ma section - featured
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It’s official. Pontiac will be phased out from General Motors’ portfolio by 2010 as revealed today in the carmaker’s updated Viability Plan, designed to speed the restructuring of its operations in the U.S. into a leaner, more customer-focused, and more cost-competitive unit. The latest Viability Plan was included in an exchange offer whereby GM is also offering certain bondholders shares of GM common stock and accrued interest in exchange for certain outstanding notes that total some $27 billion. One of those bondholders is the U.S. Treasury, which, under the plan offered...
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Bugatti unveils more ‘Centenaire’ special edition VeyronsEarly last month we revealed details about Bugatti's new special edition variant of the Veyron, the 'Bleu Centenaire'. Designed to mark the company's 100th anniversary, we thought that there could not possibly be any more special editions of the Veyron on the horizon, but at this past...
Kenneth Hall -
Spy shots: Ferrari working on 599 Scuderia?Ferrari has already shown off a new ‘Laboratorio Technologico’ 599XX experimental car based on the regular 599 GTB Fiorano, which was designed as a test-bed for future technologies and available only to a select group of client drivers. While that model showcases Ferrari’s racing...
Alex Kaufmann -
Audi Q3 to enter production in Spain by 2011In response to shrinking sales of large SUVs in most parts of the world, carmakers are prepping a new generation of compact soft-roaders aimed at both the affordable and premium sectors of the market. We’ve already seen Ford release the Kuga crossover and Toyota add the Urban Cruiser to its...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Spy Shots: First Test Mules For Ferrari’s 612 Scaglietti SuccessorIt seems like just yesterday that Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti was launched but it's actually been almost five years, which is why it’s not surprising that test-mules for the car’s successor are already running around the streets of Maranello. Designers will be primarily focused on giving...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Buick reveals Business MPV concept in ShanghaiWe've seen some amazing concepts from Buick unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in previous years, and this year was no different with the release of the Buick Business concept. Unlike the handsome Buick Riviera Concept we saw at Shanghai a couple of years ago that was built in collaboration with...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Giving brilliant people free rein to build their dreams has led to some of the best designs in automotive history, no small portion of which were penned by people working for Stile Bertone. Ex-Pininfarina designer and now head of Stile Bertone Jason Castriota is one of those people. He's also the author of James Glickenhaus' fantastic P4/5. Now he has designed his own supercar, called the Mantide. Though Castriota is at the center of the project, his ties to Stile Bertone are also being kept at the forefront. Castriota's own combination of American birth and Italian heritage echoes the ties...
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Rolls-Royce revives Ghost nameplate for upcoming RR4 sedanRolls-Royce is currently developing a brand new model positioned below the Phantom for launch in early 2010, which is expected to double the number of vehicles built by the ultra-luxury carmaker each year. Rolls-Royce has announced the name for its new model series which until now has been known as...
Kenneth Hall -
VW returns to Nurburgring with Scirocco GT24 CNG race carAt the Nurburgring 24 hour endurance race on 23 and 24 May, Volkswagen will field two Scirocco race car concepts that have been modified to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Last year, VW clinched a one-two victory in the 2.0L turbo class even before the Scirocco's market launch with the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Novitec Rosso marks 20th anniversary with new TuLesto supercarWhen it comes to the world’s most exclusive sports cars, names like Ferrari and Lamborghini often spring to mind. However, there is a higher echelon when it comes to the most fascinating vehicles money can buy – a world where stunning design, uncompromising performance and production...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Opel Launches 325-HP Insignia OPCPacking 325hp (242kW), a sophisticated AWD chassis and a sub-six second 0-60mph time, Opel’s new Insignia OPC is set to take the midsize performance saloon market by storm when it goes on sale in the middle of the year. OPC, which stands for ‘Opel Performance Center,’ is the name...
