Car News
-
Rising fuel prices are having a real impact on American driving habits for the first time in decades. Over 40 billion fewer total miles were driven through the first four months of 2008 than over the same period in 2007. In May alone, Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles than the previous year. This constitutes the single largest and most enduring decline in vehicle miles traveled since the U.S. Department of Transportation began keeping statistics on the matter, according to CNNMoney.com. The main avenues of escape from miles driven are trains, buses and bicycles, in addition to an...
-
GM planning Volt sneak peek for employeesGeneral Motors has revealed that it will unveil the Volt plug-in hybrid in near-production form to employees in a special sneak preview this September. Celebrating 100 years in the car business on September 16th, GM is reportedly nearly finished with the car's basic design, and is now working on...
Nelson Ireson -
Facelifted 911 Turbo, GT3 and GT2 to receive direct-injection tech
Porsche will add direct-fuel-injection technology to its high-performance Turbo and GT3 and GT2 variants of the 911 Coupe as part of the mid-cycle update planned for the cars over the next 12 months. Porsche first applied direct injection technology to the 4.8L V8 Cayenne SUV but has since...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Hyundai to show custom Genesis Coupe at SEMA
Teaming up with Rhys Millen Racing to build a SEMA show car, Hyundai will perform its part of the bargain by supplying a 2.0L turbocharged version of the car. Designed to showcase the tuning potential for the Coupe, the car will be called the 'Art of Speed' and will be on show in Las Vegas this...
Nelson Ireson -
Audi boosts output of entry-level A5 in Europe
Audi has updated its entry-level A5 model, adding more power while reducing fuel-consumption and emissions. The base A5 in Europe will now be available with a 178hp (132kW) 2.0L TFSI engine instead of the former 1.8L TFSI, and its average carbon-dioxide emissions have been reduced by as much as 9%...
Ralph Hanson -
VW Jetta TDI eligible for $1,300 tax credit in U.S.
Volkswagen has announced that buyers of the Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen in the U.S. are eligible for a $1,300 tax credit that’s normally reserved for hybrid vehicles. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a certification letter affirming that the Jetta TDI qualifies for...
Siddarth Raja -
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that its partnership with British sports car manufacturer McLaren will come to an end when the current agreement to build the SLR supercar expires next year. As the two carmakers head their separate ways and announce plans for separate, and this time competing, supercar models, a rivalry is beginning to emerge between the two. In a few years McLaren will launch a successor to its original F1 supercar from the 1990s, which according to Auto Motor und Sport will feature a mid-engine layout and a V10 powerplant. While the F1 featured a V12 engine and at its height was...
-
Chase Auto terminates leases for Chrysler vehicles
Chase Auto Finance announced today that it will no longer offer leases for Chrysler vehicles, following a similar announcement made on Friday by Chrysler Financial to stop its own leases on August 1. The reason behind the latest decision according to a Chase spokeswoman is because of fears of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2010 Chevrolet Camaro officially unveiled
Updated with new video. Since 2006, General Motors has been teasing the automotive world with the Camaro Concept, and now the production car is officially revealed to the world. Due to start production February 16th, 2009, the car is being marketed as a high-tech and efficient high-performance car...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford raises lease prices to combat losses
Following on the heels of Detroit cohorts Chrysler and GM, Ford has announced it is having major lease difficulties as well. Unlike its competition, however, Ford will simply price its leases higher by readjusting residual values of several vehicles. The move will make it less affordable to lease...
Nelson Ireson -
Mazda reveals details for 2009 U.S. lineup
Focusing on enhanced efficiency through lighter packaging and incremental improvements, Mazda's 2009 lineup includes mostly expected changes. News of the next version of what may be Mazda's most tantalizing model - the MX-5 Miata - remains in shadows, however. Changes to the aging RX-8 are minimal...
Nelson Ireson -
Update: Progressive gets detailed on use-based insurance
Update: Progressive has announced a more fine-grained approach to use-based insurance pricing. Cars can be fitted with a ‘black box’-type device that records acceleration patterns, brake usage and other important data the insurance company believes contributes to a driver’s risk...
