It started as a question and exploded into a firestorm: Who in the car business is its rock star?

That question was asked two years ago, and it ultimately spawned an award-winning story in AutoWeek, a story that documented 30 hours on the road with Nissan-Renault chieftain and first-team workaholic Carlos Ghosn.

The piece won acclaim not for its words alone but for the stunning, dramatic, insightful and often poignant pictures accompanying it. See, when you have a big idea like this, you think big, and we did, which is why we called preeminent rock ‘n’ roll photographer Jim Marshall and asked if he was interested in the gig. A longtime car nut, Marshall jumped at the chance. In the collaboration, friendships were forged, and magic was born.

continue reading "Bringing a star to life: Legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall captures the hearts and souls behind Nissan’s GT-R"

General Motors announced it will boost prices on many of its 2008 vehicles up to $1,500 on certain 2008 models to help cover the rising costs of commodities. The average price boost will be about 1.5 percent and will take effect on vehicles invoiced to dealers on or after Wednesday.

“While most cars and trucks in our portfolio will go up between $100 to $500, in hotly contested segments, many vehicles such as the Saturn Aura four-cylinder and the all-new Malibu LS will have no increase,” says Mark LaNeve, GM North America vice president, vehicle sales, service and marketing.

The price on the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LS will not change, but the Cadillac XLR luxury sports coupe price will rise $1,500. The price hike will not impact vehicles already in dealer inventory, which continue to be available for sale until the end of the year during the GM Red Tag Event.

continue reading "GM increases prices on most of its 2008 models:"

Our friends at BMW think everything in the lineup should have sportiness, even their SUVs. The next evolution of that philosophy is the X6, which BMW is bringing to the Detroit auto show in January.

We got our first glimpse of the X6 as a concept in Frankfurt, but the Detroit version of the five-door, four-seat “Sport Activity Coupe” is what the dealers will get.

Here’s the best part: The top engine in the X6 line is BMW’s new twin-turbocharged V8 with direct injection that produces 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque in top xDrive50i trim. This motor is the future for BMW’s high performance lines (think M3, M5 … geez, maybe there could be an M1?)

continue reading "BMW’s X6 rolls into Detroit: Hot twin-turbocharged V8 lies under the hood"

Hyundai’s Genesis coupe will be available with turbo power when it debuts in the United States in the spring of 2009. The turbocharged engine will be the first offered by Hyundai in the United States, but it won’t be the last.

The four-cylinder turbo will come from Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance, Hyundai’s joint venture with Mitsubishi and Chrysler. It will be built at the joint venture’s plant in South Korea. The rear-drive coupe also will be available with a naturally aspirated V-6.

Turbos won’t be limited to the Genesis coupe, said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America’s vice president for product development.

continue reading "Blown Hyundai: Genesis coupe will get a turbo:"

Before its unveiling at the Frankfurt show in September, the 1 Series coupe had been one of the most talked-about new models from BMW in quite a while. And with good reason. Here’s a car promising a leaner and more agile driving experience than the larger, more expensive 3 Series coupe, a car we hold in high esteem.

Further heightening expectations for the new baby BMW was the news that it would use Munich’s superb twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter gasoline engine in top-of-the-line 135i guise. With 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, the inline six-cylinder packs the sort of punch you’d expect from a small V8–this in a car running BMW’s traditional longitudinal-front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Can you blame us for counting the days until we could drive it?

continue reading "BMW 135i: Sweet one: BMW makes a big statement with its small 1 series"

Ford is set to include a third roofing option for 2009 Mustangs–a factory-installed glass roof.

Ford says the $1,995 glass-roof option is a cheaper alternative to the Mustang convertible. The base price of a 2008 Ford Mustang coupe is $19,995 including shipping charges, compared with the base price of $24,820 for an ‘07 Mustang convertible–a $4,825 difference.

autoweek.com

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kayak usado - oferta pagaia + saiote zona Viseu
A.Lange & Sohne-A. Lange & Sohne Tourbillon

Comments by AutoWeek editorial staffers on a car that’s been in our fleet:

MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: I won’t suggest that rational thought really enters the equation for buyers of Audi’s RS4 supersedan, but in brief moments of clarity, they might wonder if they didn’t go just a tad bonkers when they wrote the check. That’s what I thought to myself a few times while driving this “plain old” S4.

This might be the perfect Audi sport experience, not counting the R8. In fact, this is arguably one of the most capable all-’rounders out there; it delivers high-end performance with very little sacrifice.

continue reading "DRIVER’S LOG: 2007 Audi S4: All the fun at less cost"

Posted: 1.18pm, 5 December 2007

Didn’t we see this last month?Two months ago actually, but the new Hyundai i10 city car makes its official show debut at Bologna, and CAR was given access to the car the night before the show so we could have a proper poke round it.

Hyundai officials also let slip that the Genesis saloon will be shown at the start of 2008 in Detroit, while the production Coupe will be previewed at the New York Motor Show in March 2008.

continue reading "Hyundai i10 unveiled"

The worst U.S. sales slump in recent Ford Motor Co. history may finally be screeching to a halt.

In November, Ford’s sales–including its European luxury brands–totaled 182,096, 0.6 percent higher than last November’s sales of 180,947 vehicles. The November tally is Ford’s first sales increase since October 2006.

But don’t pop those champagne corks just yet. For the rest of the industry, November was a mixed bag. GM reported an 11 percent decline and Chrysler posted a 2 percent decline. Toyota, VW, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai all posted gains.

All told, the industry reported total sales of 1,180,269 vehicles, down 1.6 percent from November 2006. For the first 11 months of the year, the industry has sold 14,763,831 vehicles, a decline of 2.4 percent from the same period last year.

continue reading "Ford posts first sales rise in a year: GM, Chrysler and overall industry numbers down"

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Posted: 9.20am, 4 December 2007

Didn’t try and disguise it much, did they?Yes, we’ve caught BMW’s upcoming M3 Cabriolet barely undisguised and months ahead of its official debut. Caught by eagle-eyed CAR reader Paul Newton in the streets of Munich, this test car shows BMW’s third M3 derivative – after the coupe and recently announced saloon.

continue reading "BMW M3 Convertible scooped"