Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Premium mid-level sedans are a tricky business, balancing just enough luxury and features with sporting performance to stand above the entry-level crowd, but taking care not to step on the toes of... -
Bush Signs $17.4 Billion Auto Industry Bailout PackageThe on-again, off-again saga of the auto industry rescue package has finally come to a (temporary) end: President Bush this morning signed an agreement securing $17.4 billion in loans for General Motors and Chrysler LLC. The funds will tap an unused portion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program...
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White House considering 'orderly bankruptcy' as an option for GM, ChryslerBankruptcy for one or more major carmakers as a solution to the current automotive downturn has been widely reviled as the worst possible alternative for the carmakers themselves and the industry, and economy, in general. But now the White House has revealed that a structured bankruptcy for General...
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2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announcedThe North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards are among the most prestigious in the industry, recognizing the vehicles that capture the votes of 50 top automotive journalists. This year's finalists, announced today at the Cobo Center in Detroit, are split about like the U.S. car...
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European Parliament agrees to looser CO2 rulesIn September, a committee in the European Parliament proposed easing the carbon dioxide emissions rules previously set to phase in over the next several years, and today the proposal was approved. The modifications require only 65% of manufacturer fleets to meet the strict 130g/km targets in 2012...
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Nissan GT-R COBRA N+ Tuning ConceptThe U.S. and Japan have had the Nissan GT-R on the street for the better part of a year already, but Europe continues to wait - the first cars won't be delivered until Q1 2009. But that hasn't stopped the tuners from moving forward with tuning kits for the Japanese supercar killer. With AWD, an...
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When Holden Special Vehicles announced its W427 - essentially a Commodore decked out with a performance suspension and a 505hp (375kW) 7.0L Corvette engine - many declared it a relic, even before it... -
Shelby Supercars Updates Ultimate Aero Supercar With 1,287 HPWhat is one to do when owning the world's fastest production car just isn't enough? Buy the new year model, of course. Or at least that's the approach at Shelby Supercars (SSC), makers of the twin-turbo Ultimate Aero. The new 2009-model car is already setting its sights on raising the world -record...
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Pontiac prices G8 GXP at $39,995General Motors' Pontiac brand has been the subject of some very close scrutiny as a result of the dire financial straits of the automotive industry, and its future is still uncertain. There's even speculation that the brand could be axed altogether, but until then, it's business as usual, and today...
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Danish firm Zenvo Automotive unveils 1,100-hp ST1 supercarThe Danes are better known for their stunning architectural and cutting-edge product design, but now a Danish firm has turned its hand to the task of designing a supercar, and the result is the Zenvo ST1. As the first purely Danish supercar, the ST1 sets its aspirations high. Powered by a...
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Daimler teams with Evonik for lithium-ion batteriesThree electric concepts headed to the 2009 Detroit Auto Show have captured much of Daimler subsidiary Mercedes' press of late, and the timing of the new Daimler-Evonik hints that the technology that underpins the cars could be headed for more than just the show floor. Mercedes' S400 BlueHybrid is...
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VW and Porsche reach union agreementThe tension that has cast a backlight on the Porsche-VW acquisition found a particular intensity in the fight for seats on the joint works council. The board that represents the labor interests at the Porsche Automobil conglomerate will now have half its seats reserved for VW representatives, and...
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The Saleen name is one of the best-known in the Ford tuning world, and despite his recent break with the Saleen, Inc. company he founded in 1983, Steve Saleen's new SMS Supercars project is going... -
Toyota pushes back production at Mississippi Prius plantThe precipitous drop in new vehicle sales in the U.S. has hit SUVs and trucks the hardest with small cars and hybrids rapidly gaining market share. That up-tick in share isn't enough to offset the overall slump in volume, however, as even Toyota has decided to put off U.S. production of the Prius...
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Lexus registers LFA trademark with USPTOSpeculation that the Lexus LF-A supercar project had been axed several months ago was refuted to some degree by ongoing testing of the car at the Nurburgring. Now a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has breathed new life into the car's possible production, though the company still...
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Honda, GM announce massive Q1 2009 production cutsThe car market continues to worsen even as the auto loan bill flounders in Washington. Honda and General Motors today have announced huge production cuts for the first quarter of 2009, totaling over one-third of a million cars between the two carmakers. GM says it will be cutting production by...
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Auto loan bill could stall in SenateThe $14 billion auto loan bill passed by the House late yesterday may stall out in the U.S. Senate under fire from Republican opposition. The GOP wants more concessions from the UAW and more concrete reforms by the carmakers before money is handed out, among other changes. A counter-proposal by...
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Sweden offers $3.4 billion package to auto industryThe U.S. House of Representatives has just passed the $14 billion loan bill and it's now headed to the Senate, but that's not the end of the story. Lawmakers in Sweden have proposed their own aid package, totaling $3.4 billion for their country's auto industry. The primary players there are Saab...
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Mercedes Benz today announced the availability of a new display technology that allows driver and passenger to see two totally separate programs from the same screen, at the same time. The equipment... -
Ford enthusiast site conflict rooted in alleged sale of counterfeit goodsA number of Ford-brand enthusiast sites today revealed that at least one other site, TheRangerStation, has received a letter from a law firm claiming to represent the Blue Oval, demanding that they relinquish any domain names with Ford brands in them, as well as turn over for destruction all...
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Volt development costing GM $750 millionAs set out in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, basic survival must first be established before one can move on to worry about the esoteric concerns of philosophy, morality or ethics. In an odd twist of logic, however, America's car companies have been forced to premise their immediate survival on their...
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Iacocca, Lutz speak out on possible Wagoner oustingRick Wagoner could be spending his final few days as CEO of General Motors if Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut and his supporters have their way. Already speculation as to which of the world's proven corporate leaders could take Wagoner's place at the helm of the struggling automotive giant has...
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GM, Chrysler bankruptcy up to 400% more expensive than bridge loans, says studyIf you listen to the CEOs and PR spin-doctors, bankruptcy has never been an option for America's carmakers, despite behind-the-scenes talk of 'Plan B' scenarios. It turns out that such aversion to bankruptcy isn't just head-in-the-sand reactionary behavior. If General Motors and Chrysler were to...
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GM renews commitment to American peopleNo one in the U.S. can reasonably be unaware of the current condition of the U.S. car market or its primary domestic companies. The carmakers' current pleas to the U.S. Congress for federal loan packages to help prevent bankruptcy - or worse - are the focal point of even mainstream news coverage of...
Nelson Ireson