Automotive News (Page 1162)

Saturday may be the busiest day of the week for car dealerships, but at least one manufacturer, Audi, thinks Sunday is the best day to gets its message in front of Americans.

Upgrading Weissach, Germany research and development center will better position Porsche to meet future requirements on vehicle development, which is increasingly focusing on energy efficiency.

In the United States, the Nissan Leaf has been edged out for major awards by the Chevrolet Volt from publications like Automobile Magazine and Motor Trend, even though the Leaf is a pure-electric car while the Volt is a next-generation hybrid.

The Financial Times of London reports U.S. automakers are trying to make greater profits by demanding price concessions from major suppliers.

Apparently newspapers sales are stronger in other countries because a Singapore newspaper is giving a Volkswagen Tiguan to encourage one lucky subscriber to renew or purchase a new subscription. In the United States, it’s amazing if your newspaper gives you a free pizza for renewing your subscription and they need our business.

The BMW Mini Countryman has earned 5 stars in the latest European crash test results. It was awarded for its array of standard safety equipment as well as its pedestrian protection measures – a standard not typically evoked in the United States. The 5 stars, the most available, should indicate the Mini Countryman will seem similar scores from the National Highway Safety and Transportation Administration (NHSTA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Maybe it's because he only has about seven weeks on the job, but Matthias Müller, the new CEO of Porsche, was candid about future product plans for the German automaker, including a diesel engine for the Porsche Panamera, a new product name, and a timeline for the hybrid Porsche 918. Müller also explained China's importance to Porsche.

The Ride Tech Velocity 1968 Camaro is being auctioned off at Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Jan. 22, 2011 (lot #1278 if you're wondering). This Camaro with an exterior that is Hot Hues Velocity Orange, that was specifically mixed for this car, and a black interior, is a beautiful example of modern technology meets classic styling. It's just packed full of goodies.

When Lamborghini unveiled the new Sesto Elemento at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, many thought that we were looking at the new halo performance car from the Italian supercar maker. The Sesto Elemento is comprised almost entirely from lightweight carbon-based composites, making for a curb weight of just 2,200lbs and with the 570hp drivetrain borrowed from the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, this new super-Lambo should be able to rip from 0-60 in roughly 2.5 seconds and reach top speeds in excess of 220mph.

General Motors has announced a voluntary recall of 192,676 small pickups including the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Isuzu i280 and Isuzu i380 over a concern about improper positioning of the middle-seat child safety tether. This GM recall pertains to 2004-2011 Colorado and Canyon models, along with 2007-2008 Isuzu trucks, in the regular or extended cab layout with a 60/40 split bench seat.

Chevrolet and the federal Environmental Protection Agency have come together to create a new fuel economy label to show consumers the miles-per-gallon equivalent of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The new sticker also shows you how the Volt compares under different charging scenarios.

According to the folks at CorvetteBlogger, Corvette’s Product Marketing Manager Harlan Charles revealed that the 2011 Corvette Z06 will carry a starting price of $90,960 and if you select all of the available options, the price of the limited edition Z06 jumps to $99,925. This is a fair chunk of change, but many expect that this could be the best handling factory-built Corvette ever.

Things are looking up at GM's Flint Engine Operations where the automaker announced plans to invest $138.3 million and protect 135 jobs. It's part of $163.2 million being invested to support small engines production for the Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Cruze and a new small Chevrolet being built in the U.S.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reporting the Volvo is recalling a limited number of 2010 XC60 sport utility vehicles due to a concern over faulty airbags. In these select few vehicles, the side curtain airbags may have been incorrectly assembled, possibly causing these side-mounted airbags to not open, or open incorrectly in the event of an accident.

Mazda has announced its compact minivan 2012 Mazda5 has a starting MSRP of $19,900, including delivery, for its base Sport trim. Pricing goes from there up to $24,670 for its top-of-the-line-model. This second-generation Mazda5 goes on sale in January at dealers across the U.S. It is currently on sale in Europe.

Fiat just announced the first 130 Chrysler dealers that will sell the Fiat 500 subcompact car in the United States. Of the many dealerships that were excluded, some did not want the franchise, because of the large investment Fiat wants them to make for the right to sell the new car.

Ahead of its expected Detroit Auto Show introduction, Chrysler has launched a teaser website for the all-new 2011 Chrysler 300. Set to "Cirque du Soleil" style music in the background, the website shows you various interior and exterior images of the Chrysler 300 – just enough to whet your appetite.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation around unintended acceleration claims on a variety of Honda hybrids from the mid-2000s. This investigation currently only pertains to the Honda Accord and Civic hybrids and this decision comes based on a fatal accident in July of 2005. This is only a preliminary investigation and for the time being, the NHTSA will only examine the individual reports rather than the automaker as a whole.

New light vehicle sales in the U.S. are expected to hit 12.23 million for 2010 based on sales projections for November. All manufacturers except Toyota are seeing significant increases compared to last November. Hyundai, including Kia, is up 45 percent while Toyota saw sales drop 1.7 percent compared to November 2009.

The 2011 Fiat 500 has become a fairly regular presence around the Detroit area, having been shown off at a variety of auto shows over the past year but at the 2010 LA Auto Show, the Italian automaker official made its grand debut back into the American automotive industry. Company CEO Laura Soave was delivered to the stage in a 1968 Fiat 500 before addressing the huge crowd and towards the end of her speech, a trio of 2011 Fiat 500s rolled onto the stage.

Earlier this year, electric sedan manufacturer Coda announced that they would be introducing their new EV to the US market in late 2010 – a surprise considering that this was the same timeframe for the US debut of the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt.

Bank of America has gotten into the car selling business as it announces the opening of a car buying website. The bank says customers will now be able to take advantage of Bank of America's car buying power as a leading auto financier and benefit from the low price guarantee on new cars purchased through the site. This new online research and purchase tool is powered by Zag, a division of TrueCar Inc. and a leading provider of private-label online and mobile car buying programs.

Multiple sources are reporting this morning that Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has invested $500 million in General Motors stock and according to a statement made by Alwaleed’s investment firm Kingdom Holding, this amounts to roughly a 1% stake in the company. Kingdom Holding did not reveal how they came to the claim of 1% nor did they say how many shares were purchased.

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is set to hit showrooms in the next month and at the 2010 LA Auto Show, there were plenty of Volt-related displays to bring attention to the unique extended-range electric vehicle but the main attraction wearing the Chevy Bowtie was the new Camaro Convertible. Chevrolet also brought out a full complement of their new models, including a spread of new Cruze models, balancing the high performance of the Camaro and Corvette with the “greenness” of the Volt and Cruze.

Car and Driver magazine has released its list of the Top 10 Cars for 2010. Three American, three German, one Korean, and three Japanese brands have won the magazine’s highest honor, which is a diverse group. Is it a perfect list? No, but it does have some awfully strong choices on there.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge James Selna ruled that he would not dismiss the lawsuits filed against Toyota for the unintended acceleration recalls over the past year. Even though Toyota vehicles continue to cost people their lives, the Japanese automaker insists that it hasn’t done anything wrong and that these recent suits shouldn’t be permitted since the owners did not suffer any economic loss.

MotorTrend.com is reporting that three GM sources have confirmed that the Pontiac G8, a rear-wheel drive sports sedan that packed a V8 engine under its hood, is being resurrected as a Chevrolet in the United States from the Holden Commodore, the Australian GM subsidiary. The new Chevy lacks a name, according to Motor Trend.

The Environmental Protection Agency has rolled out their mileage ratings for the 2011 Nissan Leaf has received an impressive 99 miles per gallon – from a drivetrain that does use “gallons” of anything. This includes 106mpg around town and 92mpg on the highway.

Yesterday brought us the final races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series, with Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski taking the top spots in their respective series. This is Keselowski’s first championship in the Nationwide Series and for Jimmie Johnson, this year’s championship is unprecedented his fifth straight title.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has issued its Top 10 List of Least Fuel Efficient Cars. Judging by the names on the list, though, fuel economy is the least of your worries when you can afford the least-fuel efficient car sold in the United States: the Murcielago Roadster, which gets a measly combined 13.6 miles per gallon – followed closely by its sibling the Murcielago Reventon Roadster at 13.7 mpg. Both are made by Lamborghini, which is owned by Volkswagen.