Car News
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Previewing the Mark VI production car in ultra-efficient diesel form, the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion concept is a concept only is its engine and application. But that engine and its efficiency tuning make a difference of 11mpg (1.2L/100km) and 20g/km of carbon dioxide. Unlike the Golf TDI Hybrid concept shown at Geneva, the Golf BlueMotion doesn't use any electrical assist technology. Instead it relies solely on a highly efficient 1.6L diesel engine, yet it manages to get within 8mpg US (0.4L/100km) of the hybrid vehicle with its 61mpg US (3.8L/100km) rating. Despite the high efficiency, the...
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Bolwell considers electric version of Nagari supercarAustralian-based manufacturer Bolwell recently made headlines for resurrecting the Nagari, a throwback to an Aussie-built 1960s supercar powered by a Ford V8 enigne. While the current Bolwell Nagari is still in the prototype stages, the company is already looking to the future and is considering...
Ralph Hanson -
Porsche announces 2010 Cayenne S TranssyberiaThe Transsyberia rally is a grueling cross-country race that sees challengers travel more than 4,000 miles through Russia and Mongolia, crossing numerous public roads, gravel tracks, icy rivers and the Gobi desert. Porsche has been competing in the challenge for the past several years with slightly...
Siddarth Raja -
GM announces new lease incentives for Cadillac and SaabPreviously we reported on Chrysler cutting back its lease incentives, and instead attempting to increase retail purchases of their vehicles. In a surprise twist, GM has decided not to do this with Cadillac, revealing to dealers on Friday that new lease incentives will be coming soon. The lease...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford losing ground in Asia-Pacific regionFord is struggling to meet sales targets in the Asia-Pacific region, due mostly to a less than optimum product mix balanced in favor of larger vehicles. The Blue Oval has even lost ground in the burgeoning Chinese and Indian markets this past 12 months, as well as other key regions. In fact, Ford...
Siddarth Raja -
Lexus releases official details and pricing for 2009 IS faceliftThe current-generation Lexus IS sedan first went on sale in 2005 and in keeping with the carmaker’s practice of refreshing its models every three to four years the popular sedan has undergone a minor facelift for the 2009 model year. Changes to the car are minimal, and include a few minor...
James Martinez -
Nissan today announced an interim price adjustment on the 2009 GT-R due to increased raw materials costs, with base prices now starting at $76,840 and prices for the premium model starting at $79,090, up from $69,850 and $71,900 respectively. The new prices are exclusive of a $1,000 destination and handling charge, and don’t apply to customer orders already in dealer hands prior to September 5. All 2009 Nissan GT-Rs are equipped with a standard 3.8L twin turbo V6 producing a claimed 480hp (358kW) and 434lb-ft (588Nm) of torque, backed by a paddle-shifted, dual clutch rear transmission...
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Nissan to unveil Nuvu concept and all-new Pixo city car at Paris Motor ShowNissan will present a new concept vehicle at next month’s Paris Motor Show that the carmaker claims is a preview of a future production model due in the middle of the next decade. The concept is called the Nuvu, short for ‘New View,’ and is described as a compact city car aimed at...
Ralph Hanson -
MG expanding lineup with three new modelsThe limited-edition TF is already on sale in the UK, and over 80% of the 500-car production run is sold out. The TF is just the beginning of the Chinese owner's plans for the brand, however. Starting in 2010, the SAIC-owned MG will begin building a range of new cars, with the first to be a mid-size...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford convinced electricity will beat all alternativesThere are almost as many different approaches to the future of automotive fuel and energy supply as there are carmakers, with hydrogen combustion engines, hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and a number of permutations of these all in development. Ford thinks they are all just...
Nelson Ireson -
2009 Kia Borrego scores 5 stars in NHTSA crash testThe Hyundai-Kia automotive conglomerate is on a roll of late with its stong crash test scores. Just over a week ago the 2009 Hyundai Genesis scored a perfect five-star rating, and now the Kia Borrego SUV has scored the same, which should help the big vehicle with its recently-announced North...
Nelson Ireson -
GM launches site to bust myths about its businessBankruptcy, bailouts, secretive plots to kill electric vehicles - General Motors has been accused of seeking all of these. To help set the record straight, or at least put out the official spin, GM has launched a new 'Facts or Fiction' site that aims to torpedo many of the popular misconceptions...
Nelson Ireson -
Quitting a well-paying job or taking an early retirement is a hard choice to make during an economic downturn, especially when good credit is so hard to come by, so it makes sense that Ford is having a hard time encouraging workers to take their buyout packages. That doesn't ease the need to replace longer-term, highly-paid employees with newer ones under the renegotiated UAW pay scales, however. To help encourage workers to take the buyout packages, Ford has begun holding job fairs to find them other work, making the transition easier for both Ford and its workforce. The Blue Oval is also...
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Update: Chrysler confirms it will cut SUV from its lineupWith Project Genesis already underway at Chrysler the fat is truly being trimmed in order to turn things around for the ailing car maker. The latest step is an elimination of all 'twin' models - cars that look essentially the same, based on the same platform, that target the same buyers, but sold...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Update: Ford Ka to debut at Paris Motor ShowUpdated with new information After a number of leaks, a sighting in a preview clip for the upcoming James Bond movie Quantum of Solace and an official announcement, Ford has revealed even more details about its new Ka minicar. The new model will make its official world debut at the Paris Motor Show...
Nelson Ireson -
One-Off Lamborghini Miura Roadster Makes A ReturnThe Lamborghini Miura Roadster concept has spent the past 40 years doing the rounds of motor shows and sitting idle in the hands of private collectors, a footnote in the annals of one of the most influential cars in history - the mid-engined Miura coupe. Now details of the stunning one-off Miura...
James Martinez -
Ford Fiesta and Mondeo Individual packs set for Paris Motor Show launchFord Europe first launched its ‘Individual’ vehicle customization program at the start of last year for a select number of models sold strictly in Germany and Switzerland under a pilot program. The initiative was designed to meet increasing demand from consumers who sought new ways to...
Ralph Hanson -
BMW's M Division working on CS-based 8-series flagshipThe 2007 Concept CS has been both admired and derided for its dramatic styling, but BMW is moving forward with plans to build an all-new range topping four-door coupe around the concept. The new model is expected to revive the 8-series nameplate and is reportedly set to launch in 2010, putting it...
James Martinez -
Holden has announced today that its Caprice flagship will be exported to South Korea, where it will be sold as the new Daewoo Veritas saloon. The Caprice is essentially a long-wheelbase version of the Zeta-based Commodore/Pontiac G8, and is already exported to China as the Buick Park Avenue. GM was even considering using the car for a new Buick flagship but impending CAFE regulations have shelved the project. The Veritas was first previewed in South Korea back at the Seoul Motor Show in 2007 as the L4X concept car, and will feature GM’s 3.6L global V6 engine and a five-speed automatic...
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Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG by BrabusBrabus is well-known for taking Mercedes vehicles to extreme states of tune, including the V12 twin-turbo Bullit, a tweaked version of the SLR Roadster and even the Daimler-produced Smart ForTwo. Now the company has taken on the C63 AMG, rebranded as the Brabus B63 S, and though the German tuners...
Nelson Ireson -
Small cars make for big repair costsFender-benders in small cars can be a lot more expensive than the speeds involved might otherwise indicate, according to a new study by the IIHS. The results of low-speed crash testing show that some cars can rack up thousands of dollars in repair bills - the Volkswagen Rabbit (Golf) (pictured)...
Nelson Ireson -
First look at possible Ferrari 430 Scuderia SpiderThough high-end supercars have always been something of a marriage of art and performance, Ferrari's cars have always managed to favor the performance side of the equation, even in their large and comfortable grand tourers. The 430 Scuderia, on the other hand, has eschewed all vestiges of fashion...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: GM to show Chevrolet Volt at Sept. 16 centenary celebrationGeneral Motors is planning a number of events to mark its centenary this month, including a formal celebration later this month at its headquarters in Detroit. In the lead up to the date GM has released a number of teaser shots and more details for the production version of its Chevrolet Volt...
Nelson Ireson -
RENNtech tunes the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMGOutrageous power in an unlikely package is not a thing of the past, and it's unlikely ever to truly die, no matter what the mainstream media may say. RENNtech has embraced that philosophy with its latest creation, a tuned version of Mercedes' C63 AMG - itself an already over-the-top take on a...
Nelson Ireson