Author: autoevolution

  • Land Rover Supports Explorer to Break North Pole Speed Record

    British explorer Ben Saunders will attempt to become the fastest ever to reach the North Pole on foot. However, British carmaker Land Rover will support the expedition, due to start on March 15. Though there isn’t any car involved in the process, Saunders has a Land Rover Discovery received from a sponsorship agreement with the carmaker.

    The current speed record is of 36 days, 22 hours, but giving Ben’s achievements so far, it should be nothing but a peanut.

    Ben Saunders is a pioneering p… (read more)

  • Fiat’s U.S. Return Lead by Laura J. Soave

    Fiat has far greater plans for the U.S. market than just reviving Chrysler. As it previously announced, the brand will re-enter the U.S. market, with the 500 as the first model to be brought stateside.

    The company has appointed Laura J. Soave as Head of Operations for North America. The executive will supervise Fiat’s return in North America. Soave will hold general responsibility for the company, including the it’s financial situation. The executive will report directly to Sergio Marchionne… (read more)

  • Nissan Announces Management Changes

    In the current economical climate, management changes in the auto industry have become quite usual. In search for better management and out of the box thinking, Nissan has just announced changes and promotions within its global management team.

    "The changes we are taking today will further sharpen our management focus," said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "These appointments also reflect our commitment to deliver innovative, technology-driven, affordable solutions, incl… (read more)

  • Nissan NV Commercial Vehicle Introduced in NA

    Nissan had just unveiled the first commercial vehicle in the company lineup for North America at the National Truck Equipment Association’s (NTEA) annual Work Truck Show. Dubbed Nissan NV, the vehicle is scheduled to launch in late 2010. According to the carmaker, the new Nissan NV line will be manufactured at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi assembly facility.

    The NV will be available in three models, NV1500, NV2500 HD and NV3500 HD, and in two roof configurations – Standard Roof and High Roof. … (read more)

  • Renault F1 Signs Agreement with MOV’IT

    Only a couple of days before the start of the new season, Renault F1 Team received another boost (financially speaking) by signing a new partner. We’re talking about German company MOV’IT, a worldwide player in high-performance brake systems for sports, racing and security vehicles.

    We weren’t given the full details of the new agreement, but we believe it will extend for the duration of the upcoming season only, with the company’s logo due to be painted on the nose of the Renault R30 starting… (read more)

  • Kia Reports February Global Sales

    The Koreans are doing quite well, as Kia has just reported its global sales figures for passenger cars recreational vehicles and commercial vehicles for February 2010. The automaker managed to sell a total of 143,267 units, including export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants. This represents a year-on-year increase of 39.5%.

    Kia’s sales went up all across the world: 128.6% in China (25,435 units sold), 52.7% in general markets (32,578 units sold), 34.4% in Europe (24,992 uni… (read more)

  • TRW Reaches Electrically Assisted Steering Units Milestone

    Safety systems manufacturer TRW Automotive Holdings has announced the production of its 15 millionth Electrically Powered Hydraulic Steering (EPHS) unit and its 10 millionth Electrically Powered Steering (EPS) unit worldwide. According to TRW, demand for these technologies is set to increase.

    TRW offers two EPS solutions, namely the column drive unit which is mounted on the steering column and the belt drive where the assist power is applied directly to the rack with a belt drive and ball nut… (read more)

  • Unions Reticent on Antwerp Live-Saving Plan

    Yesterday it has emerged that Belgian unions are working on a life-saving plan that could keep the Antwerp plant open, despite GM’s intentions to shut down the facility. And although some rumors were claiming that labor representatives are aiming to rely on an outside investor that could pour money into the plant, unions are still silent when it comes to these proposals.

    However, Opel is still keen on its initial plans and says the closing process will be continued according to the schedule.
    … (read more)

  • Schumacher Uncomfortable with Understeering W01

    Michael Schumacher is yet to get comfortable with the Mercedes W01, despite the 7 or 8 days of testing during the month of February. According to both the team’s boss Ross Brawn and Schumacher’s little brother Ralf, it seems that Nico Rosberg finds it more natural to drive the 2010 challenger than the 7-time world champion.

    Nico (Rosberg) has felt a little better in the car (than Schumacher) in his test days, said Brawn in recent days, echoing the comments of Schumacher’s long-time manager Wi… (read more)

  • Kicherer E 50 Coupe Revealed

    Kicherer has developed a tuning program for the Mercedes E-Klasse Coupe 500, offering a decent power increase and a discreet styling tweak.

    The car’s naturally aspirated 5.5 liter V8 engine has received a high performance exhaust system and an ECU remap. These offer a 42 HP and 15 lb-ft (20 Nm) of torque premium, bringing the engine’s total output to 430 HP and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque. Kicherer has removed the coupe’s electronic speed limiter and the tuner claims that the car’s speedomet… (read more)

  • Cash for Clunkers Program Exceeded Forecasts

    Last year’s Cash for Clunkers program determined a greater boom on the U.S. car market than it was previously estimated, even surpassing governmental forecasts, as CNNMoney reports, citing data from a report issued by Maritz Research, an automotive market research company.

    The report indicates that the program led to the sale of 765,000 new vehicles. These cars would not have been sold without the incentive scheme. The figure is more than double than the one estimated by the U.S. Department … (read more)

  • 2010 Infiniti G Anniversary Edition Released

    In order to celebrate the brand’s 20th anniversary, Infiniti has introduced four new G limited edition models. According to the manufacturer, there will be 350 G Sedans and 200 each for the G Coupe and G Convertible that are scheduled to go on sale in mid-April.

    The Anniversary Editions are based on the G Sedan Journey and AWD, G Coupe Journey and G Convertible and come standard with a 3.7-liter V6 engine and 7-speed automatic transmission.

    All four models are equipped with standard Premiu… (read more)

  • Mercedes Showcased the Attention Assist in the U.S.

    Mercedes-Benz showcased its Attention Assist safety system during the U.S. National Sleep Awareness Week.

    Recent studies show that drowsy driving represents a greater hazard than drunk driving, as the first causes 100,000 accidents annually in the U.S. During the 2010 Sleep Health and Safety Conference, recently held in Washington D.C. by the National Sleep Foundation, the German company stressed the importance of driver behavior in the area of road safety.

    The Attention Assist is a system… (read more)

  • Toyota TAPESTRY Program Celebrates 20 Years

    For the past 20 years, Toyota Motor Sale USA and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have been promoting education through the Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program. Just today Toyota has announced that this year $550,000 in grants will be awarded to 79 educators.

    The Toyota TAPESTRY Program awards funding for innovative science proposals submitted by educators in three areas: environmental science, physical science and integrating literacy & science. Since the prog… (read more)

  • Daimler Trucks Sales Down 45 Percent in 2009

    The global economic slump strongly affected the truck sales, as well as it did with passenger cars. So is the case with Daimler Trucks, who saw a decrease of 45 percent in worldwide sales during the course of 2009. Moreover, the division’s revenues declined by 36 percent to €18.360 million.

    Daimler Trucks, however, managed to maintain or even increase its market shares in the key regions.

    "Our industry has always been very cyclical, which is why we are prepared to deal with marke… (read more)

  • London Taxi Brought to Ukraine

    It seems that the word London should be removed from the famous London Taxi brand, as the iconic cars have spread far beyond English borders. Last year, the Chinese automotive manufacturer Geely began producing the current incarnation of the iconic car, the TX4. 2010 saw the introduction of the British-build version to multiple Eastern European markets. Small TX4 fleets were sold to taxi companies operating in Kosovo, Poland and now Ukraine.

    LTI, the company who introduced the London Taxi con… (read more)

  • Volvo Ocean Race Final Port Announced

    The upcoming Volvo Ocean Race, due to start from Alicante in Spain in the autumn of 2011, will make its last stop in Galway, Ireland, Volvo announced today. The decision was taken due to the success recorded stopover in Galway during May 2009, with over 600,000 supporters visited the race village during the stopover.

    "The 2009 stopover in Galway made an abiding impression on the sailors, support crews, organisers and media, who were immersed in the warmth of an Irish welcome, stated Bria… (read more)

  • 1990 Daihatsu Rocky Recalled in the US

    Toyota managed to create a complete recall madness. Nowadays, whoever hears about a recall gets instantly scared, as problems seem all related to painful, fiery deaths. But that’s not always the case.

    Unfortunately, Toyota is not the only car you can get yourself cremated in. Recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies show that the Daihatsu Rocky model produced between 1990 and 1992 might have some problems with its engine, engine cooling system, exhaust systems and emissio… (read more)

  • Yamaha Super Tenere Online Reservation Now Available

    Shortly after its official unveiling, the latest product in Yamaha’s range is now available through the online reservation system. The manufacturer announced the bike will make its debut on the European market as a special edition of one year that will include various adventure features as standard and which will come as optional features in 2011.

    First teased at the 2009 EICMA Show in Milan, the newly developed ‘king of the desert’ is considered to be a worthy rival to BMW’s GS range. … (read more)

  • UK Has New Road Works Safety Rules

    The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has issued a new set of safety rules that regulate the country’s roadworks.

    The specialized firms that carry out road works already have to provide information (this include a contact telephone number and details about the firm) at the construction site and abide certain safety rules imposed by DfT standards. The new standards state that councils that carry their own works will have to follow the same set of rules.

    According to a recent report, an … (read more)