When several Renault execs were accused of selling the French automaker’s electric car secrets to the Chinese, it made headlines around the world. Last week came reports that the story might have been a hoax – and that now appears to be the case with a Renault security agent having been arrested. The individual, who’s...
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Days after Renault fired three men and pressed criminal charges on them for allegedly attempting to sell electric car secrets overseas, CEO Carlos Ghosn is facing a disturbing lack of evidence, embarrassing Renault into reconsidering its accusations. The entire dramatic episode is becoming a farce—like BP during the Gulf oil spill, Renault may be faced...
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Whether you love or hate the way the Nissan Juke looks, it’s hard to argue that it’s anything but a blast to drive. Renault seems to be taking a few things from corporate partner Nissan, and emulating the Juke with their Captur, a concept that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show. Powered by a 158-hp...
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The future of the RedBull Formula 1 team is looking brighter than ever. Not only did they win the F1 constructors championship in 2010, their young-gun Sebastian Vettel also took the driver’s championship. And this just in… RedBull will be getting their engines for free in 2011. It’s part of a new deal by the...
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Although the Smart ForTwo hasn’t been warmly received by American buyers, there is hope for the quirky maker of diminutive city cars, as parent company Daimler is backing the brand with new products and utilizing their alliance with Renault-Nissan to give the lineup a boost. A Smart representative confirmed that a four seat model will arrive sometime in the...
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Previewing a possible sister-car to the Nissan Juke, Renault has announced the new Captur Concept ahead of its official debut at the Geneva Auto Show. The two seater is a look at fun crossover mobility and is the second of six concepts that will set the tone for the French automaker’s future design language. Powered...
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Robert Kubica, one of Formula-One’s finest drivers, suffered a terrible crash over the weekend, when his Skoda Fabia rally-car slid off the road and hit a church wall. The crash took place just 4-miles from the start of the Ronde di Andora rally in Italy. The 26 year-old Polish star has suffered massive injury to...
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Nissan has traditionally played second fiddle to Honda in terms of sales figures, but the company’s strong numbers in China, combined with Honda’s declining fortunes have helped Nissan surpass Honda. Nissan moved 4.08 million units in 2010, with Honda only pushing 3.56 million. Although Honda’s sales were up by 5 percent, it did little to...
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Hyundai was able to achieve a 45 percent market share in South Korea in 2010, falling well below its target of 52 percent. Luckily, the failure to meet the target thanks to phenomenal growth from the Kia brand, owned by Hyundai and Kia’s new Optima and Sportage. For 2011, Hyundai is targeting a more modest...
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However the official line from Renault, is that the three employees accused of leaking the information, are still regarded only as suspects, with no formal charges yet announced against them.
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With their supply of Renault engines set to dry up after 2011, and new engine regulations coming into place in 2013, current champions Red Bull are said to be looking at producing their own engines, with one rumored partner said to be Volkswagen. “We are on standby for an interesting partnership, and even the idea...
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Lotus made a less than successful return to F1 in 2010, after being out of the sport since 1994. However, it seems there will be lots of Lotus F1 cars on the grid for the 2011 season. So apart from Team Lotus (formerly known as Lotus F1) which is a privately owned team, Group Lotus...
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The black and gold Lotus paint scheme may be Formula 1’s most iconic livery, more dear to the hearts of fans than even the red Marlboro design used on McLaren and Ferrari cars. While the colors originally came from the John Player Special cigarette design, they’ve managed to burn themselves into the hearts and minds...
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Carlos Ghosn, head of Renault-Nissan, offered a series of very optimistic forecasts regarding electric vehicles during a recent interview with Bloomberg TV, while stating bluntly “There are customers who want really zero emission cars.” Ghosn predicted that 10 percent of auto sales in the year 2020 will be comprised of zero emissions vehicles, and Nissan...
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Renault is already one of the auto industry’s leaders in electric vehicles, investing enormous sums in the Better Place battery swap technology and introducing one of the first mass-market electric cars with their Nissan division, in the form of the Leaf hatchback. Although Renault is set to introduce the all-electric Z0e in 2012, the small...
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Russia has tried for some time to get a Formula 1 race, and with their hosting of the Winter Olympics in 2014 and the World Cup in 2018, it looks as if the country will finally get a race starting in 2014. The plan calls for a race in Sochi, site of the 2014 Winter...
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After signing a pact to develop electric cars in April, Daimler has announced that they will expand their alliance with Renault-Nissan, as automakers scramble to bring alternative fuel vehicles to the market. According to Daimler research chief Thomas Weber, the company’s partnership “will be expanded to include all three partners as far as electric motors,...
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The Lotus F1 team has historically relied on power from three major engine builders; Cosworth, Renault and Honda. With Honda now out of Formula 1 racing and Cosworth’s powerplants providing unsatisfactory results, Lotus has turned to historic partner Renault for some mechanical motivation. Starting in 2011, Lotus will use the Renault mills, which currently power...
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Renault is currently testing prototypes from their upcoming electric vehicle range in Israel, with a view to selling them in the country by next year. The vehicles, known as the Renault Fluence Z.E. (for zero emissions), look just like normal Renault Fluence sedans, but run solely on electric power. At first glance, Israel may seem...
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Renault’s Megane 250 is widely considered one of the best hot hatches in the world. Not surprisingly, North Americans are unable to buy it due to our sordid love/hate relationship with French vehicles. Europeans, on the other hand, are enamored with the Meagane 250, considered one of the Ford Focus RS’ most potent rivals, even...
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Lotus F1, the Malaysian upstart team trading on the name of the famed British sports car maker, is apparently switching from Cosworth to Renault power for the 2011 season. With Renault powering the dominant Red Bull Racing entry, the factory works Renault team, and a host of other teams, Lotus is hoping to acquire some...
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Glass’s Guide, car valuation experts from the UK have studied the long-term ownership costs of EVs, such as the forthcoming Nissan Leaf (shown, above.) The news isn’t looking good. Glass’s reports that after 5 years of ownership, EVs will retain only about 10 percent of their value, as opposed to the 25 percent residual value...
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There have been some big blunders in the history of automotive naming. The Chevrolet Nova flopped in Spanish speaking countries because its name literally means “it doesn’t go”. The Ford Pinto’s name in Brazilian Portuguese has similarly negative connotations, literally meaning “a man with small genitals.” The latest casualty in the history of cars being...
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Rumors that the Dacia Duster could be sold as a Renault have been floating around ever since the vehicle’s launch at the Geneva Auto Show last year, but now comes word that it may also be sold as a Nissan – in markets where Renault doesn’t have a significant presence. “In a market where Nissan...
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