ma section - featured

Updated with official video. With the GT-R's recently lowered Nordschleife lap time set at 7m 29s, a drop of nine seconds from its previous 7m 38s lap, General Motors responded with speculation that the ZR-1 would handily take the production car lap record at any track in the world. While we have...

Ferrari appears to be a source of inspiration for a number of up-and-coming young designers with the likes of Idries Omar, Emre Husmen and now Luca Serafini all using the Italian exotics as inspiration for some of their best works. The latest design, dubbed the Ferrari Concept 2008, is based on the...

Updated with official images. The Spada Codatronca is the creation of designer Ercole Spada and his son Paolo as well Italian tuning shop UK Garage, and after months of testing the project has now officially entered the production phase. The first model will be the new Codatronca TS (Turismo...

Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech revealed last month his desire to expand the carmaker’s operations into the motorbike industry, telling German media that he regretted not acquiring the Ducati label during the 1980s when it was near bankruptcy. Piech’s dream could soon come true as...

While the U.S. government has implemented a fleet-wide fuel efficiency standard of 35mpg by 2020 for carmakers (plus an interim mandate of 31.6mpg by 2015), California is planning to implement its own ruling of 36.8mpg by 2016. The issue has been a major headache for carmakers as California...

As Europe's emissions restrictions tighten and pollution awareness climbs even higher, many customers are eager to adopt alternative fuel platforms. Ethanol - or at least E85 - is one such fuel, and Volvo has been among the leaders in offering a full line of flex-fuel engines. The new engine for...

The first fruits of the Chrysler-Chery partnership may be realized as early as next year with news today that a Chinese-built car will be sold wearing Chrysler badges in Mexico within the next 12 months. The new car is the Chery A1 hatch (pictured) and it will be the first global model spawned from...

Despite its status as the world's biggest and most successful carmaker, Toyota is far from immune to the effects of the slowing American economy and rising fuel prices. In fact, the Japanese giant has forecasted a 27% slump in profits for this financial year and this pressure has led to the...

The tiny Mediterranean province of Monaco is home to many of the world’s hottest and most-exclusive supercars and soon it may have a homegrown piece of exotic machinery running up and down its streets. Local carmaker Monte Carlo Automobile (MCA) recently took the wraps off a new supercar...

Lexus has expanded its line-up in the UK with the introduction of a new special edition model based on the entry-level IS250 sedan. The new car, called the IS250 SR, is fitted with a number of performance and styling accessories but unfortunately the output from the 2.5L V6 remains unchanged. This...

GM has resumed production at five plants that had been affected by an 11-week strike at its supplier American Axle. The sites include the Oshawa plant in Ontario, responsible for the Chevrolet Impala and Silverado as well as the GMC Sierra, the Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico, which builds the HHR...

Since the release of its official strategy in September last year, media sources around the world have been speculating that BMW is looking at either launching its own new brand or acquiring one to help its expansion. CEO Norbert Reithofer previously revealed BMW would establish a new environmental...

GM's plans to invest $14 billion in Opel by the end of 2012 were announced just last week, as well as their plans to introduce 20 new models for Opel in this time period. But some more details have come out about the investment, most notably the General's plans to market Opel as a more 'upmarket'...

The U.S. is the single biggest market for Lamborghini so it comes as little surprise the Italian supercar brand will be setting up a separate sales company exclusively for the country – the first of its kind outside Italy. We first heard news Lamborghini would establish the new sales arm back...

The low-cost vehicle segment is heating up as global automakers recognize the potential of selling an affordable car to emerging markets, such as India and China, which comprise over a third of the world's population and is seen as the next boom for the automotive industry. Tata's $2,500 Nano has...

Despite GM's massive $3.3 billion dollar loss for the first quarter of 2008, the General has gone ahead with the purchase of its previously leased headquarters in Detroit. The deal went through for GM to purchase the Renaissance Center for a cool $626 million as well as forking out another $200...

Felipe Massa became the first driver since his former Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher to win three consecutive races at the same circuit with a first place title at this weekend's Turkish GP. Kimi Raikkonen's run to third place closes his championship lead to Hamilton, and now Massa, to 7...

Presidential candidate and longtime activist Ralph Nader has once again voiced his objection to proposed vehicle roof-safety standards from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), telling reporters the standards should be much tougher. Current regulations require vehicles...

Ford has told its shareholders to hold out for an official appraisal from the Blue Oval before taking action in regards to a tender offer from the Tracinda Corporation. The investment firm, belonging to billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, is offering to purchase 20 million shares at a price of...

The price penalty for the added complexity of a hybrid drivetrain has always been a bit of a concern for those looking to not just save fuel, but to save money. In some calculations from a decade ago, popular hybrids would have taken as much as eight or ten years to repay in fuel savings the cost...