Nissan reaches its reservation goal three months ahead of schedule.
Nissan expected to hit that mark around December, around the time of the first Leaf delivery. The process began in April.
By Hans Greimel, Automotive News
Subaru said its next-generation, horizontally opposed engine will debut this year in the Forester and deliver a 10 percent boost in fuel economy.
The four-cylinder engine, which will come in displacements of either 2.0 or 2.5 liters, is the first major overhaul of the brand's signature boxer power plant in 21 years, Subaru's Japanese parent company Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. said. Word of the new engine began leaking out in Japanese media reports last month, but Subaru had not confirmed it until the Thursday statement.
The Chrysler Ram Laramie Longhorn edition.
There are plenty of performance luxury sedans on road -- the BMW 6-Series and the Porsche Panamera among them -- that we'd bet aren't actually being put through the "performance" part of their paces on any given day, so why not a high-end luxury pickup truck for those who prefer that segment over a 4-door but may not actually be regularly hauling a few hundred pounds of lumber?That seems to be the thinking behind the Chrysler Ram Laramie Longhorn Edition, revealed today, which boasts 20-inch chrome or aluminum wheels, contrasting piping on its leather seats, saddlebag pockets on the rear of the front seats (with tooled-metal buckles and steer logos) and chrome badges on the grille and tailgate -- just a few details that don't exactly belie the overall opulence of the (once) working man's vehicle.
By Brad Constant
Peugeot's latest concept car, the electric EX1, set six acceleration records on Tuesday at the Montlhéry circuit in France.
The EX1, driven by French explorer Nicolas Vanier, broke the quarter-mile, 500-meter and 1,000-meter records held by Opel's GT Electric since 1971. The Peugeot covered the quarter-mile in 14.4 seconds, the 500 meters in 16.81 seconds and the 1,000 meters in 28.16 seconds.
The EX1 also set records by completing one-eighth of a mile in 8.89 seconds, the half mile in 23.85 seconds and 1 mile in 41.09 seconds.
For the government to recoup its full investment, GM must sell at $134 per share.
That is the estimated price at which shares will have to sell in order for the government to recoup its $50 billion investment in the Detroit automaker. (That figure does not include a $6.7 billion loan that has already been repaid.) The Obama administration is looking to rid the federal government of its 61 percent majority stake in GM.
By Diana T. Kurylko, Automotive News
Bentley's sales have plummeted as its cars aged and the economy fell into recession.
The launch of the Mulsanne flagship this year is cause for optimism, as is the coming reskin of the Continental range, which was introduced in the United States in 2005.
Bentley will begin rolling out the new versions of the Continental next year, starting with the GT coupe.
S60 and V60 to get the full R-Design treatment.
The Paris Auto Show is right around the corner, and carmakers are in full teaser mode during the lead-up to the main event. While big names such as Lamborghini typically steal the spotlight with a barrage of mysterious detail photos, no one is immune to the temptation to give the public a quick taste of what will be on display in France. Volvo recently let us all in on what it will be bringing to the show, and while we can’t expect to see an all-new model, fans of the brand will be excited to know that both the S60 and the upcoming V60 will get the performance treatment with new R-Design models.
Consumer Reports from the 2010 Distracted Driving Summit.
- Turn your phone off or switch it to silent mode before you get in the car.
- Set up a special message to tell callers that you are driving or sign up for a service that offers this.
- Pull over if you need to make or receive a call.
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Contributors
Clifford Atiyeh has spent his entire life driving cars he doesn't own. Raised in Volvos, he has grown to love fast, irresponsible vehicles of all kinds. He is the senior news editor at MSN Autos and also reports for Car and Driver, Road & Track, The Boston Globe and other publications.
In the garage: 21-speed Iron Horse, 2002 Jeep Wrangler X (not his)
Doug Newcomb has covered car technology for over 20 years for outlets ranging from Rolling Stone to Edmunds.com. In 2008, he published his first book, "Car Audio for Dummies" (Wiley). He lives and drives in Hood River, Ore., with his wife and two kids, who share his passion for cars and technology.
In the garage: 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS, two 1984 Chevrolet Blazers, 2008 Honda CR-V
James Tate learned to drive stick at age 13 in a 1988 Land Cruiser - in La Paz, Bolivia. He's since been a mechanic, on a pit crew and has wrenched on every car he's owned since his first 1989 Honda CRX Si (and won't stop until the car is a 1973 Porsche 911 RS). His work has appeared in Car and Driver, Popular Mechanics, Automobile and others.
In the garage: 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera, 1988 BMW M5
