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At this week’s Washington Auto Show, Mercedes Benz plans to showcase its compact B-Class hatch with a powertrain designed to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). The carmaker already sells a dual-fuel version of the B-Class in Europe that runs on either petrol or CNG or a combination of the...

BMW will soon be offering a new eight-speed automatic transmission developed by ZF that is set to appear first in the 7-series flagship saloon. The new transmission is said to be both more fuel-efficient and cheaper to manufacture than the current six-speed unit, and its performance is also claimed...

Telematics services are expanding even as the global car market contracts, with Toyota/Lexus the latest to join the arena with its recently-announced Enform system. Now General Motors' OnStar system is looking to expand by partering with other carmakers, according to the latest reports. Talks...

In January we brought you news of Toyota's predicted surpassing of Chrysler in North American output in 2009, and nearly two years ago we reported on the Detroit 3 slipping below 50% market share in the U.S. Now the trend continues, with the Detroit 3's North American car output slipping below 60%...

BMW’s M division has tallied a record year of sales, topping 24,000 units between January and December 2008. Strong sales of the M3 and its new Cabrio and Sedan variants are the driving force behind the record feat, accounting for over 18,000 of the M-cars sold. In August of last year, BMW...

Volkswagen, looking to improve the efficiency of its fleets, has released today details about a number of new and upcoming technologies that it has grouped under its BlueMotion environmental tag. These technologies include engine start-stop systems, regenerative braking, electric propulsion, hybrid...

Hyundai will debut its 2010 Genesis Coupe in the U.S. during Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, February 1, using a short television commercial designed to highlight the performance potential of the 310hp car and help build hype for it. Just a day out from the big game, Hyundai has released one of the...

The somewhat odd tie-up between laptops and supercars has taken another step forward with Acer's latest Ferrari edition laptop, the 1200. This time around the package is a 12.1in ultraportable with impressive specs for such a small computer. Released in the UK, the 1200 features a 12.1in...

Porsche, coming off record sales and profits last financial year, has announced that for the first six months of the current year of business the company has experienced a 27.3% decrease in sales to approximately 34,000 units. Citing the downturn in the global economy as the key factor behind the...

Three famous Italian automotive firms have joined forces to bring a new “Cyber Tire” to the market. While tire pressure monitoring systems have become commonplace on all but the most entry-level cars, these companies are working on a self-powered microchip-based system that reports...

Advanced multimedia systems are becoming increasingly central to daily life with modern cars. Especially at the luxury end of the segment, where BMW's iDrive, Mercedes-Benz's COMAND, Lexus's new haptic system with Enform and Audi's MMI all compete for top honors. The latest iteration of Audi's MMI...

Testing last month at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico confirmed that a prototype weapons system consisting of a laser mounted on the back of an Avenger ground combat vehicle is capable of shooting down UAVs. The first-ever successful demonstration of such a mobile laser weapon, which is...

Despite being the only Detroit 3 carmaker to decline the federal government’s bailout offer, Ford has revealed that it is still doing it tough by reporting a substantial $5.9 billion loss for the fourth quarter of 2008. This figure roughly equates to just under $500 million lost each week or...

Ford’s upcoming Focus RS sports hatch was first revealed in concept form at the London Motor Show back in July, and then again at the Paris Motor Show, but development work is coming to an end and sales are expected to start soon. Full details about the car have now come been released by Ford...

Tax credits designed to give buyers incentives to buy more efficient cars are anything but new - the Toyota Prius has benefited from similar schemes for several years. Now Ford's Fusion Hybrid, as well as the Mercury Milan Hybrid, qualify for the maximum tax credit as well, giving buyers a $3,400...

America's most powerful native supercar, the Corvette ZR1, has reigned for just a few months, and already the tuners are having at it, cranking up power to even more absurd levels. Hennessey's latest creation, dubbed the ZR700 for its 755hp (526kW) output, is a prime example. Blowing through the...

The tough times facing the car industry are not new, but the extended duration is beginning to take its toll on even the most luxurious carmakers. Having already announced that it would be cutting its 1,850-member workforce by up to 600 jobs, Aston Martin has now revealed that it will put its...

The burgeoning electric car field was just hitting its stride when the bottom fell out of the market last year, and the tough position that has left carmakers like Tesla in has forced some changes to be made. But that's not stopping the company from moving ahead with its product development plans...

After first previewing its modified Mark VI Golf at last year’s Essen Motor Show, Germany's equivalent to SEMA, Volkswagen tuning specialist ABT Sportsline has unveiled the final production specifications for its range of enhancements for the popular hatch. A mild package by ABT's standards...

General Motors yesterday announced it would be laying off 2,000 workers and reducing production at 10 North American plants over the coming months. At the same time, AM General, producer of the Hummer H2, laid off 200 workers from its Mishawaka, Indiana plant. Now GM's extended production halts...