Car News

  • Mercedes-Benz to buy former Chrysler design studio

    Chrysler announced in March that it would close its Pacifica Advance Product Design Center located just outside of San Diego, California, but the studio won’t be idled permanently as Mercedes-Benz is planning to buy the site. Both carmakers have signed a purchase agreement for the sale of the site, which was listed at $7.3 million. The main building measures more than 35,000 square-feet and employed up to 20 staff when in was in Chrysler’s hands. It is credited with a number of important models including the 300 sedan and Dodge Challenger muscle car, and it was also one of the...

  • Small cabrios unsafe in rollover tests
    Small cabrios unsafe in rollover tests

    It may seem like common sense that small convertibles are less than ideal vehicles in which to perform rollovers and expect safe passage, but testing by Germany's ADAC bears that out with real-world data. When the dust settled, it turned out that none of the cars tested are really safe, though some...

  • Mercedes considering Romanian plant
    Mercedes considering Romanian plant

    As it looks for new ways to grow its business, expanding into new markets and moving existing models to markets it already inhabits, Mercedes-Benz is including Eastern Europe in its plans. The latest reports have the company eying production in the western Romanian county of Timis. Production at...

  • Hybrid cars may not be as eco-friendly as they seem
    Hybrid cars may not be as eco-friendly as they seem

    Real-world tests have shown hybrid cars fall well short of their claimed emissions and fuel efficiency figures, raising the question of whether the technology has so far been anything more than a very effective marketing gimmick. Some diesel-powered cars also received bad marks in the review...

  • Toyota to build 18 greener models for Europe
    Toyota to build 18 greener models for Europe

    Already known for its wide range of hybrids, Toyota has committed to producing 18 new or reworked models in an effort to decrease its fleet average carbon dioxide emissions. The move will help the company meet tighter regulations and reduce the amount of taxes its customers must pay on their cars...

  • Opel reveals new logo to accompany brand refresh
    Opel reveals new logo to accompany brand refresh

    Just like its corporate cousin Vauxhall did earlier this year, Opel is set to unveil a new logo in time for the addition of the Insignia to its ranks. The all-new sedan is the first of a series of new cars that will replace the aging line-up with a fresh design language and a new commitment to...

  • Kelley Blue Book names best road trip cars

    Despite the rising cost of fuel, road trips are one of the defining elements of summer, and as the Northern Hemisphere heads into the hottest months, Kelley Blue Book has named its top 10 road trip vehicles. Although many are solid choices, one stands out from the crowd, and not just because it's a looker - the Bugatti Veyron. You might be wondering how an ultra-limited production (fewer than 300 examples will ever exist) incredibly expensive, 1,001hp, sixteen-cylinder quad-turbo-powered 250mph beast is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chevy's Malibu and Toyota's Prius. Well, so is...

  • Ford being investigated for another fire threat
    Ford being investigated for another fire threat

    Federal safety officials in the U.S. are investigating a potential fire risk in Ford’s Windstar minivan model produced between 1995 and 2003 after authorities received more than 130 consumer complaints about vehicle fires. The investigation is still in its early stages but it could lead to...

  • Toyota to export U.S.-built cars to emerging markets
    Toyota to export U.S.-built cars to emerging markets

    Sales of Toyota’s heavy SUV and pickups have been on the decline in the U.S. for the past several months with rising fuel prices and growing environmental concerns shifting consumer demand towards smaller and more economical vehicles. The carmaker, which usually prides itself on productivity...

  • EU to unveil ESP and tire safety standards next week
    EU to unveil ESP and tire safety standards next week

    Safety standards in the European Union are about to be toughened significantly with new mandates for carmakers set to be revealed next week. Some of the new rules likely to be introduced will include the fitment of advanced low-noise tires, electronic stability control and tire pressure monitoring...

  • Ford cutting production at Volvo, possibly seeking buyer
    Ford cutting production at Volvo, possibly seeking buyer

    Volvo’s sales slump of the past several months has led to a pretax loss of $151 million for the first quarter of the year, and with no sign of turnaround in sight parent company Ford plans to cut production in the hope that it will reduce costs. Latest reports claim Ford is hoping to improve...

  • Prodrive tuned Alfa Romeo Brera S
    Prodrive tuned Alfa Romeo Brera S

    British motorsport company Prodrive has finally released details about its new tuning kit for the Alfa Romeo Brera coupe, which is set to go on sale through Alfa dealerships in the UK in the following months. The kit has been in development for more than a year, with engineers focusing mainly on...

