ma section - featured

Most readers would probably recognize SsangYong for its range of odd-looking SUVs but the South Korean carmaker also is responsible for a luxury sedan called the Chairman. SsangYong is now working on a successor for the Chairman to be launched next year and exported to markets outside of South...

First Volvo unveiled a new blind spot warning system, then Mercedes followed suit and launched its own version, and now Jaguar has announced plans for a new blind spot detection system as well. Jaguar will call on vehicle parts supplier Valeo Raytheon to source a new radar-based blind spot...

Diesels are known for their excellent fuel efficiency and strong torque characteristics so it’s not surprising roughly half of new car sales in Europe are diesel. However, the same can’t be said for the rest world where sales of petrol powered cars still dominate. A new study conducted...

Less than two years ago, the gap between the labor costs for a car made by GM versus one made by Toyota stood at a staggering $4,000. Most of the extra costs GM suffered included payments for health care, unitary wages and inefficient plants. However, with the signing of last week’s contract...

Saab is one brand whose roots are strongly fixed in its country of origin, Sweden, but, as the effects of globalization take hold, product planners will soon have us driving Saabs born from Mexico. The upcoming 9-4X crossover will manufactured at GM’s assembly plant in Ramos, Mexico...

More confirmation arch rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz could be planning a partnership is news that officials from Mercedes are considering using BMW’s next-gen Mini platform for the new A and B-class small cars due by 2011. Previous reports suggested Mercedes were planning to launch sportier...

The 2010 BMW Z4 has officially been revealed. Click here for all the details and images. This new prototype seen driving around the streets of Munich was initially rumored to be a new BMW-badged rival for the Mercedes-SL as well as the next-generation Z4 Roadster. It’s now thought to be just...

Having previously drooled over this hardcore Carrera GT modification we were shocked to discover someone had taken advantage of the company’s extensive individualization program and decided to coat the car with black paint and glitter. Gemballa says it’s the 11th car of a limited...

The Mercedes-McLaren SLR 722 supercar - company car of the reigning back-to-back Formula One champ Fernando Alonso - just got a major upgrade. As if the 650hp (485kW) under the go pedal weren't enough to move the carbon-fiber and aluminum shell at breakneck speeds, McLaren put the silver supercar...

A1GP is considered by many as the poor cousin to Formula One but this could change with news that F1 constructors’ champion Ferrari may supply engines for the series over the next three years and could also design some of the cars. Ferrari is yet to confirm the reports but released a...

This odd looking and slightly stylish coupe is the new BC3 from Brilliance and has just gone on sale in China with a starting price of just under $15,000. Brilliance is BMW’s partner in China but the new BC3 is said to be an all-Chinese designed and manufactured vehicle, the first for the...

Despite its entry-level positioning, BMW’s upcoming X1 SUV will be manufactured at a plant in Germany because most of its sales are expected to be in Europe. Production plans for larger vehicles like the new X6 and the next-gen X3, meanwhile, have been moved to BMW’s Spartanburg...

Ferrari has caught onto the direct injection bug and is currently working on implementing the efficient engine technology for its future powertrains. The feature has been used on Audis for years but from 2009 onwards Ferrari will be employing it on several of its supercars. First in line is the...

BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has spilled the beans on the carmaker’s future plans with the release of a document today outlining its official strategy up until 2020. According to the document, BMW hopes to sell up to 1.8 million vehicles by 2012 and sees increased volumes as the key to improved...

Mazda will release a three-door version of its new Mazda2 compact in the second half of next year as well as a possible hotted up MPS (Mazdaspeed) version further down the track. The news comes from Mazda’s European boss James M. Muir, who revealed that Mazda wants to expand its sales in the...

Ford will be launching its new Kuga crossover with only one engine option, a diesel engine mated to a six-speed auto gearbox. Set to go on sale in May next year, the new vehicle will come in either Zetec or Titanium specifications with a 136hp 2.0L TDCi diesel being the only engine option. Towards...

Ford is planning to offer HD Digital Radio across most of its lineup and will even retrofit it on many earlier models dating back to 2005. The dealer-installed HD radio option is now available on almost all 2008 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles sold in the U.S., offering customers dramatically...

Leading its strategy is a shift in production of the X3 to America, where crossovers are likely to become king, and a shift in focus of the Z4 to Europe, where small, sporty cars have long seen great success, according to BMW boss Norbert Reithofer in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport. With...

Hoping to share in the success of the European minicar segment, Toyota is planning to release a production version of its iQ concept car as early as 2009. According to the Nikkei business daily, this model would help feed the increasingly growing demand for fuel-efficient small cars in a market...

Here's a great review of the new M3 that shows you just how dramatically some of the key electronic settings in the car can effect the overall performance. Like the reviewer in this video, we’d want to set every mode to the ‘extreme’ setting as well. Via: GermanCarScene