ma section - featured
-
Earlier this week, a mysterious BMW 2-Series-based test mule was spotted in Germany. The vehicle was obviously a mule of some sort and not a regular 2-Series because of its much shorter wheelbase, lowered roof and possibly an extended front overhang. The test mule was also fitted with a carbon fiber roof and hood, likely to further lower its center of gravity. But why would BMW engineers be testing a mule significantly smaller and lower than the already compact 2-Series? Perhaps it has something to do with the oft-rumored Z2 roadster, a vehicle we first heard about as far back as 2006. But...
-
Volvo To Sell Cars Online, Skip Most Auto ShowsVolvo is about to make a dramatic shift in the way it markets its cars. In an effort to direct advertising dollars where they are most effective, at least according to Volvo’s marketing department, the Swedish automaker will stop turning up to most auto shows around the globe and instead...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW 2-Series Gets Three-Cylinder Engine OverseasThe entry-level BMW 2-Series coupe in the U.S. is the 228i, which sports a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 240 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque. Overseas, however, BMW has just introduced a new 218i variant which gets a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine. The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW To Present Self-Parking Technology At 2015 CESAt this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, BMW gave us our first taste of its new ActiveAssist autonomous technology in the form of a 2-Series prototype that could handle itself while driving at the limit. At next year’s show, which runs from January 6 to 9 in Las Vegas, BMW will show an...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Aston Martin Seeks Funding For SUV, Hybrid Tech: ReportCash-strapped Aston Martin is seeking funds for an expansion from its current model range, two sources familiar with the matter have revealed to Reuters. The automaker, which is majority owned by Kuwaiti and Italian investment firms, and run by newly appointed CEO Andy Palmer, is expected to issue...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chrysler To Add Turbocharging And Direct Fuel Injection To Pentastar V-6In a bid to catch up with rivals, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NYSE:FCAU] will finally update its Pentastar V-6 with some power boosting technologies such as turbocharging, direct fuel injection and improved variable valve timing. The benefit is that the upgrades should also see fuel economy improve...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Yesterday was the production launch of the new James Bond movie Spectre, the 24th member of the ever-growing franchise and the 10th to feature an Aston Martin. Yes, director Sam Mendes has confirmed that an Aston Martin will feature in the new movie, continuing a 50-year partnership that started with the appearance of a DB5 in 1964’s Goldfinger. MUST SEE: Ferrari FXXK Priced From $2.7 Million, Already Sold Out The Aston Martin set to appear in Spectre won’t be a regular production car, however. Instead, it will be a unique model dubbed the DB10 and it was revealed for the first...
-
Spyker Files For Bankruptcy Protection, Says It Will Merge With Electric Aircraft ManufacturerStill reeling from its failed attempt to rebuild Saab, Dutch sports car manufacturer Spyker has run into what the company describes as “short-term operational and liquidity challenges” and has been forced to file for bankruptcy protection. A Dutch court has approved the application for...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2016 BMW 6-Series Spy Shots (With Interior)The current-generation BMW 6-Series was all-new for the 2012 model year, so we’ll soon see the vehicle undergo its mid-cycle update. Today, we have new spy shots of a prototype for the updated 6-Series coupe, which we expect to be revealed next year, as a 2016 model. Being a mid-cycle update...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Nissan GT-R Gets A Few Updates For Japan, Plus 45th Anniversary Model: VideoSince its introduction for 2009, the R35 Nissan GT-R has continued to be upgraded and refined and with each successive model year. Typically, these upgrades are introduced first in the GT-R’s home market of Japan, so the latest version of the GT-R that has just gone on sale in Japan may hint...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Former Philip Morris Exec Named Ferrari F1 BossFerrari has announced that former Philip Morris executive Maurizio Arrivabene has replaced Marco Mattiacci as team principal for Scuderia Ferrari, and in addition to running the Formula One squad will also head the Sporting Activities Department responsible for the Corse Clienti and Challenge...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2016 Smart ForTwo Brabus Spy ShotsSmart recently took the covers off its third-generation ForTwo minicar, which is set to arrive in local showrooms next year as a 2016 model. Now we have the first spy shots of a prototype wearing some performance upgrades being developed by famous Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus. The bumpers on this...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
We first heard that Porsche was considering a new mid-engine supercar to take on the likes of the Ferrari [NYSE:RACE] 458 Italia back in 2011. Internally referred to as the 960, the new car was billed as a successor to the legendary 959 and tipped to be launched on the market around 2017. Recently, it was reported that Porsche was yet to approve the 960 for production, leading to fears the project may have been canceled. Porsche’s R&D chief Wolfgang Hatz has now come out and denied those claims, explaining that the car is still on the company’s wishlist albeit its arrival will...
