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  • 2009 Volkswagen Golf 2.0L TDI 4MOTION

    The Mark VI Volkswagen Golf is now available with the Wolfburg company's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, which has been added to the lineup as an option on the 2.0L TDI model. While usually the 4MOTION system is found in performance oriented models such as the Golf R32 and Golf GTI, adding the AWD system to the turbodiesel hatch makes the car more suitable for those customers who require more grip in adverse conditions, such as ice, rain or snow, as well as economical motoring. Unfortunately, the 4MOTION model won't be offered with other engine combinations in the Golf range for now (except...

  • Active Speed Bump design
    Self-lowering speed bumps to benefit slow drivers

    A pair of engineers have come up with an innovative way to reduce carbon emissions and encourage drivers to slow down - all by simply reworking the humble speed bump and updating it for the 21st century. Jae-yun Kim and Jong-Su Lee have developed a new speed bump that can vary its height according...

  • Lexus LF-A spy shot
    Lexus registers LFA trademark with USPTO

    Speculation that the Lexus LF-A supercar project had been axed several months ago was refuted to some degree by ongoing testing of the car at the Nurburgring. Now a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has breathed new life into the car's possible production, though the company still...

  • Fuel Cell Equinox
    GM's Project Driveway fuel cell program rolls past 500,000 miles next week

    With all that's going on in Washington lately, the slow economy and a general apathy or even hostility toward the automotive industry, it's nice to see a technological bright spot on the horizon. While it's not a ground-breaking or earth-shattering development, General Motors' fuel cell test fleet...

  • The Coupetorino
    Studiotorino Converts Mercedes SL Into CoupeTorino Concept

    What do you get when you combine German engineering with Italian design? One example is the stunning CoupeTorino, a re-design project by Alfredo Stola of StudioTorino. Based around the Mercedes SL, the CoupeTorino takes a solid platform and turns it into a work of art. Submitted as a proposal to...

  • Honda Accord assembly line at Marysville, OH
    Honda, GM announce massive Q1 2009 production cuts

    The car market continues to worsen even as the auto loan bill flounders in Washington. Honda and General Motors today have announced huge production cuts for the first quarter of 2009, totaling over one-third of a million cars between the two carmakers. GM says it will be cutting production by...

  • 2009 Aston Martin Vantage V8

    Following the launch of the updated Aston Martin 4.7L V8 Vantage earlier this year, owners of the original 4.3L model are now afforded the choice of a retro-fitted power upgrade plus a special ‘Sports Pack’ option previously limited to the updated model. With the addition of the power upgrade, peak power is raised by 20hp (15kW) to 400hp (300kW) and torque is increased by 7.3lb-ft (10Nm) to 310lb-ft (420Nm), increasing top speed to 177mph and delivering a slight improvement in the 0-60mph time. Developed by the Aston Martin engineering team, the power upgrade is realized through a...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt power adaptor
    GM studying plug-in hybrid recharging infrastructure

    General Motors and Spanish energy company Iberdrola have joined forces to determine what is needed in terms of infrastructure to implement a mass embrace of plug-in electric vehicles in the European market. The study will examine how cars will be recharged, and the effect this will have on...

  • Autobahn lights
    Israeli firm developing electricity-generating roads

    A group of Israeli engineers have created a system that allows certain types of roads to generate electricity just by driving over them. The Israeli engineers behind the project claim that a 1km stretch of the power-generating asphalt will generate 400kW - enough power to run eight small cars. The...

  • Audi rally car
    2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed to feature Bugatti, Audi centenary celebrations

    The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) is world-renowned for its awesome exhibitions of fast cars, both vintage and modern, in addition to its huge manufacturer support and celebrations. This year Audi, Bugatti and Morgan will be holding the centenary celebrations at the event, and while Mini...

  • 2009 Acura TSX
    Honda may delay U.S. diesels due to fuel costs

    Honda and Acura have been contemplating bringing diesel engines to the U.S. for some time, but in late October word broke that the engines had been delayed. At the time the reason had been thought to be trouble with 50-state emissions certification, but now the company has revealed the real issue...

  • U.S. Senate session chambers
    Auto loan bill could stall in Senate

    The $14 billion auto loan bill passed by the House late yesterday may stall out in the U.S. Senate under fire from Republican opposition. The GOP wants more concessions from the UAW and more concrete reforms by the carmakers before money is handed out, among other changes. A counter-proposal by...

