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Common adjectives applied to tuner-modified Bentleys include: gaudy, excessive, and hideous. The Premier4509 won't be falling victim to such criticism, however, as its sleek lines and highly aerodynamic profile actually fit with the overall theme of the car. Rather than going the route of its last wide-bodied aero kit for the Bentley Continental GT, Premire4509 has taken a more tasteful tack for the 2009 update. This version will only be available to 300 customers, however, with the company limiting output to keep the look exclusive. “The response to the wide body package has been over...
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Scuderia Toro Rosso unveils the STR4 2009 F1 carThe silly season is almost over and another year of Formula 1 competition is upon us. This time around, things promise to be even more exciting as dramatic and sweeping aerodynamics rules intensify the wheel-to-wheel action. Today Scuderia Toro Rosso joins the list of teams that have revealed their...
Nelson Ireson -
'Ice White' C70: Volvo unveils a new special editionWith the Geneva Motor Show just past it seems like the market experiencing a glut of special-edition cars at the moment, but Volvo has decided to add another to heap: the UK-market Ice White C70. The unique trim and appearance package for the hardtop coupe-convertible promises 'aspirational' looks...
Kenneth Hall -
Report: Smart planning new 'ForTwo +2' four-seat city carTiny, economical, yet stylish and trendy, the Smart ForTwo has proved a mammoth success in the U.S., with actual demand far outstripping projections. Toyota's iQ, Audi's A1 and BMW's upcoming Project 'i' minicar are both on the table for U.S. sale as well - though none are confirmed yet - so Smart...
Nelson Ireson -
Saleen, Inc. voids all warranties on cars and parts sold before February 2, 2009Saleen Automotive announced last November that it was seeking a potential buyer, with management acknowledging the firm has suffered financially from the economic downturn and rising fuel prices. In February Saleen announced the sale of its supercharger, aftermarket and high-performance street...
James Martinez -
Legendary Porsche 917 race car turns 40Forty years ago Porsche unveiled a car that to this day remains one of the fastest and most successful racing cars ever built. The car is the legendary Porsche 917 and its history is littered with major titles and even a starring role in the 1971 film Le Mans where it was piloted by Steve McQueen...
Jeremy Weber -
A male hooker blackmails a rich woman, who then goes to the police and ends up splashed all over the tabloids rather than exposed on film and tape. It sounds like a setup for a CSI story line, but it's real life. Just ask the richest woman in Germany. The story proves truth is stranger than fiction: a male prostitute who serviced BMW heiress Susanne Klatten was put on trial this week for attempting to defraud her of millions of dollars. The 44-year-old gigolo's mellifluous name: Helg Sgarbi. Klatten is the daughter of Herbert Quandt and together with her mother and brother owns a 46% stake in...
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BMW and PSA Peugeot-Citroen looking to expand engine agreementPSA Peugeot-Citroen and BMW currently build small engines together that the French auto giant uses for a number of compact hatchbacks and urban runabouts and BMW for its Mini range. There are now reports that the two companies are considering strengthening this agreement with plans to build a...
Alex Kaufmann -
Chevrolet Volt driving day planned for Obama’s auto industry task forceThey did it in the nation’s capital at the first round of viability meetings and tomorrow in Detroit government officials will once again be able to drive a prototype for the upcoming Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. This time around the officials will include the Obama administration’s...
James Martinez -
Stealth focused Audi R8 ‘Blackbird’ upgraded with police laser scramblerBack in the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, the world's two superpowers were locked in a technology race to develop their military capabilities fastest. Out of this came the idea of 'stealth' aircraft like the legendary SR-71 Blackbird, which provided the inspiration for this highly-modified...
Jeremy Weber -
GOP senators John McCain and Richard Shelby want bankruptcy for GM and ChryslerFormer presidential candidate John McCain, as well as fellow republican senator Richard Shelby, both believe that General Motors and Chrysler should go into bankruptcy rather than taking American tax dollars to prop themselves up. McCain is opposed to both the Wall Street bailout and the automotive...
Ralph Hanson -
VW considering ‘Bluesport’ efficient performance rangeLowering emissions and reducing fuel consumption has become a major goal for most major carmakers but the fact of the matter remains that the objective is being encouraged largely because of strict regulations imposed by government organizations rather than what consumers are actually demanding...
