Auto Shows
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Switzerland's Sportec released the first details about its latest extreme performance kit for the venerable Porsche 911 Turbo just ahead of this year's Geneva Motor Show, but full details and photos are finally available, confirming our info on its range of power mods, aerodynamic enhancements, plus chassis and suspension tuning. The Swiss-made performance kit, called the SPR1 T80, lifts output to a mammoth 858hp (631kW) and 650lb-ft (880Nm) of torque out of the custom T80M engine. With a weight of 2,959lb (1,345kg), the SPR1 T80 has a power-to-weight ratio of 572hp/ton (638hp/tonne) - better...
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Honda hybrid sports car based on CR-Z concept set for Tokyo Motor Show debutHonda’s recent financial troubles may have claimed the NSX-replacement and the automaker’s F1 efforts but it won’t stop plans to launch a new hybrid sports car next year based on the 2007 CR-Z concept car. The new model is currently being designed and engineered in Europe, its...
Kenneth Hall -
Video: U.S.-bound Fiat 500C convertible on the roadFiat's 500 minicar has been a smash hit since its debut, winning car of the year awards from numerous publications and organizations. Earlier this year it was joined by a convertible variant called the 500C and just yesterday the automaker released a flood of new images, revealing the car in much...
Jeremy Weber -
Candidates For 2010 Car Of The Year Awards AnnouncedEurope’s annual Car of the Year awards is on again and the candidates for the 2010 title have been revealed. As expected, this year’s field includes everything from fuel-efficient minicars to big and brawny luxury saloons and as always some of the choices will be considered quite...
Alex Kaufmann -
Brabus electric Smart car features electronic exhaust noise simulatorIt's often cited as an advantage of electric cars, but it's also one of the biggest potential danger zones: silence. It makes for peaceful - if somewhat eerie - cruising at speed, but it also poses a huge risk to pedestrians and other road users. So Brabus is doing something about it in the case of...
Kenneth Hall -
Ford releases new high-res Taurus SHO photos, configurator alongside launch eventThe 2010 Ford Taurus SHO launch event is currently underway, and driving impressions are still under wraps for a few days yet but Ford has seen fit to let our eyes feast on a new set of high-res photos of the forced-induction family sedan with a mean streak. The AWD, twin-turbo 365hp EcoBoost V6...
Alex Kaufmann -
Hybrid-electric and other green propulsion systems are as much a theme of the current climate as is the restructuring and 'right-sizing' of the industry - even more so, at ground-level. Audi is doing its part to contribute to the swell of green vehicles and announcements by revealing its plans to bring a Q5 hybrid SUV to the U.S., most likely by 2011. Already Lexus' new RX 450h is leading the compact crossover hybrid race and BMW is positioned to make an entry eventually with the X6 ActiveHybrid, so Audi's decision is as much about competition as it is innovation. TheCarConnection is...
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R8 Spyder convertible rumored for Frankfurt, electric R8 ruled outAudi currently sells two versions of its R8 supercar, the original 4.2L V8 model and the recently revealed 5.2L V10 version, but there are two more versions in the works, one of which will be unveiled at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The two new versions are the R8 Spyder convertible and...
Alex Kaufmann -
Toyota boosts monthly Prius output to 50,000 as demand spikesToyota’s all-new 2010 Prius officially went on sale in Japan just 11 days ago and has already garnered enough orders to justify Toyota increasing production targets by 8,000 cars per month according to the latest report. It sold enough pre-orders in just the first day to easily outsell the...
Ralph Hanson -
Mercedes holding off on E-Class cabrio, wagonAnnouncements of the delays of new car models are almost more numerous than the new cars themselves, and it seems no one is immune to the practice. Mercedes-Benz today revealed it won't be releasing the new E-Class Cabrio (spied here) at Frankfurt this fall, and the E-Class Wagon will be delayed a...
Alex Kaufmann -
Toyota may cut back U.S. Prius allocation as demand in Japan soarsBuyers in the U.S. looking forward to purchasing the new 2010 Toyota Prius may have to wait longer than they initially bargained for, following strong demand for the latest hybrid in Japan. Going on sale just a week ago in Japan, the third-generation Prius was a hit before it even descended on...
Ralph Hanson -
Volkswagen will preview electric future with new Frankfurt Motor Show conceptFollowing in the footsteps of last year’s Golf TwinDrive and Space up! Blue concept vehicles, Volkswagen will reinforce its electric car image with the unveiling of a brand new concept car at this September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The latest concept is described as a rival to General...
