Car News
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The world of motorsport is facing some of its toughest times in memory as major carmakers pull out of their highest-level programs. The latest to leave the rolls is Mitsubishi's highly successful rally program, which will close operations indefinitely to keep costs down. Twelve-time winners of the grueling Dakar Rally, including a still-unmatched string of seven victories between 2001-2007, Mitsubishi's rally team in many respects is to off-road racing what Ferrari is to Formula 1. Despite the winning record, the company's financial woes include a predicted $670 million net loss, reports...
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China outpaces U.S. in January cars salesThe phenomenally weak market in the U.S. is setting record lows on a regular basis, and today is no exception: China has surpassed the U.S. in total car sales for the month of January. Conservative estimates for 2009 have the U.S. market selling 10.5 million or more vehicles, but so far this year...
Nelson Ireson -
Mercedes Benz AMG division experiences record sales in 2008Vehicle sales across the globe are down, with numbers in major markets like the U.S. and Japan down to their lowest levels decades. However, for a select few companies at the very highest levels of the industry, sales are just fine - in fact, better than ever for some. Mercedes' AMG division is...
Alex Kaufmann -
Anteros Coupe and Convertible go on sale, prices start at $149,500We first heard about Anteros and its custom line of modified Corvette kit cars back in 2006, when the Californian coachbuilder displayed a number of concept versions of the then new kit at the SEMA Auto Show. Today, Anteros is about to start sales of two new kits, both of which are also based on...
Jeremy Weber -
American F1 team may join grid in 2010Last year reports emerged claiming that Ken Anderson, a well-known U.S. engineer who has worked in prominent F1 roles, was in talks with Honda about setting up an American-based F1 team. With Honda announcing its decision late last year to pull out of the sport altogether, speculation about...
Ralph Hanson -
Nissan Confirms Infiniti QX56 And Nissan Quest, Armada To Be Phased Out Of U.S. ProductionLarge SUVs and minivans have fallen on the hardest of times in the industry's late downturn, and casualties of the recession mount daily. Today's trio in triage are the Infiniti QX56, Nissan Quest and Nissan Armada. Nissan today confirmed that it would be bringing U.S. production of the three large...
Nelson Ireson -
No one at this point doubts the country's, or the world's, economic woes, most especially those within the car industry. So the passage today of a Senate bill allowing the deduction of sales tax and interest paid on new car purchases made between November 12, 2008 and the end of 2009 comes as a welcome aid. Clearing the floor with a 71-26 majority, the bill will allow single taxpayers earning as much as $125,000 and couples with combined incomes as high as $250,000 file for the tax break, reports the AP. It is hoped that the measure will both stimulate new car purchases and, more indirectly...
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Aston Martin adds V12 power to Vantage coupeAston Martin will unveil one of the fastest production cars in its 95-year history at next month’s Geneva Motor Show in the form of the new V12 Vantage coupe. The latest addition is based on the current V8 model but Aston Martin engineers have managed to shoehorn the mighty 6.0L V12 engine...
Kenneth Hall -
GM working with U.S. cities to develop plug-in hybrid infrastructureGeneral Motors today outlined a comprehensive plan of action at the Washington Auto Show to help communities get ready for plug-in hybrid vehicles such as its upcoming Chevrolet Volt. The carmaker revealed that it plans to collaborate with communities such as San Francisco and Washington, D.C...
Jeremy Weber -
No 2009 model year for Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution XCash-strapped Mitsubishi won’t be updating its high-performance Lancer Evolution X for the 2009 model year for the U.S. market, with inventory levels for the 2008 model sufficient enough to last the whole year. The Evo X has been runaway success for Mitsubishi, with sales up 50.9% for 2008...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Full Aptera 2e production specifications revealedIn March of last year, Aptera announced it had done all the development necessary to head to production, and that all it needed was to move into acquiring the right equipment and workforce to do so. Soon after the company revealed that a new infusion of $24 million in cash had been acquired, and...
James Martinez -
High-tech high-beams reduce glare, improve visibilityEveryone has experienced it at some time in their night-driving life: the jerk with the ridiculously bright headlights that makes it impossible to see the road ahead. It's more than a mere annoyance, it's a genuine road hazard, and as vehicles have grown taller and lights brighter, the problem is...
Alex Kaufmann -
Saving money has become as important, or even more so, than making it in recent months for many carmakers. There just aren't enough buyers actively seeking new cars, so cutting costs is the only way to improve one's position. Today Ford announced it has saved $1.2 billion in warranty costs over the last two years thanks to improved quality cars. Ford, like many of its rivals, has embarked on a savings campaign that involved selling off assets, reducing model development plans and cutting back on advertising. The announcement of the warranty savings illustrates how investments in improved cars...
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Audi of America president says U.S. not ready for A1 subcompactDepending who you're talking to, Americans are either SUV-loving small-car haters or clamoring for more Euro-hatches to be brought to U.S. streets. Audi of America president Johan de Nysschen thinks most Americans fall into the former camp, saying that the country's car-buying populace just isn't...
Nelson Ireson -
AutoMoto three-wheeler promises efficient 'all-weather' commutingThree-wheeled vehicles, especially scooter-like vehicles, have become rather popular in recent years, with a plethora of companies turning out examples, including Piaggio, Brudeli and Peugeot. Now AutoMoto has tossed its hat into the ring with a unique twist: a three-wheeler that leans. Not the...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW design chief Chris Bangle quits auto industryOne of the most recognized automobile designers in the world, Chris Bangle, has announced today that he plans to quit the auto industry to pursue his own design-related endeavours. Bangle is the controversial designer behind recent BMW design traits such as ‘flame surfacing’ and the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Porsche Cayenne Diesel goes on sale, Panamera may be nextPorsche has stated in the past it would not fit any diesel powerplants to its cars but with toughening fuel economy and emissions regulations looming in both the U.S. and Europe the sports carmaker has been left with no choice. Sales of the Cayenne Diesel have now started in Europe, and according...
Ralph Hanson -
Fiat and Chrysler deal may be completed by mid-FebruaryFiat and Chrysler first released a joint statement announcing they had signed a non-binding term sheet to establish a global strategic alliance just over two weeks ago but according to Fiat's CEO the deal could be signed and completed by as early as the middle of this month. The alliance, to be a...
James Martinez -
When the McLaren F1 first hit the streets it almost immediately catapulted to the top of the performance car scene, taking home the title of world’s fastest production car in 1998 and holding it up until 2005. Building a car better than the original F1 was always going to be a difficult challenge, and perhaps that is why for its successor McLaren isn’t setting its sights too high. While the original F1 competed with the best supercars of its time - cars like the Ferrari F40, Jaguar XK220, and Porsche 959 - its successor will be competing with more ‘entry-level’ models...
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Valentino Rossi admits another F1 chance unlikelyValentino Rossi believes he turned down his only opportunity to switch to Formula 1. A few years ago, the Italian and multiple MotoGP champion tested Ferrari's single seaters and was believed to have been offered the 2006 race seat alongside Michael Schumacher. Rossi, now 29, ultimately opted to...
Motor Authority -
Italian red-light camera maker charged with fraudRed-light cameras and 'smart' traffic lights have been criticized as nothing more than cash cows for the cities that use them to ensnare unwary drivers. Now an investigation unfolding in Italy may be shining a light on even darker practices. More than merely catching out drivers that push the...
Nelson Ireson -
Nissan GT-R SpecV spotted in left-hand drive trimReleased just a few weeks ago, the Nissan GT-R SpecV promises to be an even more hardcore track-focused weapon than the original. Fans that had feared the SpecV might end up a JDM-only variant need fear no longer, as a left-hand drive model has been spotted in the wild, indicating foreign-market...
Ralph Hanson -
Mercedes Benz considers natural gas powered vehicles for U.S.At this week’s Washington Auto Show, Mercedes Benz plans to showcase its compact B-Class hatch with a powertrain designed to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The carmaker already sells a dual-fuel version of the B-Class in Europe that runs on either petrol or CNG or a combination of the...
Ralph Hanson -
BMW will focus on eight-speed automatic transmissionsBMW will soon be offering a new eight-speed automatic transmission developed by ZF that is set to appear first in the 7-series flagship saloon. The new transmission is said to be both more fuel-efficient and cheaper to manufacture than the current six-speed unit, and its performance is also claimed...
James Martinez