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There is no shortage of special-edition Corvettes out there, factory-produced or aftermarket. In fact, General Motors itself has released several custom kits in the past few months. But the Hero Edition Corvette ZR1, built to benefit the Kids Wish Network, is the only one of its kind. Based on the Corvette ZR-1 - already a very special car - with unique red accents, custom graphics and extra carbon fiber components, the Hero Edition also gets unique badging proclaiming its one-off status plus signatures of the Corvette engineering and production team under the hood. For a twist, the Hero...
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UK speed camera chief banned for speeding at over 100mphA special kind of justice was meted out in Britain on Wednesday, when Tom Riall, CEO of Serco - a speed camera supplier - was busted for driving more than 30mph (48km/h) above the speed limit. A court heard his case, fined him $450 and banned him from the road for six months. It might seem like a...
Kenneth Hall -
Jaguar and Land Rover bailout talks close to breakdownAlthough most of the news of late tends to focus on GM and Chrysler, these Detroit-based carmakers are not the only companies trying to gain vital government support in order to stay propped up in the current economic climate. While there's no doubt the global financial crisis has affected the U.S...
Kenneth Hall -
Opel planning electric city car based on Trixx conceptDespite its financial woes on the back of General Motors’ money troubles, Opel is still working on developing its own new models and technologies, including what could prove to be the European division’s first all-electric vehicle. While it’s long been anticipated that Opel would...
Kenneth Hall -
Audi adds new features to help drivers save fuelWhile BMW has gone to great lengths to promote its range of EfficientDynamics fuel-saving features, rivals Audi and Mercedes Benz are only starting to make inroads with their own respective technologies. Audi has announced plans today to step up its game in the field with several new technologies...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM posts $6 billion first quarter lossGM is now less than a month away from its June 1 restructuring deadline imposed by President Obama’s auto industry task force, but any signs that it’s on the path to becoming viable may be a little hard to find considering the carmaker has just announced a $6 billion loss for the first...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
As the U.S. struggles to bootstrap itself out of one of the worst economies in decades, the federal government continues its spending spree, earmarking $787 million to biofuels. The goal is ostensibly to meet a target set by former President George Bush of 36 billion gallons of biofuel in the national gasoline supply by 2022. The money will go to industry companies to provide 'relief' from the current market contraction. That may not be enough, however, with industry chiefs also seeking government-backed loans. President Obama pitched the deal with his typically positive message. "We must...
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Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring safe from the axe through 2010As Chrysler pushes forward during its bankruptcy period and prepares for its new face and alliance with Fiat, many are wondering what will come along for the ride and what will be left behind. News today from within Chrysler reveals that the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger, as oft-maligned as...
Kenneth Hall -
Novitec Rosso boosts Maserati’s GranTurismo S with new supercharger packageGermany’s Novitec Rosso is one of favorite tuners when it comes to modifying exotic metal and the company’s latest package for the Maserati GranTurismo S shows exactly why. This is just the second tuned Maserati from Novitec’s recently established ‘Novitec Tridente’...
James Martinez -
Nissan targeting MX-5 with Silvia (240SX) replacementAs brilliant as the GT-R is, its premium price tag and limited availability means it will be out of reach for most sports car lovers for some time to come. Then there’s the new 370Z but it too can be a bit expensive for younger fans. Sadly, Nissan’s affordable sports car, the Silvia...
James Martinez -
Renault unveils the Kangoo be bop ZE electric demonstratorThe Internet is awash with electric vehicle demonstration vehicles, but few have as much oddball spark as the new Kangoo be bop ZE. Based around the standard be bop, but with zero emissions (hence the ZE) capabilities, the car is to be used as a test vehicle to show off what its EV platform can do...
Ralph Hanson -
GM CEO Henderson says Corvette is safe despite restructuringWhen General Motors disbanded its High Performance Vehicles unit in February, a ripple of fear shot through the automotive press over the future of the Corvette. GM was quick to quell the concerns, however, and today GM's CEO Fritz Henderson has again spoken directly on Corvette's secure future...
