News
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As Honda and Acura continue to grope around in the dark, trying to find their way back to their former position of design leadership, the 2011 models are basically treading water: the ZDX, priced earlier to day, stays unchanged, while the mid-cycle RL adds a few updates but is largely the same as it has been since 2004. Pricing for 2011 starts from $47,200 and runs as high as $55,150. Three tiers are available: the standard RL, the RL with Technology Package, and RL with Advanced Package. Pricing jumps $4,150 to $51,350 for the tech package and another $3,800 to $55,150 for the "advanced"...
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Report: BMW Megacity Vehicle To Get 'i' Badge, Concept Early 2011Last January BMW introduced the ActiveE Concept at the Detroit Auto Show, part of its nascent but growing Project i task force for greener vehicles. This year, the talk is centered around the Megacity Vehicle, and today, two interesting bits of information have leaked onto the web. First, the...
Nelson Ireson -
Like Motor Authority On Facebook, Win A Fireball Run Racing SuitWhile many of you are already fans of MotorAuthority on Facebook, we wanted to make sure you all had the opportunity to enter our latest promotion. Become a fan of MotorAuthority on Facebook before Thursday December 23, 2010 (this Thursday), and you are automatically entered to win a Fireball Run...
Joel Feder -
Video: 2011 BMW 1-Series M Coupe On Track With E30 M3Eleven minutes of chopped together B-roll? What gives? It's the roughly three minutes of track footage that make this worth your Tuesday time, showing the 2011 1-Series M Coupe on its own and alongside an E30 M3, its ostensible spiritual predecessor. While there's less tire-sqealing and...
Nelson Ireson -
2011 Acura ZDX Starts From $45,645, Few ChangesLove it or hate it--that seems to be the choice with the Acura ZDX, the MDX-based but controversially-designed crossover/coupe. But despite the two-edged sword of looks and packaging, Acura has decided to stick to its formula for the ZDX for 2011, raising prices by $150 across the board and...
Nelson Ireson -
Snoop Dogg, Bret Michaels, Now Answering Your Questions About...The Ford ExplorerLast time we saw Snoop Dogg, he'd rented a battalion of Packards for his wife's 35th birthday party. Last time we saw Bret Michaels...well, we haven't actually seen BM around here, though we did catch him taking a spin at the Tonys. Apparently, both have recovered well enough to help shill the 2011...
Richard Read -
Volkswagen’s attempts to crack into the Malaysian market date back all the way to 2006, with the automaker on several occasions trying to ink a deal with state-owned Proton. Now, finally, Volkswagen has signed an agreement to produce its vehicles in Malaysia, starting with the new Passat at the end of 2011. Volkswagen will be working closely with Malaysia’s DRB Hicom, using its existing structures and capacities including a plant in Pekan. DRB Hicom currently owns the largest automotive production network in Malaysia and builds passenger cars and commercial vehicles at its plants...
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Nine Nissans Headed To 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon Including New GT-R RCThe Tokyo Auto Salon is the Japanese equivalent to SEMA, a place where big-name tuning firms, motorsport brands and aftermarket accessory specialists congregate to show off their wares. The annual event also offers an opportunity for automakers to present their own merchandise, along with whole...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Fanatec Porsche 911 GT2 Gaming Wheel Ready For Xbox 360, PS3 And PCLooking for that last minute holiday gift? The Porsche 911 GT2 gaming wheel from Fanatec could be just what you need. Compatible with multiple gaming platforms including the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC, the new gaming wheel is the ultimate weapon for the Gran Turismo 5 and upcoming Forza...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Nissan GT-R Driver Suffers Fatal CrashWe’ve reported on plenty of supercar crashes in the past but apart from a few egos, and possibly wallets, being hurt, everyone is generally okay in the end. This time we’re sad to report that a 31-year old German man suffered a fatal crash in a Nissan GT-R while going around a dangerous...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Video: Sabine Schmitz Needs You To Help Save The NurburgringNeither the Nurburgring nor one of its master drivers Sabine Schmitz needs any introduction on this site, but what needs to be addressed is the issue that the famous German racing circuit is in financial distress. With debts nearing the $650 million mark, the German government has been called in to...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Audi RS4 May Not Return, Replaced Instead By RS5The Audi RS4 holds a magical quality for its fans. A unique balance of price, all-wheel drive performance, and luxury, the RS4 managed to carve out its own niche in the tightly competitive luxury performance marketplace, but despite this it may not see a return during the life of the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The idea of shoving the biggest, most powerful engine around into smallest vehicle you can find is nothing new, hot-rodders in this country have been doing it for the good part of the last century, but more recently it’s been the Germans that have been showing us the way. A few years back we saw a twin-turbocharged W-12 shoehorned into a tiny Volkswagen Golf hatch and now a V-8 has been plugged into the engine bay of a Mercedes-Benz B-Class. While the W-12 powered Golf required some heavy duty modifications, including having its engine relocated to the trunk, somehow Mercedes’...
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Kumho Tires Releases Free 'DRIVE' iPhone/iPad Racing GameGetting in some hardcore wheel time while stuck in line at the bank always sounds like a good idea, but it's unfortunately difficult given the lack of good racing games. Once you wear out the few worth playing, you're left repeating the same thing over and over. So it's with some interest that we...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: MINI Dakar All4 Rips Up French TestWhat's not to love about the MINI Dakar All4 prepped by BMW and X Raid? A ride height in the clouds with a turbodiesel six-cylinder mounted in the basement give the MINI Dakar the base it needs to thrash relentlessly in the alien landscapes it will call home. The factory-backed MINI racer will see...
Nelson Ireson -
Laurence Fishburne: The New Voice Of CadillacWhether it's from The Matrix, CSI, or any of his dozens of other works, you probably know Laurence Fishburne. Now you'll get to hear his familiar voice as the backbone of Cadillac's new ads. Fishburne's mellow yet authoritative voice will no doubt give the classy underpinnings Cadillac is after...
Nelson Ireson -
HAM Radio Fans Helped Chevrolet Come Up With Unique Antenna Solution For Chevrolet Camaro ConvertibleJalopnik has a nice piece detailing how Chevrolet decided to mount the AM/FM radio antenna on the upcoming Camaro convertible on the rear decklid spoiler in response to complaints for Camaro enthusiasts about the possible use of a traditional whip antenna. We won't go into deep detail--you can surf...
Tim Healey -
Dodge, Mopar Offer 'No-Cost' Maintenance For Top-Trim Durango, JourneyIf you're plunking down something north of $30,000 for a well-trimmed crossover or SUV, $50-100 for an oil change every few months probably isn't going to put your family out on the street. Nevertheless, it's nice to get things included in the purchase price, and that's just what Dodge and Mopar...
Nelson Ireson -
Building niche models for motorsports homologation is a time-honored tradition, particularly at BMW. The MINI Paceman Concept looks to be a good example of just that, likely as a basis for future World Rally Championship cars. It's due for a debut--as a concept only, for now--in Detroit in a few weeks, but our bets are on a small production run before the 2011 season is out to meet 2012 rules. Sharing much of its key equipment with the 2011 MINI Cooper S Countryman, the Paceman is basically a two-door crossover sporting MINI's All4 all-wheel drive and a 211-horsepower 1.6-liter turbo. Sound...
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Mustang Golf Cart Found On EbayWhoever said golf carts need to be slow? Not the owners of the three Shelby Mustang GT500KR golf carts, one of which is for sale on eBay. Powered by an electric motor and capable of 60 mph (though governed to 45 mph), the top bid came in at $15,200 (bidding has ended). This for a custom golf cart...
Tim Healey -
Gallery: 2011 Chrysler 300Earlier this month, we got our first look at the 2011 Chrysler 300, but aside from a handful of shots, were left to subsist mostly on detail close-ups. No more. The 2011 300 takes the look of its unique, but aging predecessor and transforms it, subtly, into something new. The same basic silhouette...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: 25-Year Anniversary Tribute To BMW's M3From the classic E30 to the latest E92, the BMW M3 has undergone an evolution from light, small, and motorsports-intended to larger, more powerful, and built for the street as much as the track, but a thread of commonality remains. Where that thread lies, and how strong it remains, is a question...
Nelson Ireson -
Unlikely Spokesperson Of The Week: Michael Vick For Nissan (Now, With Video)In the world of celebrity endorsements, matching personalities to products is tricky business. First, there's the matter of tone. Jennifer Aniston and bland bottled water? Perfect. Ozzy Osbourne and faux butter? Hmmm. There's also the tricky matter of the celeb's lifestyle. Does the celebrity's...
Richard Read -
BMW Stuck In The Snow? Guess Which End Your Chains Go On...Back in the day, buying a BMW was something only true sports sedan fanatics understood. But the legendary 2002 is long gone--35 years now--and all sorts of new folks are buying Bimmers. Including those, apparently, who think their BMW 1-Series has front-wheel drive. Earlier this year, CEO Norbert...
John Voelcker