Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Picture it: 200mi on a single charge, 80mph top speed and a purchase price of just $30,000 - not a recipe for success for a standard combustion engine car, but a very reasonable proposition for a... -
Video: Hennessey Nissan GT-R hits 186mph in 24.79 sec, 0-60 in 2.8Until this year's April Fool's Day, the highest top speed achieved by the Nissan GT-R to date was in the 192mph range, though exactly who owned the figure was disputed. Then Hennessey Performance Engineering claimed to have raised the bar and set the new record at 193.7mph (311.7km/h). Along the...
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Volt won't get DOE funds until GM passes government viability testsThere are many layers to the deal General Motors has had to accept from Washington. In addition to having 60 days - now down to 51 - to turn things around or face bankruptcy, GM must also convince the government it will remain viable in order to be eligible for $10.3 billion in Department of Energy...
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Hyundai unveils sporty Nuvis crossover conceptWith another surprisingly attractive and forward-looking design, Hyundai's Nuvis Concept carries on the string of successful show concepts for the brand. The Nuvis is a crossover that's intended to make the most of an urban lifestyle, taking elements from many body styles to fit a unique set of...
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VW considering up! minicar for U.S.Small, efficient cars have not fared particularly well in the U.S. Why, exactly, isn't precisely a mystery - Americans like big, strong cars for the most part - but it is something of a paradox, because Americans also want great fuel efficiency and low prices. As oil prices rise, the average...
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Scion-branded iQ hatch concept rolls into New York Auto ShowThe iQ hatch has been winning hearts and awards ever since its debut at last year's Paris Motor Show thanks to its cute face and its innovative design. Now it is catching second looks as it shows up in New York wearing a Scion badge and a special urban look. Targeted directly at Scion's already...
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The industry is in pain, but it's still planning for the future. Today that's clear nowhere more so than at Mitsubishi, which has just announced it will be upping its production target of the iMiEV... -
Steve Saleen to honor warranties voided by Saleen, IncAfter Steve Saleen resigned from Saleen, Inc. in 2007, the company, under its new leadership, sold the majority of its aftermarket business to MJ Acquisitions on February 2, 2009. About a month later, the new ownership decided to shut down Saleen, Inc. after selling off the supercharger...
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GM bankrupcty could split healthier brands off into separate companyHidden away in General Motors' plans for the next 60 days is a bankruptcy strategy that could see its most successful brands peel off to form a second company, leaving the other brands to languish in bankruptcy for a more extended period. The news comes from an anonymous source within GM via...
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Ford design director Peter Horbury takes head design job at VolvoLate last week Steve Mattin decided to leave his job as Volvo's design guru, and already the company has found a replacement in the form of Peter Horbury. The new design director will take up his pencil on May 1. Horbury comes fresh from the same position - executive director of design - at Ford...
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Geely working on updated GT for Shangai Auto ShowSwapping sweeping curves for ungainly protuberances, the new Geely GT goes in an unfortunately awkward direction. First shown off last year at the Beijing Motor Show, the updated GT is headed for Shanghai, but no one's looking forward to the trip. The last car was compared with - there were even...
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Hyundai takes the wraps off Prada edition Genesis SedanExpensive accessories, unique colors and premium materials - whether it's fashion or automotive, the formula for luxury is the same. The latest collaboration between the two fields comes from Hyundai and Prada, with the unveiling of the Hyundai Genesis Prada in Seoul yesterday. Prada's treatment of...
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All the great deals on new cars going around are tempting to many who would be buyers but for the tenous state of the overall economy, but not tempting enough to overcome the fear of a lost job,... -
Fritz Henderson, GM's new CEO, all but guarantees success in his first press conferenceAfter the ouster of Rick Wagoner from General Motors' top spot on Sunday, the world has been waiting to see what direction GM will head under its new leadership, Fritz Henderson, the company's COO. Today Henderson held his first press conference as CEO, and took a very clear stance on what will be...
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Obama throws weight behind car scrapping, new car tax incentivesThe 'cash for clunkers' type programs have proven hugely successful in Europe - particularly in Germany - and today President Obama put his support behind at $7,500 trade-in incentive for old cars. Along with the car scrapping push, Obama has also lent his support to a set of new car tax incentives...
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Wagoner nabs $20 million retirement package on forced exit from GMWhen you're Rick Wagoner, you get a golden parachute even when you're thrown out of the plane. The news today of Wagoner's $20 million retirement package might come as a surprise to some, following so closely on the heels of his Presidential ouster over the weekend. Wagoner won't get the cash all...
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CEO Christian Streiff fired by Peugeot board of directorsDrastic changes at American carmakers have become not only normal, but expected - even encouraged - as the economy and industry worsens. Even GM's CEO Rick Wagoner has stepped down at the behest of President Obama's task force. But so far no U.S. CEOs have been forcibly removed from their position...
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Steve Mattin, designer of Volvo S60 Concept, leaves companySwedish media are reporting today that Steve Mattin, Volvo's design director, is leaving the company. The departure marks the end of a four-year tenure during which time Mattin was responsible for designs including the 2010 XC60 and the highly controversial S60 Concept shown a this year's Detroit...
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Fresh from a trip to number two on Europe's sales charts and a journey across the Atlantic Ocean, Ford's new Fiesta hatch has begun arriving on American shores. One-hundred forty of the cars made the... -
Tesla unveils the Model S electric sedanTesla's first all-original car, the upcoming Model S plug-in electric sedan, has just been unveiled. The surprisingly attractive vehicle also offers very good performance and, when technological features are taken into consideration, almost impossible value. The prototype was unveiled today at...
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Cadillac to pull out of half of European markets, cancels dieselSay what you will about General Motors' past decade or two of planning, their products have come a long, long way in the past several years. That makes the events of the past several months all the more unfortunate - just when things looked ready to turn around, the market collapses. Now the...
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Sat nav strikes again: UK driver nearly goes off cliff following GPS directionsWhen your GPS system tells you to drive down an unpaved, three-foot-wide path, perhaps it's time to pull to the side of the road, get your bearings and maybe - just maybe - even ask for directions. But Robert Jones of Doncaster, South Yorkshire in the UK, didn't do that. Instead, he soldiered on...
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Department of Energy's $25 billion fuel-efficient vehicle fund still untappedLast November, the Department of Energy issued interim rules for the use of a already-approved $25 billion loan package earmarked for the construction of more fuel-efficient vehicles. But now, almost five months later, there has still been no disbursement of the funds. Over 75 applications for the...
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Fiat CEO says market is recovering, leaves Chrysler decision to Task ForceChrysler might seem like the ugly girl at the dance right now, but Fiat wants to partner up for the long haul, and it thinks it has made a strong case to be allowed to do it. While the company leaves the decision up to President Obama's Task Force on the Auto Industry, Marchionne has turned his...
Nelson Ireson