Car News
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Just five years ago GM was selling a little over 100,000 vehicles per year in China, and only two years ago the figure was 500,000. Today, GM’s sales tally in the rapidly expanding market is in excess of one million vehicles and a significant number of these are Buicks. The brand is so advanced in China that today officials took the wraps off a new hybrid version of the LaCrosse sedan, dubbed the Eco-Hybrid, and plan to start selling fuel-cell versions as well by as early as 2010. The Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid was developed by Shanghai GM, a partnership between GM and Shanghai Auto, and...
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Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner updated for 2009The new model launches at the Detroit Auto Show may be over but that hasn’t stopped America’s carmakers from dishing out even more new models and updates. Ford, for example, chose to use this week’s Washington Auto Show and the coinciding Automotive News World Congress to announce...
Siddarth Raja -
Updated: More pics of 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL faceliftUpdated: We now have the first completely undisguised images of Mercedes’ facelifted SL convertible ahead of the new car’s world debut, rumored to be at March’s Geneva Motor Show. The current model is arguably one of the most stylish and elegant cars on the road but our initial...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Perks of the job: Ferrari F1 driver gets custom Fiat 500F1 drivers are usually given a carmaker’s top performance model when they sign up to race under them, probably because anything else would be painstakingly slow in comparison to an F1 racer, so imagine the surprise when Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was handed the keys to a humble Fiat 500...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
FIA increases cost of F1 superlicenseThe FIA has radically increased the price of obtaining a formula one 'superlicense'; the mandatory credential for participating as a driver in official sessions at grands prix. Previous to 2008, superlicencess cost just €1,690 plus €447 per point scored in the most recent world...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Iconic Mini gets a Chinese cloneChina’s motor industry has been frequently maligned in the automotive press for its less-than-original designs and the latest car from one of the country’s biggest manufacturers, Lifan Auto, has ripped off not only the design of one car but also the name of another. Pictured above is...
Alex Kaufmann -
Nigel Stepney, the sacked Ferrari engineer who is widely credited for triggering the espionage scandals last year, has denied responsibility for the penalties suffered by McLaren. Despite admitting that he was the source of the 780-page secret dossier found in Mike Coughlan's possession, Stepney said it was the suspended McLaren chief designer who used the information improperly. "I don't feel responsible in any way at all for what happened at McLaren," Stepney, who was previously best known for being Michael Schumacher's former chief engineer, told Sky Sports. "My ideas were to make contact...
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Ford’s global RWD platform to be engineered in the U.S.When GM decided to rejuvenate its RWD lineup it turned to its Holden division in Australia to spearhead the engineering work for the new cars. The Aussie market is unique in that it’s home to two of the world’s most affordable, spacious, and powerful RWD models, the Holden Commodore and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Redesigned Acura TSX and TL arriving next yearAcura may be having troubling with the design of its NSX flagship but the launch of its next-generation TSX (Accord Euro) is still on track for a mid-2009 introduction. The model will adopt styling similar to that previewed by the Honda Tourer concept unveiled at last year’s Frankfurt Motor...
James Martinez -
American made Astra in the works?The continuing story of America's devaluing dollar difficulties is one of ups and downs. While it's certainly disturbing for Americans to see their money worth less and less on the global scene, increasingly affordable American labor is drawing the eyes of many car makers. Already Mercedes-Benz...
Nelson Ireson -
Project Better Place and Renault-Nissan team up for EVsShai Agassi's Project Better Place has received quite a lot of press lately for its seemingly futuristic plans to bring electric vehicles and recharging stations out of the movies and into the streets. The future is now, however, as the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Project Better Place have...
Nelson Ireson -
Mercedes-Benz could move C-Class production to U.S.Despite the downturn in the U.S. economy, luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz continue to see sales growth in the world's biggest car market. The falling dollar has made it even more profitable to build cars in America - and Mercedes already builds M-, R- and GL-class vehicles in its Alabama plant. It...
