Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Despite a bankruptcy filing that's barely a week old, General Motors is fighting to preserve its image as a relevant and potent member of the automotive industry. To that end, GM today announced the... -
BMW putting new full-phrase voice control into all models by late 2009Space movies, futuristic cars and even cartoons have all touted the glories of voice command systems, but those that have dealt with the majority of present-day technology understand its limiting and often frustrating nature. But BMW hopes to have overcome those hurdles with its latest system...
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U.S. government pledges $30 billion in GM bankruptcy financingIt's been expected for a long time but it finally appears as though General Motors’ bankruptcy is upon us, and with it the federal government is set to bring the struggling automaker out of its eventual Chapter 11 filing with over $30 billion in financing. The news comes from White House...
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Report: GM may announce Hummer sale tomorrowGeneral Motors confirmed the sale of its Hummer brand last August and followed up the announcement with the release of an official document for potential buyers just one month later. Poor sales, growing public concern for the environment and the recession have all added up to weaken Hummer's sales...
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Car and track listing announced for Need for Speed: ShiftFor the driving simulator fan, the Need for Speed series holds a certain nostalgia as one of the first really fun and engaging car games. For the past 15 years the franchise has expanded on that theme, evolving to a level of realistic graphics and fun-focused gameplay that everyone can get on board...
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GM reveals plan to build new small car at idled assembly plant in U.S.In an atypically cryptic press release, General Motors today announced that it will be building a new small car at an unnamed idled UAW-staffed assembly plant here in the U.S. The new vehicle will be in addition to the already-planned 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze, but it's not yet known which...
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BMW's M3 has undergone a huge evolution since its birth with the E30 3-series. Growing in size, power and cylinder count, the latest M3 hardly bears any resemblance to its forbears. And now BMW is... -
BMW celebrates 75 years of roadster productionRoadsters. Open air, summer sun and a visceral connection to the road. For many, the quintessential enthusiast's driving experience. But for many, many more, they are the attractive and sporting little convertibles that flit back and forth to work, shops and play with equal ease. Today BMW is...
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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...
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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...
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Ariel shoehorns 500hp V8 into Atom roadsterHot on the heels of the news of the 500hp (373kW) Caterham Seven RS, rival British sports car manufacturer Ariel has revealed plans for its own V8-powered superlight roadster based on the existing Atom platform. The exposed tubular frame road-legal racer is already a track-day favorite, but the...
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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...
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When 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... -
Video: The Building of Ken Block's Gymkhana 2 WRX STIEvery 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...
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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...
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Style at speed: MTM Birkin Edition Bentley Continental GTWhen dealing with the amount of money and prestige involved with a custom Bentley Continental, it's easy to get carried away - and there are plenty of examples to attest to that. But sometimes a custom house pulls off an upgrade that actually enhances the original, and that's exactly what we have...
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‘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...
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Lutz gives $32,500 ballpark price for VoltThe epic development period of the Volt has been unique in many ways, not least of which because it was announced about three years ahead of its actual debut - which is still more than a year out. But this week Bob Lutz told David Letterman one key detail of the upcoming plug-in hybrid from General...
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As General Motors peers over the brink of the abyss into a future that very likely holds a bankruptcy, the hits just keep coming. Today industry forecasters revealed that Toyota will pass GM in U.S.... -
Toyota doubts widespread acceptance of plug-in hybridsThe idea that plug-in hybrids aren't all they're cracked up to be isn't a new one. Carnegie Mellon University has even published a study that calls the technology inefficient and cost-prohibitive. Now it looks like Toyota may be in agreement, saying it doesn't expect more than 50,000 plug-in hybrid...
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Cadillac boss Mark McNabb resignsLast April General Motors made some structural changes to its brand operations, consolidating a lot of redundant work into a single channel. As part of that change, Mark McNabb was appointed head of Cadillac, Hummer and Saab as chief of GM's premium division. Things have changed at GM since then...
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GM to close 42% of Canadian dealer networkThe symptoms of America's ailing carmakers don't recognize borders, and no nation is more keenly aware of that fact than Canada. That's doubly true after today's announcement of General Motors' planned closure of 42% of the company's Canadian dealerships. In all about 300 dealers will be shuttered...
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Toyota unveils LF-A race cars for 24-hour Nurburgring raceThough over a year has elapsed since the Lexus LF-A was first spotted in testing, and it's been almost a year since it last ran the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, the crew at Lexus are prepping the perpetual prototype for yet another running of the ADAC Zurich 24h Race, and now they've released photos of...
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McLaren Automotive announces plans to build new production center in UKEver since news of McLaren Automotive's birth broke, fans have been eagerly snatching up any news of the car that will succeed the venerable F1 supercar. Today McLaren revealed its plans to build a new UK production center where it will build the car along with two new high-end sports cars. Ron...
Nelson Ireson