Car News
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UPDATE: We just received a tip from an inside source that two very big model reveals will be featured in the upcoming Super Bowl ad spot. Stay tuned between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST for the full details. --------------- We're just two days away from the big game, and as we stock our refrigerators, kegerators, and snack platters, we're also stocking our list of commercials to catch. The latest addition: Mercedes-Benz's "big unveiling." What, exactly, will be big and unveiled? Four new models will be coming in the 60-second spot previewed here, and judging by the making-of video, there'll be a...
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Cellcontrol: Kick The In-Car Cell Phone Habit With New DeviceWhilst not illegal in many states, taking a call or texting whilst driving can be very dangerous since it can take your eyes and mind off the road and if you're not using a hands-free device, occupy one of your limbs, too. American Auto Sales in Fremont is one of the first retail outlets now...
Antony Ingram -
Hyundai Veloster Race Car Launches Over Jump, Won't Land Until February 9The 2012 Hyundai Veloster was revealed in all its oddball three-door glory just last month at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, but this photo hints at a coming rally car prototype, and given the timing, we expect it at the Chicago Auto Show. This is the first photo of the car as it flies over a jump on...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: Mika Salo Tracks The Ferrari P4/5 CompetizioneThirty seconds just isn't enough when it comes to watching the Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5 Competizione on track, especially when it's being guided by the skillful hands of Mika Salo. But that's all we get. Listen for the crackling burble under deceleration between blips of the throttle as Salo...
Nelson Ireson -
Yet More Photos Of Ferrari FF Shooting Brake In ActionSpitting snow from all four tires, the Ferrari FF is once again hooning it up this winter. This new batch of five shots shows an "advanced prototype" as well as a final version of the car as they barrel through snowdrift-rimmed roads. Whether you like the long back end or not, you have to admit: it...
Nelson Ireson -
Garmin Makes Road Trips Fun With Maps From RoadsideAmerica.comGarmin, TomTom, and other aftermarket telematics systems have been fighting an uphill battle since July 2008. That's when Apple launched the App Store and smartphone users began to realize that apps could serve the same function as pricey dashtop units, but with minimal upfront cost and no...
Richard Read -
With the launch of its new Megacity Vehicle, BMW’s first production vehicle with an electric drivetrain and full carbon fiber construction, the luxury automaker will essentially be launching a whole new class of vehicle. It will be technologically advanced, fun-to-drive and premium, yet it will be small, cheap to run and very practical. Such a revolutionary design, then, can’t simply be sold in a traditional manner. Here, it seems, BMW is also thinking outside the square. Speaking with Automobilwoche, BMW sales chief Robertson said the automaker is looking for an alternative to...
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DIY King Builds Pedal-Powered 911Porsche lust cannot be contained by the mere lack of ability to buy one. Cash-strapped enthusiasts will resort to many means to obtain the object of their desire: Toy cars, posters, a jacket with the crest emblazoned on the chest, and so forth. But this is the first time I've ever seen someone...
Keith Buglewicz -
Cadillac Unveils Black Diamond Edition CTS-VWhat's with all the special black editions lately? Now Cadillac is getting into the blackout paint luxury car meme with its Black Diamond Edition CTS-V. Available in all versions of the CTS-V -- sedan, coupe and wagon -- the Black Diamond package consists primarily of a special, proprietary black...
Keith Buglewicz -
Porsche Unveils Black Edition Boxster SDo you like the idea of a Black Edition Porsche convertible, but don't have the $91,300 entry price for the 911 Black Edition cabriolet? Then how does $65,200 sound for the same treatment on a Boxster S? Unlike the 911 Black Editions, the Boxster S Black Edition gets a small performance boost, with...
Keith Buglewicz -
Ford Releases More Than 5,000 Images From Its ArchivesWithout doubt, Ford has one of the most illustrious pasts of any automaker, if not, of any company, in the modern world, so just imagine the wealth of history the Blue Oval must have locked away in its archives. Well, Ford has now announced that it is making its archives public and that it will be...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mazda MX-5 Breaks Guinness World RecordThe Mazda MX-5, or Miata as it’s known in certain markets, has just set a new Guinness World Record for the "Best selling two-seat sports car". Interestingly, the MX-5 originally set the record when production of the car reached 531,890 units in May 2000. Guinness updated the record when...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lotus only took the covers off its more powerful Evora S at the 2010 Paris Auto Show last September but apparently the automaker has a much more substantial update planned for the car in the lead up to the arrival of the new Esprit and a host of other sports cars from the guys at Hethel over the coming years. To get everyone accustomed to the radical styling Lotus design chief Donato Coco has in store for future models from the brand, the Evora is expected to adopt a bold new look consisting of a gaping ‘mouth’ in the front bumper and more angular headlights. Speaking with...
