2011
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Jaguar is only months away from revealing its next-generation XJ saloon, which is scheduled to debut on July 9th at a special presentation in London before going on sale by the end of the year. Speaking at the Shanghai Motor Show last month, Jaguar Mike O'Driscoll released some new details about the upcoming flagship, including an official teaser, and now we have new spy shots of the upcoming saloon. Interestingly, Jaguar has attempted to disguise the prototype as a BMW, even adopting the same psychedelic camouflage material as its German rival. Nonetheless, this latest prototype is the most...
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New company aims to make supercar clubs affordableThe idea of pooling resources to get access to a wide range of the most exotic four-wheeled machinery available isn't new, though it is still rather exclusive. Groups like P1 International in the UK and The Supercar Club in Australia have built the genre over the past few years, while newcomers...
Kenneth Hall -
Ford hopes to sell 5,000 to 10,000 Focus electric cars per yearElectric cars may be all the rage these days but making the technology cheap enough for mass-market will take some time. One of the leaders in this field is Ford, which is expected to have one of the first mass-produced all-electric cars on the market with its battery-powered Focus. Arriving in...
Kenneth Hall -
New Chrysler vehicles won't just be rebadged FiatsChrysler and Fiat have already tied the knot but now questions are emerging as to how the two companies will conceive new Chrysler vehicles based on Fiat's current stock. A Chrysler-Fiat vehicle won't just feature a Chrysler badge slapped on the bonnet, but instead it will have to be re-engineered...
James Martinez -
American launch of Fiat 500 may pave way for Ford KaAs Wall Street tumbles and Americans deal with the tough times, Ford is eying its global minicar, the Ka, for U.S. sale. The car had previously been rejected as incompatible with the American taste for large, powerful vehicles, but with the signing of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance earlier this month a...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW and Volkswagen downsizing to three-cylinder enginesExpect to see smaller engines for BMW’s and Volkswagen’s future models, as high fuel prices and greater environmental concerns are pushing buyers towards engines with lower displacements and carmakers would be foolish to ignore the trend. VW’s plans to introduce a new...
Jeremy Weber -
Chrysler's recent announcement revealing its new global alliance with Italian auto giant Fiat now means that the company has to hurry to re-establish itself in the market. In order to do this, Chrysler will be unveiling a new advertising campaign to show off future models and get people interested in the company's rebirth. The tagline for the campaign, "We're building a new car company. Come see what we're building for you," focuses on the direction that the company hopes to take, and will be used in prime time television spots to help boost Chrysler's image. The first television ad mentions...
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Chrysler to build new sedan in U.S. based on Fiat C-Evo platformThe alliance between Fiat and Chrysler still has just been finalized and with the government’s deadline for restructuring falling at the end of this month dealers understandably are nervous. Add a looming bankruptcy to the mix and stress levels for most dealers will likely be going through...
Jeremy Weber -
Ford confirms Michigan plant for new global FocusAs the second model developed under Ford’s new global design strategy (the first being the new Fiesta), the next-generation Ford Focus will be manufactured at Blue Oval plants at all corners of the globe. In addition to its regular haunts in Europe, the Focus will be manufactured in Australia...
Ralph Hanson -
Spy shots: Jaguar’s next XJ caught at the NurburgringJaguar is only months away from revealing next-generation XJ saloon, which is scheduled for a debut on July 9th at a special presentation in London before going on sale by the end of the year. We’ve already had a glimpse at the final version following the release of an official teaser at last...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Custom gullwing roadster inspired by Mercedes’ 300 SL in the worksMercedes' own modern re-interpretation of the classic 300SL Gullwing may be lapping the Nurburgring in preparation for its commercial release later this year, but for those of us who would rather something more traditional in terms of styling the folks from Gullwing- America have created their own...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford working on next-generation lithium-ion batteriesOne of the biggest things holding back the mass embrace of the electric car is their supposedly short driving range compared to conventionally powered cars, as well as their relatively expensive nature considering the youth of the technology and low production volumes. To combat this, Ford claims...
