Since 99% of us will never actually see a Bugatti Veyron, we’ll have to make do with various substitutes; photographs, sound clips, magazine articles and the like. More incredible than merely seeing one in the flesh is seeing what awesome feats the Veyron can accomplish. Fortunately, a National Geographic doucmentary available on Youtube will let you...
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Once a fixture of only the most expensive Formula 1 race cars, carbon fiber monocoques have now filtered down into the slightly more accesible world of supercars, and McLaren is leading the charge, after announcing plans to build two more carbon-monocoque supercars after the MP4-12C. McLaren will be partnering with Carbo Tech, whose factory in...
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It’s no surprise that Lexus has taken deposits for all 5o0 LFA supercars (despite the skepticism of various internet forum posters). As its $375,000 pricetag may suggest, this car is only for the extremely well-heeled, and at this price point, individuality matters more than quantitative performance. One place where the LFA seems to have taken...
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Nearly 13 years ago today, Britain handed over sovereignty of Hong Kong to the Chinese government, ending a 99-year lease on the territory, and signaling the end of a British presence in China. Now, reports from various news agencies say that India’s Tata Motors is looking at building Jaguar and Land Rover assembly plants in China. Like...
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The last Aston Martin DB5 used in the original James Bond movies will go up for auction at an auction being held in London at the end of October. The iconic silver sports car comes with all of the usual gadgets, including machine guns, rotating license plates, an oil slick, ejector seat and bulletproof shield....
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Volkswagen‘s compact Touran Minivan (not to be confused with the Routan sold here in North America) has just been launched in its newest incarnation, and the range is being led by a 1.6L BlueMotion diesel that makes 105 horsepower returns a very impressive 51.3 miles per gallon. Also interesting is the tiny 1.2L 4-cylinder gas...
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At 38 years old, Elon Musk has already lived a life filled with more adventures and pitfalls than most of us can fathom. The founder of PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX was also a one time owner of a McLaren F1, the holy grail of car collecting, and served as the inspiration for Tony Stark,...
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Thieves in London, England tried make off with the wheels from a $266,000 Aston Martin DBS, but appear to have given up after taking 3 of the 4 wheels. The dim-witted criminals left the car with bricks under the rocker panels, and a jack wedged under the rear quarter panel, both of which mangled the delicate aluminum...
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Motorsports blog ColdTrackDays just picked up this documentary on autocross, one of the cheapest forms of auto racing you can compete in. Shot by Stephen Chiang, a cinematography student at Grossmont College, the documentary is shot in sharp, high-definition video, and features footage of everything from go-karts to Formula Fords to old Volkswagens to Chevrolet...
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Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz and BYD, China’s fastest growing car company, established a joint venture to develop electric cars in China. Based in the industrial city of Shenzen, the two companies respective experience with electric cars complements one another. BYD is experienced with battery and drivetrain systems, while Daimler will bring their knowledge of...
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The Vauxhall/Opel Ampera, sister car to the Chevrolet Volt, is set to launch in Europe in 2012, but GM is already preparing a more powerful version in time for the car’s launch, according to AutoExpress. Nothing concrete has been announced, but sources indicate that a larger gasoline engine and a bigger battery will help make...
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India’s Tata Motors is back in the black after rising demand for the Land Rover and Jaguar cars, as well demand in India for Tata products. The Tata group posted an overall profit of $543 million, compared to last year’s loss of $535 million. Tata was able to beat analyst expectations of a $321 million...
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A report out of Europe claims that BMW and General Motors are collaborating on a system that will scan road signs, including speed limit warnings and relay the information to drivers. The system still has a few kinks being worked out, but the objective is for the system to be able to display warning signs...
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Not long after Gordon Murray’s McLaren F1 was feted at the company’s headquarters, new details have emerged about Murray’s all-new T27 city car, being developed by the South African-born engineer independently of McLaren. Essentially an electric version of the T25 city car, the T27 uses a lithium-ion battery and a small electric motor to hit...
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On the second song of their seminal album “London Calling”, The Clash famously sang “My baby drove up in a brand new Cadillac.” For Amanda McBride and Joseph Brooks, a more appropriate lyric might be “my baby was born in a brand new Cobalt.” The Minnesota couple were on their way to the hospital in...
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Honda was forced to shut down all four of its Chinese car plants, after 1,850 workers at an auto parts plant went on strike over wages. The strike is reported to have crippled Honda’s production capability in what is now the world’s largest car market. The lack of parts means that Honda is unable to...
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Mercury‘s glory days are long over, with the brand lacking anything exciting or unique since the muscle car era. With the Grand Marquis scheduled to die alongside its customer base, and every other Mercury product available right next door at the Ford showroom, the storied brand is set to be euthanized by its parent company, Ford...
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Mercedes-Benz‘s flagships get more prole-crushing power for 2011, as the CL550 and S550 lose their 5.5L naturally aspirated V8 in favour of a twin turbo 4.6L unit, putting out 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, up 47 horsepower and 125 lb-ft from the old model. The brand’s other naturally aspirated V8, the 6.2L AMG...
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Before he set the BMW world on edge with his controversial aesthetics, Chris Bangle had a comfortable post at Fiat, where he designed the Fiat Coupe, a car never sold in North America but regarded as an iconic and revolutionary design. French auto website Cardisiac is reporting that Bangle, who quit BMW in 2009, may be...
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Regular readers will recall a fondness for hip-hop music at the Autoguide offices. We’ve previously covered the Houston “swangas” phenomenon, Seattle’s Volvo driving rapper and Atlanta’s dubbed-out Camaros. Now, Kia is showing the East Coast some love, with their new commercial featuring their familiar Hamsters, the Kia Soul, and Black Sheep’s seminal anthem The Choice...
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GM is recalling 547 Cadillac SRX’s equipped with the 2.8L twin-turbo V6 due to potential engine failure if the car is run with regular, rather than premium fuel. In a statement released by NHTSA, the agency said that “The combination of regular fuel usage and aggressive driving maneuvers may induce pre-ignition.” If pre-ignition occurs, you...
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The Bugatti Veyron might be faster, the Pagani Zonda more eye-catching and the Ferrari Enzo more extravagant. Nevertheless, the McLaren F1 is still regarded by most enthusiasts as the greatest car ever made, bar none. The F1 was the physical manifestation of the dreams of Gordon Murray, a savant engineer whose personal quirks ingrained in...
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File this one under “completely out of left field.” GM engineers are looking for any possible way to cut costs from their Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, and anything is currently on the table. Among the possibilities being investigated is a rotary engine, a powerplant long abandoned by nearly every automaker except Mazda, who still produces...
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Mercedes-Benz diesels have a fearsome reputation for being some of the toughest cars on the road. While most vintage German machinery has been sent to the scrap heap due to astronomical repair bills or oxidization, there are a number of diesel powered Mercedes-Benz cars from as far back as 1972 still kicking around, thanks to...
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