Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor

Articles

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  Smart unveils Edition Limited Three ForTwo Nelson Ireson February 25, 2009

  No one anticipated the smashing success the Smart ForTwo would have in the U.S., despite its warm reception in Europe, making the car one of parent company Daimler's biggest hits, at least in terms...
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  Sweden promises €445 million in loan guarantees to Volvo

  The solipsism of American media has a way of quietly filtering out much of the rest of the world, but the car industry is in a pinch just about everywhere. Nowhere is that picture clearer than in Sweden where ailing carmakers Saab and Volvo have been seeking government aid for months. Today word...

  Nelson Ireson February 25, 2009
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  Volvo adds four more cars to efficient DRIVe lineup in Geneva

  Slashing the cost of ownership is a good strategy in today's car market, especially in Europe where emissions taxes are a large part of the yearly expense. Volvo's DRIVe line of cars, expanded with four more models today, is therefore not just smart in an environmental sense, but a business sense...

  Nelson Ireson February 24, 2009
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  Obama's car industry task force shuns domestic cars for personal use

  The resurgence in domestic car quality (it's real) hasn't quite caught up with the members President Obama's newly-formed Task Force on the Auto Industry, or at least so it would seem from their personal car choices: 18 of 20 members and senior aides drive imports. It's not a surprise the majority...

  Nelson Ireson February 24, 2009
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  A1GP Chairman: F1 is copying all my ideas

  Keeping motorsport relevant, affordable and interesting is a tricky balancing act. In the U.S. NASCAR has done an admirable job of luring and keeping millions of rabid fans, but times are tougher for the road-racing leagues found elsewhere in the world. Formula 1 in particular is searching for new...

  Nelson Ireson February 23, 2009
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  Audi’s handsome A5 and S5 cabrios bare all in new images

  The new A5 and S5 Cabriolet range was quietly revealed late last year during the holiday period between the Los Angeles and Detroit Auto Shows, but with production of the handsome duo kicking off in Germany this month Audi has released a flood of new images and details. The most exciting variant...

  Nelson Ireson February 23, 2009
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  KTM prepping two new models for Geneva Motor Show Nelson Ireson February 20, 2009

  Track lovers and auto geeks are intimately familiar with KTM's X-Bow, its raucous design the embodiment of a four-wheeled space craft. Now the company is promising two new models and a tiered lineup...
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  First six cars tested under new Euro NCAP system, Toyota iQ rates 5 stars

  Starting this year, all new cars assessed under the Euro NCAP scheme will have to be fitted with some form of electronic stability control (ESC) in order to gain a rating of five stars. This puts the Euro NCAP scheme at the forefront of crash testing, though some other regions are also making...

  Nelson Ireson February 20, 2009
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  Sand-X extreme performance offroad vehicle mates snowmobile with ATV

  Sometimes an idea comes along that's so awesome, yet so obvious, you just smack yourself on the forehead and ask, "Why didn't I think of that?" This is one of those times. Get ready for the Sand-X. The Sand-X ATV, built by a Swiss company of the same name and designed by Platune - the company that...

  Nelson Ireson February 19, 2009
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  Zipcar's plug-in hybrid on-demand car service launches in San Francisco

  Would you give up your car for the chance to use a fleet of them? Or do you prefer your own, highly specialized vehicle? Though many companies predict highly individualized modes of transport, down to personal mobility units like Toyota's i-REAL, others see a future where a communal pool of...

  Nelson Ireson February 19, 2009
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  2009 Alfa Romeo 159 revealed ahead of Geneva Motor Show

  A picture is worth a thousand words, or in the case of the Alfa Romeo 159, it's worth a long, loving stare. The sensual lines of one of the finest-looking sedans anywhere have been revealed in their 2009 model year form ahead of the unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Early last year...

  Nelson Ireson February 18, 2009
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  Corvette ZR1's Supercharged LS9 In Crate Engine Form Priced At $21,000

  GM Performance Parts offers some very interesting gear for the go-fast racer or modifier, including whole engines available for whatever project one can come up with. The GM division is now offering its ultimate package: the LS9 supercharged V8 from the heart of the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 supercar...

  Nelson Ireson February 18, 2009
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  Chrysler cost Daimler $1.75 billion in 2008 Nelson Ireson February 17, 2009

  The divorce of Daimler from Chrysler in 2007 wasn't complete - the German company Daimler still holds 19.9% of Chrysler - and now that lingering relationship has come back with a vengeance. Despite a...
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  Hennessey announces plans to modify the Ford Taurus SHO

  Twin-turbos, 365hp - stock - aggressive looks and...four doors? A Blue Oval on the grille? The Ford Taurus SHO is a legendary nameplate with a promising new face for the 2010 model year, and the tuners at Hennessey Performance have taken notice. Not much about the planned modifications are yet...

  Nelson Ireson February 17, 2009
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  Honda's new Insight doubles first-month sales targets in Japan

  Making plans for the future is tough when the market is as shaky as it is now, but Honda is trying to find a way to get its Insight hybrid to market in the U.S. for less than $20,000. To do so, it may have to build the car in the U.S., but it won't be able to justify that step unless it can sell...

  Nelson Ireson February 16, 2009
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  Mercedes unveils special-edition G-Class SUVs for 30th anniversary

  Thirty years is a long time in the automotive industry, but the more things change, the more they stay the same - in 1979, the second oil crisis was in full swing, Detroit was smack in the midst of its malaise-era madness and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class was born. Now that three decades have elapsed...

  Nelson Ireson February 16, 2009
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  Ford working four-cylinders into every car and crossover in its range

  So smaller engines get better fuel economy - big surprise, right? Ford has recently been making a lot of noises about a transition to smaller engines based around their EcoBoost twin-turbo technology, but today the company is saying they'll be going four-pot in every car and crossover they offer by...

  Nelson Ireson February 16, 2009
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  Report: Obama drops plans for industry ‘car czar’

  President Barack Obama has made no bones about his commitment to using the government to help prop up the ailing automotive industry, but his earlier plans to instate a ‘car czar’ to oversee the industry’s restructuring have reportedly been dropped. The original bill passed for...

  Nelson Ireson February 16, 2009
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  Analyst: tax breaks on new cars could spark up to 100,000 new sales Nelson Ireson February 13, 2009

  A lot of hullabaloo on the topic of the need (or lack thereof) to act quickly and decisively on the economy, and to help kick-start the car industry in particular, has been flying about living rooms,...
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  Report: Chery considering bid for Volvo

  America's car-market troubles are well-known and much belabored of late, but China's automotive industry isn't facing such a dire situation. In January, China's total car sales overtook America's for the first time, and many of the constituent companies, such as Chery, are looking outside China to...

  Nelson Ireson February 13, 2009
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  IMSA unleashes the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GTV

  Last July IMSA unveiled what has to be one of the most restrained modification efforts ever to touch a Lamborghini. The underlying concept is marrying Italian design with German engineering - not such an odd concept considering Lamborghini's VW Group parentage. Now they've added to their portfolio...

  Nelson Ireson February 13, 2009
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  Obama to auto industry: "Get me a plan that works"

  President Obama and his administration has made much political hay over the impending disaster that could befall the U.S. economy barring swift action. Today Obama called directly on the American auto industry for a clear plan for viability so the government could step up its aid. Speaking with...

  Nelson Ireson February 12, 2009
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  Hyundai shows off 460hp 4.6L supercharged Tau V8 at Chicago Auto Show

  The Equus large sedan just received a new dose of teasing ahead of its South Korean release later this month, and if it weren't for the 7-series rival's existence, the 4.6L supercharged Tau V8 on display in Chicago might not make much sense. Such a beefy engine would definitely enliven the Genesis...

  Nelson Ireson February 12, 2009
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  Volkswagen and Toshiba working together on electric vehicles

  Tesla's Roadster and Model S have garnered much of the hybrid and electric press of late, though new entries from Ford and Honda have also gathered some attention. Now Volkswagen is looking to share in the spotlight, announcing the signing of a letter of intent with Toshiba for cooperation on the...

  Nelson Ireson February 12, 2009