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Tesla's Roadster and Model S have garnered much of the hybrid and electric press of late, though new entries from Ford and Honda have also gathered some attention. Now Volkswagen is looking to share in the spotlight, announcing the signing of a letter of intent with Toshiba for cooperation on the development of electric drive units for future cars. The drive units are destined for what VW calls its New Small Family, likely based around the Volkswagen up! range of concepts. The battery and drive systems used to propel the cars are covered by the scope of the letter of intent, though at this...
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Video: GM shows off Autobot lineup from Transformers 2
General Motors has released a new video showcasing the vehicles that will star as the Autobots in the upcoming sequel to last year’s Transformers movie. The new movie will be called Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and it is set to open across the U.S. on June 26. The latest teaser clip...
James Martinez -
Sportec joins growing list of Scirocco tuners with new SC 350
The Volkswagen Scirocco is proving to be popular with tuners, with famed Swiss performance shop Sportec also releasing its own hotted-up version of the svelte sports coupe. Sportec’s work on German cars has been well documented, especially some of its more outrageous creations based on much...
Alex Kaufmann -
Hyundai Announces Rhys Millen Racing Red Bull Formula Drift Team
The past several months have been poor ones for the world of motorsports, with carmakers pulling out of such diverse venues as Formula 1 and rally racing. But Hyundai is bucking the trend today, announcing the launch of its Rhys Millen Racing Red Bull Formula Drift team. The team will compete in...
Nelson Ireson -
2010 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 make debut
Though big, heavy trucks may not offer the road-going safety their image projects, they do offer utility that no other vehicle can approach. That's especially true of the larger, commercially-sized trucks like the new 2010 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500, unveiled today at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. Key...
Ralph Hanson -
Hyundai unveils Genesis Coupe R-Spec, prices lineup
High-performance, inexpensive rear-wheel drive coupes are uncommon sights, but Hyundai has just added one to the short list with its new Genesis Coupe R-Spec. Starting at $23,750 and offering a minimal range of features - the better for later customization - the R-Spec promises to be just what the...
Nelson Ireson -
Today General Motors revealed details on the upcoming Chevrolet-branded Autobots "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" movie. Making their debuts at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show are Bumblebee, a Camaro-based Autobot, Sideswipe (Corvette Stingray Concept) and Skids/Mudflap (Chevy Beat concept). The Corvette Stingray concept is at this point solely a design exercise, not foreshadowing a production vehicle, though talk of the upcoming C7 Corvette has been circulating for some time. The Beat concept filling the role of the twin Skids and Mudflap robots is already headed to production as the 2011...
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Highway heavyweights earn low scores in latest IIHS crash test
Despite being some of the biggest vehicles on the road today, three top-selling pickup trucks have earned very low scores in the latest round of crash safety testing conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The worst performers were the crew-cab versions of the Chevrolet...
Ralph Hanson -
Vauxhall unveils 560hp VXR8 Bathurst Editions
General Motors has already cast doubt on next-generation hopes for the Pontiac G8 in the U.S., but the current generation of the car is still slated to get its GXP variant, equivalent to Vauxhall's VXR8 in the UK. But the lucky drivers in Great Britain have a hotter car yet headed their way with...
Nelson Ireson -
Shelby auctioning Mustang 427 GT500 Super Snake for childrens' foundation
Helping children with rip-snorting automotive hardware is nothing new, but Carroll Shelby's latest charity auction will also serve to inaugurate the Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The car on the block is a 2009 Shelby 427 GT500 Super Snake, good for 605hp (451kW) and sure to bring a good...
Ralph Hanson -
Nissan pursuing U.S. federal loans for EV program
The past several weeks have been tough ones for Nissan, facing the closure of its Michigan design studio, a forecast loss of $2.6 billion and the cutting of 20,000 jobs worldwide. Nevertheless it is still making plans for the future, and electric vehicles (EVs) figure heavily in those plans. To...
Ralph Hanson -
AVL Turbohybrid Concept mates driving fun with efficiency
Turbocharged, fun-to-drive hatchbacks and sedans - not the first things that come to mind when we hear the word 'hybrid' but one company is working to change that. Hybrid technology has become hugely important in the industry and to many eco-conscious drivers as well, and though it offers some...
Nelson Ireson -
German suspension specialist KW Automotive will present a modified version of the Nissan GT-R at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, which has been fitted with a new Clubsport coilover suspension kit designed for racing. Together with Japanese vehicle importer Hashimoto, KW has also developed a second set-up called the Variant 3 coilover and both kits will be on display at the Geneva event. Both products allow an independently adjustable traction and compression phase for an ideal running gear regulation according to the road conditions and the requirements of the driver. Furthermore, KW...
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Mark II Mini Cabrio John Cooper Works official details
The Geneva Motor Show is still about a month away, but already information for the Mini Cooper Cabrio John Cooper Works (JCW) has been released. Based around the same framework as the new Mark II Mini Cooper Cabrio, the JCW variant adds a healthy serving of style and speed. At 211hp (157kW) the JCW...
Nelson Ireson -
Harman to supply Mercedes Benz with ‘hybrid’ navigation system
Carmakers are working closely with electronic component suppliers to develop a new generation of low cost navigation and infotainment systems designed for both vehicle and personal use. Renault recently launched such a system in its facelifted Clio hatch called the Carminat TomTom GPS and now...
Alex Kaufmann -
Subaru designs custom Impreza WRX STI for rally champ Travis Pastrana
Subaru may no longer be a competitor in the World Rally Championship (WRC) but the carmaker is still showing its support for rallying with the unveiling of a one-of-a-kind Impreza WRX STI. The special edition model has been designed for Subaru’s factory rally driver Travis Pastrana and it is...
Ralph Hanson -
Spy shots: 2010 Saab 9-4X up close
Saab is close to completing development work on a new midsized crossover based around GM’s Theta platform and expected to be revealed for the first time in production late this year for sale in early 2010. To spread development costs, most of the 9-4X’s design has been shared with the...
Kenneth Hall -
Scion announces tC Release Series 5.0 pricing
The Release Series of limited-edition Scions gets another member this year as the tC Release Series 5.0 (tC RS 5.0) joins the ranks. The car will be unveiled February 11 at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, one year after the debut of its predecessor, the tC RS 4.0. Pricing of the new car checks in at...
Ralph Hanson -
Australian Red Bull Formula 1 driver Mark Webber was still limping from a broken leg suffered just after the end of last season, but teammate Sebastian Vettel was hale and hardy for the launch of the 2009 Red Bull RB5 Formula 1 car today in Jerez, Spain. Powered by the Renault RS27 engine, the car is the work of legendary engineer Adrian Newey, Red Bull's Chief Technical Officer. "It’s a long time since we’ve had such a big rule change so today is so something of a nervous moment, because it provides the opportunity to come up with something different, but there is always the...
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Audi adds S tronic dual-clutch transmission to European A4 and A5
Shifting into a higher gear in Audi A4 and A5 models for European drivers could take as little as 0.2 seconds from this month as the S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission is now available in the base 2.0L TFSI quattro versions of the A4 Sedan and Avant models as well as the A5 Coupe. In Sedan...
Kenneth Hall -
Kia considers production of Soul’ster pickup
Kia rolled out an oddly styled pickup concept based on its new Soul compact car at last month’s Detroit Auto Show as way to drum up excitement for the regular hatch model which is set to go sale in March. The concept, called the Soul’ster, was never intended to be produced but strong...
James Martinez -
McLaren Looking To Increase Production To 4,000 Cars Per Year
Having recently parted company from Mercedes Benz, hired a new design director and started work on a successor to the vaunted F1, the team at McLaren is busy as ever. But that hasn't deterred Ron Dennis, the man who guided Lewis Hamilton to an F1 World Championship win last year, from building up...
Kenneth Hall -
Rare Bugatti Garage Find Sells For $4.4 Million
Bugatti's cars are today one of the most cherished in existence, whether old, like the Type 57S Atalante left by a British physician in his will this week, or new, like the Veyron Sang Noir, which is dedicated to that very classic. The incredible 1937 Bugatti left to the doctor's nieces and nephews...
Kenneth Hall -
Mitsubishi planning hot trio of cars including Evo X FQ400
Factory-upgraded versions of typically sedate sedans and hatchbacks have become de rigeur for most major carmakers. Mitsubishi's have been largely hit-or-miss, but the company's next trio of factory specials promise to be on target. The much-lauded Lancer Evolution X gets FQ400 treatment, pushing...
Nelson Ireson