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Ford May Sell “Ka” Microcar in U.S. to Compete With Fiat-Sourced Chryser Model
There is a definite possibility that Ford’s European Ka microcar could make its way to dealerships in North American in the next few years. A new second-generation Ka was just launched in Europe in 2009, using either a 68hp 1.2-liter gasoline engine or a 74hp 1.3-liter diesel engine. At just 142.5-inches long, the Ka is…
Toyota Forecasts $8.6 Billion Annual Loss
A day after GM posted yet another staggering quarterly loss, Toyota has released that it expects to lose $8.6 billion during this fiscal year. The loss was mostly driven by Toyota’s Q4 results, which just came in at negative $6.9 billion. This is the first annual operating loss Toyota has ever posted and even more…
Audi Readying RS3 and A3 Hybrid
With the new A3 due out in 2011 rumors of performance and hybrid versions of the car have already emerged. In the performance category Audi is expected to release an RS3, which will be powered by the same turbocharged five-cylinder currently found in the TT-RS. Output won’t be quite as significant, but expect lots of…
Nissan-Renault Latest Candidate to Buy Saturn
The sale of Saturn to Nissan-Renault could see cars like this Mégane Renault Sport roaming U.S. streets. The rumor mill keeps churning out new and exciting candidates interested in buying GM’s Saturn brand. The most recent speculation is that Nissan/Renault might be interested. The Wall Street Journal is reporting the Nissan-Renault interest in Saturn, while…
Novitec Tunes Maserati GranTurismo S to 600hp
Several years ago Ferrari tuner Novitec released it’s first line of parts for the Maserati brand under the name Novitec Tridente. The minor modifications made available for the Quattroporte model didn’t, however, generate much excitement. The opposite will no doubt be true of the new Novitec Tridente line for the Maserati GranTurismo S…. due mostly…
Chrysler Bankruptcy Filings Shed Light on Which Fiat Models Headed for U.S.
The Fiat Panda is just one of several cars that will be sold in the U.S. under the Chrysler/Fiat alliance. It will most likely be badged as a Jeep. There has been plenty of speculation as to which Fiat vehicles will make it on to North American roads as a result of the merger with…
Ford Focus RS Spied in Detroit
Stoking the rumors that Ford is planning to bring its impressive Focus RS to the U.S. are some amateur spy photos of the hopped-up compact, taken just outside Detroit. Forum user 2004SVTAutoXer took the photos in the up-scape Royal Oak neighborhood and posted them on FocusFanatics.com. The 2009 Focus RS is powered by a turbocharged…
Buying American: It’s In the Numbers (and Letters)
The All-American Impala: Made in Canada During President Obama’s press conference last week when he announced that Chrylser would file for Chapter 11, he asked Americans that if they were looking to buy a car, to look at American cars. The “buy American” philosophy drew harsh criticism from the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA),…
Ford Outsells Toyota, Hyundai Surpasses Nissan
Interesting times indeed. As the economy continues to lumber on, this economic shakeup is certainly changing things in the automotive industry. While in a bustling economy it may take decades for shifts to happen in an industry, it can take just a month in a recession. And so with every passing month the sales figures…
Hyundai ix-35 Caught Testing in California
Photos: Jason Bauer and Colum Wood First off, we apologize for the terrible photos. We can blame Blackberry for the poor quality, but we should be so lucky the pics turned out at all. We just happened upon this this undercover vehicle while cruising north on Highway 1 (PCH) after leaving Huntington Beach, CA. The…
Chrysler/UAW Agreement Gives Union 55 Percent Share of Automaker
Less than a day after the UAW, Chrysler and Fiat agreed upon the terms of a contract that would keep the struggling U.S. automaker afloat, details of the agreement have surfaced in which the union will take a controlling share in Chrysler. At first it seemed almost too good to be true that all…
R.I.P. Pontiac: General Motors Kills Iconic Brand
As we reported last week, General Motors has indeed made the decision to kill the Pontiac brand. The news comes as a part of a new viability plan (yes… another one) submitted to the federal government today. The new plan will see Pontiac eliminated by the end of 2010, but that’s not all… not by…
ASMA Design Strikes Again with Chrome Widebody Mercedes CL: The PhantASMA
While bankers and stock market gurus go bankrupt, there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of money over in Dubai. Case in point; the crazy Mercedes tuner ASMA Design has released yet another over-the-top creation, custom built for someone who obviously has cash to spare. Called the PhantASMA (get it?), this widebody Mercedes CL65 has…
Dodge Circuit EV First Drive: Our Ironic Earth Day Adventure
To celebrate Earth Day, Chrysler invited a select group of media to the Green Ride N Drive, (held during the SAE Show in Detroit today), to get behind the wheel of the Dodge Circuit EV. So in an act of automotive environmental irony that has to this day only been perpetrated on the planet by…
Audi to Campaign Four R8 GT3 Cars at Nürburgring 24 Hour Race
Audi has its sights set of the Nürburgring 24 Hour race and it intends to not only take home the top spot but perhaps the entire podium as it has announced plans to campaign a fleet of R8 LMS GT3 cars. Teams ABT Sportsline and Phoenix Racing will bring two cars apiece with factory support…
Lexus to Race LF-A in Nürburgring 24-hour Race… Again
After an embarrassingly dismal experience at last year’s Nürburgring 24 Hour race, Lexus is once again set to take on one of the world’s most challenging endurance races with it’s LF-A sports car. The car will run in the Division 2 SP8 class, meaning that the race car will be close to the production car…
Volkswagen Poised to Overtake Toyota In Sales
If Q1 results are any indication, VW may overtake Toyota as the number one car manufacturer by sales in 2009, and this comes before the German automaker starts selling its new sixth-generation Golf. Just a few weeks ago we reported that industry research firm R.L. Polk predicted Volkswagen would overtake General Motors as the world’s…
Porsche World Roadshow Travels to Canada
Photos: Stew Lawson For the first time ever the traveling sportscar (and SUV) experience that is the Porsche World Roadshow has made its way to Canada. Held at Mosport International Raceway, just outside Toronto, the former Formula 1 facility played host to the vast majority of Porsche’s fleet of cars, with activities both on and…
Audi Clean Diesel Q7 TDI V6 Coming To North America
For 2010 the Audi Q7 lineup of SUVs will receive several updates, as well as the addition of a new engine option. Going on sale later this year, the 2010 Q7 will be available with two gasoline engines, as well as a clean diesel 3.0-liter TDI V6 powerplant. The move to bring clean diesel technology…
Kia Forte Koup Headed For Production
Today at the New York Auto Show, Kia unveiled the Forte Koup. Based on the Koup Concept which made its first appearance at last year’s New York show, the Forte Koup is the first ever two-door from Kia. The sporty-looking new model is based on the same platform as the sedan and will be offered…
2010 Volkswagen GTI Makes U.S-Debut in New York
It’s here… the sixth generation Volkswagen GTI. Making it’s debut at the New York Auto Show the car is sportier-looking but less aggressive, looking more like the European Scirocco and trading in the massive front grille for a two-tier unit. The signature red detailing on the grille is still there though, giving the GTI a…
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Gets Gussied Up for New York Auto Show
Jeep chose the New York Auto Show to unveil the all-new 2011 Grand Cherokee, the latest version of the what Jeep calls, “the original premium SUV.” With a pleasant and masculine exterior, the real big difference is inside where the cabin gets a significant update. In fact, the leather on the model shown at the…
Acura ZDX Concept Officially Unveiled
Acura gave us the official first look at its new ZDX Concept, a four-door coupe crossover thingy, at the New York Auto Show today. And, well, it’s not exactly what we would call beautiful. The real-life proportions of the car make it look distinctively different from the BMW X6, even though original teaser photos from…
General Motors to Auction-Off 100 More “Heritage Collection” Cars at Barrett-Jackson
General Motors is heading back to the block. No, not the chopping block (not yet)… the auction block. In an effort to trim costs and create a little petty cash, the struggling automaker will send 100 vehicles to the Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach, Fla., which starts this Thursday and runs through the weekend. In…






