Car News
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The epic development period of the Volt has been unique in many ways, not least of which because it was announced about three years ahead of its actual debut - which is still more than a year out. But this week Bob Lutz told David Letterman one key detail of the upcoming plug-in hybrid from General Motors: its price. Phrasing it as a 'best estimate' Lutz said the MSRP would sit 'around $40,000' and that the customer would be paying about $32,500 once a $7,500 government rebate is taken into account. That $7,500 rebate is part of a package intended to help boost sales and production of...
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Mini unveils Mayfair and Camden 50th Anniversary special editionsThoroughly modern yet pleasingly reminiscent of the original Mini, the latest generation offers a price, economy and handling package few can match. And today Mini decided to sweeten the deal with a pair of special editions in celebration of its 50th year of production. The names of the two new...
Kenneth Hall -
Report: Mitsubishi could become new Saturn supplierWith confirmation Saturn is up for sale coming from General Motors earlier this month, a number of potential investors and buyers have come out of the woodwork recently and confirmed interest in the struggling brand. Two main groups include investment firm Telesto Ventures and Roger Penske’s...
James Martinez -
Volkswagen launches new 28mpg Touareg TDI BlueMotion SUVNext year Volkswagen will launch a new petrol-electric hybrid version of its Touareg in its BlueMotion range but before that another version of the handsome SUV will get the environmentally conscientious banner. Just launched in Europe is the new Touareg TDI BlueMotion, which comes with a 225hp...
Jeremy Weber -
BMW’s new 5-series GT makes official debutIn late 2007 BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer revealed plans for several all-new models including a design study called the Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS). Then, at March's Geneva Motor Show, BMW gave us the first tangible evidence of the new PAS in the form of the 5-series Gran Turismo (GT) concept...
Alex Kaufmann -
Six Aston Martins to tackle Nurburgring 24-hour raceAston Martin will return to the starting grid of Germany’s Nordschleife for its fourth consecutive year of the Nurburgring 24-hour endurance challenge, which kicks off on May 23rd. The carmaker will be using its latest super-sports car, the all-new V12 Vantage coupe, which will be kept in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Small-scale British carmaker Ariel is perhaps best known for its skeletal-framed Atom two-seater, one of the lightest and most thrilling sports cars on the planet. Now, Ariel is considering expanding its model lineup, and fans of the brand will be happy to hear they will be sticking to keeping their cars light and sporty. While plans for a new model are still far from concrete, Ariel's head honcho Simon Saunders has revealed to PistonHeads that any new model that does eventuate will be as interesting as the current Ariel Atom, and will shock motorists just as much as the minimalist cars do...
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Study: Toyota, Ford set to pass GM in market share, productionAs General Motors peers over the brink of the abyss into a future that very likely holds a bankruptcy, the hits just keep coming. Today industry forecasters revealed that Toyota will pass GM in U.S. market share by 2010 at current rates, while Ford will push past the General in North American...
Nelson Ireson -
Smart offering free upgrade to fix balky ForTwo transmissionsQuestions about safety, affordability, ultimate value and even performance are all well-worn topics for fans of the Daimler-built Smart ForTwo minicar, but to date mechanical problems haven't been a hot topic - aside from balky transmissions. Now Daimler has decided to fix the problem by offering a...
Alex Kaufmann -
Toyota doubts widespread acceptance of plug-in hybridsThe idea that plug-in hybrids aren't all they're cracked up to be isn't a new one. Carnegie Mellon University has even published a study that calls the technology inefficient and cost-prohibitive. Now it looks like Toyota may be in agreement, saying it doesn't expect more than 50,000 plug-in hybrid...
Nelson Ireson -
GM and UAW reach tentative dealThe U.S. Treasury, General Motors and the United Auto Workers have reached a tentative bargain on how they'll deal with changes to the current agreement in the face of the industry's problems and GM's increasingly probably bankruptcy. The details of the deal are being kept quiet until the local...
Ralph Hanson -
VW apprentices build 301hp Golf GTI StreetCustom-tuned turbocharged four-cylinder hatches are pretty common fare anywhere in the world. But it's not every day that a handful of young apprentices at one of the world's biggest carmakers turn out a car that turns heads like the Golf GTI Street Built around a heavily modified 2.0L TFSI engine...
