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VW Reveals Details on Golf VII MQB Architecture
In addition, MQB was also conceived to be manufactured at different facilities world wide and even adapted for different brand vehicles, utilizing production equipment that can accommodate cars of not only different lengths and wheelbases but also tread as well.
Scion.com Gets an Update in Time for the FR-S
With the Scion FR-S destined to arrive on North American soil rather soon, it’ no surprise that the sub-brand for Japanese automaker, Toyota, decided to give its website a new identity. It appears that Scion hopes to give itself a more of a “grown up” image too with the FR-S’s arrival, which will undoubtedly be…
Honda Civic Ad from Europe Reminds Us that Ads Can Be Creative [Video]
With all the Super Bowl ads finding their way onto the Internet well ahead of the big game, we’ve already had our fair share of head scratchers, like the commercial from Audi, and humorous ones like Acura‘s NSX commercial starring Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. And while we understand that most ads are designed to…
Smart ForTwo Gets a Refresh
The 2012 Geneva Motor Show will play host to a refreshed Smart ForTwo, but we won’t have to wait until the show to see what Smart is planning on doing to their micro compact car. The facelifted Smart ForTwo has some minor exterior changes with a new front bumper that comes equipped with a new…
Chevy Sonic Stunt Anthem Shows Off its Antics for the Super Bowl [Video]
Chevrolet has been on a marketing spree with their new compact Sonic, pulling off antics left and right including having Rob Dyrdek kickflip a Sonic and taking one skydiving over the Arizona desert. For this year’s Super Bowl ad, Chevrolet looks to share all of the Sonic stunts it pulled off the past year which…
Kia Rio 3-Door Announced for Europe, America Misses Out
Similar to the Ford Fiesta, Europeans will be able to enjoy the cooler and more fun 3-door Kia Rio while Americans are stuck with the less-cool 5-door and downright dull sedan variants. The Kia Rio 3-door has gone on sale in Europe, starting at £9,995 or around $15,715 based on recent conversation rates. The 3-door model…
One-Third of Ford Models Sold to Fleets, Including Almost Half of All Focus Sales
Forbes has reported that almost one-third of the more than two million vehicles Ford sold in America last year went to fleet buyers, which could be a cause of concern for the American automaker. While it would appear that it could only be a positive thing that Ford is heavily favored among rental and commercial…
Chevrolet puts Product Cycle Eco-Impact Labels on its Vehicles
Beginning with the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, Chevrolet plans to apply eco-impact labels on all of its brand-new vehicles by 2013. As the first of any automaker to present its cars in this manner, Chevrolet’s Ecologic label allows customers to assess environmental impacts associated with any particular Chevrolet vehicle in all stages of its product life….
Rhys Millen Turns Hyundai Veloster Rally Car Into an Awesome Golf Cart [Video]
Hyundai and Rhys Millen Racing deserve a round of applause for their recent video antics that spread through the Internet like a leaked photo from a celebrity cell phone. This time around, the team took their Veloster Rally Car out to the golf course where it replaced the traditional golf cart. Almost everything you can…
MINI Diesel Rumored for US Launch, JCW May Become Sub-Brand
MINI has been experiencing tremendous success in America and it appears that the cute British brand has no plans to slow down. There are now reports that MINI is strongly considering bringing its diesel powerplants to the U.S. and could be turning John Cooper Works into a sub-brand tuning division, similar to BMW‘s M models….
