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New assessments of the projected expense of the automotive industry loan-guarantee program being pitched to the U.S. Congress reveal the cost could climb as high as $7.5 billion - double earlier estimates. The re-assessment is expected to make it even harder to get the program approved before the...

A recent interview given by BMW's North American CEO, Jim O'Donnell, planted the seed of a four-cylinder petrol turbo for the United States, and the speculation it inspired has taken off at breakneck pace. The reality of the situation is that no decisions have been made, and BMW will hold off on...

Adding a new hybrid model each year from 2009 onward will lay the groundwork for Mercedes-Benz raising hybrid sales to 20% of its corporate total by 2015, according to the latest reports. The goal reflects the current state of legal requirements and customer demand, while positioning the brand to...

Securing a $25 billion loan package for the car industry has become not just a key policy issue for the current administration, but a rallying point for each side in the U.S. presidential campaign. The political hot-potato nature of such a decision is making it tough to get a clear read on what...

The 2010 Lincoln MKT crossover has officially been revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Click here for all the details and images. Ford surprised show goers at last January’s Detroit Auto Show with the unveiling of the new Lincoln MKT concept vehicle, which back then officials described as...

Chrysler is planning an aggressive model offensive over the next couple of years, with up to nine new models in the pipeline including both model refreshes and all-new vehicles. To cope with the extra capacity required for the new fleet, Chrysler is reportedly planning to build a new factory north...

The top-end models from Audi, the R8 and RS6, have received a lot of attention in their own right as well as numerous tuned versions since their release. O.CT is adding to the list with a pair of their own, but instead of following the pack with the usual slate of appearance and engine mods...

Saab hasn't fared any better than most of the industry this year, but it does have a range of updates for its 2009 models, including an expansion of the Haldex XWD system to the 9-3 2.0T model. Other changes to the lineup include a range of aerodynamic and appearance updates, plus new, slightly...

In what consumer rights groups are calling a major "victory for consumers," a database operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been opened to the public for the first time. The database lists thousands of deaths, injuries and property claims made to auto and tire...

Dr. Paul Moller has held onto his dream of achieving a workable combination of ground and air transport for decades, but has yet to produce any practical real-world drive-and-fly vehicles. The latest concept to come from his company, Moller International, is the Autovolantor, a hybrid-powered...

Anyone who loves their car will be familiar with the name Meguiar’s and its range of detailing and car care products. The 100-year-old company is now on the verge of a takeover by industry giant 3M, the makers of Scotch-Tape and Post-It Notes, which announced today plans to acquire it. In its...

Aston Martin announced as far back as December last year that James Bond would once again drive the new DBS super-sports car in the latest 007 flick, the oddly named Quantum of Solace, and now we have the best footage of the movie car yet as it stars in the second official trailer for the upcoming...

Diesels are quickly joining hybrids and plug-in electrics as the new show-car theme. The reasons are simple: efficiency, both in terms of fuel and finance, is driving carmakers and consumers to give diesel-fueled vehicles another chance. In keeping with this, the new Volkswagen Touareg TDI will...

Toyota has teamed up with utility company EDF Energy in the UK to start trials of a plug-in hybrid prototype based on its current-generation Prius. The trials start today and will continue for more than one year, with all data generated crucial for the development of the company’s first...

Click here to see the debut of the Lexus IS250C Convertible at the Paris Motor Show. The secret about Lexus' upcoming convertible hardtop IS variants has been out for some time now, with spy photos and registered names tipping the company's hand. The latest news of the Japanese carmaker's plans for...

Renault has joined its French rivals with the announcement today of a new hybrid concept vehicle set to grace the carmaker’s stands at next month’s Paris Motor Show. The latest concept is called the Ondelios and is described as a luxury crossover designed for the environmentally...

Last month Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli hinted that several “unexpected” models could be launched as early as next year to help meet shifting consumer trends, and now the company’s vice chairman Jim Press has stated that another eight or nine new models could follow in 2010...

Cindy McCain, wife of republican presidential candidate John McCain, first became intrigued with ‘drifting’ after watching a race on television more than six years ago. Thinking that it looked kind of “cool,” she began researching the then fledgling motorsport, even...

The original two-speed Tesla transmission has had notorious reliability issues, in the end forcing the company to sell the car with the unit effectively locked in second gear. That was a temporary solution, however, and now that the California company has partnered with Borg Warner for production...

Mercedes-Benz has its BlueEfficiency line, BMW has EfficientDynamics, and now Volvo will be unveiling its DRIVe package of efficiency-enhancing technologies. A multi-faceted approach at optimizing vehicular efficiency, from aerodynamics to rolling resistance in addition to driveline enhancements...