Car News
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Audi’s A5 is now available with Bang & Olufsen’s (B&O) latest stereo systems, an international award winner that’ set to take on the superb Mark Levinson systems found in other luxury makes. The new B&O set-up includes no less than14 speakers, 7.1 surround sound, 10-channel Digital Signal Processing and is rated at 505-Watts. The latter will automatically optimize sound, adjusting it to compensate for background noise, such as road, wind and rain. Audi already offers similar systems in its A8, R8 and Q7, with each set-up uniquely designed for the specific car. The size...
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Rumormill: Lamborghini building a new Murcielago based supercar?Rumours have recently surfaced suggesting Lamborghini is releasing an exclusive new model worth 1 million euros (US$1.6 million). Details are sketchy, but it is believed that only 20 cars will be built, of which only 10 are possibly heading to the US. Last week a 25% scale model of the car was...
Alex Kaufmann -
Mercedes working on 300 SL successorMercedes is working on a spiritual successor to the 300 SL Gullwing, one of the most revered cars in history. Priced between €140,000 and €200,000, the mega-Merc will be built on a shortened SL platform and is codenamed W198. Unlike the Mercedes-McLaren SLR, which was deemed to be a...
Ralph Hanson -
Base Audi A3 gets new turbo engineAudi’s cheapest A3 comes with a 1.6L engine but this is soon to be replaced by an even smaller 1.4L model fitted with a turbocharger. Despite the smaller capacity, the 1.4L TFSI delivers 125hp and 200Nm of torque (respectively 10hp and 45Nm more than the outgoing engine). With the updated...
James Martinez -
ABT modified S3 now delivers 228kWGerman tuning house Abt Sportsline has released its take on the Audi S3. Dubbed simply the Abt S3, this latest member to the Abt family has received various modifications to its 2.0 TFSI engine lifting peak power up to 228kW, 33kW more than standard. Torque has also shot up from an already high...
James Martinez -
Spyker’s new CEO resigns, F1 team could be up for saleSpyker’s interim CEO Michiel Mol has stepped down from the role and will be replaced in the meantime by vice-chairman of Spyker’s supervisory board, Hans Hugenholtz. Mol replaced former CEO and the founder of the Dutch sports car company Victor Muller back in May but his decision to...
Ralph Hanson -
Following last week’s controversial post about Porsche’s new 997 GT2 lapping the Nurburgring’s Nordschleife in an amazingly low 7 minutes and 32 seconds, comes the latest track time for Lamborghini’s Gallardo Superleggera. At the hands of Lambo test-driver and 2002 Ferrari Challange World Champion Luigi Moccia, the lightened supercar lapped the 22.8km circuit in a brief 7 minutes and 46 seconds. The results, which were published in Italy’s Auto magazine, confirm the Gallardo Superleggera is quicker around the notorious track than Ferrari’s 599 GTB Fiorano...
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End of the road for record journey in an Aston MartinThe two Brits that set out to conquer the 10,000-mile trek from Tokyo to London in an Aston Martin V8 Vantage have reached the end of the epic journey, arriving at the UK capital earlier today after traveling for 49 days. In doing so, drivers Richard Meredith and Phil Colley have entered the record...
Ralph Hanson -
E92 BMW Coupe fitted with M5 V10A BMW parts retailer in Germany has just completed a new E92 335i Coupe project car fitted with the M5’s V10 engine in replacement of the standard car’s twin-turbo six. The special one-off was commissioned by Bremgo, a specialist in sourcing BMW parts and tuning accessories, and the...
Siddarth Raja -
U.S. car satisfaction reaches record highThe results of a new survey conducted in the US shows that the nation's new car buyers were largely satisfied with their purchases, although quality levels for some Asian brands actually dropped. The survey, run by the University of Michigan, showed that overall vehicle satisfaction rose 1.2% this...
Ralph Hanson -
Mini to show new Challenge racer at FrankfurtFor the 2008 Mini Challenge, the series’ eighth year of competition, Mini has developed a new version of the John Cooper Works prepped racer scheduled to be unveiled at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The new racecar features a 206hp (154kW) turbo engine that develops up to 280Nm...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ford To Meet With India’s Tata And MahindraOne of the key parties bidding for the Jaguar and Land Rover labels is a group consisting of Indian manufacturers Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra, and according to latest reports Ford bosses are planning to meet with the bidders ahead of due diligence scheduled for later this month. The...
