Luxury Cars
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After months of leaks, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is finally official, complete with U.S. specs and imagery. Though European markets will also get a wagon, we'll only be getting the sedan from this latest release. The car will be shown officially at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. A coupe is also rumored, but remains, as yet, unannounced. But on to the specs: as predicted, the C63 AMG keeps the naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter (Mercedes/AMG insists on calling it a 6.3-liter) V-8 engine, rated at 451 horsepower base and 481 horsepower with the optional AMG Development Package. Power from the...
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Audi Seen As Most Valuable Luxury Brand In Strategic Vision StudyIn the past, value for money hasn’t been seen as one of the major requirements for luxury car buyers but in today’s ever competitive world value--or perceived value--is becoming more important than ever. Thankfully, there are resources on hand for consumers like Strategic Vision’s...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New Details On Bentley’s 4.0-liter V-8We already know Bentley is planning to introduce a new 4.0-liter V-8 engine in its Continental range later this year, helping to curb its emission levels and provide customers with a new point of entry to the ultra-luxury brand. We also know that the engine will be supplied by Audi and could even...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM's Akerson Says Cadillac SRX Plug-In Hybrid 'Likely'Late last year reports of a plug-in hybrid version of the Cadillac SRX surfaced, and though GM did not confirm them, neither did it deny such a vehicle was in the works. Today GM CEO Dan Akerson, while talking about future EV and extended-range EV (EREV) strategy, revealed that the SRX plug-in is...
Nelson Ireson -
Spy Shots: Lamborghini Jota Murcielago ReplacementIt's widely recognized that the Reventon Roadster is the final evolution of the Lamborghini Murcielago platform so it’s not surprising to see this new prototype for the car’s replacement undergoing testing. This new Lamborghini will have some tough competition when it arrives as there...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Jaguar Still Eyeing Entry-Level SedanWhile it’s been rumored that Jaguar is planning a new entry-level sedan model to take on the likes of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class for some time now, to this day Jaguar is yet to confirm the existence of such a model nor confirm that it’s even being looked at. Perhaps it...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Instead of only replacing its A-Class and B-Class models with new hatchbacks for the next-generation of the compact duo, Mercedes-Benz will be introducing an entire family of new compact cars based around a single innovative platform. This new family will include regular hatchback models, which we’ve already seen testing in prototype form on several occasions, as well as a new coupe and SUV and possibly even a sedan, convertible or shooting brake. The best part is that the new entry-level Mercedes-Benz models will be sold in the U.S. for the first time. The information was revealed by...
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Audi A2 On Hold, Production Quattro Still Under ConsiderationIt’s no secret that Audi has ambitious goals to become the world’s leading luxury auto brand within the decade and is planning to boost its lineup to 42 different models by 2015. Not surprisingly we’ve seen several brand new model additions in the recent past, with cars like the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger First To Get 8-Speed AutomaticPlans for an eight-speed transmission at Chrysler have been known since last summer, but we have a few new details from the first drive launch of the 2011 Chrysler 300. The ZF-built unit will first appear in the revamped 300 and the 2011 Dodge Charger , and it will feature some distinguishing...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW USA Chief O'Donnell Confirms Multiple Four-Cylinders In U.S. By End Of 2011We already know the new BMW X1 will be coming with BMW's four-cylinder TwinPower turbo engine later this year, but today at the Washington Auto Show BMW USA boss Jim O'Donnell announced that more than one is in fact coming before year's end. Other BMW models expected to get the four-cylinder...
Nelson Ireson -
Volvo Kills U.S. V50 En Route To Smaller LineupMaking your way in the car world today takes everything you've got, and Volvo is giving its all by taking away: the V50 will be discontinued, according to Volvo's U.S. operations chief Doug Speck. That's just the beginning, though: more models will fall as Volvo tightens its focus in a bid to boost...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Facelift LeakedThe Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG has once again leaked onto the Web, and this time in more detail--though still without key information--than before. Fortunately we've got you covered--on power, at least. Though rumors early on held that the next C63 AMG could get power from a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 in...
