ma section - normal

Despite a global downturn in auto sales in general, Rolls-Royce is working at full steam just to meet demand. But with a second, higher volume model on its way the carmaker will be forced to increased production and take on more staff. Rolls-Royce has already added more shifts and lengthened...

Niche German automaker Wiesmann is best known for its classically designed sports cars that tend to cost an arm and a leg, but now the company is expanding into the holiday and travel business. Wiesmann has revealed that it will be offering its well-to-do clientele further avenues to spend their...

The collapse of General Motors has seen some of the most divergent views on both politics and the automotive industry appear in recent times, and even though the collapse of GM had been predicted for months, if not years, there is still arguing over who was responsible and what American consumers...

Automotive technology and consumer electronics are becoming closer and closer in their functions thanks to gadgets such as GPS navigation systems and Bluetooth handsfree devices. Now, one of the hottest selling consumer electronics devices, the Apple iPhone, will be getting a number of new...

Ken Okuyama, the Japanese born designer behind striking cars like the Ferrari Enzo and Maserati Birdcage, has opened a new design studio located in Southern California. In addition to a previous stint at Pininfarina, Okuyama was also the former transportation design chairman of the Art Center...

Ford’s new EcoBoost range of engines is about to go on sale, debuting in the new Lincoln MKS before filtering across to most of the automaker’s lineup. EcoBoost promises to deliver more power but better fuel economy. For example, a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 is estimated to produce up to 340hp...

Centennial celebrations have rippled through the industry over the past several years, with General Motors, Bugatti, Mercedes Benz and Fiat among those celebrating some form of 100th anniversary recently. Audi's ongoing celebrations have already seen a unique watch called the Tachoscope, and now...

Ferrari has been working on a proprietary part-time 4WD system designed for both its mid and front-engined models for the past several years, which the carmaker has christened ‘Insertable 4x4’. Not much has been seen or heard about the system for some time but last month a search of the...

Advanced vehicle systems like stability control, ABS and traction control have become so common that we often gloss over them in a car's spec sheet, but they are important innovations for safety. Volkswagen's CC has taken that to heart, outfitting a core complement of technologies that have helped...

Despite a bankruptcy filing that's barely a week old, General Motors is fighting to preserve its image as a relevant and potent member of the automotive industry. To that end, GM today announced the opening of its Global Battery Systems Lab in Warren, Michigan. The new lab is where GM will do the...

Volkswagen and its subsidiaries, including Audi, have been in hot pursuit of an industry-topping sales rank for the past several years, but the widespread economic downturn is shaping up to put those plans on hold. It may take Audi a full year longer than expected to reach its sales goal of 1.5...

Space movies, futuristic cars and even cartoons have all touted the glories of voice command systems, but those that have dealt with the majority of present-day technology understand its limiting and often frustrating nature. But BMW hopes to have overcome those hurdles with its latest system...

Oberlin, Ohio isn’t the likely site for a company specializing in high-output power upgrades for German exotics like the Porsche 911, but the state is home to Switzer Performance Innovations (SPI), a company churning out mega horsepower cars. Started by Tym Switzer several years ago, the...

FOTA, the formula one teams association, will push to have controversial KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) technology banned ahead of the 2010 race season. The team association’s argument surrounds the issue that the KERS system flies in the face of the sport's current drive to reduce...

German tuner ABT Sportsline is known for its tuning work with a number of automakers, most notably those from the VW Group's portfolio such as Volkswagen and Audi models. The most recent project in the firm’s line of modified Audis is a new upgrade for the compact yet premium A3 hatchback...

For over 20 years Subaru's motorsports division STI (Subaru Tecnica International) has been churning out championship-winning rally cars and incredible road-going versions that have impressed scores of motor journalists and customers alike. Now, to commemorate its work with Subaru models, the STI...

Chevrolet is introducing a series of updates for the Corvette for the 2010 model year, with changes affecting the entire lineup from the base model all the way to the scorching ZR1 supercar. First and foremost is the introduction of the Grand Sport Model, which returns for 2010 with widebody...

Sunday’s Turkish GP started off with an incident packed first lap that saw Renault’s Fernando Alonso strike Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari and Felipe Massa passed by a hard charging Nico Rosberg. Starting with a heavily fuelled car, last year’s world champion Lewis Hamilton...

In just four weeks at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS), current F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton will tackle the event’s famous 1.16 mile hill-climb in the McLaren-Honda MP4/4 turbo race car that led to Ayrton Senna’s championship win in the 1988 F1 season. Hamilton has been a...

Mini's aren't exactly known for their aggressive or sporty styling, instead choosing to adopt a more 'cute' appearance at the behest of its designers. German tuning house AC Schnitzer, however, didn't agree with Mini’s original design theme and instead unveiled a new kit for the R57 Cooper...