For some people, it isn’t enough to just have an exotic supercar like a Lamborghini, they want theirs to be different, a bit more unique.

Especially good at making the rich part with extra money is the German tuner Mansory, which has modified just about every exotic car in the market, including the Bugatti Veyron. However, some of their work has been a bit tasteless and gaudy.

Thankfully now it seems that Mansory is modifying cars with a bit more science behind their madness, and that seems to be the case with their take on the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4.

Their Aventador is more than just some thoughtless body kit, this one actually improves airflow to cool the brakes and engine on the car, but also improves downforce.

Their car is slightly wider too, 40 mm at the front and 50 mm at the rear, due to Mansory’s own design on the fenders, and hood.

It’s not all show without any more go power either. Mansory tweaked the Aventador’s ECU and now this car produces 744-hp and 553 lb/ft of torque. According to Mansory, this Aventador can sprint from 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds and onto a top speed of 220 mph.

Plus, Mansory has taken some weight out of the Aventador by replacing some factory components with lighter carbon-fiber pieces.

To finish it off, you get new exhaust tips, new wheels and a large rear wing (calling that wing a spoiler just doesn’t seem right). The end result looks really quite good, so good job Mansory.

No prices have been published regarding this customization package, but if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it.

GALLERY: Mansory Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

Typically at any big auto show, car companies come up with concept cars to not only attract the attention of the press, but also to bring buying consumers onto their show stand.

However, the only turns most concept cars ever see are on the turn-tables at auto shows, not the turns of a road. Some concepts however, have been able to leap into the real world. Car’s like the original Audi TT, the 2002 Ford Thunderbird and the current Chevrolet Camaro started off in life as just concept cars, but strong press and customer response lead their makers to put the vehicles into production.

Now it seems that Lexus might be inclined to do the same regarding their LF-LC concept, which first showed up at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.

We first reported on this concepts favorable public reaction earlier this month. Since then, Lexus has taken the concept to the Geneva Auto Show, where it received a similarly positive reaction.

This has given Lexus and its parent company Toyota something to think about. So now, Lexus’ product planning chief Karl Schlicht is saying the LF-LC’s chances of making it to production are 50/50.

“A decision has not been taken,” Schlicht said. “But we’re now up to a 50 per cent chance from a zero per cent one. Every top Toyota Motor Company manager is aware of the great reception it has received and now we’re talking about how we can do it and fit it into the product plan.”

Schlicht said the only reason this vehicle is even being considered for production is because of the reaction the concept got, if it was just a drawing, it would not have gone much further.

Worth noting, the LF-LC was designed at the Calty Design Center in California and the only brief the designers were given was regarding the size of the vehicle and that it needed to be a 2+2 coupe.

Will this hybrid sports coupe concept make the leap into reality? We would certainly like to see that.

GALLERY: Lexus LF-LC

[Source: Autocar]

Back in January, Jeep launched a competition called “Name My Ride.” It was set up to find the perfect name for Jeep’s latest special edition models.

Much to the company’s surprise, the contest drew in well over 100,000 entries from Jeep enthusiasts, with “Altitude” as the winning name.

Now Jeep is taking the name to new heights but releasing not one, but three models: the Grand Cherokee, Compass and Patriot Altitude editions. Each of these vehicles will receive some special treatment, which starts with the “blacked-out” look you see above.

The Grand Cherokee’s exterior gets a grille surround appearing in black gloss, and mesh grille texture in platinum chrome. A platinum chrome lower fascia applique completes the unique front-end appearance. Black headlamp bezels and a black liftgate light bar continue the theme throughout the vehicle’s exterior. It also gets 20-inch black gloss alloy wheels.

Inside you’ll get leather-trimmed heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, a 9-speaker 506-watt sound system with subwoofer, iPod/MP3 connectivity, back-up camera, rear-park assist system, Keyless Enter-N-Go, plus Chrysler Group’s Uconnect hands-free communications system.

Available in six colors, this special edition Grand Cherokee will be available from May with a $35,595 starting price for 4×2 models and $37,595 for 4×4 models.

The Compass and Patriot get a similar styling treatment, albeit with 18-inch and 17-inch wheels respectively. Only four colors are available for the Compass Altitude edition with pricing starting at $22,190 for 4×2 models and $23,940 for 4×4 models.

The Patriot Altitude edition is also available in four colors and its pricing starts at $20,240 for 4×2 models and $23,275 for 4×4 models.

Jeep has seen a 34 percent increase in sales in 2012 and they are certainly hoping to up that figure even more with these new special editions. Pending success, maybe the Liberty and Wrangler will get similar treatment.

GALLERY: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Altitude

GALLERY: 2012 Jeep Compass Altitude

GALLERY: 2012 Jeep Patriot Altitude

Batteries and cold climates often don’t mix well. Anyone who has tried to operate an electric device, like a camera that has been sitting in the cold, will soon find that the batteries have lost their charge.

This sort of issue isn’t catastrophic with a small device, just a little inconvenient. The same can’t be said about a car, which has to work in all climates.

Volvo currently allows select customers to lease the C30 Electric and worked hard to ensure that not only the car will work in cold climates, but also the car can generate heat to make its occupants feel more comfortable.

To prove what its car has achieved, the company staged an event in Finland to show what the C30 Electric can do.

The test started by placing the car in a cold climate chamber, which kept the car at a steady -13 degrees Fahrenheit.

Not only did the cars start, but they were also able to warm up very quickly because of its separately-fueled heating system. The C30 Electric has three heaters, an electric immersion heater, an electric PTC heater, and a fuel operated heater that runs on ethanol.

The testers on hand were very impressed, not only with the way the car drove in icy conditions, but also how quickly the heaters warmed up the car. You can watch the video after the jump:

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American motorists’ mentalities were very different a decade ago. Gas was selling at $1.25 a gallon, and thirsty SUVs like the Hummer H2 were popular.

Fast forward to today and gas prices are more than triple the old average. That translates to buyer’s increasing interest in smaller, more fuel-efficient models like the MINI Cooper.

“MINI launched in the U.S. during the time when gas was cheap and large trucks and SUV’s ruled the road. Many thought the brand would be a one-hit wonder, and we are extremely proud that we were able to surprise some [of] the toughest critics, and at times, even ourselves,” MINI USA vice president Jim McDowell said.

Despite that skepticism, the company is celebrating a decade of sales and growth in the U.S., and steady upward progress. Most recently the company debuted its 2013 Countryman John Cooper Works edition, which is a more performance-oriented take on its largest offering to date. The Countryman is an example of how the company grew over the past 10 years.

The MINI brand first opened shop in San Francisco back in 2002, at a time when many didn’t think a funky, European hatchback had any place on the vast Interstates of America, a land where gas was cheap and size mattered most.

Many felt this premium small car brand, under BMW ownership didn’t have much of a chance of surviving in the States, especially because it started as a one-model company.

Soon, MINI expanded by introducing more models including not-so-small options. This eventually lead to the six choices you see today and a healthy customer base.

If you own a 2006 model-year Honda CR-V, you might need to keep an eye on your mail box.

Honda is voluntarily recalling 1,316 CR-V’s because it suspects that the weld that they used to hold the right front lower control arm was improper. With time, that weld can break which potentially can lead to an accident.

So far, no one has reported this issue and Honda hopes to address this problem before anyone has an unfortunate accident.

Honda will be mailing out the recall notice to the affected customers by mid-April. Customers are encouraged to visit a Honda authorized dealer as soon as they get their notice.

If you think your vehicle could be affected and yet did not receive a letter from Honda by mid-April, you can also check the status of your vehicle by going online to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (800) 999-1009 and then selecting option 4.

Since 1948, those who have wanted to travel by roads that didn’t actually exist, chose to do so with a Land Rover.

It might not have been the only proper off-road vehicle on the market, but its ability to cross terrain made it an ideal choice for the adventurer crowd.

Americans have been able to buy Land Rover, and the more luxurious Range Rover products for 25 years now. To celebrate this milestone, Land Rover has released a little film, showing their past, their present, and a glimpse of their future.

So if you are a fan of these British SUV’s, you would enjoy the film after the break.

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Back in 2002, a special edition Ram 1500 pick-up truck was launched specifically for Texan truck buyers. Called the Lone Star edition, it quickly became the top selling Ram model in the vast state.

“The Ram 1500 Lone Star was the first pickup truck designed by Texans and built specifically for Texans. Native Texans are very proud to be from the Lone Star State. For the last 10 years, this truck has given us the authentic opportunity to proudly connect Ram with Texas’ very proud state motto,” said Ram Trucks president and CEO Fred Diaz.

In the last 10 years, over 80,000 Lone Star edition trucks have been sold in Texas, and the automaker hopes to continue the trend with the new 2012 Ram 1500 Lone Star 10th Anniversary Edition.

The Lone Star 10th Anniversary edition gets new, larger “Lone Star” badges with the prominent red, white and blue Texas state emblem on its front doors and tailgate. The new badges are also part of an exclusive appearance package and replace the “Ram 1500” badging that other models wear.

More than just the badges set this truck apart from other Rams, inside you’ll find Katzkin perforated leather seats with Texas Lone Star logo’s. The glove box and floor mats also get the 10th Anniversary logos.

Powering this truck is the 5.7-liter HEMI V8, which produces 390 horsepower and 407 lb/ ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Offered only in the Crew Cab body style, you can choose between black, bright silver, bright white, deep cherry red, flame red, mineral gray and true blue for the exterior.

If interested, you can pick up this pickup sometime around June though a specific date wasn’t mentioned. Pricing for the Lone Star edition starts at $36,440. You also need to be in Texas as this is a Texas only truck.

The revised 2013 Ford Mustang is one of the most highly anticipated sports cars to hit our market this year. We first told our readers about the upcoming changes late last year.

One of the features will surely excite car enthusiasts is the new “Track Apps” system. This inbuilt feature has all the performance driving telemetry you could wish for. It has an acceleration timer that lets you record your 0-60 mph, 0-100mph, 1/8th-mile and 1/4-mile times.

There is also an accelerometer which measures g-forces, so now you’ll be able to see how hard the car is working in the corners. Braking performance is another feature with Track apps, which measures your stopping time and distance.

Finally, and possibly the most fun, there is an app that mimics the lights at a drag strip, giving a count down before stomping on the gas pedal.

All these apps will be a source of great fun for Mustang owners, we just want to urge you to do your testing on the track, and not on public roads.

To learn more about this feature, watch the video below.

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If you own a 1995 to 1999 Land Rover Discovery, a 1999 to 2004 Discovery II or a 1995 Range Rover Classic, and had recently replaced its rear drive-shaft coupling, you need to read on.

The problem: certain rear drive-shaft couplings manufactured as replacement parts between April 2011 through November 2011, carrying parts number TVF100010, could fail because they weren’t built to exact design specification the manufacturer had required.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reported that, “some of the rear driveshaft couplings may not have been manufactured to the required engineering design specifications and may exhibit the onset of joint separation, precluded by driveline vibration.”

This means, ignoring the vibration warning sign may lead to a “catastrophic failure” of the drive coupling, which may lead to a loss of the driveshaft while moving. The vehicle could lose drive along with its transmission park settings, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash or injury.

Land Rover expects around 180 vehicles to be affected. So if you recently had this item changed on your old Discovery or Classic, we advise you to contact Land Rover at: 1-201-818-8500. The campaign number for this recall is P024.

Since 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette has been a part of the American landscape, both on the road and on the track.

It is easily the most winning American sports car, having clocked wins on national and international circuits. Corvette’s have been particularly competitive at the 12-Hours of Sebring race. Since its first race outing in 1956, 231 Corvette’s have competed at Sebring, 24 of which have won class or outright victories at this track.

So it is fitting that Sebring International Raceway has inducted the Corvette into its Hall of Fame. It also worked out for Corvette that on its 60th anniversary, the car placed second and third place in this years grueling endurance race.

Russ Clark, Chevrolet’s marketing director for performance cars said; “We are thrilled that Sebring has recognized the success of the Corvette on the race track by inducting it into the hall of fame. Even more important than the awards and race wins are the benefits to our production vehicles as a result of our racing programs,” said Clark. “We have been successful at transferring racing technology to the street, especially in our high-performance vehicles such as the Corvette ZR1, Z06 and our carbon fiber models, including aerodynamic, powertrain, chassis, braking, safety and design features.”

On the occasion of the Corvette’s 60th Anniversary, Chevrolet is offering the 427 Convertible Collector Edition Corvette, which is essentially a z06 without the roof. A 60th Anniversary appearance package is also offered on all 2013 Corvette’s.

Congratulations on your new honor Corvette, you truly deserve it.

When Mercedes-Benz first launched the Gelandewagen (a.k.a. G-Class) in 1979, it’s purpose in life was to be mainly a military vehicle. Their goal was to take business away from the Land Rover Defender, a vehicle that was synonymous with the likes of NATO’s peace keeping forces, as well as the African safari adventurers.

However, over the years, the G-class has evolved and has become a vehicle that is more likely to be found in the urban jungle, rather than the actual jungle.

Quite a few years ago, they came up with the G55 model, which had a super-charged V8 capable of producing around 500-hp. Some thought that would be the ultimate G-class, but they underestimated the madness of AMG engineers.

Now comes news, the G65 is upon us, and it will pack a 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V12, that is capable of producing 612-hp. We first reported on this last year, when it was just a rumor. Now it has turned out to be true, as information of the G65′s specs and pricing has been leaked by AutoEvolution.

According to the spec sheet, this V12 SUV will send power to all-wheels via an AMG Speedshift Plus 7-G-Tronic automatic gearbox, which should not only give it better performance, but also better fuel economy (as if the latter matters to those who buy V12 SUV’s that weigh well over two-tons).

If you’re interested, be prepared to fork out roughly $290,000 to have one. It is expected to go on sale in June.

[Source: Auto Evolution]

The original BMW 7-series made its debut in 1977 and has since been the top luxury model in the Bavarian company’s fleet.

The fifth-generation model, internally known as the F01 came out in 2009 and much to everyone’s delight, was a lot more pleasing to the eye than the outgoing E65 model.

However, just because something looks good, doesn’t mean the company should just leave it alone and not bother updating it; and BMW knows that all to well. So rumor has it that BMW will be launching an updated version of the 7-series later this year as a 2013 model.

BMW is staying tight lipped about any styling and mechanical upgrades at the moment, but expect a nip and tuck on its exterior, while under the skin it will benefit from all the newest engines and gearboxes the company has to offer.

Rumors also suggest that the ActiveHybrid 7 will be tuned to be more efficient, rather than be a greener and faster version like the current model. If BMW adopts a version of the ActiveHybrid 5, that’ll mean the big Beemer will swap its V8-hybrid powertrain in favor of a six-cylinder hybrid engine to further improve its fuel economy.

Along with the hybrid version, expect the revisions to be carried out on the rest of the range, which include the 740i, 750i and 760i. The new Alpina version, called the B7 will also likely be launched next year, based on the new, improved model.

Exact information is scarce, but expect BMW to drop some more details on the new 7-series at an upcoming motor show.

[Source: Car and Driver]

British luxury car brand Jaguar stunned the world with its beautiful C-X75 concept back in 2010. Not only was its sleek design alluring, but also its jet-turbine technology.

The concept car used a pair of micro-turbines which would power the electric drive-train. So instead of using a conventional gas engine to power the electric motors, like in the Fisker Karma, Jaguar showed that using these lighter micro-turbines would be a more powerful and more efficient alternative.

But a concept is one thing, and the reality can be quite different. When Jaguar gave the C-X75 the green-light for production, they found that micro-turbine technology is still very much in its infancy, and that long-term reliability is not known for such a system. Plus, these turbines do generate more heat, so would require longer air-intakes to channel air to these motors.

So Jaguar has decided that the production, road-going C-X75, which will look pretty much identical to the concept car, will be offered with a Cosworth and Williams F1 developed 1.6-liter, turbo-charged, four cylinder engine, which will be able to produce roughly 500-hp. This engine will work with a pair of electric motors that not only assist in achieving better fuel-economy, but also add to the performance of this car.

All this is well and good, but what is to become of the original micro-turbine idea? Not to worry, that idea is not dead. Jaguar and its parent company Tata have invested and opened a new factory in Coventry, U.K. called the Bladon Jets Engineering Center. This facility, which employs 15-people, is dedicated towards the development of these micro-turbines. As for their first application, Jaguar global brand director Adrian Hallmark has said that this power plant will be featured on a track-only version of the C-X75.

Testing the system for track use will eventually pave the way forward for using the system on a road car. This means, cars with jet engines (just like what the Jetsons had) are going to be on our roads in the not too distant future.

GALLERY: Jaguar C-X75

GALLERY: Jaguar C-X75 2010 Paris Auto Show

[Source: Inside Line]

It’s hard out there for a sports car manufacturer, especially if it is owned by a larger company.

Lotus has been owned by the Malaysian car company Proton since 1995, when the company was bought from the then bankrupting Bugatti (which itself got eventually bought out by VW).

Over the last 17-years, Lotus has not made a profit for its parent company. That was not such a big deal since Lotus was seen as more of a high-class brand name for the Malaysian state-owned Proton. However, just earlier this year, Proton sold its 42.7% stake in Lotus to DRB-Hicom, one of the largest private companies in Malaysia. Generally, private companies are much more concerned with making a profit rather than owning a company just for its prestige.

Now word comes from Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, that the future of Lotus’ production is in jeopardy, as development for new models like the updated Esprit have been suspended. In fact, Bahar was “completely taken aback” when he learned at the Geneva Auto Show, that the entire Proton group would enter a three-month “lockdown.”

That means, only normal trading activities would be allowed, hence all future developments have been suspended. This lockdown will even effect its recently announced models like the Exige S and the Evora GTE. The new Esprit will now likely be pushed to a 2014 launch, which means the concept would be nearly five-years old when it hits the road.

That is, if DRB-Hicom even decides to keep Lotus. Rumors suggest that they will want to off-load the unprofitable Lotus brand, which means Bahar has to find a savior for Lotus very quickly.

For now, Lotus’ motor sport activities, the opening of their new showroom on Regent Street in London, and its participation at this years Goodwood Festival of Speed as the featured marque will continue. Let’s hope Lotus can survive through its current dilemma.

GALLERY: Lotus Esprit

[Source: Evo]

Speeding is dangerous. Speeding at night time while drunk is just stupid. Doing all that with young children on board has to be among the dumbest things a person can do.

However, Oregon Police had to deal with just such a driver this morning. Maria Elena Andres, 30, was cited for speeding at about 2:20 a.m. Her car finally stopped after a half-hour chase, which ended with the police using a spike strip to pop the tires on her 1998 Mercury Sable.

When the state troopers approached her car, they found her four-year old son and nine-year old daughter in the back seat. Thankfully they were belted in the car and unharmed.

Andres was taken to Lane County Jail and was charged with eluding the police, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and two counts of reckless driving. Her children were turned over to the Department of Human Services.

The exact details of her fines or jail time have not been published, but at least her children are in safer custody.

[Source: Oregon Live]

One of the most interesting race cars to ever come to life is the DeltaWing racer.

Originally designed to be an innovative replacement for the IZOD Indy Car race series, this futuristic race car seems to have a found some new life. Originally, it was rejected by the Indy Car series, who opted to go with the tried and tested (boring) choice of the old Dallara chassis, but Nissan Europe has given us new hope.

Thankfully, Ben Bowlby, the designer of the DeltaWing racer found new interest from the American LeMans Series, and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, who have granted it a spot in the popular 24-Hours of LeMans Endurance Race.

The question everyone has been asking though is, who and what will power the DeltaWing racer?

Nissan of Europe today posted a shadowy image of the DeltaWing, with “Nissan” written prominently on its nose, an obvious tip as to who will power the car.

The DeltaWing racer was using a four-cylinder, twin-turbo motor in its initial testing at Buttonwillow race track in California, and was believed to be the engine that was going to power this vehicle at the Sebring 24-Hour race, but only for exhibition. This car’s first official race outing with be at LeMans in June.

We will keep a keen eye on this project, as it is one of the radical race cars ever made. We hope to see it in the winners circle very soon.

[Source: Autoweek]

Back in the mid 1990′s, many car manufacturers had a renewed interest in the Le Mans 24 Hours Endurance Race, especially after the McLaren F1 GTR showed what a modified road car could achieve at one of the toughest races in the world.

Soon Toyota, Nissan and Porsche came up with their own Le Mans GT1 contenders. However, the rules at the time said that in order to participate in this category, the manufacturer must build 25 road-going examples of the race cars they are competing with. Toyota and Nissan found out their race car wasn’t fast enough to win, so didn’t bother making any road cars (although Nissan did produce two R390 super cars for the streets).

Porsche on the other hand was very confident about its race car, so the company produced the required number of road-going versions of the 911 GT1. Another manufacturer that went ahead with the plan to produce road cars that look and have the performance of their race car was Mercedes-Benz.

Even though the 1998 CLK-LM was not a winning race car and was replaced by the CLR racer in 1999 (the car that infamously flipped while chasing the Toyota GT1 at the 1999 Le Mans 24-Hour race), Mercedes-Benz went ahead with producing the CLK-GTR road car. It is believed 19 coupe’s and 6 roadster models were produced in total between 2000 and 2002.

Now, one of these rare super cars is available right in our own back yard. A 2000 model CLK-GTR coupe is for sale by Ferrari Maserati of Fort Lauderdale. This silver on red example is number 17/25 and has covered just 1492-miles. This example also has the Super Sport package upgrade, which gives it the newer, more powerful 7.3-liter, V12 good for 655-hp and 580-lb/ft of torque.

So if you have $1.49-million burning a hole in your pocket, you can buy this rare exotic, which will surely inch up in value the older it gets. Plus you will surely end up with something your rich friends won’t likely have in their garages. It’s a win-win situation.

[Source: DuPont Registry]

One of the most iconic sports car brands in the world has to be AC cars. After all, it was their Ace model that a young Texan by the name of Carroll Shelby took a liking to back in the early 1960′s, added more power (and bulges) to it, and hence gave birth to the Cobra.

Since then, AC has had its fair share of ups and downs, with the company going into receivership in 1996. Thankfully the new owner of the company decided to not only service existing cars, but also put the Cobra back into production. With the popularity of this iconic sports car only growing with time, the company has been able to sustain itself while many other British cars firms have disappeared.

However, even if the continuation series Cobra MK II and MK IV models are doing well, AC cannot move forward by just making a model from its past. To move forward, they needed a new model, and what they came up with has just been unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show.

It’s called the AC 378 GT Zagato, and it is the first all-new model the company has presented in over a decade. If the design looks familiar, it’s because this car was first shown back in 2009 as the Perana Z-One concept by Zagato.

While Perana seems to have vanished, Zagato offered the design to AC, who have thankfully taken on the project which has culminated to the car you see here today.

The AC 378 GT Zagato has its own chassis and body (both of which are put together in South Africa, by the same people who build the Noble sports car), but motive power comes from a very American source. Under that long hood is the same 6.2-liter, naturally-aspirated V8, that you would find in the base Chevrolet Corvette C6. According to AC, this engine produces 434-hp and that is good enough to propel this 3223-lbs car from 0-60 mph in under four-seconds and onto a top speed of 185-mph.

So not only is it pretty, it is also quite fast. At this point we are sure you’re tempted to park one on your drive way, but there are a few issues with that. Initially, AC will only offer this model for sale in U.K. and Germany, and currently there are no plans to bring this model for sale in the U.S.A. Even if it was available, you’d have to come up with $141,800 to have one. That makes it three-times more expensive than the car it shares its drive-train with.

After their initial run, AC will be taking the brand to global markets. After all, a car this pretty that comes from a well-established brand has the potential to do well in emerging economies.

The 2012 Nissan Versa is not only one of the cheapest new cars for sale in North America, but it is also one of the safest.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has just awarded the new Versa sedan its top scoring honor of “Good” for front, rear, and side impact protection. It also was given the “Good” rating for the roof strength test, which looks at how a car would behave in case of a roll-over. These scores landed the Versa on the IIHS ‘top safety pick list’ for 2012.

The IIHS also looked at the safety features the Versa sedan comes with as standard, like six air-bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution, vehicle dynamic control and traction control. Not bad for a car that has a base price of $10,990.

AutoGuide tested the Versa sedan a few months ago, and we were quite impressed with its spacious interior, its fuel economy and its entry price point.

A few years ago, Italian auto giant Fiat was very close to partnering up with General Motors. However, that deal went sour at the last minute and a few years after that, Fiat bought a big chunk of Chrysler in its quest to have a large slice of the American market.

More recently, the company was in the news announcing that Fiat is looking to partner up with Mazda or Suzuki, which would not only help expand Fiat’s reach into the Asian market, but also co-develop future small car platforms and technologies together.

Not content with sitting idling by, waiting for deals to happen, Fiat/Chrysler are constantly seeking alliances to further its growth.

The latest round of news from the 2012 Geneva Auto Show is that Fiat is “open to Volvo talks.” Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne expressed that he is “interested in talking to everyone that wants to talk with me.”

Volvo, which is now owned by the Chinese auto firm Geely, wants to expand itself in the small car segment in developing markets which makes Fiat an good fit because it already has plenty of small cars in its line-up. This tie-up could prove very beneficial for Volvo, to offer a new small car, without going through the expense of designing and engineering a complete new vehicle itself.

Fiat will benefit by finding a route into the Chinese market, which is currently the fastest growing economy in the world.

As for future drive-train technologies, Marchionne says; “There’s still lots of unexplored technology with combustion. Future drive-trains need to be cheaper and more cost effective.”

