Car News
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Ford in the UK has teamed up with car security marking and registration systems specialist, Retainagroup, and is attempting to thwart the rising epidemic of catalytic converter thefts by permanently marking the exhaust system with a unique identity so that they can be recognized once removed from the vehicle. Each mark, applied to the casing of the catalytic converter, comprises a logo (the manufacturer’s or Retainagroup’s international security register), a unique seven-digit code and a 24-hour telephone number. Once the mark has been applied, the unique code is recorded with...
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2009 Kia Sportage RevealedKia has revealed the first images and details for its 2009 model-year facelift for the Sportage compact SUV. The changes are minimal, consisting of a few minor styling updates and the addition of a new diesel engine, and should ensure the car remains competitive against the top-selling Toyota RAV4...
James Martinez -
First Road-Legal Maserati MC12 Versione Corse On SaleThe Versione Corse is a track-only car based on Maserati’s MC12 GT1 race car from the FIA GT-championship–the same car that won the Manufacturers' Championship back in 2005. This black example is the first of the 12 Versione Corses built, and it's being sold at an auction in Germany and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MG TF production finally restarts in UKUpdate: Following a number of false starts and several niggling quality issues, new owners of the MG label, China’s Nanjing Auto, have finally restarted production of the MG TF roadster at the company’s Longbridge plant in the UK – three and a half years after the factory closed...
James Martinez -
Rear-wheel-drive Lamborghini Murcielago LP710-2 by Edo CompetitionGermany’s Edo Competition is an expert when it comes to modifying ultra-rare exotics so who better to tune one of Lamborghini’s fastest and most hardcore cars ever produced – the limited edition Murcielago LP640. Squeezing more power from the car’s highly strung V12, where...
Siddarth Raja -
Update: Chrysler could release new vehicles and platforms as early as next yearUpdate: Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli has put to rest fears the carmaker’s new midsize global platform - internally known as ‘Project D’ – is taking up too many resources and could be delayed by announcing that several unexpected vehicles and platforms could be unveiled by as...
Nelson Ireson -
General Motors has announced today a $15.5 billion net loss for the second quarter of the year, with declining sales of large pickups and SUVs and $9.1 billion of predominantly non-cash special items largely to blame for the poor result. The other key factors were costs associated with the American Axle and factory strikes, charges related to its U.S. hourly worker buyout program, and actions to reduce North American truck capacity. The loss equates to $27.33 per share for the second quarter - including all the one-off charges and special items - compared with net income from continuing...
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Mercedes-Benz considers building GLK in U.S., diesel C-Class and GLK on their wayMercedes-Benz is considering building its new GLK compact SUV in the U.S. to take advantage of the low dollar and the vehicle’s expected popularity in the North American market. Despite the decline in the popularity of SUV models, the U.S. is expected to remain the single biggest market for...
Kenneth Hall -
GM planning major company-wide incentivesFollowing from last week’s rushed announcement for an extension of the existing employee discount program to friends and extended family of employees, General Motors has released a new memo to its dealers stating that it plans to offer a $4,000 bonus cash on the purchase of the 2008 GMC Yukon...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Update: Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart priced at $26,490Update: Mitsubishi has announced pricing for its new 2009 Lancer Ralliart turbocharged AWD sedan, putting it in direct competition with the similar priced and specced Subaru WRX. Positioned between the Lancer 2.4 GTS and high-performance Lancer Evolution X, the new Lancer Ralliart comes with a...
Kenneth Hall -
U.S. distributor for Smart boosts 2008 sales forecastSoaring demand for compact and fuel-efficient vehicles in the U.S. has seen sales of the diminutive Smart ForTwo outstrip expectations, causing its distributor, Penske Automotive Group, to increase forecasts for 2008 sales. Original estimates for the ForTwo were pegged at just 20,000 units for the...
Ralph Hanson -
Used Toyota Prius' averaging higher prices than new modelsDemand for the Toyota Prius in the U.S. is so high that most new models sit on dealer lots for an average of just five days, and waiting lists of or more than three months are becoming more and more common. Toyota is struggling to keep up with demand, and has started construction of several new...
