Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor

Articles

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  2012 Chevrolet Impala To Get 3.6-Liter V-6, Next-Gen Delayed Until Mid-2013 Nelson Ireson February 7, 2011

  The Chevrolet Impala may bear little resemblance to its classic namesake, but it continues on in W-body form for 2012. Despite the familiar duds, the 2012 Impala will get a new heart: GM's 3.6-liter...

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  Video: Kubica's Andora Rally Crash, Update On Condition

  Speculation is rampant that Robert Kubica's racing career could be over after a very hard crash suffered this weekend during the Ronde di Andora rally. Surgeons managed to restore blood flow to his injured right hand, but caution that amputation could still be possible. Even if Kubica manages to...

  Nelson Ireson February 7, 2011
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  F1 Driver Robert Kubica Breaks Multiple Bones In High-Speed Rally Crash

  An off-season rally bid has ended in disaster for Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica this morning. During a stage of the Ronde di Andora rally, he veered off-course and collided with a guard rail and wall, causing multiple fractures of his right arm, hand, and leg. Lotus-Renault GP, Kubica's F1 team...

  Nelson Ireson February 6, 2011
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  2012 Infiniti M Hybrid Secures 32 MPG EPA Highway Rating

  Luxury hybrids are storming the marketplace, and bringing with them a new era of hybrid chic. The 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid hopes to snatch some of that market, and today's official EPA rating of 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway should bolster its chances. Those figures yield a combined average fuel...

  Nelson Ireson February 4, 2011
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  Mercedes-Benz Reveals SLS AMG Roadster, C63 AMG Coupe In Super Bowl Spot

  Earlier today Mercedes teased us with snippets of its upcoming fourth-quarter Super Bowl commercial, and now we have the 99-second long version of the 60-second spot that will air during the game. It features the unveiling of the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster and the 2012 C63 AMG Coupe along with the 2012...

  Nelson Ireson February 4, 2011
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  Update: Mercedes-Benz Teases 'Big' Unveilings In Super Bowl XLV Ad

  UPDATE: We just received a tip from an inside source that two very big model reveals will be featured in the upcoming Super Bowl ad spot. Stay tuned between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. EST for the full details. --------------- We're just two days away from the big game, and as we stock our refrigerators...

  Nelson Ireson February 4, 2011
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  Hyundai Veloster Race Car Launches Over Jump, Won't Land Until February 9 Nelson Ireson February 4, 2011

  The 2012 Hyundai Veloster was revealed in all its oddball three-door glory just last month at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, but this photo hints at a coming rally car prototype, and given the timing,...

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  Video: Mika Salo Tracks The Ferrari P4/5 Competizione

  Thirty seconds just isn't enough when it comes to watching the Glickenhaus Ferrari P4/5 Competizione on track, especially when it's being guided by the skillful hands of Mika Salo. But that's all we get. Listen for the crackling burble under deceleration between blips of the throttle as Salo...

  Nelson Ireson February 4, 2011
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  Yet More Photos Of Ferrari FF Shooting Brake In Action

  Spitting snow from all four tires, the Ferrari FF is once again hooning it up this winter. This new batch of five shots shows an "advanced prototype" as well as a final version of the car as they barrel through snowdrift-rimmed roads. Whether you like the long back end or not, you have to admit: it...

  Nelson Ireson February 4, 2011
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  Tesla Model S Crossover Coming To 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show?

  We've known since 2009 that Tesla has plans for a crossover and a minivan based on the Model S platform, but now it looks like the crossover, dubbed the Model X, may soon take shape, with a possible debut, at least in concept form, at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. Tesla can do the many-hats thing...

  Nelson Ireson February 3, 2011
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  BMW To Launch FWD Hybrids In 2014

  Yes, it's true--and to some, sad--but BMW will in fact be building a small front-wheel drive car that wears the roundel rather than the MINI badge. Worse yet, for some, there will be hybrids. We're not opposed to either front-wheel drive or hybrid drivetrains as a strict rule, but as lovers of all...

  Nelson Ireson February 3, 2011
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  MINI WRC Hits Up Rallye Monte Carlo Alongside Classic Mini Rally Car

  Monte Carlo is one of the classic homes of rally racing, and the original Mini was no stranger to its wiles. The new MINI WRC isn't, either, now that the two have shown off at the Rallye Monte Carlo Historique. Posed beside its forerunner, the new MINI WRC looks gargantuan, despite being based on...

