Volkswagen has just surpassed Ford in the fuel-economy bragging rights race, with the new Passat BlueMotion traveling a distance of 1,531 miles on just one tank of diesel. Last year, Ford set a record with its new Fusion Hybrid, traveling a total of 1,445 miles. The drive was performed by Gavin Conway of The Sunday...
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Volkswagen has just released three new sketches of its next midsize sedan, giving us a solid look at the styling of what might just be the most important vehicle the brand has ever launched. At last week’s Paris Auto Show, VW unveiled the next generation Passat, but that’s not the car we will get in...
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It certainly wasn’t the ideal result for the first outing of Team AMG Mercedes and their SLS AMG GT3 race car. Piloted by Bernd Schneider and Thomas Jäger, the team recently had its maiden voyage at the VLN Langstrecken Meisterschaft Nürburgring. The race car is powered by the exact same 6.2-liter AMG V8 that’s found...
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SEAT, Volkswagen‘s sporty, Spanish division, is known for taking old VW products, refreshing them, and selling them at firesale prices. SEAT’s newest concept, the IBE, shows what a SEAT coupe could look like. Perhaps the brand will get a version of VW’s Scirroco? 0-60 mph takes 9.7 seconds, which seems slow, until you consider that...
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News doesn’t necessarily have to be new. Sure, that goes against the age old rules of journalism… but it’s true. Case in point: the Porsche GT2 RS. Unveiled at the Moscow Auto Show, it’s still worth covering here at the Paris Motor Show – although part of the reason is that we never covered the...
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MINI’s Scooter E Concept is the polar opposite from the brand’s other Pairs debut, the Countryman WRC, but it represents an important new direction, with MINI focusing on “mobility” as well as cars. The MINI Scooter E is all-electric, with an electric motor in each wheel hooked up to a lithium-ion battery. A smartphone can...
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BMW let the public catch a glimpse of their 6 Series Concept, a car that’s been widely previewed online in advance of its debut. Although it’s been labeled a “design study”, you can be sure that 95% of what’s shown here will make it to the showrooms. Technical details are scarce, but BMW touts full...
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MINI‘s long awaited WRC entry debuted at the Paris Auto Show Thursday as the MINI Countryman WRC, flanked by rally heroes such as David Richards (founder of Prodrive) and Jean Todt, president of the FIA, flanked the car as it revved its engine for all to hear. The sounds of a rally-built 4-cylinder filled the...
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In the long line of hot hatchbacks we wont get comes another enticing product, the Audi A1 1.4TFSI. Based on the more accesible Volkswgaen Polo GTI, the A1 gets the same 1.4TFSI twincharged engine and DSG gearbox, in a much more upscale package. An S-Line bodykit and bigger wheels help set it apart from lesser...
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Audi‘s E-Tron Spyder debuted at the Paris Auto Show today, and surprised observers by departing from the purely electric setup seen in previous E-Tron concepts. The Spyder will use a 3.0L TDI V6 and a DSG transmission to power the rear wheels, while the fronts get a pair of twin electric motors. An aluminum space...
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Audi‘s R8 GT, the most hardcore version of its R8 sports car, got its first public premiere at the Paris Auto Show. Sporting a 40 horsepower bump from its 5.2L V10 engine (up to 560 horsepower) and a host of weight reductions thanks to the use of carbon fiber, polycarbonate windows and thinner glass, the...
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Volkswagen‘s Passat had its official unveiling today in Paris, and while the car boasts sharp, Phaeton-inspired lines, it won’t be coming to North America. Our side of the Atlantic will get a market-specific sedan, but the Passat soldiers on in Eurpoe and the rest of the world. With a whole new range of engines, both diesel and...
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Porsche has just unveiled its new Carrera GTS model at the Paris Auto Show, expanding the Carrera lineup to a total of four models. And it doesn’t get much better than this. The Carrera GTS takes the S model’s 3.8-liter flat-six and ups power by 23 ponies for a total of 408-hp, while 310 ft-lbs...
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Volkswagen‘s Passat was unvieled in advance of the Paris Auto Show today, and for the first time in years, North America won’t be getting it. Instead, we’ll be receiving a an all new car designed to compete with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The rest of the world gets the Passat seen here. Underneath...
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Audi‘s Quattro Concept was revealed ahead of the Paris Auto Show today, ending speculation that this car was actually the long rumored R4 baby sports car. Harkening back to the light-weight Ur-Quattro of the 1980’s, the Quattro concept weighs in at around 3,000 lbs and features a 5-cylinder turbo motor, pumping out 408 horsepower and...
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In a recent interview with Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn not only gave credibility to reports that Porsche is planning a new smaller SUV model; he even hinted at the name. Commenting that the new model would be used to increase Porsche’s sales numbers, Winterkorn used the name Cajun to describe the...
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After numerous rumors, reports and plenty of speculation, Saab is set to sign a deal with BMW that will see the Swedish automaker get access to BMW technology and parts for future models. It is believed the first such model will include the a Saab small car based on the current MINI Cooper platform. News...
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How glorious the Internet can be. With rumors, come renders and here is one we can dig. Recently we reported on a rumor of a possible GT3 RS Special Edition and the rumors have turned into speculation over a Porsche GT3 Hybrid. So naturally, a talented member of TeamSpeed (the forum where the rumor originated)...
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We can’t honestly tell you the last time we picked up a newspaper to see what was going on inside it. But we’re guessing people out in India still start their day off by opening up The Times of India. Volkswagen did a clever print advertising campaign by incorporating an audio ad whenever someone unfolded...
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BMW will allow consumers to try out their ActiveE electric car, based on the 1-Series Coupe, in certain markets, prior to a broader rollout of electric vehicles, culminating in the Megacity EV’s debut in 2013. The ActiveE will be offered for lease starting next summer. The ActiveE will be offered in New York City, Los...
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The KTM X-Bow is already targeted at the .01% of the population who desires the ultimate in trackday-nutcase transportation. For that sub-segment of masochists who desire even more thrills, there’s the newly released X-Bow R. Powered by a 300-horsepower Audi S3 engine, the four-cylinder turbo powerplant will be positioned lower in the car to provide...
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ODB famously declared that “Wu-Tang is for the children“, and we’d have to disagree. But one of the beloved cars of rappers everywhere, the Mercedes-Benz CLS, apparently is, if the commercial for the new vehicle is to be believed. The CLS is responsible for the modern day “four door coupe” genre, and the new one...
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BMW‘s 6-Series Coupe “Concept”, is about as much of a concept as the earth is flat. BMW has released a couple videos in addition to the photos previously leaked, with one showing the car’s exterior and the other detailing the slightly more interesting interior improvements. Just like the current 6-Series set the trend for BMW’s...
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Porsche will again move forward with plans to build a new entry-level sports car, as well as a smaller SUV, while expanding its hybrid technology in the years to come. As its own entity, proposals for the baby-Boxster and smaller Cayenne were both axed, but under the new Volkswagen management the cases have been reexamined...
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