Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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From the classic E30 to the latest E92, the BMW M3 has undergone an evolution from light, small, and motorsports-intended to larger, more powerful, and built for the street as much as the track, but...
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Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 order guide, specs leakedThere are secrets in the automotive world, and then there are next-generation Lamborghinis. The Aventador, successor to the Murcielago, managed to hold some of its information back during development, but as it nears production and unveiling, the dam has broken wide open: the ordering guide, with...
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Cadillac Working On SRX Plug-In Hybrid? MaybeAs far back as two years ago, Bob Lutz was dropping hints that Cadillac could get a plug-in hybrid or Volt-based crossover. Today, a new report brings those hints back to live, with the plug-in project getting the nod, using--surprise--some technology from the Volt. Cadillac isn't confirming or...
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Video: Nico Rosberg Tests The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLKProving that vehicle engineers are not videographers as much as it proves some F1 pilots are imbued with more coolness than we will ever possess, this video also gives us a very good first look at the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK, with Nico Rosberg giving his (sponsored) opinions while chief SLK vehicle...
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Video: Hennessey Venom GT Breathes Fire On The DynoYou've followed it for years, seen the official teasers, the reveal, and even watched Jay Leno give it the once-over. Now you can see the Hennessey Venom GT breathe fire on the dyno in this brief video. Why, exactly, does it shoot three feet of blue flame out of its exhaust, you ask? Good question...
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Foolishness Or Faith?: 3,000 Buyers Pay $5,000 For Model S ReservationRaising capital to help pay for the development of a future vehicle is not a bad idea, and Tesla appears to be pulling it off well, generating 3,000 reservations for the planned 2012 Model S sedan at $5,000 a pop. That's $15 million. But are those early adopters being foolish? Perhaps they just...
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If there's one thing you don't want to fail when you're in an accident, it's your seatbelt. The first line of passive defense in a collision, the seatbelt is what keeps you in place to allow the...
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Confirmed: 2012 McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Racing ProgramThree weeks ago we brought you some of the first images on the Internet of a GT3 racing prototype of the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C. Today, McLaren confirmed the program, revealing a computer rendering and its plans for the race car. Partnered with CRS Racing, McLaren will deliver the first MP4-12C-based...
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Battlestar/Zonda C5 Corvette Answers Question No One AskedThis is a great example of too much money, too little taste. Clumsily marrying the aesthetics of the Pagani Zonda with Battlestar Galactica stickers, the Turkish owner/perpetrator of this "custom" Corvette has crossed a line. From the gigantic, ill-shaped diffuser to the poorly-aimed quad-mounted...
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GMC Sierra All Terrain HD concept debuts at 2011 Detroit Auto ShowFord's Raptor is the undisputed king of production off-road truck awesomeness, but it may soon have a challenger, previewed here with the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept. Bigger, diesel-powered, and suitably brutish, the All Terrain HD is at this point, "strictly a concept," however. According to...
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Video: Hyundai Launches Equus Owner's Manual App For iPadAs you already know, the 2011 Hyundai Equus is basically the nicest iPad case on the planet. Now it gets its own app, in the form of a virtual owner's manual, and a video showing off its multimedia glamor. Putting printed content on the iPad is a burgeoning business at Apple's App Store, but...
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Report: Sportier Chrysler 200S Coming Mid-2011The Chrysler 200, as re-worked as it is, still looks a lot like a Sebring to us. It's better--far better--than its predecessor, but we're still not sold on the transmogrification. The sportier Chrysler 200S, however, may just be the upgrade we're looking for. It won't be a world-beater, but it'll...
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We're less than a month away from the wintriest show of the year, the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Despite the cold and snowy conditions, there's plenty of heat crossing the stages this year, with 30 to...
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GM, Purdue University Working On Thermoelectric Energy RegenerationThermoelectric energy regeneration sounds like a complicated topic, but it's really pretty straightforward: recapturing energy that would otherwise be wasted as heat and using it to power something. In the case of GM and Purdue University, that something is a car's electrical system. The benefits?...
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Video: DiRT 3 Lets You Get Your (Virtual) Gymkhana FixIf you don't know Gymkhana by now, you might want to consider rethinking your outlook on life. If, on the other hand, you're familiar but not completely in love with it, we're with you there. But if you'd like to try your hand at some of those automotive gymnastics--for the thrill or to prove how...
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2012 Ford Mustang Pricing: GT Starts At $29,995If you've got $5 less than $30,000 to spend, you can get yourself a 2011 Lexus CT 200h. Or, if you actually like driving, you can get a 2012 Mustang GT. That's a drop of $500 from last year, making the 412-horsepower 5.0-liter Mustang one of the best performance values around. Sure, you still have...
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2011 NACTOY Finalists Named: Leaf, Volt, Sonata, Durango, Cherokee, ExplorerThe finalists for the prestigious 2011 North American Car And Truck Of The Year (NACTOY) awards have just been named, and if you've been following the awards from various media outlets, you were probably expecting most of these. One you might not have expected, however, is the Dodge Durango. Based...
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Report: SPEED Set To Air New Celeb-Studded Car ShowThe U.S. version of Top Gear is through its fourth episode now, and while it's not a total flop, it strikes us as even more of a car show for non-car-people than the original. Where's a real car guy (or girl) to get their fix? Hopefully, on the Speed channel. At least, that's our hope after hearing...
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So what, exactly, is Bob Lutz doing pontificating on the probabilities of Proton-owned Lotus' likelihood of success? He's an member of the senior advisory board, invited by new CEO Dany Bahar. And...
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Mercedes-Benz Delivers First Customer F-CELL Hydrogen EVEarlier this week, Nissan delivered the first retail customer's LEAF EV, and today Mercedes-Benz has delivered its first customer-leased B-Class F-CELL hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle to another California resident. Unlike the LEAF, the F-CELL isn't quite ready for mass sale, but the test lease program...
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Video: Chrysler 200 Talks Trash On Chevy Malibu, Ford FusionWe love it when carmakers have the guts to put their products up against the competition in actual tested and measured comparisons. Unfortunately, that's a rare event, and that's not what we have here. Instead, Chrysler employs a host of yes-men (and women) to talk up the new 2011 200 while talking...
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Chrysler Moves Up 8-Speed Transmission Production PlansWe've known since the summer that Chrysler is planning a new range of eight-speed transmissions, licensed from ZF and built in the U.S., but this week the company announced it plans to move production dates up from their previous 2013 target. How early will we see the transmission? Chrysler hasn't...
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2011 Lexus CT 200h Priced From $29,995Lackluster is perhaps the best description for Lexus' hybrid offerings thus far, with the RX 450h and HS 250h returning unimpressive efficiency and high prices. The 2011 CT 200h aims to change that with a starting price of $29,995 including delivery. At 42 mpg combined EPA-rated fuel economy, the...
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Video: Russian Drunk Driver Rampages, Gets BeatenThe only innocent bystander in this video is an unfortunate Porsche Cayenne, but the not-so-innocent bystanders are our heroes of the day for handing this Russian drunk driver the re-education he clearly needs. We're not typically fans of vigilante justice, but sometimes stupidity requires a...
Nelson Ireson