ma section - featured
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After a 40 year stint at Mercedes-Benz, 30 years as its official design chief, automotive engineer and designer Peter Pfeiffer is set to retire. Pfeiffer, who turns 65 this year, first joined the carmaker back in 1968 and was promoted to head of design just ten years later. Mercedes is yet to name an official successor but a decision is expected to be announced soon. Most likely to replace Pfeiffer is Gorden Wagener, the current president of Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America. Wagener has been in charge of the U.S. team since early 2006, reports Automotive News. Pfeiffer has had...
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Premier4509 Lamborghini Murcielago aero kitIt never ceases to amaze us how many people are out there for whom a car as perfect as the Lamborghini Murcielago is simply not enough. That’s where tuners like Japan’s Premier4509 step in, developing a range of aerodynamic performance enhancements, wheel and tire packages and interior...
Siddarth Raja -
Nearly half of all Challengers sold will be V6sJust a few days after Bob Lutz told the press in New York that the Camaro could be getting a turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant, Chrysler has announced that it estimates 40% of Challenger sales will be V6-powered base models, like its competitor, the Ford Mustang. Although the company has been...
Nelson Ireson -
Combination 2/4-stroke engine prototype testedSmaller, more powerful motors are the future of the auto industry. GM and Chrysler are focusing on smaller four- and six-cylinder motors for their Camaro and Challenger, while others are pushing the envelopes of forced-induction sub-2.0L powerplants. A new technology has appeared on the horizon...
Nelson Ireson -
Porsche may use VW stake to avoid emissions rulesPorsche has a major challenge on its hands in the form of strict new fuel-economy and emissions regulations set to roll in across the U.S. and Europe in coming years. Carmakers are being forced to improve their average fleet-wide mileage and carbon emissions levels and for a niche brand like...
Kenneth Hall -
Toyota shopping mall opens in JapanIn what may lead to a new trend among carmakers, the cash-rich ones at least, Toyota has opened a new shopping mall aimed at selling and promoting its cars. The new site is located in Yokohama, Japan, and features the usual assortment of restaurants and specialty stores you would find in any...
Ralph Hanson -
Up against the aggressively styled Mitsubishi Evo X and Nissan GT-R, Subaru’s new Impreza WRX STI looks a little timid and ungainly. At least the hot-hatch at least has little to worry about when it comes to the track as this latest clip form Fifth Gear reveals. Follow the jump for the full video or click here to read up on all the details on the 2008 WRX STI. 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STISubaru WRX STI
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Bentley rules out diesel for nowWith almost one out of every two cars sold in Europe powered by a diesel and demand steadily growing in North America, carmakers that previously would have never been associated with the oil-burners are now examining the possibility of adding the frugal powertrains to their lineups. Bentley is a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Sirius-XM merger approved by DOJThe U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the merger of satellite radio providers Sirius and XM. The merger has been in the works since last February, and now that the government's antitrust division has given the all-clear, the final hurdle is the FCC. Initial rumors about the deal popped up...
Nelson Ireson -
Lamborghini lends its name to Bluetooth headsetThere’s usually nothing worth mentioning about a Bluetooth headset but here’s one that will get the attention of most performance enthusiasts. The device is the ‘Tonino Lamborghini Bello’ and apart from Lamborghini’s shield emblem on the outer casing there’s not...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mileage number one priority for consumersCar buyers are faced with a number of vehicle attributes at purchase time, including styling, performance, safety and quality just to name a few of the popular ones. However, the one attribute considered above all else by consumers according to a new study conducted by America’s AAA is a...
Ralph Hanson -
Chrysler asks public to help design future carsChrysler announced today that it’s recruiting members of the public for its new 'Customer Advisory Board', an online forum where individuals can voice their ideas about what they want to see in a new car. Anyone can join the forum, including consumers who have never previously owned a...