Ralph Hanson -
Renault just unveiled the brand-new Clio in February and barely a month later it was out with the hotted-up Renaultsport (RS) variant in Geneva. The car features many of the same performance upgrades found on bigger brother the Megane RS, but in a more compact and peaky package. Now we have a new set of photos to ogle as Renault prepares for the car's May 15 UK launch followed by an end-of-June start to sales. The engine is definitely a pint-sized powerhouse, but it pays the price with a torque curve biased toward the higher end. The 2.0L 16-valve unit generates 200hp (149kW) but does so at...
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Audi A5 Sportback headed to Frankfurt Motor ShowAudi will be releasing a host of models in the coming years to expand into new segments as it attempts to topple BMW and Mercedes in the quest to sell more than a 1.5 million vehicles by 2015. Some of the cars in the pipeline include the A1 premium hatch, A7 four-door coupe and a Sportback version...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Production BMW 7-series hybrid headed to Frankfurt Motor Show?Hybrid drive systems are finally making solid inroads into the upper strata of the luxury sedan segment, with BMW's 7-series hybrid set to join the Mercedes-Benz S400 and Lexus LS 600hL later this year. The new 7-series hybrid was previewed as a concept at last year's Paris Motor Show, and since...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Subaru reveals pricing for 2010 Legacy (Liberty)Subaru is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Legacy (Liberty) sedan with the unveiling of the all-new fifth-generation model this year. Subaru is renowned for its love-or-loathe approach to designing cars, as seen in the frequent revisions to its Impreza line over the years, but the styling of...
Kenneth Hall -
Wald releases new photos of Nissan GT-R Black BisonJapanese tuning house Wald International has a wide range of styling and performance kits for nearly every major luxury car brand on the market, but this time the company has focused its attention on a humble Nissan, albeit one of the fastest Nissans ever produced. The car is the Nissan GT-R, a...
Jeremy Weber -
The story behind BMW's Salt Flat Racer of 2025According to BMW's 'MINI Space' team of engineers and designers, race cars of the future may be built out of old oil drums, bomb shells and BBQ grills - oh and did we mention goldfish? While it may seem like the parts list for a race car out of a Dr. Seuss book, in reality the project by BMW to...
Alex Kaufmann -
Mazda has been very busy in the past couple of months, with updated versions of the MX-5 and CX-7, as well as the all-new 2010 Mazda 3 all making their respective debuts recently. Mazda’s new model roll-out shows no sign of slowing as the company has just unveil an updated version of its CX-9 crossover at the New York Auto Show. Highlighting the list of changes for the 2010 model year arrival is a new front-end, which picks up the company’s smiley fascia, as well as new headlights, fog-lamps and dual chrome exhaust pipes. As is also the case with other recent vehicles in the Mazda...
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U.S.-Spec Mazdaspeed3 Officially Unveiled At New York Auto ShowMazda used last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show to debut the new 2010 Mazda3 Sedan, and then followed it with the reveal of the Hatchback model at the Bologna Motor Show just one month later. There is still one more variant of the Mazda3 in the works and it is set to make its world debut at the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mitsubishi puts a Lancer face on the new Outlander GT PrototypeWhen the Mitsubishi Lancer's new design first appeared, sporting its huge trapezoidal grille area, the reactions were mixed. Now after about a year to grow accustomed to it, it looks at home even on the family-oriented Outlander GT Prototype, revealed today at the New York Auto Show. Aside from the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Hyundai unveils sporty Nuvis crossover conceptWith another surprisingly attractive and forward-looking design, Hyundai's Nuvis Concept carries on the string of successful show concepts for the brand. The Nuvis is a crossover that's intended to make the most of an urban lifestyle, taking elements from many body styles to fit a unique set of...
Nelson Ireson -
Subaru's new Outback gains size, featuresThe Subaru Legacy (Liberty for non-U.S. markets) sedan's design has sparked a lot of hatred in both Subie fans and foes alike, but today's debut of the Outback has the potential to quell some of the uproar. Wearing the new face somewhat more elegantly than its four-door sibling, the 2010 Outback...
Ralph Hanson -
Volkswagen Golf Mark VI Declared 2009 World Car Of The YearNot to be outdone by the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards from the Detroit Auto Show, the organizers of the New York Auto Show are heavily promoting their own ‘World’ and ‘Performance’ titles and today revealed the winners for this year’s awards. We...
Alex Kaufmann