Car News
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The Volkswagen Group is already one of the most varied consortiums of auto brands in the world, comprising nine different carmakers all up including the likes of Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley and Audi to name a few. The auto giant is also on the verge of being taken over by Porsche and now its chairman, Ferdinand Piech, has expressed his desires to expand the group with the addition of a motorbike brand. Speaking with German magazine Stern, Piech said he regretted not acquiring the Ducati label during the 1980s when the Italian sportsbike manufacturer was on the verge of bankruptcy and added...
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Britain considering rollout of 'average-speed' camerasIn yet another blow for UK motorists the government is considering the rollout of ‘average-speed’ cameras on hundreds of miles of motorway under its plan to actively control speeding instead of just measuring it. The system uses a number of linked cameras mounted at intervals along a...
Kenneth Hall -
Chryslers exec reveals strategy for future model lineupChrysler has announced it will undertake major changes to its product lineup in order to compete on the world stage. The strategy outlined by its executive VP for product development, Frank Klegon, reveals a car company struggling to adapt to a changing world market but with potential to change its...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Magna sues Tesla over unpaid billIt seems electric car manufacturer Tesla is having trouble keeping its nose clean these days - just a day after our report on Tesla suing Fisker Automotive for deliberately stealing designs, the electric-sports-car startup is now embroiled in another lawsuit and this time ‘round it’s...
James Martinez -
Judge approves Ford Explorer rollover settlementEver since a string of fatal rollovers during the 1990s, the Ford Explorer SUV has had a stigma of being dangerous despite the reason behind the accidents – poorly designed Firestone tires – being resolved. A California judge has now approved the settlement for a class-action case that...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
No more Marlboro logos for FerrariIt is likely that a cigarette brand will never again be outwardly visible on the livery of a formula one car. Other teams - notably Renault, McLaren and Honda - farewelled their tobacco-fuelled dollars a couple of years ago, as anti-advertising laws swept Europe and the world. Ferrari, however...
Ralph Hanson -
China’s rapidly expanding vehicle fleet, increasing manufacturing industry and rising energy demand has pushed the country to the top of the list of world’s biggest polluters, according to research conducted by the University of California. Researchers also claim previous emissions recordings were probably underestimated and that China could have overtaken the U.S. as early as 2006. Details of the study are expected to be published in the Journal of Environment Economics and Management later this week. It concludes that China’s pollution levels will easily negate any...
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New UK biofuel law does more harm than goodNew laws that came into effect in the UK this week mandating all fuels for cars and trucks must have some biofuel content has been found to do more harm to the environment than good. A number of charities including Oxfam and Greenpeace as well as science groups claim the production of biofuel will...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ford raises U.S. Focus production 30%Strong demand for the Ford Focus in the U.S. has led management to boost production numbers of the car by 30% for the remainder of the year. The latest announcement reaffirms the growing shift in consumer demand towards smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles and is a trend most carmakers in the...
Kenneth Hall -
2009 Honda Pilot Takes FlightWe were treated to a preview of the next-generation Honda Pilot at this year's Detroit auto show, and now that the official production variant has been released, we see how accurate a preview it was. Honda's newest mid-size crossover SUV focuses on building its already strong reputation for...
Nelson Ireson -
Toro Rosso F1 team likely to be sold to Kuwaiti companyToro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger is this week in Kuwait, the Middle Eastern state, to explore establishing a Kuwaiti formula one team, according to local reports. Less than a month after Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz declared that his 50 per cent share of the Faenza based squad is for...
Siddarth Raja -
Electric parking brake works with the push of a buttonParking brakes are often overlooked, less-than-glamorous parts of most cars. After all, most of us live in areas that hardly justify their use, especially on automatic transmission cars. But pressure in the industry to drive prices ever-downward means no part can be overlooked when it comes to...
