2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe Spied at Amsterdam's Airport

The forthcoming 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe has been spotted at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport in the Netherlands by readers of our Dutch friends over at Autogespot. The barely camouflaged model reveals the new E-Class Coupe's heavily shouldered rear wheel arches as well as the more dramatic styling of the three-part side windows and the sleeker roofline. Though not clearly visible in these photos, the CLK's successor also adopts the Paris Show ConceptFascination's diamond-shaped, quad-headlamp arrangement and the angular, businesslike nose featuring Merc's three-pointed star in the middle.

Overall, the E-Class Coupe's styling appears more seductive than the 2010 E-Class sedan, pictures of which were leaked into the internet a few weeks ago -click here. Merc's rival to the BMW 3-Series and Audi A5 coupes will most likely be offered with the same powertrain options as the saloon version, ranging from a ranging from an entry-level, 1.8-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol right up to a 6.2-litre V8 engine in the range-topping AMG version. Mercedes will also offer an array of diesel engine options on the new E-Class coupe.

It is expected that the new E-Class Coupe will make its official debut along with its sedan sibling at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March, 2009, with sales following in the second half of the year and in some markets, in early 2010.

Via: Autogespot

GM Claims it has Received 10,000 Pre-Orders for new Camaro

Even though the all-new Camaro has yet to hit Chevy's showroom floors, General Motors reported that it has received some 10,000 pre-orders for the retro-penned sports car. The announcement was made by GM's head of North American marketing and sales, Mark LaNeve. The new Camaro will be offered with a base 3.8-liter V6 with 300HP and a 6.2-liter V8 unit developing 400HP when hooked up to an auto transmission and 422HP when matted to a 6-speed manual.

The first Camaros are scheduled to arrive in customer hands in February 2009, however, there may be a delay due to a dispute with GM's interior parts supplier Cadence Innovation that went bankrupt recently. GM had given parts and machines to Cadence to make the Camaro parts. Since Cadence went out of business, it was supposed to return the equipment immediately, but that has not happened and now GM is suing its former supplier.

According to General Motors, if it does not manage to get the machines back from Cadence by January 12, then the start of production of the Camaro will most probably be delayed.

Via: Autonews

Global Car Sales to Drop 7.7% to 60 Million Units in 2009, according to Hyundai Chairman

South Korea's largest automaker, Hyundai, expects that the worldwide financial crisis will continue to have a negative effect on global auto sales throughout 2009. Today, the firm's Vice Chairman Choi Jae Kook told Hyundai's employees that the company expects global sales to drop at least 7,7 percent to 60 million units in 2009 from around 65 million in 2008. "Next year will be a critical time for all automakers as there could be a big industry wide shake-up amid slowing sales and overcapacity", Choi said, according to Hyundai spokesman Ki Jin Ho.

"Even Toyota is predicting an operating loss, which was unthinkable before," Choi said in his speech to the company's employees.

As for Hyundai and its Kia affiliate, the company adjusted its forecast for 2008 sales this month from 4.8 million to 4.2 million. Currently, the two automakers have a combined production capacity of around 5.3 million vehicles annually.

Via: Bloomberg

Fisker to Debut 408HP Karma S 'Sunset' Hybrid Concept at Detroit Show

Along with the public unveiling of the production Karma plug-in hybrid sports sedan, Fisker will also takes the wraps off a new concept car at next month's Detroit Auto Show. The concept is called Karma S, where S stands for Sunset - something that could point towards a convertible version of the Karma saloon. The California based company said that the Karma S will be powered by the Karma's Q-DRIVE powertrain, developed in cooperation with Quantum Technologies exclusively for Fisker. The system offers a 50 mile range on a single charge to its Lithium-Ion battery pack, and an output of up to 408HP from the two electric motors. Fisker will announce more details about the Karma S at the company's press conference on January 12, 2009.

Source: Fisker , Via: Autobloggreen

Video & Photos: Roewe 550 Receives 5 Stars in Chinese-NCAP Crash Tests

Here you can see video of the Roewe 550 being tested in front of journalists and photographers. Within one minute and 14 seconds, you see the Roewe 550 smashed up in three different tests, with a normal speed and slow-motion shot of each impact.


The SAIC Roewe 550 has received a five-star crash rating from the Chinese arm of the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP). C-NCAP, in conjunction with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center in Tianjin, China, gave the rating on six-star scale.


