Showing posts with label Reports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reports. Show all posts

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Volkswagen to Finalize Porsche's Sports Car Business Takeover this August


Ending years of bickering between two of Germany's most successful automakers and the respective families that hold their fate, Volkswagen has announced that it will complete the buyout of the remaining 50.1 percent stake of Porsche's sports car business it doesn’t own already for €4.46 billion (US$5.6 billion).

In a joint statement, Volkswagen and Porsche said that the deal will be completed by August 1, 2012.

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New Ford C-MAX Hybrid Scores 47mpg City and 44mpg Highway, Beats Prius V by at Least 3mpg


Ford announced on Thursday that its new C-MAX Hybrid is projected to achieve a fuel economy of 47 mpg (5.0lt/100km) in city driving and 44mpg (5.3lt/100km) on the highway, and as has been the case ever since we learned about the hybridized minivan, Ford is comparing it to the Toyota Prius V. Read more »

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Acura Preparing Mild Facelift for 2013 ZDX Crossover


Some three years after the ZDX's world premiere at the 2009 New York Auto Show and a little less since it went on sale in the U.S. towards the end of the same year, Acura's attempt to replicate BMW's success with the X6 has proved to be a sales flop delivering a mere 1,564 units in 2011.

It’s even worse this year as Acura has sold only 416 examples of the ZDX crossover during the first six months of 2012, down 56.21 percent over the same period in 2011.

Nevertheless, Acura will try to improve the ZDX's position in the market with a mid-cycle refresh for the 2013 model year that will bring a light exterior makeover along with new technology features.

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Mercedes Reportedly Confirms Electric Version of New B-Class for the States


It looks like the new generation of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class will come to the United States after all - or at least one of the models in the lineup will.

An unnamed inside source at Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler AG told German publication Automobilwoche that an electric version of the compact MPV will go on sale in America from 2014.

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Lexus Says LFA AD-A and AD-B are One-Off Prototypes and Not Special Editions


During the past couple of weeks, spy photographers and eagle-eyed individuals alike spotted two similar but visibly different Lexus LFA prototypes with the AD-A and AD-B monikers respectively undergoing tests in and around the Nürburgring in Germany.

Their bespoke styling parts and colors suggested that Lexus may be readying a handful of special edition versions of the LFA to mark the end of the supercar's production.

Well, as it turns out, that's not the case. In an email to the Lexus Enthusiast website, Etienne Plas, senior manager of product communications for Lexus Europe, said that the company does not plan to present any kind of special edition version of the LFA.

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PSA Peugeot-Citroen May Cut up to 10 Percent of its French Workforce, Equal to 10,000 Jobs


The dark clouds over Europe are having a profound effect on the auto industry, especially outside the continent's powerhouse that is Germany.

A PSA Peugeot Citroen union official told reporters today that the company might eliminate up to 10,000 jobs or about 10 percent of its total workforce in France to compensate for dwindling sales.

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U.S. Government Slaps a $1.5 Million Fine on Volvo for Delayed Recall Reporting


Swedish premium carmaker Volvo has agreed to pay a US$1.5 million (€1.2 million) fine to settle U.S. government allegations that the company's North American division failed to report safety defects and noncompliances to federal regulators in a timely fashion.

The fines received from Volvo, a company that prides itself on its reputation for safety, will be paid into the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury.

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SUV Goes Airborne After Heat Creates a Huge Bump on Wisconsin Highway


The extreme heat that has scorched many areas of the U.S. these past few days was to blame for a bizarre accident that took place on Highway 29 in Chippewa County, Wisconsin during the weekend.

The high temperatures caused a section of the highway to buckle up and create a…launching ramp.

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Famed Car Designer Sergio Pininfarina Dies at Age 85


The automobile industry is mourning the death of legendary designer Sergio Pininfarina who passed away on Monday night at his home in Turin, Italy. He was 85 years old. No cause of death was given.

Born in 1926, Sergio Pininfarina was the son of Battista "Pinin" Farina (later Battista Pininfarina) who founded the legendary Italian coachbuilding and design company.

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Monday, July 2, 2012

Audi Recalls 2012MY Q5 Because Sunroof Glass May Break


A little over 13,000 Audi Q5 crossovers from the 2012 model year that were built from June 21, 2011, through December 9, 2011, are being recalled in the States after the German company assessed that the front sunroof glass panel is susceptible to breakage in extremely cold temperatures.

Audi said it first heard about the problem from its dealers after a small number of vehicles came in during the 2011/2012 winter season with a broken panoramic sunroof.

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Greyhound Bus Driver Now has a Zero Tolerance Policy on Cell Phones


Now here's one bus driver that has a very serious problem with cell phones ringing and passengers accepting calls during the road trip. And by serious we mean kicking your arse off the bus serious...

A passenger on the Greyhound bus that was heading to Washington D.C. recorded this clip in April, 2012, – we assume using his or her mobile phone's camera.

YouTube user 'Audorf1' wrote: "I was on a bus ride back to DC and the driver acted so cranky. First he told a mom to shut up her baby from crying and then he said this nonsense."

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BMW Rep Says Toyota's Sports Car will Have a Unique Design, Insider Hints at 6-Series-Based Supra


The recent deal signed between the BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corp that includes the joint development of platform architecture and components for a future sports car, has spurred speculation and rumors about the type of model that could come out of the partnership.

The Japanese company's president Akio Toyoda opened up a bag of clues during his speech in Germany by saying that he is "looking forward to a sports car that is environment-friendly and truly excites car fans around the world."

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De Tomaso Plows into Crowd During Sports Car Meet in Sweden Injuring Several People


A De Tomaso Club gathering in Sweden ended in tears this past Saturday when the driver of one of the Italian sports cars lost control of his vehicle and steered into a crowd at a market in the city of Borgholm located on the island of Öland.

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that the crash resulted in the injury of four bystanders, two seriously, and both the driver and the passenger of the De Tomaso who were treated for minor injuries.

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Friday, June 29, 2012

Déjà Vu: NHTSA Asks Toyota to Recall Lexus RX Over Floor that May Trap the Gas Pedal


The unintended acceleration problems continue to persist and haunt Toyota as federal safety regulators said on Friday that they have asked the company to recall around 154,000 Lexus RX SUVs from the 2010 model year after discovering a potential issue with the driver's floor mat that could lead to the accelerator pedal being entrapped. Read more »

Porsche's Leipzig Factory Builds 500,000th Vehicle, a Cayenne V8 for the Fire Brigade


The Porsche factory at Leipzig celebrated the production of the 500,000th vehicle, an impressive number given the company's luxury status that becomes even more eye rising when you learn that it was achieved in just 10 years.

The milestone model is a Cayenne SUV with a V8 engine that was transformed into a command vehicle for the Leipzig fire brigade with the assistance of Porsche apprentices.

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Renault to Unveil All-New Clio Mk4 Next Week Ahead of Paris Motor Show Debut


We just received word from Renault that the next generation of the Clio supermini will make its online debut on Tuesday, July 3, which coincidentally, is the same day McLaren will premiere the new MP4-12C Spider.

For now, the French carmaker is keeping a tight lid on any official information regarding the Clio, but through our spy photos, we can reveal that the fourth-generation model will sport a sharper design with the five-door model featuring hidden rear-door handles to create the allusion of a three-door hatch.

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BMW and Toyota to Jointly Develop New Sports Car and Numerous Technologies


Last December, the BMW Group and Toyota entered a mid-to-long-term partnership on the sharing of hybrid systems and diesel engines, which was enhanced this past March with an agreement on the development of lithium-ion battery cell technology.

Now, the two companies have announced a significant expansion of their existing cooperation that will include the joint development of architecture and components for a future sports vehicle together with fuel cell, powertrain electrification and lightweight technologies.

Read more »

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