Archive for June, 2009
2012 Chevrolet Spark
What is it? First shown at the 2007 New York auto show, the Chevrolet Beat was part of a trio of ultra-compact hatchbacks with dramatic styling. General Motors hosted a survey Web site to gauge public reaction, and it reaffirmed support for the model it favored to usher into production. At this years Detroit show, [...]
2010 Chevrolet Equinox
What is it? The all-new Chevrolet Equinox makes its world debut at the Detroit auto show with a new 2.4L direct injection engine estimated at 182 hp. A 3.0L direct-injection V6 engine will also be available with about 255 hp. As with the previous model, all-wheel-drive will be available. The 2010 Equinox will ride on [...]
Lexus reclaims top spot in J.D. Power quality study
Lexus reclaimed the top spot in J.D. Power and Associates’ annual benchmark study of vehicle quality, while U.S. luxury rival Cadillac continued its rebound and Lincoln plunged. Toyota’s luxury brand overtook Porsche, which slipped to second after holding the title for three years. Cadillac ranked No. 3 in the market research firm’s Initial Quality Study, [...]
Drop in diesel fuel prices brings sharp rise in U.S. sales
The dramatic decline in diesel fuel prices is driving up U.S. sales of diesel-powered vehicles from European carmakers. Volkswagen dealers across the country say they can’t get enough of the Jetta TDI sedan or station wagon. “Things have changed, and diesel Jettas are moving. I want more,” says Casey Gunther, owner of two VW stores [...]
Bentley Arnage Car Review
The Arnage is the real, two-ton-plus wood-and-deep-carpet face of Bentley. It’s the car Volkswagen inherited when they took over the company, and although it’s been much modified since, it’s still recognisably from the Great British old school of stiff upper lips and family castles. On The Outside Although the Arnage has been modernised over recent [...]
Veyron Grand Sport
More official pictures of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sports open-top supercar have been released, to coincide with the start of production at the company’s Molsheim factory in France. The pictures were taken in locations including Napa Valley, Rome and Sardinia during the past 12 months. The Grand Sport weighs just 53kg more than its coupe [...]
The All New Corvette ZR1 2010 Unveiled
A 2010 version of the Corvette ZR1 has been announced in the US by Chevrolet. The main addition over the previous model is a performance traction management system, which “optimizes traction for greater and more consistent on-track performance” according to GM. The system modulates engine torque 100 times per second and automatically manages acceleration dynamics [...]
Lotus Evora Car Review
Meet the first new Lotus in a generation. The Evora takes its place as the practical, 2+2, everyday Lotus and is arguably the company’s most ambitious new model since the Esprit of the 1970s. Priced from almost fifty grand, the Evora must do battle with the seminal Porsche Cayman and be much more than just [...]
F1: Red Bull Vettel Ends Brawn Dominance at Silverstone
The young German and his team Red Bull Renault dominated proceedings at this weekend’s British Grand Prix with a one-two victory. Not only did Vettel lead the final race at Silverstone from start to finish, he also secured the fastest lap. Team mate Mark Webber and Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello may have joined Vettel [...]
All-New Grand Bentley Arnage Replacement Teased
For those of you still mourning the loss of that most British of gentleman’s rides, the Bentley Arnage, chin up old boy, the new Grand Bentley (hopefully that’s just a codename) will be crunching up a gravel driveway near you next year. It’s nothing but a shadowy, artily-lit nose at the moment but just from [...]
BMW X1
Here’s the first official teaser video for the new BMW X1. Originally unveiled as a concept at the Paris Motor Show last year, it’ll be unveiled as a production reality at the Frankfurt Show in September and reach British showrooms in October. Judging by this thinly disguised video, it doesn’t seem to have changed massively [...]
BMW M3 Coupé Edition
When pictures of the new BMW M3 Coupé Edition landed on our desks this morning, we got ridiculously excited. Was this the return of the lean, mean and vaunted M3 CSL? Err, sadly not. Don’t get us wrong, the new M3 Coupé Edition is still one hugely desirable Beemer. It’s just that the majority of [...]
Edwards, Busch finish first and second in Nationwide race in Milwaukee
Not even a hurried cross-country flight from Sonoma, Calif., to Milwaukee could keep Sprint Cup stars Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch from finishing 1-2 in Saturday night’s Northern Tools Nationwide Series 250 at the Milwaukee Mile. Edwards and Busch didn’t arrive in time to qualify, so they started at the rear of the field. No [...]
Sebastian Vettel dominates British Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel scored his second win of the season and the third of his career with a crushing display for Red Bull Racing at the British Grand Prix. With World Championship leader Jenson Button finishing only sixth, the German ensured that the battle for the title might not be as clear cut as it appeared [...]
Wet track conditions cancel IndyCar qualifying, Castroneves on pole
Sunday’s IndyCar Series race at Iowa Speedway will start with the cars lined up based on entrant points–but not because Saturday’s qualifying session was rained out. No, water of a different kind was the problem. In this case, a high-water table from storms earlier in the week caused seepage that could not be corrected in [...]
Dario Franchitti scores second IndyCar Series win of the year in Iowa
Dario Franchitti extended the dominance of the Indy Racing League’s “Big Three” teams with a win Sunday in the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway, but his day was not easy. Competition at the top of the field was the best the IndyCar Series has seen this season, even though Franchitti beat second-place finisher [...]
Quick tips and advice to wash your car like a pro
If you’re an avid “do-it-yourselfer” and would like to invest a couple of hours in your vehicle’s appearance, these tips will help you achieve professional results. “The more often you clean your car, the easier it is and the less time it takes,” Mike Pennington, director of training for Meguiar’s, a leading producer of car [...]
Get the Most Out of Your Next Test Drive
There’s much more to test driving a new vehicle than just taking a few spins around the block. Knowing exactly what to look for can help you choose and find the new car that’s exactly right for you. After months of hemming and hawing, you have finally decided to take action. You know the new [...]
Button says gap to Red Bull not that big
Jenson Button is convinced that Red Bull’s advantage over his own Brawn team in this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, is not as big as it looked in qualifying. The runaway world championship leader, who has won six out of the seven races so far this year, revealed that he has been struggling to [...]
BMW abandons KERS for good
BMW Sauber has abandoned its Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) for good, because it thinks it can improve its car performance more without the hybrid technology. Although the Hinwil-based outfit was alone in vetoing a bid last year to abandon KERS in Formula 1 because it felt the technology was vital for the sport, it [...]
First drive: 2011 Lincoln MKX
2009 Ford Edge Sport: A bit of kit, lots of convenience
Moal Coachbuilders debuts Ferrari powered Gatto
2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
The All New 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe R-Spec