Car News
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Automotive critics, it seems, are a hard bunch to please. We look at things in a different light than most consumers, paying careful attention to details like the material used to cover a dashboard, or the quality of plastic used throughout the interior. While we’re quick to pan a car that’s taken a step backward in terms of perceived quality, the public is infinitely more forgiving. If you need proof, look no further than the recent remakes of the Volkswagen Jetta or the 2012 Honda Civic; while auto journalists slammed both for being cheap compared to previous models, the public...
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BMW i3 Coupe Concept Live Photos: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show
BMW is out to prove that its upcoming i3 electric hatchback doesn’t have to be boring, by presenting at this week’s 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show a sporty coupe variant simply dubbed the i3 Coupe. The new concept is the latest in a long string of i3 show cars, but the latest gives us a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2014 Mazda6 Diesel Confirmed For U.S., Will Also Race In Grand-Am
At this week’s 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, Mazda finally confirmed that its redesigned 2014 Mazda6 will be offered with a diesel engine. The new Mazda6 goes on sale in January, initially with just a SkyActiv-G 2.5-liter gas engine. The diesel will arrive in the second half of 2013. The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
To Illustrate Its Future, Lincoln Honors Its Past
If all you know about Lincoln automobiles comes from what you’ve seen in its dealer showrooms over the past two decades, it would be easy to write the brand off as a pseudo-luxury automaker reselling badge-engineered Fords. The demise of the Mercury brand was supposed to clarify the line...
Kurt Ernst -
Ford's 'Octane Academy' Reality Show Returns For A Second Season
In July 2011, Ford announced a program called “Octane Academy,” targeted to action-sport fans. The premise was simple: film a video showing why you should be picked, and get a chance to learn driving from instructors like Ken Block, Tanner Foust, Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Brian Deegan. With...
Kurt Ernst -
2014 Acura RLX Live Photos: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show
Acura’s aging RL is finally set to be renewed, and in its place will be the new 2014 Acura RLX, which goes on sale next spring. The car made its official world debut this week at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, and like a true flagship sedan it’s the most powerful, spacious, and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Last October, extended-range electric automaker Fisker’s sole battery supplier, A123 Systems, filed for bankruptcy. That’s left the struggling startup without a source of lithium-ion batteries, forcing Fisker to suspend production of its Karma sedan. As Bloomberg reports, Fisker Karma assembly was stopped last month, and won’t resume until a buyer is found for the assets of A123 Systems. Leading candidates include U.S.-based Johnson Controls and China’s Wanxiang Group. In the words of Fisker CEO Tony Posawatz, “Because we have no batteries, there’s no...
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Chevy Debuts SS-Based NASCAR Sprint Cup Racer In Las Vegas
One of the frequently-heard complaints about NASCAR’s “car of tomorrow” is that they all look alike. Even the fake headlights and grilles don’t look anything like the production versions the cars are allegedly based on, but that’s about to change for the 2013 season...
Kurt Ernst -
Tesla Reprices The 2013 Model S Sedan
Last week we told you that Tesla would be announcing a price increase on its 2013 Model S sedan, for all orders taken on or after January 1, 2013. At the time, the electric car builder also indicated that changes would be coming to the Model S’ list of standard equipment and option packages...
Kurt Ernst -
Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept: LA Auto Show Live Photos
Don’t let the ‘fixie’ bike mounted into the Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top Conecpt lead you too far astray. This concept, unveiled here at the Los Angeles Auto Show, could be taken either as a thought process toward an open-top (yet still active-lifestyle-oriented) version of the...
Bengt Halvorson -
Is Ford Working On A 50th Anniversary Mustang For 2014 ½?
The original Ford Mustang was introduced in 1964 as a 1964 ½ model, making its public debut on April 17 at the New York World’s Fair. Back in the day, it was traditional for automakers to launch new cars in January, so the Mustang’s late appearance gave it the half-year model...
Kurt Ernst -
C7 Corvette, 2014 Acura RLX, 2013 Porsche Cayman: Car News Headlines
The second of four teaser videos Chevrolet has planned for its upcoming 2014 Corvette has hit the Web, revealing a new digital instrument cluster for the latest evolution of the American icon. At the same time, Chevy has announced that owners of the Gran Turismo 5 PlatStation video game can now...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Almost exactly one year ago we told you that the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette would feature an advanced new instrument cluster. Today, in its second video trailer for the new car, Chevy has given us a glimpse at some of the digital gauges that will feature. It’s hard to tell from the brief glimpse provided, but it looks like a traditional speedometer will sit next to a digital tachometer. Next to this will be an information screen providing vital stats such as engine and oil temperatures, oil and tire pressures, and battery charge. We also get some comments from Alex McDonald, who is the...
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Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force Live Photos: 2012 L.A. Auto Show
For its entry for the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Design Challenge, a contest that challenges the world’s top automotive designers to come up with the best concept car for a given theme, Mercedes-Benz developed the imposing Ener-G-Force SUV. However, rather than leave the vehicle just as a design...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Infiniti To Partner With Red Bull On New High Performance Model: Report
Now that luxury automaker Infiniti is a title sponsor of Red Bull Racing’s Formula One efforts, it makes perfect sense that the two will combine talents to produce a high-performance street car. Sure, Infiniti has already built the Sebastian Vettel Edition FX50, but that only left us...
Kurt Ernst -
Acura Launches Next-Generation AcuraLink Connectivity System
When the 2014 Acura RLX hits showrooms next spring, it will come with the next generation of Acura’s connectivity system, AcuraLink. Thanks to new embedded technology and the ability to link to web-enabled devices such as a smartphone, AcuraLink will be able to bring a much broader range of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Test Drive The 2014 Chevy Corvette In Gran Turismo 5: Video
The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette will be making its world debut in January, but the first test drives of the car won’t be available until the sales launch later in 2013. If, like us, you just can’t wait, dust off your PlayStation 3 or visit a friend that owns one and get ready to test drive...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Jaguar Shows Off F-Type Personalization Options In L.A.
Jaguar is jumping on the personalization bandwagon by announcing new styling packages for its as yet unreleased F-Type sports car. The styling packages fall under the new Design and Black packs being released for the F-Type, and feature custom appointments for both the car’s exterior and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
One of the standouts of this week’s 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show was a bright yellow supercar from the tuning gods at AMG. That supercar is the new 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series, possibly the wildest and most capable car to ever emerge from AMG’s headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany. Looking every bit as menacing in these live photos as it did just a few weeks ago, during its official reveal, the new SLS AMG Black Series will certainly be one of the meanest cars on the road when it goes on sale next summer. Backing up the aggressive look is a power output of 631...
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2014 Acura RLX Preview: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show
Acura’s new flagship sedan, the 2014 RLX, has been shown for the first time in production trim at this week’s 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The car goes on sale early next year, where it will replace the aging RL (Honda Legend in other markets). We first got a preview of the new RLX with...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2013 Fiat 500c Abarth Live Photos: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show
Depending on your priorities, Fiat may have just made the 500 Abarth a better vehicle. That is, if your priority is hearing that beefy exhaust note and if it involves having an open-air experience. These two things have now been accomplished with the introduction of the new 2013 Fiat 500c Abarth at...
Joel Feder -
2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Live Images: 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show
In the history of the automobile, the Volkswagen Beetle is easily one of the most iconic vehicles ever created. Generations of drivers learned the joys of rowing their own gears behind the wheel of the slow-but-stout Beetle, and Volkswagen is banking that those drivers will want to park an old...
Kurt Ernst -
Chris Harris Drives The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT At Hockenheim: Video
For those saving their lunch money to buy an SLS AMG coupe or convertible, we’ve got some bad news for you: both are now out of production, gone from U.S. dealer showrooms (carry-over inventory excepted). In their place, Mercedes-Benz is shipping the new SLS AMG GT, which is proof positive of...
Kurt Ernst -
2014 Porsche Cayman Live Photos And Video: 2012 L.A. Auto Show
If you've read our first drive report on the 2013 Boxster, you know just how much we love it--and how much you should too, if you're into fast, fun, good-looking and feature-packed cars, at any rate. Now, the hardtop Cayman joins its drop-top sibling, bringing with it the same upgrades and...
Nelson Ireson