Nelson Ireson -
Along with the list of 2009 model year changes for the entire BMW M range is the introduction of a new ‘Competition Package’ for the M6 Coupe. The latest package includes increases the performance of the already strong car, with an updated chassis, lowered suspension, new aluminum wheels and a restyled bonnet distinguishing the Competition Package from the standard M6. Updates to the car’s mechanicals include a new active-chassis monitoring system, designed to alter the suspension travel and firmness on the fly. The Competition Package M6 also sits lower than the regular M6...
-
BMW reveals 2009 model year updates for M range
BMW will be introducing a host of updates for its M range of cars for the 2009 model year, with a number of styling and mechanical changes, plus increased equipment found on the latest M3, M5 and M6 models. Major changes include the introduction of BMW’s new iDrive system throughout the range...
Ralph Hanson -
Microsoft expands auto business, promises to deliver more vehicle interface and electronic systems
Microsoft today announced that it will expand its automotive business unit with a number of new interface software systems and electronic services expected to be rolled out over the next couple of years. The first of these new features will be the immediate availability of ‘Microsoft Live...
Alex Kaufmann -
Michigan congress members back billion-dollar federal aid package for U.S. auto industry
The flailing U.S. auto industry could be thrown a lifesaver if congressional plans to stage a bailout go ahead. A party led by Michigan's congressional delegation is attempting to secure funds that would give U.S. auto manufacturers up to $27 billion in federal aid over the next five years and...
Alex Kaufmann -
Eaton working on new supercharger tech as demand grows
Today's superchargers are high-performance, computer-designed and thermally efficient, but they are still based on the same basic design that's been on the market for decades. New developments, including variable speed units and superchargers for hybrids promise to offer even more benefits...
Nelson Ireson -
New actuator technology promises cheaper dual-clutch transmissions
Industry research and development specialist Ricardo plc has unveiled a research prototype car with a demonstration version of its new electromagnetically-actuated transmission technology. The solution promises to deliver low cost automated manual (AMT) and dual-clutch (DCT) transmissions to the...
Nelson Ireson -
In March, 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. Now the company has revealed that a new infusion of $24 million in cash is moving the process along. If everything goes according to plan, Aptera will begin production of its airplane-like Typ-1 electric vehicle (EV) in December, 2008 with first deliveries to start in early 2009. A Typ-1 plug-in hybrid is expected to follow. The car will only be available in California upon launch. Priced at a mere $27,000 the...
-
Update: GM paying Hummer dealers early bonuses, preparing to buyout stores
Update: With General Motors publicly announcing its doubts about Hummer's viability and plans to sell the brand, many dealers were upset about the carmaker’s seeming lack of care for the predicament they had been placed in by the comments and the potential loss of the multi-million dollar...
Nelson Ireson -
GM to cut pickup production, shorten Saab warranties
Part of the company's continuing reorganization plan, General Motors has taken several actions today to lighten its load in the face of reduced demand. Cutting back truck production, much like rival Ford recently announced, has been expected for some time. But reducing the warranty terms on U.S...
Nelson Ireson -
Electricity generated from exhaust promises 10% efficiency gain
The rising cost of oil is making expensive fuel-saving technologies more and more viable as prices continue to go upwards at the pumps. Researchers at the Ohio State University and at Caltech in California have developed a method of increasing fuel efficiency by 10% using a special material that...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Update: Fiat loses Chinese patent claim against Panda clone
Updated: In counterpoint to a recent Italian court's ruling prohibiting sale of Great Wall Motors' (GWM) GWPeri in Europe, a Chinese court has found Fiat's patent claim against the company to be without merit. Undeterred, Fiat is now weighing its options to continue prosecuting the matter. The...
Nelson Ireson -
AC Schnitzer reworks the BMW X6
The somewhat ungainly proportions of BMW's not-a-sedan, not-an-SUV X6 have been the subject of intense debate. It's not ugly in the traditional sense, but it's not especially attractive either. AC Schnitzer has nevertheless decided to take on the challenge of tuning the X6, focusing its efforts on...
Nelson Ireson
