Car News
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World Rally Championship racing won't see a Subaru factory team this year, but the 37th ADAC Zurich 24 Hour Race - a 24-hour race at the Nurburgring - will. The 200-car field will include a factory-built WRX STI that's hitting the track in the name of data collection and development. Of course, winning is also the objective, with the 2.0L (EJ20) turbocharged boxer engine putting the car into the SP3T class. The chassis and body are original production pieces, but Subaru Tecnica International (STI) has added a few enhancements to make the car more race-worthy. Starting with a 'flexible tower...
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Novitec Rosso marks 20th anniversary with new TuLesto supercarWhen it comes to the world’s most exclusive sports cars, names like Ferrari and Lamborghini often spring to mind. However, there is a higher echelon when it comes to the most fascinating vehicles money can buy – a world where stunning design, uncompromising performance and production...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Last hurrah for Corvette GT1 race carThis Saturday at Long Beach, Corvette Racing will mark the end of an era with the final U.S. appearance by the Corvette C6.Rs in the GT1 category for the American Le Mans Series. The series will give a send-off to the GT1 Corvettes in a special post-qualifying ceremony in the Long Beach winner's...
Ralph Hanson -
VW considering upgraded R-line models for U.S.Volkswagen is in the process of developing some hot new models as a part of its performance-oriented 'R-line' range of models, but so far not all of these models have been confirmed for U.S. sale. VW, however, is considering whether or not it’s worth bringing the Tiguan R-Line, as well as...
Jeremy Weber -
Toyota revises Auris lineupToyota's Auris, often sold as the Corolla in certain markets, has just been updated for 2009, with improvements made in performance, fuel economy and emissions thanks to the carmaker’s 'Optimal Drive' technology. A new 1.6L engine is also available, and with this engine in place the Toyota...
Kenneth Hall -
Arizona joins growing list of states for Renault-Nissan EV pilot programNissan's electric vehicle (EV) involvement in Project Better Place programs in Denmark and Israel, plus test fleets in its home market of Japan will be joined by a new agreement with the state of Arizona. The deal will have cars hitting the streets of Phoenix late next year, and will see...
James Martinez -
The original Fast and the Furious movie was pretty decent. Sure, it had the odd cheesy line (“I live life a quarter mile at a time”), but it’s safe to say most car fans would have enjoyed it. With the release of the next two flicks, quality started to slide and the cars simply got lamer. So much so that by the end of Tokyo Drift it seemed pretty safe to assume that the franchise was well and truly dead. Now the fourth instalment is out and some of the cred of the first movie has been restored and once again there are a series of modified rides that are no longer needed...
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GM says Pontiac and GMC are safe, updated restructuring plan coming tomorrowGeneral Motors is currently seeking a buyer for Hummer, is looking to sell a stake in Opel, plans to cut its ties with Saab, and is open to almost anything with Saturn, but despite the drastic moves the auto industry task force established by President Obama is still seeking more. After rejecting...
James Martinez -
Seat adds new Ibiza FR and facelifted Leon Cupra to lineupFollowing the debut of the updated Leon hatchback at last month’s Geneva Motor Show come the first images and details for updated versions of the sportier Ibiza FR and Leon Cupra models, both of which will be making their debut next month at the Barcelona Motor Show. The new FR version of the...
Jeremy Weber -
Toshiba's SCiB batteries leap forward to 90-sec recharge timeSolving the problem of storing enough energy in a dense enough package without undue cost, weight or danger is the primary hurdle facing hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs) today. Toshiba has already developed a battery technology that could make significant strides toward solving that problem, and...
Ralph Hanson -
Hartge takes the diesel X6 to new highs - and lowsStyle is undoubtedly a subjective thing, but sometimes agreement is nearly universal. The Mona Lisa has been revered through the ages, while the bowl-cut hair style is a perpetual laughing stock. Somewhere toward the latter end of the spectrum lie creations like Hartge's latest X6 variant, sporting...
Alex Kaufmann -
Nissan sends Infiniti EX to Japan as Skyline CrossoverRe-badging has stereotypically been the domain of U.S. carmakers, especially when crossing national borders, but Nissan/Infiniti are engaging in a bit of their own shell game with the Infiniti EX. Sending the vehicle to Japan as the Skyline Crossover, the car receives almost nothing in the way of...
Ralph Hanson -
Although the relative silence of hybrid vehicles has made them the choice of TV gangsters for drive-by shootings, the rest of the world is less than enamored with the difficulty involved in hearing one coming - especially when trying to cross the street. Lotus' response to the problem: engineer a system that re-creates the sound of a normal car. Now that system has been licensed for manufacture by the automotive division of Harman International. That means brands like Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity and Mark Levinson - among many others - will have access to the noise cancellation/generation...
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McLaren Splits Off Automotive Group, New Unit To Be Headed By Ron DennisHaving recently parted company from Mercedes Benz, hired a new design director and started work on a new supercar, the team at McLaren is as busy as ever, but still not busy enough, it seems. To add to their plate, McLaren Group has spun its automotive division off to form a separate company...
James Martinez -
UK promises hybrid and electric car subsidies of up to $7,500The British government is the latest body to offer subsidies for hybrid and electric cars as part of a greater effort to increase the vehicles’ popularity and help encourage motorists to purchase more environmentally-friendly vehicles. The subsidies will range from about $3,000 to $4,000 but...
Kenneth Hall -
Lamborghini says 2008 most successful year ever for companyIn spite of a world-wide economic crisis, Lamborghini has just announced a profit rise of almost 30% in 2008. In a year filled with turmoil in the automotive world, Lamborghini actually managed to move forward, selling 24 more units than the previous year to give it sales of 2,430 cars. In total...
James Martinez -
RDSport dials up M3 performance from the BMW 335i CoupeRacing Dynamics, or RDSport as the Milan-based tuning firm is also known, is renowned for its work with modifying cars from BMW. Now, RDSport has just unveiled its new take on the E92 BMW 335i twin-turbo coupe, and a number of aesthetic and mechanical upgrades bring the car much closer in...
Jeremy Weber -
Irmscher launches new 7 Turbo based on legendary Lotus designGerman outfit Irmscher has just unveiled its latest rival to the Caterham and Ariel Atom set - the new 7 Turbo. The roadster is constructed in the same vein as the Lotus Super Seven, and its focus on lightweight performance means that it should be a formidable track machine, especially in its most...
Alex Kaufmann -
GM's decline over the course of this year wasn't enough to convince bondholders and the UAW to grant any concessions, but recent reports that the carmaker was in precautionary preparations for filing a Chapter 11 may have galvanized action on the part of the bondholders. Allowing GM to go to bankruptcy court would leave bondholders in the dark as to the company's future outcome. Furthermore, the previous reluctance to engage GM's demands from bondholders may be starting to wane as bankruptcy becomes the most probable outcome of GM's future. In fact, one bondholder with a large stake in the...
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Mercedes Benz releases AMG sports pack for new S-Class and CL CoupeHaving already unveiled its facelifted S-Class Sedan at last week’s New York Auto Show, Mercedes Benz released today new images of the svelte saloon wrapped in the carmaker’s latest AMG styling package. The package includes a number features not available individually and provides a...
Alex Kaufmann -
Fiat threatens to walk away from Chrysler dealAt the end of March the President's task force on the auto industry put a 30-day window on Chrysler and Fiat reaching an alliance agreement. Just hours later Chrysler announced the two companies had signed off on the deal. That turned out to be premature, as there remains a strong chance that Fiat...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Opel Launches 325-HP Insignia OPCPacking 325hp (242kW), a sophisticated AWD chassis and a sub-six second 0-60mph time, Opel’s new Insignia OPC is set to take the midsize performance saloon market by storm when it goes on sale in the middle of the year. OPC, which stands for ‘Opel Performance Center,’ is the name...
Kenneth Hall -
Karmann teams up with German utility for electric-car think tankDespite losing lucrative contracts to build cars such as the Chrysler Crossfire and the Audi A4 Cabrio last year, Germany's largest independent automotive supplier and manufacturer, Karmann, is still in business. Today the company announced a partnership with the Oldenburg Energy Group (EWE) to...
Jeremy Weber -
Michigan to become battery technology hub with new $1.7 billion investmentMichigan may be most widely recognized as the home of the troubled Detroit 3, whose past ignorance of creating efficient cars and embracing SUVs has landed them in hot water. Now, the state wants to change this image and create a reputation as a future base for greener cars, an initiative that has...
Ralph Hanson