Automotive News (Page 971)

Automotive News

This section of Torque News provides the latest auto news and updates from the car manufacturers. Every day number of news stories and editorials are published here that give our readers an overview of what is happening in the automotive industry. Read this section daily to find out about new cars, vehicle reviews and car pictures. Torque News is an automotive news website by Hareyan Publishing, LLC, dedicated to covering the latest news, reviews and opinions about the car industry.

Research says policies and subisides for plug-ins wrong

By Aaron Turpen on July 27, 2012 - 2:38PM

A new paper from research professors at Carnegie Mellon University, Arizona State University, and an engineer at the RAND Corporation says that subsidies and policies targeting plug-ins with small battery packs would produce more benefits at lower cost. Contrary to current policies and subsidization schemes.

2013 Lexus LS 460 F Sport shown early on Facebook

By Patrick Rall on July 27, 2012 - 2:35PM

The 2013 Lexus LS lineup is expected to be formally unveiled next Monday in San Francisco and around the world via the internet but today, the Lexus Facebook page offered us an early first look at the new 2013 Lexus LS 460 F Sport.

Mazda recalls 217k+ SUVs for unintended acceleration risks

By Patrick Rall on July 27, 2012 - 1:11PM

Mazda Motor Corp has just announced that they will recall over 217,000 Tribute models over a concern that these vehicles may exhibit sudden unintended acceleration – the same mechanical issue that lead Ford Motor Company to recall some 485,000+ Escape SUVs yesterday.

Surprising results in J.D. Power Appeal Study

By John Goreham on July 27, 2012 - 12:53PM

Some well-deserved wins by the established premium brands, but one company is quickly coming up the ranks. Another winner is now killed off by its maker. Can you guess which?

BMW Invests In Coulomb Technologies And Offers Online i8 Price

By Nicolas Zart on July 27, 2012 - 12:22PM

BMW is seriously taking the lead when it comes to the electric drive in Germany with an investment in Coulomb Technologies and the online price for the i8 and i3.

Do new car safety features really help?

By John Goreham on July 27, 2012 - 8:41AM

Mercedes rear seat belt bag makes us wonder if the automakers are past the point of diminishing returns.

GM investing $850M in Canadian R&D

By Aaron Turpen on July 27, 2012 - 5:30AM

General Motors is investing $850 million Canadian into research and development into light-weighting materials, mechatronics, software and communications for global vehicle platforms.

Coda calls on automakers to build range confidence into electric cars

By David Herron on July 26, 2012 - 11:54PM

If range anxiety is the bugaboo of electric cars, Coda Automotive's Aaron Cohen calls on automakers to build electric cars that inspire range confidence instead.

Jaguar C-X75 supercar to pack a 500hp twincharged 4-cylinder

By Patrick Rall on July 26, 2012 - 8:17PM

The Jaguar C-X75 is expected to be one of the highest performance hybrids of all time when it arrives in late 2013 or early 2014 and when it does, the ultra lightweight sports car will derive a large portion of its power from a tiny 1.6L 4-cylinder engine that packs an awesome 500 horsepower.

Say goodbye to the car wash, self-cleaning cars are coming

By Anthony Faccenda on July 26, 2012 - 7:51PM

Car washes may become a thing of the past, because researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have developed a new coating that can make cars impervious to water, dirt and superficial scratches.

DIY Plug-in Hybrid conversion kit for any car

MTSU research team develops DIY plug-in hybrid conversion kit for nearly any car

By David Herron on July 26, 2012 - 7:43PM

An affordable DIY plug-in hybrid conversion kit, developed by a team at Middle Tennessee State Univ, that is installable on nearly any car, could increase the number of electrified vehicles on the road, and could allows anyone to electrify the car of their choosing.

GM reconsidering support of Penn State due to Sandusky sex scandal

By Patrick Rall on July 26, 2012 - 7:32PM

General Motors is reportedly considering their sponsorship program with Penn State University as a result of the Jerry Sandusky child sex scandal that rocked their football program and the school as a whole – while also leading to unprecedented sanctions against the school by the NCAA.

Ford recalls 485,000 Escape SUVs for unintended acceleration concerns

By Patrick Rall on July 26, 2012 - 5:59PM

Ford Motor Company has announced a new recall of select Ford Escape SUVs from the 2001 through 2004 model years over a concern that these vehicles may have sustained damages during previous recall work that could cause the dreaded unintended acceleration.

VW recalling select 2012 Beetle for tire problems

By Patrick Rall on July 26, 2012 - 4:56PM

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall of select 2012 Volkswagen Beetle models that are equipped with summer performance tires over a concern that these tires could lead to an over-loading or under-inflation issue that could increase the chances of an accident.

The driver roster has been set for the 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R ALMS debut

By Patrick Rall on July 26, 2012 - 4:05PM

TorqueNews recently brought you the news that the 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R would make its return to racing at the American LeMans Series event on August 4th at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course and today we have a full look at the four drivers who will help reintroduce the Viper to endurance racing.

The Peugeot 301 hopes to make inroads in new markets. Photo from website.

France going green to cure Peugeot-Citroën malaise

By Don Bain on July 26, 2012 - 3:58PM

Cars built by certain European brands are sitting about on factory lots as production capacity exceeds demand for automobiles built by Peugeot-Citroën, Volvo and Daimler, with all three showing drops in second quarter sales reports for 2012.

Lightning Motorcycles superbike with Barracuda wrap

Lightning Motorcycles to race with the sun during e-Power/TTXGP race at Laguna Seca

By David Herron on July 26, 2012 - 3:45PM

Lightning Motorcycles doubles down on the teams commitment with zero emissions racing with a pair of trailer-mounted solar panel arrays at this weekends e-Power/TTXGP race at Laguna Seca.

Production begins for the 2013 Cadillac ATS

By Patrick Rall on July 26, 2012 - 3:17PM

Today at General Motors’ Lansing Grand River Assembly plant in Michigan, the first 2013 Cadillac ATS intended for public sale rolled off of the assembly line – marking the official beginning of the new sport sedan’s attack on the market segment dominated by the BMW 3 Series.

BOLT takes on the TTXGP and other big players

Virginia Tech Goes TTXGP With Home Built Electric Motorcycle

By Nicolas Zart on July 26, 2012 - 1:52PM

Going up against MotoCzysz, Brammo and Zero Motorcycles on the TTXGP is no small task. A team from the Virginia Tech College of Engineering will bring their home-built electric converted motorcycle to the North American TTXGP eGrandPrIx competition.

It's official: the Chevrolet Camaro is coming to NASCAR for 2013

By Patrick Rall on July 26, 2012 - 1:07PM

Ford and Dodge have been running their respective muscle cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for over a year now but General Motors just announced that when the 2013 NASCAR season kicks off next February in Daytona – the NASCAR Mustang and Challenger will be joined by the Chevrolet Camaro.

Electric motorcycle racing leads the way for EVs

Brammo Brings In Eric Bostrom In Time For The Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Race

By Nicolas Zart on July 26, 2012 - 12:52PM

Electric motorcycles have taken the world by storm and nowhere has it been more felt than in the electric motorcycle race world. Now seasoned motorcycle racing veteran, Eric Bostrom joins the Brammo racing team.

2012 Toyota Tundra decked out for offroad racing. Photo © 2012 by Don Bain

Toyota tops General Motors in global auto sales once again

By Don Bain on July 26, 2012 - 12:51PM

Both Toyota and General Motors released their first half sales totals for 2012 yesterday, revealing Toyota has sold 300,000 more cars than GM so far this year, marking a dramatic turnaround for the Asian brand.

New rear wheel drive Cadillac super sedan coming in 2015

By Patrick Rall on July 26, 2012 - 12:07PM

The Cadillac XTS has stormed onto the full size luxury car scene, doing a fine job of replacing both the STS and the DTS in terms of luxury and spaciousness but reports indicate that GM’s luxury line is planning a new full size, rear wheel drive flagship sedan that will take aim at the BMW 7 Series.

Could a better oil pump really mean better fuel economy?

By Aaron Turpen on July 26, 2012 - 4:16AM

A joint project between both British and American industry and university participants is showing that improved oil pumps could mean better fuel efficiency in combustion engines.

REMA SAE DC Fast Charging plug and socket

SAE DC Fast Charging becoming real with REMA announcing UL listed plug and socket

By David Herron on July 26, 2012 - 1:11AM

Fast charging for electric cars should be a huge boost to electric car adoption, if there is widespread deployment of fast charging stations, and an announcement that REMA will begin manufacturing SAE DC Fast Charging plugs and sockets takes us a step closer to that day.

ITM Power / Carbon Trust cost assessment

ITM Power getting close to affordable fuel cells for automotive

By Aaron Turpen on July 25, 2012 - 5:23PM

A cost analysis finds that the latest fuel cell membranes from ITM Power can reduce automotive fuel cell costs to $35 per kilowatt, a huge step towards the $30 goal the Department of Energy has given.

The 2012 Audi A8 flagship. Photo cortesy of Audi USA.

2012 Audi A8 and A6 found Most Appealing by J.D. Powers

By Don Bain on July 25, 2012 - 3:34PM

The 2012 J.D. Power and Associates APEAL study, released just today, named the Audi A8 the most appealing large premium car as well as the overall best performing model considered.

Near perfect Audi R8 gets even better

By John Goreham on July 25, 2012 - 3:16PM

The main issue is now fixed and the car improves in many small ways.

Luxury with a hybrid beart at an affordable price, the Lincoln MKZ

Ford Blows Off Competition With Well Priced Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

By Nicolas Zart on July 25, 2012 - 3:07PM

Ford deals another curved ball at the competition, nixing the premium fee on its luxury sedan MKZ hybrid. This is a direct blow to its closest competitors, the Lexus ES 350.

Carroll Shelby's children and estranged wife come to terms on his remains

By Patrick Rall on July 25, 2012 - 2:43PM

We reported over a month ago that the children of Carroll Shelby were locked in a legal battle with the legend’s estranged wife Cleo Shelby over what to do with Mr. Shelby’s remains and it seems that he will finally be laid to rest as the two groups have come to terms on how to handle his remains.

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