Car News
-
Ford’s European Focus family was recently given a midlife facelift and to spruce things up further the top-end cabrio model is also now available in a limited ‘Black Magic’ trim. Like the previous Fiesta edition, the new model will be limited to just 1,500 examples and is available with either a 145hp 2.0L petrol unit or a 136hp turbodiesel. Differentiating the car from the regular fleet is the unique ‘Panther Black’ metallic paint, 17in alloy wheels powder-coated in black, new front fog lights with chrome detailing, tinted headlights, and unique front and rear...
-
AC Schnitzer restyles ACS6 BMW 6-seriesBMW-specialist AC Schnitzer has released its latest aero kit for the facelifted 6-series coupe and cabrio and has added a host of performance upgrades as well. Like its predecessor, the new front skirt of the ACS6 mirrors the famous kidney design of the grille but gets a more aggressive look with...
James Martinez -
Preview: Fiat 500 'Giardinetta' wagonThere have long been rumors of Fiat developing several new variants of the wildly successful Fiat 500 and recently the first of these, a new wagon or 'Giardinetta,' has been spotted with some heavy camouflage. Despite engineers’ best attempts to cover the car, the prototype is easily...
Ralph Hanson -
Teenage crashes cost U.S. $34 billion annuallyA study undertaken by the American Automobile Association (AAA) has found car crashes involving 15-17 year old teenagers cost the U.S. over $34 billion each year. The study takes into account a number of quantifiable factors related to crashes including the cost of medical expenses, lost work and...
Siddarth Raja -
Mercedes-Benz unveils new four-cylinder diesel lineupMercedes-Benz announced a new range of four-cylinder diesel engines today, reiterating their focus on reducing engine size while maintaining performance. The new lineup delivers better economy and power levels than Mercedes’ previous generation of four-cylinder diesel engines, with the most...
Siddarth Raja -
200,000 British drivers could get refund on speeding fineAnyone that has been caught by a speed-camera knows the angst felt at the thought of paying a fine and losing points on your license (depending where you're from), but the sad fact is that most of us just take it on the chin and move on. But one man, a Brit by the name of Simon Grills, has fought...
Ralph Hanson -
Volkswagen and Audi tuning specialist Hofele has taken the wraps off its new ‘Hofele-Design’ aero and exhaust kit for the Mark V Golf GTI, giving the sporty hatch an aggressive new look and performance to match. The kit includes a large front spoiler with two massive air intakes on either side, sporty side sills with integrated air intakes and a host of engine mods. Power gets a slight bump thanks to a four-tube Hofele stainless steel muffler that must be used in conjunction with the tuner's custom rear apron. The car also gets a rather menacing quad tailpipe arrangement - the...
-
Midsize sedans show dramatic improvement in safetyTests undertaken by America’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveal that a number of popular 2008-model midsized sedans have shown marked improvements in their side-impact safety ratings. However, the news isn't all good as the majority of cars tested saw only marginal...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford pledges to cut emissions by 30%In a move designed to appease green-minded investors, Ford has pledged to reduce its new-vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020 at the latest for both the U.S. and Europe. Ford believes promoting itself as environmentally responsible will attract customers, mimicking the strategy Toyota...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Vauxhall VXR8 to get 7.0L 570HP Corvette ZO6 engineHolden’s in-house tuner HSV recently took the wraps off a new super-sedan concept destined for production later in the year. The new concept was the HSV W427, a VE Commodore powered by the Corvette ZO6’s 7.0L LS7 V8 engine, and it was showcased last month at the Melbourne Motor Show...
Alex Kaufmann -
Changan V802 Concept headed for Beijing Motor ShowChinese car designers are rarely lauded for their efforts, mostly because of the country’s reputation for ‘borrowing’ designs from other brands, but a number of local carmakers are helping to turn around the bad rep with several interesting concepts planned for this month’s...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Land Rover celebrating 60th anniversary with Goodwood appearanceLand Rover will be celebrating its 60th anniversary as the featured marque at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in July and will showcase a new automotive sculpture by artist Gerry Juddah. The sculpture will incorporate an original 1948 Land Rover, a selection of vehicles from the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The summit that will determine the future of embattled FIA president Max Mosley will be held on June 3, the governing body confirmed on Wednesday. The FIA said last week that the meeting, to involve the full membership of the body, would take place in Paris to discuss "the widespread publicity following an apparently illegal invasion of (Mosley's) privacy". "The General Assembly will include a vote of confidence by secret ballot," the new statement reveals. Mosley has vowed to sue the British tabloid News of the World for the expose about his recent exploits with five prostitutes, and the...
-
Three Chyrsler plants may not be halted this summerA month ago news of Chrysler's impending two-week North American summer shutdown sent ripples through the automotive press. Speculation of tough times and drastic fixes ran amok. Today word from Chrysler reveals that at least three factories could remain open while the rest of the company takes a...
Nelson Ireson -
Mercedes to file Bluetec patent claim against AudiMercedes-Benz is planning a suit against Audi for infringement of its Bluetec technology. Under a European patent Daimler owns rights to the particular nature of the system, which controls emissions of diesel engines. Daimler claims to have sent at least three letters through its legal department...
Kenneth Hall -
SpeedART BTR-XS 650 Extreme 911 GT2German tuning house speedART has taken the wraps off its latest mad-Porsche, a heavily boosted version of the already extreme 997 GT2. After going under the knife the car comes out with increased power and torque, custom alloys and suspension upgrades, lifting performance to the levels expected...
Ralph Hanson -
Alfa Romeo in talks with Jaguar over RWD platformsIf Alfa Romeo is serious about competing with Germany’s premium labels it will eventually have to drop its core FWD lineup or at least offer more affordable rear-drive models. However, the carmaker’s low volume status makes developing a brand new premium RWD platform unfeasible. One...
Ralph Hanson -
Transport for London research shows c-charge actually increases CO2 emissionsPorsche has consistently claimed London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s argument that his new congestion charge will help reduce CO2 levels in the UK capital is based on false information and now the carmaker has some substantial evidence. A report from King’s College never publicly released by...
Alex Kaufmann -
Update: From next year onwards the Tesla Roadster will no longer be a U.S. only model as the company has confirmed it will start selling its all-electric car in Europe in just over 12 months. Tesla had always planned to make its Roadster a global model but with the U.S. dollar falling sharply against the euro over the last two years and Europe’s strong concerns about global warming and its eagerness for sustainable motoring company bosses sped up the export program. Furthermore, rules for homologating a new car for sale across Europe will be simplified in April next year and will allow...
-
Preview: Mercedes-Benz CLK Shooting BrakeMercedes-Benz isn’t set to reveal its all-new 2010 CLK until early next year but new reports coming out of Germany claim a ‘shooting brake’ concept version will be on display at the Paris Motor Show this October. The concept, previewed by the rendering above, is said to combine...
James Martinez -
Nissan GT-R ECU cracked and delimitedPreviously we reported on the Nissan GT-R's 'uncrackable' speed limiter, which could only be delimited when entering circuits via a GPS link. While Nissan assured customers the encryption on the ECU was very sophisticated and difficult to crack, U.S.-based COBB tuning has indeed cracked the speed...
Ralph Hanson -
Audi planning higher volumes for A1 minicarAudi could be producing more A1 minicars than previously predicted as the carmaker bolsters output ahead of its 2015 sales deadline. You may recall Audi has set itself an ambitious target of building more than 1.5 million vehicles by the middle of the next decade, and to help reach that goal...
Kenneth Hall -
Detroit 3 looking at U.S. exports to boost profitsCarmakers may be finding it tough importing cars into the U.S. because of the weak dollar but on the flipside exporting cars outside of the States is proving to be very lucrative. Combine this with last year’s revised labor contracts and U.S. carmakers are now faced with a tremendous...
James Martinez -
Video: Heffner 850HP Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder TTThe Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is already one of the most desirable cars on the planet with its stunning good looks and monster of an engine. The owner of this Gallardo Spyder, however, just wasn't happy with the stock 500hp 5.0L V10 so decided to call on Heffner performance to add a couple of...
Alex Kaufmann