European NewsAll News
Browse by News Category
Ferrari 458 Italia Reportedly Recalled Due to Fire Risk
Ferrari won’t confirm as much, but it’s believed the Italian automaker has recalled its new 458 Italia model after as many as four vehicles were damaged (or altogether destroyed) after spontaneously combusting like a Spinal Tap drummer. The vehicles created headlines (at least in automotive circles), with many blaming engineering while others blamed the drivers….
Students to Race Across Canada in Electric VW Beetle
On your mark, get set, drive green! A few determined students from the University of British Columbia are aiming to set a record for the fastest coast-to-coast drive across Canada in an electric vehicle. And not just any electric vehicle – they’re making the trek in a homemade electrified classic Volkswagen Beetle. Their journey began…
FIAT To Award Alfa Romeo Franchises To Select American Dealers
With FIAT preparing a return to North America, company CEO Sergio Marchionne said that Alfa Romeo vehicles would complement Fiat products in the same showrooms, giving dealers a wider array of vehicles to sell. Currently, only the 500 small car is slated to be sold, and the niche product will likely be unable to generate…
Audi To Expand Sales Of A1, USA Must Wait For Second Generation
Audi‘s diminutive A1 compact hatchback is proving to be such a hot product that the company has decided to sell the car “at short notice” in markets such as Asia. While Audi wants to focus on European markets first, the car will eventually be sold in Asia, with Audi deciding on a strategy for the…
Report: Lotus Esprit To Debut At Paris Auto Show, Use Lexus IS-F V8 And LFA V10
Lotus will leverage their partnership with Toyota be equipping a variant of their new, flagship Esprit with the hand-crafted V10 used in the Lexus LFA. This exclusive version would have some stiff competition from the “base” Esprit – said to be powered by the 5.0L V8 from the Lexus IS-F. Lotus cars in the past…
Report: Volkswagen Mulling Touraeg R Hybrid
Volkswagen is apparently investigating the use of hybrid technology for the hottest version of the next-generation Touraeg, for a combined output of 500 horsepower. The proposed powertrain would mate a 500 horsepower V8 with a 47 horsepower electric motor. While this would bring a serious challenge to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and BMW X5M, the…
Brabus iBusiness Mercedes S-Class Filled Bursting With Apple Products
Apparently the adage of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” stuck with some Brabus engineers. The famed Mercedes-Benz tuner is apparently a huge fan of Cupertino’s prized child stuffing a modified 750-hp Mercedes-Benz S-Class with every Apple product they possibly could. We won’t get into much details on the actual engine and aesthetic…
Underground Racing Builds Twin-Turbo Lamborghini LP670-4 SV
After building a twin-turbo Lamborghini LP640 that laid down 1000-hp, Underground Racing has just announced even bigger and better things for the LP670-4 SV. Rumor has it that Underground Racing wants to claim the title of fastest Murciélago in the world with this LP670-4 SV. Their engineers are claiming that they’ll be putting down 1,100-hp…
Porsche Passion Contest: Win a Trip to Porsche Sport Driving School
Porsche enthusiasts are some of the most die-hard brand loyalists out there; many Porsche owners we know wouldn’t even consider owning a sports car built anywhere outside of Stuttgart. And whether you own a fleet of Porsche racing cars, a Boxster, 924, Cayenne, or even just a few posters and a die-cast model or two,…
Lotus Evora S Makes 345-Horsepower; Evora IPS Gets Automatic with Paddle Shifters
Lotus has just officially confirmed the Evora S and IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) automatic transmission models, both of which are set to debut at the Paris Auto Show in just a few weeks time. Most exciting is the Evora S with a 350-ps (345-hp) V6 engine. Details are scarce, but it would seem from the…
MINI Rooftop Collection Makes Travel Fashionable
The MINI brand has always been synonymous with an uber-cool British fast-paced lifestyle. And now, even if you aren’t British, you can steal the look with MINI’s Rooftop Collection. Whether it’s for a night out on the town or you’re off on holidays, there’s something in this collection to fit your travel needs. Designed to…
BMW Planning 1 Series GT, Countryman Variant and MINI-Van
BMW will take full advantage of investments in its MINI sub-brand, developing additional models based on those products that will be branded and sold as BMWs. According to a report by Automobile Magazine, the list includes a BMW version of the MINI Clubman and Countryman, as well as both a BMW and a MINI van….
2012 Mercedes CLS Gets Video Reveal
Set to debut at the Paris Auto Show in a month’s time, Mercedes-Benz has just released a short video clip of the 2012 CLS, after officially revealing the new design just last week. The CLS not only changed the automotive landscape with it’s coupe-styled sedan form and just four seats, it changed Mercedes. The popularity…
Ferrari Announces Investigation into 458 Italia Fires
Owners of Ferrari‘s new 458 Italia are taking delivery of their coveted exotics and it seems that more than just a few of those owners are quickly learning to do without. Several incidents of 458 fires have made headlines over the past month, compounded by the usual group of excited owners wrecking their cars. The…
Range Rover Evoque to Get Ford EcoBoost Engine
Despite Ford’s sale of Land Rover to Tata over a year ago, there appears to be a strong continuing partnership between the two automakers with the latest reports indicating the Range Rover Evoque crossover will get the American automaker’s EcoBoost technology. The light-weight Range Rover is believed to get a version of the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder…
Audi RS5 Tuned to 500-Horsepower by SKN [video]
While we’re still anxiously awaiting the release of Audi‘s RS5 in America, tuners in Germany have already gotten their hands dirty with the car and finding gobs of horsepower with very little effort. While the stock 450-hp figure already seems potent enough, especially given how beautiful the RS5’s styling is, SKN has already taken the…
Brabus Mercedes SLS AMG is Fast, Black and Expensive
Not to be outdone by Hamann and their SLS AMG tuning kit, famed Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus has unleashed their rendition and we’re picking our favorite: Brabus. And while there isn’t any sort of real performance tuning being done (just yet), we’re still favoring the mild aesthetic upgrades over Hamann’s version. Or maybe we just find…
Walter Röhrl Drives the Porsche GT2 RS Around Luk Driving Center And We’re Invited [video]
Some people just have all the luck don’t they? Walter Röhrl is Porsche‘s senior test driver and has quite a resume in his racing career. He’s an accomplished rally driver and road racer with victories for a fine collection of manufacturers including Fiat, Opel, Audi, Porsche, Ford and BMW. So what do you get when…
Volkswagen Race Touraeg 3 Revealed, Will Take Part In 2011 Dakar Rally
The Dakar rally doesn’t get a lot of love in North America, but some of the machinery used in it is extremely badass, and the Volkswagen Race Touraeg 3 is no exception. Looking like a Touraeg’s homicidal cousin, the Race Touraeg 3 is build for racing on sand dunes and features the appropriate jacked-up bodywork,…
Audi Readying A3 Sedan For North America
Audi’s A3 hatchback is a solid car that hasn’t quite transcended the hatchback stigma the way that cars like the Ford Fiesta have. While the 5-door layout is perfectly acceptable for European consumers, it’s still seen a bodystyle for economy cars on this side of the Atlantic. With the A4 steadily growing in size, Audi…
BMW M3 GTS Officially the Fastest Production Bimmer Ever, But Not by Much
German automotive publication Sport Auto has finally gotten their hands on a new BMW M3 GTS, taking it to the Nürburgring to see how it stacks up as a serious sports car. For those not familiar with Sport Auto, they take almost every car to the Ring, where former race car driver turned magazine editor…
Gemballa Officially Resumes Operations, Under New Ownership
And just like that, it’s officially official. Just a few days ago we heard through the grapevine that the Gemballa brand was indeed coming back with a new CEO and investors, and with a few typed words from their PR personnel, it’s official. Interestingly enough, Andreas Schwarz (new CEO of Gemballa) has been in control…
Used Car Prices Spike by Up to 30 Percent
When the recession was upon us, it seemed like everyone was making the shopping shift from new to used cars. But now that things are starting to ease up, the prices on used cars have gone up as well. According to Edmunds.com, used-car prices have increased, especially with larger vehicles such as Cadillac Escalades or…
Volkswagen Announces Winner of App My Ride Contest
Dude, that app is so cool! It’s so cool that it won Volkswagen’s “App My Ride” contest. Taking the top spot of this contest was “DUDE,” a talking car pal that communicates with the driver to get them to their destination in the funnest way possible. Beating out 100 other applicants, DUDE was chosen as…
