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Volkswagen Looks To Grow Payroll By 10 Percent In 2012
Volkswagen CEO Martin Wintekorn told a German newspaper that they intend to increase its global staff by more than 10 percent in 2012. Currently Volkswagen employs 449,000 employees worldwide, but Winterkorn believes it’s entirely possible for VW to pack 500,000 in full by the end of 2012. That’s a whole lot of Volkswagenites. It’s no…
Forbes Creates Worst Car Flops of 2011
Just as consumers purchase cars that best fit their lifestyle needs, automakers likewise produce cars that it believes are the best fit for the market. However, the devils are in the details and a jarring oversight can cause a product to flop. Last week, Forbes created a flop compilation of 2011. Enlisting the expertise of…
Audi Cutting Back On Manuals For Europe
Audi drivers across the pond are getting the short end of the stick, or to be more precise: no stick at all. What’s all this stick business, you may ask? The new version of the Audi S4 and S5 will only be available with an automatic transmission in Europe, cue the snickers and sneers from North American…
BMW ActiveHybrid 5 to Bow at Toyko Motor Show
BMW will officially introduce the new ActiveHybrid 5 at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, which will open its doors to the press on November 30th. Confirmed details on BMW’s latest luxury sedan is a turbo-charged inline-six combined with a 40kW electric motor. During slow speeds, the BMW is capable of pure electric propulsion. Along with…
Entry Level Porsche Development Put On Pause
The weak global economy is so battered that even the one-percent are feeling the hurt. In the case of premium sports car maker, Porsche, a mid-engine roadster to slot underneath the Boxster was originally intended for introduction by 2014. Designed to be a spiritual successor to the legendary 550 Spyder, the entry-level four cylinder roadster’s pricing target…
2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: More Technology, More Efficiency
Further aiding fuel efficiency is a 9-speed automatic transmission, a development of the current 7G-Tronic, though whether it will be standard on all models, especially the lower priced diesels remains to be seen.
BMW to Bring Diesels to Japan with X5 xDrive35d: Tokyo Motor Show Preview
For European automakers, diesels may rule the road back at home, but they’ve had a challenge convincing North American consumers to adopt the gasoline alternative. And if that’s considered an uphill battle, selling diesel cars in Japan, the land of the hybrid, is a virtual Mount Everest. To date, BMW has never offered a diesel…
2012 Mercedes ML63 AMG is a 516-HP Super Ute: LA Auto Show Preview
Adding some serious grunt to its new M-Class SUV, Mercedes has just revealed the high-performance ML63 AMG model ahead of its official debut at the LA Auto Show later this week. Based on the all-new ML, this super-ute now features Merc’s new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 engine rather than the old 6.2-liter unit, delivering an extra…
Classic Volkswagen Bus On Sale In Holland
Holland hippie community rejoice! As of last month, Volkswagen‘s Dutch operations has debuted the 2012 model Volkswagen Bus. No, it isn’t the Bulli concept we saw earlier at Geneva, but the original Volkswagen Type 2, commonly known as the Bus or Combi. The popularity and desirability of the classic van isn’t surprising. Current asking prices…
Lexus GS350 Coupe Tipped As Successor To SC430
Lexus has dropped a few serious hints that it is planning a coupe version of its all-new GS350. While attending the launch of the luxury sedan (we’ll have driving impressions once the embargo lifts November 23rd) we spoke to Lexus Corporate Manager of Product Planning Ben Mitchell, pushing him for details on a possible GS-F to…
Mercedes ML63 Teased Ahead of LA Auto Show Debut
Mercedes-Benz and AMG have turned to Facebook to generate some hype about the upcoming debut of the ML63 AMG. The timing seems to hint at a possible unveiling of the “Sport” SUV at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. The teaser photo clearly reveals that the new AMG variant of the ML packs a much…
Brabus Mercedes CL800 Coupe Delivers All the Horsepower its Name Suggests
Brabus has unveiled arguably their best project yet, a Mercedes-Benz CL Coupe packing 800-hp thanks to a stroked 6.3L V12 twin-turbo. Based on the CL 600, the tuning geniuses at Brabus modified the factory 5.5L with a custom crankshaft, larger cylinder bore and new forged pistons. But the engine modifications didn’t stop there. With the…
Mika Häkkinen Prepares To Return To Racing In The SLS AMG GT3 [Video]
We’ve already known that former Formula 1 double world champion Mika Häkkinen will be piloting an SLS AMG GT3, and now we have our first preview of him preparing to get back behind the wheel in a competitive fashion. It’s been four long years since Mika has raced competitively, so it’s interesting to see how…
BMW X6 Facelift Spied Without Any Disguises
BMW‘s X6 crossover is due for a facelift any time now, and our spy photographers have caught the vehicle uncovered. Like any good facelift, the X6 has relatively minor changes, but is still distinct enough that owners of the previous car will feel compelled to trade up for the latest and greatest. Engines won’t change,…
Audi A7 Wins First Ever Motor Press Guild “Vehicle of the Year” Award
And once the dust settled, the MPG declared Audi’s new A7 Sportback as the overall winner. Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America was naturally, delighted at the result.
SchwabenFolia Builds One-Of-A-Kind Wiesmann MF5 Black Bat
As if Wiesmann’s MF5 wasn’t rare enough with just 30 vehicles ever made, tuning firm SchwabenFolia decided to one-up the MF5 by creating a totally menacing Black Bat version. Wrapped completely in matte black, the MF5 Black Bat also features 20-inch BBS wheels, chromed emblems, Brembo brakes and some styling accessories. Powered by a BMW…
New Porsche Supercar to be Built on Audi R8 Platform
Porsche‘s new supercar, targeted squarely at the Ferrari 458, might be borrowing its underpinnings from the next-gen Audi R8. The German sports car manufacturer is already well on its way to developing the part-carbon fiber car, though what they have so far borrows heavily from Audi. It’s not something Porsche is happy about, but Volkswagen,…
Volkswagen Leads Industry With Nine IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards
Congratulations are in order for Volkswagen. The Routan has just earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award, making it the ninth Volkswagen vehicle to receive this rating. This also means that Volkswagen has received the highest number of IIHS awards for vehicle safety. Helping them reach this coveted spot, Volkswagen…
Delta Airlines Provides Porsche Chauffeur Service To Valued Customers
Although security checkpoints and the TSA permanently sealed the leisurely “jet set” lifestyle into a thing of the past, Delta Airlines is bringing a little flair back to air travel. Delta, in partnership with Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) of Atlanta, Georgia, is providing its “High Value Customers” (HVC) the Porsche Experience. Delta has enjoyed…
BMW M3 Competition Edition “Frozen Silver” Limited to Just 40 Units for U.S.
Initially introduced in Europe half a year ago to commemorate 40 years of M, the BMW M3 Competition Edition will soon be available in the United States in an extremely limited amount of only 40 coupes. The limited edition Competition coupe will only be available with a Frozen Silver exterior paint, M3 GTS 19-inch rims…
Audi Urban Concept Rumored for Low-Volume Production
The Audi Urban Concept unveiled last month at the Frankfurt Auto Show is now reportedly headed for low-volume production. According to sources inside the German automaker, Audi will produce a limited batch of 999 units as a test run, each to be sold at 9999 Euros. Don’t assume that just because it’s a “test run,”…
BMW Patents Electric Turbocharger, Will We See It In The Next M3?
First it was the bi-turbo V6 patent that leaked, and now BMW has filed for a patent on their electric turbocharger, leading to new rumors for what will potentially power the next generation M3. Ever since BMW started regularly employing turbochargers on their factory powerplants, they’ve been seeking ways to efficiently address the issues of…
Volkswagen WRC Polo R Looks Promising In Testing, Carlos Sainz Driving
Volkswagen’s WRC entry in the form of a Polo R is out testing a little over a year before its official competition debut. The Polo R recently got its first bout of testing on a 1.5-mile tarmac track out in the vineyards in Trier, Germany. Behind the wheel during test was Dakar winner Carlos Sainz…
Artist Jeff Koons Creates Scale Model BMW M3 GT2 Art Car
Best known for his stainless steel balloon animal sculptures, American artist Jeff Koons’ latest creation is a brightly colored 1:18 scale model of the BMW M3 GT2. In 2010, BMW approached Koons about designing an M3 GT2 as part of the automaker’s Art Car project. To ensure the applied graphics wouldn’t affect its aerodynamics and…
