Car News
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Audi's answer to the MINI Cooper S, the A1 1.4 TFSI won't be coming to the U.S., nor will any other A1 of the current generation. Look, but don't touch, as we walk through the specs of this premium small hot-hatch. Rated at 185 horsepower, the little A1 might be worthy of an S1 badge but for the lack of quattro all-wheel drive. It's no less impressive by the A1 name, however, scooting to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 141 mph while drinking at a rate of just 39.8 mpg US. Power is sent to the front wheels through a seven-speed S tronic transmission, but the real magic lies...
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2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Details LeakedMore and more information about Chrysler's future product plans has been trickling out, and there are few juicy tidbits for Challenger fans. Jalopnik is reporting that information leaked from a meeting between the manufacturer and its dealerships indicates that the next Challenger will gain some...
Tim Healey -
2011 Dodge Challenger Specs Leaked...AgainBack in July we got our first taste of the 2011 Dodge Challenger's spec sheet, confirming the 6.4-liter HEMI for the SRT8 and putting pricing in the $25,000-$43,000 range. Today, what looks to be an internal dealer document has surfaced, revealing more details--including specific horsepower...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: Two Takes On How NOT To Start A RaceThis weekend's road racing in Europe was a bit of a bang-up session, with crashes at the start and shortly after in Formula Renault 3.5 and Formula 2. These are both classic illustrations of the red mist getting the better of the drivers' abilities, and great examples of how not to start a race...
Nelson Ireson -
Breaking: Kevin Federline Is Gaining On UsWe know you can't make out that face too well, but trust us: it's K-Fed. We could clock that scraggle of facial hair from across a crowded, dimly lit Del Taco dining room. Which is probably why Federline opted for the drive through. Remember, Kevin: you may have ordered Macho Burritos, but they...
Richard Read -
2010 Paris Rumormill: Porsche Planning 500-HP Limited Edition GT3 RS?France's Internets are ablaze with talk of a 500-horsepower, 500-unit limited edition of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS powered by a 4.0-liter flat six. So far all we have to work with is rumor and innuendo, but the idea is intriguing. According to the reports, the upgraded GT3 RS would be limited to a...
Nelson Ireson -
There's no denying Cadillac's CTS and especially the CTS-V are very good cars. They manage to compete with the German luxury marques in ways no American brand has in decades. But they're not perfect. GM has just issued a recall on certain 2009-10 model year CTS and CTS-V models for failure to comply with a federal occupant crash protection regulation. The 2011 model (like the 2011 CTS-V John Voelcker drove last month) is not included in the recall. The problem lies in the glove box and, in some cars, the instrument panel structure. Cadillac will replace these elements free of charge to owners...
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2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: Maserati GranTurismo MC StradaleThe Maserati GranTurismo coupe and convertible are without doubt some of the best-looking GT cars on the road. But for some, good looks just aren’t enough. That’s why Maserati has been persuaded to build an even more extreme version of its stunning GT; the fastest, lightest and most...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: Lotus Elite ConceptLotus is planning a concept extravaganza for next week's 2010 Paris Auto Show, including a new take on the Esprit supercar, and today we have a glimpse of one of the vehicles that will be gracing the stands of the niche British sports car company. Described as the embodiment of Lotus’ new...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: BMW M Performance and M Sport PackagesBMW, unlike some manufacturers, doesn't go around appending performance badges willy-nilly. When a car wears an M badge, you can expect it to deliver on track or off. For those that don't want quite that much go-fast, BMW offers a range of M Sport packages as well, and new bits of kit for both the...
Nelson Ireson -
2011 BMW X3: First Look, U.S. VersionEarlier this summer, BMW gave us a first look at the 2011 X3 luxury crossover vehicle. Now that our first drive in the newest German ute is coming in a few weeks, BMW's released the U.S. specifications for the vehicle, in advance of its world premiere at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. The American...
Martin Padgett -
2010 Paris Auto Show Preview: BMW Concept 6-Series CoupeTwelve days remain until the 2010 Paris Motor Show opens to the press, and BMW is hitting the ground running, releasing the preliminary details on its coming attractions. The BMW Concept 6-Series Coupe shown here is a design study for a premium two-plus-two that takes the 6 marque into the next...
