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2013 Mercedes-Benz GL Spied
Mercedes-Benz GL has gone since 2006 without an update, and for the 2013 model year, Mercedes will finally be paying attention to their big three-row SUV. While the diesel GL models will be largely carried over, M-B’s new line of turbocharged V8s and direct-injection V6s will make an appearance in the new model. Other changes…
Ferrari To Launch Special Edition 599 GTB 60F1
Next year, Ferrari will bid farewell to the aging 599 GTB, but not before giving it one last special edition model. This next one will be called the 599 GTB 60F1 Edition and it is to commemorate 60-years since Ferrari won its first race in Formula 1 back in July of 1951, at the Silverstone…
2013 Dodge Dart Revealed With Alfa Romeo Underpinings
Dodge revealed teaser shots of their Dart compact car, designed to replace the wretched Caliber crossover, and so far it looks to be the first hit of Alfa Romeo-inspired product for North America. Using the underpinings of the lovely Alfa Giulietta compact, the Dart will use a 1.4L turbocharged Fiat MultiAir engine – good for…
Mercedes-Benz To Promote AMG In F1
It was back in 1967 when the AMG badge first appeared on a Mercedes-Benz product, and in 2012 it will first appear on a Formula 1 car. In order to promote its performance division, Mercedes-Benz has decided to change the name of its F1 team for the 2012 season, and it will now be called…
Honda Collection Hall Tour: Inside the Honda Museum
It’s every Honda fanboy’s dream and last week during a technical seminar and product presentation we were treated to a look inside the Honda Museum. Located at the Twin Ring Motegi race track, the Honda Collection Hall is an historical walk-through of the automaker’s street and race cars, as well as its even longer history…
Alfa Romeo MiTo Busts 2,738 Water Balloons on a Skidpad [Video]
What happens when you mix a stunt driver with a sporty hatchback, skidpad and more than 2,738 water balloons? Just ask Terry Grant. The driving pro held a total of 19 world records for his fancy automotive footwork, but recently garnered his 20th by bursting the most-ever water balloons. Grant got to take part in…
Nissan Juke-R Hits The Track At Silverstone [Video]
Nissan‘s Juke-R might just be one of the greatest project cars in all of automotive history, and the monster has finally hit the track at Silverstone with a video to prove it. The GTR-powered crossover did some laps out in England for journalists and it proves that the Juke-R is a formidable piece of machinery….
Honda Crosstour Sales Disappoint CEO
The Honda Crosstour (pictured above) is seeing lackluster sales and disappointing American Honda president and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura. Iwamura said in a roundtable event related to the Tokyo Auto Show with journalists that it was a bad idea to originally bill the car as the Accord Crosstour because it made the CUV less individual. Sales are down…
Dozens of Worried Chevy Volt Owners Have Requested Buy Backs
Despite GM recanting their statement that they’d buy back Chevy Volts from concerned customers, a couple dozen have come forward requesting buy backs of their plug-in hybrids. The buy back statement originally came from GM CEO Dan Akerson, but GM’s PR department stepped in by backpedaling on that offer. Nonetheless, after receiving a couple dozen…
Honda To Increase Exports From North American Plants
In order to counter currency and geographical volatility, Honda announced the use of North American assembly facilities to produce vehicles for export. After experiencing earthquake, tsunami, and yen fluctuation, many Japanese automakers are discussing methods of minimizing the export output of domestic assembly plants and increasing product assembly overseas. Honda CEO Takanobu Ito tells Automotive…
J.D. Power Initial Quality Study Results Being Called Into Question
Car and Driver has published an article expressing its gripes with J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, stating that its results tell us less about a vehicle’s defects then we might think. J.D. Power’s IQS measures new-vehicle quality after 90-days of ownership and has done so since 1987, but the advent of more technologically advanced features…
Lexus Transferring Key Marketing Division To California
With the move of global marketing operations, there are also rumors circulating that Lexus could move its actual global headquarters overseas, though as yet such reports are unfounded.
GM Efforts Failed To Achieve Profitability For Opel
General Motor‘s European subsidiary, Opel has contributed greatly to GM’s engineering and technology development. Despite this, Opel has had difficulty making profit. GM Vice Chairman and Opel’s supervisory board chairman, Stephen Girsky explained to Financial Times Deutschland, “Unfortunately, our plan for making Opel profitable this year did not work.” Analysts suggest causes for Opel’s unprofitability include…
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 For Sale With Just 2,219-Miles
Up on eBay is an extremely rare 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429, packing just 2,219-miles on the odometer with a starting bid of $185,000. The ’69 Boss 429 is one of just 858 made during a two-year production run. Powered by a 429-cubic inch NASCAR motor with 375-hp, this Boss 429 Mustang was made into…
Toyota Supra Successor One Of Two New Models Being Considered
Maybe it’s just been that long since Toyota has worked on a new sports car, but it looks like their collaboration with Subaru on the GT 86/BRZ/Scion FR-S may have just been the beginning. Toyota is already considering two additional models to their sports car lineup, one that would be slotted below the GT 86…
Volkswagen’s Chattanooga Plant Receives LEED Platinum Award
Volkswagen‘s Chattanooga manufacturing plant has become the first and only automotive manufacturing facility in the world to receive a Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). From the onset, Volkswagen had designed their Chattanooga plant, where their popular Passat is produced, to be as green as…
Land Rover Planning Plus-Sized Range Rover Evoque
Autocar UK is reporting that Land Rover is currently planning for a bigger Range Rover Evoque model, slotting a vehicle in between the Evoque and its Range Rover Sport sibling. Success of BMW‘s X-models and Audi‘s Q-models has encouraged Land Rover to expand its Range Rover brand. Possibly called “Grand Evoque”, it should be based…
Toyota Prius GT300 Race Car In The Works?
Subaru‘s BRZ GT300 race car is looking fabulous on the track, but we couldn’t help but wonder where Toyota‘s GT 86 race car was at the Tokyo Motor Show. Apparently nowhere, maybe not even on the minds of Toyota engineers responsible for their GT300 race car. Rather than usher in a new era of racing…
Chinese Bank May Come To Saab’s Rescue
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Saab’s sob story saga might be coming to an end, though the information surrounding their pending acquisition is murky at best. Rumors swirled quickly around the media yesterday that the Bank of China, fourth-largest by market value had planned to acquire just under 50 percent of the company. Those reports are now being corrected— it’s a bank in…
Opel Insignia Gets New Biturbo Diesel
Opel, General Motors’ German wing is boasting big changes to their Insignia sedan, including a new biturbo diesel.The engine makes 195 horsepower and about 295 foot-pounds of torque, but the real eye-catcher on the new engine is fuel consumption and emissions. The new Insignia is only supposed to emit 129g/km of CO2 and achieves 48…
Chevrolet Volt Battery Issues Growing, Safety Findings May Have Been Suppressed
Joan Claybrook, a former adminstrator at NHTSA believes part of the reason for the delay was the “fragility of Volt sales.” Yet she also believes that “NHTSA could have put out a consumer alert, not to tell them [customers] for six months makes no sense to me.”
Mitsubishi i EV U.S. Release Moved Up
You won’t have to wait until the end of next year to own the Mitsubishi i EV anymore thanks to whopping dealer demand. Mitsubishi President Osamu Masuko decided to move the nation-wide U.S. release up by six months from the original date to June 2012. The company also plans to release another electric vehicle by…
Nissan Leaf Named “Car of the Year Japan”
“We have sold 20,000 LEAF models [worldwide]. This is as much a win for Nissan as it is for our customers,” he said. Besides winning the JCOTY title, the much hyped LEAF has also garnered 2011 World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year awards.
Goodyear Blimps Join U.S. Marines In Toys For Tots Maneuvers
Three of the famous Goodyear Tire blimps will be participating in joint maneuvers with the United States Marine Corps Reserve to benefit the Toys for Tots Foundation. Taking place in Ohio, Florida and California this weekend at Goodyear’s airship bases, you’ll be able to drive in and enjoy the spectacle. There’s no charge, but feel…