This ties the mark for the safest rated Chinese car. The Chinese-made Chery A3 and a car by Hongqi have also been awarded the ranking. Foreign autos Mercedes-Benz C200, produced by a joint venture called Beijing Benz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive, and the FAW-Volkswagen Bora have also received rankings at that level, according to an English-language newspaper in China.


Such dramatic increases leads one to speculate on the integrity of the tests. Still, over thirty percent of models tested in 2008 got two- or three-star rankings, according to the China Daily. The China Daily is a state-run newspaper in the People's Republic of China.

C-NCAP tested 28 cars this year, in four batches of seven models. The safety rankings have drastically improved over the last two years, with 46 percent of vehicles receiving a five-star rating in 2008. That is an increase of 10 percent on 2007 figures, and a 38 percent increase over 2006.

The Roewe 550 is based on the Rover 75, using a chassis with reduced length.
via:World Car Fans

SHO-time for 2010 Ford Taurus Spy

Could it be? Right in the midst of my own personal search for a mint Gen 1 (1989-1991) Taurus SHO comes pictoral proof that Ford may be resurrecting the Super High Output model. What we have here is one of many images published by Jalopnik showing the "SHO" moniker in its traditional font on the passenger side dash of a 2010 Ford Taurus.
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Branew_ Nissan 370Z Tuning Package

At the upcoming 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon that runs from January 9 to 11, Japanese tuning firm Branew will launch a complete performance package for the freshly revealed Nissan 370Z.


Branew's tasty exterior kit that will also be available in carbon-fiber, consists of a front spoiler, side steps, rear spoiler and a rear wing. The sport coupe's looks are complemented by a set of multispoke alloys that will be offered in various sizes.


Performance-wise, Branew has developed a new sports exhaust system and reprogrammed the 3.7-liter V6's ECU. In terms of handling, the Japanese tuner has upgraded the 370Z's brake system and added a new sport suspension kit. Further details will be released with the car's debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January.
Source: carscoop

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New 2009 BMW Z4 Videos

BMW has released two new videos of the 2009 Z4, one that gives us a backstage-look on the work that went behind the development of the hard-top roadster and another concerning the styling of the car with BMW's exterior designer Juliane Blasi sharing her thoughts on the matter. The second-generation Z4 that comes with a two-piece, electro-hydraulically operated Retractable Hard-Top roof that can be raised or lowered in 20 seconds, will make its world debut next month at the Detroit Auto Show.

BMW Z4 Prototype

BMW Z4 Exterior Design

Mullet County: Porsche 928 with Blown Chevy V8

Now here's a Mad Max enthusiast's wet dream... and a Porsche-file's nightmare. As its name clearly suggests, the CHEPORSCHE is a 1984 Porsche 928 that has been outfitted with a blown 454 Chevy V8 engine. In true Texan style, the owner of the car has also raised the 928 several inches from the ground. But if you thought the exterior is tacky, wait until you get a look of the GT's cabin... In the extremely rare case that someone finds this heavily abused Porsche attractive, it is up for sale on eBay for $5,999.

Source: eBay Motors , Via: Cardomain

2009 Buick Regal Mega Gallery: The Opel Insignia Heads to China

As strange and absurd as it may sound to our North American readers, the new Opel Insignia is sold in China under the Buick Regal nameplate. And how about here in the States, we hear many of you asking. Well, the Insignia was supposed to arrive in the form of the next generation Saturn Aura in a year or two, but GM's economic woes have reportedly put a hold on the U.S. market debut of the sleek looking sedan until further notice. If you want our opinion, we would have found it more rational for GM to introduce Opel's models under the Buick logo and do away with Saturn, but then again, we're no high-rank execs...

Back to the new China-only Buick Regal, the mid-size sedan differs from its German counterpart only in a few cosmetic details like the front grille, the side air vents and the exterior mirrors.

On sale now in China, the new Regal sedan is offered with two 4-cylinder petrol engines, a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter unit with 165HP and a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 217HP. Both engines are matted to a standard six-speed manual gearbox with Buick announcing 0 to 100km/h (62mph) times of 9.8 and 7.8 seconds for the Regal 2.4L and 2.0T respectively.

Source: Buick , Via: Autoblog.com