Siddarth Raja -
One of the key challenges of turning around the misfortunes at Chrysler will be to improve the levels of warranty claims, which last year cost it and German parent Daimler a staggering $6.1 billion. Though the data didn’t separate which carmaker within the group had the highest claims, Chrysler’s vehicles have consistently ranked below industry averages for quality. Even Mercedes-Benz has stumbled in recent years with major quality issues in its usually bullet-proof passenger vehicles. The results were a shocking 36.8% higher than the second worst ranked company, GM, whose claims...
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Telefonica may back Alonso's Renault returnSpanish telecommunications giant Telefonica has reportedly backed Flavio Briatore's campaign to reunite Renault with Fernando Alonso. Coinciding with reigning world champion and Spaniard Alonso's switch to McLaren, the Madrid based company - previously pledging $30m per year to Renault as a major...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Porsche Design Edition 1 Cayman SPorsche is launching a special edition version of the Cayman S labeled the ‘Porsche Design Edition 1.’ The new car, which goes on sale in November, was created to signify the work done at Porsche Design and mark the 35th anniversary of the original Chronograph 1s designed by Ferdinand...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Kia releases 2nd teaser for Frankfurt Coupe ConceptKia has released a more detailed teaser shot for a new coupe concept car it’s planning to unveil at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Last month Kia leaked a front-on teaser shot that you can see by clicking here, and it’s now joined by the profile shot revealing a rakish cab...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2008 Lamborghini Gallardo & Murciélago LP640 updateLamborghini will be updating its Gallardo and Murciélago LP640 lines with upgrades to the cars’ interiors, improved standard equipment and an unlimited mileage three-year warranty all planned for the 2008 model year. Additions to the Gallardo range include an onboard computer, heated...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Spy Shots: Barely disguised 2009 Jaguar XFJaguar’s XF saloon has been spotted while in transport ahead of its scheduled launch in the second half of next year. This the first time the car has been caught without major camouflage, giving us a full view of the rear styling and most of the flanks. From the images, it’s clear the...
Kenneth Hall -
Following its success in the US and more recently in Russia, Nissan’s premium label Infiniti is now ready to establish a base across the rest of Europe and is going after market share held mostly by German luxury brands Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Infiniti is planning to launch in several Western European countries by the end of next year and is currently in the process of building up its dealer network. Infiniti’s Chief in Europe admits sales will be slow initially, especially in countries like Germany and the UK. During an interview with Autmobilwoche, Wright revealed that each...
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VW to introduce Golf BlueMotion at FrankfurtVolkswagen will be using next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show to debut the first BlueMotion version of its popular Golf hatch, which will star alongside five other BlueMotion cars planned for the show. BlueMotion is VW’s title for its ultra-efficient diesel range, which combines not only a...
Kenneth Hall -
GM considers battery rental scheme for new VoltTo keep the price of the upcoming Chevrolet Volt electric car low, GM execs are contemplating a rental scheme for the car’s batteries so that it costs no more to buy than an equivalent petrol car. GM is planning to introduce the Volt by 2010 and has more than 150 engineers working on it to...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Tesla founder and CEO steps downTesla founder and CEO Martin Eberhard will step down from the top position, remaining at the electric car company as its new President of Technology. Eberhard, who has led Tesla since 2003, was planning the move since the start of the year and has the full backing of the company’s board...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Scott Speed looks for work outside F1Ousted Toro Rosso racer Scott Speed is not pursuing a new job in formula one. It is reported in the Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten that the 24-year-old Californian, who fell out badly with his team bosses this year before losing his seat, is only pursuing a job for 2008 and beyond in his...
James Martinez -
Loremo to present 100MPG+ prototype at FrankfurtGermany’s Loremo will unveil a fully working prototype of its super-efficient LS Concept car at next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show, a car that was co-developed to be entered into the upcoming Automotive X-Prize competition. The new prototype, dubbed ‘L1’, will also be used to...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran