ma section - featured

Updated: General Motors announced today that it would stay in the leasing business through August at the least. The obvious implication is that the company, via its GMAC finance corporation, is considering getting out of the leasing business, much as Chrysler has done. Ford's choice to simply...

Volkswagen has announced that buyers of the Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen in the U.S. are eligible for a $1,300 tax credit that’s normally reserved for hybrid vehicles. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a certification letter affirming that the Jetta TDI qualifies for...

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that its partnership with British sports car manufacturer McLaren will come to an end when the current agreement to build the SLR supercar expires next year. As the two carmakers head their separate ways and announce plans for separate, and this time competing, supercar...

Chase Auto Finance announced today that it will no longer offer leases for Chrysler vehicles, following a similar announcement made on Friday by Chrysler Financial to stop its own leases on August 1. The reason behind the latest decision according to a Chase spokeswoman is because of fears of...

Microsoft today announced that it will expand its automotive business unit with a number of new interface software systems and electronic services expected to be rolled out over the next couple of years. The first of these new features will be the immediate availability of ‘Microsoft Live...

Part of the company's continuing reorganization plan, General Motors has taken several actions today to lighten its load in the face of reduced demand. Cutting back truck production, much like rival Ford recently announced, has been expected for some time. But reducing the warranty terms on U.S...

As part of the purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, finalized in June, Tata Motors secured the rights to the UK-based Daimler Motor Company name. That opens the door for Tata's revival of the marque and a new super-luxury brand to crown its range, even as it pushes Jaguar toward new heights. If Tata...

Tesla has announced that former F1 World Champion Damon Hill will race one of its electric Roadsters in the GreenFleet Capital Arrive 'N' Drive 08 event, which kicks off on London’s Horse Guards Parade on the 31st of this month. The challenge aims to promote the latest innovations to reduce...

Currently Ford's sales rely heavily on its pickup truck line, which constituted 52% of its volume last year. The rapid fall in pickup sales volume precipitated by a weak economy and rising fuel prices was reflected directly in the F-150's race down the best-seller list in the U.S. To fix the...

General Motors has opened an advanced engine testing facility in Detroit, Michigan, which the carmaker claims will allow it to speed up powertrain development times and save more than $200 million per year. According to GM, the new facility is the largest of its kind in the world and it will...

Rumors of Mercury's imminent demise have run rampant for the past year, with even Jerry York, adviser to billionaire stockholder Kirk Kerkorian, urging Ford to sell the brand. A dearth of updates in the pipeline beyond 2011 appeared to indicate it would die a silent death. But new plans from Ford...

One of the first remixes of Volkswagen's sporty-looking four-door coupe, the Passat CC, Abt's tuning job adds power and appearance modifications to push the car to the next level. Whether you choose the diesel or petrol versions, Abt has it covered. Noting that the Passat CC's two-letter...

The world-famous Tesla Roadster - check out our recent test here - has been known for some time to have a sedan sibling in the works, codenamed 'Whitestar'. But now Tesla's chairman of the board, Elon Musk, is talking about the third car to bear the Tesla name, and it's targeting a sub-$30,000...

The Germans in Ingolstadt may be fearing Porsche's imminent takeover, especially as it might affect their 911-fighting R8 sportscar, but if popular demand has any role to play, the car will be safe. Already the entire production allotment of the R8 for 2009 is sold. The wait to buy a new one is now...

Following yesterday's announcement from Ford that it had lost a staggering $8.7 billion in the second-quarter of the year comes news that Chrysler lost a much less substantial $515 million in the first-quarter. The latest result represents the financials for both Chrysler and its finance arm, and...

German auto club and prominent European crash tester ADAC has pitted a large SUV against a minicar with harrowing results. The test consisted of an overlapping frontal crash test at 56km/h between an Audi Q7 and a Fiat 500. The result was worrying, for the passengers in the Fiat 500 at least...

Tata Motors and Fiat are already tied up over a number of projects including manufacturing low cost engines and the sharing of engineering teams, but the partnership could soon expand even further with Tata boss Ratan Tata considering using Fiat to sell its Nano minicar (pictured) outside of India...

Billed as the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the world famous pickup truck, the HEVT (Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies, Inc.) F-150 makes significant improvements in fuel mileage while maintaining the utility of its Ford chassis. The truck is intended as an exhibition...

Updated: The European Commission has finally given permission for Porsche to acquire control of the Volkswagen Group, something the German sports carmaker previously confirmed it would do before the end of the year. Porsche’s supervisory body authorized the purchase of a majority stake in...

Coinciding with news of an $8.7 billion second quarter loss, Ford also announced today its latest North American restructuring plans and future product developments for the Ford, Mercury and Lincoln brands. The biggest impact is the considerable shift in Ford’s North American product plans...