ma section - featured

A recent study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates has found that 50% of prospective car buyers in the US are considering a hybrid model, down from 57% one year ago. By contrast, the level of interest surrounding new diesel models has risen sharply with 23% of respondents claiming they’re...

To secure its diesel future General Motors will purchase a 50% stake in Italy’s VM Motori diesel engine plant from current owner Penske Corp. in a new 50-50 joint venture. This is the same engine plant that GM co-developed its new 2.9L V6 turbodiesel, which will initially be sold in...

JE Design has just released its latest widebody styling kit for the Audi Q7, as well as a range of new performance upgrades to match the aggressive looks. It’s no easy task enhancing the dynamics and looks of a 2.3 ton road behemoth but engineers at JE Design have managed to achieve some...

A new batch of Panamera spy shots has just surfaced, and some of them are the most revealing shots we've come across yet. Looking at the car’s profile, one can clearly see the shape of the new glasshouse, while at the rear sits the undisguised diffuser. It’s still early days as the...

To quell fears of substandard quality for products sourced from its Chinese partner Chery Auto, Chrysler personnel will be on hand in China early in the development and manufacturing phases to ensure that the cars meet global quality and safety standards. Together with Chery, Chrysler will be...

Mercedes is celebrating ten years of production of its M-class SUV at its Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama with the release of the Edition10 limited series model. The SUV gets special badging, 20in wheels, bi-xenon headlights, taillights with blacked-out surrounds, unique colors, a two-tone leather...

German tuner Hartge has released more details about its BMW 1-series hatch designed to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Labeled project ‘V300+’, the LPG 1-series produces up to 550bhp and is claimed to reach speeds in excess of 300km/h. If the claims prove true, the Hartge tuned...

The July 11 marks the 20th anniversary of Walter Röhrl’s victory at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in his Audi Sport quattro S1. Röhrl, now an official Porsche test driver, was rally world champion in 1980 and 1982 and didn’t join the Audi team until 1984. Of the many...

Nevada’s Hybrid Technologies has started production of its electric-powered BMW Mini Cooper all-lithium model. In development for the past two years, the new electric Mini uses Hybrid Tech’s own proprietary advanced lithium management and battery-balancing system, which promises a cycle...

Despite a possible sale of the brand, development work on the next-gen Range Rover is well underway with a launch date planned for 2012. The new model will be the first of a series of updates at Land Rover, with cars like the Range Rover Sport, LR3, LR2 and Defender and possibly even all-new models...

DaimlerChrysler’s ultra-luxury brand Maybach, suffering from poor sales and a limited lineup, could expand its range with rumored convertible and SUV models in an effort to increase profitability. Though chances of a high-end SUV are slim, the likelihood of a convertible model based on the...

Bidding for the Jaguar and Land Rover labels has failed to ignite the level of excitement and the flurry of rival bids that surrounded the sale of Aston Martin earlier this year. Leading the charge in the latest Premier Auto Group sale is private equity firms Cerberus, Ripplewood and One Equity...

The new Peugeot 308 was only launched this month but there are already rumors of an SUV model currently being developed to be based on the same platform as the popular hatch. The new SUV would be positioned below the recently revealed 4007 crossover, which itself shares its architecture with a...

Ford CEO Alan Mulally predicts that plug-in hybrids could be in showrooms in five to 10 years. Mulally made the comments during the announcement of a joint-effort between Ford and energy utility Southern California Edison to test twenty electric prototypes. This is the first time that any timeline...

Mitsubishi is hard at work putting the final touches on the new Lancer Evo and has now released details about two handling and transmission technologies that should give the car a leg up over its rivals. First up, we have the Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system that uses a number of sensors...

Smart has just released details about a couple of hybrid variants of its new Fortwo minicar, with the ultra-efficient offerings coming in three different flavors including one of the industry’s first diesel-hybrid drivetrains. It's likely these designs will eventually lead to new production...

Porsche shareholders approved plans recently for the creation of a new holding company that would combine Volkswagen and truck manufacturers MAN and Scania to form a global powerhouse to rival industry leader Toyota. Porsche under the guidance of CEO Wendelin Wiedeking will be in charge of the new...

Update: Honda admits meeting the pair behind the allegations. Click ahead to find out more. A third team is being dragged into the Ferrari-McLaren espionage affair - Honda. The German specialist publication Auto Motor und Sport now reports that, in addition to McLaren, disgruntled Ferrari veteran...

We reported previously about Lexus developing a new dedicated hybrid model positioned between its IS and GS models and now its UK Chief Steve Settle has revealed more details about the upcoming car. Speaking with BusinessCar, Settle explained that the new car, which is planned for 2010, will be a...

Pagani has confirmed that its 750 horsepower Zonda R track car will be put into production with a mere 10 examples only expected to see the light of day. Six deposits have already been placed for the 1.2 million euro Ferrari FXX rival and the first deliveries should start in March of next year...