Car News
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If we asked you to name a track-worthy sport sedan, chances are good you’d pick the BMW M5, the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG or possibly even the Cadillac CTS-V. Further down the list, we suppose even a Volvo S60 or Ford Taurus SHO could make the cut-off, but one car we’d never expect to see picked is the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. It’s not that the Malibu is a bad choice of sedan, it’s just that it never fit our criteria for sporty, let alone track-ready. Its prowess as a affordable and relatively fuel-efficient family sedan, however, remains beyond reproach. Now Chevy is hoping...
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Declining Sales In Europe And China Impact Mercedes' 2012 ProfitsYesterday we told you that Porsche would be reducing both production and spending in 2013, as it projected zero growth over 2012 sales. Now comes word from Mercedes-Benz that it, too, is facing challenges related to the cooling global economy. As Automotive News Europe (subscription required)...
Kurt Ernst -
Need For Speed Most Wanted, Explained: VideoWhen it comes to driving games centered around running from the police, the best rules are no rules at all. While we’re at it, it would be great if we had access to any car we wanted at the start of the game, and better still if the ability to roam freely throughout an almost unlimited...
Kurt Ernst -
Clark Gable's 1955 Mercedes 300SL Coupe Heads To AuctionIn August, a 1935 Duesenberg Model JN Convertible Coupe once owned by legendary Hollywood star Clark Gable crossed the block at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction. Despite bids that reached $6.4 million, the price failed to meet the current owner’s reserve, and the car was not...
Kurt Ernst -
Porsche 918 Spyder 'Ring Lap, Jaguar F-Type, Bentley Suite: Car News HeadlinesPorsche's 918 Spyder has lapped the 'Ring in 7:14. It's also confirmed to have 795 hybrid horsepower and an optional Weissach track package. That's one fast hybrid. Jaguar's F-Type got a bit of an early debut ahead of going on display at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. That's fine with us, as it looks...
Nelson Ireson -
Japanese Automakers Face Off With ChinaIf you know your world history, you know that China and Japan have a long history of not getting along well with one another. While relations between the two have generally been cordial as of late, a recent dispute over the uninhabited Senkaku Islands has stirred-up strong anti-Japanese sentiment...
Kurt Ernst -
Toyota was the first major automaker to commit to electrified vehicles, announcing as far back as 2007 that it will have a hybrid version of each of its models by the year 2020. Next to make the promise of a full hybrid lineup, believe it or not, was Porsche, though the sports car manufacturer never gave a firm date for when it would happen. Now Audi has confirmed its intention to offer an ‘e-tron’ version of each of its models by 2020. In this case e-tron refers to all cars that can cover substantial distances on electric power alone. Should Audi reach its goal, the company...
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The Battle For The 'Lost' Cunningham Corvette Heads To CourtAfter falling off the radar for some three decades, the reveal of the ‘lost’ 1960 Corvette raced by Briggs Cunningham at Le Mans made big news prior to this year’s Corvettes at Carlisle show. One of three campaigned by the team in 1960, it was the only one unaccounted for until...
Kurt Ernst -
Bentley Suite Debuts At New York's Posh St. Regis HotelIt's not every day you see a historic Bentley Speed Six parked in midtown Manhattan. But there it was, in front of the luxe St. Regis Hotel in some of the priciest real estate in the world. The classic Speed Six outside led to a new launch inside: the Bentley Suite at the St. Regis, the luxury...
John Voelcker -
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera Crashes In Saudi ArabiaA Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera has been involved in a recent crash that took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital. This image shows the wreckage of the white Gallardo coupe after it was delivered to a local scrap yard. The car has sustained major damage on all four sides and is...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chris Harris Drives The Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake: VideoWith Mercedes-Benz choosing not to offer its striking CLS Shooting Brake in the U.S., the next best way for American readers to enjoy the car is by watching this video review courtesy of Brit journo Chris Harris. He recently tested the potent AMG version, which like most of the Affalterbach...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Porsche 918 Spyder Specs And Interior Revealed In Leaked BrochureFollowing yesterday’s announcement from Porsche of a 7:14 Nürburgring lap time for its upcoming 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid supercar, we now have the first details on the car’s powertrain specs and even a couple of glimpses of its interior. Alleged brochure scans for the Porsche 918...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Rolls-Royce will be presenting a trio of Art Deco-inspired cars at next week’s 2012 Paris Auto Show, previewed here today in these arty posters. The posters, which reference a style defined by Rolls-Royce as one of the world’s “most glamorous and exciting” design movements, have been created by the automaker’s design team and show what appear to be a two-tone Ghost, a black Phantom and a Phantom Drophead Coupe. It's likely the two-tone Ghost is the same one we saw at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last month, which like the car in the poster featured...
