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Report: Mercedes C63 Gets 487-hp Performance Package Plus
With Mercedes’ 6.2-liter V8 making as much as 518-hp in car’s like the S63, the same engine in the performance-oriented C63 makes “just” 451-hp. There are numerous reasons for this, but it does seem like those who pony-up for an AMG-spec C-Class are getting the shaft. In an attempt to remedy this Mercedes is now…
Report: Lotus Considering Return to IndyCar, GT and Le Mans Racing Says New CEO
Along with its announced plans for Formula One next season, British sports car maker Lotus is also looking at expanding its racing efforts to include IndyCar, GT and Le Mans racing. Newly appointed company CEO Dany Bahar made the announcement to employees, stating that Lotus is studying expanding its racing efforts under a new corporate…
Report: Volkswagen Passat Likely to Bow-Out When New Sedan Arrives in 2011
When Volkswagen’s new mid-sized sedan arrives in 2011, there is a strong possibility that it will replace, rather than join the Passat, in the German automaker’s lineup. VW Group of America CEO Stefan Jacoby has said that the company is currently studying whether or not to keep the Passat, but all evidence points to its…
Tokyo Preview: Lotus to Unveil Matte-Black Exige Scura
Contrary to popular reports (our own included) there will be at least one foreign automaker at the Tokyo Auto Show. Lotus has announced its attendance and the British sports car company will unveil what it calls the Exige Scura, a special edition vehicle along the lines of the Exige S 260. With 260 PS (257hp)…
Report: Lotus Unveils F1 Wind Tunnel Test Car, Announces Plans for 2010 Season
Lotus is set to return to Formula 1 next year and with a dedicated group of followers and the media circus that surrounds any British F1 team, the company has released some of its plans and ambitions for the 2010 season, along with the first full-sized wind tunnel model. Lotus F1 Racing Chief Technical Officer…
Spied: Possible BMW M3 CSL Model Caught on Nürburgring
A rather unique looking M3 has been spotted on the Nürburgring and the photos seem to suggest that BMW is prepping a CSL model. BMW execs have denied a light weight and even more performance-oriented M3 is on the way, but with the recovering economy, the demand for such a car and the fact that…
Report: Audi E-Tron to Get R4 Badge
Audi has already confirmed that the E-Tron concept that made its world premiere at the Frankfurt Auto Show last month will see production, and now recent reports suggest the car will go under the R4 badge. The news comes from the U.K.’s AutoExpress, which also suggests gasoline versions may be available and that this vehicle…
Report: Lamborghini Now Offering Zero Percent Financing
Over recent years the offer of zero percent financing has become almost commonplace among domestic automakers, but now one of the imports is doing the same. What’s surprising isn’t that the automaker is from Europe, but (more specifically) that it’s from Italy. That’s right, Lamborghini is now offering 0% financing on the LP640 coupe and…
Report: 2010 Porsche Turbo Cuts 10 Seconds off Nürburgring Time
Porsche’s updated 2010 911 Turbo model has cut an impressive 10 seconds off its predecessor’s Nürburgring lap time. The significantly revised sports car can now boast a 7:39 lap time around Germany’s most famous race track. Unfortunately for Porsche, this time is still more than 10 seconds away from the car’s Japanese rival, the Nissan…
Report: Smart fortwo Electric Car Announced for 2012
Daimler AG has announced that the second generation Smart fortwo electric drive will go into series production starting in 2012. The announcement was made during the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to the facility where the electric Smart cars will be built in Hambach, France. A small number of vehicles will begin production in…
Report: Volvo to Bring Diesel and Hybrid-Diesel Cars to North America
Volvo will bring diesel engines as well as diesel-hybrids to North America in the future says the company’s North American CEO. Doug Speck made the comments to Automotive News, as the automaker is faced with the same lofty corporate fuel economy standards as the rest of the industry, which will see automakers average 35.5 mpg…
Video: Aston Martin Rapide Takes on the Stelvio Pass
Aston Martin has released a stunning piece of video that shows the company’s new sports sedan driving both the Nürburgring and the famous Stelvio Pass in the Alps. Dubbed “the most elegant four-door sorts car in the world,” the Rapide is powered by a front-mounted 5.9-liter V12 engine. Power is rated at 470hp at 6000…
Report: Volkswagen considering Formula One
Volkswagen may enter Formula One racing if the International Automobile Federation (FIA) is successful in cutting costs in the world’s premiere auto racing series. “Today, it costs well over a hundred million Euros to take part in F1,” Reinhold Carl, managing director of Audi Singapore, told Singapore paper The Straits Times. “If the cost is…
Report: BMW Building 0 Series on 3rd Gen MINI Platform
Car Magazine is reporting BMW will use the third-generation MINI platform to build a new compact car. The so-called “0 Series” (internally referred to as the “Untere Kompactklasse”, German for “Lower Compact Class”) will be slotted between the MINI and 1 Series to go up against Audi’s A1 and Mercedes’ A-Class. Because it is based…
Report: Audi Considering More Premium Small Cars for North America
With rumored news that rival BMW is planning a long list of 1 Series-based vehicles, Audi is reportedly studying several premium small cars for introduction into the North American marketplace. First on the list is a sedan version of the A3 hatchback. Much like BMW’s plans for the 1 Series, Audi is rumored to be…
Report: New Lotus CEO Has Sights Set on Ferrari
Lotus’s new CEO and Proton, the company in charge of British sports car maker, have announced their ambitions to increase the company’s profile and have it compete with exotic Italian automakers. In a recent interview Proton Holdings managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said that the launch of the new Evora model…
Report: Volkswagen Golf R Confirmed for North America as GTI-R Model
Volkswagen has confirmed that the high-powered all-wheel drive Golf R, which debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show last month, will be sold in North America. Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (the same powerplant found under the hood of the Audi TT-S) the Golf R makes 265hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque. Volkswagen estimates…
Report: Sweden Grants Saab $610 Million Loan
Saab has secured a $610 million loan from the European Investment Bank after the Swedish government said it would stand behind the loan. This may just be the last step in finalizing the sale of Saab to a group of investors headed by Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg. The sale of Saab by General Motors to…
Report: Next 6 Series “Best-Looking BMW in Years” Says U.S. Boss
Jim O’Donnell, the man in charge of BMW North America has said that the next iteration of the company’s 6 Series will be the “best-looking BMW in years.” O’Donnell made the comments to Automobile magazine prior to the Frankfurt Motor Show. Calling it, “really stunning,” O’Donnell said that both the coupe and convertible models will…
Report: U.S. Group Emerges as Rival to China’s Geely in Bid for Volvo
For several months Chinese automaker Geely has been touted as the front runner in the bid for Volvo, but now a U.S.-based group has emerged with a credible offer. Calling itself the Crown consortium, the group consists of several private equity firms and is fronted by two industry experts: Michael Dingman, a former Ford director;…
Report: Future Chrysler and Lancia Models to Share Platforms
Yesterday Chrysler’s new owners at Fiat announced that the Chrysler brand would now be under the stewardship of Lancia brand head Olivier Francois. Today it is more evident why, as both Chrysler and Lancia will share product platforms in the future. The alliance will see Lancia get a redesigned version of the 300C as a…
Report: New Entry Level Sports Car a Top Priority for Porsche, Says R&D Boss
When Porsche first introduced the Boxster it was a fun and reasonably affordable (if somewhat underpowered) sports car. Since then it has grown in pretty much every way, with more power, larger engine choices and a significantly higher price tag. Numerous rumors have emerged hinting that Porsche is looking at bringing in a sub-Boxster model…
Report: Ferrari Announces 599 China Edition
As a sign of how important Ferrari takes the emerging marketplace in China, the exotic Italian automaker has just announced a limited edition 599 China Edition model. Just twelve Chine Edition cars will be made in a special Rosso Fuoco red exterior paint, with the roof and pillars painted in gray. The car was designed…
Breaking: Audi E-Tron Electric R8 Headed to Production
Audi’s E-Tron electric R8 has been given the green light and should be on the road in two to three years. Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen has said that a car based on the E-Tron concept, which debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show last month, will be built. He expects fully functional examples…
