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With all the drama surrounding F1 these days, including Ferrari's threats to abandon the sport should new FIA-imposed budget caps go through, it’s about time F1 fans got some good news. Luckily, we managed to find some today, with the announcement that luxury marque Aston Martin will be entering the championship from 2012 onwards. The details of the deal were hammered out yesterday evening with F1 tycoon Bernie Ecclestone, and Aston Martin will be entering the championship as a manufacturer entrant, much like Ferrari does today. Practically speaking, the Aston Martin team will begin its...
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Nissan could be first to get DOE's advanced car funds with $1.1B loanIt's a rare thing to remark on the government's hesitation to spend money these days, but that's precisely the case of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program. The government set aside $25 billion to fund the program last year, but to date...
Ralph Hanson -
BMW, Daimler working together to bring next-gen radar to cars in every segmentThe future of the automobile is a tricky subject, but looking to the nearer term, high-tech driver-assistance systems are definitely on the way. Getting there is the problem, and that's where luxury carmaker bankrolls and high-tech corporations come into play. A group of suppliers including Bosch...
Nelson Ireson -
Toyota F1 team selling genuine parts from its Grand Prix cars onlineJohnny Cash fans will appreciate this one: Toyota is offering up for sale online a range of parts from its Formula 1 GP cars - almost enough to build one up, one piece at a time. Pricing is surprisingly reasonable, with parts starting as low as £200 ($320). That £200 will only get you a brake...
Ralph Hanson -
GM bondholders agree to take 25% of new company, U.S. Treasury gets 72.5% ownershipAs General Motors prepares for a bankruptcy announcement on June 1, the U.S. Treasury is helping to pave the way by releasing a new deal that leaves GM's bondholders with 25% of the restructured company, and the government as a 72.5% 'inactive' stakeholder. Winning the support of the bondholders...
Nelson Ireson -
Warren encouraging GM to move corporate HQ with tax breaksDetroit has long been the heart of America's automotive industry, but 2009 has been a major period of upheaval for the city, with further shocks expected to come - including the possibility that General Motors will move its corporate headquarters out of Detroit downtown area and into a neighbouring...
Alex Kaufmann -
Few names get the kind of respect in their field that Chip Foose's gets in the realm of car design and custom hot rods. That's why fans are excited to see he'll be giving away a custom 2010 Mustang GT to the winner of a free contest. The car's build sheet reads like a sponsor dream list, with Magnaflow exhaust, Edelbrock supercharger, Bilstein shocks, Eibach springs, Royal Purple lubricants and Roush body work. It was actually built by Foost as part of Spike TV's MuscleCar series. The contest is being run through Spike's PowerblockTV site, where those interested in getting their hands on a...
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Study: Hybrids to make up one in five U.S. car sales by 2020Just a bit over ten years ago, only a few of the dedicated had any idea what a hybrid car was, but in another ten years or so, the eco-friendly vehicles will account for 19.4% of total sales in the U.S., according to JP Morgan's latest estimates. Today hybrids make up a little less than 1% of the...
Nelson Ireson -
Telesto Ventures forms new advisory team as bidding for Saturn intensifiesWe’ve heard a lot about Roger Penske and his plans to acquire the Saturn brand from General Motors and use it to start selling vehicles sourced from carmakers overseas. Last week Penske announced that his company hired ex-Chrysler president Tom LaSorda to advise on the bidding process, and...
James Martinez -
Infiniti prices 2009 EX crossover from $33,800Infiniti today announced pricing for its 2009 model year EX35 crossover, which officially goes on sale nationwide tomorrow and comes with a more generous list of standard equipment and new safety features. For 2009, the base RWD model, which retails for $33,800, now features standard...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Former Cadillac chief McNabb hired as Maserati NA President and CEOWhen Mark McNabb announced his resignation from head of GM's premium division last week, it wasn't clear where he'd be headed next. But today, Maserati North America has announced he'll be heading up their company as the new president and CEO. The move from a GM brand to a Fiat brand is an...
Nelson Ireson -
Vath boosts C63 AMG Estate to 585hp V63 RS statusCarbon emissions taxes and fuel efficiency requirements are throwing a bit of a wet blanket on the horsepower wars, especially in Europe, but the aftermarket is carrying on the battle with undiminished ferocity. The latest combatant is Vath's V63 RS Estate, a re-interpretation of the already...
