ma section - featured

The Toyota Prius was rated the highest-ranking model in three of Europe’s most prominent and influential satisfaction surveys conducted by J.D. Power and Associates. The pioneering hybrid vehicle was picked as the most satisfying vehicle in separate surveys conducted in the UK, France and...

GM is targeting a 2010 launch date for its new Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle and despite the hype surround its development only 10,000 examples are expected to be built in its first year of production. Depending on its success, GM will lift production to 60,000 units in the following year...

The rejuvenation of Fiat's several brands has been underway for some time now, with models like the Alfa Romeo Competizione, which was the design inspiration for the new Mi.To hatch, and the Lancia Delta bringing style and freshness back to the forefront. Fiat's own-branded 500 minicar has likewise...

Finding proof of the effect of rising fuel prices on the average American requires little more than a trip to your local used car lot, freshly filled with SUVs and pickups while subcompacts see significant markups. But more evidence of the impact of the rising price of fuel has come in the form of...

Cars that navigate complex terrain or urban environments have already been built for competitions like the DARPA's (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) various challenges. In fact, GM and Carnegie Mellon won the Urban challenge in 2007. Now the two are teaming to bring that technology to the...

Formula one drivers are threatening to boycott the British grand prix next month, according to reports. They claim the radical increase to the cost of their mandatory FIA superlicenses this year was unfair. Previous to 2008, superlicences cost drivers just 1,690 euros plus 447 euros per point...

High-performance versions of more pedestrian street-going cars have been a favorite of carmakers and enthusiasts alike since the beginning of the industry. BMW's M division, in operation since 1978, has produced some of the best examples of the concept, with its legendary M3 sitting at the...

May sales saw Chrysler's overall total drop 25% compared to 2007 figures, and CEO Bob Nardelli is warning that the slide will continue. In an email sent out to the company's employees Nardelli urged workers to keep their focus and help Chrysler get its product lineup back on track. June sales are...

Volkswagen’s new Scirocco coupe was recently launched in Lisbon with a range of powertrain options but the company is already looking to expand the number of variants available to those that want to either save on fuel bills or get more power under the hood. Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn...

Volkswagen's Skoda brand doesn't get much press in the West, but it's a very popular brand in central and eastern Europe. The Yeti, a mid-size SUV concept approved for production in April 2007, will finally be making it to market sometime in 2009, though the spokesperson wouldn't guarantee a date...

Every major carmaker in the world has had its attention drawn, forcibly in some cases, to the issues of fuel efficiency, carbon emissions and sustainability. As the industry moves forward, these concerns are staged to take even greater importance in the overall design and planning of new cars...

Mazda has signed a collaborative research agreement with Hiroshima University to launch a new ‘bioplastic’ research project with the aim to develop plastics formed from non-food-based cellulosic biomass for production vehicles by 2013. The bioplastic being developed will not consume...

Ford held talks with more than 300 plant managers and UAW officials in Detroit on Friday to discuss the future of manufacturing in North America and the shift from trucks and SUVs to cars. Other topics included the need for targeted buyouts of Ford’s manufacturing workforce and the...

Straight out of the box the Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series is already one of the most extreme production cars on the planet. With a full DTM-style wide-bodykit, carbon-fiber lined interior and a thunderous V8 engine pumping out 507hp (373kW) and 465lb-ft (630Nm) of torque, few would feel the...

The Chevrolet Corvette was given a major overhaul for the 2008 model year, receiving a more powerful LS3 V8 engine, a new exhaust system and improved gearboxes, but for the car’s latest update engineers have kept the changes to a minimum. There will only be a few trim and content updates...

It's not the first time the Japanese have taken the novel concept to reality. A bridge over the Arakawa River already uses the vibrations from passing cars to power some of its lights at night. The new project will expand the technology to the other four bridges on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway. Working...

Caparo is set to make its first ever appearance at the 24 hours of Le Mans this year, after signing a partnering agreement with the Barazi Epsilon team. The team will be competing in the LMP2 category and will provide Caparo with the opportunity to develop lightweight structures and components to...

Rising oil prices and increasing competition from grocery stores and hypermarts serving fuel have pushed service-station profit levels so low that returns are almost non-existent. The situation has now caused Irving oil giant Exxon Mobil to leave the retail fuel business in the U.S., announcing...

The timing of the U.S. Department of Energy's $30 million plug-in hybrid funding announcement indicates it has been in the works for quite some time, but coming right on the heels of Ford's call for a government commitment to the technology, it looks like the Blue Oval got just what it wanted. The...

Toyota is building battery plants as fast as it can to help it meet its goal of putting a million hybrids on the street each year by 2010. GM is considering buying out its troubled battery supplier, Cobasys. Now Chrysler and General Electric are considering teaming up to develop the technology that...