While Fiat is to introduce its first electric car later this year, the 500e (shown above), it only did so because it pooled technology from a host of companies already in the electric car field and thus saved cost of developing a complete new system themselves.

When asked if Fiat was in talks with PSA Peugeot Citroen, Marchionne denied the claim saying, “I would not like to be GM. The integration for the cost does not go far enough and would not have met our requirements.”

Fiat was at one point in talks with GM to take over Opel-Vauxhall and Saab, and Marchionne confidently said he could have “found a solution for the brands.”

Will Fiat and Volvo become partners or will they form an alliance with Mazda or Suzuki? Only time will tell.

[Source: Autocar]

Over the last few years, the words “Toyota” and “recall” have gone hand in hand. While the companies previous woes are behind them, Toyota has since been extra cautious and issues recalls for everything it finds to have a potential defect.

Just today, Toyota has announced a recall notice for three of its vehicles, the 2009 Camry, the 2009 – 2011 Venza, and the 2005 – 2009 Tacoma pick-up truck.

The Camry and Venza share the same defect. According to Toyota; “during the installation of the contact-type stop lamp switch on one of the North American assembly lines, silicon grease may have reached the inside of the switch and caused an increase in electrical resistance. If this occurs, warning lamps on the instrument panel may be illuminated, the vehicle may not start, or the shift lever may not shift from the ‘Park’ position. In some cases, the vehicle stop lamps may become inoperative.”

A total of 70,500 Camry’s and 116,000 Venza models are affected and Toyota will be informing their customers via first class mail. The repair should take roughly 30-minutes to complete at a Toyota dealership.

If you own a 2005 – early 2009 Tacoma pick-up truck, you will also receive a recall notice via first class mail very soon. The Tacoma’s recall is to replace the steering wheel spiral cable assembly.

According to Toyota; “due to the combination of steering wheel spiral cable design and characteristics unique to the Tacoma chassis, friction between the spiral cable and the retainer in the steering wheel spiral cable assembly may occur in some vehicles. Friction over time may result in loss of connectivity to the driver’s air bag module. If connectivity is lost, the air bag warning lamp on the instrument panel will remain illuminated after starting the vehicle and the driver’s air bag may be deactivated, preventing deployment in the event of a crash. ”

A total of 495,000 Tacoma’s are potentially affected. This brings the grand total to 681,500 vehicles to receive a recall service, which is surely going to be costly. However, Toyota has learned from the past and will act on correcting these issues as soon as possible.

If you believe your vehicle might be affected, you can contact Toyota’s Customer Experience Center by dialing 1-800-331-4331.

Recalls are a norm in the automotive business, but rarely do we hear about a recall that just affects vehicles that are living in certain climates.

Jeep has just announced that it will recall 209,724 units of its Liberty model, built for model year 2004 and 2005. However, the recall is only for States that are considered “Snow Belt” areas.

Why do these Liberty models have a problem with snow?

Because the recall is about rust, and the States that use road salt are more likely to cause a rust issue due to excessive corrosion.

The components that are of concern to Jeep and NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) are the lower control arms, which can crack as a result of corrosion. Such a defect can effect the vehicles handling and could result in a crash.

NHTSA says that 21-States are included in this recall, and Jeep will start notifying and correcting this issue by April of this year. So far, 83 corrosion complaints have been reported, but thankfully no one has been involved in an accident or reported any injuries.

Jeep made a significant design change to the lower control arm in 2004. This part was manufactured by Global Automotive Systems, which is now part of DURA Automotive systems of Rochester Hills, MI.

If your vehicle is potentially affected, expect a letter of recall from Jeep very soon. All the repairs will be done free of charge for the owners of these vehicles. For more info, contact NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

German car firm BMW is well known for its technological innovations, and the company won’t be caught resting on its laurels.

In pursuit of future technologies, BMW is looking to partner up with General Motors to develop fuel-cell technology, and may even further extend their hand to PSA Peugeot Citroen to co-develop gasoline engines.

According to BMW’s CEO Norbert Reithofer, he “can imagine” joining forces with a North American partner to develop advanced technologies, since that cuts down on cost for future products.

Peugeot also has several partners around the world (like its recent partnership with GM) for developing technologies, and hence BMW now wants to use that strategy as well.

GM recently bought a 7% stake in PSA, hoping this partnership will help expand not only the brands technologies, but also its sales.

BMW recently signed a deal with PSA to jointly develop four-cylinder engines. This current deal will expire in 2015.

[Source: Automotive News]