Car News
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The UK government is considering giving police full access to data collected from traffic cameras in order to track the movement of cars. The proposal was revealed in a leaked Home Office document and follows previous comments by Home Office Minister Tony McNulty that real-time data from London's 1,500 traffic cameras would be handed over to police on a trial basis, Reuters reports. Under the current set-up, police have to request permission to access data from the number-plate reading cameras on an individual basis, but according to the leaked document this rule could be abolished...
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India’s Tata and M&M mull Jaguar and Land Rover bidIndian carmaker Tata Motors and tractor manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra are reportedly considering a bid for Jaguar and Land Rover in a deal estimated at roughly $1.5 billion. According to analysts, Tata is in negotiations with Fiat surrounding a deal to finance the bid for the British marques...
Kenneth Hall -
Chrysler 300 production to start in Ontario in 2010Following the announcement that Chrysler is scrapping plans to build the Imperial sedan at its Brampton plant in Ontario, the carmaker says it will instead use the facility to build its 300 model starting from 2010. An updated version of the 300 has been pencilled in for a 2010 or 2011 launch, but...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ferrari F430 Scuderia set for 2007 Frankfurt auto showFerrari’s new model pegged for the 2007 Frankfurt auto show has turned out to be the new 430 Scuderia, and not the Challenge Stradale or Dino that everyone had been hoping for. The new Scuderia is essentially the CS model in everything but name, having shed up to 100 kilograms through an...
James Martinez -
Audi’s green future unveiledWith tighter emissions and fuel economy standards planned for both the US and Europe, most of the major carmakers are being forced to rethink and in most cased redesign their powertrain portfolios. One of the leaders in the new green initiative is Audi, which has announced that it will unveil the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
End of the line for Ford Australia’s inline sixAustralia’s famous RWD 6-cylinder cars are under attack from high fuel prices. Aussies are moving to smaller cars and smaller engines and it’s just not worth building them locally when you can import them without the added production costs. The current inline six will be replaced with a...
Kenneth Hall -
There’s been no end to the list of potential bidders for Ford Premier Auto Group brands - Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. Carmakers such as BMW, Renault and Hyundai were all thrown into the rumor mill as well as equity firms Cerberus, Blackstone and Equity One as suitors but more details are starting to emerge about each bid. Hyundai, for example, has just announced that it has no interest in acquiring any other carmaker, as all its investments are already tied up, a spokesman revealed to MarketWatch. Hyundai is currently building a new factory in the Czech Republic and production of Kia...
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Renault prepping flood of new modelsRenault is preparing to launch a host of new models over the next couple of years, spearheaded by the release of the new Twingo and Laguna models. The French label has previously announced that it plans to introduce no less than 26 new or updated models between 2006 and 2009 including the launch of...
Alex Kaufmann -
Volkswagen updating its logoVolkswagen will be updating its ‘VW’ logo for the launch of the new Golf Mark VI, following the wishes of CEO Martin Winterkorn to make the badge more prominent. It won’t be a complete redesign. Instead the logo will grow in size compared with the current one and protrude further...
Alex Kaufmann -
Lexus increasing hybrid productionDespite the findings of a new study that found the popularity of hybrid cars was sinking in favor of diesels, Lexus is pushing ahead with the roll-out of more petrol-electric models and has announced that it will be lifting production of the eco-friendly cars. Lexus exec James H. Colon has revealed...
Ralph Hanson -
Delhi government backs India GPThe swinging prospects for a future grand prix in India took a turn for the better this week. Although the Indian Olympic Association declared last month that it has secured a preliminary deal for a race in Delhi in 2009, it was difficult to overlook the lack of confirmed funding or a circuit. But...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Honda delays Acura introduction to JapanHonda has announced it will delay the introduction of its premium Acura brand to Japan by at least two years. The company was originally intending to bring Acura to its home market in 2008, but is changing its plans to a 2010-11 release. No specific reason was cited, except for the vague "[the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Honda’s alliance with China’s state-run Guangzhou Automobile Group will bear fruit to new models sold its own brand name. Currently, only Honda designed vehicles such as the Accord, Fit, Odyssey, and City models are built in the Chinese plants but this will change as more money is pumped into the joint-venture. A new R&D center will be built at a cost of around US$250m. This new vehicle, which will be a unique product that incorporates various needs specific to the Chinese market, will be developed primarily by the R&D subsidiary of Guangzhou Honda while receiving support from...
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Kia to present Sports Coupe concept at FrankfurtKia has released a teaser image of a new concept car developed by its European design center that will be presented for the first time at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The new concept was designed under the guidance of Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer, formerly of Audi, and is the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Updated: Porsche Thief Tries To Steal The Car Back From The police!UPDATE: The man that so brazenly tried to steal a Targa 4 from a dealership has tried to steal it again, this time from the local police station. After he abandoned the car it was towed away by the police but the man returned with a canister of petrol this time to prevent a repeat of his earlier...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chrysler nixes plans for Imperial sedanHigh fuel prices and toughening fuel economy standards has forced Chrysler to axe plans for a production version of the Imperial concept that was unveiled at last year’s Detroit Auto Show. There were reports that the Imperial would enter production at a Chrysler plant in Canada but in an...
Kenneth Hall -
Mercedes-Benz CLC to bow in at Geneva next yearMercedes will label the next-generation of its C-class based Sportcoupe the new ‘CLC,’ and will present the car for the first time at next year’s Geneva Motor Show. Several prototypes have been spotted undergoing cold weather testing in Sweden recently, and reveal that the new...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Spyker C12 Zagato Production DelayedSpyker will be delaying production of its upcoming C12 Zagato sports car because capacity has been prioritized for the Dutch firm’s other models. The C12 Zagato was styled with the help of Italian design firm Zagato and was eventually set to go on sale at a price of €495,000 early next...
Ralph Hanson -
We’re used to seeing the German tuners upgrade cars for the likes of BMW, Audi and Porsche, but it’s not often that you come across a Mini Cooper modified by one of Germany’s top customizers. This time it’s AC Schnitzer, whose engineers have created the new R56 Mini Cooper. The package has been designed specifically for the 170hp turbo engined Mini Cooper and includes a performance exhaust system with chrome tips, plus an AC Schnitzer lowered suspension kit honed on the Nürburgring. The body has been enhanced by a new bodykit sporting a front bumper, spoiler and rear...
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J.D. Power finds interest in hybrids sinkingA recent study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates has found that 50% of prospective car buyers in the US are considering a hybrid model, down from 57% one year ago. By contrast, the level of interest surrounding new diesel models has risen sharply with 23% of respondents claiming they’re...
Alex Kaufmann -
Mazda reaches 40 million production milestone in JapanMazda has announced that it has reached 40 million units of vehicle production in Japan, with company execs including President and CEO Hisakazu Imaki on hand to see the 40 millionth car roll off the production line. The record car was a new Mazda2 hatch, which comes after 75 years and nine months...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Renault celebrates 30 years in F1Three decades ago at Silverstone, Renault joined the Formula One league with a new turbocharged racer and a team comprised of a small band of inexperienced enthusiasts. The same day also saw a young Gilles Villeneuve compete in F1 for the first time with home favorite James Hunt win after starting...
Ralph Hanson -
Moto-GP replaces F1 at IndianapolisLess than a week after the announcement that Formula One would not be returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the ’08 season, track president Joie Chitwood has announced that the event will be replaced next year by Moto-GP. With this latest US circuit on board, Moto-GP’s...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
GM Buying 50% Stake In VM Motori Diesel PlantTo secure its diesel future General Motors will purchase a 50% stake in Italy’s VM Motori diesel engine plant from current owner Penske Corp. in a new 50-50 joint venture. This is the same engine plant that GM co-developed its new 2.9L V6 turbodiesel, which will initially be sold in...
Siddarth Raja