Car News
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Audi's R8 took the consumer world by storm when it was released and since the debut of the R8 LMS, the success has continued, taking a podium spot at its first race, the BFGoodrich Endurance Championship. Now the car is looking to stretch its legs and prove its mettle in even more arduous competition at the 37th ADAC Zurich 24 Hour Race in Germany. The Nurburgring's Nordschleife has become the world's favorite automotive testing and development circuit, so it's no surprise carmakers and race teams alike flock to the famed track to take on a 24-hour endurance race sure to point out any...
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Skoda adds facelifted RS and Scout to Octavia lineupHaving already released the facelifted version of its Octavia saloon at last year’s Paris Motor Show, Czech carmaker Skoda has finally added the updated versions of the performance Octavia RS and the Octavia Scout soft-roader to its lineup. Besides numerous design changes, both cars offer new...
Jeremy Weber -
The story behind BMW's Salt Flat Racer of 2025According to BMW's 'MINI Space' team of engineers and designers, race cars of the future may be built out of old oil drums, bomb shells and BBQ grills - oh and did we mention goldfish? While it may seem like the parts list for a race car out of a Dr. Seuss book, in reality the project by BMW to...
Alex Kaufmann -
Al Melling working on V10-powered WildcatSome of you may remember Al Melling, a top engine designer and one of the bidders for the TVR nameplate some time ago. Since then, Melling started his own sports car company, creating custom British roadsters, usually with V8 engines, under the Wildcat model name. On top of this he also released an...
Kenneth Hall -
Buick reveals Business MPV concept in ShanghaiWe've seen some amazing concepts from Buick unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in previous years, and this year was no different with the release of the Buick Business concept. Unlike the handsome Buick Riviera Concept we saw at Shanghai a couple of years ago that was built in collaboration with...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford working on next-generation lithium-ion batteriesOne of the biggest things holding back the mass embrace of the electric car is their supposedly short driving range compared to conventionally powered cars, as well as their relatively expensive nature considering the youth of the technology and low production volumes. To combat this, Ford claims...
James Martinez -
Most people would agree that driving a Lamborghini or Porsche on today’s roads is a bit like riding a racehorse around your garden, but for many owners of such exotics this is the only way they can experience the extreme machines. A newly formed supercar club based in the UK - but open to customers from all over the world - offers some solace, allowing members to take some of the world’s fastest cars and push them to the limits on a bonafide race track - free of traffic and speed cameras. Established by Rob Stanbury, the new RS Academy will operate from arguably the three best...
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2009 Race of Champions heading to Beijing's Bird's Nest stadiumUndoubtedly one of the most unique motorsports events out there, the annual Race of Champions (ROC) event sees drivers from usually incompatible forms of motorsport take each other on in a single race format - last year we got to see rallying legend Sebastien Loeb beat out champion F1 drivers...
Kenneth Hall -
3 Chrysler plants under consideration for Fiat re-toolingNegotiations between Chrysler and Fiat regarding an alliance have now turned to production capabilities, and an anonymous source has revealed that three Chrysler plants are under consideration for possible re-tooling, at which point they will build Fiat vehicles, as well as Chrysler-badged vehicles...
Ralph Hanson -
Changan Auto seeking American, European empiresWhile the Detroit 3 and the rest of the established automotive industry reel from the blows dealt by the poor world credit market and nosediving economy, smaller, newer companies like Chongqing Changan Auto Company (Changan Auto) are ramping up their plans for world conquest. Taking advantage of...
Ralph Hanson -
Brembo teams with Italian watchmaker for carbon-ceramic special editionWatches and cars have shared a long history together. Something about the kindred spirit of precision, style and function of both endeavors finds an overlapping fanbase. Few watches exhibit that cross-pollination better than the Meccaniche Veloci Quattro Valvole CCM - a carbon-ceramic watch built...
Kenneth Hall -
Columbian-designed Peugeot RD displayed in ShanghaiPeugeot's annual competition for up-and-coming designers for 2008 was a tough battle - the field was narrowed from around 2,500 contenders to a mere 29 finalists, and the winner was chosen as the best of that select group. The theme of the competition was to "imagine the Peugeot in the worldwide...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Some of you may remember our story about the downfall of Lamborghini's star Orange County dealership, which was at one time responsible for selling one out of every twenty Lamborghini models in the world. Now that the court case of its owner Viken Keuylian has been wrapped up, with the crooked dealer admitting to defrauding Volkswagen Credit Inc. of between $6 million and $20 million, some strange details about his activities are emerging - including the fact that he sold a brand-new Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640 for just $60,430. So why would anyone sell a car that retails for close to...
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Obama's task force orders GM to convert all of its debt to equityThe U.S. government may soon become a substantial shareholder in General Motors if a new plan to convert all of GM's debt to equity goes forward. On Friday, President Obama's task force on the industry ordered GM to prepare a plan to convert all of its debt - about $48 billion in total - to equity...
Nelson Ireson -
Project M supercar revealed as Corvette ZR1-based MantideGiving brilliant people free rein to build their dreams has led to some of the best designs in automotive history, no small portion of which were penned by people working for Stile Bertone. Ex-Pininfarina designer and now head of Stile Bertone Jason Castriota is one of those people. He's also the...
Jeremy Weber -
Volkswagen may overtake Toyota by Q1 endFor a long time it seemed that Toyota's position as the world’s biggest carmaker was virtually unassailable, but now industry analysts are predicting that for the first quarter of 2009, the Volkswagen Group may have finally overtaken the Japanese carmaker in volume. While the results are not...
James Martinez -
Bentley bumps up future product schedule, new Continental GT may come next yearWhile some industry analysts are predicting that the auto market will not recover until 2011 or 2012, Bentley is certain that its customer base will be ready to buy again as early as next year. In fact, the luxury British brand is so confident in this prediction that it’s bumping up its...
Jeremy Weber -
Rolls-Royce revives Ghost nameplate for upcoming RR4 sedanRolls-Royce is currently developing a brand new model positioned below the Phantom for launch in early 2010, which is expected to double the number of vehicles built by the ultra-luxury carmaker each year. Rolls-Royce has announced the name for its new model series which until now has been known as...
Kenneth Hall -
Red Bull Racing recorded a historic first grand prix win in Chinese rain today, with Sebastian Vettel leading teammate Mark Webber for a dominant one-two. "It's my second win in the wet," said German youngster Vettel, recalling his first win from pole for junior team Toro Rosso at Monza last year. "I don't think I will mind if we have some more rain!" A staggering 45 seconds down the road, Brawn's Jenson Button completed the podium, but he retains his championship lead, 6 points ahead of Rubens Barrichello, who finished behind the sister car in Shanghai. Behind the four Red Bulls and Brawns...
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Rocketsports Racing to tackle ALMS with new Jaguar XKR GT2 race carRocketsports Racing (RSR) has revealed the first images of its Jaguar XKR race car, which it will be entering into the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT2 category as well as the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The ALMS will begin its transition later this year to a new global GT class based on...
Kenneth Hall -
2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor priced from $38,995Ford has revealed pricing for the latest addition to its F-150 pickup truck line, the new 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor. The pumped-up pickup is a purpose-built off-road version of the popular F-150 workhorse and first went on display at last year’s SEMA Auto Show in Las Vegas. Pricing will start at...
James Martinez -
Porsche Panamera makes world debut at Shanghai Auto ShowPorsche today unveiled its new Panamera grand tourer at the Shanghai Auto Show, ahead of its official European sales launch scheduled for September. The car will arrive in U.S. showrooms just one month later, although only the V8 variants will be offer initially. These include the naturally...
Alex Kaufmann -
VW returns to Nurburgring with Scirocco GT24 CNG race carAt the Nurburgring 24 hour endurance race on 23 and 24 May, Volkswagen will field two Scirocco race car concepts that have been modified to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Last year, VW clinched a one-two victory in the 2.0L turbo class even before the Scirocco's market launch with the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Hyundai’s U.S. chief sees Genesis nameplate becoming new luxury sub-brandHyundai has traditionally been recognized as a maker of affordable hatchbacks and compact cars but in the past couple of years we’ve seen the quality and design of its cars improve greatly. So much so that the South Korean carmaker can be considered a genuine rival to some of the mainstream...
James Martinez