2012

Last week it was revealed that Porsche will head the development of new modular sports car and luxury sedan platforms for the entire Volkswagen Group, with the guys from Stuttgart destined to be responsible for a range of new models including a possible entry-level sedan from Bentley and a...

Audi's dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its attendant series has been reduced through rules and new competition since its initial foray into diesel power, but it still cuts a dramatic figure in any endurance race it enters, including a surprise win at this year's race after the failure of...

We’ve already seen a number of variants spun of Ford’s global C-segment platform, aptly named the C-platform and underpinning cars like the new 2012 Ford Focus hatchback and sedan, as well as the U.S. bound C-Max MPV. And at next month’s 2011 Detroit Auto Show we’ll see yet...

If the new 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe tickled your fancy, perhaps even enough to make you want to head to your nearest BMW showroom, then you better act fast as only 1,000 units, possibly less, are reportedly headed for the U.S. The information was revealed by BMW exec Thomas Plucinsky, who spoke...

As we first reported just a few days ago, the Aveo name is being phased out for Chevrolet’s next-generation small car, which we can confirm today will be called the Sonic. Production is to begin in early 2011 at GM’s Orion Assembly Center in Michigan, which is receiving a $545 million...

The rumors have proved true: the 2012 Volkswagen Golf R will be making its way to America in late 2011 or early 2012, according to Volkwagen of America CEO Johnathan Browning at an International Motor Press Association meeting today. So what can we expect? According to Browning, the U.S. version of...

So you wanna go drag racing, and you're a die-hard Blue Oval fan? It'll be hard to beat the factory-built Ford Racing 2012 Cobra Jet Mustang (2010 model pictured), though you'll have to be quick to get one of the 50 examples planned for construction. Revealed today at the Performance Racing...

The current Ford Escape (pictured) has lived an abnormally long life, still based, albeit distantly, on the Mazda 626. But that's about to change with a new concept slated for introduction next month at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Details on the vehicle itself remain hazy, as Ford announced the...

These are the first spy shots of the internal control and power electronics of the BMW ActiveE 1-Series Coupe, due for limited leasing and field trials next summer. The markets for the initial roll-out have already been named. First shown as a concept at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, the ActiveE...

Chrysler is in a process of rejuvenating its product lineup, releasing new or updated versions of almost its entire lineup over the next couple of years. We’ve already seen significant new models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 200 and stylish Chrysler 300 sedan, but...

If you're looking to create a hybrid between your non-Boss Mustang and the real deal, take heart: Ford's Racing Performance Parts catalog will sell certain Boss parts. Available through Ford Racing dealers, those parts include the Recaro seats and the front splitter from Laguna Seca models, along...

Night time driving can be difficult even with excellent vision and good headlights--and it can be especially dangerous for pedestrians at the roadside. But Mercedes-Benz has been tackling this area of road safety aggressively for years now, today announcing the addition of a unique spotlight system...

Last April Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, and Renault-Nissan formerly signed an agreement to purchase shares in each other’s company and cooperate on future products. The deal would guarantee access to Renault’s range of compact gasoline and turbodiesel engines for...

British tuner Project Kahn and engine specialist Cosworth have teamed up several times in the past to co-develop a range of new modified sports cars, but their first creation together was a highly modified SUV based on the Range Rover Sport. Now the two performance marques have teamed up again, and...

The Ward's 10 Best Engine list is usually a graphic exercise in what we want under our hoods, but this year's list includes a pair of "engines" that give a nod to the developing reality of modern powertrains: those of the Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt. OK, so maybe the Volt is only half a...

We're still waiting on the official debut of the MINI Countryman-based World Rally Championship entrant, but the German-based X-Raid team today gives us a look at what a beefier, brawnier Dakar-worthy version of the MINI looks like with the MINI All4 Racing. The Dakar Rally, if you haven't been...

The new 2012 Ford Focus is already under early production here in the U.S. in both sedan and hatchback form, but Ford is ramping up its three-continent, 120-market production push for the rest of the world starting with the Saarlous Assembly Plant in Germany. The punchy Focus ST variant won't enter...

The 2010 and 2011 Chevrolet Camaro has been a hot seller since its debut in early 2009, but this year marks its first full year of sales, and it's a steamroller for the Bowtie pony car. Ford's revamped 2011 Mustang has been sellign strong, too, but it's running behind the Camaro--for the first time...

Details about the 2012 Shelby GT500 are leaking out, including the price of entry for the super snake. Mustangs Evolution has the skinny on next Shelby, including base prices of $49,495 for the coupe and $54,495 for the convertible. This information came to light via a leaked order guide for the...

Mark Schirmer of Ford Communications has put a brutal end to rumors of a 2012 Ford Focus Coupe through a posting made today to Facebook. Fret not, Blue Oval lovers, the 247-horsepower 2012 Focus ST hatch (pictured) is still headed our way. But for those that had entertained fancies of two- or...