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Audi A3 Sportback: 2012 Paris Auto ShowAfter tracking the new Audi A3 Sportback's progress in spy shots since this summer, we now see the official production version--but we won't get this car here in the U.S., according to Audi USA corporate communications manager Brad Stertz. Instead, we'll get the just-for-us A3 sedan. European...
Nelson Ireson -
AJ Allmendinger Reinstated By NASCAR After Road To RecoverySuspended indefinitely on July 24 after testing positive for amphetamines--allegedly taken unwittingly in a pill offered by a friend--AJ Allmendinger is once again eligible to race in NASCAR, and, presumably other series as well. Allmendinger's suspension came as something of a shock to most of the...
Nelson Ireson -
Corvette Generations Shows Us The C3 And C4: VideoIn 1968, Chevrolet replaced the shortest-lived Corvette (the C2, produced for model years 1963-1967) with what would turn out to be the longest-lived variant, the C3. Still iconic in its shape, the C3 Corvette remained in production from model years 1968 through 1982. In performance terms, those...
Kurt Ernst -
2012 Goodwood Revival Sets Attendance RecordThis year’s Goodwood Revival set a new attendance record, with some 146,000 racing, vintage car and vintage aircraft fans (most dressed in period costume) entering the gates for the three-day celebration of all things motorized or mechanical. We brought you coverage of this year’s...
Kurt Ernst -
Porsche To Reduce Spending And Production Output In 2013Is the global luxury auto market cooling? Despite bold predictions for worldwide sales growth from most luxury automakers throughout much of 2012, Porsche may be among the first to admit that 2013 sales probably won’t exceed 2012 numbers. To maintain its expected levels of profitability...
Kurt Ernst -
Sometimes, street racing is a good thing, as is the case with the Verva Street Racing spectacular, held annually in Warsaw, Poland. Visitors gets to see some of the world’s best known historic race cars, dicing wheel to wheel on the (disturbingly narrow) streets of Poland’s largest city. Here, we see former F1-star-turned-Mercedes-Benz-brand-ambassador Mika Hakkinnen driving what looks to be an exhibition run in the 548 horsepower, $430,000 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. We’ve seen other videos from this year’s event, and let’s just say that not all runs are this...
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Porsche 918 Spyder Laps The Nürburgring In 7:14: OfficialPorsche's 918 Spyder is no secret--in fact, it's a bit of a camera whore. But we're fine with that--it's a stunner, and it's crazy fast, too. How crazy fast? How about a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7 minutes, 14 seconds. Yep, that's the official word from Porsche as of just a few...
Nelson Ireson -
Audi Developing Its Own Electrically-Assisted TurbochargingTurbochargers, on their own, are fairly simple devices. Escaping exhaust gasses spin a turbine, allowing the compressor side of the turbo to increase the amount of air entering the engine via the intake manifold. More air allows for more fuel, which in turn produces greater power over...
Kurt Ernst -
Maserati's GranTurismo MC Trofeo Series Debuts In North AmericaIf you think the days of the gentleman driver / racer in an Italian sports car are dead and gone, Maserati has some news for you. Its GranTurismo MC Trofeo World Series pits drivers of the Maserati coupe against one another in a single marque series, ensuring close competition on circuits around...
Kurt Ernst -
First Porsche Boxster Rolls Off The Line At Former Karmann PlantIt's not widely known amongst the general public, but Porsche frequently contracts out its actual production. In the past, Porsche relied on Finnish independent vehicle manufacturer Valmet to build its Boxster and Cayman models, though for the latest generation Porsche decided to move production...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Uber-Rare 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Fetches $1.1 Million: VideoIf you were looking for the ultimate in collectible Mercedes-Benz automobiles to one-up your friends with 300SL Gullwings, we’ve got some bad news for you: one of the most desirable Mercedes automobiles of the modern era recently changed hands at RM Auctions Pebble Beach sale. In other words...
Kurt Ernst