Nelson Ireson -
Only yesterday we reported that Volvo may bring its V60 wagon to the U.S. as a hybrid vehicle aimed at niche markets, and that the stylish wagon would be the ideal platform to launch the automaker’s plug-in hybrid technology. Today, we have confirmation that a production ready V60 Plug-In Hybrid will be on show at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March. Developed in partnership with Swedish utility company Vattenfall, the new Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid promises a fuel economy of 124 mpg on the European combined cycle and carbon dioxide emissions of below 50 g/km. Volvo’s plug-in hybrid...
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First Details On 2012 Lexus LFA Launch Control SystemWe all know about the Nissan GT-R and its impressive launch control system, which in the latest 2012 model enables the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds. However, there are a handful of other supercars out there, each with their own extraordinary drivetrains and rapid acceleration...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Video: BMW Armored Vehicles Training And Testing FacilityAt a former Soviet military base in East Germany, BMW hones its armored vehicles and trains some of the world’s best drivers to be able to handle any life-threatening situation world dignitaries, the famous and the very wealthy may encounter while on the road. While BMW’s line of High...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Special Volkswagen Race Touareg 3, Gold Edition Shown In QatarTwo new Touaregs made their debut in Qatar today, with a special take on the Race Touareg 3 and, for the driver that can't get enough of anything, the Touareg Gold Edition. Yes, that's real 24-karat gold. Bling is not a worn-out term in Qatar, it appears--or at least not a worn-out concept...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Mercedes-Benz C-Class, GLK Diesels In U.S. Due By 2012Mercedes has been talking about a diesel GLK and C-Class in the U.S. since at least 2008. There's even the possibility they'll be built in the company's Alabama plant. The timeline has largely been aimed at 2012-2013 for U.S. construction and sale, though before the market crash of 2008, there were...
Nelson Ireson -
New Photos, Video Of Ferrari FFLove it or hate it, Ferrari's new shooting brake grand tourer, the first to sport all-wheel drive from the Prancing Horse, is here. New photos and videos of the car show it in a different light--and color. As for ourselves, we wouldn't kick it out of the garage for any reason.
Nelson Ireson -
Is it possible to tire of special-edition models of luxury sport coupes? We don't think so, and apparently neither does Aston Martin, which keeps cranking out the Vantage variants. The latest, the V8 Vantage S, makes its Web debut today. With a small bump in power to 430 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque, the 4.7-liter V-8 in the Vantage S is, perhaps, short of the 500-and-up class of modern supercoupes, but it's sure to sound as good as any of them. Aston's new Sportshift II transmission offers seven speeds of dual-clutch engagement, shifted by paddles on the steering wheel...
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Report: Hybrid Mercedes-Benz C- And E-Class Coming Within Three YearsWhile Audi readies its first hybrid model for launch later this year with the new Q5 Hybrid, rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW are already working on their third and fourth gasoline-electric models. Take Mercedes-Benz, for example. The automaker has already launched the S400 Hybrid and ML450 Hybrid, and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Audi Boss Rules Out Sub-A1 Model, Hints At Q1 CrossoverDespite numerous reports to the contrary, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has ruled out plans to launch a minicar model positioned below the current A1, though that doesn’t mean Audi isn’t looking at other compact models. Audi has long been rumored to be developing its own minicar based on...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2011 Volvo XC60 earns top safety scores from NHTSA and IIHSNo matter how many electronic accident avoidance measures a manufacturer invents, they're worthless if the basic structure of the vehicle doesn't hold up in a crash. Volvo built its reputation on crashworthiness, and the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance...
Keith Buglewicz -
2012 Infiniti M35h Specs Released--For EuropeFirst revealed last summer, Infiniti's 2012 M35h hybrid has been awaiting full specs and details for almost six months, despite a small dose of info from the L.A. Auto Show--but the wait is over. The first hybrid from Infiniti won't be a wimpy little green thing: the 2012 M35h's specs, released...
Nelson Ireson -
Audi A6 Hybrid Gets Late 2011 European Launch, U.S. Two Years LaterAudi’s first hybrid model, the new Q5 Hybrid, is scheduled to go on sale later this year but after that it will be slow going for the automaker’s other gasoline-electric vehicles. While the new Audi A6 Hybrid, unveiled earlier this month at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, will go on sale in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran