Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor

Articles

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  Lightweight BMW M Concept Coming To 2011 Tokyo Motor Show? Nelson Ireson March 25, 2011

  A new new M car may be on the horizon, due this fall in the Land of the Rising Sun. Its recipe? Lightweight, high-tech materials, and more electronics than ever before. What will be the platform?...

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  Video: 2011 Chevrolet Volt Turns Laps At Laguna Seca

  You just bought a new 2011 Chevrolet Volt, you're all set to save the world one full-range EV charge at a time...so what do you do? Hit up Laguna Seca, of course! The overenthusiastic duo inside this 2011 Chevrolet Volt dampens the party somewhat, but the lack of engine noise lets us hear the...

  Nelson Ireson March 25, 2011
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  Video: NFS Shift 2 Unleashed Visits Some Dangerous Corners

  Need For Speed Shift 2 Unleashed is shaping up to be an epic racing game. It might not have the 1,000+ cars or bajillion tracks of GT5, but it looks to be an order of magnitude more concerned with realism and actual racing. We'll have to withhold judgment until we get our hands on its shiny game...

  Nelson Ireson March 25, 2011
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  Porsche Working On Smaller Panamera To Fight M5?

  Rumors are loose on the German interwebs that Porsche is moving further from its one-time niche as a sports car maker into full-line status. To take the next step on that path, it may be working on a smaller Panamera derivative to do battle with the mid-range luxury sedans of the world. But our...

  Nelson Ireson March 25, 2011
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  Report: 2012 Audi S8 To Get 520 HP From Twin-Turbo V-8

  The proliferation of a new 4.0-liter V-8 through Audi's lineup is nothing new, nor is talk of turbocharging the engine. A 520-horsepower version dropping into the S8 is, however, and it's rather interesting if you're a fan of big-sedan speed. BMW and Mercedes have both already jumped on the...

  Nelson Ireson March 24, 2011
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  Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Race Car Gears Up For 2011 Season

  Testing in Sebring has shown the CTS-V Coupe race car not only looks good, it has the pace as well. The first real test of the car on track will come this weekend, however, at the Streets of St. Petersburg event that kicks off the SCCA World Challenge GT series. The CTS-V Coupe's presence will mark...

  Nelson Ireson March 24, 2011
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  Red Bull, Ferrari Preview 2011 F1 Season Opener At Melbourne Nelson Ireson March 24, 2011

  
  

  Take a rocket ride around the track with reigning F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull Racing and Marc Gene, test driver for Scuderia Ferrari, in these two videos previewing the season...

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  Video: Ken Block Barrel Rolls WRC Fiesta RS In Testing

  In any motorsport, the crashes are some of the most impressive footage--especially when the drivers (and co-drivers) walk away uninjured. Ken Block recently managed extend his record of rally-car annihilation, sending his Fiesta RS WRC car flying in testing in a wreck that rivals any...

  Nelson Ireson March 24, 2011
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  Video: Ferrari Details The 2012 FF's Engine, Interior, And Making Of Promo

  If you're like us, you just can't get enough FF--for good or bad. It looks a bit like a modern take on Lamborghini's Espada, but it offers supercar performance, all-wheel-drive capability, and a novel drive system. Plus a new direct-injection V-12 engine rated at 660 horsepower. This trio of videos...

  Nelson Ireson March 24, 2011
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  Mercedes Sprinter vans turned into luxury limo service

  If you've been ferried from an airport to a high-end hotel in the last few years, chances are good that you've ridden in a tricked-out Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. Brilliant Transportation has taken that idea to the next level, building a fleet of "Brilliant Vans" and mini-buses to offer a high-end...

  Nelson Ireson March 24, 2011
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  Video: BMW's M3 Pickup Plays April Fool In The Fog

  It's a bit early for the April Fool's jokes, but BMW apparently did exactly that with the M3 pickup that has been making the Web rounds over the past week. It has also been called a parts hauler, a prototype, and a meaningless mule. Whatever it is, it's in this video, driving through the fog. We...

  Nelson Ireson March 23, 2011
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  There Could Be A Little Lotus In Your Next EV

  As much as Lotus may be straying from the straight and narrow path of simplicity and lightness, the rest of the automotive world may be becoming a little more Lotus-like--or at least a few manufacturers may be. At the Geneva Motor Show this year, Lotus Engineering unveiled the production version of...