Nelson Ireson -
Hybrid versions of all sorts of cars - even sports cars like the Nissan 370Z - are in the works or on their way, and now Audi is adding to the list with reports of an A3 hybrid confirmed for production. The hybrid hatch is expected to use an Audi-adapted version of Volkswagen's TwinDrive hybrid powertrain. The TwinDrive project will be at the heart of a future hybrid Golf, and is also being trialled in a Seat Leon plug-in as well. The TwinDrive system produces about 40hp (30kW) - half the power of the TwinDrive system in the concept Golf revealed last year, and meager by U.S. standards, but...
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Second crash on Sorcerer's Apprentice set injures 9There's a reason stunt drivers are at the wheel of the supercars in those high-speed chase scenes, and it's not just that the actors can't be trusted behind the wheel. It turns out weaving in and out of traffic, even when in a controlled environment, can be dangerous. A wreck of a Ferrari into a...
Alex Kaufmann -
Audi Abandons Plans For R8 V12 TDIWhen Audi's R8 V12 TDI made its debut at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show, the world stood in awe of the sheer beauty of the idea: a fuel-efficient, torquey and potent diesel vehicle that could rival Lamborghinis and Ferraris in performance. But unfortunately new reports say the global industry downturn...
Kenneth Hall -
Report: GM to move Astra to Buick with Saturn out of pictureMany have wondered what will happen to all the new Opel products being brought to the U.S. now that Saturn is facing sale or termination in the next few months. The answer may lie in a new report that the Astra - built by Opel, sold in the U.S. as a Saturn - may be branded as a Buick in North...
Ralph Hanson -
German cars tops in latest ADAC Breakdown StatisticsReliability is the main concern for most car buyers, and for obvious reason - for such a large investment, the car better start up and take you where you need to go. And while all brands have their issues, it turns out German cars fared best this time around, mirroring last year's results. The...
Alex Kaufmann -
Download and build your own free Mitsubishi ColtIn an unusually high-tech concept, Mitsubishi is promoting its new Colt with a sort of Internet scavenger hunt. The first user to find and download all the parts of the car, scattered around various BitTorrent sites, will win a free car. There are 30 parts in total, and the process is centered on...
Ralph Hanson -
The last thing we heard about Saab was that the struggling General Motors division had up to 20 interested buyers and a May 20 deadline to restructure under the guidance of Swedish courts. Now it’s been revealed that Saab is open to talks with Fiat, which is currently eyeing a takeover of GM’s European units – namely Opel and Saab. The information was revealed by Saab spokesman Eric Geers, who told Reuters that Fiat is yet to approach Saab but his company remains open for discussions. “If Fiat comes into the picture, we would welcome a dialogue," he said. Sweden's...
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Chrysler-bound Fiat and Alfa vehicles revealed in court papersWith the news that Chrysler and Fiat have finally managed to forge an alliance settling in and Chrysler's bankruptcy proceedings underway, the documents attendant to that process are beginning to reveal key details of the two company's plans. Today the models destined for U.S. sale via the...
Ralph Hanson -
Renault releases new photos of Clio RS ahead of UK launchRenault just unveiled the brand-new Clio in February and barely a month later it was out with the hotted-up Renaultsport (RS) variant in Geneva. The car features many of the same performance upgrades found on bigger brother the Megane RS, but in a more compact and peaky package. Now we have a new...
Nelson Ireson -
Hybrid Nissan 370Z rumored to be in the worksThe Tesla Roadster proved that electricity and sport can mix well, but so far there's been little traction for hybrids in the performance space. Lexus, and soon Mercedes Benz, use the systems as power-adders for their larger sedans, but sports cars have been markedly devoid of hybrid assist. That...
Kenneth Hall -
Hybrid sales crash 45% in April, but up against MarchIt's no secret that hybrid and small car sales have been among the hardest hit in the ongoing market downturn. They've fallen at rates well beyond the total market's decline and continue to do so, dropping 45.5% in April against the same time a year ago. But total hybrid sales are up 1.4% against...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ford comes out on top of Honda in latest initial quality surveyFor the past several years, Ford has been steadily raising its initial quality rankings, saving tons of money in warranty repairs along the way. This time around, the company has finally surpassed perennial top contender Honda in the 2009 Global Quality Research System (GQRS) rankings. Last year...
Ralph Hanson