Kenneth Hall -
Ford is having trouble offloading its failing Volvo subsidiary but the company is determined to sell it and has already started approaching potential buyers in spite of the tough economic conditions. The Blue Oval has been in talks with a number of potential suitors in the recent past, and the first of these other parties will reportedly submit indicative bids for Volvo as early as this April. A person familiar with the matter has now revealed to Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post that the Chinese government has given approval for Chery Auto to buy Volvo from Ford. Other parties also...
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Fiat boosts engine output with new MultiAir technologyAlready a leader in advanced diesel engine technology, Fiat has added to its arsenal a new advancement for petrol engines the company claims will significantly boost power and torque, while cutting emissions. The new technology has been labeled it MultiAir and it will be debuting in the...
Jeremy Weber -
Caractere joins growing list of Scirocco tunersThe Volkswagen Scirocco is proving to be popular with tuners, with German performance shop Caractere also releasing its own hotted-up version of the svelte sports coupe. Caractere’s work on German cars has been well documented, especially some of its creations based on much more expensive...
Alex Kaufmann -
Daimler wants focus on vehicle interiors, creates new ‘center of excellence’There’s no award for recognizing that the current quality and design of vehicle interiors for luxury brands like Mercedes Benz and BMW, traditional stalwarts of the industry, aren’t up to the reputation that their names once commanded. It’s not so much that the quality has...
Ralph Hanson -
AutoNation CEO says he has 600,000 hybrids sitting on lots across AmericaPain at the pump is a thankfully remote sensation for most Americans these days. Just last summer we were all hurting everytime we had to go somewhere, to the point where we traveled 30 billion fewer miles than the year before. But the absence of pain at the pump means we don't have much in the way...
Ralph Hanson -
Video: Switzer Performance P700 GT-R hits 626AWHP on the dynoWe've all seen, and mocked, tuner cars that think adding 100lb of fiberglass body kit will add 50hp at the crank, but Switzer Performance is known for a different kind of tuning: the kind that makes serious power. Confining most of their work to Porsche's fine machinery, their latest example steps...
Nelson Ireson -
Love it or hate it, the Porsche Cayenne SUV forged new territory for the brand when it debuted in 2002, and the Stuttgart company has ridden that success to production of 250,000 of the vehicles since. The magic quarter-million mark was passed today at the plant in Leipzig, Poland. Perhaps typifying the loathing sports car purists have for the vehicle, the 250,000th Cayenne (pictured) is a white six-cylinder diesel model. The efficient and roomy SUV will be delivered to an Austrian customer. Two generations of the Cayenne have been built thus far, with the first-gen SUV accounting for 150,000...
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Germany's interior minister suggests insolvency may be best bet for OpelSaturn is expected to go its own way, Pontiac is being pared down, Hummer is up for sale and Saab has already announced it will be seeking independence. General Motors' brand hemorrhage continued last week with the announcement that Opel will be spun off from the brand as well, with a potential...
Ralph Hanson -
Mitsubishi shuts doors on U.S. design studioAmerican carmakers have caught the brunt of the public's outrage against the car industry, thanks mostly to their highly public pleas for cash. But the whole industry is hurting, even niche Japanese carmakers like Mitsubishi. As part of their cost-cutting measures, the Triple Diamond brand will be...
Nelson Ireson -
Chrysler's SRT brand not going anywhereJust because you can buy a Charger SRT8 for under $35,000 after incentives and rebates doesn't mean Chrysler is liquidating its SRT cars to get rid of the brand. In fact, Chrysler has said specifically that its high-performance division is safe from the current budgetary cutbacks. Unlike General...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford boosts safety of Escape SUV for 2010 model yearBeating Toyota and Honda at their own game is no easy thing, but Ford's done it with the Escape, taking top rankings in safety and fuel efficiency against the RAV-4 and CR-V. For 2010, Ford's taking steps to help expand that lead by adding five new safety features to the Escape. Keeping teens from...
Ralph Hanson -
Sportec boosts the Audi RS6 up to 700hpSwiss tuner Sportec usually specializes in Porsche models, but now the company has unveiled a highly modified Audi RS6 Sedan at the Geneva Motor Show. Labeled the Sportec RS700, the new car has a number of modifications that make it an even more formidable machine than it was before the Swiss...
Alex Kaufmann