Car News
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Hyundai is preparing to launch the world’s first hybrid vehicle powered by advanced lithium-polymer batteries and capable of running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Now ranked as the world’s fifth-largest carmaker in conjunction with its Kia subsidiary, Hyundai is making strides to build a product line that reflects its status among the world’s top manufacturers. At the Seoul Motor Show today, Hyundai unveiled the world's first hybrid electric vehicle to be powered by a liquefied petroleum injected (LPI) engine. The Elantra LPI Hybrid (standard model pictured) is also the...
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Hamilton stripped of Australian GP points for "misleading" stewardsStewards earlier today declared that Lewis Hamilton and McLaren offered "deliberately misleading" evidence that resulted in Jarno Trulli losing his podium in a post-race inquiry at the Australian GP last Sunday. The reconvened investigation in Malaysia resulted in Hamilton, the reigning world...
Jeremy Weber -
Spy shots: Next-gen Porsche 911 Carrera takes to the 'RingThe current 997 Porsche 911 is still being updated for its mid-cycle refresh, with only the standard Carrera, Carrera 4, and Targa, and GT3 receiving the update. Still in the works are the new Turbo and the GT2 models, though they too are drawing near to their expected unveiling. Last year a test...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Spy Shots: Facelifted Porsche 911 GT3 RS Up ClosePorsche’s current iteration of the 911 has been around for almost four years and is currently in the process of a mid-cycle update. We’ve already seen the introduction of the facelifted Carrera and Carrera S, AWD 4 and 4S models, as well as the GT3, but still in the works are the more...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New Kia Sorento debuts at Seoul Motor ShowSoaring fuel prices and shifting demand towards smaller cars hasn’t deterred Kia from developing a range of new SUV models. Last year the South Korean carmaker introduced the Borrego seven-seat SUV, and now Kia has revealed official details for its all-new 2010 Sorento SUV, which debuted...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Kia previews all-new luxury sedan with KND-5 conceptThe affordable large car segment is starting to get just a little overcrowded, and in a time where customers all around the world are downsizing to smaller midsize models, performance, fuel-economy and overall value is now more important than ever. South Korea’s entrants in this field have...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
It seems like just yesterday that Ferrari's 599 GTB Fiorano took over for the 575 M Maranello, but it's been three years already - time for a mid-cycle restyling. That restyling is expected to be primarily focused at the front of the car, with a focus on giving the car an edgier, more up-to-the-minute look. Expect larger and more aggressive air intakes in an Italian sort of keeping up with the Joneses, as well as California-inspired tweaks around the grille. Power isn't expected to grow much, as the 599's standard 611hp (456kW) output is already generous. The recently unveiled 599 HGTE...
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Scion badged Toyota iQ headed to New York Auto ShowToyota’s new iQ minicar has gone on sale in Japan and most parts of Europe already, but there are now indications that the diminutive hatch could make its way to the United States. A Scion badged version of the car has been snapped by spy photographers on the back of a truck as it was heading...
Kenneth Hall -
MTM takes on KTM's X-BowKTM's X-Bow doesn't really need any help to be extreme. It is born that way. But MTM wasn't satisfied, so they took their tuning ways to the car's engine and brakes to make it even more of a trackday star. The standard X-Bow only sports a 240hp (179kW) four-banger but it's strapped to a lightweight...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ikuo Maeda takes lead at Mazda designThe car industry's design shakeup isn't over yet, folks. Today has already seen a new head of design at Volvo and at Ford of the Americas, but now the former Ford-family brand, Mazda, has also decided to change things up. Replacing Laurens van den Acker, Ikuo Maeda takes the helm of Mazda's design...
Kenneth Hall -
Acura first carmaker ever to get top IIHS and NHTSA ratings for entire lineupIt's not every day that an automotive first is achieved - the industry is over a century old, after all. So that makes Acura's first-ever sweep of top marks in IIHS and NHTSA safety ratings impressive as a first as well as for the safety of its vehicles. The final vehicle to get the top scores was...
Kenneth Hall -
Saturn's Franchise Operations Team leader says brand has partner, will surviveNews that makes or breaks a carmaker's future isn't typically found in Danbury, Connecticut, but these aren't typical times. Saturn's Franchise Operations Team (FOT), a group of eight dealers, has a task force being led by Todd Ingersoll of Saturn of Danbury, and Ingersoll is saying that Saturn...
Ralph Hanson -
Hidden away in General Motors' plans for the next 60 days is a bankruptcy strategy that could see its most successful brands peel off to form a second company, leaving the other brands to languish in bankruptcy for a more extended period. The news comes from an anonymous source within GM via Reuters, and includes hints at what the new company would look like. Formed out of the most profitable units within the current GM, the company would split off during the early parts of a GM bankruptcy filing, reorganizing into a separate business. Other brands, like Saturn, Pontiac, Hummer and...
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MTM builds Audi TTS to 380hpAudi's TT platform has shown some seriously long legs, running in updated but still very familiar form from its debut in 1999 to the present. Now it's showing even more potential remains with the upgraded TTS and TT-RS models. But even that's not enough for the aftermarket, and MTM has answered the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ford continues to look toward Toyota, Honda for inspirationThere's no denying Toyota's rise to power has been as close to meteoric as things get in the lumbering automotive industry. Though it's decades younger than its Detroit rivals, it is healthier, larger and more technologically advanced in almost every way. That's why Alan Mulally is trying to guide...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford design director Peter Horbury takes head design job at VolvoLate last week Steve Mattin decided to leave his job as Volvo's design guru, and already the company has found a replacement in the form of Peter Horbury. The new design director will take up his pencil on May 1. Horbury comes fresh from the same position - executive director of design - at Ford...
Nelson Ireson -
Vorsteiner lifts aerodynamic efficiency of the BMW M3 SedanCalifornian tuner Vorsteiner has just announced the firm’s latest aerodynamic kit for the BMW M3 Sedan. Like its earlier work with Porsche and Mercedes Benz models, Vorsteiner’s new aerodynamic accessories are all made from lightweight dry carbon-fiber to keep weight to a minimum while...
Ralph Hanson -
Hyundai teases new Nuvis crossover conceptHyundai has given us a preview of its new HCD-11 ‘Nuvis’ concept planned for next week’s New York Auto Show, revealing just a profile shot of what appears to be a compact crossover. Hyundai has confirmed that it has plans to add a crossover to its lineup and the latest Nuvis...
Ralph Hanson -
This year's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy is set to be a cracker, with three concept car world premiers planned from bespoke coachbuilders Stile Bertone and Zagato, and a retro sports-car for Morgan. The concept from Bertone is a highly anticipated V8 two-seater built with lightweight materials, and is meant to be an evolution of last year’s B.A.T 11. The new concept from Zagato is being kept under wraps until its unveiling, but there’s growing speculation that the car could be the final production version of the recently revealed Perana Z-One. As for the Morgan, the...
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Aston Martin seeks new investors, planning Middle East expansionLate last year we reported about Aston Martin's primary stakeholder Investment Dar and the Kuwaiti firm’s plans to sell its stake in the British carmaker. Now, Aston Martin chief Dr. Ulrich Bez is claiming Investment Dar Company is planning to keep its stake and has revealed that the carmaker...
Kenneth Hall -
Preview: 2010 Volkswagen Polo three-doorVolkswagen’s new Polo hatch is due to go on sale in the middle of the year as a 2010 model and was first revealed last month at the Geneva Motor Show in five-door trim. We can now get a look at the sportier three-door variant due later this year thanks to these latest computer generated...
Kenneth Hall -
IRS scraps state sales taxes for new car purchasesIn a bid to stimulate the stagnating U.S. economy and give the domestic car market a boost, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that taxpayers who buy a new passenger vehicle this year may be entitled to deduct state and local sales and excise taxes paid for the vehicle when they file...
Ralph Hanson -
Slow sales to keep Corvette plant closed through JulyRick Wagoner was sent packing earlier this week, then GM debuted a new buyer assurance program and guaranteed warranties, and Fritz Henderson put out a message of determination in the face of difficulty today, but Corvette's plant in Bowling Green won't be back in full operation until at least...
Ralph Hanson -
Geely working on updated GT for Shangai Auto ShowSwapping sweeping curves for ungainly protuberances, the new Geely GT goes in an unfortunately awkward direction. First shown off last year at the Beijing Motor Show, the updated GT is headed for Shanghai, but no one's looking forward to the trip. The last car was compared with - there were even...
Nelson Ireson