ma section - featured

  • 10th Gumball 3000 Rally starts today in San Francisco

    Today marks the start of the 10th Anniversary Gumball 3000 Rally, a sort of intercontinental supercar scramble. Beginning in San Francicso, then sweeping down the Pacific coast through Los Angeles to San Diego before heading east to Las Vegas, where it will leave the U.S. and fly to North Korea, the Gumball 3000 Rally is one of the most epic car events held today. Once the 120-car rally flies en masse from Las Vegas to North Korea, it will proceed from Pyongyang to the Chinese cities of Shanghai, then Xuzhou and finally ending in Beijing. The roughly 3,000mi (4,800km) journey will take just...

  • 2009 Acura RL receives IIHS Top Safety Pick
    2009 Acura RL receives IIHS Top Safety Pick

    The new 2009 Acura RL sedan has won the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award in the Institute’s latest round of testing. To qualify, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of 'good' in the institute’s front, side, and rear tests and be fitted with...

  • Mercedes AMG partners with Bang & Olufsen for car audio & video
    Mercedes AMG partners with Bang & Olufsen for car audio & video

    Danish audio-video masters Bang & Olufsen have announced today their partnership with Mercedes' AMG performance division. They join Audi and Aston Martin as the company's primary automotive partners. The primary focus of the agreement will be for in-car entertainment systems, both audio and...

  • Transformers Corvette reportedly GM's Centennial Concept
    Transformers Corvette reportedly GM's Centennial Concept

    For weeks rumors about the Corvette-like car appearing in behind-the-scenes shots of the new Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen movie have been circulating. No one has known for sure what the car is, but the latest report indicates it's a Corvette Centennial Design Concept due for debut early next...

  • Toyota's TRD supercharges the Tundra and Sequoia
    Toyota's TRD supercharges the Tundra and Sequoia

    Not widely recognized as a performance parts leader, but rapidly becoming one, TRD (Toyota Racing Development) has revealed a supercharger system for its Tundra and Sequoia pickup and SUV. Featuring the same basic Eaton four-lobe system found in the Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR-1, the new...

  • Honda considers more Japanese models for U.S.
    Honda considers more Japanese models for U.S.

    Increased demand for smaller and more fuel-efficient models in the U.S. is causing carmakers to reconsider importing vehicles usually reserved for markets where consumers are faced with much steeper fuel prices than their American counterparts. Ford has confirmed plans to bring six new models from...

  • Toyota announces 39% profit drop for last quarter

    Hit hard by falling sales of large SUVs and pickups in the United States as well as the effects of rising fuel prices and a worsening economy, Toyota has announced that its operating profit dropped 39% for the quarter ending June 2008. Key reasons cited for the poor result include slowing sales, rising raw material costs and a strong yen. This is the first time in nine years that Toyota has experienced a decline in profit. The company registered an operating profit of ¥412.59 billion ($3.8 billion), down from an operating profit of ¥675.43 billion ($6.15 billion) a year earlier. This was...

  • Lotus reportedly considering Carlton comeback
    Lotus reportedly considering Carlton comeback

    Lotus could be resurrecting the Carlton according to the CEO of Lotus Group, Mike Kimberley. The Lotus Carlton was a special version of the Vauxhall Carlton (Omega in mainland Europe) built during the early 90's. The base Carlton was a rather timid four-door sedan from General Motors, who owned...

  • 2009 Ford Mustang marks pony car's 45th anniversary
    2009 Ford Mustang marks pony car's 45th anniversary

    The 2009 Ford Mustang announced today focuses on updates and added equipment, since it is primarily a carry-over model from the 2008 version. A panoramic glass roof, more luxurious premium trim options, a new security package and several special edition models are the primary features in the 2009...

  • America's legendary Packard brand up for sale
    America's legendary Packard brand up for sale

    Defunct American luxury automobile manufacturer Packard may be the next legendary auto brand to be revitalized, with latest reports indicating the rights to the company as well as a V12 prototype is now up for sale. Former Arizona residents Roy and Barbara Gullickson are looking for a buyer for the...

  • California recycles waste tires into new roads
    California recycles waste tires into new roads

    Tire waste is a major problem in developed areas where often millions of tires do not get recycled for a variety of reasons, contributing to landfills and destroying the environment. In California alone around 42 million waste tires are generated every year, and while 75% of these tires are...

  • Rising costs could eat Tata Nano's profits
    Rising costs could eat Tata Nano's profits

    The climbing price of steel and other materials could be the undoing of Tata Motors' ultra-cheap Nano. The company is being forced into a difficult position by the rising costs, having to choose between reduced demand due to a higher retail price or reduced profits due to a smaller margin. With so...