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Peugeot Unveils Diesel-Powered 908 Le Mans Race CarPeugeot once again will tackle the grueling Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, this year bringing a brand new version of the 908 HDi FAP race car. The latest version, known simply as the 908, ditches the former car’s V-12 turbodiesel engine in favor of a V-8 unit with a 90-degree angle and 550...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Tesla Model S Crossover Coming To 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show?We've known since 2009 that Tesla has plans for a crossover and a minivan based on the Model S platform, but now it looks like the crossover, dubbed the Model X, may soon take shape, with a possible debut, at least in concept form, at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. Tesla can do the many-hats thing...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW To Launch FWD Hybrids In 2014Yes, it's true--and to some, sad--but BMW will in fact be building a small front-wheel drive car that wears the roundel rather than the MINI badge. Worse yet, for some, there will be hybrids. We're not opposed to either front-wheel drive or hybrid drivetrains as a strict rule, but as lovers of all...
Nelson Ireson -
MINI WRC Hits Up Rallye Monte Carlo Alongside Classic Mini Rally CarMonte Carlo is one of the classic homes of rally racing, and the original Mini was no stranger to its wiles. The new MINI WRC isn't, either, now that the two have shown off at the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. Posed beside its forerunner, the new MINI WRC looks gargantuan, despite being based on...
Nelson Ireson -
Rumors Say Next Honda Civic Si Drops Revvy 2.0, Gets 2.4-Liter FourHalf the fun of driving the Honda Civic Si or its true sports car stablemate, the S2000, is the high-rpm engagement of VTEC (yo!) and the surge of power that comes with it. It's not an ideal flat torque curve that delivers the goods; it's the rush. But that may change for the next-gen Civic Si. The...
Nelson Ireson -
Earlier this week, Chevrolet released its first Super Bowl XLV ad, featuring Bumblebee and an unfortunate rodent mascot. Today, we get an unofficial release of the second, focused on the Camaro. Almost a meta-commercial, the ad itself lives out the stream of consciousness brainstorm of two guys imagining the best Camaro commercial they can, canning and developing ideas as they go. While it's pretty standard action-flick sports car fare, the twist at the end is cute. Check it out. [via Camaro5]
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VIDEO: Another Chevy Super Bowl Ad To Feature The CamaroAnother day, another Chevrolet ad featuring the Camaro. Like the other one we profiled this week, this one is set to air during Super Bowl XLV between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. This one mocks the thought process behind car ads, and like the first, has a slight...
Tim Healey -
Video: Saab Touts Heritage, Leaves Out GM Era (Almost) EntirelyUPDATE: As several intrepid (and sharp-eyed) readers have pointed out, there is a quarter-second shot of a GM-era convertible around the 16-second mark. Good catch. As for the 9-5, it was designed during the GM era, true, but it's being sold entirely under the Spyker-owned Saab umbrella. Point...
Nelson Ireson -
Smart Cars And The Need For Smarter SoftwareThere were a couple of more interesting articles the past few days involving software in cars. Early last week, Markus Waibul over on the Automaton blog and I both wrote (here and here) on the concept of "car platooning." I also noted in my post the Ford development effort involving a new crash...
IEEE Spectrum -
Rahm Emanuel Saves Chicago From Winter Storm, Knocks Katie Couric Down A PegOn Tuesday, Vanity Fair's Juli Weiner published an article entitled, "Rahm Emanuel Should Be Personally Rescuing People During the Chicago Blizzard". (You have to hand it to VF: they know how to put the "b" in "subtle".) Weiner's argument was basically that the mayoral candidate needed to get out...
Richard Read -
2012 BMW 6-Series Coupe Set For Shanghai Auto Show DebutIt’s safe to say that we already know pretty much what the new 2012 BMW 6-Series Coupe will look like, what powertrains it will come with, and how much it will cost. However, we can’t be 100 percent sure until the car actually makes its official world debut. We can now report that the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran