Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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The Camaro is one of GM's worst kept secrets at the moment, with details of its engine line-up, specifications and performance capabilities common knowledge around the internet. But until now, the... -
Chrysler announces 2% price riseDue to take effect as of Monday, June 16, Chrysler has told its dealers most new production of the current 2008 models and next year's 2009 models will face a 2% price rise in the U.S. Increased prices on the raw materials used to build its cars are the driving force behind the rise. Chrysler isn't...
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Japanese bridges to generate power from vibrationIt's not the first time the Japanese have taken the novel concept to reality. A bridge over the Arakawa River already uses the vibrations from passing cars to power some of its lights at night. The new project will expand the technology to the other four bridges on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway. Working...
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U.S. DOE announces $30 million plug-in hybrid fundThe timing of the U.S. Department of Energy's $30 million plug-in hybrid funding announcement indicates it has been in the works for quite some time, but coming right on the heels of Ford's call for a government commitment to the technology, it looks like the Blue Oval got just what it wanted. The...
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GE, Chrysler to work together on plug-in hybridToyota is building battery plants as fast as it can to help it meet its goal of putting a million hybrids on the street each year by 2010. GM is considering buying out its troubled battery supplier, Cobasys. Now Chrysler and General Electric are considering teaming up to develop the technology that...
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Hydraulic hybrid system claims to double fuel efficiencyA Scottish company has developed a new transmission technology that it claims doubles in-town fuel efficiency. Artemis Intelligent Power's hydraulic hybrid powertrain replaces the traditional port and swash plates in its hydraulic system with computer-controlled solenoid valves. The transmission...
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A tax credit that makes it more affordable for American carmakers and companies in many other industries throughout the U.S. to invest in their respective research and development cycles expired at... -
Vath V63RS takes C-Class to 585hpMercedes tuning specialists Vath have taken the C63 AMG - already worked over by Mercedes' own in-house tuners - and added their own special touches to come up with a car that would make Brabus proud. The V63RS takes the C-Class platform near its limits with 585hp and 690Nm of torque, an increase...
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Update: first Mosler MT900 GTR XX track-tested in FloridaUpdate: Back in February Mosler announced it was building a new XX extreme performance street car to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. Last week the first production Mosler MT900 GTR XX was put through final testing at Florida's Homestead Raceway. With the test session came a few real-world...
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BMW Reveals GINA Light Visionary Concept: VideoBMW has given us a preview of future vehicle construction and design with the unveiling of the new GINA Light Visionary concept car. The car’s new name stands for ‘Geometry and Functions In “N” Adaptions,’ and its design showcases a number of future-oriented production...
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Fuel crunch pushes Nissan to build more cars, fewer pickupsAlthough Nissan hasn't been as hard-hit by the downturn in the American car market as the domestic manufacturers, it is still moving to shift production from its Titan and Armada to the Altima sedan. Nissan's May sales were up 8.4% across all models, but the Titan and Armada dropped over 50% each...
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Hertz Adds Corvette ZHZ To Its Rental FleetLike the high-performance Ford Shelby Mustang GT-H before it, the Corvette ZHZ is a Hertz-only special edition. Built for the rental company's fleet, 500 of the cars will find their way onto lots across the U.S. in 24 big cities starting next Monday, June 16th. Set to allow U.S. renters to cruise...
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General Motors' sales fell off more than 25% in May, thanks largely to a precipitous drop in large SUV and pickup truck sales. To counter the drop GM is going to focus on pushing its two-mode hybrid... -
London congestion charge could expand to ManchesterManchester could become the UK's second city to adopt congestion charges if its council approves the plan proposed by the government. The proposal includes a unique plan that differs from London's on several accounts. One thing that remains the same, however, is that motorists will be required to...
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High-tech system braces car for impactScientists working at Continental, funded by the EU's Advanced Protection Systems project (or APROSYS) have developed a computerized system that can detect when a crash is unavoidable and brace the car for the impact. The system involves a side beam that moves into place at the last second before...
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Despite troubles at home, Chrysler's overseas sales on trackMay sales in the U.S. fell more than 25% for Chrysler compared to 2007 levels, but the company's sales outside the North American market have been on the upswing for 36 consecutive months. The growth is modest, but steady, and shows the company is capable of drawing new customers despite tough...
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Dubai takes delivery of first Middle East GM hybridsFuel efficiency and hybrid technology haven't historically been major concerns of the oil-rich states in the Middle East, but Dubai and its Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have taken delivery of General Motors test vehicles for what could become the world's largest fleet of hybrids. The cars...
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Formula 1 considering ethanol race fuelThe insular cadre of teams and drivers at the top of road racing's most expensive and high-tech series may not be as isolated from the ecological pressures of the outside world as it first appears. According to two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi Formula 1 is considering a switch to ethanol...
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Update: BMW has responded to the reports of its difficulty in cutting its global overhead with a flat denial. The company says it has already had over 1,000 employees sign termination agreements, in... -
Spy Shots: LWB Bentley ArnageThe past year's sales and profits have set record benchmarks at Bentley thanks to the success of its Continental GT and Flying Spur. A few kinks in the production process recently led to the recall of 13,000 cars for a possible fuel-line leak, but that hasn't slowed progress on the new 2011 Arnage...
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Infiniti announces U.S. pricing for 2009 FX lineParent company Nissan saw sales growth of nearly 6% in May while the luxury Infiniti brand slipped by a similar amount. The new G37 Coupe and EX crossover sold well, however, and similar hopes are held for the recently announced FX. Pricing details of the new model have just been revealed ahead of...
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Cyclone waste heat engine scavenges power from any heat sourceNovel technologies to improve the efficiency of existing vehicles and combustion processes are the quickest route to improved fuel mileage. Hybrid cars are great examples of the approach. Another way to recover some of the energy converted into heat in the average engine is the Waste Heat Engine...
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GM to buy Cobasys to secure hybrid futureEarlier this week we brought you news of GM's recall of 9,000 hybrids due to leaky batteries supplied by Cobasys. Now it looks like GM may buy the battery maker from joint owners Chevron and Energy Conversion Devices (EDC) to help smooth out its supply chain. If it does acquire the battery maker...
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Update: Pagani Zonda Cinque Official Specs And PhotosFew supercars go to the extremes of performance and design that the Pagani Zonda does, and that extreme nature has earned it as many opponents as it has fans. But both sides can agree it's an impressive and highly capable machine - however they feel about its looks. The Zonda Cinque takes the car's...
Nelson Ireson