  • Update: Custom Ford Mustang AV8R sells for $500,000

    UPDATE: The special one-off Mustang AV8R has sold for $500,000 at the Gathering of Eagles charity auction, with the funds going to support the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh youth education and inspirational experience program. Ford will donate a special one-of-a-kind Mustang as part of its continuing commitment to the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh aviation event held annually in Wisconsin. Last year, Ford donated two tickets to the finals of the American Idol series, which sold for $16,500, and before that Ford and Shelby Automobiles donated a Mustang Shelby GT-H in...

  • Obama calls for one million plug-in hybrids by 2015
    Obama calls for one million plug-in hybrids by 2015

    Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has expressed his desire to see America set a goal of having at least one million plug-in electric hybrid vehicles on its roads by 2015 - an arduous goal to achieve in just seven years considering major carmakers are still years away from offering such vehicles for...

  • Bipartisan group proposes $84 billion auto package
    Bipartisan group proposes $84 billion auto package

    A group of 10 U.S. Senators representing both the Republican and Democrat parties have proposed an $84 billion package that aims to drastically change the current automotive landscape of America. Around $20 billion of the package would go to a project to "support the goal of transitioning 85...

  • Update: Audi shelves Q7 hybrid in favor of smaller Q5
    Update: Audi shelves Q7 hybrid in favor of smaller Q5

    Despite claims made by Audi board manager Frank Dreves as recently as May that a petrol-electric Q7 SUV hybrid was in the works, latest reports indicate the project has been shelved. The shift in demand for smaller vehicles has convinced Audi that a hybrid version of its new Q5 will be better...

  • Chrysler reports $1.1 billion profit for first half of 2008
    Chrysler reports $1.1 billion profit for first half of 2008

    Chrysler has bucked the trend of its fellow Detroit 3 carmakers by announcing an operating income of $1.1 billion for the first half of 2008. This is the first time that Chrysler has revealed its financials since being bought by Cerberus Capital Management, and comes as speculation rises that the...

  • Toyota 'Winglet' personal transport assistance robot
    Toyota 'Winglet' personal transport assistance robot

    Toyota today unveiled the “Winglet”, a personal transport assistance robot ridden in a standing position. The Winglet, still currently under development, is a compact everyday transport tool that is easy to operate and allows users to expand their range of mobility. The concept was...

  • Kia reveals 2009 Sportage facelift

    Kia has revealed the first images and details for its 2009 model-year facelift for the Sportage compact SUV. The changes are minimal, consisting of a few minor styling updates and the addition of a new diesel engine, and should ensure the car remains competitive against the top-selling Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson. On the outside there’s a new look grille, bumpers and wheel arches, while the standard alloy wheels have been given a redesign. Inside, the changes are highlighted by an updated dashboard and instrument panel, as well as new material for the seats and steering wheel...

  • GM reports $15.5 billion net loss for Q2 2008
    GM reports $15.5 billion net loss for Q2 2008

    General Motors has announced today a $15.5 billion net loss for the second quarter of the year, with declining sales of large pickups and SUVs and $9.1 billion of predominantly non-cash special items largely to blame for the poor result. The other key factors were costs associated with the American...

  • GM planning major company-wide incentives
    GM planning major company-wide incentives

    Following from last week’s rushed announcement for an extension of the existing employee discount program to friends and extended family of employees, General Motors has released a new memo to its dealers stating that it plans to offer a $4,000 bonus cash on the purchase of the 2008 GMC Yukon...

  • MTM Audi RS6: when 580HP is not enough
    MTM Audi RS6: when 580HP is not enough

    Updated with new images. MTM is not known for its restraint - it is, after all, the same company that fitted two engines into an Audi TT to set a speed record at Nardo. Its engineers have now taken the tuner’s brand of high-power, no-holds-barred modification to the internal workings of the...

  • Update: Japanese firms developing carbon-fiber for mass production
    Update: Japanese firms developing carbon-fiber for mass production

    Carbon-fiber is seen by many in the auto industry as one of the most effective ways of reducing vehicle weight and improving fuel economy and emissions levels, but the relative expense of the material means that it’s still reserved for only a handful of high-end production cars. BMW has...

  • Report: GM to cut 15% of salary staff in North America
    Report: GM to cut 15% of salary staff in North America

    General Motors is expected to announce heavy second-quarter losses tomorrow along with a new round of job cuts planned for North America. This time the cuts will effect salary workers, with latest reports indicating that up to 5,000 jobs, or about 15% of GM’s North American white-collar work...

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