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No one at this point doubts the country's, or the world's, economic woes, most especially those within the car industry. So the announcement today that the U.S. Treasury has expanded its offer of a tax break on new car sales to those bought in states without a sales tax comes as a welcome aid. Under the original deal, which forms part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, taxpayers who bought a new vehicle this year were entitled to deduct state or local sales or excise taxes paid on the purchase. Now, new sales made in states without a sales tax, such as Alaska, Delaware...
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Lexus LX 570 Driven To Victory In Tecate Baja 500In a remarkable first for driver, team, vehicle and manufacturer, Joe Bacal and navigator Paul Williamsen took their freshly-built Cancer Treatment Centers of America JTGrey Racing Lexus LX570 to a landmark maiden victory in the 41st annual Tecate Score Baja 500 over the weekend. Their win in the...
Jeremy Weber -
Le Mans issues open invitation to F1 manufacturersIt's no secret that the current manufacturers teams in Formula 1 aren't happy with the plans Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone have laid out for 2010 and beyond. Some, including Ferrari, are threatening to pull out of the series altogether - and the organizers behind the 24 Hours of Le Mans are...
Kenneth Hall -
Brawn GP auctioning off Honda F1 cars at Silverstone Classic eventThe meteoric rise of Brawn GP under 2009's new technical regulations - juxtaposed against the equally precipitous fall of Ferrari and McLaren - has put them in the limelight both on and off track. But despite their massive success and key sponsors, Brawn is still a relatively small...
Nelson Ireson -
Significant changes planned for ‘new’ Chrysler lineupChrysler’s viability plan presented to the U.S. Treasury back in February turned out to be a goldmine for information about the company’s future plans. Not only were there details about the next-generation Chrysler 300 and 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but the documents also outlined...
Jeremy Weber -
White House promises no more bailouts for Detroit 3With accusations and hyperbole that the U.S. government's bailout of the Detroit 3 is a clear step towards socialism, President Barack Obama's automotive task force that has been charged with overseeing the restructuring of GM and Chrysler has promised that the government will not be putting any...
James Martinez -
Unlike many of their competitors, the Belgians at Caractere don't do the European version of tacky, flashy tuner cars. Instead, they focus on adding minor enhancements that give the owner a unique look without clamoring for attention. The design program for the Audi A5 Cabrio offers a range of front and rear fascias, side skirts and a roof spoiler. The new pieces are designed to fit and enhance the newly introduced drop-top, with special pieces for the high-performance S5 model. An exhaust kit is also available, but only on non-quattro models, while the two-piece front spoiler kit only works...
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Official details and photos for Mini's F1-Commemorative ‘World Championship 50’ editionWhat was previously just a rumor and then confirmed in late May has now become official: the Mini John Cooper Works (JCW) World Championship 50 special edition. The car was unveiled at its 50th anniversary celebrations a few weeks ago, revealing a new special-edition Mini to mark the event as well...
Kenneth Hall -
ACEA calls for new FIA constitution, Ferrari rejects 2010 F1 entryToday the FIA published the 2010 Formula 1 entry list to a cold reception from Ferrari and the Red Bull/Scuderia Toro Rosso teams as all three were included when they'd submitted written notice to be left off the list. As a result, the European Automobile Manufacturer's Association (ACEA) has...
Nelson Ireson -
Fiat-Chrysler deal official, Marchionne takes helm as CEOAfter a dramatic courtship, government intervention and the odd Supreme Court order, Fiat and Chrysler have finally tied the knot. The new 'global strategic alliance' expands Fiat's reach back into the U.S., while offering the 'new' Chrysler - which is already in operation - the support it needs to...
Nelson Ireson -
Last batch of SLR Roadsters get ‘McLaren Orange’ paint schemeMercedes Benz first confirmed in July last year that its longstanding partnership with British motorsports company McLaren to build the SLR supercar will soon be coming to an end. In the lead up to the actual date, which is expected to fall in the second half of this year, a special 'McLaren...
