by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 10, 2011
Taking its etron concept in a new direction, Audi will unveil the new Urban Concept battery car at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The latest in a series of innovative offerings designed to test the limits of high-mileage design, perhaps the most distinctive...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 10, 2011
So many things in life look better in hindsight. You’d probably never be caught dead in the outfit you wore to the prom. And remember the moves you mastered back in the disco days? The same is true with the muscle cars of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Those lumbering lumps...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 10, 2011
BMW plans to rapidly expand its battery-car line-up, according to various sources, adding two more models to the new i sub-brand that it has already confirmed will include the little i3 and sporty 18 models. The two new models, i4 and i5, will make extensive use of...
by Bryan Laviolette | Aug 10, 2011
It would appear Ford is getting serious about plans to revive its flagging Lincoln brand. The automaker will give Lincoln its own design studio within the Product Development Center in Dearborn. While Lincolns will continue to be based on Fords – something most...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 9, 2011
When gas prices first hit $2.50 a gallon, auto industry planners braced for a dramatic shift in the market. It didn’t happen. When the pump price first nudged $4, back in the summer of 2008, environmentalists rejoiced, betting that hybrids would replace pickups and...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 9, 2011
Today’s cars are loaded with digital technology, from the engine controllers that maximize mileage while reducing emissions, to their increasingly popular multi-function infotainment systems. But have these silicon-based devices also made our cars increasingly...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 9, 2011
Having reached a compromise that will nearly double the fuel economy of the typical passenger vehicle over the next 14 years, the Obama Administration is now taking aim at some of the nation’s biggest gas-guzzlers. The White House is scheduled to announce first-ever...
by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 9, 2011
On sale only since the start of the summer, the 2012 Hyundai Accent has quickly established itself in the increasingly competitive U.S. small car market – topping the charts as America’s best-selling subcompact passenger car in July. Pushing its 40 mpg mileage,...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 9, 2011
While most potential buyers won’t be able to plug in a new Focus Electric until sometime next spring – at the earliest — Ford Motor Co. officials insist that earlier reports of a delay in the battery car program are in err. Plans for Ford’s first electrified...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 8, 2011
Give credit to PhotoShop. It took a bit of effort to pull this image out of the shadows but at least you’ve got the basic silhouette of the new 2012 Lexus GS 350. To get a more complete image of the sporty sedan, however, we’ll all have to wait for the upcoming...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 8, 2011
Though it’s not saying why, Ford has decided to slow down the planned roll-out of its first battery-electric passenger car, the Focus Electric. Originally scheduled to charge in 19 markets before the end of this year, the maker now will roll the battery car into...
by Tim Healey | Aug 8, 2011
Lincoln, Ford’s luxury brand, has been struggling of late, leading more than a few skeptics to wonder whether it’s time to abandon the once-grand marque, much as Ford recently dropped the long-suffering Mercury. The Dearborn maker insists it remains committed...
