Chassis

Whether or not Tesla ever comes out with its Model S sedan seems to be a non-question to the electric startup. Whether or not it gets its expected 160-, 230-, or 300-mile expected per-charge range is much more pertinent to Tesla, despite other doubts. Tesla anticipates its top-spec 85-kilowatt-hour battery in ...    Read more

Electric car upstart Tesla Motors is at a crossroads as it readies to deliver its first Model S midsize luxury sedans. The automaker had planned to start delivering the $50,000 to $90,000 cars to customers by July but has since announced plans to jettison the schedule by a month and ...    Read more

The wheelchair-vehicle automotive segment is not one that often gets press, but an interesting and unsurprising trend is emerging now that thousands of mostly young, injured veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are in need of transportation. "They just don't want minivans," said Doug Eaton, president and chief executive ...    Read more

Late last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into model year 2004 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans, and 2003 Chevrolet Express full-size vans. Over 80,000 vehicles could be potentially by the investigation. Now the federal agency is upgradings its investigation of the Ford Freestar and ...    Read more

Coda Automotive, which is currently in its infant stages as an automaker, told the Detroit News yesterday that it's working on an "entry-level" electric vehicle for the United States. It will build this EV in partnership with Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors. Coda boss Phil Murtaugh said the California-based start-up ...    Read more

In yet another sign of the coming CAFE-inspired carpocalypse, Ferrari is moving beyond the experimental phase on its new HY-KERS, a hybrid electric two-motor power plant with kinetic energy recovery system for its next megasupercar, the F12berlinetta. The F12berlinetta with HY-KERS—which as the name implies, comes with a traditional Ferrari V-12—promises ...    Read more

If today's cars are getting fatter, as the statistics show, then one way to lessen the impact on efficiency and handling—and the curmudgeonly attitudes of enthusiasts—is to lighten the materials themselves by lowering the weight of the traditionally steel and aluminum panels that cars are made from. Carmakers know and want ...    Read more

In January, Lexus had a hot, California-designed concept scheduled to debut at the Detroit Auto Show. But a carefully planned teaser campaign to release images of the concept leading up to its debut was spoiled when an American magazine broke the embargo, spilling pictures onto the internet. Fortunately, Lexus had ...    Read more

When BMW switched from an inline six-cylinder engine to a turbocharged four-cylinder for the 2012 BMW 328i sedan, there seemed to be a positive tradeoff in that the new, smaller engine would be able to deliver just as much power as the outgoing model, yet offer an astounding 36 mpg ...    Read more

One thing you learn quickly about Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn is that when he invests in something, he fully expects the result to be a return of profits many times over. That said, Ghosn has officially green-lighted a revival of the Datsun nameplate, and he's planning to use it to ...    Read more

The redesigned 2012 Nissan Versa sedan is very safe, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The IIHS awarded the subcompact its best rating in all crash categories, including front, rear, side, and rollover tests, earning the Versa the coveted "Top Safety Pick" designation. Not that the 2011 Nissan Versa ...    Read more

When someone mentions the government-mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy program, with cars achieving 54.5 mpg by 2025, did you think the numbers were all from a straight average? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Chances are likely most cars won't even get anywhere near 54.5 mpg in the next 13 years. While ...    Read more

The Nissan name has successfully succeeded the defunct Datsun for almost three decades, as the Japanese automaker moved its products to its global namesake in 1983. Back in the 1970s and early 1980s, Americans were hesitant to buy Japanese cars, but there's no way you could dislike a name as ...    Read more

Here's a little known piece of trivia: When Chrysler saw its resurgence in the mid-1990s, much of the responsibility didn't come from any of the industry rockstar executives you may have heard of, like "Maximum" Bob Lutz, or former Chrysler CEO Bob Eaton. No, Chrysler was able to consolidate costs, ...    Read more

Watch enough car commercials, especially around Super Bowl time, and you're bound to feel a bit warm and fuzzy about the rebounding automobile industry. Like banking commercials, we see plenty of smiling salesman and happy customers. But let us not forget that, as much as many of us really love ...    Read more

Wanting to know exactly how the latest engine tech is saving you on gas? Or what the future holds for automotive safety? Attendees at this year's Chicago Auto Show are getting a rare glimpse into the underpinnings of today's vehicles courtesy of Continental AG, one of the world's largest automotive ...    Read more

The not-yet-released 2013 Ford Escape is almost here, and though we've seen Ford's popular crossover previously at the Los Angeles Auto Show, advanced details are finally starting to emerge. The latest feature on Ford's crossover is that it will feature some of Ford's most advanced technology in the form of ...    Read more

Auto parts supplier Continental sees massive shifts in the auto industry both here in the U.S. and abroad, and predicts car safety and fuel economy as numero uno among automakers' priorities in their future vehicles. We had a chance to catch up with Continental at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show ...    Read more

Remember the movie Maximum Overdrive, the last movie anyone can link Emilio Estevez to before he coached the Mighty Ducks in the 1990s? If you don’t, here’s a recap: Cars communicate with one another to rampage against mankind. All of it is set to the soothing sounds of AC/DC. Automakers are ...    Read more

Much like fine wine, we believe there are cars get better with age. Apparently, so does the rest of the U.S. populace, which has pushed the average age of cars and trucks in the States to a record-high 10.8 years. So what’s making us want these sexy, decadent, decade-old road-going chariots? ...    Read more

Despite rough times for millions of Americans, the Great Economic Letdown had the fortunate effect of killing the auto industry just enough for it to acknowledge and address its shortcomings. Dealing with certain inadequacies while planning for pending CAFE legislation, the industry's glorious recovery is borderline legendary status. Consumers now ...    Read more

We’ve already seen the new 2012 Kia Ray, the Korean market’s Honey-I-shrunk-the-Soul micro car. But just a month after we learned of that car, Kia has announced that it will be adding an all-electric version, perhaps foreshadowing technology we’re bound to see in the not-too-distant future. With just 68 horsepower from ...    Read more

Nissan has already said the concept we’ll see of the Pathfinder SUV won’t differ much from the production vehicle. But if the photo leaked today is any indication, it’s going to be a drastic departure from the three previous generations of Nissan’s off-roader. Gone are the blocky lines, the rear door ...    Read more

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety announced 115 recipients of its Top Safety Pick award. With 18 new vehicles joining the list for 2012, it’s especially surprising that 10 of them happen to be Honda models that have all been on sale for years now, showing the brand’s willingness to ...    Read more

It was only a matter of time before Nissan would drop information for its 2012 North American International Auto Show plans. Now we know. First up will be the Nissan Pathfinder concept, which the automaker says will preview the “all-new look, style, and attitude” of the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder set to ...    Read more