Category Archives: FIA

First Drive: 2012 Audi A1 Sportback [w/video]

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Filed under: Budget , Europe , Hatchback , Audi , First Drives , Luxury Do We Really Want Audi To Think This Small In America? Perhaps… It is perhaps with all the speed of a mighty iceberg, but increasingly, more and more North American buyers appear willing to think smaller when pondering their next auto purchase. The other shoe, which still has largely yet to drop, is for automakers to convince consumers of the merits of a luxury subcompact, paying a price premium for a longer list of creature comforts, options and badge appeal

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First Drive: 2012 Audi A1 Sportback [w/video]

Official: Toyota reveals TS030 Hybrid endurance prototype

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Filed under: Coupe , Toyota , Racing The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. So, apparently, do the world’s automakers. At least, that is, when it comes to Le Mans .

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Official: Toyota reveals TS030 Hybrid endurance prototype

Video: Fiat co-opts Jeep tagline for new Panda campaign

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Filed under: Budget , Europe , Marketing/Advertising , Hatchback , Fiat Recognize that tag line? It was used in the first ad for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee , a 90-second spot devoted to resetting our image of Jeep and, subtly, America itself. Chrysler parent Fiat evidently thinks so much of the tagline that they’ve taken it to Italy for use in the ad campaign for the 2012 Fiat Panda . Italy’s had a tough time of late: just as it was trying to get Berlusconi and his “bunga bunga” in the rearview, its debt crisis went from ‘critical’ to ‘euro-zone threatening,’ austerity measures led to social and labor unrest, and now comes the capsized Costa Concordia and an Italian captain with the unique ability to trip and fall into a lifeboat before his passengers.

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Video: Fiat co-opts Jeep tagline for new Panda campaign

Official: Nissan taking orders for new GT3-spec Nismo GT-R

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Filed under: Coupe , Nissan , Racing What would a Nissan GT-R be without the racing pedigree that’s helped make it what it is today? The truth is that we don’t even want to know. But we don’t have to, because the car known as Godzilla is as devastating on the race track as it is on the street. Very different racing versions have been made to challenge the FIA GT1 World Championship and for Japan’s own Super GT series, the latter powered by a naturally aspirated V8 to satisfy regulations instead of the twin-turbo V6 in the production model.

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Official: Nissan taking orders for new GT3-spec Nismo GT-R

Official: Fiat Panda Classic keeps old model on the (European) market

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Filed under: Budget , Europe , Hatchback , Fiat When a new vehicle arrives, the previous model is usually consigned to the history books. But that isn’t always the case. Volkswagen , for example, has continued production of outdated models in South America and other markets years after they’ve been replaced.

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Official: Fiat Panda Classic keeps old model on the (European) market

Report: Turkish private equity firm jumps into Saab buying fray

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Filed under: China , Saab , Middle East The next chapter in the Saab opera has a new protagonist called Brightwell Holdings, a Turkish private equity firm. Brightwell is is perhaps the unknown Turkish entity mentioned last year as having an interest in bankrupt Saab, along with India’s Mahindra & Mahindra . A board member at Brightwell said the company will spend two weeks evaluating Saab’s assets and then will make a bid, “there’s no question.” Turkey doesn’t have a national car company, but it does have plenty of automotive manufacturing expertise since Ford , Fiat and Renault have factories there. Brightwell has said it would keep Saab production in Trollh