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  • His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI is about to take delivery of a Volkswagen Phaeton for his next Pope Mobile.

    The model in particular will be a black long-wheelbase version complete with a...

  • Mercedes-Benz Wants Partner For Next-Gen A- And B-Class

    Mercedes is looking to cut costs for its next generation A-class and B-class small cars by enlisting the aid of a development partner that will work on platforms and possibly also engines together. The new A-class is expected for delivery in 2011 with the B-class following one year after. Despite...

  • New ”baby” Maybach in the works

    The ultra-luxury marques are anxious to develop more affordable vehicles in an effort to expand their portfolios and increase sales in more diverse markets. Hot on the heels of reports that Rolls-Royce is working on entry-level small car, rival luxury brand Maybach has revealed that it’s...

  • Spyker Reveals Police C8 Spyder

    Spyker has delivered a one-off special police version of its C8 Spyder to the rural forces in the Netherlands. The C8 is a hand-built sports car developed by Spyker and it is powered by an Audi-sourced 4.2-liter V-8. There are several different flavors starting with a 400-horsepower version capable...

  • Spy Shots: 2008 Volvo XC70

    They’ve done it again. This time spy photographers have caught out Volvo’s upcoming XC70 crossover. This image sourced from the Swedish magazine, Auto Motor & Sport, was taken outside the Volvo factory in Sweden. Although we don’t expect to see the car officially until the second...

  • Camry hybrid production starts in the US

    Toyota is set to launch a US built Camry hybrid with production of the vehicle set to start today at its Toyota’s plant in Georgetown, Ky. The Camry’s 400,000 sales annually in the US alone make it the top selling car over here and this is pegged to improve with the introduction of the...

  • Yet another pointless video that’s just so cool that we had to post it. This time round the clip features a bright orange Lamborghini Murcielago rushing down an airport runway.

  • Top Gear will air Hammond crash

    Now that production work for the popular Top Gear program is back in full swing, latest reports suggest that footage of Richard Hammond’s almost fatal crash while attempting to break a British land speed record will be aired on the show. Management are waiting for a full recovery from...

  • Neiman Marcus' Special Edition BMW M6 Individual

    Neimans Marcus has released a limited run of fifty customised BMW M6 convertibles, and provides a comprehensive package for buyers that includes trips to the German factory plus meetings with some of the designers. Delivery of the car is taken directly from its Bavarian factory where buyers will be...

  • Caparo Builds First T1 Prototypes

    The uniquely designed Caparo T1 is now in prototype form and is already out conducting real world testing. The first prototype vehicle labelled “XP1” is being used to undergo speed trials plus determine engine mapping as well as measuring long-term durability. Another prototype, which...

  • Holden's VE Commodore Is Coming To The U.S.

    General Motors has confirmed that it will sell the Holden designed Commodore in America under the Pontiac label. Australian journalists who tout the car as a BMW rival are so in love with it that they forget that its commonly used as taxis and that it often suffers from reliability issues. GM will...

  • Official images of Skoda’s Joyster concept

    Skoda has released images of its new three-door hatch which has been displayed at the Paris Motor Show. Information is still sparse though we’re sure the Czech designed concept will make it to production. The final version will be heavily toned down and should come in a five-door version as...

  • Thanks to a tip sent to us by Jeff, we now have some real life images of the Skoda Joyster concept direct from the Paris Motor Show. The Czech company’s latest three-door sports hatch follows...
  • Volkswagen’s Cross Golf revealed

    The first official images of VW’s new Cross Golf, which is based on the MPV version of the Golf. The Cross Golf is a similar concept to the Cross Polo and Cross Fox models sold in Europe that are essentially raised versions of their donor models. The biggest differences are the SUV-style...

  • Ford Mondeo Sedan concept images

    When Ford announced they would be showing the Ford Mondeo wagon concept at the Paris Motor Show most of us were wondering why they weren’t showing the sedan version since it easily outsells the wagon. Well, we didn’t have to wait for very long to see the sedan either. It looks like...

  • New F1 rules and regulations for 2007

    The powers that be at FIA have once again changed the rules for next years F1 season, with the two biggest changes being the addition of Italy’s Imola circuit and the engine freeze originally planned for 2008 brought forward. After the Japanese GP, the only engine development allowed will be...

  • Can't Afford A Sports Car? Rent A Lotus Elise

    Lotus today announced that the superb Elise has just been ordered by a number of rental fleets for use by their customers. This is a big step up from the usual Corollas and Jazzes carried by most rental fleets, and should be even more fun to thrash around knowing that you won’t have to...

  • 2007 Hyundai Tiburon Preview

    Images of the updated Tiburon have been circulating around the new for a while now, these latest shots came from a Hyundai forum. The new interior shots reveal a very upmarket look for the Korean coupe with two tone leather buckets, new gauges in the centre control unit and funky blue LED display...

  • Weismann is bringing its uniquely retro styled cars to America by 2010 and expects to boost sales dramatically. Weismann only sold 100 cars last year, and wait-times for the cars are up to 18 months...
  • Is this the BMW X6 Crossover?

    BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer has hinted that BMW may be looking to expand its range, especially in its popular X5 model. One such expansion could be the X6, which would be a cross-country model. The picture shows a rendering of what something like that may look like, which looks as though someone...

  • Stability control could be mandated

    US officials are expected to announce a proposal that would require all vehicles to be fitted with stability control systems that could greatly reduce the change of rollovers and single-car crashes. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, over 10,000 lives a year could be saved by...

  • Fiat upgrades Blue&Me with SMS and installs new ”Start & ESC” buttons

    Fiat and Microsoft’s venture into in-car computing has been with us for less than year, but already we have news of an update to the system. The latest feature in Fiat's Blue&Me is the addition of an SMS reader. Current users of the system can download the latest application and install it...

  • Revealed: Lancia Delta HPE concept

    Lancia has just revealed images of its Delta HPE concept, which showcases design elements that will follow on to the upcoming production version of an all new Delta. The concept car will make its official debut this month at the Venice International Film Festival and then at the Paris Auto Show...

  • GM’s not so little shop of horrors

    Within the confines of GM’s Warren Technical Center lays a building the size of a football field, where cars from the competition are taken in and torn apart in quest to find out what makes them tick. In a process known as a competitive teardown, GM engineers analyze every part that goes into...

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