Archive for June, 2009
GM to reduce support for Cup teams
General Motors is set to cut back financial support for its main teams competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup after filing for bankruptcy protection earlier this month. Less than a week since cuts were announced for its Nationwide and Truck Series teams, the automaker has now taken a similar step with the outfits it supports [...]
FIA to sue FOTA
Motorsport’s governing body to start legal proceedings “without delay” The FIA is to launch legal proceedings against the Formula One Teams’ Association after the latter announced plans for a breakaway series. After talks to reach a compromise on the FIA’s planned budget cap for 2010 came to nought, FOTA’s eight member teams – Ferrari, McLaren, [...]
Hamilton stays positive
Hamilton stays positive amid challenges both on and off the track The reigning world champion is hoping the sport’s ongoing civil war between the FIA and the Formula One Teams’ Association does not leave him potentially on the sidelines in 2010. Meanwhile, he will continue to do his best in a McLaren car which is [...]
Vettel takes British GP pole
Red Bull Racing driver continues to dominate at Silverstone Sebastian Vettel claimed pole position for Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Vettel, who had the measure of his rivals for two of the weekend’s three practice sessions, put his revised RB5 to good use on Saturday afternoon, taking pole position with a 1:19.509. That put [...]
2011 Chevrolet Cruze
What is it? The Chevrolet Cruze made its North American debut at the Detroit auto show. This new compact sedan will be powered by either a 1.4L four-cylinder turbocharged engine with E85 capability or a 1.8L four-cylinder. GM expects the turbo engine to deliver better fuel economy than their current fuel leader, the Cobalt XFE, [...]
2010 Buick LaCrosse
What is it? The redesigned LaCrosse is a mid-sized four-door sedan, with either front or all-wheel drive. It will be the smaller of Buick’s two sedans (the other is the Lucerne) and the redesign part of a wave of GM products. The LaCrosse comes in three trim lines, CX, CXL, and CXS. The lower two [...]
2010 BMW Z4
What is it? BMW unveiled the new Z4 roadster at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The redesigned two-seater will be offered with three engines worldwide, and the U.S. market will get a choice of two 3.0-liter six-cylinder engines. The sDrive30i produces 255 hp while the twin-turbocharged sDrive35i puts out 300 hp. Both [...]
Howard Hughes’s Lincoln sells for $1 million at Tulsa auction
A 1936 Lincoln Boat Tail Speedster–customized to the personal tastes of Howard Hughes–sold for $1 million at the Leake Car Show & Auction on June 13 in Tulsa, Okla. The head-turning blue and polished aluminum classic was the headliner at a sale that raked in $12.2 million and attracted more than 10,000 people to the [...]
Chrysler cancels Cummins diesel for the light-duty Dodge Ram
Chrysler will cancel its contract with Cummins Inc. for the light-duty diesel engine planned for the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup. Chrysler disclosed the termination as part of a group of supplier rejections filed Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The engine was originally scheduled for delivery in the 2010 model year. Cummins had not expected the [...]
Energy prices drop with gas supplies healthy
By CHRIS KAHN NEW YORK Gasoline markets showed the first signs this week that an extended rally in pump prices is nearing an end after 52 straight days of price increases. Gasoline futures started falling midweek after a government report showed that gas production and imports jumped during an extended rally in retail gas prices. [...]
Saab owner lays out plans
One of the key men behind Koenigsegg’s imminent takeover of Saab has said he wants to refine the “soul and spirit” of the ailing Swedish manufacturer. Designer Baard Eker owns a 49 per cent stake in Koenigsegg and he has been key in persuading investors in his native Norway, as well as the US, to [...]
New 2010 Ford Taurus SHO lives again
When the Ford Taurus SHO was launched in 1989, the car was all about the engine. Ford engineers dropped a 220-hp V6 developed and built by Yamaha into a four-door Taurus and the Super High Output legend was born. For 10 years and 100,000 cars, the SHO surprised many people in stoplight-to-stoplight runs with only [...]
The New Infiniti G37 prices announced
The new Infiniti G37 range will cost from £30,300 when it goes on sale in the UK from September. Three bodystyles will be offered – saloon, coupe and convertible – with a choice of four-wheel or rear-wheel drive. There is one engine option, a 315bhp 3.7-litre V6, which is mated to either a six-speed manual [...]
Renault strengthens China links
Renault is set to strengthen its links with China, despite the sale of several of its cars being banned there following claimed safety and technical problems. The French firm has signed a non-binding letter of intent with Chinese manufacturer Great Wall to carry out a feasibility study on building cars together to be sold in [...]
The New Vauxhall Astra interior revealed
These are the first offical pictures of the interior of the new Vauxhall Astra. The new Vauxhall Astra is scheduled to go on sale in December, after being shown in the metal for the first time at September’s Frankfurt motor show. Vauxhall says the interior ‘marks a major shift towards premium design and quality’. Taking [...]
GM agrees to sell Saab to supercar company Koenigsegg
General Motors confirmed Tuesday morning that it has a tentative agreement to sell Saab to a group led by Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg Automotive. The deal would close by the end of the third quarter and put Saab in the hands of an upstart, boutique car company known for producing eye-catching cars with gaudy horsepower [...]
Audi adds A5 Sportback in Europe but stiffs U.S. customers
Audi is expanding the A5 lineup in Europe with a Sportback version–we’re talking a four-door with a coupelike roofline. It will join the coupe and convertible A5s now on sale. The bad news? It’s not coming to the United States. European buyers get a choice of two gasoline and three diesel engines. But our friends [...]
2009 Nissan Nismo 370Z starts at less than $40,000
The latest iteration of Nissan’s factory-tuned Z car comes in at just less than $40,000 as it goes on sale Wednesday in the United States. The 2009 Nismo 370Z starts at $39,850, including a $720 destination charge. The car offers enthusiasts more power, a sport-tuned suspension and aero improvements over the coupe. The Nismo 370Z [...]
A new batch of Ford Mustang Cobra Jets is on the way to racers
The 40th Anniversary 2008 Mustang Cobra Jet, announced about a year ago, has been such a huge success for Ford Racing that the company will build a 2010 model, available later this year. Like the ’08 CJ, just 50 examples of the turnkey race car will be built, the minimum number to homologate the car [...]
Mercedes striving for even greater safety
At Mercedes, safety research has always been high on the agenda. A total of 31 ESF prototypes have been built at Daimler for this purpose, all based on series production models. Most of these were then destroyed in crash tests, though some survived to go on public display. The most up-to-date of all, the ESF [...]
The New Infiniti G37 prices announced
Mazda BT-50 pickup, which led to Sydney motor show
The Pontiac G8 may get a new life as the Chevrolet Caprice
Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic Concept
2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet