Luxury Cars
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We’ve seen it in Formula 1 over the years, and Porsche has relatively successfully implanted one in its 911 GT3 R Hybrid race cars, but now Volvo is testing one with an aim to bring it to the world of production cars. We’re of course talking about a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), a lightweight and relatively cheap ‘hybrid’ technology that Volvo claims can make a four-cylinder engine feel like a six while at the same time reduce fuel consumption by as much as 20 percent. This fall, Volvo will be one of the world's first automakers to test the potential of...
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Jaguar Crossover To Get Aluminum Body, Ian Callum Design: ReportThe purists may hate the thought of it, but in this global economic environment a luxurious crossover looks to be a necessity if Jaguar hopes to remain viable in the future. Not only are the high-riding models crucial for gaining a foothold in emerging markets such as Russia, India and China, where...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW To Add Customizable LCD Instrument Panel To Facelifted 5 And 7-SeriesEveryone else is doing it, so why not Bimmer? Simply because the technology isn't quite ready yet. We're talking about using a customizable digital instrument panel in place of more standard hardware. Mercedes-Benz has one in the S-Class and Jaguar Land Rover has added them in a few vehicles. It's...
Chris Weiss -
BMW X7: Seven-Passenger Full-Size SUV Rumors ResurfaceIt's been almost eight months since the last round of talk about a seven-passenger BMW X7 arose, so it's probably time for another go. Answering the call, the pot-stirrers at Automobile Magazine have spilled some digital ink on the matter. Said to bear the codename F17, the X7 would effectively be...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Priced From $34,200Though it's largely unchanged for the 2012 model year, there are a few new tweaks and twists to the Hyundai Genesis Sedan, along with a new slate of pricing info, released today. The good news is that it's pretty easy to get into a base V-6 model, which starts at just $34,200. That's right in the...
Nelson Ireson -
Maserati To Build Its Own Version Of Alfa Romeo 4C: ReportRevealed in concept form at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the compact and dashing Alfa Romeo 4C coupe is already tagged as the brand's leader in the return to the U.S. market, but it may get some in-house competition in the form of a Maserati-branded version. The details are still a bit sketchy...
Nelson Ireson -
The C-X75: It was one of the most amazing concepts of 2010, easily argued as the greatest of all. Jaguar managed to effectively sneak-attack an industrious automotive media force and come out with the best in show of the 2010 Paris Motor Show. With the show's sparkly paint, bright lights and numerous other news stories, most journalists and show-goers probably weren't asking for a full run-down of the conceptualization and step-by-step development process behind the fabulous beast that stood before them. Buzz terms like "plug-in supercar", "780 horsepower", "205 mph" and "dual turbines" were...
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2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class Gets Its Own Apple iPad AppMercedes-Benz is the latest in a growing list of luxury automakers releasing new apps for the Apple iPad, a connected executive’s latest must-have and something that’s increasingly becoming an intriguing accessory for cars, especially in marketing them. This isn’t the first time...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Infiniti Signs Formula 1 Star Sebastian Vettel As Global Brand AmbassadorInfiniti is fully cashing in on its sponsorship deal with the championship-leading Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team and its star driver Sebastian Vettel. Today the automaker announced that 23-year old Vettel will be its first ever Global Brand Ambassador, with the German youngster set to take an...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
NASCAR Star Kyle Busch Busted For Doing 128 MPH In Lexus LFANASCAR star Kyle Busch, currently third in the Sprint Cup standings, was pulled over on a road near his home in Mooresville, North Carolina yesterday for speeding in a bright yellow 2012 Lexus LFA not unlike the one pictured above. Busch was driving with his wife Samantha in the car at a speed of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Race-Spec Aston Martin V12 Zagato PreviewedFresh off its debut last weekend at the 2011 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, the stunning Aston Martin V12 Zagato is preparing for its racing debut at the Nurburgring later this week. More accurately, Aston Martin is busying preparing the concept for the track. And while it's not quite ready to...
Chris Weiss -
Lincoln Considering Two-Seat Flagship: ReportLincoln was once the epitome of American automotive luxury, but the past 40 years haven't been kind to the brand. Some might argue the brand hasn't been kind to itself, existing on a diet of hand-me-down Fords and lukewarm marketing. But Lincoln, and its parent company, have been talking big about...
