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Windows Mobile devices have been doing it for years. Palm devices for even longer. So why haven't high-end luxury cars offered handwriting recognition as a standard feature yet? That question may soon be answered - whether for the good or the bad - with the next-gen Audi A8. Set for a debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the next Audi A8 is expected to come with handwriting recognition according to a report from Germany's Autobild. The input device will be a center console-mounted touchpad, much like what you'd find on a typical modern laptop. The device would replace a plethora of...
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Foreign luxury carmakers could get loophole in upcoming fuel regulationsIn May the White House unveiled a new fuel efficiency policy calling for 35.5mpg fleet averages by 2016, and almost immediately the carmakers began talking about how much it would cost them. But now it looks like the luxury carmakers in the U.S. - primarily foreign marques - could catch a break...
Alex Kaufmann -
Video: Ford taking on luxury carmakers with new Taurus adsAcura and Lexus aren't the brands you'd normally think of when you think of Ford's competition, but those are exactly the targets of Ford's latest ad campaign for the new 2010 Taurus. Featuring a series of torture tests, the ads try to convey the level of quality and value offered by the big...
Nelson Ireson -
Chrysler officially extends PT Cruiser's lifespan by another yearOn the back of falling sales and a model run that has lasted more than nine years, Chrysler decided back in January to end production of the PT Cruiser by the middle of this year. In June, we brought you word that the retro-styled wagon would live on for at least another year, and now Chrysler has...
Ralph Hanson -
Mazda celebrates 20 years of roadsters with special edition in JapanWhen Mazda launched the Miata, or Roadster as it's known in Japan, in 1989, few suspected it would go on to become the best-selling open-top sports car of all time, but over 860,000 vehicles later, the car is officially the most popular roadster in existence. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of...
Nelson Ireson -
Renault confirms Penske seeking cars for Saturn brandSpeculation on Renault's interest in Saturn has been circulating since GM's bankruptcy filing began looking like a certainty, but it was Roger Penske's Penske Automotive Group that won the bid to buy the carmaker. Now, however, Renault may yet get a chance at some involvement, with confirmation...
Kenneth Hall -
Residents of California will be in for a treat this weekend when Subaru holds its first ever WRX games - an event that will feature a full day of Subarus and driving experiences. According to Todd Lawrence, the promotional manager for Subaru America, the WRX games will allow people to experience what it's like to be part of "the Subaru community". A number of activities will be held throughout the WRX games, but doubtless the highlight will be driving demonstrations from Subaru factory drivers, as well as guest drivers. Ken Block is already confirmed to be driving his Gymkhana 2 vehicle for...
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Buy a boat, get a free BentleyWith the current recession making it difficult to sell exorbitant luxury items, some businesses have resorted to big incentive programs and discounts to move their products. However, we doubt many are trying to attract customers with the offer of a free Bentley with their purchase as Pearl Motor...
Kenneth Hall -
Custom Corvette Grand Sport major prize in National Corvette Museum raffleFor just $150, you could have a chance at winning this unique, one-of-a-kind 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Coupe thanks to a raffle being held by the National Corvette Museum. Decked out in Arctic White with a Black Jake stripe, the unique Grand Sport Coupe is a completely custom designed...
James Martinez -
BMW 7-Series and X6 hybrids destined for Frankfurt Motor ShowEarlier this year we brought you news of BMW's entry into the hybrid market, with the suspected debut of a 7-Series equipped with the automaker’s ActiveHybrid system coming at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, BMW has officially confirmed the news, and also revealed that the 2007 ActiveHybrid X6...
Alex Kaufmann -
Tire manufacturer Kumho unveils ‘green’ Fortis conceptKumho appears to be a tire manufacturer with a little bit of a conscience. It produces millions of tires for today’s SUVs, but is acutely aware that such vehicles will have to change dramatically if they are to survive ever greener vehicular legislation. They will also have to provide a...
Kenneth Hall -
Gemballa adds Gold Edition to Mirage GT stableSince 2006, Gemballa has been building custom interpretations of the Porsche Carrera GT supercar, making it perhaps the foremost Carrera GT tuner in the world. For its latest iteration, Gemballa has decided to relax the power output and focus on a decisively seductive gold finish. Some of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Audi will be releasing a host of models in coming years to expand into new segments as it attempts to topple BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the quest to sell more than a 1.5 million vehicles by 2015. Some of the cars in the pipeline include the A1 premium hatch, A7 four-door coupe and a Sportback version of the current A5 Coupe. Earlier this week, Audi released the first details for the new A5 Sportback, which is set to go on sale in Europe following a debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Pricing in Europe will start at €33,650 (approximately $45,000) for the base 2.0L TDI model...
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MTM takes on the Porsche Cayenne DieselGerman tuning house MTM has given the world some lightning quick creations in the past, but this time it is focusing on something a little more sedate - the Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Usually equipped with a 240hp (176kW) 3.0L V6 diesel unit, the Porsche Cayenne Diesel is hardly the most exciting car...
Alex Kaufmann -
First Porsche Panameras reach U.S. soilWhether you love it or loathe it there's no stopping the Porsche Panamera now, with 31 models already transported to the U.S. via the cargo hold of a 747 jet. The 31 Panamera models will be the cars used for the model’s official North American debut, where the public will be able to see the...
Ralph Hanson -
Edo Competition pumps up the Mercedes Benz C63 AMGEdo Competition, famed for taking on some of the most ambitious tuning projects on some of the world's most exclusive cars, is back at it today with the announcement of new upgrades for the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG that make the car even more insane than before. It's often said that the engineers at...
Alex Kaufmann -
Daimler loses more than $1.5 billion in second quarterThe financial crisis has made it difficult for automakers to make any profits as demand slumps for cars in major markets, especially in the luxury sector. This is a situation that German giant Daimler AG is feeling the full brunt of at the moment, having just posted a €1.06 billion ($1.51...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Last Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roll off the lineGeneral Motors’ announcement back in April that the Pontiac brand would be phased out by the end of the year and Saturn sold off, many of the automaker’s top models were immediately given a death sentence. Some of the cars that will be missed the most include hot items like the Saturn...
Ralph Hanson -
In March of last year, Aptera announced it had done all the development necessary to head to production, and that all it needed was to move into acquiring the right equipment and workforce to do so. Soon after the company revealed that a new infusion of $24 million in cash had been acquired, and then Aptera revealed an updated design for the original Typ-1 called the 2e. Now, Aptera has released a new teaser sketch for the interior of its first model. The interior is said to be slightly larger than that of the Mini Cooper and upcoming Chevrolet Volt, with 24cu-ft of storage space on board...
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Spy shots: Facelifted Mercedes Benz S-Class limousineThe 2010 model year facelift for the Mercedes Benz S-Class was just revealed back at April’s New York Auto Show, bearing a slightly revised face and an updated powertrain lineup. Today our spy photographers have captured images of a stretched-wheelbase limousine variant in testing. Clearly...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mcchip liberates 400HP from the Audi TT-RS with ECU modGerman tuning firm Mcchip specializes in optimizing the vehicle management systems and electronic control units of cars to eke as much performance out of them as possible, and its latest product focuses on giving the new Audi TT-RS a significant boost in the performance department - not that the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New technology allows adjustments to virtually any vehicle settingIf a company going by the name of IFR Automotive rings a bell, it may just be because of its recently unveiled Aspid Sports Car, which combined an enclosed cockpit and composite materials with a classic Lotus Seven-style semi-open-wheeled layout. Now, the Spanish company says it is in the midst of...
James Martinez -
British firm Eagle offers perfectly restored Jaguar E-Type modelsFor many, Jaguar's 1961 E-Type epitomized the perfect sports car: powerful performance, stunning good looks and Jaguar build quality. But while many have admired the car from afar, few have taken up the obsession that British company Eagle now holds for the E-Type, having operated for over 27 years...
Kenneth Hall -
Porsche 911-based Ruf Rt12 S delivers up to 685HPPorsche-specialist tuner Ruf has had a string of modified high-powered Porsche models featured on the pages of MotorAuthority, one of which was the Ruf Rt12 - for those that don't remember, the Rt12 managed to blitz even the massively fast Mercedes-Mclaren SLR '722' special edition in a sprint from...
Jeremy Weber