Rumormill: Lamborghini packing a surprise or two up its sleeve for Geneva?

Filed under: Performance , Geneva Motor Show , Lamborghini , Rumormill It was quite a while back that Lamborghini promised it would have something new for every major auto show. That seemed quite the claim at the time, particularly for a company with a two-car model lineup, but with a few exceptions here and there, the Italian automaker has been keeping pace famously. So what has Sant’Agata Bolognese got in store for us for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show ? A surprise – or two – from what we hear.

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Rumormill: Lamborghini packing a surprise or two up its sleeve for Geneva?

Video: Lotus shows off slushbox equipped Evora S IPS

Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Videos , Lotus Lotus would like to sell more Evoras, and it’s no secret that there are some customers who want to buy them, if not for the lack of an automatic transmission standing in the way. That hurdle’s been cleared for 2012, with the Evora receiving the six-speed automatic that Lotus calls IPS, for Intelligent Precision Shift. Mechanically it is the same Aisin unit found in the Toyota Camry (paired with a supercharged version of Toyota ‘s 3.5-liter V6) upgraded with Lotus electronics and actuators.

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Video: Lotus shows off slushbox equipped Evora S IPS

Report: Chevy stretched Sonic sedan because it looked funny

Filed under: Budget , Sedan , Chevrolet , Design/Style If you think the Chevrolet Sonic sedan looks a bit abbreviated now, you should have seen it before General Motors stretched the vehicle. Take a good look at the spec sheets for the Sonic hatch and Sonic sedan, and you’ll likely notice the four-door is over a foot longer than its twin. According to Automotive News, GM felt that early design attempts at the sedan bodystyle were too stubby looking. While the four-door was always intended to be somewhat longer than the hatch, designers rolled in additional space in the vehicle’s rump to help situate the vehicle’s proportions

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Report: Chevy stretched Sonic sedan because it looked funny

Saab Museum rescued by Trollhattan – report

Finally, there has been some good news for Saab fans. According to a recent report appearing in British magazine Autocar, the Saab museum has been saved from destruction.

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Saab Museum rescued by Trollhattan – report

Report: GM CEO stands up for Chevy Volt in D.C. hearing; Issa tells NHTSA: "I don’t believe you"

Filed under: Hybrid , Government/Legal , Safety , Hatchback , Chevrolet , Electric What a surprise. Today’s Congressional hearing over the Chevrolet Volt fire and the resulting investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration turned out to be contentious. The hearing took place in the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending. Just from the title of the event – “Volt Vehicle Fire: What did NHTSA Know and When Did They Know It?” – it was plain to see that chairman Darrell Issa was not looking to mess around

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Report: GM CEO stands up for Chevy Volt in D.C. hearing; Issa tells NHTSA: "I don’t believe you"

Report: Daimler planning to open new plant in North America

Filed under: China , Plants/Manufacturing , Mercedes-Benz , Nissan Size still matters, but the quest to be number one is also getting more headlines. Mercedes-Benz is the latest to stake its future on taking the top slot, with CEO Dieter Zetsche aiming to be the world’s largest premium maker by 2020. The specific number is 2.7 million vehicles sold that year, which represents an astronomical jump from 2011 sales of 1.26 million vehicles. To home in on that target, Mercedes intends to build factories in China and in North America – either Mexico or the U.S.

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Report: Daimler planning to open new plant in North America