Industry

Of all the car brands Honda and Volkswagen have been picked as the labels with the best resale value, an important distinction for many new car buyers. A survey conducted by Kelley Blue Book (KBB) has found VW to be the brand with the best residual value, while Honda managed to have four vehicles...

Italian auto supplier Brembo has announced today that it had started supplying braking systems and brake discs to BMW. Over the past quarter some of BMW’s high-performance models swapped to a new set of six-piston caliper brakes manufactured by Brembo and more models are expected to follow...

Malaysia’s state-owned carmaker Proton has announced plans to form a partnership with companies in Iran and Turkey to develop a new ‘Islamic’ car targeted at Muslim drivers. Some of the unique features being proposed include a compass that points to Mecca and dedicated storage for...

In the face of its seemingly never-ending sale of Jaguar and Land Rover, Ford says it’s going to keep Volvo, at least for the present. No long-term plans were announced for what will be the last remaining arm of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group once Jaguar and Land Rover finally part...

We’re sure most readers will have their own private list of hated cars but we bet few and far between would have every car on that list be from one of the Detroit 3. The same can’t be said for the guys who claim to be all things honest about the auto industry, so let’s take a look...

Electric cars are believed by many to be the wave of the future, but critics harp on the long recharging periods and short range as insurmountable obstacles. And the critics are right, at least based on current technology and the availability of recharging stations. But that may change if one man...

Ford’s Crown Victoria, or Crown Vic as its affectionately known, was once the image of an American police patrol car. If you saw one in your rearview, you instinctively tapped your brakes - just in case. Times have changed, however, and the Crown Vic just isn’t as popular as it used to...

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn remains adamant to form an alliance with an American carmaker a year after talks with GM fell though and no progress made with either Chrysler or Ford. Speaking at a conference in Tokyo Ghosn said that if he had the opportunity to obtain a new partner he would and...

The U.S. is by far the world’s biggest car market so it already makes sense to manufacture vehicles locally. Compound this with a weak U.S. dollar, especially against the string euro, and it becomes apparent that importing cars from Europe for carmakers like Mercedes-Benz is simply too...

Turbulent times at Chrysler since the split with Daimler several months ago are causing the new ownership to rethink its Chrysler brand while continuing the Dodge product blitz. Chrysler models that face elimination or rejuvenation include the Pacifica, the PT Cruiser, the 300 and the Crossfire...

Half a century of car making is no small feat considering the concept of the modern automobile is only a little more than a century old. Car making is a tough business, too. Just ask Edsel, Packard, or Studebaker. But managing 50 years in America is only part of the success story that is the Toyota...

German reports are claiming Mercedes will use a range of four-cylinder direct injection powerplants in its A and B-class replacements that were designed by France’s PSA Peugeot-Citroen for BMW’s Mini. The reports also claim the next B-class will replace the smaller A by spawning new...

Despite Ford announcing last week that it was pushing back the deadline for final bids for the Jaguar and Land Rover to come in, its European boss John Fleming has revealed to a Spanish newspaper that the new owner would be known within the next two months. Ford has previously announced both labels...

In a trend that seems to be rising in the British auto industry niche sports car manufacturer Marcos Engineering has announced it will be entering administration and plans to wind down its operations as soon as possible. Marcos is probably most widely recognized for its TSO GTC, a V8 powered coupe...

Just weeks after UAW's strike on GM, the union is going after Chrysler. A deadline came and went without an agreement this morning at 11:00am US Eastern time. The strike could have devastating effects on the launch of Chrysler's new minivans in the U.S. and Canada. Jeep's four-door Wrangler could...

Not content with mandating carmakers to curb emissions the EU has now focused its attention on ensuring all new cars be equipped with brake-assist systems. Officials proposed today that such systems be made standard by 2009 to help reduce the number of pedestrian accidents and are predicting that...

On the heels of news of Ford's massive research and development budget, approximately US$8 billion per year, the news from Audi of a €10 billion investment over five years seems somewhat more reasonable. The investment will be focused solely on the development of new models. Audi is feeling...

Volkswagen suffers from a reputation for charging premium prices for both its cars and servicing when its true rivals, mainstream makes like Toyota, Ford or Chevy, offer similar products and services for significantly less money. Officials are hoping to change this by introducing a new price...

Ford was founded on technological innovation. One of the first American carmakers to successfully employ assembly lines, it has since charted many industry firsts. Through its partnership with Cosworth, the company supplied the motors that powered 176 Formula 1 Grand Prix wins. The unparalleled...

Porsche may be a niche label but it remains one of the most profitable carmakers in the world and expects to see profits lift even further than the record levels of 2006. Officials said sales rose 3.4% to €7.4 billion for the last financial year, while sales grew by 0.7% to 97,515 units in...