Car News
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Despite its financial woes on the back of General Motors’ money troubles, Opel is still working on developing its own new models and technologies, including what could prove to be the European division’s first all-electric vehicle. While it’s long been anticipated that Opel would follow sister brand Chevrolet's footsteps in terms of how it will launch its new electric range, this is only partly true. While Chevrolet's Volt will be coming to Europe under the guise of the Ampera plug-in hybrid, Opel is reportedly working on a new car that would do away with the range-extending...
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Seat expands Ibiza range with new Bocanegra modelAround this time last year we brought you news about a handsome Seat concept car that had appeared at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. Known as the Bocanegra (black mouth in English), the concept was supposed to preview the next generation of Seat Ibiza's performance variant, the Cupra. When the...
Jeremy Weber -
Audi adds new features to help drivers save fuelWhile BMW has gone to great lengths to promote its range of EfficientDynamics fuel-saving features, rivals Audi and Mercedes Benz are only starting to make inroads with their own respective technologies. Audi has announced plans today to step up its game in the field with several new technologies...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM posts $6 billion first quarter lossGM is now less than a month away from its June 1 restructuring deadline imposed by President Obama’s auto industry task force, but any signs that it’s on the path to becoming viable may be a little hard to find considering the carmaker has just announced a $6 billion loss for the first...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Obama administration moves to boost biofuels with $787 million packageAs the U.S. struggles to bootstrap itself out of one of the worst economies in decades, the federal government continues its spending spree, earmarking $787 million to biofuels. The goal is ostensibly to meet a target set by former President George Bush of 36 billion gallons of biofuel in the...
Nelson Ireson -
Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring safe from the axe through 2010As Chrysler pushes forward during its bankruptcy period and prepares for its new face and alliance with Fiat, many are wondering what will come along for the ride and what will be left behind. News today from within Chrysler reveals that the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger, as oft-maligned as...
Kenneth Hall -
Germany’s Novitec Rosso is one of favorite tuners when it comes to modifying exotic metal and the company’s latest package for the Maserati GranTurismo S shows exactly why. This is just the second tuned Maserati from Novitec’s recently established ‘Novitec Tridente’, which launched its first product back in 2007 in the form of the Quattroporte, and for its second showing the new division has gone all out to make the GranTurismo S even more enticing. Not content with the Ferrari-built 4.7L V8 engine, Novitec engineers have installed a new supercharger system...
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Nissan targeting MX-5 with Silvia (240SX) replacementAs brilliant as the GT-R is, its premium price tag and limited availability means it will be out of reach for most sports car lovers for some time to come. Then there’s the new 370Z but it too can be a bit expensive for younger fans. Sadly, Nissan’s affordable sports car, the Silvia...
James Martinez -
Renault unveils the Kangoo be bop ZE electric demonstratorThe Internet is awash with electric vehicle demonstration vehicles, but few have as much oddball spark as the new Kangoo be bop ZE. Based around the standard be bop, but with zero emissions (hence the ZE) capabilities, the car is to be used as a test vehicle to show off what its EV platform can do...
Ralph Hanson -
GM CEO Henderson says Corvette is safe despite restructuringWhen General Motors disbanded its High Performance Vehicles unit in February, a ripple of fear shot through the automotive press over the future of the Corvette. GM was quick to quell the concerns, however, and today GM's CEO Fritz Henderson has again spoken directly on Corvette's secure future...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Audi A3 hybrid coming in 2012Hybrid versions of all sorts of cars - even sports cars like the Nissan 370Z - are in the works or on their way, and now Audi is adding to the list with reports of an A3 hybrid confirmed for production. The hybrid hatch is expected to use an Audi-adapted version of Volkswagen's TwinDrive hybrid...
Alex Kaufmann -
Second crash on Sorcerer's Apprentice set injures 9There's a reason stunt drivers are at the wheel of the supercars in those high-speed chase scenes, and it's not just that the actors can't be trusted behind the wheel. It turns out weaving in and out of traffic, even when in a controlled environment, can be dangerous. A wreck of a Ferrari into a...
