BMW experimenting with electronic noise canceling tech for diesels

Filed under: Technology , BMW , Diesel BMW sound engineer Manuel Reichle and the 635d – Click above for high-res image gallery When considering how to go about improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions, we typically think of smaller engines, alternative fuels and electrification. One area that doesn’t typically come to mind is that of sound design and acoustics. While the noises produced by a vehicle don’t directly affect fuel efficiency, soundtracks are important because they are often a prime determinant in whether a given powertrain solution is acceptable to drivers and passengers.

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BMW experimenting with electronic noise canceling tech for diesels

Report: U.S. hires lead bank for General Motors IPO

Filed under: Government/Legal , GM , Earnings/Financials The government of the United States may be actively avoiding any direct involvement in the day-to-day management of General Motors , but that doesn’t mean it won’t have a say when the time comes for the automaker to go public again. According to The Detroit News , the U.S. Department of the Treasury has hired investment bank Lazard Fr

Spy Shots: Hyundai Sonata wagon captured for the first time

Filed under: Spy Photos , Wagon , Europe , Hyundai 2011/2012 Hyundai Sonata wagon – Click above for high-res image gallery We recently published some renderings of what a station wagon variant of the new Hyundai Sonata might look like, and we now have our first actual photos of the real thing undergoing testing. While it (predictably) doesn’t feature the two-door shooting brake layout we might have hoped for, it actually does look quite close to the four-door image. Hyundai designers appear to have opted for more of a sporty slant-back look like the Audi Avant wagons than the more utilitarian box we typically get from Volvo . When the Sonata launches in Europe, it is expected to adopt the current iXX naming convention used there to become the i40 Kombi.

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Spy Shots: Hyundai Sonata wagon captured for the first time

Happy Memorial Day from Autoblog

Filed under: Etc. Tribute 2010 Chevrolet Camaro – Click above for high-res image gallery It’s easy to forget that while we spend day-in and day-out banging on QWERTYs and chasing our tails as automotive rumors get confirmed, then denied, then confirmed again, that there are men and women all over the world working to keep us safe and protect our families and our way of life. It’s Memorial Day , so regardless of where you stand in the political spectrum, it’s worth taking some time out of your day to say thanks to the service men and women in your life. We’re fortunate enough to live in a country where military service isn’t mandatory, and we all owe a debt to the souls that that have volunteered to serve in our nation’s armed forces

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Happy Memorial Day from Autoblog

Piëch look-alike depicted as the grim reaper in latest Mercedes commercial?

Piëch said some time ago that Volkswagen AG would be taking on Mercedes. This is likely Mercedes-Benz's clever reply to that.

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Piëch look-alike depicted as the grim reaper in latest Mercedes commercial?

WCF reader spots Ford Focus RS in Detroit

One Ford Focus RS was snapped near Detroit by a WCF reader.

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WCF reader spots Ford Focus RS in Detroit