Kenneth Hall -
A FAB Design SLR supercar named DesireSpecialist Mercedes Benz tuner FAB Design has already taken on the controversial Maybach 57S limousine this year, but now the company has revealed its most astonishing work to date - this time on the Mercedes McLaren SLR supercar. The most striking aspect of the FAB Design SLR 'Desire' at first...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
With Chrysler confirming last month that its Street and Racing Technology (SRT) division is safe from the company’s current budgetary cutbacks, we can expect to see new models sprout from the performance arm over the coming years. The first of these could be a replacement for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, which has been previewed today in this official teaser sketch showing a new version based on the recently revealed 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Labeled as a 2012 model, the new model will likely arrive sometime in 2011. Power is expected to come from a brand new 6.4L HEMI V8 engine rated...
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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 -
Acura unveils ZDX four-door sport coupe at New York Auto ShowThe latest entry to Acura's range is a curious one, taking cues from the BMW X6 and 5-series GT school of design thought, seeking a way to combine the sport of a four-door coupe with the utility of a slightly taller vehicle. Whether it's a success or not rests entirely in the eyes of the beholder...
Ralph Hanson -
Mercedes Benz launches facelifted S-Class range and new S400 HybridThe current generation Mercedes Benz S-Class and its associated AMG performance models have been on the market since the middle of the decade and are due to receive a minor update later this year to keep them fresh for their rivalry with the recently revealed BMW 7-series and next-generation Audi...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee makes 2009 New York auto show debutChrysler has given us an early look at its redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee at this week's New York Auto Show, despite the new SUV not going on sale until sometime next year. Coming in as a 2011 model, the redesigned Jeep Grand Cherokee will ride on an advanced car-like unibody platform and feature...
Ralph Hanson -
510hp supercharged V8 added to Range Rover SportJoining the facelifted Range Rover SUV on Land Rover’s stands at this week’s New York Auto Show, which has also undergone a subtle styling update and powertrain transplant. First and foremost, the updated SUV is now available with a supercharged 5.0L V8 churning out more than 510hp...
Ralph Hanson -
With the first batch of 370Z Coupes rolling out of showrooms across the United States, Nissan has unveiled the new Roadster version of the car at this week’s New York Auto Show. While the last-generation 350Z drop-top was often criticized for its awkward proportions, the lines of the new Roadster – with the top up or down - are in much better proportion with the rest of the car. The Roadster sticks with a conventional folding soft-top roof to keep weight down and set it apart from the more premium Infiniti G37 Convertible and its folding metal hard-top. The 370Z Roadster's most...
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Ugur Sahin Design Teams Up With Mallett For 999-HP Corvette Z03Ugur Sahin, the Dutch-based designer of the previous Ferrari Dino study, has plans to put one of his latest creations, the stunning Z03 Corvette concept into production. The car looks similar to the Dino concept, as well as the Ferrari 599-based Vandenbrink GTO but is designed around a much cheaper...
James Martinez -
GMC Unveils All-New Terrain CrossoverGMC is moving into the burgeoning compact crossover market with its brand new Terrain, which debuts this week at the New York Auto Show. GM will once again be touting the vehicle’s impressive fuel-economy, especially for the base 2.4L model, which is packed with a number of features to help...
Kenneth Hall -
BMW Unleashes X5 M And X6 M Performance SUVsWe bet there are still thousands of BMW M fans out there reeling from the fact that the performance division is launch its first ever SUV model, and a turbocharged one at that. Those fans better get used to it fast as BMW has just revealed its new X5 M and X6 M SUVs ahead of their New York Auto...
Alex Kaufmann -
Spy shots: Undisguised Aston Martin RapideThe long awaited four-door Aston Martin Rapide has been spotted, completely undisguised, undergoing testing in Northern Europe. Previous prototypes were last spotted near the carmaker's headquarters, and since then Aston Martin has released two official images of the car - albeit computer generated...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
SsangYong C200 Eco And Aero Concepts Hit The Stands At Seoul Motor ShowSsangYong, on the brink of collapse, has revealed a pair of new concept vehicles at the Seoul Motor Show, previewing a new production model the company will hopefully release before the year is out. The latest show cars are an evolution of last year’s striking C200 crossover concept vehicle...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran