Car News
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European luxury and sports car makers are no strangers to four-cylinders--they just rarely bring them to the U.S. BMW changes that this year, however, with the introduction of the four-cylinder Z4 sDrive28i. Sporting 2.0-liters of displacement and a twin-scroll turbocharger, it packs 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The new twin-scroll turbo four replaces the naturally-aspirated straight-six Z4 sDrive30i model for the U.S., but few are likely to miss the six: the four is more powerful and more fuel efficient. Plus it comes with all the fun of a turbocharger. How much fun will that...
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2011 New York Auto Show PreviewThe official launches have started pouring out, along with more announcements of what to expect are rolling in, which can only mean one thing: The 2011 New York Auto Show is about to get underway. Timed against the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show this year, some of the best concepts and production cars...
Nelson Ireson -
Infiniti IPL G Convertible Concept: 2011 New York Auto ShowIt's official: we're into the hot and heavy part of the New York Auto Show pregame. The latest entrant: Infiniti's IPL G Convertible concept. Joining the IPL G Coupe revealed last year at Pebble Beach, the Convertible adds the fun and flair of top-down cruising to the Infiniti Performance Line...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Volkswagen Beetle: 2011 New York Auto ShowAfter more than a decade a replacement for the ‘New Beetle’ has finally arrived, making its world debut initially at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show and then again at the 2011 New York Auto Show just a couple of days later. The latest car drops its New tag and is just called the Beetle, or...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Buick Envision Plug-In Hybrid Concept: 2011 Shanghai Auto ShowAs the U.S. preps for the 2011 New York Auto Show, the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show is already getting underway. One of the first concepts revealed at the show: the Buick Envision plug-in hybrid crossover concept. Though the press-release doesn't explicitly say the Envision is running on Volt...
Nelson Ireson -
2012 Dodge Avenger R/T Preview: 2011 New York Auto ShowAfter seeing the Dodge Avenger rally car prototype hit the gravel hard, we were left wishing it would one day see competition. Unfortunately, that model was just an exercise. The 2012 Avenger R/T, however, is very real, and will be on display in New York this week. Offering an upgraded, stiffer...
Nelson Ireson -
We’ve seen plenty of pace cars in the past, including a Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG serving for duty. However, we’ve never seen a car this expensive doing the rounds before. We’re talking, of course, about the 2012 Lexus LFA supercar, a V-10 race car built for the road that retails for $375,000. The Lexus flagship was picked as the official pace car of the 2011 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and these are the first images of it. If you’re unfamiliar with the Californian event, it is an open-wheel race held annually on a street circuit in Long Beach. The 2008 race was the...
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2012 Audi A7 Rolls Into Times Square The Only Way It Can: On A BillboardJust two days before the 2011 New York Auto Show opens to the press, Audi has launched an eye-popping marketing campaign for its sleek, sophisticated 2012 A7. Today, the five-door coupe will roll straight into Times Square -- not literally, since cars are forbidden in the pedestrian center of town...
Richard Read -
Video: Back To The Future With Aluminum Powered R/C CarThe future is full of powerplant possibilities - efficient gasoline and clean diesel, hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells and pure electric - but we don't yet have the technology to power a car using cold fusion, à la 'Doc' Brown's DeLorean in the Back To The Future trilogy. We can replicate the...
Antony Ingram -
Mazda CX-5 Confirmed As Production Version Of Minagi ConceptSince its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show back in March, Mazda has been hinting at production of its attractive Minagi compact crossover concept. And today, just a couple of days out from the Minagi's North American debut at the 2011 New York Auto Show, Mazda has confirmed that the production...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Design Your Own Car In GM's Auto Design CompetitionThe idea of designing a car has to appeal to just about everyone that's ever lusted after a sports coupe, stepped on the accelerator until the steering wheel started to shake, or even just suffered through a daily commute to work. Unfortunately, while the desire might be there, the skills often...
Chris Weiss -
Tron Light Cycle Design Contest Winners
The crazy-futuristic motorcycle from Tron may not be quite as iconic as the Batmobile, but it does offer every bit as much potential for inspiring wild designs. Plus, it's a motorcycle, which is always an advantage when it comes to futuristic movie vehicles. Sidequesting--a website about video...
