Author: autoevolution

German carmaker Audi recently announced it will produce daily behind-the-scenes webcast, powered by Justin.tv from the U.S. Ski Team House in Canada for the 2010 Winter Games. The 15-minute webisodes titled Live at the Lodge with TJ and Resi will feature US Ski Team members TJ Lanning and Resi Stiegler, who are currently recovering from injury.

Lanning is currently recuperating from neck and leg injuries suffered during the World Cup downhill event in Lake Louise in November, the same month S… (read more)

It seems like General Motors is starting to learn some things from its past errors and is now trying to convince Saturn owners to stay in the family by offering them up to $2,000 in incentives for buying a car under one of its four "core" brands. The campaign started on February 2, runs through March 31 and includes several 2009 and 2010 Buick, GMC, Chevrolet and Cadillac models.

However, in order to be eligible for the incentive, Saturn owners must have purchased their car at least… (read more)

As some of you might know, BMW is not only a car and motorcycle manufacturer, but also has a great history involving yachting. The German car manufacturer is quite successful, as the BMW ORACLE Racing team has won the 33rd America’s Cup, the world’s oldest sporting competition which brings together the best professional sailors, yacht designers and boat builders in the pursuit of perfection.

The event, which took place in Valencia, was won by BMW ORACLE’s trimaran USA 17, with its 68-meter wi… (read more)

Felipe Massa admitted that the latest rumors regarding his poor relationship with new teammate Fernando Alonso are only a reason for laughter in the Ferrari garage. Following some reports in the Spanish media suggesting that he doesn’t get along with Alonso as good as he was supposed to, Alonso was the first to insist everything is fine.

After Alonso’s refusal to comment to the aforementioned allegations, it was Massa’s turn to tell the media that nothing from those reports was actually true…. (read more)

The Fiat Group has developed a new compact vehicle platform which will serve as a base for 700,000 of the company’s cars (including Chryslers) per year in the U.S. and 300,000 of these in Europe, as autonews.com reports.

The platform will be called "C", standing for compact. The first car to be underpinned by the new architecture on the European market is the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, which will have its world premiere at the Geneva Auto Show in less than a month.

Fiat and Chrysler a… (read more)

First Look for Charity, 2010 Chicago Auto Show’s benefit event, raised approximately $1.7 million, which were split between eighteen area charities. Moreover, one lucky winner of the event received the keys to a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox compact crossover. The event was held the evening before the auto show opened its public run.

There were about 7,200 people who attended First Look for Charity, helping to raise $1,701,012. They were also part of the premier viewing of the Chicago Auto Show.
… (read more)

Jamie McMurray scored his first ever Daytona 500 win of career on Sunday, when he powered to the chequered flag after no less than 6 hours of action on the Daytona International Speedway. The race was red-flagged two times yesterday, due to a hole in the track in Turn 2, but what happened in the last few laps was worth every penny from the spectators.

Once the green flag was waived for the last time on Sunday, it was Kevin Harvick who led the field, ahead of McMurray and Greg Biffle. The gree… (read more)

South Korean manufacturer Hyundai will introduce a total of 10 new models in the next two years in a move to refresh its lineup and bring fresh vehicles on the global market. The first in this series is the ix35 which was rolled out in select markets last week and will be followed by several facelifted and new-generation models slated to debut by end 2012.

At the ix35 launch in Italy, European president Han Chang Kyun confirmed that Hyundai’s short-term product plan includes up to 10 models, … (read more)

The North American division of BMW launched what it says it’s the largest brand awareness campaign in its history during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The campaign, entitled Story of Joy, introduces new creative elements across television, digital, mobile and out-of-home platforms.

An advertising first for this campaign is BMW’s use of MSN’s video capabilities for a nine-video panel homepage takeover in mid-February. The new MSN technology creates a 3-D-like display which allows users to acc… (read more)

The Chinese authorities have decided to link compulsory automobile liability insurance rates with drunk driving records, as Xinhua reports, citing the China Insurance Regulatory Commission.

The new scheme will be used starting from March 1, according to a statement issued by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission last week. This measure has been taken to raise drivers safety awareness. The new scheme will be executed on a local basis, with punishment varying according to the location of th… (read more)

On January 1 2010, the Chinese government debuted an automotive purchase stimulus program, allowing car buyers to couple a purchasing tax cut with a cash for clunkers scheme. This policy has generated positive results, with numerous people taking part in the program, as Xinhua said, citing the Chinese Ministry of Commerce

Since the beginning of the year, the average number of subsidy applications and subsidy handouts registered daily has grown by over 200 percent as compared to the figure … (read more)

Porsche has selected five young drivers from four countries to be part of its Porsche Motorsport Talent 2010 sponsorship program.

Niall Breen (23, Ireland), Jono Lester (20, New Zealand), Tim Sandtler (22, Germany), Harald Schlegelmilch (22, Latvia) and Ferdinand Stuck (18, Germany) have been selected among 12 candidates through a talent search held in Vallelunga, Italy. This year, the manufacturer will offer a 180,000 euro budget for the young team’s  participation in the international  Por… (read more)

The main Renault research center in the World, the French Technocentre will suffer an image transformation, changing its name into Le Losange

For 12 years, the Technocentre has been Renault’s main site, allowing the carmaker’s engineers to work closely together with employees from other business sectors. The new name, which represents the symbol of the company (recognized worldwide) reflects this collaboration. The company has made this decision to show that it places its heritage at the Grou… (read more)

Mikko Hirvonen said he wants to beat Sebastien Loeb for the title this season and he sure meant business, as the Finnish driver got off to a great start in his attempt to become WRC champion, in Sweden. Having taken the lead on the snowy roads of Sweden from the late stages of Friday, Hirvonen made no mistakes through Saturday and Sunday and eventually finished ahead of defending champion Loeb.

The Frenchman tried very hard to get closer to his Ford rival on Sunday, but after a few stages adm… (read more)

Japanese carmaker Nissan revealed yesterday the new Nissan Patrol in a somewhat limited manner in Abu Dhabi. The car supposed to take down Toyota’s Land Cruiser saw daylight in the UAE because it is specially intended for Arab customers.

With a price tag ranging somewhere at around 50,000 euros, the new Patrol packs a 5.6l V8 engine which develops 400 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. The unit is paired with a seven speed automatic transmission and a new electronic four-wheel-drive sy… (read more)

After last year when the then-bankrupt American manufacturer GM had to close it operations in Spring Hill, Tennessee or Janesville, Wisconsin, it would appear that now, thanks to what appears to be a revived industry, GM is considering reopening them to cover the increasing demand in vehicles.  
According to GM’s North American president Mark Reuss, cited by Reuters, GM is still considering which plant has the best chance of being revived and says that if one was to be open, it would op… (read more)

Following the release of the revised X5, German carmaker BMW released details of the M package meant for the reinterpreted SUV. Scheduled to be presented at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, the package includes alterations to the exterior, interior and chassis.

From the technical perspective, the package boasts a high-speed set-up and sporty suspension settings, emphasized by the 19-inch M light alloy rims in V-spoke design (or, alternatively, M light alloy wheels in 20-inch format), either in two… (read more)

American manufacturer Ford announced today it is launching a voluntary sustainability program for Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers in an attempt to help them reduce carbon footprint and improve the energy-efficiency of the locations. The program is called Go Green and it will be announced at the 2010 National Automobile Dealers Association Convention.

In keeping with Ford’s commitment to the environment, this program is a great fit for our dealers because it provides a variety of energy-eff… (read more)

Following her brave result in the ARCA season opening race at Daytona last weekend, Danica Patrick was hoping to piggyback on that performance in her very first Nationwide Series race also, on Saturday. However, the Gods didn’t favor the IndyCar racer so much on her second consecutive outing at the Daytona International Speedway, as she was caught up into a major pile-up 68 laps into the race to eventually end the day in the garage.

Starting from 15th place, Patrick tried to stay out of troub… (read more)

Lotus F1 Team became the 2nd new team to unveil their Formula One challenger this winter, when they showed the world the Lotus Cosworth T127 during a media event at London’s Royal Horticultural Hall.

Although the car has been previously spy-shot by the motorsport media during its shakedown at Silverstone earlier this week, there was plenty to see for the 500 audience present at the event. As confirmed by the team’s technical chief Mike Gascoyne, the car is just as solid as any piece of machin… (read more)