Kenneth Hall -
Updated with new images. MTM is not known for its restraint - it is, after all, the same company that fitted two engines into an Audi TT to set a speed record at Nardo. Its engineers have now taken the tuner’s brand of high-power, no-holds-barred modification to the internal workings of the new Audi RS6 Avant, already one of the most powerful production cars on the planet, and managing to boost output to even more extreme highs. The Audi RS6 comes from the factory with 580hp (432kW) and catapults from 0-100km/h in less than 5 seconds. MTM was dissatisfied with this figure and so decided...
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Saab 9-3 Concept could appear at Paris Motor ShowSaab is set to present a new offroad version of its compact 9-3 model, dubbed the 9-3X, at this year’s Paris Motor Show but according to latest reports the car could be joined by a concept version of the next-generation model. The new show car will be the third concept car from the Swedish...
Siddarth Raja -
Update: Chrysler in further negotiations with Nissan, still talking with Fiat and TataUpdate: Yesterday reports emerged claiming Chrysler was in talks with Tata and Fiat over a deal to sell its Jeep Wrangler SUV in India and other parts of Asia. Latest reports indicate that Chrysler is still in talks with Nissan, and is even considering building a new pickup truck for the Japanese...
Nelson Ireson -
Update: Japanese firms developing carbon-fiber for mass productionCarbon-fiber is seen by many in the auto industry as one of the most effective ways of reducing vehicle weight and improving fuel economy and emissions levels, but the relative expense of the material means that it’s still reserved for only a handful of high-end production cars. BMW has...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: GM to cut 15% of salary staff in North AmericaGeneral Motors is expected to announce heavy second-quarter losses tomorrow along with a new round of job cuts planned for North America. This time the cuts will effect salary workers, with latest reports indicating that up to 5,000 jobs, or about 15% of GM’s North American white-collar work...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Schumacher hits pedestrian while driving Fiat vanMichael Schumacher's spokeswoman has confirmed the retired seven time world champion was involved in a road accident in England. A car dealer in Kent, a county in southeast England, told the Mirror newspaper that he was struck as a pedestrian on Sunday by a modest Fiat Ducato van - which had the...
James Martinez -
Following the call by Michigan members of congress for the government to support a multi-billion dollar aid package for the auto industry, Senate Democrats have approved a $6 billion package to secure low-interest loans for the Detroit Three. The package will be financed by Congress for $900 million, in order to guarantee the $6 billion in loans, and Congress may consider further stimulus packages later this year. If the entire $25 billion package were to be approved it would cost Congress a total of $3.75 billion - which will provide $25 billion in loan guarantees for auto makers who are...
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Toyota tops CAFE ratings for 2007With its industry-leading hybrid program pushing it forward, Toyota has claimed the top spot in the annual CAFE fuel efficiency ratings in the U.S. The result confirms the company's fuel-efficient image as legitimate, though both Honda and Hyundai trailed within just a few tenths of a mile per...
Nelson Ireson -
Update: GM will stay in lease business through AugustUpdated: General Motors announced today that it would stay in the leasing business through August at the least. The obvious implication is that the company, via its GMAC finance corporation, is considering getting out of the leasing business, much as Chrysler has done. Ford's choice to simply...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford chooses Honeywell for first EcoBoost turboThe first EcoBoost engine to hit Ford's lineup will be powered in part by a Honeywell turbocharger. Lincoln's 2010 MKS (2009 model pictured) will feature a 3.5L V6 that is the first application of Ford's efficiency-enhancing downsizing EcoBoost strategy. Honeywell was chosen for its status as a...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Porsche to post $17 billion profit, exceeds revenuesOn revenues of $13.3 billion, Porsche is expected to report a profit of $17.05 billion for the 2007 fiscal year. How a company manages to make more money than it takes in is a technicality of accounting, but the result is no less staggering. The upside-down figures are due to a revaluation of the...
Nelson Ireson -
GM has small engines ready, waiting for customer demandThe automobile industry - and especially the players in the U.S. market - have long been engaged in an all-out battle for more power and performance. The 2008 fuel crunch has shaken that strategy up somewhat, but General Motors says it still needs a signal from buyers that they are willing to...
Nelson Ireson