Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Penske Automotive Group has, until now, been the exclusive distributor of the Smart brand (consisting entirely of the Fortwo minicar and its new electric variant) in the U.S. But it won't be for... -
New Details On Planned Fiat Four-Door B-Segment Car For U.S.We've known since November, 2009, that Chrysler was planning a B-segment car for the U.S. in 2013. The news was revealed in Chrysler's five-year business plan, which confirmed the car would be imported from Europe, aimed at the premium small-car segment, and that it would be accompanied by a small...
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Report: BMW MegaCity Vehicle To Get Optional Range ExtenderThe MegaCity Vehicle (MCV) is BMW's soon-to-be-built all-electric urban wonder machine, if you buy the markting spiel. But it may be more than that. BMW's Chief Financial Officer Friedrich Eichiner recently told the German publication Focus Magazin that the MCV will offer an optional...
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Video: Jay Leno's Garage Drives The Real Car SimulatorDriving sims have come light years since the original Test Drive hit the scene in 1987 and other progenitors of the genre. But what's the next step? Apparently, driving a real car in front of a giant screen...at 150 mph. Perched atop a dynamometer, the simulator, engineered by TAG Systems, features...
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DARPA Taps Local Motors, Public For Crowd-Sourced XC2V Military Support VehicleThe XC2V (Experimental Crowd-derived Combat-support Vehicle) Design Challenge is underway, and it's perhaps one of the weirdest--and coolest--military competitions in recent memory. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is behind the $10,000 challenge to develop a next-generation...
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Video: Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5 Competizione Tests At VallelungaWe just can't get enough of the sight and sound of the James Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5 Competizione doing its thing on tracks all over Europe, and we're betting you can't either. This video fetures some excellent close-ups, great driving footage, and of course, that sound. Like June Carter...
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The autoshow season is fully upon us, as we transition from the Chicago show to Geneva next month and New York in April. Infiniti is gearing up to make the most of the Geneva Motor Show with a new...
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Lee Iacocca's Personal 45th Anniversary Mustang Up For Charity AuctionTwo years ago the Lee Iacocca special-edition of the 45th Anniversary Mustang hit the streets, and the first example raised $125,000 for charity. Now Iacocca's selling his personal ride for another benefit. The winning bidder will not only get the father of the Mustang's personal chariot, but lunch...
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Saab Teases New Concept, Updated 9-3 Range Ahead Of Geneva DebutSaab is planning a busy week in Geneva this March, with up to four new cars, including one all-new concept, due to cross the stage. The new 9-3, 9-3 Cabriolet, a Saab Concept Car, and possibly one more--judging by the image on the preview site--are the planned unveilings. The concept car looks...
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2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe: 2011 Geneva Motor ShowTwo-doors are in vogue again, it seems, with every almost every major luxury manufacturer showing off a new coupe in recent months. Mercedes-Benz joins the rolls today with the 2012 C-Class Coupe ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut. Replacing the last-gen CLC Coupe, the new C-Class Coupe rides on...
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Geneva Preview: Porsche To Unveil New Hybrid, Probably PanameraA new "parallel full hybrid model" will be on display at Porsche's Geneva Motor Show stand, and we're expecting it to be the Panamera S Hybrid. The V-6 models arrived last year, as did the new Cayenne S Hybrid, so a new production hybrid makes most sense in the humpbacked four-door. Power for the...
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2011 Geneva Motor Show Preview: 2012 Kia Rio HatchbackJust a few weeks out from its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the wraps have come off the all-new 2012 Kia Rio three-door hatch. Joining the smaller Kia Picanto, which will also be making its world debut in Geneva, the design of the new Rio has been a global effort though most of the car's...
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The future is electric, and BMW knows it as well as anyone despite the fact that the only EVs put out by the company have thus far been limited-distribution, lease-only development cars. The ActiveE...
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Video: 2012 Acura TL Unveiling At 2011 Chicago Auto ShowWe aren't huge fans of the facelifted 2012 Acura TL's design, as it looks quite a lot like the last one, though there's a lot to redeem the car once you get past the face. Judging by your comments, you're not all that pleased with it either. Either way, you can watch the official video of its...
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Top Gear USA Gets Second Season Greenlight on HISTORYHISTORY has decided the first season of the U.S. version of Top Gear cut enough mustard to pick up a second. The first 10 episodes of the series pulled in a total of 60 million viewers. The notoriously cranky Jeremy Clarkson even gives the American show his seal of approval: “Top Gear is our...
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Volkswagen Golf24: 440-HP AWD Nurburgring Endurance RacerThe Volkswagen Golf isn't exactly the first car that comes to mind when you dip into the VW Group's stable of cars looking for something to take racing, but it turns out it's not a bad choice at all, if these images and specs are any indication. Based on the Golf but packing 440 horsepower, a...
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2011 Geneva Preview: Lotus Evora By MansoryRumors of the arrival of a uniquely restyled Lotus Evora for the Geneva Motor Show have been circulating for a few weeks now, but today we get our first look a the car, and a few details. It's actually kind of disappointing: it's a Mansory. Notorious for going way, way over the top with its custom...
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2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 To Debut At New York Auto Show?Last year we brought you some of the first word on rumors of the next Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Though it's running a full year behind where it was expected then, the latest rumors of the super-SUV are pointing toward a New York Auto Show debut and a fall 2011 on-sale date. Specs are as anyone...
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Whether it's simple legal necessity, hold-over angst from the 1960s duel between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari, or corporate jockeying between Ford and Ferrari's corporate parent, Fiat, which now...
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2011 Dodge Challenger R/T Green With Envy Live Photos: 2011 Chicago Auto ShowThe Chicago Auto Show has been a bit of an underwhelming affair, though perhaps none more so than yet another special-color paintjob on the Dodge Challenger. The Dodge Challenger R/T Classic in the new Green With Envy color will entice retro-loving Mopar muscle heads, but few others. The new Green...
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2012 Shelby Mustang GT350 Live Photos: 2011 Chicago Auto ShowThe 2012 Shelby GT350 is another modern-day reimagination of an iconic 1960s racer, and for the new model year, it gets two new colors and a production cap of 350 total cars. Also available this year for the first time since 1970: the GT350 treatment on a convertible. The total allocation of 350...
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2011 Mazda MX-5 Special Edition Live Photos: 2011 Chicago Auto ShowYesterday we brought you the details on the 2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata Special Edition, built to celebrate the 900,000th MX-5 sold. Today, we have live images of both the Sparkling Black Mica and Dolphin Gray Mica variants from the floor of the Chicago Auto Show. Built on the same underpinnings as the...
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Spy Shots: Next-Generation Volvo C30 MuleDetails on the next generation of the Volvo C30 remain slim at best, with a report from late last year hinting at a more practical five-door model, aimed at competition with Volkswagen's Golf, BMW 1-Series, and Lexus CT-200h. A V30-badged crossover variant is also possible, aimed directly at the...
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Report: Ford Suing Ferrari Over F150 F1 Car Name
Silly as it may sound, trademark law is a curious thing, and Ford is moving to stop use of the F150 name (though note the lack of hyphenation) used by Ferrari for its latest Formula 1 car. The name was chosen by the Italian firm to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the country's unification. Ford...
Nelson Ireson