Author: autoevolution

After the first of the two-day testing session for the new spoilers took place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya managed a lap time of 29.036 seconds at an average speed of 185.976 mph, making him the leader of the Sprint Cup pack of drivers who tested the spoiler.

Montoya was first in the morning test, when the track was at its coolest, while the afternoon session was lead by Paul Menard, followed by the same Montoya, Ryan Newman, Jamie McM… (read more)

Honda’s British division announced today it has expanded trim levels across the Jazz model range by adding the sporty Si grade, available only with a manual transmission. The Jazz Si is scheduled to go on sale from April 1, 2010, when it will benefit from a first year rate if VED of £0, just like all Jazz models.

The newly added grade features include 16-inch Chronos alloy wheels, a chrome sports front grille and rear spoiler, as well as embroidered carpet mats and Si branding on the boot lid… (read more)

The automotive industry is constantly increasing its efforts to protect the environment, with initiatives spread across all its sectors. However, not all the changes receive the same attention from the public, as some of them are more appealing than others.

For example, the introduction of a new economical tire for transport vehicles might not seem such an important achievement. But, if we look closer, we’ll realize that long distance vehicles benefit most from any change, as their high annu… (read more)

Although it is widely perceived that Vitaly Petrov is just another pay-driver entering the world of Formula One – as his seat with Renault was secured via a EUR15 million sponsorship coming from Russia – the driver’s manager Oksana Kossatschenko believes otherwise. As far as he’s concerned, Petrov is helping Renault and F1, not the other way around.

Seen as a market on which neither F1 nor French manufacturer have had too much luck in recent years – despite Renault’s 25 percent stake in AvtoV… (read more)

The Jeep Tweet-to-Win contest hosted on the brand’s Twitter page last week found five lucky winners who are now on their way to the 2010 New York International Auto Show to compete and win a 2010 Jeep Wrangler Islander. The five contestants were the first to correctly answer, in the correct format, the Jeep-branded trivia questions.

The limited-edition Jeep Wrangler Islander is available on Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited 4×4 models. Based on the Wrangler Sport model, the Islander option pac… (read more)

Crazy as it may look from the adjacent photo, the EN-V Concept from GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) may not be as much as a stretch as you might believe. Starting from the presumption that by 2030 some 60 percent of the world’s population (estimated for the year at 8 billion) will live in urban areas, GM and SAIC began researching a means of transport which is smaller, more efficient and, why not, more useful than a regular-sized vehicle.

The EN-V will be, of course, an elect… (read more)

As if the Kimi Raikkonen-Red Bull Racing-Mark Webber wasn’t complicated enough, with the Finn rumored to take Webber’s place at the Milton Keynes team in 2011, 2008 F1 champion Lewis Hamilton admitted that he has the feeling this will be the Australian racer’s final year in the series.

Mark Webber’s contract with the Austrian outfit runs out at the end of this season, and it was widely rumored that Kimi Raikkonen will be the man to replace the Aussie next year. The Finn is currently competin… (read more)

Ladies and gentlemen, the world’s No. 2 car show, Fifth Gear, is back! As you know, the TV show was killed last year, when Channel Five decided that its ratings had reached a point that was way too far out of Top Gear’s league.

But the five executives have apparently become sensitive to the needs of the automotive aficionados and has decided to revive the show. Two episodes of the new season have already been inked and the first of them is expected to hit TV sets at the end of April.

Howe… (read more)

Renault’s hot vehicle arm, the division that oversees the production of the Megane 250, the Clio 200 and the Twingo 133 Renaultsport has released the 2010 UK trackday calendar, inviting owners to this year’s events.

This year’s Renaultsport trackdays sees the addition of two famous British circuits, Silverstone and Oulton Park and extends past the UK borders, with the addition of a special event at the Spa-Francochamps circuit in Belgium. The 2010 season will also feature a special, adrenalin… (read more)

The Australian Grand Prix will be a good chance for Michael Schumacher to return to front-running spots of the 2010 classification, especially since his team has been working flat out to adjust the Mercedes W01 to his driving style. According to German publication Bild, the German had a hard time driving the understeering W01 in Bahrain, but the problem seems to have been partially solved in the last few weeks.

We cannot build a new car, but we can work on it in the wind tunnel, Schumacher wa… (read more)

Following the partnership made last year with the SGL Group to manufacture carbon fibers and textile semi-finished products (CFRP) for future BMW vehicles, German carmaker BMW is said to be looking for a site where to build a future carbon fiber plant.

According to MotoringFile and a local Washington TV station, both BMW and SGL have begun eyeing sites near Moses Lake in Washington, as well as in an unnamed Canadian city.

Until now, it is only known the new company will operate from two l… (read more)

As the South American country becomes more and more of a promise land for automotive manufacturers, an increasing number of industry players are relocating, expanding or setting up businesses here.
Long term Brazilian-manufacturer General Motors do Brasil announced today it will invest some $778 million in its Sao Caetano do Sul and Mogi das Cruzes plants, as a means to localize components with Brazilian suppliers, increase production and update the two facilities.

The definition of this n… (read more)

The global recession continues to show its negative effects on the automotive industry. The latest car segment contraction news is linked to Volkswagen, who reduced production by 44 percent at its Slovak production site last year – this led to a 17 percent job cut, as Agence France Presse reports.

Volkswagen’s  Bratislava plant laid off 1,300 workers last year, due to the fact that its output decreased from 188,000 (the figure registered a year before) to 105,997 units. Now, it only employs… (read more)

When Ohio-based Mongoose Motorsports decided to create a replica of the 1963 Corvette Grand Sport, they had no idea they would unleash GM’s wrath, and a lawsuit as well.

The American manufacturer decided these days to take Mongoose to court for producing unlicensed replicas of the model. In GM’s view, the knock-off caused them and the Corvette brand irreparable damage. As a result, they ask for Mongoose to stop using any Corvette labels or trademarks and also asks for an unspecified amount o… (read more)

Earlier today, we reported that the first units of the BMW Z4 GT3 race car reached the private BMW teams, awaiting to be modified for the 2010 events.

Now, a series of leaked pictures showing the Mercedes AMG SLS GT3 racecars have surfaced, showing the car in all its glory.

The SLS’ racing suit isn’t as striking as the one that covers the Z4, but it still manages to capture our imagination. At the front of the car, we can see a large aerodynamic bumper addition, two bespoke air fins and a … (read more)

When the revolutionary (as the manufacturer calls it) 2012 Mercedes Benz B-Klasse will arrive here, it will most likely receive an AMG boost, as the tuning arm of the German carmaker seems determined to take on the Volkswagen Golf R and Audi S3 in the year of the launch.

The rumor, which surfaced on Pistonheads, is based on earlier reports which say AMG is indeed considering a performance version for the MFA platform, the one used for the construction of the A- and B-Klasse models.

Accord… (read more)

This weekend will witness the start of the 2010 Red Bull Air Race Championship, a competition that is set to literally take off in front of an enthusiastic crown in Abu Dhabi. This will be the 6th edition of the series, as no less than 5 continents are scheduled to host the 8 rounds of the 2010 campaign.

Although Abu Dhabi has become a well-known destination to the world of Formula One quite recently – since last season, to be more precise – it has been a living part of the Red Bull Air Race … (read more)

Nico Rosberg did not want to miss one minute of the Australian GP action this upcoming weekend, so he rushed to Melbourne from as early as today. However, when reaching his hotel room at Melbourne’s Crown Casino, the German racer found out that it wasn’t ready.

Known as a poker enthusiast – he often spoke of the poker sessions he has with fellow F1 racers Robert Kubica, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella – Rosberg used the spare time to visit the casino of his hotel and play some poker … (read more)

Earlier today, news of another Tata Nano vehicle catching fire came from India, causing, why not admit it, little media frenzy (say, compared to the Toyota recall which engulfed the globe).

The problem, potentially deadlier than the Toyota issues (meaning you could die a slow, agonizing death as the fire slowly eats away at your skin), the flaming Nano came to Tata’s attention, who immediately sent a spokesman in front of the media, Business Line reports.

The spokesman confirmed the news … (read more)

Infinity has recently signed an agreement with the Canadian Cirque du Soleil entertainment group, becoming the latter’s official sponsor and exclusive automotive partner.

The new project will see Infinity vehicles featured in the Cirque du Soleil shows – the carmaker will be present at the 180 Big Top and Arena touring show markets in the U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Russia and will also be included in three theatrical shows in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. These events will off… (read more)