Category: Autoblog

Over the past year, the cost of third-party GPS navigation systems has dropped precipitously, with entry level units now starting at under $150. For that price, you can get a 3.5- to 4-inch touchscreen that comes fully loaded with maps of the entire…

As SUVs go Audi's Q7 V12 TDI is about as extreme as they get. With 500hp and 738lb-ft of torque the 6.0L V12 undoubtedly has far more output than a SUV ever should. However, later this month in Austria Audi will take the wraps of something equally…

In my write-up on driving Audi's new A4 3.0 TDI the other day, there were some comments on why Audi would choose to offer the 3.0L V-6 diesel. The fact is that Audi actually offers an array of six different engines and four transmissions in various…

At the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, diesels were all the rage with a wide array automakers showing off compression ignition engines that were planned to meet U.S. emissions standards and go on sale here. Within months however, a combination of factors –…

Volvo is now offering a Getrag Powershift dual clutch transmission in its smaller cars – the C30, S40 and V50. The new gearbox is paired up with a 2.0L four cylinder turbodiesel. Volvo is using a six-speed wet clutch unit with a torque capacity of…

Renault is currently working on a trio of electric cars that will be rolled out starting in 2011. The first to appear will be a four-door sedan based on the Megane. This one will debut in Israel as part of the Better Place rollout that includes a…

At the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan, this week, supplier Siemens VDO is displaying a Mercedes C230 modified with a hybrid powertrain. The system uses two electric motors with one of them mounted on the front of the engine…

Click on the photo for a high-res gallery of the Mazda2
Ford has only sold small B-Class cars in the US market sporadically over the past thirty years. They sold the European Fiesta in the early eighties and the Kia-built Festiva and Aspire in the…

BRE Nismo Z getting painted for the Walter Mitty Challenge – Click above for high-res image gallery
It looks like there will be more than one car showing up the Walter Mitty Challenge at Road Atlanta next month wearing the colors of Pete Brock's BRE…

2011 BMW X5 – Click above for high-res image gallery
The original BMW X5 marked Bimmer's first entry into the then-burgeoning SUV segment, and it remains a strong seller for the company, trailing only the 3 and 5 Series. The time has now rolled…