  • racer x design rz formula 002

    Insanely light, handling-centric track day vehicles have boomed in popularity in recent years, as evidenced by the rise of Ariel's Atom, the KTM X-Bow, and the plethora of Lotus 7-inspired roadsters. Now Racer X Design has revealed its RZ Formula design study, tilting the design of track day toys even closer to the formula car end of the spectrum. Little information on what might power the car has come from the designer, but the focus of the car is light weight and efficiency, much like the Caparo T1. Shunning top speed - a horsepower-restricted figure - in favor of acceleration, which is...

  • Volvo ReCharge plug-in hybrid concept
    Report: Volvo working on micro hybrid for 2011, diesel hybrid for 2012

    The World Green Car of the Year award candidates were just released yesterday, and Volvo's name appeared on the list 5 times - more than any other brand. Today word has emerged of a range of new hybrid vehicles in the works, complete with rough dates for their release. Volvo's DRIVe line of concept...

  • Saab and Volvo logos
    Sweden offers $3.4 billion package to auto industry

    The U.S. House of Representatives has just passed the $14 billion loan bill and it's now headed to the Senate, but that's not the end of the story. Lawmakers in Sweden have proposed their own aid package, totaling $3.4 billion for their country's auto industry. The primary players there are Saab...

  • Chrysler logo
    2009: The beginning of the Detroit 2?

    Detroit's major auto manufacturers could soon find that three certainly is a crowd when it comes to the world automotive market. CSM Worldwide is predicting 2009 to be the worst year in U.S. automotive sales in over a quarter of a century, and that Chrysler will not make it through the storm...

  • Honda Grille
    Honda has best overall customer retention rates, Jaguar comes last

    Honda leads the automotive industry in retaining the highest percentage of new-vehicle purchasers, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Customer Retention Study. The study measures the percentage of new-vehicle buyers who replace a previously purchased new vehicle with another from the...

  • Ford logo
    Ford hoping to distance itself from Detroit rivals

    The demise of the Detroit 3 is unsurprisingly tarnishing the image of American carmakers, however Ford executives are hoping to distance themselves from their neighbors, General Motors and Chrysler, by refusing government loans (for now). Chrysler and GM's current financial situation is no secret...

  • 2009 Chrysler 300

    CSM Worldwide, an outfit that provides automotive market forecasting, is predicting that 2009 will be the worst year for the auto industry since 1982, with just 11.5 million vehicles expected to be sold in the United States. Previously it was reported that the breaking point for General Motors would come if vehicle sales fell significantly below 14 million, and the news is even worse for Chrysler. Michael Robinette, vice-president of forecast services with CSM Worldwide has told Automotive News that Chrysler will likely be sold off in chunks throughout 2009 and 2010, and that a car czar...

  • mercedes splitview 001
    Mercedes to debut 'Splitview' technology in facelifted S-Class

    Mercedes Benz today announced the availability of a new display technology that allows driver and passenger to see two totally separate programs from the same screen, at the same time. The equipment will debut on the facelifted S-Class, Mercedes' perennial platform for innovation, in the first half...

  • maybach 72 stretch limo 002
    Extended Maybach 62 becomes six-seat Maybach 72

    Daimler's Maybach brand of super-luxury executive vehicles doesn't have the sales strength of rivals Bentley or Rolls Royce, but it's no less an opulent and sizable piece of machinery. Despite the Maybach 62's 242.7in (6.17m) length, some intrepid modifiers decided it wasn't quite large enough, and...

  • 2010 Ford Mustang GT
    Ford enthusiast site conflict rooted in alleged sale of counterfeit goods

    A number of Ford-brand enthusiast sites today revealed that at least one other site, TheRangerStation, has received a letter from a law firm claiming to represent the Blue Oval, demanding that they relinquish any domain names with Ford brands in them, as well as turn over for destruction all...

  • The Wrightspeed X1 prototype
    Wrightspeed Cancels The X1 Electric Sports Car

    Detroit's carmakers aren't the only ones that need some help in the down market. Smaller manufacturers, especially startup and mid-sized electric vehicle companies, are in tight spots as well. Tesla is in need of a cash infusion to build its Model S sedan, and now Wrightspeed, the company behind...

  • Tesla Roadster
    Tesla will be forced to delay Model S sedan without federal loan

    Fledgling electric car company Tesla Motors has encountered financing problems recently, prompting the firm to apply for a $400 million aid package from the Department of Energy. The electric sports carmaker has now revealed that without the loans the introduction of its Model S sedan will have to...

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