Archive for September, 2009

2010 Nissan Altima official U.S. debut

The American-built Nissan Altima enters the 2010 model year with fresh exterior styling, refined interior treatments and a host of technology enhancements to its navigation and entertainment systems. Available in three distinct models – Altima Sedan, Altima Coupe and Altima Hybrid – the 2010 Altima will be available at Nissan dealers nationwide beginning Monday, October 5th. Continue reading »

Toyota recalling 3.8 million cars for floor mats

The NHTSA has alerted Lexus and Toyota owners about conditions that could cause the accelerator to get stuck in the fully-open position under certain conditions. The agency “strongly recommends” taking out removable floor mats on the driver’s side in certain models and not to replace them with any other mat, either from Toyota or any other brand. After numerous reported unintended-acceleration incidents, Toyota is now conducting a major recall on 3.8 million affected cars, but only in the United States. Continue reading »

Honda CR-Z Concept is rebirth of CR-X

Highly-anticipated by the Honda community, the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show in October will mark the debut of the Honda CR-Z hybrid concept again, except this time it is a near-production version. The sporty-but-slow CR-Z, slated for Japanese production early next year, is a revival of the Honda CR-X from the 1980s. Based on the Civic of that time, with a tiny engine and decent suspension, it became somewhat popular among budget-minded Honda enthusiasts. The new CR-Z is expected to be exclusively hybrid. Continue reading »

Fiat 500 Abarth ready to rally

Fiat’s Abarth introduced its latest racing gem at the 51st Sanremo Rally. The new Abarth 500 R3T will lend its name to a promotional rally trophy in 2010, due to join the two European track events planned for the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse. Continue reading »

2010 Toyota Prius body kit by Tommy Kaira

Without tuning anything on the powertrain of the 2010 Toyota Prius, Japanese tuning firm Tommi Kaira has unveiled its dressed-up version of the third-generation iconic hybrid. Continue reading »

Aston Martin out of cash as Arab owners in trouble

The Aston Martin luxury-sports carmaker is in trouble after the Kuwaiti “sovereign wealth fund” that owns 51% of the luxury carmaker admitted it was struggling to refinance its debt. Continue reading »

2010 Mitsubishi Outlander gets Evo nose

Mitsubishi Motors Australia has announced the arrival of the 2010 model year Outlander featuring a distinctive and aggressive styling make-over which includes the company’s new “jet fighter” grille, and a host of new comfort, convenience and safety appointments. Improvements to the Outlander’s engineering include the addition of Hill Start Control to automatic transmission models and Super All Wheel Control to V6 models. Continue reading at ModernOffroader.com »

Audi A3 1.6 TDI gets 78 mpg in efficiency challenge

On its very first outing under real-life traffic conditions, the Audi A3 1.6 TDI is already turning in impressive consumption figures. The other models of the Audi range also shone on the first three days of the “Efficiency Challenge A to B”, which covers 2,613 miles from A on the Norwegian Lofoten Islands to Bée in northern Italy. Continue reading »

McLaren-Mercedes scores as Hamilton wins Singapore F1 GP

Lewis Hamilton won the 2009 Singapore F1 Grand Prix on Sunday evening, driving a perfect race for McLaren to deliver a richly deserved triumph. Continue reading »

LeMans team builds Acura racecar on video

About 42 hours after Highcroft Acura driver Scott Sharp walked away from a crash during practice for the Petit Le Mans racing event, a freshly-built Acura ARX-02a was rolled out for the morning warmup on Saturday. The Highcroft crew put in marathon sessions of work, totaling 20 hours, to build a brand new racecar, as LeMans teams do not generally have a backup car. A spare carbon-fiber tub was picked up from the Honda Performance Development shop in California and shipped, while the crew at the Atlanta racetrack salvaged 10% of the old parts for use in the new car. The car was ready to race in less than two days, and finished 6th in the rain-shortened race. Continue reading »

2010 Buick LaCrosse rated Good in IIHS crash tests

There was a time when the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety had the toughest of safety standards, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Association gave out Five Star ratings freely. But many automakers have evidently picked up on what IIHS is looking for, and more and more new vehicles are receiving the top designation of “Good.” Continue reading »

Honda U3-X concept unicycle on video

Honda has developed a new “personal mobility technology,” naming it the U3-X. The experimental unicycle is designed to provide free movement in all directions just like human walking, including side-to-side and diagonally. The U3-X makes it possible to adjust speed, move, turn and stop in all directions when the rider leans their upper body to shift their body weight. This was achieved by systems such as the ASIMO robot’s balance control technology as well as an omni-directional wheel system.

2010 Nissan Altima first image leaked

The 2010 Nissan Altima has undergone a facelift for 2010, although the car is not out yet. However, a publication has leaked the first image of the updated midsizer. Continue reading »

2009-2010 Nissan Maxima & Altima NHTSA recall

Nissan is recalling certain 2009 and 2010 Altima and Maxima cars due to a mechanical defect. The upper front strut insulators may have been manufactured out of specification, resulting in a potential for the suspension’s strut insulator to crack. Continue reading »

2009 Frankfurt Motor Show: Photo coverage

The Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany is among the largest auto shows in the world, and the 2009 edition of the event is hosting a number of upscale debuts that scoffs at any hint of recession. Among the notable launches are the new Bentley Mulsanne, the Rolls Royce Ghost, the Aston Martin Rapide, the Lamborghini Reventon Roadster, the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Maserati GranCabrio, and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, among others. Numerous niche-market concepts include the Mini Coupe & Roadster, the Bugatti 16C Galibier, the Lexus LF-Ch and more. Also present are a number of production and green concept cars, many of them touting fully-electric driving capabilities. Continue reading »

Aston Martin Rapide debuts at Frankfurt

Aston Martin will unveil one of the most eagerly awaited cars of 2009 at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Rapide apparently provides space for up to four adults combined with an engaging driving experience synonymous with all Aston Martins. Continue reading »

Video: 2009 Chevy Malibu vs 1959 Chevy Bel Air

This test was done to celebrate the U.S. IIHS safety institute’s 50th anniversary. The IIHS is a non-government organisation that conducts crash tests on new cars. It is generally accepted that today’s cars are softer and crumple more easily, compared to the hard-boned cars of olden days. So they decided to pit a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu against a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air to see which one comes out on top.

Brawn’s Barrichello wins 2009 Italian F1 GP

Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button took Brawn GP a significant step closer to both world championship titles at the 2009 Italian F1 Grand Prix in Monza on Sunday afternoon, in a race rendered dramatic by a last lap shunt for McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, as he was pushing hard in third place after Button. Continue reading »

Lamborghini Reventon Roadster makes limited debut

Lamborghini has unveiled the Reventón Roadster, the drop-top version of their ultra-exclusive supercar. Continue reading »

Bugatti Galibier sedan concept revealed

After months of teasing retarded bloggers with a shadowy photo, Bugatti has finally revealed its new four-door sedan concept ahead of the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show at an event for Bugatti customers. Originally christened the Bordeaux by rumor-mongers, the super-sedan is called the Galibier, named after a difficult Alpine pass along the Tour de France route. Continue reading »

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