Don’t look now but Lamborghini is planning to invade the luxury car industry or as reports would have it. The funny thing is that I have always looked up to the Lambo as a luxury car in itself, though on a different level. And if the Italian car manufacturer’s intent is for real, expect the big leap to give Porsche and Aston Martin to be in for some good competition for their concept luxury cars.

What will the luxury Lambo have to offer? Well here are some of the things to watch out. The luxury model will be equipped with an all wheel-drive transmission and a V10 engine. It will come in a four-door sedan based on the Estoque concept. On whether the rumor is for real or not, the idea is not far-fetched.

(Source) Auto Spies

Tags: car industry, car manufacturer, drive transmission, funny thing, italian car, lambo, Lamborghini, leap, luxury car, luxury cars, luxury model, Porsche, wheel, wheel drive

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Chrysler got a new lease on life some months back with regards to its current financial standing. Now it seems that they have totally forgotten how to redeem itself from their poor showing as the company is still mum on what it plans to do with their current product line. There has been no word on new vehicles that would be coming out and yet we are nearing the close of 2009. Has Chrysler totally lost it?

Unlike Ford which has put much of its weight on their electric car, the Volt, Chrysler has not leaked or shown any new car models to look forward to. Rather they are providing customers with perks like car leasing and specialized features. How long can they do that? Unless they start getting their act together they are better off closing the company or perhaps selling it to someone else. They do have plans of a brand makeover but time is essential. Apparently Chrysler forgot all about that.

Tags: auto chrysler, available resources, car industry, car leasing, car models, Cars, Dodge, doors, economic turmoil, electric car, Ford, makeover, market position, models, new blood, new car, new direction, new lease on life, new vehicles, quick time, rebates, signs of life, special offers, trucks, Volt, waste of time

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Audi has announced that they will be supporting the Nature Conservancy to help jack up their eco-friendly awareness which will likewise be part of their public awareness campaign for the Audi TDI clean diesel engines. As part of their committed support, Audi will donate $1 to The Nature Conservancy voluntary carbon offset program for every Facebook user who joins the cause.

The donation will directly benefit The Nature Conservancy voluntary carbon offset program, which features the Tensas River Basin as its first project. The Tensas River Basin Project counterbalances carbon emissions by reforesting private lands to capture and store carbon, as well as to restore critical habitats to native species.

Cracking down on the carbon emission issue may seem common these days as various groups and sectors are trying to do their part to address it. And with the intent to help restructure the dilapidating forests through the Nature Conservancy effort, Audi becomes another key player to try in the fight for a cleaner and greener community aside from its contribution towards the car industry.

“Our engineers are always innovating to reduce our vehicles’ carbon emissions, and we’ve taken a giant leap forward with the introduction of the Audi Q7 TDI clean diesel this year,” said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. “But our commitment doesn’t stop with our products; we want to promote reduced emissions through support of organizations like The Nature Conservancy, and also to spread the word about the benefits of reduced emissions.”

(Source) Press

Tags: audi of america, audi q7, audi tdi, car industry, carbon emission, carbon emissions, critical habitats, diesel engines, forests, native species, nature conservancy, public awareness campaign, river basin, tensas river

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For the 8th year in a row, Ford Motors has kept in step with the consistent Japanese car manufacturers as far as brand quality is concerned. While many would think that Ford would have dropped due to the impending crisis and of course the celebrated “Bailout” issue, Ford is still up there with its Ford and Mercury brands.

Ford is in a statistical tie with Japanese car brands based on a study by J.D. Power and Associates. Overall the Ford brand improved by 10 points since last year’s study.

“It is gratifying to see our commitment to quality paying off,” said Bennie Fowler, Ford group vice president, Global Quality. “Ford has demonstrated consistent and continuous quality improvement. We’re now tied with the best of the Japanese automakers and we won’t be satisfied until Ford is the industry’s global quality leader.”

Among the cars that have contributed to Ford’s success included the Ford F-150, Mustang, Edge and Mercury Sable. But as far as Ford is concerned, that achievement is nothing. The goal, like any other car company to date, is to be the global leader in the car industry.

(Source) Press

Tags: bailout, brand quality, car brands, car industry, ford f 150, ford group, ford motors, impending crisis, industry source, j d power and associates, japanese automakers, japanese car, mercury sable, quality ford

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The call for cars to start applying some eco-friendly decency is on and Lamborghini happens to be one of them. For their part, the target is to cut their carbon emissions by 35% by 2015, a move that will surely be welcomed with open arms in the car industry.

Add to that they will be making their models lighter, adding another factor in efficient motoring as they take some load off the fuel consumption of their popular luxury cars. To top it all off, their manufacturing plants will be cutting emissions as well, turning to solar panels for better heating and lighting systems needed today.

The firm has already launched an updated Gallardo LP 560-4 with an 18% reduction in CO2 emissions by using direct injection to the engine.

(Source) Verdict On Cars

Tags: car industry, carbon emissions, co2 emissions, fuel consumption, Gallardo, Lamborghini, lighter, lighting systems, luxury cars, manufacturing plants, models, verdict on cars

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Don’t look know but it seems two familiar fixtures in the car industry are banding together to deliver an affordable sports coupe priced somewhere between $20,000 to $25,000. Coded as “086A” this new brainchild is a potential product from the reported talks being done at the moment by Toyota and Subaru.

If you are wondering what the assignments of the two cars would be, you can sum it up basically as Toyota will be in charge of the car’s styling while Subaru focuses on the car engineering.

Powering the future coupe will be Subaru’s 2.0-liter flat-4 equipped with a new direct-injection system, tuned to produce an impressive 200 bhp and 145 lb.-ft. of torque. The suspension will consist of MacPherson struts up front and a multilink setup at the rear, with the chassis based on that of the Subaru Impreza and Legacy.

Now this partnership and vehicle for that matter looks like it will be something to watch. Regardless, expect a great car to come out for 2012 thanks to the joint minds of Toyota and Subaru.

(Source) Auto Spies

Tags: brainchild, car industry, great car, macpherson struts, partnership, sports coupe, Subaru, subaru impreza, torque, Toyota, two cars

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It has been touted as the fastest Lancer Evolution ever released and it looks like based on the car specs, the new Mitsubishi X FQ-400 Lancer Evolution should indeed live up to its billing.

Armed with a 2.0 litre turbo charged MIVEC (“Mitsubishi Innovative Valve-timing Electronic Control”) petrol engine, the new Lancer Evolution promises to deliver 403bhp and 387lb.ft of torque and will help the car to reach a 0-62mph of 3.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.

Now that is speed for you. The Lancer Evolution series is perhaps one of the marquee lines that has kept Mitsubishi in circulation and hopefully this new vehicle can place some semblance that the Japan-based manufacturer is still around the car industry picture.

Mitsubishi has been sorely losing from its adversaries like Toyota and Honda and is now obviously overtaken by Hyundai and Nissan. While it has been a familiar icon in the car industry, its line of cars have been least interesting in the market due to issues surrounding maintenance and of course the price tag.

But now, the Mitsubishi X FQ-400 should set some records straight. The new Lancer Evolution X FQ-400 has been given a hefty price tag of £49,999 and will be available this June. It is interesting to see if this car can really jack it up once again!

(Source) Orange

Tags: car industry, car specs, circulation, fq 400, hefty price tag, Honda, Hyundai, lancer evolution x, Mitsubishi, mivec, new lancer, Nissan, torque, Toyota, valve timing

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Goodyear Tire and Rubber company has announced plans of shutting down its Amiens, France plant due help reduce cost in the grueling economy that it now faces. Similar to other problems that the car industry has been experiencing, it will not be surprising to note if they are victims as well of the growing pains of inefficient sales performance that needs to be addressed by cutting off under-performing branches.

“This action is a result of the plant’s uncompetitive costs. Reaching a union agreement to modernize the operation proved impossible,” said Serge Lussier, Goodyear’s Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) vice president of manufacturing. “Due to high costs and weak industry demand, the consumer tires produced there are uncompetitive in the marketplace.”

With this development, approximately 1,200 employees at the most will be affected by its closure, adding another issue on the rising problem of unemployment . There were no announcements on financial settlement with the soon to be laid off workers although there is sure to be one as mandated by law.

(Source) Press

Tags: amiens france, car industry, goodyear, goodyear tire and rubber, goodyear tire and rubber company, Middle East, sales performance

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Opel is on the block and while there are a lot of potential companies vying for ownership of the German-based can manufacturer, it seems likely that the winner will be one of its allies in GAZ of Russia. Considered to be one of the cheapest yet reliable brands in the car industry, Opel is a car brand name known globally.

However, Opel is also having its share of problems and apparently, the need for new management and owners seems to be feasible option if Opel is to stay in the market.

The Opel dealership in Moscow sells family cars as well as sport and luxury autos – from the newest top-of-the-range Insignia, to the small and sporty Corsa hatchback.

(Source) Russia Today

Tags: allies, brand name, car brand, car industry, corsa, family cars, gaz, Insignia, luxury autos, moscow, Opel

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Another car manufacturer seems to be picking up as far as business is concerned as they have announced that they will be hiring an additional workforce for its new Rolls Royce Ghost. The company plans to increase workforce by 50%, creating 150 new jobs that should be great news in the car industry.

The majority of the new positions have been created in the wood, leather and paint shops as well as the assembly areas. In addition there will be a number of new positions in the headquarter offices, also based at Goodwood. Rolls-Royce is keen to fill all positions within the next few months and anticipates drawing on the considerable pool of highly skilled automotive industry personnel available in the UK.

This welcome news is sure to put laid off workers and the jobless back on track. The number of laid off employees from the car industry has swelled and to date, a lot of them are still looking for a job. Apparently, Rolls Royce may be their best ticket for now so expect a lot of these jobless workers lining up to be possibly hired.

(Source) Easier.com

Tags: assembly areas, automotive industry, best ticket, car industry, car manufacturer, Ghost, great news, jobless workers, looking for a job, new jobs, paint shops, pool, rolls-royce, welcome news, workforce

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GMAC, the former division from GM, is getting another shot in the arm with the injection of $7.5 billion in exchange for shares from the company. The move is expected to be good news for all Chrysler and dealers, an issue that has been plaguing the headlines due to the car manufacturer’s restructuring intent.

The Treasury has already allocated 5 billion dollars to Gmac to increase its capital and 884 million dollars to GM to acquire Gmac shares. The American Treasury announced that it will ‘’soon” convert the 884 million dollars in privileged shares in ordinary shares, making it shareholder with a 35pct stake in Gmac. The 7.5 billion dollars loaned to Gmac include 4 billion which Gmac has to loan to Chrysler clients and dealers.

It looks like this development will address issues surrounding loans and the car industry. GMAC has been in sitting in pins and needles lately and with this new stimulus-plan like assistance from the US government, keep your fingers crossed that something should come out of it unlike the previous one which seemed to produce nothing beneficial for anyone.

(Source) AGI

Tags: billion dollars, car industry, car manufacturer, Chrysler, fingers, GM, GMAC, headlines, Loans, million dollars, stimulus plan, treasury

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It wouldn’t be surprising if at the rate that technology is advancing that 3D navigation and panels would be the next enhancement that motorists would want. This is what Nvidia Integra seems to have in mind as it is pushing for the next generation 3D displays which is not far-fetched.

Today, we see them in movies. However, observe the new batch of cars from manufacturers today and you may see that they are in the age of digital gauges and enhancements. Can you imagine the number of tweaks that would be done and we may soon find 3D-based gauges? The transition is not that far behind.

Nvidia Integra seems to be on the threshold of developing just that. From gauges to GPS devices, the 3D era invading the car industry is something that should not come as a surprise soon.

(Source) CNet

Tags: 3d navigation, car industry, enhancement, enhancements, generation 3d, motorists, navigation displays, nvidia, threshold, transition

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It seems that the car scrappage schemes are finally paying off. At least that is that it seems like for Mazda plants in Japan which have reportedly resumed operations after being suspended due to plummeting sales ever since the recession set in.

We are all aware that Europe had been in the forefront of this scheme which aims to entice motorists to trade in their old cars for discounts on new ones. Apparently a lot of them grabbed the deal to which rising demand is now occurring hence business as usual for car companies to satisfy the new demand.

This leaves a bright spot in the car industry. Apparently other cars are bound to follow the lead of Mazda of Japan but no one knows when that would be. This is the best news we have gotten from the auto industry to date!

(Source) RAC

Tags: auto industry, car companies, car industry, Europe, full force, Japan, Mazda, motorists, old cars, recession

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A day after the said launch of the UK’s car scrappage scheme, Toyota and Honda have reportedly held back, stating that they need exact figures on just how much they will be contributing before they actually participate in the said scheme.

The need for clarification and certainty seems to be demanded by the two car manufacturing giants, opting to see in black and wait just how much would have to contribute to the scheme, which was designed to kickstart moribund sales and revive the flagging industry.

To refresh your memory, Motorists who trade in their old car and buy a new model from participating manufacturers will receive a £2,000 discount, half of it paid by the government and half by the car industry.

Unless this issue gets resolved, sudden constraints have come up. And knowing how many motorists own cars under these two car giants, you know that something may eventually hinder the success of this car scrappage scheme in the United Kingdom.

(Source) Guardian

Tags: car giants, car industry, car scrappage scheme, Cars, clarification, constraints, exact figures, Ford, Honda, launch, memory, motorists, new model, Toyota, united kingdom

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Much of the attention for the last couple of days was on the impending cut on dealerships by Chrysler and General Motors. Now it is time for the auto suppliers and support companies to feel the crunch. And one of the companies that have announced their cost-cutting measures is a familiar brand in Bosch, maker of Chassis Systems.

The whole car industry debacle is following a domino effect. The fall of the top tile means that others relying on it will follow. And Bosch is a big supplier that can certainly tilt the whole automotive scenario for the worse as it announces job cuts of about 50 workers.

The eliminated positions are in the company’s facilities at Bosch Chassis Systems and Full Brake in South Bend and Automotive Proving Grounds in New Carlisle. The cuts are expected to be effective today.

Though declared to be only 20% in the reduction of employees, don’t expect it to be the last. Unless the economy picks up, expect more drastic measures by companies like Bosch to be applied.

(Source) Fox 28

Tags: Auto Suppliers, bosch, car industry, chassis, chassis systems, Chrysler, couple of days, crunch, debacle, domino effect, drastic measures, economy, General Motors, job cuts, new carlisle, proving grounds, south bend, tile

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