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  • Traffic deaths in U.S. reach 10-year low

    High oil prices are causing people to drive less, and many are quick to point out the emissions saved as a result, but the latest traffic figures reported by the NHTSA indicate another savings may be taking place as well - 1,600 fewer road deaths occurred in 2007 than in 2006. Whether it's the reduction in total road travel, safer cars or strengthened law enforcement efforts - or likely, all three - that are due the credit, the end result is the lowest national road death toll in a decade. The biggest numerical difference was seen in California, where 266 fewer people were killed on the roads...

  • GM to sell Volt plug-in hybrid as an Opel in Europe
    GM to sell Volt plug-in hybrid as an Opel in Europe

    General Motors’ Opel division is working on two new plug-in hybrid vehicles based on the same E-Flex architecture that’s set to debut in the Chevrolet Volt, but the Chevy will also make it to Europe, although not until late 2011. The car will initially be sold as an Opel but will...

  • Update: More details on Ford’s ‘Fox’ three-cylinder engine family
    Update: More details on Ford’s ‘Fox’ three-cylinder engine family

    Update: Ford is currently working on a new family of compact three-cylinder engines - currently referred to as the ‘Fox’ family – and is planning to start full scale production of the new powerplants as early as next year. Designed primarily for the European market, as well as...

  • Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport debuts at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
    Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport debuts at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

    The first build slot for the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport sold at the Pebble Beach auction for $2.9 million. Follow the jump to watch a video of the event. Few cars carry as much interest as the Bugatti Veyron, famous for its ultra-high price tag, striking looks and other-worldly speeds. Now, an even...

  • Advanced Automotive shows Heldo sports car at Woodward cruise
    Advanced Automotive shows Heldo sports car at Woodward cruise

    There are far more small custom sports car manufacturers out there than most people realize. Touring the Woodward Cruise this year, the Heldo sports car from Advanced Automotive has drawn a lot of attention as an example of some of the unique and occasionally bizarre results of those companies'...

  • Report: Fiat building hybrid 500
    Report: Fiat building hybrid 500

    Global demand for the Fiat 500 has been so high that its sales have been backlogged for months, and now the company is reportedly adding a hybrid powertrain to the modern classic to make it even more attractive. Based around an upcoming efficient two-cylinder petrol engine and a bespoke battery...

  • 700HP Audi RS6 by ABT Sportsline

    Audi's RS6 sedan was finally officially released this week, but the German racers and tuners at Abt Sportsline have just unveiled their take on the RS6 Avant. Not content with 580hp (426kW) and plenty of room for family and friends, Abt has boosted output to 700hp (515kW) and 590lb-ft (800Nm) of torque, making the Abt RS6 Avant one of the most insanely powerful people carriers in the world. The tuning package matches or exceeds the MTM RS6 Avant, released just a couple weeks ago. Though Abt hasn't released performance specs for the tire-shredding wagon, the MTM version manages the sprint to...

  • BMW introduces bullet-proof E70 X5 'Security' edition
    BMW introduces bullet-proof E70 X5 'Security' edition

    When it comes to armored cars we’ve seen everything from Rolls Royce Phantoms to stretched Bentleys, but the latest bullet-proof vehicle to hit the streets is based on the more mundane BMW X5. Dubbed the X5 Security, the latest model is based on the new E70 BMW X5 and fulfills the safety...

  • Spy shots: 2010 Hyundai Portico crossover
    Spy shots: 2010 Hyundai Portico crossover

    Hyundai gave us our first taste of the Portico when it rolled out the concept version of the car at the 2005 Chicago Auto Show, and now more than three years later we have the first spy shots of actual prototypes for the new model. The Portico will be bigger than the current Santa Fe and Veracruz...

  • Update: pricing revealed for Chrysler's mobile Internet
    Update: pricing revealed for Chrysler's mobile Internet

    Update: After nearly six months of teasing out the details of its upcoming mobile wireless in-car Internet system, Chrysler has finally revealed pricing for the base unit and the monthly access charges. With an initial buy-in of $499 and ongoing fees of $29 per month, plus sundry other one-time...

  • New Honda hybrid to arrive in April 2009, cost less than Prius
    New Honda hybrid to arrive in April 2009, cost less than Prius

    Aiming squarely for the jugular of the world's leading purveyor of hybrid vehicles is a daring move, but few companies are better suited to the task than Honda. With its new dedicated hybrid model, the company hopes to undercut the current market-leading Prius on price while offering superior...

  • Exhaust speaker system tunes hybrid to V8 sound
    Exhaust speaker system tunes hybrid to V8 sound

    A German automotive supply company has announced a system that applies basic principles of sonic tuning to produce an exhaust system capable of rendering nearly any sound desired. The problem of hybrid cars being too quiet for pedestrian safety is well-known, but the company also sees other, more...

  • BMW issues airbag recall for 200,000 cars

    A recall for 200,000 North American BMW vehicles with potentially malfunctioning airbags was revealed today in a bulletin by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The bulletin states the affected vehicles include: 2004 and 2005 5-series sedans, 2004-2006 X3 SUVs and a portion of the 2006 model year 3-series cars. The problem involves a passenger-side unit that may not deploy during an accident. Clearly a serious issue, the company has chosen to perform a full recall on all vehicles fitted with the possibly defective units. The decision must have been a difficult one for...

  • Spy Shots: 2010 Cadillac SRX and Saab 9-4X
    Spy Shots: 2010 Cadillac SRX and Saab 9-4X

    The Cadillac SRX has been officially revealed. Click here to view the story. Spy shots of Cadillac’s future midsize SUV emerged and now images of its Saab cousin, the upcoming 9-4X, have surfaced as well. Both cars are built around a heavily revised version of GM’s Theta platform...

  • Drag racer avoids jail sentence for crash that killed six
    Drag racer avoids jail sentence for crash that killed six

    Australian drag-racing driver Troy Critchley, who was the centre of a media furore recently following the death of six spectators at a charity motoring event in the U.S., will avoid incarceration following consent from the victims' families to lower felony criminal charges to misdemeanor assault...

  • Audi Q7 earns IIHS 'Top Safety Pick' award
    Audi Q7 earns IIHS 'Top Safety Pick' award

    The 2008 Audi Q7 luxury SUV has won the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award in the Institute's latest round of testing. To qualify, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of 'good' in the institute’s front, side, and rear tests and also be fitted with...

  • ACS3 Sport BMW M3 Cabrio by AC Schnitzer
    ACS3 Sport BMW M3 Cabrio by AC Schnitzer

    Despite its M3 moniker, the BMW M3 Cabrio isn't the pure-performance beast its hard-top brother is. This is mostly due to the chassis stiffness disadvantage spawn from its roofless design as well as the necessary weight gain from the added reinforcements that attempts to overcome this. Still an...

  • 2008 U.S. fuel efficiency sets new industry record
    2008 U.S. fuel efficiency sets new industry record

    A report released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that the vehicles produced during the first half of 2008 have set the record for the most fuel efficient to date. Including both cars and light trucks (meaning both pickups and SUVs), the national average...

  • U.S. hybrid owners among the most loyal

    Brand loyalty is a highly-sought after attribute in a customer base, from the carmaker's perspective, and according to data compiled by Experian Automotive, American hybrid buyers are among the most loyal car shoppers around. Fully 47% of hybrid buyers buy the same make (brand) of car when shopping for a replacement, compared to just 35% for all buyers. That figure may be influenced somewhat by Toyota's long-standing dominance of the hybrid marketplace, with a number of hybrid models including the highly popular Prius to draw customers back. Support for that possibility is found in the...

  • New model updates expected to turn around flagging sales for Lexus
    New model updates expected to turn around flagging sales for Lexus

    Sales of Toyota’s large SUVs and pickups may have tanked in the U.S. but the carmaker’s luxury division, Lexus, is doing even worse, with July sales levels diving 25% from levels just one year ago. Part of the problem is that Lexus’ sales are heavily skewed towards its luxury SUV...

  • Subaru planning extensive product line updates
    Subaru planning extensive product line updates

    Despite a lack of heavy incentives, new models or ‘green’ cars such as hybrids and diesels, Subaru's sales continue to rise while many of its rivals struggle to stay afloat - especially in the volatile U.S. market. The carmaker has experienced sales growth of close to 4.5% for the first...

  • Abu Dhabi group eyes stake in Daimler
    Abu Dhabi group eyes stake in Daimler

    The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has expressed an interest in purchasing a large stake in Daimler, according to new reports from Germany. The ADIA is wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government and is purported to be one of the largest wealth funds in the world, with estimates for the fund...

  • Peugeot's 'Blue Lion' identifies greenest cars
    Peugeot's 'Blue Lion' identifies greenest cars

    Peugeot has launched a new standard for identifying the 'greenest' cars in its range as a nod towards increasing concerns over the environmental impact of cars and rising fuel prices. Dubbed the 'Blue Lion' standard, the initiative is a little late to the party, with Ford having launched its...

  • Dutch university trialing air-cleaning paving stones
    Dutch university trialing air-cleaning paving stones

    The Dutch University of Twente is collaborating with the town of Hengelo to trial a new kind of paving stone that absorbs airborne pollutants. Based on Japanese technology, the stones have already passed basic effectiveness demonstrations, and are now being tested on a larger scale. The stones work...

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