ma section - normal

KTM's X-Bow doesn't really need any help to be extreme. It is born that way. But MTM wasn't satisfied, so they took their tuning ways to the car's engine and brakes to make it even more of a trackday star. The standard X-Bow only sports a 240hp (179kW) four-banger but it's strapped to a lightweight...

The car industry's design shakeup isn't over yet, folks. Today has already seen a new head of design at Volvo and at Ford of the Americas, but now the former Ford-family brand, Mazda, has also decided to change things up. Replacing Laurens van den Acker, Ikuo Maeda takes the helm of Mazda's design...

It's not every day that an automotive first is achieved - the industry is over a century old, after all. So that makes Acura's first-ever sweep of top marks in IIHS and NHTSA safety ratings impressive as a first as well as for the safety of its vehicles. The final vehicle to get the top scores was...

News that makes or breaks a carmaker's future isn't typically found in Danbury, Connecticut, but these aren't typical times. Saturn's Franchise Operations Team (FOT), a group of eight dealers, has a task force being led by Todd Ingersoll of Saturn of Danbury, and Ingersoll is saying that Saturn...

Audi's TT platform has shown some seriously long legs, running in updated but still very familiar form from its debut in 1999 to the present. Now it's showing even more potential remains with the upgraded TTS and TT-RS models. But even that's not enough for the aftermarket, and MTM has answered the...

Late last week Steve Mattin decided to leave his job as Volvo's design guru, and already the company has found a replacement in the form of Peter Horbury. The new design director will take up his pencil on May 1. Horbury comes fresh from the same position - executive director of design - at Ford...

Californian tuner Vorsteiner has just announced the firm’s latest aerodynamic kit for the BMW M3 Sedan. Like its earlier work with Porsche and Mercedes Benz models, Vorsteiner’s new aerodynamic accessories are all made from lightweight dry carbon-fiber to keep weight to a minimum while...

This year's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy is set to be a cracker, with three concept car world premiers planned from bespoke coachbuilders Stile Bertone and Zagato, and a retro sports-car for Morgan. The concept from Bertone is a highly anticipated V8 two-seater built with lightweight...

Late last year we reported about Aston Martin's primary stakeholder Investment Dar and the Kuwaiti firm’s plans to sell its stake in the British carmaker. Now, Aston Martin chief Dr. Ulrich Bez is claiming Investment Dar Company is planning to keep its stake and has revealed that the carmaker...

Volkswagen’s new Polo hatch is due to go on sale in the middle of the year as a 2010 model and was first revealed last month at the Geneva Motor Show in five-door trim. We can now get a look at the sportier three-door variant due later this year thanks to these latest computer generated...

Rick Wagoner was sent packing earlier this week, then GM debuted a new buyer assurance program and guaranteed warranties, and Fritz Henderson put out a message of determination in the face of difficulty today, but Corvette's plant in Bowling Green won't be back in full operation until at least...

Swapping sweeping curves for ungainly protuberances, the new Geely GT goes in an unfortunately awkward direction. First shown off last year at the Beijing Motor Show, the updated GT is headed for Shanghai, but no one's looking forward to the trip. The last car was compared with - there were even...

When it comes to maximizing fuel savings, a vehicle like the Cadillac Escalade is probably one of the best platforms for a hybrid drivetrain. The SUV’s are big and heavy and are mostly found in and around city suburbs. This means mostly slow traveling speeds and plenty of stop-start...

Alfa Romeo will launch its high-performance MiTo GTA later this year but a second sporty variant of the stylish hatchback has just been unveiled. Making its debut at the 2009 AutoRAI in Amsterdam this week, the new hot hatch pick up Alfa Romeo’s longstanding ‘Veloce’ badging and...

Audi’s A8 flagship will have to soldier on in its current form for just a little while longer as the all-new 2011 model is a little more than a year away, so to help it along in showrooms Audi has released two new packages emphasizing the car’s comfort and sporting qualities. Starting...

It seems like every year the list of special-edition hatchbacks, sedans, wagons and SUVs grows for Europe while every year Americans see fewer and fewer on the road. Maybe it's a 'grass is always greener' syndrome, but there a definite sense of cross-pond jealousy when it comes to up-rated versions...

Asian carmakers, especially those in Korea and China, have been moving into the stealth-armored car market for several years now. That's just about the only context in which the Hyundai i10 conversion released today makes sense, and it does - in a weird sort of way. Of course it's an April Fool's...

All the great deals on new cars going around are tempting to many who would be buyers but for the tenous state of the overall economy, but not tempting enough to overcome the fear of a lost job, repossession and the trouble that follows. So Ford and General Motors are both stepping up today with...

While it may not be strictly car news, we just couldn't resist writing this story up about Honda's new 'Brain Machine Interface' technology. While it may sound like something out of the Terminator movies at first, the technology is an amazing step forward and could have huge implications for almost...

After the ouster of Rick Wagoner from General Motors' top spot on Sunday, the world has been waiting to see what direction GM will head under its new leadership, Fritz Henderson, the company's COO. Today Henderson held his first press conference as CEO, and took a very clear stance on what will be...