Nelson Ireson -
The Subaru/Toyota joint project to build a rear-wheel drive performance coupe based on the FT-86 concept trudges onward despite recurring rumors of its impending death. New info out today says Subaru's version will be hotter than the Toyota variant, packing 260 horsepower instead of the 'Yota's 200. The idea isn't new; reports of a hotter turbo version for Subaru surfaced last October. The motivation will come from a 2.5-liter turbocharged flat four. Sound familiar? The current WRX's mill is rated at 265 horsepower and shares the same specs. We'd place our money on a simple drop-in...
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Shelby Considering New Mustang ModelsThe selection of aftermarket Mustangs seems endless, but that won't stop Shelby from possibly adding more models to the mix. A report suggests that the company is planning to possibly add a twin-turbo package to 2007-2009 GT500 models, and a performance package for the 2010-2011 V-6 and GT models...
Tim Healey -
Video: BMW's Don'tBlogAboutThis Sheds More Of Its CocoonGenerally we'd be happy to take BMW's advice and skip the rather melodramatic Dont Blog About This site and concept, but a new video out today shows the car off in better form than ever. And with Paris just around the corner, it's probably worth taking a closer look. In the video we see a lot of...
Nelson Ireson -
Driven: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX SedanOn the surface, the 2011 Subaru WRX doesn't sound all that exciting. Sure, it's got a turbo 2.5-liter Boxer four, but only 265 horsepower? The Honda Accord makes more than that. Yeah, it has all-wheel drive, but so does the Lincoln MKS. It wears the widebody treatment of the WRX STI, but it's about...
Nelson Ireson -
Study: Racing Video Games Really Do Make You A Better DriverNot only are video games good for your brain, playing action video games improves your ability to make the right decision, and to do so faster, according to a new study at the University of Rochester. Take that, Jack Thompson (and legions of "they'll rot your brain" parents). The study didn't...
Nelson Ireson -
Breaking: Helicopter Film Crew Crashes Filming Autonomous Audi On Pikes PeakAudi just released a terse statement expressing sadness over the "helicopter incident" during filming of the Stanford/Audi autonomous TTS Pikes Peak car. Details are sketchy at the moment, but Audi says more details will be released once the National Transportation Safety Board and local law...
Nelson Ireson -
In what may be a case of too little, too late, Saab has unveiled its first electric vehicle ahead of its official debut at the 2010 Paris auto show. The 9-3 wagon-based EV is called the 9-3 ePower, and will see a prototype fleet of 70 vehicles built for testing in Sweden early in 2011. Powered by a 184-horsepower electric motor mated to a single-speed transmission, the ePower is claimed to scoot to 62 mph in just 8.5 seconds, which is downright peppy for a full-sized EV. Top speed is limited to 93 mph. Range should be good, as the battery on board is a whopping 35.5 kWh, or more than double...
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Jaguar Testing KERS-Like Flywheel Hybrid For XFJaguar Land Rover's efforts in the green arena are well-documented, and this week the push got a bit stronger at the Low Carbon Vehicle event at Millbrook, U.K. Showing off a joint-developed "flywheel hybrid system for premium vehicles" (FHSPV) on a Jaguar XF prototype, the company claims a gain of...
Nelson Ireson -
Lamborghini Dealers To Get Early Look At Paris Cars Code-Named LB715-5 And 83XYou've seen the teasers for Lamborghini's upcoming Paris concept car and read the manifesto, but as yet it's not clear if it's the Murcielago-replacing Jota or an unannounced pure concept car. Today, a report puts a new spin on what's coming to Paris. The two cars, code-named LB715-5 and 83X, will...
Nelson Ireson -
Video: Lunatic-Of-The-Year Mel Gibson Goes Into Hiding. In Victorian EnglandYes, that's Mel Gibson. Yes, he's wearing eyeglasses and a fake mustache. Considering all the hate being heaped on guy, he should probably be wearing a helmet and a shield and other junk they wore in Olden Tymes (we forget the terminology: we haven't been to a Ren Faire in years months), but maybe...
Richard Read -
$10 Million Automotive X Prize Winners AnnouncedBoth electric and combustion-powered vehicles took home cash from the Progressive Automotive X Prize competition, though early favorite Aptera wasn't among the victors. All winners had to achieve more than 100 mpge (miles-per-gallon equivalent, as defined by the competition) to win in addition to...
Nelson Ireson -
Spartan V: The Ducati-powered Aussie bike-engined carBike-engined cars. BECs. They're the ultimate goal of a good chunk of the truly speed-obsessed, especially those that can't get the sweet song of the 10,000-plus rev range out of their heads. If you're not up to welding your own tube-framed Midlana or Locost/Lotus 7, and the Palatov Motorsport dp4...
Nelson Ireson