Remember, it’s not a computer monitor. BMW’s hi-po M3, the CRT, gets an introductory video showcasing its array of carbon fiber and suspension enhancements. If the regular M3 is too boring, the CRT (which stands for Carbon Racing Technology) should liven things up: it gets a carbon fiber hood that’s a quarter of the regular...
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Volvo’s corporate overlords Geely will open a second plant in China, citing that Chinese production is a key factor in the Swedish company’s growth. The current Chinese plant is located in Daqing, an oil-rich region in northeast China that provided Geely with a majority of the $2.7 billion needed to buy Volvo from Ford. Now,...
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Hard to believe that it’s been eight long years since the Bugatti Veyron was introduced. And it’s hard to believe that the Veyron, a car for which Bugatti seems content to churn out limited editions until the heat-death of the universe, is actually nearing the end of its life. Well, sort of. Only the original hardtop...
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It’s last call for the ur-Tesla. The electric car company will stop taking orders for the Roadster in about two months. Production for the Roadster is ending soon, after 1,650 examples sold. The Roadster was always a proof-of-concept for Tesla’s existence, and now that they’ve moved on to bigger and better things, it’s time to...
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America’s ongoing insatiable desire for the Toyota Prius is about to be sated: the Japanese factory is sending 36,000 examples our way, just in time for summer. Global availability of the Prius is still low. Currently, the Prius is at a 4-day supply in America and many dealers don’t have a single example on their...
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We should be thankful that millionaire Michael Stroschek hasn’t sealed away his priceless Lancia Stratos recreation; instead, he races it regularly, as seen here in this video. In a rousing example of bringing public art to the masses, Stroschek races his Stratos at 2011’s Sachsen Rallye with co-driver Dieter Hawranke, in front of a camera-toting crowd on...
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Ever driven on two wheels? Nissan, apparently having just watched that one scene from Diamonds Are Forever, is planning to set some goofy records at the hallowed grounds of Goodwood—including driving up the entire course while balanced on two wheels. Hey, if you can’t beat them, distract them. Nissan plans to drive a Juke up...
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The long-anticipated replacement for the Aveo, the Chevrolet Sonic, is set to drop in August. But a strike at the Sonic’s plant could delay this—thanks to a pay discrepancy among assembly workers. The Sonic is being built by workers at the Orion assembly plant in Michigan, under the supervision of supplier LINC Logistics Co. Workers here...
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CEO Carlos Ghosn has set a lofty goal for Nissan: capture 10% of the total American car market in the next 4 years. Right now in the first five months, Nissan and Infiniti have sold 8.2% of all cars in America, or about 433,032 vehicles. Nissan aims to sell over 1 million vehicles in the...
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Turns out that Jackass star Ryan Dunn, who recently died in a car accident, was drunk at twice the legal limit for alcohol when he crashed. The toxicology report confirmed Twitter’s worst suspicions: police say that Drunn’s blood alcohol content was at 0.196, or twice of Pennsylvania’s 0.08 limit. No other drugs were found in...
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Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima is no stranger to Pikes Peak: he’s won the International Hill Climb five times, and currently holds the record for the fastest time up the mountain. This year, he’s aiming to win again, and who is his greatest opponent? Himself. The current best time up the 12.42-mile course is 10:01.408, set by...
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Volkswagen has said that it wants the new Beetle to appeal to a more masculine demographic. So what do they do to achieve that? Show it off in a Britney Spears video. The latest video, “I Wanna Go,” shows a bright red Volkswagen Beetle being assaulted by Spears’ bodacious hips—in some elaborate, Terminator-inspired setpiece with...
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Some people are willing to get really passionate about fonts. So with news that Ford is using bold fonts for their next Edge and Explorer, expect a snooty design blog to conduct a thorough editorial analysis on increased font weights. Ford is starting with the Edge and Explorer, to increase legibility on interior functions. This...
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One of the newest safety features in the 2012 Ford Explorer are its rear seatbelts, which inflate during an accident. Now, spurred by the Explorer’s success and advanced safety ratings, Ford is making these available on the Flex and a number of Lincoln vehicles. The seatbelts expand to protect the head, neck, and chest for...
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The British and the Germans swept the 2011 Concept Car of the Year awards in Dearborn, with top marks going towards Lotus, Jaguar, and Volkswagen. The insane, beautiful Jaguar C-X75 took not only the Best Concept award but also the Most Significant—no doubt for its turbine engine, which sadly won’t make it to Jaguar’s production version...
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We can expect some powerful figures for the next round of Audi’s S and RS models, thanks to the miracle of turbocharging in motion. The Audi S8 will feature a twin-turbocharged V8 developed with the help of Bentley, churning out in excess of 500 horsepower. This is 50 horses more than the outgoing V10, but...
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For those of you who still haven’t stopped complaining about Top Gear America, there’s a new homegrown TV show to add to your TG USA and Motorweek rotation. “The Car Show,” hosted by Adam Carolla, will debut on Wednesday, July 13th, on the SPEED Channel. The show will feature Carolla, Dan Neil, John Salley, and...
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BMW has a pretty good thing goin’, believes Mercedes. Their car-integrated app store brings together Pandora Internet radio, BMW Connected, and room for more apps within BMW’s mobile Internet service. Now, Mercedes is looking to develop their own. The system they’ve proposed sounds remarkably similar to BMW’s: it will offer entertainment options like streaming radio,...
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From the “Tell Us Something We Don’t Know” Department comes this survey that convinces us to buy new seat covers: cars are the most preferred places by couples to have sex. The survey, produced by (who else?) Trojan condoms, interviewed 3,000 adults (and probably a handful of sneaky high school teenagers) to find that 48%...
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Warren Buffett and Chinese carmaker BYD have raised 1.4 billion yuan, or $219 million, in their initial public offering in Shenzhen. While seemingly impressive, the figure was below expectations. Investors were worried over how well the company would perform, and lacked confidence for the company. BYD had hoped to raise 2.19 billion yuan, or another $34...
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Remember Maybach? Of course not, we’re in a recession. But back in the day, when the grass was green and birds sang sweetly in the forests, Mercedes’ experiment with ultra-luxury was quietly shuttered after people decided that two-tone paint wasn’t compelling enough a reason to buy what looked like a melted S-Class owned by Simon...
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Beat it, just Beat it! Honda is looking to revive its adorable, legendary (adoregendary?) kei-class convertible, the Lilliputian Beat, this time with motorcycle technology. The last Beat was built from 1991 to 1996 and featured a 650cc engine in the middle, three cylinders, 63 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, and a name that endlessly amuses Westerners. The...
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Legendary tuning company Lingenfelter is opening his doors. For a small donation to charity, generously-minded enthusiasts can peek at the company’s amazing private collection. Ken Lingenfelter, cousin of NHRA racer and company founder John, is allowing a peek into the Michigan warehouse for just one day. Inside, one can expect an array of 60s and...
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Audi is flush with cash and sales right now. So when the Frankfurt Auto Show rolls around, they’re going to party like it’s pre-recession 2008 all over again. Previously, Audi shared the same convention space with all the riff raff. But for Frankfurt this year, they will build a separate Cathedral To The Four Rings,...
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