition. But it's dwarfed by the HPE1000 Hennessey twin-turbo Cadillac Escalade paired up with it in this video. Even worse: it gets outrun by the 6,000-pound...
Nelson Ireson -
Lingenfelter Working On World's Fastest Camaro: VideoLingenfelter has already posted a sub-9 second run in a modified Camaro. But that's not enough for the company, which is gunning to better that time with an LS9 Camaro that now makes 1,200 horsepower at the rear wheels. Upgrades over the eight-second Camaro include a race suspension, transmission...
Tim Healey -
We all go ga-ga over a car's sheetmetal when we first see it. But when you stop to think about it, a car's exterior styling isn't really the most important thing. With the exception of die-hard ghost riders, you'll spend a lot more time inside your car, rather than outside it, when you're on the move. So a good interior is key to a pleasant driving experience. The experts over at Ward's AutoWorld have announced their favorite interiors for 2011, and the list spans a wide array of makes and models. Not surprisingly, three luxury brands were on the list: the 2011 Audi A8; the 2011 BMW X3; and...
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Next-Gen Audi A3 Will Feature Six Different Powertrain TypesAudi’s next-generation A3 is scheduled to hit showrooms in the second half of next year, in both sedan and hatchback bodystyles, and depending on which market you live in, you may eventually be able to opt from up to six different powertrain types when selecting your model. No, we’re...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Only Two Luxury Brands Make Ward’s Best Interiors List In 2011While we all like to go on about horsepower or differentials or suspension arms when discussing new cars, we often overlook the place where you and your car spend the most time together--inside the cabin. In order to recognize this aspect of vehicle development, Ward’s Auto releases a list...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Video: Porsche Recaps The Targa TasmaniaThe 2011 Targa Tasmania ended in Hobart yesterday, putting a cap on the tricky, often treacherous, high-speed tarmac rally. This video offers one perspective on the experience, from Porsche's point of view. The look back includes some footage of Walter Rohrl in the seat of a vintage rally 911, plus...
Nelson Ireson -
SMS Supercars Unveils Yellow, Black, And White Label MustangsSMS Supercars is close to fully unveiling its next line of hopped-up Mustangs, but the company showed off a preview in California at the Fabulous Fords show over the weekend. There will be three flavors, or "labels," when the new line is fully introduced. The White Label is the base package, and it...
Tim Healey -
Gogogear Hyundai Genesis Racing Coupe Hits Thunderhill This WeekendThe Gogogear Hyundai Genesis Coupe race car that made its debut at last year's SEMA show is getting ready to take to the track for its first competition run this weekend at Thunderhill Raceway in California. The racer sports the 3.8-liter V-6 engine cranked up to 330 horsepower and a host of...
Nelson Ireson -
Since the first hintings of the return of the MINI name to the world stage of rallying last July, right up through to the testing stages and constant teasing, we have longed to know what form MINI’s efforts for the World Rally Championship (WRC) would take, and now we finally know. The new MINI WRC team was presented to the public over the weekend at an official launch ceremony at the brand’s vehicle plant in Oxford, UK. As previously reported, the team will only compete at six selected rounds in the 13-event 2011 FIA WRC season in order to prepare for a full push next year. The...
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Audi Teases New R8 GT SpyderAudi’s lighter and more track-focused R8 GT supercar recently went on sale and if you’ve just ordered one, you may not be too pleased to hear that Audi is set to launch a convertible R8 GT Spyder in the not too distant future. Previewed here today in these official sketches, the new R8...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Audi A3 Sedan And Hatch Previewed In Official SketchesWe got a pretty good indication as to how the next-generation 2013 Audi A3--the new Sedan variant, at least--will be styled with the unveiling of the A3 Sedan Concept at last month’s 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Now, Audi has released several teaser sketches of the production version, this time of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Audi A3 e-tron Prototype Joins The FoldAudi is showcasing the potential of its ‘e-tron’ electrified vehicle technology in virtually its entire lineup, with the A3 hatchback finally join the fold of the automaker’s next-generation vehicle prototypes. Just a few weeks back we saw the highly advanced A5 e-tron quattro...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Hirvonen, Block Team Up For Launch Of DiRT 3 GameThe new DiRT 3 rally video game launched in London today (though it's not on sale yet), and the event brought together current WRC points leader Mikko Hirvonen and Gymkhana guru Ken Block to see it off. The Ford Fiesta RS both drive in WRC competition is one of the highlight vehicles of the game...
Nelson Ireson -
First New MG Model In 16 Years Goes Into Production In EnglandThe long, sad, failure-ridden story of what used to be England's auto industry has filled many books, and drained many pints of both ale and oil. But next Wednesday, a new car will roll off the lines of the former Austin factory in Longbridge, England, headed for showrooms later this year. The new...
John Voelcker