All Entries in the "Auto News" Category
Supercars of 2009
Supercars of 2009 The Bertone Mantide, the Aston Martin One-77 and the Ferrari 599X X. Three cars because there’s only so many you can fit on a bit of paper without things getting crowded. No such problems on the internet, so we’ve brought you five, that’s five, more supercars that will be hot off the [...]
Chrysler to build four versions of Fiat 500 for U.S. market
Chrysler will build and sell four versions of the tiny Fiat 500 in North America starting in 2011: a hatchback, a convertible, a station wagon and a sporty hatchback. A fifth model–a small, four-wheel-drive SUV–also is possible. They will wear the Fiat brand. No longer-term plans exist for other Fiat-badged models in the U.S., the [...]
Aston Martin gives luxury makeover to Toyota city car
Luxury carmaker Aston Martin has forged an innovative alliance with Toyota to develop what could be the world’s first luxury city car. Aston Martin on Monday released a photo of the Cygnet, which is a Toyota iQ with restyled front sheetmetal. Although officially billed a concept, reports in Britain say that Aston Martin will put [...]
Koenigsegg Is Saab’s White Knight
It’s akin to the neighborhood diner taking over McDonald’s, or your paperboy buying out The New York Times: the news that Koenigsegg — a Swedish builder of $1 million supercars with a sales total of only 18 cars last year — will buy Saab from General Motors seems barely less fantastical. If that wild thought [...]
Subaru Legacy sedan grows bigger, roomier for 2010
A car for every purse and purpose was once a famous mantra of General Motors, and on a much smaller scale, Subaru is adopting that principle with its redesign of the 2010 Legacy. The sedan is bigger, roomier, has an updated engine lineup and looks a bit sharper than its predecessor. And it’s got a [...]
Unrestored ’56 Porsche Carrera lands a spot at Pebble Beach concours
One Porsche at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will be making its second appearance. And it will be easy to find–it’s the one that looks a bit used. The 1956 Porsche 356 1500 GS Carrera coupe made its Pebble debut in 1956 at the road races. That’s where former NASA scientist Roger Craig saw [...]
Franchitti grabs pole for IndyCar race in Richmond
Dario Franchitti won the IndyCar Series pole on points the last time he came to Richmond International Raceway. That’s why he was happy Friday. “It’s nice to earn one,” he said. The bonus point that comes with it brought Franchitti, the 2007 series champion, to within two points of Ryan Briscoe for the lead. He [...]
Ford Fiesta shows fun can come in really small packages
Even without the sparkly green paint we took to calling metallic Kermit, the Ford Fiesta would have turned heads. Its shape jolts a conservative American sensibility, which, for the most part, equates tiny vehicles with cheap, bland and throwaway. Recently, cars such as the Mini Cooper have done much to chip away at that perception, [...]
Ford, Nissan, Tesla get loans from Energy Department for electric cars
An electric Ford Focus, Tesla’s Model S sedan and a five-seat electric Nissan are among the cars that $8 billion in loans from the U.S. Energy Department will help speed to market over the next few years as the government looks to help automakers transition to building more fuel-efficient vehicles. The first round of loans [...]
Saab’s future could be bright
Saab is planning a return to its old-brand values with an extended model range as it prepares for a new, independent future owned by a joint U.S.-Scandinavian investment team. Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg grabbed headlines as the buyer from General Motors, but Koenigsegg is just one of at least three major investors. The others are [...]
Toyota Continues to Push Hybrids, While Nissan Backs EVs; Who Will Win?
Toyota, the world’s leading manufacturer of hybrids by volume, stood whole heartedly behind its hybrid technology advancements. Outgoing president Katsuaki Watanabe mentioned that EVs still need significant work in order to succeed in the foreseeable future market. Their expensive battery prices and limited range are hindrances to their buyer attractiveness, officials say. That said, the [...]
2010 Buick LaCrosse: Four-cylinder, all-wheel drive signal new direction
From its striking design to its pulsating TV spots, the LaCrosse marks a decidedly different direction for Buick. And that’s just on the surface. The change gets even starker under the hood, where for the first time in a decade, the brand will offer a four-cylinder engine, as General Motors works to meet stiffer fuel-mileage [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
A smaller price bump gets 2011 Infiniti M
Mercedes menace: SLR Stirling Moss lives up to the hype
GM announces preliminary agreement to sell Hummer
2010: Maserati GranTurismo: Fun is automatic
Half-naked car dealers with rifle in Bentley