Rumors
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The big, bawdy, supercharged version of the reborn Chevy Camaro has been brewing for ages now, but the latest rumor is that it will finally make its debut in just two weeks at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show. Excited? Don't get too wound up just yet. The information is anything but official, though it is, at least, plausible. The news comes by way of "sources" inside General Motors, according to eGMcartech. As for the Z28 itself, it's expected to come bearing the gifts of an LSA 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 like that found the Cadillac CTS-V. Power is expected to top the 550 pony mark, with torkles...
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2012 Nissan GT-R To Bring Back Launch Control?
The tweeters are catching fire with rumors that the 2012 Nissan GT-R will bring back launch control--presumably in a non-warranty-voiding fashion. Launch control may well come back, but it'll come with some caveats. A section of what purports to be the 2012 U.S. owner's manual for the Nissan GT-R...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Lotus Working On In-House V-6, V-8
Though we have yet to hear the official word from Lotus, reports of in-house design and construction of a new set of lightweight, high-output V-6s and V-8s from the Malaysian-British operation are growing in credibility. The latest adds some new detail as well. As we reported last December, the...
Nelson Ireson -
Mazda Teases New RX With Facebook Question
Rumors, reports, and ruminations on the next generation of Mazda's RX line of cars have never been in short supply. But now Mazda is stirring the pot via its Facebook fan page. The latest locus of loco is a question asked of Mazda's fans: "If you were to design a new RX model, what key features...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford GT Successor In The Works?
Production American supercars can be counted on one hand, and with the death of the Viper, all of them are Corvettes. But Ford may be getting back into the game with a new version of the Ford GT, according to the altest reports from the Detroit Auto Show. In an interview with Derrick Kuzak, Ford's...
Nelson Ireson -
Rumor: Camaro To Get More Powerful V-6
We've already told you that rumors about the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro are leaking out. Now we've heard another one--this time concerning the V-6 powerplant. A post on the Camaro5 forums suggests that a new direct-injection 3.6-liter "LFX" V-6 is going to replace the current 3.6-liter mill. The LFX has...
Tim Healey -
As far back as two years ago, Bob Lutz was dropping hints that Cadillac could get a plug-in hybrid or Volt-based crossover. Today, a new report brings those hints back to live, with the plug-in project getting the nod, using--surprise--some technology from the Volt. Cadillac isn't confirming or denying the report, but it makes a lot of sense for the brand, which as GM's halo marque, could stand a little more green sheen. The CTS-V line, after all, has huge appeal for us, but only limited draw in more efficiency-concerned circles--and those circles are where sales can be gained from...
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Adam Carolla Takes On Top Gear USA. We Have Some Suggestions.
Look, we know that Top Gear USA just launched, and we know that sometimes it takes a few episodes for a show to get warmed up (e.g. Mad Men, Nurse Jackie, Facts of Life). But as much as we (pretend to) hate jumping to conclusions, in this case, there's only one we can reach: Top Gear USA is...
Richard Read -
Jaguar Working On Crossover SUV? Why?!
A Jaguar crossover/SUV? Isn't that what Land Rover is for? Apparently not, according to a new report out today. Instead, Jaguar may go its own way into the crossover market and "stop being a saloon-based company," according to Jag's global brand director Adrian Hallmark. Hallmark, recently poached...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: 2012 Chevrolet Aveo Renamed 'Sonic'
File this one under, "huh?" According to a report out today at GM Inside News, the next-gen Chevrolet Aveo will be renamed "Sonic" when it goes on sale next year. We expect the Cadillac BurgerKing and GMC JackInTheBox to follow in 2012. OK, so that's a bad joke, but so is the Chevy Sonic name...
Nelson Ireson -
Lamborghini Estoque Four-Door To Finally Reach Production?
As soon as it was unveiled at the 2008 Paris Auto Show, the Lamborghini Estoque Concept four-door coupe was tipped for production. The economic realities of that fateful year for the industry quickly pulled the rug from under that plan, though rumors persisted. Now it appears the Estoque may be...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Audi Quattro Concept Headed To Limited Production
The latest rumor on the automotive interwebs is that the Audi Quattro is headed to production, tending to confirm earlier reports of the same. The source this time? A lucky enthusiast and Jalopnik follower that caught the concept out on a test run. The same information was reported back in October...