Alex Kaufmann -
For Lotus fans, the next few years should prove to be very interesting times as the company pushes ahead with its five-year plan to update its model lineup, including successors to the Elise and Esprit. Lotus has already unveiled its new Evora, but rather than sitting still with this car, work on the new Elise and Esprit is already well underway at the company’s Hethel engineering center in the UK. While the future Elise may be seen as early as 2011, of more interest is the flagship Esprit successor, which EVO is reporting could come with an optional V10 engine sourced from Lexus. While...
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Porsche takes overall victory at 2009 Nurburgring 24-hour racePorsche has won the Nurburgring 24-hour race for the fourth year in a row, with the first place title going to the Manthey Racing team after its 480hp (358kW) Porsche 911 GT3 RSR managed to rack up 155 laps during the event. Spending time behind the wheel were Timo Bernhard (Germany), Marc Lieb...
Alex Kaufmann -
Cadillac SRX goes on sale this summer, priced from $34,155Cadillac’s North American model lineup is about to expand with the addition of two exciting new models: the 2010 model year SRX crossover and CTS Sport Wagon. The first model to go on sale will be the SRX, which Cadillac has confirmed today will be priced from $34,155 when it arrives in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chrysler unveils $448 million electric vehicle planChrysler today submitted three proposals outlining a $448-million plan to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in order to rapidly bring electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid models to market. The proposals were submitted in order to receive two initiatives established by the DOE - the Electric...
James Martinez -
Report: UAW agrees to 17.5% stake in restructured GM, bondholders reject tender offerIn a hugely positive step for General Motors, the carmaker, together with the U.S. Treasury and United Auto Workers (UAW), reached a tentative bargain on how they'll deal with changes to the current agreement in the face of the industry's problems and GM's increasingly probably bankruptcy. The...
Ralph Hanson -
Capito: Ford no longer considering Focus RS hot-hatch for U.S.It’s a well known fact that the U.S. market misses out on most of Ford’s hot products, but with a push for new global models taking shape in Blue Oval offices around the world hopefully we will start to see more of these coveted models make their way Stateside. Unfortunately, the Focus...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Every automotive enthusiast with an internet connection has likely seen the video of Ken Block drifting his Subaru Impreza WRX STI around a closed airbase Gymkhana style - it's the sort of stuff that builds legends. But for Ken Block, that's not enough, and he's planning a second video that promises even more incredible displays of car control. The video below is the second teaser for the upcoming exhibition, and while it doesn't show any actual sideways, backwards, tire-smoking, pirouetting, donuts-around-a-moving-Segway action, it does document Crawford Performance's tear-down and build-up...
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Zero Pollution Motors plans 2011 U.S. launch for 106mpg air-powered carWhile major auto manufacturers race to bring new electric and hybrid cars to market, other companies are looking at alternatives to electricity - including using air to power cars. The idea of an air-powered car is nothing new, and companies have been touting the technology for the past few years...
Kenneth Hall -
Mitsubishi UK unveils 403hp Evolution X FQ-400They've been called budget supercars for years now, and the latest crop of factory hot-rods are seriously infringing on that performance territory. Take Mitsubishi's new FQ-400 special for the UK, unveiled today: 3.8 seconds 0-62mph puts it on par with the Corvette ZR-1, Nissan GT-R, Lamborghini...
Nelson Ireson -
Mercedes holding off on E-Class cabrio, wagonAnnouncements of the delays of new car models are almost more numerous than the new cars themselves, and it seems no one is immune to the practice. Mercedes-Benz today revealed it won't be releasing the new E-Class Cabrio (spied here) at Frankfurt this fall, and the E-Class Wagon will be delayed a...
Alex Kaufmann -
Debt-riddled Porsche receives $980 million lifeline from VolkswagenThere was a point in time when Porsche was the veritable king of carmakers, boasting strong sales, record profits and virtually unmatched customer loyalty numbers even while many of its rivals teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. But like all things that go up, there was bound to be an inevitable...
Alex Kaufmann -
‘Volvo - The Game’ now available for downloadMany carmakers have ventured into the field of video games, from the Gran Turismo and Need for Speed series to one-off games made for the iPhone and other platforms. Volvo is now joining those ranks with a new game to promote the S60 Concept as well as its racing efforts. Some of the other vehicles...
Nelson Ireson