-
2016 Acura ILX Debuts At 2014 L.A. Auto ShowAcura had high hopes for its newest gateway vehicle, the ILX compact sedan, which was originally introduced at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The idea behind its creation seemed logical enough: by basing an Acura model on the Honda Civic, the automaker could lower the price of entry and attract a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Porsche yet to approve Ferrari 458-rivaling mid-engine supercarPorsche recently ruled out any chance of a new entry-level sports car positioned below the Boxster, and now there are fears plans for a new mid-engine supercar positioned above the 911 and designed to take on the likes of the Ferrari [NYSE:RACE] 458 Italia could also be put on ice. The last we...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle Due In 2015 To Be Called Mirai: VideoImagine driving a car with no harmful emissions, that could go for 300 miles, and be filled back up in 3-5 minutes. That's the reality of Toyota's upcoming fuel cell vehicle, which today has been confirmed as the Mirai. The vehicle will go on sale in Japan in April 2015 and should be in U.S...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
McLaren Starts Testing New Honda Power Unit In Its F1 CarMcLaren today started testing of a new Honda power unit in a modified version of its 2014 Formula One car. The testing took place during a filming day at the Silverstone circuit in the U.K. under strict conditions. MUST SEE: Meet The Man That Modified The Car For 'Furious 7': Video McLaren, along...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
BMW And Toyota Sports Car Platform Progresses To Concept Stage: ReportIn late 2011, BMW and Toyota signed a memorandum of understanding for collaboration between the two on a number of projects, one of which was the development of a “midsize sports car platform.” For BMW the new platform is expected to spawn a replacement for the Z4, while for Toyota...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
It was at the SEMA show back in 2011 that Chevrolet first revealed its COPO Camaro based on the fifth-generation version of the Chevy muscle car. The limited-production, factory-built drag racer has been a hit ever since and is now about to enter its fourth year on the market. The latest version, the 2015 COPO Camaro, made its debut today at the SEMA show where Chevy confirmed that production will remain capped at just 69 units and that this will be the last COPO Camaro for the fifth-gen car. An all-new Camaro is being introduced for 2016. DON'T MISS: Something Old, Something New For The...
-
Land Rover To Build Discovery Sport In BrazilJust a week after starting production of its Range Rover Evoque in China, the first time a Jaguar Land Rover vehicle has ever been built outside of the U.K., the British automaker confirmed that its Discovery Sport SUV will be built in Brazil. The announcement was made at this week’s Sao...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Why Spinning Off Ferrari Makes So Much SenseYesterday’s announcement that Ferrari would be split off from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NYSE:FCAU] and have 10 percent of its shares sold to the public is sure to have come as a shock to many, but here’s a bit of insight into why the move makes so much sense for FCA. Maserati, which is...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Land Rover Eyes Electric SUV To Rival Upcoming Tesla Model X: ReportFollowing news that Germany’s major luxury brands are all planning high-end electric cars to take on Tesla Motors’ [NSDQ:TSLA] Model S and upcoming Model X, we now have details on similar plans at Land Rover. The British automaker is rumored to be eying a low-slung, car-like crossover...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2016 Chevrolet Volt’s Powertrain Revealed: VideoChevrolet will unveil its second-generation Volt extended-range electric car at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show in January, but it appears the automaker just couldn’t help itself from dropping a few details early. Prototypes spotted in the wild show only evolutionary changes for the exterior, but...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ferrari Confirms Plans For Six Pininfarina Sergio SpeedstersOne of the standouts of last year’s Geneva Motor Show was the Pininfarina Sergio concept, a wild speedster with a windswept shape and the running gear of a Ferrari 458 Spider. The car was built as a one-off showpiece honoring the late patriarch of the Italian design firm that bears his name...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran