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RenaultSport Megane Trophy 265 Sets New Front-Drive Nurburgring Record
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If we asked you what the fastest Nurburgring time for a front-wheel drive car was you’d probably guess the Ford Focus RS. Nope, not even close. In fact it belongs to French automaker Renault, and has for some time. Back in 2008 the automaker ran an 8:16 with a rather stripped-down R26.R version of the…
2012 BMW M5 Officially Revealed: Photos and Specs
After shots leaked earlier today, BMW has now officially revealed full details and high resolution photos of the monstrously powerful 2012 M5. Powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, it makes 552-hp at 6000 rpm and gets an even more significant increase in torque, with the new thrust number of 502 lb-ft coming on full at…
BMW 3 Series to be Re-Badged as 4 Series
Brand equity can take decades to build up. It’s the sign of a business model that worked and has continued to work. So when you’ve got a name like the Big Mac you don’t just toss it aside. That is, unless you’re BMW. A new report suggests the German automaker will re-badge its 3 Series…
Camaro ZL1 to Top 550-HP, Get ZR1 Performance Traction Management System
Six months before its scheduled to head into production, Chevy has released some exciting new details about the performance of the Camaro ZL1. Unveiled for the first time in Canada at the Camaro Homecoming, held next to the Oshawa Assembly Plant where all Camaros are produced, chief engineer Al Oppenheiser stated that it will make…
Allan McNish Walks Away from Spectacularly Violent Crash at 24 Hours of Le Mans [Video]
Allan McNish’s chances of a third overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans were over in the first hour of the race, after a spectacular crash destroyed his car and looked to have perhaps ended his driving days forever. Miraculously, however, McNish managed to walk away from the incident seemingly unharmed. The same…
Lotus Esprit Delayed; Will Get In-House V8, Shocking Price Tag
The new Esprit will make it to market, but not as early as Lotus had hoped. Speaking at the launch of the new Evora S model in San Jose, Lotus Cars USA PR boss Kevin Smith confirmed that due to a decision by Lotus to produce its own engine for the car, it won’t make…
Corvette ZR1 Sets New 7:19.63 Nurburgring Lap Time, Just Off Porsche GT2 RS Record [Video]
To showcase just how much a few small changes can mean, Chevrolet took the updated 2012 Corvette ZR1 to the Nurburgring, knocking 6 seconds off the car’s previous best time set back in 2008. The new 7:19.63 lap time was set by Corvette engineer Jim Mero and is a solid three seconds off the Viper…
Ford Targets 50% Sales Boost Says CEO Mulally
Things have been going well for Ford over the past few years with increased profits, sales and market share, but you haven’t seen nothin’ yet says CEO Alan Mually. Speaking this morning on CNN’s American Morning, Mulally said the automaker is looking to increase sales globally by an incredible 50 percent. The plan to achieve…
Fan Hit During Red Bull F1 Exhibition in Japan [Video]
Stupidity knows no bounds. Need an example? Try running out in front of a moving Formula 1 race car… you know, those highest of high-tech race machines capable of hitting 60 mph in under two seconds and speed of well over 200 mph. That’s exactly what one crazed fan did at a recent Red Bull…
Audi R8 GT Spyder Revealed: Where Rodeo Drive Meets the Nurburgring
Purpose built track machines and Sunday driving convertibles are about as far apart on the automotive spectrum as the Fiat 500 and Ford Super Duty, but that doesn’t seem to stop “prestige” automakers from building them. And there’s good reason too, with obvious demand for a Miami beach machine that looks like it should be…
Porsche 911 to Get 7-Speed Manual Transmission
As automatic transmissions have gained gears over the years, the traditional stick shift has remained untouched, its six forward gears (or even just five) providing plenty of fun for the driver, but at the expense of the quick shifting performance of single and dual-clutch automatics. Leave it to Porsche to chance all that, with Car…
Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro Bows at Worthersee Tour With 503-HP
If Audi doesn’t want to stoke rumors of an RS1 model, they’re going about it all wrong. Debuting at the annual Worthersee Tour VW GTI meet that is held each year in Austria, Audi has just unveiled the A1 Clubsport Quattro, a turbocharged 5-cylinder AWD show car that makes an incredible 503-hp. Using the same…
2012 Mercedes SLS Roadster Pictures [Mega Gallery]
Having officially announced the new Roadster versions of the SLS sports car yesterday, Mercedes-Benz has now released an extensive selection of stunning photos of the brand’s new drop-top. Powered by the same 6.2-liter V8 the convertible makes 563-hp and 479 lb-ft of torque and uses a soft-top that can raise or lower in 11 seconds…
GM Calls Out Nissan Over ‘Gas Powered Everything’ Ad
Aiming to build hype behind its all-electric Leaf, Nissan has released a new ad, imagining a world where tiny internal combustion engines power everything that currently runs on electricity. The bleak and dirty existence portrayed in the new ad spot then steps to a new level to prove Nissan’s point, showing the sullen protagonist gassing…
2012 Volkswagen Passat Priced from $19,995; $7,000 Less Than Last Year’s Model
Volkswagen has just released official pricing on its all new 2012 Passat mid-size sedan, undercutting last year’s model by roughly $7,000. The new sticker price comes in at a hair under the $20K mark ($19,995) although after destination it will be $20,765; helping VW compete in a market alongside models like the Toyota Camry, Honda…
Infiniti to Launch BMW Z4 Rival at 2012 Geneva Auto Show
For years the Infiniti G37 has been the closest rival to BMW’s 3 Series in terms of driving performance, and now it appears the Nissan luxury division is preparing to take on the German automaker’s Z4 roadster. According to a report by AutoExpress, the unnamed new model will be a two-seater with a front-engine, rear…
Lamborghini Confirms “Everyday” Car to Join Lineup, Igniting Estoque Rumors
The Lamborghini Estoque would seem to be headed to production. After debuting the 4-door Lambo at the Paris Auto Show back in 2008, company CEO Stephan Winkelmann has now confirmed a third model for the exotic Italian brand. “It has to be an everyday car,” he said speaking at the Reuters Global Luxury and Fashion…
Toyota Could Slip to Third in Global Sales Race
Due to the fallout from the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Toyota execs have admitted the auto giant is likely to cede the title of the world’s largest automaker to General Motors. But according to a new Bloomberg report, things may be worse than that, with Toyota poised to slip to third in the…
Mugen CR-Z Revealed With 200-HP, Civic Type R Acceleration
Trust Mugen to build the CR-Z that Honda fans have been calling for. Revealed ahead of its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the team at Mugen Euro has bolted on a supercharger to the car’s 1.5-liter engine while retaining the factory Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system to produce 200-hp and 181 lb-ft…
2012 Mercedes S-Class to Gain Coupe, Covertible Variants
Mercedes-Benz is secretly working away on an all-new flagship S-Class, not to mention several models that will evolve from it. In total, the 2012 S-Class is expected to be offered in at least four different versions, including both a coupe and a convertible. An S-Class Coupe is really no surprise, as Mercedes has offered the…
El Camino “Very Unlikely” Says GM Marketing Boss
Perhaps you’ve read the incessant chatter about the return of the Chevrolet El Camino. Well, it’s not going to happen. Thank God! Last week General Motors Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick joined Twitter and said (loosely speaking) that if 100,000 people commented on a Jalopnik post, then they’d revive the classic badge, allowing us to…
Diesel Car Sales to Triple by 2015 Says Bosch CEO
With consumers in search of higher fuel economy from their vehicles, diesel sales are projected to rise drastically over the next few years. That, at least, is the opinion of Peter Marks, CEO of Bosch operations for North and South America, a supplier of diesel engine parts and one that has significant stake in seeing…
Honda-Tech Meet Turns Ugly as ‘Thief’ Caught Trying to Steal a CRX [Video]
There’s no justice like mob justice. Then again, we’re sure you’ll have a different opinion of the car “thief” in this video once you hear all the facts. At the annual Northwest Region Spring Meet for Honda-Tech owners things got very out of hand when someone hopped into a CRX and tried to drive off….
2014 Chevy Corvette Mid-Engine Rumors Surface… Again
Past reports have indicated that the next-generation C7 Corvette will be merely a stop-gap with a short production cycle, before a game-changing C8 model arrives just a few years later. According to the latest rumors, the C7 may actually be the model that ushers in a bold new change for the Vette, with AutoCar suggesting…