  • Carmakers to promote fuel-efficient driving

    Driving in a fuel-efficient manner is often a matter of common sense, but it's still not a common practice. To increase awareness of things motorists can do to improve their car's fuel efficiency a coalition of auto manufacturers and private businesses are launching a campaign centered around a website that challenges people to drive smarter. The campaign will be officially launched tomorrow, May 20 in Washington, DC. The website, called Drive Smarter Challenge, features an interactive interface that allows the user to select the manufacturer, model, year and engine of their car and then...

  • Nissan begins EV push with joint venture, test project
    Nissan begins EV push with joint venture, test project

    We've been covering Nissan's plans for an all-electric car since 2007, but until now there has been little tangible progress, at least in the public eye, aside from the concept debuted at this year's New York Auto Show. A joint venture with NEC to mass produce advanced lithium-ion batteries and the...

  • Two-thirds of teenagers killed on U.S. roads at night not wearing seatbelts
    Two-thirds of teenagers killed on U.S. roads at night not wearing seatbelts

    Despite widespread safety campaigns and harsher penalties for not abiding to seatbelt laws, a new study has found that more than two thirds of all teenagers killed in vehicle accidents at night were not wearing a seatbelt. Though seatbelt use in the U.S. is rising slowly – 82% last year, up...

  • Toyota Camry to overtake Ford F-150 as U.S. top seller
    Toyota Camry to overtake Ford F-150 as U.S. top seller

    The shift away from fuel heavy SUV and pickups is taking its toll on even America’s top selling Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado, with dealers groups revealing the Toyota Camry – the nation’s best-selling passenger car – is poised to take the number one overall spot if the...

  • Bizzarrini P538 prototype
    Designer envisages a modern Bizzarrini P538

    A legendary name in sports car circles, Giotto Bizzarrini's work, both for his own brand and for others, has contributed to some of the sexiest, fastest and most desirable designs of all time. Now a new take on a Bizzarrini classic, the 1966 P538S, is due to be unveiled next month, with a...

  • Ford bringing Kuga, C-Max to the U.S. after Focus
    Ford bringing Kuga, C-Max to the U.S. after Focus

    Already Ford has announced its plans to bring the global Fiesta small hatch to the U.S., and the Focus is now also slated to join its littler sibling. Alongside those two, due in 2010 and 2011 respectively, will come the Kuga and C-Max, Ford's global crossover SUV and MPV - the third and fourth of...

  • Chrysler aims to cut costs by 25% over three years

    Chrysler has revealed another element of its three year turnaround plan with news today from the carmaker’s purchasing chief John Campi that plans are in place to reduce costs by 25 percent over the next three years. Speaking at a recent supplier conference, Campi said that significant changes in manufacturing and purchasing operations will help reach the target and that any potential savings will be shared among the suppliers as well. Some of the initiatives include a 30 day timeframe for production schedule changes rather than the one-week notice presently used, increased parts...

  • Spy Shots: Ferrari F430 Spider with new hardtop roof
    Spy Shots: Ferrari F430 Spider with new hardtop roof

    Ferrari recently reveal its all-new California grand tourer complete with the carmaker’s first-ever folding hard top roof, but the latest model addition may not be the only coupe-cabrio Ferrari has in the works as revealed by these latest spy shots. The new images depict an F430 Spider with a...

  • Honda could boost U.S. car prices in response to climbing materials costs
    Honda could boost U.S. car prices in response to climbing materials costs

    Earlier this month Toyota announced it would be raising prices across its U.S. line-up, and now it seems Honda may be following suit. The cause is a confluence of factors, with a weak U.S. dollar, high raw materials costs and the global downturn in sales conspiring to make the price rises...

  • Next-gen Saab 9-5 to enter production at Opel plant in 2009
    Next-gen Saab 9-5 to enter production at Opel plant in 2009

    The Saab 9-5 is long overdue for an overhaul, with the current model first hitting streets as far back as 1997, but the next-generation model due late next year may not even be built at Saab’s traditional home in Sweden. Latest reports claim the new model will be sourced from Opel’s...

  • GM study attempts to predict future of SUV and pickups
    GM study attempts to predict future of SUV and pickups

    As sales of heavy SUVs and pickups continue to dwindle and at the same time pull down the market share of the Detroit 3, product planners are now contemplating the final demise of truck-based designs and doing as much as they can to pick up the pieces. We saw earlier today that Ford is planning to...

  • Spy Shots: 2010 Maserati Quattroporte saloon
    Spy Shots: 2010 Maserati Quattroporte saloon

    The Maserati Quattroporte has been on sale in its current guise for almost four years but that’s set to change as a facelifted model is just around the corner. The new car seen here testing in prototype form will hit the streets early next year as a 2010 model and could incorporate a number...

Follow Us on Instagram @motorauthority

News First Drives Auto Shows Photos Videos Spy Shots