  Nelson Ireson February 3, 2011
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  Rumors Say Next Honda Civic Si Drops Revvy 2.0, Gets 2.4-Liter Four Nelson Ireson February 3, 2011

  Half the fun of driving the Honda Civic Si or its true sports car stablemate, the S2000, is the high-rpm engagement of VTEC (yo!) and the surge of power that comes with it. It's not an ideal flat...

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  Video: Chevy Camaro Gets Spotlight In Second Super Bowl Ad

  Earlier this week, Chevrolet released its first Super Bowl XLV ad, featuring Bumblebee and an unfortunate rodent mascot. Today, we get an unofficial release of the second, focused on the Camaro. Almost a meta-commercial, the ad itself lives out the stream of consciousness brainstorm of two guys...

  Nelson Ireson February 3, 2011
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  Video: Saab Touts Heritage, Leaves Out GM Era (Almost) Entirely

  UPDATE: As several intrepid (and sharp-eyed) readers have pointed out, there is a quarter-second shot of a GM-era convertible around the 16-second mark. Good catch. As for the 9-5, it was designed during the GM era, true, but it's being sold entirely under the Spyker-owned Saab umbrella. Point...

  Nelson Ireson February 3, 2011
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  The GPS Vehicle Tracker: Is It Time We All Had One?

  If you haven't heard of Rocky Mountain Tracking or its Smart Tracker GPS device, we don't blame you. The relatively small operation is one among many such services, including the by-word for the field, LoJack. But it's no less effective for being small. This past Friday, January 28, a 2007...

  Nelson Ireson February 2, 2011
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  Video: BMW ConnectedDrive Previews 'Seamless Media Access'

  BMW's ConnectedDrive Future Lab is a car tech geek's Disney World. In this video, the team from the Future Lab previews possible future directions for BMW's ConnectedDrive infotainment and telematics system. As a leader in the Internet-connected car field, BMW has a brood of ideas growing in the...

  Nelson Ireson February 2, 2011
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  Video: Local Motors Rally Fighter Kicks Sand In Your Face

  Freakishly shaped, crowd-designed, and "open source," the Local Motors Rally Fighter is unique even among the world of purpose-built dirt bashers. It's also a ton of fun to watch as it does its thing. You've already seen the Rally Fighter get freaky in the dirt, but it's up to its antics again...

  Nelson Ireson February 2, 2011
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  Cadillac Unveils CTS-V Black Diamond Edition Nelson Ireson February 2, 2011

  You thought the Cadillac CTS-V was bad-ass? You're right, but the CTS-V Black Diamond is bad-asser. Or, as Cadillac puts it, it's a "finely crafted, tailored tuxedo." We like our description better.
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  Snowpocalypse Strikes Back: Stuck Van Burns To The Ground

  Those of you in the many snowbound cities across the north and midwest this morning know just how inconvenient the wintry precipitation can be. But at least it didn't set your car on fire. One unlucky van driver in Chicago can't say the same. Stuck in the snow in an intersection, the driver...

  Nelson Ireson February 2, 2011
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  Ford GT Successor To Go Hybrid?

  Electric-assisted drivetrains are here to stay, and they've even made some inroads into legitimate supercar territory with the Porsche 918 Spyder, and in mechanical-hybrid terms with the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid. But could a hybrid power the next Ford GT? That's the story slinking around the Web...

  Nelson Ireson February 2, 2011
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  2012 McLaren MP4-12C Enters Production

  As we trace the slow but steady progress of the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C to market, today brings a milestone: the start of regular production in the company's Technology Centre (MTC). Full series production will take place at the not-yet-completed McLaren Production Center (MPC), but the first batch of...

  Nelson Ireson February 2, 2011
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  Video: See The New Movable F1 Rear Wing In Action, Courtesy Of Sauber

  Last year, Formula 1 drivers had the ability to adjust the angle of attack of their front wings from the cockpit, in theory to aid overtaking in the turbulent wake of another car. It didn't work all that well. This year, it's the rear wing that gets active control, showcased in the video below by...

  Nelson Ireson February 2, 2011
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  2011 F1 New Car Roundup: Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Lotus Renault GP

  'Tis the season for new Formula 1 car unveilings, and today we have a trio, though only one is an early favorite for front-of-the-pack status. We'll let you guess which. Scuderia Toro Rosso's STR6, the sixth iteration of the Red Bull junior team's sporting chariot, gets its power from a Ferrari...

  Nelson Ireson February 1, 2011