Kenneth Hall -
Russian designer Krasnov Igor creates another supercar masterpieceBudding Russian car designer Krasnov Igor has already managed to impress a number of people with his renderings of what a four-door Ferrari may look like, but now the designer has unveiled his latest project, one that is definitely sportier than the last car he tackled. Looking like something of a...
Alex Kaufmann -
General Motors already has plans to slash hundreds of its dealers late next year, but for the dealers who make it through the cuts it won't just be a case of 'business as usual'. Instead, the struggling automaker will be modifying its contracts with the remaining 4,100 or so dealers in its network and expects to have the new agreement signed as early as this Friday. The terms on the contracts being changed will significantly alter the way GM dealers go about their business, and in the coming months GM wants to meet with all the dealerships in order to discuss changing their sales targets and...
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Supreme Court allows sale of Chrysler to FiatThe Supreme Court has approved the sale of substantially all of Chrysler's assets to Fiat, helping to finalize their alliance as well as the American automaker’s bankruptcy proceedings. Approval was given for the $2 billion sale of the assets to a new company that will be 68% controlled by a...
Ralph Hanson -
Audi Q5 takes top marks in both IIHS and NHTSA safety testsSafety is no joke, especially to families on the go, and the arms race to get top ratings from the key safety evaluators - the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - is a never-ending battle to include the biggest standard...
Nelson Ireson -
Ed Whitacre to be named chairman of New GMA bit over a week into GM's bankruptcy and we're starting to see announcements that mirror those made by Chrysler about a month ago. Today's is the naming of the post-reorganization chairman of GM, Edward E. Whitacre Jr. The appointment of a new chairman, to take the place of GM's interim chairman...
Ralph Hanson -
New smaller Ghost to double Rolls Royce's salesDespite a global downturn in auto sales in general, Rolls-Royce is working at full steam just to meet demand. But with a second, higher volume model on its way the carmaker will be forced to increased production and take on more staff. Rolls-Royce has already added more shifts and lengthened...
Kenneth Hall -
Ethanol-injected Ford Bobcat V8 detailed in DOE documentsFord’s new EcoBoost range of engines is about to go on sale, debuting in the new Lincoln MKS before filtering across to most of the automaker’s lineup. EcoBoost promises to deliver more power but better fuel economy. For example, a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 is estimated to produce up to 340hp...
Ralph Hanson -
Ferrari has been working on a proprietary part-time 4WD system designed for both its mid and front-engined models for the past several years, which the carmaker has christened ‘Insertable 4x4’. Not much has been seen or heard about the system for some time but last month a search of the European Patent Office revealed that the Italian carmaker applied for a new patent back in February for a 4WD system with hybrid propulsion. This week Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa has revealed that a concept based on the system is in the works, and is likely headed to Los Angeles this December. The...
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2009 Volkswagen CC gets IIHS Top Pick awardAdvanced vehicle systems like stability control, ABS and traction control have become so common that we often gloss over them in a car's spec sheet, but they are important innovations for safety. Volkswagen's CC has taken that to heart, outfitting a core complement of technologies that have helped...
Ralph Hanson -
GM opens advanced battery lab in MichiganDespite a bankruptcy filing that's barely a week old, General Motors is fighting to preserve its image as a relevant and potent member of the automotive industry. To that end, GM today announced the opening of its Global Battery Systems Lab in Warren, Michigan. The new lab is where GM will do the...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW putting new full-phrase voice control into all models by late 2009Space movies, futuristic cars and even cartoons have all touted the glories of voice command systems, but those that have dealt with the majority of present-day technology understand its limiting and often frustrating nature. But BMW hopes to have overcome those hurdles with its latest system...
Nelson Ireson -
America’s Switzer Performance takes on the Porsche 911 GT2Oberlin, Ohio isn’t the likely site for a company specializing in high-output power upgrades for German exotics like the Porsche 911, but the state is home to Switzer Performance Innovations (SPI), a company churning out mega horsepower cars. Started by Tym Switzer several years ago, the...
James Martinez -
F1 teams vote against KERS for 2010FOTA, the formula one teams association, will push to have controversial KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) technology banned ahead of the 2010 race season. The team association’s argument surrounds the issue that the KERS system flies in the face of the sport's current drive to reduce...
Kenneth Hall