Volkswagen of America president Stefan Jacoby has confirmed to High Gear Media that the new sedan to be built in Tennessee will effectively replace the VW Passat in North America--and that the former Phaeton sedan will return to the U.S. market. Speaking to journalists gathered to drive the new VW Golf, Jacoby admitted that today's Passat is too...
Read More »
If there's one prominent trend we're noticing already with 2011 model-year changes—even for models that don't change significantly in other ways—it's that automakers are making a real effort to boost fuel-efficiency in incremental ways. With the help of new low-rolling-resistance tires, Toyota has increased highway fuel economy for the...
Read More »
If your Wednesday is shaping up to be anything like ours, you probably need a break. Ordinarily, we'd invite you to join us for margaritas and inter-office shuffleboard, but the bigwigs have padlocked the tequila vault, so you'll have to be content with video. Fortunately, we've found some very good video for you -- part of an updated ad campaign...
Read More »
Even cash-strapped buyers of the new Dodge Ram won't be heard muttering, "I coulda hada V-8." The Dodge boys are slammin' hoods and makin' deals; March is "Dodge truck month" and you can order a variable-valve timed, happily burbling HEMI for no extra cost in the Dodge Ram 1500. The free HEMI is a cherry on top of the awkwardly named Employee...
Read More »
The past couple of years haven't been kind to automakers. Like ballast on a sinking ship, many brands were thrown overboard as car companies scrambled to stay afloat. One major automaker managed to dodge that kind of unpleasantness, but now a major auto analyst thinks it's high time for a purge. Chrysler was the only one of the Detroit Three to...
Read More »
This week's informative GM Fastlane chat session with General Motors VP of Chevrolet Brand Brent Dewar tells us the Camaro Z28 isn't guaranteed for production--contrary to earlier reports--and the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible was shown off to dealers this week, and "will come out soon." The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has been a hot seller for GM...
Read More »
Maranello – The first part of the Ferrari World Design Contest selection process has been concluded. The Contest has been launched by the manufacturer from Maranello in collaboration with Autodesk...
Read More »
Valencia, 25 June – Jules Bianchi’s Saturday race in Valencia ended at the first corner as he tackled the fourth round of the GP2 Series.
Read More »
Maranello – In torrential rain, the Ferrari 458 GT Italia driven by Andrea Montermini and Emanuele Moncini took the first win of the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps...
Read More »
Stuttgart – The Paul Pietsch Classic, a classic car event covering over 400 km through the Black Forest and the Rhein valley in southern Germany, came to a close in Stuttgart on Sunday the 19th of June.
Read More »
While much of the auto world's attention has been focused on Geely's attempt to buy Volvo from Ford and what that might mean for the popular Swedish marque, there's another side to the story that's gotten far less coverage: the possibility that Volvo dealerships will begin selling Geely vehicles. Like BAIC, Sichuan Tengzhong, and other Chinese...
Read More »
About three years ago, the Volkswagen Group set a goal of catching up with the world's #1 automaker, Toyota. And to its credit, VW leapfrogged past Toyota last year to become the world's largest automaker -- at least in terms of production volume. Now Volkswagen has reaffirmed its commitment to the goal of besting Toyota in productivity, sales...
Read More »
Toyota will be recalling about 94,000 model-year-2011 Sienna minivans, all produced before early November of this year, for a potential issue with a stop-lamp switch bracket. According to Toyota, the bracket is close to the parking-brake pedal and could be nudged or deformed by the driver's foot due to normal parking-brake application, leading to...
Read More »
Nissan Motor Co.'s CEO and talented visionary, Carlos Ghosn, weighed in at the Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: "for the next couple of years, you're going to have practically all car manufacturers in a defensive mode, which means reducing their inventory, reducing their investments." Speaking to reporters at the economic...
Read More »
We've always thought of the Honda Element as one of the best vehicles for dog owners. Thanks to its tall cabin, easy-clean cargo floor, and versatile seating arrangement, it's long been a favorite among active folks with dogs. For 2010, Honda finally took advantage of the Element's usefulness—or pawtential, we've said—by introducing a new Dog...
Read More »
It's official--Chrysler has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Now the long task of sorting out the good from the bad at the storied automaker, with the added task of joining hand in hand with Italy's Fiat Group to build a new Chrysler with a new range of small cars. You might have questions about shopping for a new Chrysler today, and...
Read More »