Nelson Ireson -
The war for ever-faster, more powerful cars may be drawing to a close. Fuel economy regulations and simple practicality are beginning to make the push for more horsepower unrealistic. Chevrolet's Corvette is a perfect example - the 2009 ZR-1 revealed at the Detroit auto show makes 650hp and tops out at 200mph - and its designers are already eying ways to keep performance levels the same as the current generation while improving fuel efficiency. The new ZR-1 is an absolute monster, putting out supercar power for sports car prices. Pushing the envelope even further is beginning to seem a bit...
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Legendary HEMI not part of Chrysler’s future powertrainsFirst Cadillac revealed it was canceling its V8 program and now Chrysler has announced that its legendary Hemi V8 engine doesn’t have a bright future. Rising oil prices and toughening fuel economy standards is causing carmakers around the world to rethink their powertrain options, and the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mainstream carbon fiber still 10 years offMost performance enthusiasts are well versed in the benefits of carbon-fiber, but if GM has its way your mom could be extolling the virtues of the space age material as well. In fact, as GM exec Tom Wallace pointed out in a recent interview, "carbon is one-fifth the weight of a composite, which is...
Ralph Hanson -
BMW considers adding a ‘green’ brandSince the release of its official strategy back in September, media sources around the world have been speculating that BMW was looking at either launching its own new brand or acquiring one to help expansion. BMW officials, however, have adamantly denied rumors of a possible fourth brand within...
Kenneth Hall -
Mystery prototype turns out to be MC1 supercarEarly last year, images of a heavily disguised prototype surfaced and led to speculation that the test-mule was in fact a future Lotus model. Most sites, including this one, concluded the car was the next-generation Esprit in testing but it appears it was actually the creation of a new joint-effort...
Alex Kaufmann -
M engineer gives details on new BMW flagshipWhen BMW first rolled out the imposing CS Concept car at last year’s Shanghai Auto Show there were few that suspected a production version would ever be a possibility. But then we got confirmation a new BMW flagship was in the works, one that would be based on the new CS. Going by the name...
Siddarth Raja -
Nissan’s recently launched GT-R has been met with much acclaim and Lexus’ upcoming LF-A supercar is showing great promise, so now the pressure is on Honda and its Acura division to wow the automotive world with a new version of the legendary NSX supercar. Acura previewed one possible design at last year’s Detroit Auto Show with the Advanced Sports Car Concept, but the design was quickly dropped due to the unfavourable response given by the public. Time is ticking and Acura’s designers are working hard on penning a new design, the only problem is they can’t come...
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New Images: Audi R8 V12 TDI ConceptAudi's R8 made waves in 2007 as a very accessible, driver-friendly supercar-class vehicle - one you could drive daily if you wanted to. Now the maker from Ingolstadt is taking that theme even further - along with the power - by wedging a V12 diesel inside. Fuel economy, power and all the wonder...
Nelson Ireson -
Spyker bringing LWB C8 Laviolette to GenevaDutch supercar company Spyker may still be wrestling with its financial demons but that doesn’t mean it won’t be presenting at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. After undergoing a management shakeup and major refinancing, Spyker made the hard decision that it would have to drop plans...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Carmakers forced to add wider seats for America’s spreading waistlineAmericans - unlike their cars - are getting wider every year. Unfortunately, carmakers aren’t keeping up with the nation’s spreading waistline, especially when it comes to their seats, and passengers are starting to feel the pinch. That’s why at this year’s Detroit Auto Show...
Ralph Hanson -
Aston Martin DB9 Coupe and Volante by MansoryStill finding it hard getting over the fact you’ve missed out on your chance to own the stunning DBS coupe? One of our favourite tuners, Mansory, may have the next best thing. The German outfit’s latest package for the DB9 coupe and droptop Volante looks every bit as gorgeous as the DBS...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Million dollar Corvette ZR1 and car-crushing Robosaurus at Barrett-Jackson 2008This year’s Barrett-Jackson auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona, had one of the most varied lineups in the event’s history, with several yet-to-be released models, a car-crushing robot dinosaur, and the usual assortment of ultra-rare muscle cars all going under the hammer. One of the...
Ralph Hanson