Alex Kaufmann -
When Audi's R8 V12 TDI made its debut at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show, the world stood in awe of the sheer beauty of the idea: a fuel-efficient, torquey and potent diesel vehicle that could rival Lamborghinis and Ferraris in performance. But unfortunately new reports say the global industry downturn has claimed the oil-burning R8 as its latest victim. At 5.5L and 500hp (373kW)/740lb-ft (1001Nm) of torque, the R8 TDI's V12 engine was a thing of beauty. Based around the company's dominating Le Mans diesel engine design, the V12 TDI was expected to be a sure hit with high-performance aficionados...
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Report: GM to move Astra to Buick with Saturn out of pictureMany have wondered what will happen to all the new Opel products being brought to the U.S. now that Saturn is facing sale or termination in the next few months. The answer may lie in a new report that the Astra - built by Opel, sold in the U.S. as a Saturn - may be branded as a Buick in North...
Ralph Hanson -
German cars tops in latest ADAC Breakdown StatisticsReliability is the main concern for most car buyers, and for obvious reason - for such a large investment, the car better start up and take you where you need to go. And while all brands have their issues, it turns out German cars fared best this time around, mirroring last year's results. The...
Alex Kaufmann -
Download and build your own free Mitsubishi ColtIn an unusually high-tech concept, Mitsubishi is promoting its new Colt with a sort of Internet scavenger hunt. The first user to find and download all the parts of the car, scattered around various BitTorrent sites, will win a free car. There are 30 parts in total, and the process is centered on...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford confirms Michigan plant for new global FocusAs the second model developed under Ford’s new global design strategy (the first being the new Fiesta), the next-generation Ford Focus will be manufactured at Blue Oval plants at all corners of the globe. In addition to its regular haunts in Europe, the Focus will be manufactured in Australia...
Ralph Hanson -
Volkswagen adds sporty GT TDI to Scirocco lineupIt’s bad enough that Volkswagen has ruled out its handsome Scirocco Coupe for U.S. sale, but to add insult to injury the carmaker in the process of developing a range of new exciting performance versions. While the 270hp (201kW) R20 model seen testing in Germany is still several months away...
Alex Kaufmann -
The last thing we heard about Saab was that the struggling General Motors division had up to 20 interested buyers and a May 20 deadline to restructure under the guidance of Swedish courts. Now it’s been revealed that Saab is open to talks with Fiat, which is currently eyeing a takeover of GM’s European units – namely Opel and Saab. The information was revealed by Saab spokesman Eric Geers, who told Reuters that Fiat is yet to approach Saab but his company remains open for discussions. “If Fiat comes into the picture, we would welcome a dialogue," he said. Sweden's...
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Chrysler-bound Fiat and Alfa vehicles revealed in court papersWith the news that Chrysler and Fiat have finally managed to forge an alliance settling in and Chrysler's bankruptcy proceedings underway, the documents attendant to that process are beginning to reveal key details of the two company's plans. Today the models destined for U.S. sale via the...
Ralph Hanson -
Spy shots: BMW 5-series GT on the streets of MunichIn 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 -
Renault releases new photos of Clio RS ahead of UK launchRenault just unveiled the brand-new Clio in February and barely a month later it was out with the hotted-up Renaultsport (RS) variant in Geneva. The car features many of the same performance upgrades found on bigger brother the Megane RS, but in a more compact and peaky package. Now we have a new...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: BMW to cut 1-series production costs, introduce shooting brake variantBMW is having a hard time making much money on the 1-series because it is capped in its upper price range by competition with the 3-series, yet it still features much of the same technology and is nearly the same size as its bigger brother. To help remedy this situation, BMW is looking to cut build...
Alex Kaufmann -
Hybrid Nissan 370Z rumored to be in the worksThe Tesla Roadster proved that electricity and sport can mix well, but so far there's been little traction for hybrids in the performance space. Lexus, and soon Mercedes Benz, use the systems as power-adders for their larger sedans, but sports cars have been markedly devoid of hybrid assist. That...
Kenneth Hall