James Martinez -
Toyota's Auris, often sold as the Corolla in certain markets, has just been updated for 2009, with improvements made in performance, fuel economy and emissions thanks to the carmaker’s 'Optimal Drive' technology. A new 1.6L engine is also available, and with this engine in place the Toyota Auris undercuts the prices of its major rivals such as the Honda Civic, Volkswagen Golf and the Ford Focus. Additionally, the Auris' 1.4L diesel engine, 2.0L diesel engine and 2.2L diesel engine have all been revised to be more efficient, but the new 1.6L petrol engine is expected to be the star of...
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Chrysler previews 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8With Chrysler confirming last month that its Street and Racing Technology (SRT) division is safe from the company’s current budgetary cutbacks, we can expect to see new models sprout from the performance arm over the coming years. The first of these could be a replacement for the Jeep Grand...
Ralph Hanson -
Jaguar planning plug-in hybrid XJ?Jaguar is well underway in the development of its next-generation XJ saloon and despite the company’s financial hardship the car is still on track for a debut in the second half of next year. For the current XJ, Jaguar looked to its past for inspiration and this definitely hurt its sales...
Kenneth Hall -
Volt won't get DOE funds until GM passes government viability testsThere are many layers to the deal General Motors has had to accept from Washington. In addition to having 60 days - now down to 51 - to turn things around or face bankruptcy, GM must also convince the government it will remain viable in order to be eligible for $10.3 billion in Department of Energy...
Nelson Ireson -
Chrysler previews interior for next-gen 300Brand new versions of both the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee are coming in the next couple of years, kicking off a product renaissance at Chrysler that will include the launch of 24 new or updated models over the next 48 months. The company used this week’s New York Auto Show to...
James Martinez -
Acura unveils ZDX four-door sport coupe at New York Auto ShowThe latest entry to Acura's range is a curious one, taking cues from the BMW X6 and 5-series GT school of design thought, seeking a way to combine the sport of a four-door coupe with the utility of a slightly taller vehicle. Whether it's a success or not rests entirely in the eyes of the beholder...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler has given us an early look at its redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee at this week's New York Auto Show, despite the new SUV not going on sale until sometime next year. Coming in as a 2011 model, the redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee will ride on an advanced car-like unibody platform and feature the company’s upcoming Phoenix V6, renamed Pentastar, or a HEMI V8 as engine options. The 3.6L Pentastar V6 offers flex-fuel capability and variable valve timing, and in the new Grand Cherokee outputs 280hp (209kW) and 260lb-ft (353Nm) of torque. The engine is also claimed to offer 11% better...
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New English museum features collection of James Bond carsOver the years he's driven a Lotus Esprit underwater, a Russian T55 tank through the streets of St. Petersburg and even managed to flip an Aston Martin DBS not too long ago - we are of course talking about savior of the world and all-round good guy, James Bond. The eponymous James Bond films over...
Kenneth Hall -
Spy shots: Undisguised Aston Martin RapideThe long awaited four-door Aston Martin Rapide has been spotted, completely undisguised, undergoing testing in Northern Europe. Previous prototypes were last spotted near the carmaker's headquarters, and since then Aston Martin has released two official images of the car - albeit computer generated...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Preview: 2010 Volkswagen Polo three-doorVolkswagen’s new Polo hatch is due to go on sale in the middle of the year as a 2010 model and was first revealed last month at the Geneva Motor Show in five-door trim. We can now get a look at the sportier three-door variant due later this year thanks to these latest computer generated...
Kenneth Hall -
Report: Ford canceling Fiesta RSThe lamentations of American hatch fans - as few as they may be - over the unfairness of Europe's bounty are legendary. But soon it's European hatch fans that may be sobbing, mourning the stillbirth of Ford's tiniest hot hatch, the Fiesta RS. The initial report, sourced by an interview of Jost...
Kenneth Hall -
Fiesta Movement hits U.S. shores as sales in Europe, Asia remain strongFresh from a trip to number two on Europe's sales charts and a journey across the Atlantic Ocean, Ford's new Fiesta hatch has begun arriving on American shores. One-hundred forty of the cars made the trip over from the factory in Cologne, Germany. Ford's Fiesta Movement program is an experiment...
Nelson Ireson