Nelson Ireson -
Hotly anticipated since the first Iroc concept broke cover back in 2006, Volkswagen's newest take on the Scirocco made its production-form debut at this year's Geneva motor show. Now VW has released a pair of promo videos that show the new car in action, inside and out. The first is a computer-generated scene set to a heavy electronic track, but it shows some excellent interior and exterior close-ups of the forthcoming car. The second is a live-action scene depicting a rather mild chase that involves a fairly high-speed 180-degree turn and then after another short run, pauses temporarily in...
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Mazda6-based Besturn B50 to appear at Beijing ShowAnother new model scheduled to be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show has been revealed less than a week out from the show, the latest from First Automobile Works’ (FAW) Besturn brand. The new sedan is called the B50 and is based on the previous generation Mazda6, although it features a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
MG TF could be scrapped for goodAfter briefly rekindling production of the MG TF roadster at the carmaker’s Longbridge plant in May of last year, new owner Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) quickly stalled operations because of quality issues with some of the components it had bought from the bankrupt MG Rover. Now it appears...
Siddarth Raja -
Clinton willing to back government bailout of Detroit 3Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has revealed she would back a government-bailout to protect the Detroit 3 automakers from going bankrupt if the need arose. Her words mirror similar comments from Democrat rival Barack Obama, who in February said he would also help the auto industry...
Ralph Hanson -
New BMW internal combustion engine claimed to clean airBMW has unveiled a new internal combustion engine design that not only produces near zero emissions, but it apparently absorbs and burns ambient air pollutants as well. The ultra-clean engine debuts in the new mono-fuel Hydrogen 7 saloon and is on display at this week’s SAE World Congress...
James Martinez -
Ford turns to nanotechnology to drive performance and mileage gainsNo bolt is being left untouched as carmakers in both the U.S. and Europe strive to develop cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Everything from weight-saving measures to aerodynamic tweaks and even downsized engines are being investigated in the hope that engineers can come up with fuel...
Ralph Hanson -
Both Tesla and Fisker plan to sell a new generation of electric vehicles - Tesla with its recently launched all-electric Roadster and Fisker with its future Karma plug-in hybrid luxury saloon. The two carmakers are now tied up in a lawsuit with Tesla claiming design and trade secrets for a future electric sedan were ‘borrowed’ by Fisker Coachbuild – the company originally commissioned by Tesla to design the car. The lawsuit contends Fisker founder Henrik Fisker and its chief operating officer Bernhard Koehler fraudulently agreed to take on a $875,000 design contract from...
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Acura reveals pricing for 2009 TSXAcura today announced pricing for the all-new 2009 TSX sports sedan that will officially go on sale in the U.S. on April 24th. The completely redesigned TSX will be available in two versions, the standard TSX and the fully-featured TSX with Technology Package. Pricing for the entry-level model is...
Ralph Hanson -
BMW guide to driving the Nordschleife lineGermany’s Nurburgring Nordschleife (Northern Loop) is one of the most demanding, exhilarating and treacherous racing tracks in the world, earning the reputation of being one of the best benchmark circuits for any serious performance driver. Each gruelling lap stretches more than 20km and...
Kenneth Hall -
EPA predicting 75mpg rule by 2030Carmakers already concerned about tough new 35mpg fuel economy standards set to roll in by 2020 now have something else to worry about with the announcement today by an EPA official that passenger cars and light trucks may have to average 75mpg by 2030. The latest statement follows a previous...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM reveals 2009 model year updatesChrysler laid out most of its future plans earlier today, revealing information about a score of upcoming models and technologies including new dual-clutch transmissions, a hybrid Dodge Ram, a fuel-efficient AWD system and a Nissan-sourced small hatch just to name a few, but it isn’t the only...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Update: Chrysler dual-clutch tech arriving this springUpdate: Chrysler has just announced its dual-clutch transmission - developed in partnership with Getrag – will make its debut by the middle of the year in international markets. The advanced gearbox will be available on the 2009 Dodge Journey, Avenger and Chrysler Sebring models and is...
Siddarth Raja