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LA Auto Show Design Challenge Aims To Find Next Hollywood ‘It’ Car
A common theme among entries for this year’s award include science fiction movie plots, where the vehicles serve as faithful sidekicks to their human counterparts, protectors of freedom and justice or machines designed to withstand inhospitable environments, enabling our heroes to get on with the task at hand.
Chevrolet Camaro, Fiat 500, Ford F-Series Win SEMA Awards: 2011 SEMA Show
This year’s SEMA awards were announced Wednesday morning, with the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford F-Series and Jeep Wrangler taking home the awards for Hottest Car, Truck and 4×4 SUV respectively. The big surprise here was the announcement of the Fiat 500 as the Hottest Sport Compact, despite a relatively small presence at the SEMA show. The…
Road Race Motorsports Shows Off Track Tuned Fiat 500: 2011 SEMA Show
Road Race Motorsports has revealed one serious little lapping day machine at the SEMA Show, with a highly customized Fiat 500 packing plenty of race-inspired modifications. Under the hood is a B-Spec tuned engine pumping out 133-hp thanks to a Road Race intake system and sport exhaust. To be a true race car though, they…
Chinese Buyers Pledge $850M in Long Term Saab Funding
After much back and forth over the past months between Swedish Automaker Saab and Chinese suitors Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. and Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co., it seems like funding for Saab is very much back. The Chinese companies have both agreed to buy the Swedish automaker, providing the company with some much needed…
Matte Blue Fiat 500 Carbon By Mopar Underground: 2011 SEMA Show
Looking rather lonely and out of place in Mopar’s massive SEMA booth was Mopar Underground’s Fiat 500 Carbon. Amidst all the heavy American muscle was this customized Italian compact featuring an Anodized Azzurro exterior with blackened accents. Peering behind each 17×7-inch Dark Hyper Black wheel were bright red calipers, giving a solid contrast to the…
Volkswagen Polo On SCCA B-Spec Entry List, 2012 Debut Possible
While reviewing the SCCA B-Spec rules, we came across a list of entries for the upcoming class and stumbled upon a few interesting candidates – namely the Volkswagen Polo, which the rule sheet claims may be imported for 2012. Other entries, like the Hyundai Accent, Scion iQ and xD and Fiat 500 are interesting in…
New Saab 9-3 Photo Leaked?
Now that Da Pang and Youngman have agreed to buy the Swedish Automaker, lock stock and barrel (for a price of 100 million euros/$142 million), Saab can now get on with what it does best, namely making quirky cars.
Lotus Elise, Exige Recalled For Oil Cooler Defects
Lotus Elise and Exige sports cars manufactured between June 1, 2004 and November 30, 2006 are subject to replacement of a faulty oil cooler line, which may be prone to leak oil or suffer from the line detaching completely. If attention isn’t given at a timely matter, the defect can cause slippery oil to coat…
Lotus Secures Regional Growth Fund Cash to Further Model Development
Keep an eye on Lotus over the next six years, they just won a bid for this round of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Lotus CEO Danny Bahar said in a press release that the money will help the company refresh its line of sports cars with best in class performance and emissions. The RGF…
Audi Losing Market Share in China as Youth Reject Communist Government Image
Audi, long the automaker of choice for Chinese bureaucrats, has found itself suddenly losing to rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. As the nation creates a new generation of wealthy young buyers, Audi’s market share in China has fallen by 25% in less than two years. Mercedes market share is now at 22 percent from 16 percent…
Land Rover Defender Likely for U.S., DC100 Concept Headed to LA Auto Show
First unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Land Rover‘s DC100 Concept is heading to the U.S., signifying the luxury SUV maker’s intention to eventually offer a production version in North America. Previewing the next-generation Defender SUV, Land Rover’s global brand direct John Edwards has given strong hints that the new model will go on sale…
Mercedes Developing Carbon Fiber E-Class, Targeting 2,900 Lb. Curb Weight
Mercedes is currently developing a super light version of its popular E-Class reports Auto Bild magazine. Through an extensive use of carbon fiber, Mercedes is hoping to shave off an impressive 770-lbs from the current models, targeting a curb weight of under 2,900 lbs. By using a carbon fiber structure, Mercedes will be able to…
Fiat 500 Abarth Confirmed for LA Auto Show Debut
Fiat has officially confirmed it will add a third model to its U.S. lineup, debuting the new 500 Abarth at the LA Auto Show. Looking like a kitted-out version of the standard 500, this car is certain to hit the sweet spot with enthusiasts, and is expected to come equipped with a turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder…
BMW Recalling 32,000 Vehicles Over Engine Fire Risks
BMW is recalling 32,000 vehicles in order to replace potentially faulty electric auxiliary water pumps. An issue can cause the water pumps to overheat, potentially causing a vehicle fire. Models impacted by the recall include 2008-2011 5-Series, 5-Series Gran Turismo, 7-Series, X5 and X6 equipped with either the eight- or 12-cylinder turbocharged engines. Two engine…
BMW Heads-Up Display Goes Color
Originally launched in 2004, BMW Heads-Up Display provides vital information such as vehicle speed and navigation instructions at the driver’s eye level on the windshield. According to BMW, the average driver takes about one second to read the information on the instrument cluster, essentially distracting a driver traveling at 30-mph for 13-feet. Their HUD is…
MINI Roadster Revealed, On Sale in Mid-2012
Hot on the heels of MINI’s Coupe release is the announcement of the 2012 MINI Roadster and the various versions it’ll be offered in. The new MINI Roadster will be the company’s first manually-opening drop-top two-seater and will be North American showrooms in mid-2012. Compared to the MINI Cooper Cabriolet, the MINI Roadster will be…
Volvo S60, C70 Recalled Over Incorrect Tire Pressure Labels
Swedish car firm Volvo takes safety very seriously, and so it’s taking the extra step to correct a small error it had made in the past. The issue is in regards to the tire pressure label for the spare tire. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), some Volvo vehicles had incorrect information…
Peugeot-Citroen Cutting 6,000 Jobs
As part of a $1.1 billion cost-cutting effort, PSA, the parent company of both Peugeot and Citroen, will shed 6,000 jobs in Europe, with 2,500 white collar jobs, 2,500 contract worker jobs and 1,000 blue collar jobs expected to be cut in 2012. PSA claimed that their car-making operations would barely turn a profit in…
Saab Production May Restart In 8 Weeks
According to Inside Line, Saab may be ready to re-start production at its factories in as little as 8 weeks, after being sold to two Chinese automakers for $142 million. While Saab was valued at $660 million this summer, both Pang Da and Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. managed to purchase the company at a rock…
Porsche Profits Up 25 Percent, Cayenne Outsells Panamera by 2:1 Ratio
Porsche‘s profits rose by 25 percent in the first 9 months of the year, as overall revenue and vehicle deliveries rose by 20 and 31 percent respectively. Cayenne sales were up 74 percent, as the SUV became the brand’s best selling model, with 43,924 units sold. The Panamera was second with 18,750 sold. Sales of…
AJAC Car Of The Year Finalists Announced
Our friends to the north have been keeping busy by choosing their pick for the car and truck of the year, before snow takes over. So over the last week, the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) had assembled in the Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario to see which cars are the best in their category. The winners…
Ferrari California to Get Horsepower Bump
Ferrari is preparing to add more testosterone to its “chick” car, the California, for the 2012 model year. The mid-cycle update will see 30-hp added to the 4.3-liter V8 for a new total output of 483-hp, while torque will increase as well to 373 lb-ft. (That extra output may only be available with higher octane…
2013 BMW 3 Series To Debut In Detroit
Snow or no snow, BMW will be braving the Detroit winter to show off the 2013 F30 3 Series in its public debut January 12. The announcement comes after the initial debut earlier this month in Munich and reveals that there will be the standard and M Sport packages along with three new lines: sport,…
More Diesel Cars In The Future For North America
If you aren’t familiar with the gravely rumble of a diesel powered vehicle you probably will be soon. They’re commonplace in Europe thanks to better milage and will be in the same position on American shores thanks to increasingly stringent government standards. Jeff Breneman, executive director of the U.S. Coalition for Advanced Diesel Cars,…
