Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Having recently parted company from Mercedes-Benz, hired a new design director and started work on a successor to the vaunted F1, the team at McLaren is busy as ever. Now word has emerged that the... -
6,000 Camaros on order, 84% V8 SS modelsThe muscle-car revival that had seemed so wrong-headed just a few months ago may have gotten at least a temporary reprieve with the fuel price drop of the past several weeks, but the orders for the Camaro reflect an apparent disregard for the issue altogether, with 84% of the 6,000 cars ordered so...
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Volkswagen shares spike over $1,250 to become most valuable company in worldInfighting with new owner Porsche has led many to fret over Volkswagen's future, but company officials insist the struggles are being blown out of proportion, just today releasing a statement of cooperation that appears to have put the fighting to an end. Whatever the case, the stock markets are...
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Porsche-VW announce united front after months of feudingThe feud that started up between the two German companies since Porsche purchased a controlling interest in Volkswagen last month has met what appears to be an end in the aligned leadership of both companies and the Porsche and Piëch families declaring, "We stand united behind all decisions." The...
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Toyota denies considering leaving F1 for LeMansIt's been known for some time that Toyota is very interested in competing in LeMans, sending squads of racing engineers and observers to the races both in Europe and the American series. Last week word has broke that Toyota may be considering a switch from the costly and thankless world of Formula...
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VW prepping Race Touareg 2 for 2009 Dakar RallyThis year's Dakar Rally was at first delayed, then relocated to South America due to terrorist threat. The first-ever iteration of the historic race to take place in South America, it will start in Buenos Aires January 3, 2009, and Volkswagen will be at the line with its new Race Touareg 2, built...
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Even the upper tier of the mass-market luxury car manufacturers are facing troubled times this year. Sales are down, inventories are up and there appears to be no end in sight. In response to this... -
General Motors looking at hatch and wagon variants for CruzeDespite the economic reality that smaller cars may end up costing their owners as much as larger cars, the small and mid-size segment is an incredibly important volume leader, and the Chevrolet Cruze is shaping up to be General Motors' prime entrant. As the Cruze progresses through its lifecycle...
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Small car fuel savings offset by higher insurance costsSavings at the pump may be a false economy for small cars, as higher insurance costs offset the financial benefits of higher fuel efficiency. For many popular models, the difference in insurance costs can exceed $500, wiping out the savings of a car that gets 35mpg on average over one that gets...
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Report: GM picks Volt battery supplierJust a month or so ago, the automotive world spent a frenzied several weeks feeding over the production Chevrolet Volt, unveiled for General Motors' centennial. This week a major step forward in the car's march to full-scale production was made in the selection of a supplier for the battery, though...
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Chrysler announces 25% of salaried jobs to be cut by year endOngoing merger negotiations, record financial losses and the worst sales figures in recent history have all been pointing to serious trouble for Chrysler, LLC, and today CEO Bob Nardelli said in a letter to employees that the company will cut 25% of its workforce - or about 4,300 salaried jobs -...
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Nissan to pilot pedestrian collision avoidance systemAs the EU ramps up its Intelligent Car Initiative, more and more carmakers are coming forward with car-to-car communications systems and advanced collision avoidance systems to help guide traffic and reduce accidents. Nissan's system is among the latest to be displayed, coming on the heels of a...
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Talk of General Motors purchasing or merging with Chrysler, sale to a third party or other speculation has been refined somewhat by Cerberus' statement today that it is trying to find a single buyer... -
Subaru launches 20th Anniversary edition of the Impreza WRX STIIt's hard to believe the Subaru Impreza WRX STI has been around in some form or another for 20 years already, but a special edition commemorating that fact was released today in Japan. Limited to just 300 units, the car will feature a range of upgrades above and beyond the standard STI along with...
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British Team Planning 1,000 MPH Land Speed RecordLand speed record attempts haven't drawn as much attention and innovation as they used to over the past decade. The current record, set in 1997 at 763mph (1,227km/h), is impressive, but it's stood for nearly 12 years without serious threat - until now, that is. A team from Britain today launched...
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RIDES creates custom SEMA Hyundai Genesis mobile tech centerThe annual extravaganza of excess that is the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas is gearing up to run from November 4-7. The latest entrant to the show floor is a custom Hyundai Genesis Sedan kitted out with an absurd amount of technology, including no fewer than three...
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BMW seeking partners for open-source car software platformAt the Convergence 2008 conference on automotive electronics yesterday, BMW revealed it is looking for partners as it pursues an open-source car computing platform. The German company is enthusiastic about the potential for such an open-source system's potential to keep up with the rapid advances...
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Hummer sending three new concepts to SEMADespite a change-up in power at the top with the naming of a new CEO just a week ago and a firm commitment by GM to sell the brand, Hummer is continuing merrily on its way to SEMA with a three-pack of concepts based around the H3. The first, an H3T truck-based vehicle called the 'Weekend Warrior'...
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Noise cameras are ready to be deployed across Australia in an effort to ticket and hopefully deter the proliferation of noisy vehicles and machinery on the nation's streets. Several states and... -
Up to 50% of 2009-model U.S. vehicles will feature satellite radioThe proliferation of the technology in the automobile is reaching a critical point as 2010 approaches. Just a couple weeks ago it was revealed that 58% of all 2009 model year cars will have a media player or iPod interface. Today it's satellite radio that has broken through the 50% barrier...
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Honda's Japanese-market Odyssey hits the sales floorAmericans know the Honda Odyssey as a solid-driving and fun minivan, but the Japanese get a vehicle by the same name that's more wagon than van, and even sportier to drive and look at. The newly redesigned version features several enhancements intended to make it feel bigger and more spacious while...
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BMW prototypes smart key that doubles as a credit cardUsing your car key as a payment method may not be something you've always wanted, but BMW and technological partner NXP are betting it will become a must-have feature once people are aware of it. The system combines a high-tech microchip system with a vehicle's key fob to produce a secure...
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Audi Reveals European Pricing For New S4 And S4 AvantIt's been spied in numerous guises, including sedan and Avant body styles, and though we've known what it would look like for some time, with the official facts and figures released last month, today it has gained a price. Audi has cast the S4 and its Avant variant as competitors to the mid-size...
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GM's plans for the Epsilon II platformBuilding the next generation of cars is often easier than deciding which should be built, or how they'll be built, if General Motors' trouble with the Epsilon II platform and its large sedan lineup is any indication. Nevertheless, it appears that GM is still working on reviving the Chevrolet Impala...
Nelson Ireson