Nelson Ireson -
We never really expected the 2012 Audi A6 Avant to grace our showrooms, despite hopes to the contrary. Sadly, it looks like our reasons for optimism, slim as they were, have taken a blow: Audi's Andrew Lipman says there are no plans to bring the car to the U.S. Unsurprising as it may be, it's still somewhat hurtful to those of us that see the inherent utility and beauty of the wagon form factor. Especially so to those of us that prefer it to the crossover that has usurped its place in the market. For those that prefer higher ride heights and the accompanying sense of command brought about by...
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Triple-Turbo BMW X3 M In The Works: ReportFile this one in the "highly speculative" category for now, but also in the "highly tempting" sub-folder. For those familiar with the absolutely stunning performance of the BMW X5 M and X6 M, the idea of a smaller, lighter, triple-turbocharged X3 M is breathtakingly cool. Yes, that was three turbos...
Nelson Ireson -
2010 And 2011 Volvo XC90 SUVs Recalled For Power Steering FaultVolvo, together with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has issued a recall on 2010 and 2011 model year XC90 SUVs due to a potential fault affecting the vehicles’ power steering system. The affected vehicles, of which there are 350 units across the country, are those...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mercedes-Benz SLC Sports Car To Take On Porsche 911: ReportMercedes-Benz has a number of high-performance models in the pipeline, most of which we know are coming. Things like the SLS AMG Roadster, next-generation SL-Class, new SLK AMG, new C63 AMG and even a high-performance C63 AMG Black Series. However, there apparently are plans within the German...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lamborghini’s Third Model Will Be An ‘Everyday’ CarPerhaps the strongest indication yet that Lamborghini is planning to put its striking Estoque sedan concept from the 2008 Paris Auto Show into production has come by way of clear statements from the automaker’s CEO that a third Lamborghini model is in the works and that it will be an...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mercedes-Benz Considering Bentley Continental GT Rival: ReportWhen it comes to combining performance and luxury, few do it better than Mercedes-Benz. But, if you had to pick out one car that might just do it better, it would have to be the Bentley Continental GT, a car that brings the driver to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds, lets him flirt with 200 mph and does it...
Chris Weiss -
Hermann Brandt Hartwig (HBH), the deranged Danish minds that helped bring to life the spectacularly excessive Zenvo ST1, are on to their next project: a V-12 powered, mid-engined supercar based on the Aston Martin V12 Vantage. They released the first teaser picture this week, giving a good look at the profile of the car. Much smoother than the sharp lines and shapes of the Zenvo, the teaser shows a poised, powerful body. As with most mid-engined supercars, the cabin has been pushed forward, but in more of a natural, unforced way than is the case with most, the long, flowing roof line melding...
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Infiniti Planning New Sports Coupe For 2012 Geneva Motor Show?There are many auto shows, both big and small, between now and next year's Geneva Motor Show. But that isn't stopping the ever-greased rumor mill from churning out a tidbit or two on the 2012 event. According to one such tidbit, Infiniti will launch an all-new sports coupe in Switzerland, and it...
Chris Weiss -
Infiniti To Build Red Bull-Flavored Peformance Model?Formula 1 is more interesting this year than it has been in any of the recent five, and though that has little to do with Infiniti's tie-up with Red Bull, the new partnership may yet spawn something even more interesting, and more relevant to those of us in the U.S., who won't get to witness F1...
Nelson Ireson -
2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe First DriveYou may have already read reviews of the 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe (aka 1M), but if you have, you've likely suffered through strained historical analogies, detailed comparisons to previous M cars, and sheets of performance data. You'll find a minimum of that here. Instead, I offer you a fellow...
Nelson Ireson -
One In Four Bentleys Sold Is In ChinaOur 2008 prediction for China to overtake the U.S. in overall sales for Bentley by 2012 is shaping up to prove true with news coming out this past week that the British marque has achieved record sales in China, with the country now second on the list for Bentley’s biggest markets behind the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW 5-Series GT a flop, stealing sales from more expensive 7-SeriesWhen BMW introduced the 5-Series Gran Turismo at the start of last year as the replacement for its 5-Series Touring station wagon, there were hopes that the oddly styled vehicle, the first incarnation of the automaker’s ‘Progressive Activity Sedan’ (PAS) design philosophy, would...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran