Nelson Ireson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Honda's NSX replacement has had several false starts, with the company scrapping the car's design after the public's largely negative response to its Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept, shown at... -
Seats in small cars found to be unsafeTesting done recently in the UK shows that the cheap seats used in many small cars are compromising occupant safety by increasing the likelihood of whiplash. Unfortunately, the most likely vehicles to suffer accidents likely to cause whiplash - low-speed traffic collisions - are the vehicles...
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Obsidian SG-One: one-off extreme Mustang hot-rodWhat may be the ultimate prepackaged Mustang hot-rod has been released by Obsidian in the form of its SG-One. Tube-frame construction with a stealth roll cage, twin superchargers on a hand-built engine and all the custom work a person could dream of inside and out mark the Obsidian SG-One as...
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ZF modifies 8-speed auto for stop-start capabilityZF's latest entry into the ever-escalating automatic transmission wars, an eight-speed unit, has just been updated to include compatibility with stop-start technology. This will allow the close-geared system to shut the engine down when the vehicle comes to a stop, yet fire the engine back up and...
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Hyundai Sonata frames rust, U.S. NHTSA investigatesOver 40 reports of severe corrosion of Hyundai Sonata frames has prompted the U.S. National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate the matter. The rust problem is reportedly so severe it is causing suspension failure and 'fist-sized holes' in the frame. The problem affects...
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Update: Ferrari, Brembo and Sabelt invest in PininfarinaUpdate: Just yesterday we brought news of Pininfarina's fund-raising drive to get new capital investors, and today the company has made its announcement. Three additional major players in the auto industry will be taking a stake in the design firm, although exactly how much will be acquired by each...
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Porsche's power plays within Volkswagen have been getting a lot of press lately, with everything from failed board votes to spy scandals sprouting out of the deal. Now attention turns to Porsche's... -
2008 Shelby GT500KR gets Ford's first-ever carbon fiber hoodAlthough the Shelby GT500KR is hardly at risk of being taken as an ordinary Mustang - even by the only mildly observant eye - Ford has seen fit to update the car for its 2008 run with a new carbon fiber hood - the first-ever production use of carbon fiber for either Ford or Shelby. The 540hp muscle...
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Spirra S Sports Car Unveiled At Beijing Motor ShowAsian-made and designed sportscars have long been some of the best in the business - from Nissan's Z and GT-R lines of cars to Toyota's famed 2000GT and Supra, the region has long produced cars that span the range from budget sportscar to near-supercar. Autochina 2008, Beijing's auto show, saw the...
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BMW M1 Concept To Appear At Villa d'Este ConcoursSnapped a day ahead of its official debut, the M1 Concept shows BMW can reinterpret its classics in a modern and daring way. Sharing the essential core of the original M1's design, yet thoroughly up-to-date, the new concept arrives just a month past its predecessor's 30th birthday. Showing BMW's...
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Record first quarter profit for Ferrari and MaseratiDespite the downturn in the U.S. auto market - one of the most important for either brand - and the generally weak global economy, Ferrari and Maserati are measuring their profitability in the millions for the first quarter of 2008. Strong V12-model sales at Ferrari and GranTurismo sales for...
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Carbon fiber and crystal Formula 1 watch conceptExotic timepieces frequently attempt to secure some association with elite sports and activities - and the people that perform them. Though made of titanium, tungsten and carbon fiber, such watches are rarely much out of the ordinary when it comes to appearance or function. The latest creation from...
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The U.S. Secretary of Transportation couched the new CAFE plan as saving billions of gallons of fuel, but the industry sees it as one that will costs billions in research, development and... -
Update: EU clears Tata purchase of Jaguar, Land RoverUpdated: The European Union has followed the lead of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and approved the $2.3 billion sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to India’s Tata. There were no content of the sale from competitors and customers and the decision was made under a ‘simplified...
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Are laser traffic lights the way of the future?Weather conditions and poor lighting can often combine to make crosswalks and intersections difficult to spot, especially at night, but Hanyoung Lee may have the answer with his Virtual Wall concept. Using lasers to create a wall of light that illuminates crossing areas, the system is certainly...
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Volkswagen reveals production BlueTDI for U.S. marketToday marks the unveiling of the production version of Volkswagen's U.S.-targeted diesel powertrain. First debuted in Volkswagen's Tiguan BlueTDI early in March at the Geneva Motor Show, the BlueTDI technology has been developed specifically for the North American market. With its clean emissions...
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Photo artist mocks up BMW M-Zero conceptA sort of automotive Frankenstein's monster, except sexy instead of hideous, the M-Zero concept was designed as a BMW despite containing elements of Audi, Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz, among others. Photo artist Mael Oberkampf's creation is little more than a flight of fancy, but as a design...
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Update: New CAFE targets announced - 31.6MPG by 2015Update: The choice of Earth Day for the announcement of new CAFE standards is no coincidence. Leapfrogging the timeline established by the original law, the the Department of Transportion's proposal calls for a jump in fuel efficiency for all passenger vehicles to an average of 31.6mpg by 2015...
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We've seen the spy photos, the official photos, the car-show concepts and even the odd spy video, but the footage available today gives us the best look yet at what GM will be offering in the form of... -
Nissan planning more model swapsJust last week details of Nissan's deal with Chrysler were announced, each producing a vehicle for the other to help fill out both companies' product lines. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says more deals like it are in the works, with many different makers, though details on the coming model-swaps are...
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Study says sat-nav use can save up to 16% in fuelWe've all heard the stories of drivers led into - or under - water, up one-way streets and down too-narrow carriage ways by their well-meaning satellite navigation devices, but a recent study shows the GPS-linked helpers can actually cut your fuel bill by up to 16 percent. The savings comes from...
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Chrysler-Chery minicar not ready for prime timeThe deal between the troubled American maker Chrysler and China's Chery has been a blustery, on-again, off-again affair, but the latest word has it still on track, despite some delays. Chinese-built Chrysler-branded Chery minicars will not be hitting U.S. roads in the very near future, but the deal...
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Aston Martin DBS goes cliff diving en route to Bond setJames Bond has had his share of underwater cars, and recently Rinspeed's sQuba brought one of those movie creations to life. Excellent on-screen as a means of escape or access to a villain's lair, it turns out a car is somewhat less effective in real life when used as an impromptu life raft...
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Smart to sell fortwo in China by mid-2009The speed of growth in the Chinese auto market is difficult to comprehend because the scale of it is beyond anything known in Europe or North America, especially coupled with China's record economic growth. To capitalize on the growing automobile craze in China, Daimler is sending its smart fortwo...
Nelson Ireson