Alex Kaufmann -
Last April General Motors made some structural changes to its brand operations, consolidating a lot of redundant work into a single channel. As part of that change, Mark McNabb was appointed head of Cadillac, Hummer and Saab as chief of GM's premium division. Things have changed at GM since then, to be sure, and now McNabb has resigned his post. Effective June 1, McNabb will leave GM to 'pursue other opportunities', reports Automotive News. Stephen J. Hill will fill in as interim chief. Hill is already familiar with the brand's operations, as he has been general sales manager of GM's premium...
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Magna-Saturn-Opel alliance could prove formidableA lot of discussion goes into the topic of finding synergies within the auto industry, but few big, successful examples show what that looks like. The disastrously failed attempts - DaimlerChrysler, for example - are more well-known. But Magna's gambit to win Opel and now Saturn from the rapidly...
Ralph Hanson -
California already working on tougher fuel standardsPresident Barack Obama may have just taken the wraps off his new national fuel policy, but according to the state of California it’s not too soon to already begin work on the next stage of clean car regulations. The infamous California Air Resources Board (CARB) is known for being passionate...
James Martinez -
MEC Design adds sporty touch to the Mercedes Benz S-ClassThere's something about a lowered Mercedes Benz S-Class with a bodykit that just looks sinister, and while there are some examples out there that can seem downright cruel others, such as this example from MEC Design, are much more pleasing to the eye. With one of the most comprehensive...
Ralph Hanson -
Subaru chief reveals diesel and hybrid plansSubaru doesn't offer much in the way of environmentally conscientious cars but this may be set to change as the company is considering introducing new hybrid models. Subaru's parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries, has revealed plans to introduce a new hybrid model along with a range of more...
Jeremy Weber -
Report: Fiat picks 3 directors for restructured ChryslerOnly yesterday it was announced that former Chairman of Borden Chemical and of Duracell International, Robert Kidder, would preside over a restructured Chrysler as its new CEO, but already reports have emerged claiming Fiat has appointed three new directors for the struggling carmaker. In the lead...
James Martinez -
General Motors’ RWD Zeta platform was pioneered in Australia for the locally built Holden Commodore sedan but right from the start Detroit had global intentions for the design. Today, Zeta running gear can be found in models sold in China, South Korea, the UK, and in North America, but GM has much more ambitious plans for the platform, going right up until 2020. Back in March we reported that the platform would be modified to be smaller and more fuel-efficient, and that the first car to ride on this ‘Zeta II’ design would be the next-generation Holden Commodore due in 2013...
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Mopar cuts sponsorship ties with champion drifter Sam HubinetteChrysler's in-house accessories division Mopar has been sponsoring champion drifter Sam Hubinette for a number of years now, including for this year’s 2009 Formula Drift series where he is competing in a highly modified Dodge Challenger. Unfortunately, the relationship will be ending soon due...
Ralph Hanson -
Volkswagen adds new Estate to Golf lineupThis week has been a relatively busy one for Volkswagen, which in the past couple of days has unveiled the all new Scirocco R sports coupe, a pair of GTI concepts based on the Golf and Polo, and now the Golf Estate wagon. Three different versions of the new Estate will be offered: Trendline...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM to close 42% of Canadian dealer networkThe symptoms of America's ailing carmakers don't recognize borders, and no nation is more keenly aware of that fact than Canada. That's doubly true after today's announcement of General Motors' planned closure of 42% of the company's Canadian dealerships. In all about 300 dealers will be shuttered...
Nelson Ireson -
Rats blamed for a Ferrari's fiery demiseWalking the tightrope of packaging, power and technology the way exotic carmakers like Ferrari and Lamborghini do is a delicate act. Sometimes that act comes tumbling down, occasionally in a ball of flame. This week in Moscow, however, it's rats that are taking the blame. Yes, rodents are bearing...
Alex Kaufmann -
Volkswagen will preview electric future with new Frankfurt Motor Show conceptFollowing in the footsteps of last year’s Golf TwinDrive and Space up! Blue concept vehicles, Volkswagen will reinforce its electric car image with the unveiling of a brand new concept car at this September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The latest concept is described as a rival to General...
Ralph Hanson