Ralph Hanson -
Hyundai has announced that it will begin to mass produce hybrid cars next year in a move certain to please an environmentally conscious market and which is likely to cement its position as a top five automaker. The new Hyundai hybrid vehicle will be called the ‘Avante’ and it will arrive by the middle of next year. In 2010, Hyundai will follow it up with a second midsize hybrid model and eventually a fuel-cell model in 2012. While hybrids have been around for years, Hyundai is predicting large increases in demand for the green vehicles as consumers turn to fuel-efficient cars...
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Most expensive states for car ownershipThere’s nothing surprising about the fact that the actual cost of owning car, basic taxes and insurance costs that everybody has to pay, can vary across all 50 U.S. states. What comes as a bit surprise is that this variance can top roughly $10,000 between some states over a five year period...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Bentley Boys S3 design studyThis ominous, retro-inspired design study is the creation of automotive engineer Arturo Alonso from Bentley Boys USA and is tipped to enter production if it receives enough interest. Alonso and his team are planning to build just three cars, each at a cost of $150,000, at a the painstakingly slow...
Alex Kaufmann -
Abt tunes the VW Touareg TDITurbodiesel motors are getting lots of press lately, and VW group vehicles are garnering much of that attention. Audi's R8 looks to be getting a V8 TDI motor soon, and the Jetta TDI Cup in the U.S. is helping to bring diesels back into the American public's consciousness, albeit slowly. German...
Nelson Ireson -
Milner Plug-In And Flying Car Concepts At New York Auto ShowMilner Motors unveiled its ElectriCar plug-in hybrid concept and its AirCar advanced-composite flying car today at the New York Auto Show. The new plug-in hybrid (pictured) features a modern petrol engine mated to an electric motor and features its own unique battery technology and computer...
James Martinez -
Ford planning more Shelby GT500KR Mustangs for 2009If you missed out on one of last year’s 540hp 40th anniversary Shelby GT500KR Mustangs you’re in luck because the Ford tuner is planning an additional run of 746 cars for the 2009 model year. Demand for the car worldwide has surged, no doubt spurred on with the help of the car’s...
Ralph Hanson -
Third in a line of concepts designed to move the Suzuki brand into the performance and luxury markets, the Kizashi 3 was unveiled this morning in New York. The first two Kizashi concepts came at Frankfurt and Tokyo late last year, and all three feature a similar futuristic design language. Behind the aggressively styled grille sits a 300hp 3.5L V6 that uses plated cylinders developed in Suzuki's motorcycle and World Rally Championship race teams. Twenty-one inch, nine-spoke wheels wrapped in low-profile rubber at each corner add to the futuristic look. A paddle-shifted six-speed autobox gives...
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Update: Insurance company sponsors 100MPG X Prize challengeUpdated: The Automotive X Prize challenge has officially started with the announcement today of a title sponsor at the New York Auto Show. Progressive Casualty Insurance will front the $10 million cash prize for the first team to successfully build and race a commercially viable 100mpg vehicle. The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Saleen Releases Gurney Signature Edition MustangSaleen has partnered with American racing legend Dan Gurney to develop a limited edition Ford Mustang, which was unveiled today at the New York Auto Show. The car is called the Gurney Signature Edition and it's been designed to mimic Dan's original 1969 Trans Am series Mustang racer. It's...
Ralph Hanson -
Coachbuilt Karvajal Designs ZX-1 C6 CorvetteNewly formed coachbuilder Karvajal Designs has made a big splash with its inaugural custom-designed Corvette presented at the New York Auto Show today. The company plans to offer several hand-built packages for the C6 Corvette including a range topping version equipped with a 560hp supercharged LS2...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Updated: 2009 Acura TSX official detailsUpdated with new photo gallery Acura revealed the new 2009 TSX at the New York Auto Show this morning, and with it the full gamut of high-res photography. The second-generation 2009 TSX is larger, more agile, better equipped and more performance minded than the model it replaces. It does so with...
Alex Kaufmann -
Both young and old wanted off the roadsIt seems that these days your driving skills tend to follow a parabolic curve - for those of you who aren't mathematically inclined it means you have next-to-zero skills when you’re in your teens, gradually get better during mid-life and then the skills fade away as you approach the twilight...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran