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Detroit Preview: Mercedes Vision Concept to Hint at Brand’s Future Design Direction
***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here*** One of the highlights of the Detroit Auto Show will be a new concept vehicle by Mercedes-Benz that is intended to give the world a glimpse at what the future of Mercedes design will look like. In an interview with the U.K.’s AutoCar, Merc’s design boss…
Report: Lotus F1 Racing Signs Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen for 2010 Season
Lotus has just confirmed its driver lineup for the 2010 Formula One season with both Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen signed on to pilot the new Lotus cars on the team’s rookie season and the brand’s return to F1. Trulli was long rumored to join the Lotus team as he has a strong relationship with…
Detroit Preview: Higher-Performance BMW Z4 sDrive35is set for Detroit Debut
Set to officially debut at the Detroit Auto Show in a few weeks time is a new higher-performance version of the BMW Z4. A step above the sDrive35i, the sDrive35is gets some special body work, a revised suspension and more power. Under the hood is BMW’s impressive twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine, which has been modified…
Report: Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta is a Custom Convertible 599 GTB
Ferrari has just announced the second vehicle to come out of its in-house Special Projects program, a modified 599 GTB now known as the P540 Superfast Aperta. The P540 Superfast was built for Edward Walson, the son of John Walson, who invented cable TV. Walson commissioned the vehicle with inspiration coming from the Fantuzzi-designed Ferrari…
Breaking: GM Sells Old Saab Platform Rights to China’s Beijing Auto
General Motors has reached an agreement to sell off part of its struggling Saab division to China’s Beijing Auto (BAIC). The deal would see BAIC take control of Saab’s rights assets and tooling assets of the past 9-5 and 9-3 models in order to build those vehicles in China. Saab’s future has been uncertain for…
Rumor Mill: New Lagonda Concept Pics Hint That Aston Martin Hasn’t Shelved Idea of Resurrecting Brand
With the release of a new selection of photos of its much-maligned Lagonda Concept, Aston Martin seems to be re-testing the waters to see if there is interest in a luxury SUV, marketed under the slightly more affordable Lagonda brand. The vehicle was first shown at the Geneva Auto Show last March and was not…
Report: Brabus GLK Sets World Record for Fastest SUV at 200-MPH
The team at German Mercedes-tuner Brabus have just announced that their V12-powered Mercedes GLK has achieved a world record for the fastest street-legal SUV at 322.3 km/h. In miles, that is a fraction over 200, at 200.3 mph! The record-setting run was achieved at Italy’s Nardo high speed ring during an event hosted by Continental…
Report: Dutch Exotic Car Maker Spyker Top Candidate in Bidding for Saab
Dutch exotic car maker Spyker is likely the favored candidate in the resumed bidding for GM’s Saab division. Saab went back on the open market just a few weeks ago when a group led by Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg retracted its offer. In an report published in Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet a source described GM’s…
Report: Land Rover to Launch Diesel Hybrid Range Rover Sport Model in 2012
Land Rover is currently developing a diesel hybrid version of its Range Rover Sport model with a targeted sales date in 2012. A small fleet of five vehicles is expected to be road-ready and testing next year. Currently Range Rover has an excellent luxury and off-road image, but a terrible reputation when it comes to…
Detroit Preview: MINI Planning Moke Concept
***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here*** While we await production versions of the MINI Coupe and Roadster concepts, as well as the Countryman crossover, MINI is getting ready to unveil yet another concept car – the Moke. Based on the same chassis as the Countryman, the Moke is expected to get its…
Report: Renault Considering Return to North America
Renault may be planning a return to North America, a market that it has been absent from since 1987. The news comes from a report in the Wall Street Journal, where Renault’s entry-level vehicle boss, Gerard Detourbet, admitted to the possible re-introduction of the French brand; a move that hinges on the success of the…
Report: GM Needs to Decide on Saab Sale This Week Says Swedish Car Czar
The Swedish government is putting the pressure on General Motors, saying that it must make a decision this week on the sale of Saab if the deal is to go through by the end of the year. “They must at least have chosen one of the interested parties this week, otherwise it will be tough…
Report: Audi E-Tron Will Be Priced Above R8, With Just 1,000 Units Available
Proving that the electric car revolution isn’t likely to happen over night, Audi has said that it will build just 1,000 versions of its E-Tron sports car, with pricing set above the R8. News comes from the U.K.’s AutoCar after an interview with Audi design boss Achim Badstubner. Considering Audi’s R8 with the 5.2-liter V10…
Report: MINI Coupe and Roadster Concepts Being Fast-Tracked to Production
MINI’s Coupe and Roadster Concepts are being fast tracked through the final design phase in order to see production next year. News of these developments comes from the team over at the MINI-obsessed website MotoringFile. Both models debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show and were recently on display at the LA Auto Show and for…
Report: BMW to Build Hybrid M1 Supercar
BMW is reportedly developing a new exotic sports car, inspired by both the original M1 and the new Vision EfficientDynamics Concept. According to a high-up source inside BMW, cited by EVO magazine, “M Division should have its own supercar built in three years.” The plan is to have the car ready by 2012, but BMW…
Report: BMW 1 Series M Car to Get 400-hp, Lower Curb Weight
An M version of the BMW 1 Series is in the German automaker’s product development plan and now we have more details about how the new model might just turn out. The top engineer at BMW’s M division has already said that a serious performance car below the M3 is a top priority and according…
Official: Volkswagen Buys 20 Percent Share in Suzuki
Months of rumors and a more credible report yesterday have culminated in the official news that Volkswagen will take a 20 percent share in Japanese automaker Suzuki, worth $2.5 billion. Volkswagen has its sights set on becoming the world’s largest automaker and with Suzuli’s small-car expertise, it hopes to make a large expansion into developing…
Report: Beijing Auto Hardly a Savior for Saab
Yesterday’s positive news for the Saab faithful has once again been met with the grim reality of the Swedish automaker’s situation. Just 24 hours ago news emerged that China’s Beijing Auto (which supported the Koengisegg-led purchase of Saab) had secured $2.93 billion in loans from the Chinese government – which would presumably be used to…
Report: Pagani Zonda F Crashes in Hong Kong
There is now one more person in the world who doesn’t think that Bugatti Veyron crashing into a lake video is amusing – the owner of this Pagani Zonda F. The accident occurred in Hong Kong, where another Zonda was crashed several years ago. In total three Zondas have been damaged with a third car…
Report: Volkswagen to Buy 20 Percent Stake in Suzuki
Company representatives on both sides continue to deny the rumors, but talks between Volkswagen and Suzuki are continuing and the most recent report suggests Germany’s largest automaker may buy as much as a 20 percent stake in Suzuki. A source cited in a Reuters report says a deal is close and could be announced as…
Leaked: Facelifted 2011 C-Class Photos Show Slight Tweaks to Baby Benz’s Style
A series of photos showing what appears to be the facelifted 2011 version of Mercedes’s C-Class have appeared on the internet after the company’s U.K. division updated its website and accidentally included the new 2011 model photos. We’re happy to report that the changes are minimal as we rather like the look of the new…
Report: Novitec Rosso Releases Modest Tuning Package for the Ferrari California
Renowned Ferrari-tuner Novitec Rosso has finally released its first complete package for Ferrari’s latest model, the California. Novitec is known for twin-supercharged monster engines but this initial offering contains just a simple exhaust system and a recalibrated ECU. In total, power has been raised by 40-hp to 500-hp, with torque up 24 ft-lbs to 382….
Report: Audi A7 Destined for the U.S. as an A8 Alternative
Audi of America’s top man, Johan de Nysschen has confirmed that the upcoming Audi A7 will go on sale in North America. Many had already assumed as much, but until now Audi hadn’t even officially stated that the car existed. And with the A5 Sportback not destined for U.S. shores, the future of the A7…
Rumor Mill: Is Volkswagen Planning a Toyota FT-86 Competitor?
Volkswagen is hell-bent on cracking the U.S. market and has decided to follow a production plan that will see it essentially follow in Toyota’s footsteps – for better or worse. Now that plan seems to include a possible entry-level sports car designed to compete against cars like the upcoming Toyota FT-86. In an interview with…