Nelson Ireson -
A photograph of what may be an internal BMW computer document posted to a BMW enthusiast forum shows the BMW 1-Series M Coupe is indeed coming to the U.S. and that it will sport up to 332 kW (445 horsepower) when it does. Very juicy, though we're hesitant to call it confirmed since that would put the 1-Series M Coupe well into M3 territory. The other parts of the screen show a European version of the 1-Series M Coupe (allegedly codenamed "Pyrat" in the leaked document image) rated at 250 kW, or 335 horsepower. That figure is right in line with the N54 output found in the current 335is and...
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Honda (Acura) NSX Lives As V-6 Hybrid? Not So Fast...
As fans of everything fast and mid-engined, we're always anxious to hear news of the revival of the Honda/Acura NSX. Sure, the last V-10 version of the NSX abandoned the mid-engine configuration for a frontally-located mill, but the big power and impressive performance were still tantalizing. Now...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: VW Rules Out Formula 1 Bid
The rumormills, paddock whispers, and back-room media talk has been chock full of talk of the Volkswagen Group, potentially through Audi or Porsche, re-entering Formula 1 for months now. Unfortunately, the hope for a VW-backed F1 team is dead in the water according to the latest reports. According...
Nelson Ireson -
Volkswagen Bluesport Roadster Coming To Frankfurt In 2013?
Mid-engined. Rear-wheel drive. Under 2,600 pounds. Volkswagen? The Bluesport Roadster, a hit since its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, got the production greenlight this summer, and now the rumormills are grinding away at the eventual market introduction date. Back when the production...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: More Details On Abarth's X-Bow Based Sports Car
The battle for supremacy in the "naked" sports/track car segment continues, though devotees have chosen their horses, be they Ariel, Lotus, KTM, or other. But now it looks like the awesome but impractical segment may crack into the real-car realm through Abarth, as we first reported back at the...
Nelson Ireson -
2010 Paris Rumormill: Porsche Planning 500-HP Limited Edition GT3 RS?
France's Internets are ablaze with talk of a 500-horsepower, 500-unit limited edition of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS powered by a 4.0-liter flat six. So far all we have to work with is rumor and innuendo, but the idea is intriguing. According to the reports, the upgraded GT3 RS would be limited to a...
Nelson Ireson -
Are you sitting down? You should be sitting down. Because what we are about to tell you will. Rock. Your. World. Megan Fox has been canned from Transformers 3: Electric Boogaloo. OHNOES!!!1!! (Is LOLspeak still funny? Probably not, but just in case.) Yes, Fox's agent has confirmed that the star of films like Jennifer's Body and, um, Transformers won't be making a return visit to the land of Michael Bay. Of course, the same agent also said that it was Fox's decision to bail on Transformers 3, and that she was not -- perish the thought -- fired, despite Fox's public complaints about her creepy...
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Cougarwatch: Susan Sarandon Hooks Up With Auto Entrepreneur's Son
Full disclosure: we love Susan Sarandon. Without her, Rocky Horror would've been short an ingenue, and The Hunger would've been missing its key behavioral scientist/vampire lesbian. And of course, how could anyone forget The Banger Sisters? Which, curiously, leads directly into the most recent news...
Richard Read -
Ford working on Kuga Coupe?
Reports are starting to fly that Ford may be working on a dramatic new segment-starter in the form of a three-door Kuga Coupe. Laying the groundwork for yet another segment of car design might not make sense in the current industry, however. A Kuga Coupe would take the coupe-profiled...
Alex Kaufmann -
Preview: RS Spyder-based Porsche Carrera GT successor
Even five years after its final production, the Porsche Carerra GT lives on in the hearts and minds - and often garages - of Porsche loyalists, supercar enthusiasts and plain old gearheads. Recently rumors broke that Porsche is working on a successor to the GT based around the RS Spyder American Le...
Ralph Hanson -
Report: Nissan still working on convertible Murano
It's a weird world we live in, but Nissan is apparently going forward with its plans to build a convertible Nissan Murano crossover SUV. Why? No one knows, especially in this market. Rumors initially popped up late last year, but nothing was heard since - until today. The report appears credible...
Ralph Hanson -
Ford's image improves by staying above the fray, says study
It wasn't so long ago that people were deriding Ford for mortgaging the Blue Oval itself, key investors were dumping shares into the open market and the company was forced to sell off its stake in Mazda. But now a study is saying things have turned around, with Ford's image improving in relation to...
Nelson Ireson