Nissan Builds New $2.0 Billion Manufacturing Complex in Mexico
Of the major Japanese Automakers, Nissan Motors has been one of the least affected by natural disasters and the strengthening yen, effectively minimizing exposure to regional risks by erecting facilities overseas. Nissan has announced plans to build another manufacturing complex in Aguascalientes, Mexico, to expand North American production. An investment worth $2.0 billion USD, the…
Chrysler 100 Hatchback Could be a Possibility
Now that the Dodge Caliber production has ended, Chrysler will no longer have a hatchback offering in any of their models. It turns out that Chrysler has been thinking the same thing and is possibly considering building a compact hatchback for their Chrysler brand. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne spoke to USA Today and revealed…
Honda Fit B-Spec Racing Suspension Kit Available February
The Sports Car Club of America’s B-Spec class is growing in popularity as enthusiasts enjoy a relatively inexpensive entry into amateur racing while automakers are discovering B-Spec to be a great platform for grassroots motorsport marketing. Honda, one of the early adopters to B-Spec racing, is committed to the series and hopes to gain even…
Fiat/Chrysler Reveal Product Future, Dodge Avenger Lives
While past reports have suggested that the Dodge Avenger is dead, speculation has apparently been a bit premature. Chrysler/Fiat have plans for a number of new cars in the future including the introduction of new midsize sedans which will update the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger for 2013. The new Avenger and 200 will be…
Hyundai Planning Major Push on VW Home Turf
Hyundai has made incredible gains in the global market, challenging larger automakers in markets they once dominated. While Volkswagen has globally sold a record number of vehicles in 2011, Hyundai Motors and its Kia affiliate have exceeded VW’s numbers in the United States. According to senior analyst of auto website Edmunds.com Jessica Caldwell, “Hyundai offers…
Volkswagen Reveals 2012 Up! 5-Door Hatchback
A showcase of compact, economic, and intelligent cabin design and ergonomics, Volkswagen reveals the 5-door version of its Up! city-car. Other than the addition of two extra doors for easier accessibility and a more conservative side profile that will further enhance rear visibility, the 5-door version is identical in wheelbase and interior dimensions. Power is…
Detroit Auto Show Gets Highest Attendance Since 2005
According to Perkins, NAIAS has an economic impact of some $400 million for the city of Detroit and South Eastern Michigan, more than the Super Bowl.
Parents Push Teens To Drive Stick to Avoid Distracted Driving
Just when an earlier study suggested that teenagers today prefer owning smartphones and electronic devices over owning a car, a local study by news channel Sacramento News10 revealed that there is a resurgence of manual transmission automobiles for young drivers. Worried about teen drivers texting and driving, parents have started a trend of purchasing stick…
Toyota Yaris Hybrid Revealed: Geneva Motor Show Preview
Closing in on a year since the reveal of the Yaris HSD Concept at the Geneva Motor Show, Toyota has released the first production images of the gasoline-electric sub-compact. Sporting the front-end of the FCV-R hydrogen fuel cell concept, the Yaris Hybrid is powered by the same Hybrid Synergy Drive engine-motor combination as found in…
First Honda Fit EV Delivered to City of Torrance, California
Honda took the first major step in its Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program by delivering the first 2013 Fit EV to the city of Torrance, California. The program will set up the retail market launch of the Fit EV to customers in California and Oregon starting this summer. Over the past year, the city of…
MINI Bayswater Special Edition Celebrates London Style Ahead of 2012 Olympics
Named after an extremely vibrant area of London, the MINI Bayswater special edition is vibrant in its own right, focusing primarily on “the sporting verge and agile handling for which MINI is renowned.” The special edition is available as a MINI Cooper or MINI Cooper S sporting a Kite Blue metallic exterior paint job, created…
MINI Baker Street Special Edition Celebrates London History
With the London Olympics just months away, MINI is celebrating the history of the famous city with two special edition models, the MINI Baker Street (above) and the MINI Bayswater (see here). The Baker Street MINI features new exterior and interior design details developed exclusively for the special edition model. The Rooftop Grey metallic exterior…
Volkswagen Up! GT Gets The OK!
Volkswagen has confirmed the development of a production version of the mini hot hatch Up! GT. One of the many variations of the Up! concept that was unveiled at last year’s Frankfurt motor show, Volkswagen emphasized that the Up! GT will drive and perform very closely to the original Golf GTI, which Volkswagen enthusiasts were no doubt happy to…
Volkswagen Golf R iPhone App Released [Video]
With the Volkswagen Golf R hitting US dealerships this month, the German automaker has decided to release the “Golf R Drivers Forever” app to bring Golf R information to the masses. The iPad app will provide access to everything anyone would ever want to know about the iconic performance model and features stories told through…