  Nelson Ireson March 23, 2011
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  Staten Island Says F1 Race Rumors Are Just That Nelson Ireson March 23, 2011

  After F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone canceled a visit to Melbourne--the opening round of the 2011 F1 championship following Bahrain's cancellation--to visit New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, the...

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  Video: Up Close With The 2012 Ford Focus ST

  Unlike the usual Euro hot-hatch tantalization, this video is a preview of things to come right here in the U.S. of A. Confirmed for sale here last September, the 2012 Focus ST should be making its way to 'Merika later this year. This video, showing off the show-car's Tangerine Scream orange in more...

  Nelson Ireson March 23, 2011
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  Murilee Martin Joins Forces With MotorAuthority

  Justice of the Court at the 24 Hours of Lemons, progenitor of more than a few car-spotting and project columns (including a handful of copycats), gentleman Manta-pusher, and lifestyle brand-builder Murilee Martin has joined the rolls here at MotorAuthority. Join us in wishing him a warm welcome!...

  Nelson Ireson March 23, 2011
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  Video: 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Behind The Scenes In The Desert

  The latest from Lamborghini is light years from Ferrucio's upgraded tractor stand, and this video gives us yet another look at what to expect--this time, in the desert, from behind the scenes of a film shoot. Wearing the same eye-stabbing Argos orange color as the Geneva show car, but quickly...

  Nelson Ireson March 23, 2011
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  Mazda Unveils MX-5 GT Race Car

  When you think GT racing, it's natural to think of the big guns: Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, and Corvette. Mazda, on the other hand, unless you're thinking of the RX-8, not so much. But that hasn't stopped the company from whipping up an MX-5-based GT racer to take on most of the above in the Britcar...

  Nelson Ireson March 23, 2011
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  Maserati Planning New Models, Quattroporte Successor For Frankfurt?

  One of the Fiat Group's least-discussed (and smallest) brands, Maserati, is shooting for the moon--relatively. Seeking to triple annual sales to about 20,000 vehicles, the brand could be planning two new models. A replacement for the Quattroporte sedan is reported to be in the pipeline as well, due...

  Nelson Ireson March 23, 2011
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  Video: Dr. Dre Watches A Ferrari 360 Modena Crash Nelson Ireson March 22, 2011

  Dr. Dre, the hip hop master and master of understatement, just tweeted a video from his personal account, filmed on the scene of his video for "I Need A Doctor," off his latest Album, Detox. His...

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  Video: Infiniti, Corvette Go On The Offensive With Ads, But Does It Work?

  The long-running ad wars between Audi and BMW are just one example of taking the fight to the competition in the effort to sell more cars, and this week both Corvette and Infiniti have thrown down their gloves at respective rivals. But does this sort of advertising pay off in the end? We're not...

  Nelson Ireson March 22, 2011
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  Video: Guided Walkaround Of The SLS AMG GT3

  We brought you some of the first photos in the world of the SLS AMG GT3 race car from its debut in Mexico, and we've kept you up to speed on the car's stats and features since, but this expert walkaround with the car gives some very nice detail shots and a few nice tidbits of information. Well...

  Nelson Ireson March 22, 2011
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  Ford Racing 2011 Mustang GT Sets Half-Mile Speed Record

  While most of us were watching the American Le Mans Series kick off at Sebring, the Wrold's Fastest Half-Mile Speed Trials were underway at Bristol. During the event, Brian Ragan drove a supercharged Ford Racing Mustang GT to a record run of 98.497 mph around the half-mile banked oval. By way of...

  Nelson Ireson March 22, 2011
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  Report: Cruze SS In Development By Holden

  Insiders at GM have been pushing for it, previous reports have hinted at it, Singaporeans got a looks-only version of it, and we've been covering it. Today, talk of a real, high-performance Cruze SS has resurfaced--this time, out of Australia. According to the report, the car could be on the road...

  Nelson Ireson March 22, 2011
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  Video: Interview With James Glickenhaus On The P4/5 Competizione

  We've been tracking the progress of the Jim Glickenhaus-backed Ferrari Pininfarina P4/5 Competizione closely as the car prepares to run the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring, including bringing you the second episode in the car's official documentary. Today, we have yet another video, this time with...

  Nelson Ireson March 21, 2011