Chris Weiss -
It’s always interesting to see what cars the people who get to drive virtually everything buys for their own personal collections. And the hosts of Top Gear--Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond--have probably driven the most varied assortment of autos: Everything from high-end supercars to rust-buckets costing a few hundred dollars. Hammond even piloted a rocket propelled car to a speed of 280 mph before famously crashing it and living to tell the story. It appears Hammond never lost his love of speed following the crash as he has now reportedly purchased a Lamborghini...
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2012 Cadillac CTS 3.6-Liter Range Dropping Six-Speed Manual: ReportFans and enthusiasts of the conventional manual gearbox have likely lost another round in the battle being waged by automakers to phase out the clutch pedal in more and more cars. The latest casualty is the 2012 Cadillac CTS, which in 3.6-liter V-6 guise is said to be no longer offering a six-speed...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV Visits Jay Leno’s Garage: VideoThe Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, or SV for short, is the last in the line of Murcielagos, set to be replaced later this year by the new Aventador LP700-4. It is also the fastest of the Murcielagos, with a top speed of 212 mph, 208 mph if you opt for the $10,000 ‘low-speed...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Nissan Leaf Nismo RC Concept: 2011 New York Auto ShowNissan is combining two very different elements from the automotive world for its latest concept, which is set to debut this week at the 2011 New York Auto Show. Described as ‘Purpose-Built Prototype’, the all-new Nissan Leaf Nismo RC essentially wraps the zero-emissions drivetrain and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2012 BMW 6-Series M Sports Package LeakedWhile it isn’t the high-performance M6 we’re all waiting for, the latest M Sports Package for the recently revealed 2012 BMW 6-Series Coupe does give the dynamic luxury two-door an even sportier look thanks to some distinct M styling cues. Though we’ve only seen spy shots of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Chevrolet Malibu Gets Early Web RevealAnother image of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu has been published ahead of the car’s official Web reveal pegged for the night of Monday the 18th by--believe it or not--GM’s own media website. The latest image shows the Chinese market edition of the new sedan, though this car is virtually...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Wrap your head around this: Italian tuning shop Aznom has put together a 230-horsepower Fiat 500 with a mid-engine, rear-drive layout. For no good reason except to do it--and the obvious performance potential. Weighing in at just 1,880 pounds, it's also a light little hatch. Toss in Bilstein adjustable shocks and a limited-slip diff, and this should be a monster. A special "Pista" (race) version of the car is also rumored, with up to 280 horsepower. Of course, there are any number of other cars that would benefit as much or more from the effort it took to convert the 500, but few would have...
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Lingenfelter Set To Unveil 800 Horsepower Twin-Turbo 2010 Chevrolet CamaroAftermarket performance maven Lingenfelter Performance Engineering has more Camaro upgrades in store for the Camaro5Fest that takes place this weekend at the Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. The company will be bringing an 800-horsepower twin-turbocharged Camaro to the festival...
Tim Healey -
Mustang Cobra Jet On Dyno: VideoBefore each Ford Mustang Cobra Jet gets delivered to its new owner, it gets a test run on a dynamometer, and Ford Racing has shared some videos of the process. For those who've forgotten, the Cobra Jet is a turn-key drag-racer produced by Ford, using plenty of Ford Racing parts. The supercharged...
Tim Healey -
Hope For Saab Yet? 9-1 Compact Could Use MINI PlatformTo gearheads, the turbulent times Swedish carmaker Saab is facing really pulls at the heart strings. It's one of an elite group of makers that real car enthusiasts like to know is around, even if they wouldn't buy the products themselves. Having had its personality and vitality steadily eroded...
Antony Ingram -
Volvo Concept Universe Design Study: VideoThe 2011 Volvo S60 has been turning heads and changing minds about what Volvo's capable of for a few months now, but beyond the new sedan, there hasn't been a lot to get excited about at Volvo of late. This new video, teasing a design study called the Concept Universe, may hint that that's soon to...
Nelson Ireson -
Buick Envision Plug-In Hybrid SUV Concept: Shanghai Auto Show PreviewTurning heads and changing minds has not been Buick's strong suit until recently, but with cars like the LaCrosse and Regal on the road, credibility as a legitimate option for those not yet part of the golf-and-managed-care-facility set is growing. The newest concept from the company may push Buick...
Nelson Ireson