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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing , BMW , GM , FIAT Word out of Frankfurt from the Financial Times Deutschland is that BMW is in talks to sell engines and transmissions to both General Motors and Fiat. All three companies have declined to officially comment. The news is interesting, but not surprising. You may recall that GM has been selling transmissions to BMW for well over a decade for use in various 3 Series and 5 Series models (the current BMW 328i automatic uses a 6-speed GM 6L45 unit). So far, however, all have been automatic transmissions. Speculating about the details, our tipster suggests that BMW may be helping GM with their SMG-style transmission program. As for the engines? It is possible that BMW could be selling its 4.4L V8 for the Cadillac line or lending GM a twin-turbo to compete with Ford's twin-turbo direct-injected V6 ? Thanks for the tip Brad! [Source: Automotive News Europe , subs. req'd] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Podcasts , Sedans/Saloons , Trucks/Pickups , Crossovers/CUVs , Supercars , Audi , BMW , Dodge , Ford , GM , Hyundai , Lincoln Episode 85 of the Autoblog Podcast finds us reminiscing about the North American International Auto Show that recently invaded Detroit. It was perhaps not as thrilling as past shows, but the new F-150 and Ram hauled and herded some excitement into Cobo. Both pickups are newly spiffed and bristling with new features and engineering. While the trucks are no doubt big news, the CTS Coupe stokes our fires far more. We hope to see it visited by the V-series gnomes, too. There were a passel of diesels at the show, too. Audi's V12 TDI R8 concept was filled with design gumdrops for us to chew on, besides the 12-pot 500-hp diesel that returns mileage in the 20s. BMW had its 335d and some X5 alphabet soup thing , and Honda showed its clean diesel . Beyond oil burners, we took an IRL look at the Hyundais Genesis and found it surprising beyond...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Tech , BMW , Chevrolet , GM It used to be that American muscle cars were competing against themselves when it came to power. But rumor has it that, in the case of the Chevrolet ZR-1, the domestic horsepower war has a new international benchmark: the BMW M-division V10. Word is that "German competition is driving the higher horsepower and torque numbers coming to the Corvette." Chevy engineers said that the new LS9 was created to "match up favorably" with the V10 found in the M5 and M6. The supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 has 620HP and 595 lb-ft of torque, with 535 lb-ft available from 2,600 RPM and a 6,200-RPM redline. The high-revving, naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V10 has 507 HP and 385 lb-ft of torque, and goes all the way up to 8,250-RPM. It's good to see Chevrolet taking its cues from the best, no matter whether its domestic or international. Especially when it's applied to an engine created with a different philosophy (large...
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Filed under: Podcasts , Sports/GTs , Supercars , BMW , Chevrolet , GM , Hyundai , Nissan , Celebrities Autoblog Podcast #83 was judiciously held back until after the embargo cleared, but we can now talk freely. The biggest news this week is the official unveiling of the Corvette ZR-1/Blue Devil . Powered by the new LS9 supercharged small-block, the car's performance is sure to be astounding. After laying eyes on the un-camoflaged car, hood porthole and all, we have to ask: is it overwrought? From ridiculous speed to ludicrous wordsmithing, we talk about the Nissan FORUM concept mainly for the chance to bash the hilariously composed press release. Maybe it was written in Japanese and they just passed it through translation software before releasing the announcement. While we're being scornful, we turn our gaze to the new Knight Rider. We've been keepig an eye on all the news, and let's just say we expect the show to fail. The new Mustang-based KITT , even in Attack guise...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Crossovers/CUVs , Supercars , Audi , BMW , Buick , GM , Maserati Since 1953, thousands of beautiful models have posed for Hef's Playboy magazine, and yet the R-rated publication prides itself on giving "readers" more than just a bunch of naked women in various poses. To celebrate its diversity of content, the bunny has penned its hottest new rides of 2008. If it wasn't already obvious that Mr. Hefner had a passion for nice curves, his publication's selections for the best transportation on four wheels hints at broader appeal than the female persuasion. Playboy chose the Audi R8 as its car of the year, citing a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds as its main attraction. The even better looking Maserati GranTurismo took the best sports couple category, and the hot new Cadillac CTS took sports sedan honors. Playboy's entire list of winners, accompanied by it's official press release, is available after the jump. Check it...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Coupes , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , Crossovers/CUVs , Supercars , BMW , GM , Honda , MINI Every year the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) pick the top new vehicles by category to give their Canadian comrades a reference point for potential purchases. The AJAC tested 177 vehicles in an event at Niagra they call "Test Fest" to come up with their final list, which you can find after the jump . Even though Canadians have different automotive tastes than us Yanks, they seem to like many of the same cars we do. The AJAC picked the Audi R8 as its "Most Coveted Vehicle", the Honda Accord was honored as best family car, and the Audi S5 took honors for best sports car over $50,000, all of which are fine picks with us. We do, however, question the Nissan Rogue as Best New SUV/CUV under $35,000. It's also interesting to note that no Toyotas made the final list of 12, and GM was the only U.S. domestic to hit...
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Filed under: Etc. , Tech , BMW , DaimlerChrysler , Ford , GM Popular Mechanics is handing out its breakthrough awards , and Ford's SYNC made its way into the tech magazine's top 10 breakthrough products. SYNC's reasonable $395 price tag and voice recognition capability gave Ford and Microsoft's joint project the edge, and Popular Mechanics also really liked the fact that SYNC can read your text messages to you. SYNC will be available on 12 Ford products for the 2008 model year, with more availability in 2009. Ford wasn't the only automaker to make its way onto the breakthrough award list, either. GM, BMW, and DaimlerChrysler's joint Two-Mode Hybrid project was also recognized for its ability to save fuel on the gas guzzlers that need it most. [Source: Popular Mechanics] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Frankfurt Auto Show , Podcasts , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Crossovers/CUVs , Aston Martin , Bentley , BMW , Bugatti , Dodge , Ford , GM , Jaguar , Lamborghini , Mercedes Benz , MINI , PSA , Volkswagen , Volvo , Renault , Brabus...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Safety , Acura , BMW , Cadillac , GM , Mercedes Benz , Volvo Click the image above for a gallery of all the IIHS contenders. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released its most recent round of crash tests...
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