Official: BMW M goes diesel, introduces M550d, X5 M50d, X6 M50d

Filed under: Sedan , Performance , Wagon , Geneva Motor Show , Europe , Crossover , BMW , Diesel Rumors of BMW M launching a diesel model have been circulating for over a year, and confirmation has finally arrived in the form of not one, not two, but four M-fettled oil-burners, each sporting all-wheel drive and the oft-rumored tri-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six. And before you get excited, none of them are slated for sale in the U.S. – this is a Euro-only affair. So with that unfortunate fact out of the way, let’s get to the details.

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Official: BMW M goes diesel, introduces M550d, X5 M50d, X6 M50d

Video: SARTRE autonomous road-train enters final phase with trio of Volvos [w/video]

Filed under: Safety , Technology , Volvo This time last year, the Safe Road Trains for the Environment ( SARTRE ) program hit a milestone. Using a specially equipped Volvo S60 with a big-rig taking the lead, the EU-funded researchers managed to create the world’s first fully-functional road train , allowing the driver in the sedan to sit back and enjoy the ride without touching the controls. Today, Volvo – the program’s only automotive partner – has announced that the SARTRE program is in its final phase of testing, and that includes adding a few more vehicles to the rolling procession of autonomous cars.

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Video: SARTRE autonomous road-train enters final phase with trio of Volvos [w/video]

Video: Followup: Infiniti M35h is world’s "fastest" hybrid

Filed under: Hybrid , Sedan , Performance , Marketing/Advertising , Videos , Infiniti , Porsche , Luxury We don’t imagine that many new-car buyers are cross-shopping their local Infiniti and Porsche dealerships, but there’s at least one segment of the automotive industry where the two automakers both play ball: high-performance hybrid luxury sedans, which may be the single most conflicted niche of the automotive sphere in the known universe. In any case, here we are with the Infiniti M35h and Porsche Panamera S Hybrid . Each one is marketed as both a somewhat greener luxury vehicle and a performance sedan. We’d guess it’s the performance side of the equation that would be most interesting to the majority of buyers, leaving fuel efficiency a welcome bonus

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Video: Followup: Infiniti M35h is world’s "fastest" hybrid

Auctions: Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1948 Tucker Torpedo bid up to over $2.6 million [w/video]

Filed under: Classics , Auctions Most, if not all, know the story of the 1948 Tucker sedan. Yes, there was a movie, and it’s well worth watching. But even if you’ve never seen or heard of a the machine, one look at Preston Tucker’s Torpedo is all it takes for you to realize it’s something special.

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Auctions: Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1948 Tucker Torpedo bid up to over $2.6 million [w/video]

Report: PA couple accused of trying to blow up Ford Fusion with flaming tampons

Filed under: Sedan , Etc. , Government/Legal , Safety , Ford Two Pennsylvanians recently found themselves in trouble with the law after vandalizing a 2006 Ford Fusion in a decidedly inventive manner. Patricia and Quentin Deshong, 25 and 22, respectively, are staring down the barrel of charges ranging from attempted arson to public drunkenness, criminal mischief and making terrorist threats. The Deshongs reportedly broke or cracked multiple windows in the vehicle, ripped various hoses from the engine bay and attempted to set the vehicle ablaze by sticking lit tampons into the fuel tank and oil cap

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Report: PA couple accused of trying to blow up Ford Fusion with flaming tampons

Report: Dodge Dart to use transmission from Hyundai

Filed under: Budget , Sedan , Plants/Manufacturing , Chrysler , Dodge , Hyundai Hyundai CEO John Krafcik has confirmed that the Korean automaker will supply Chrysler with transmissions for its new Dodge Dart , according to Car and Driver . While the two automakers may seem like odd dance partners, the tie-up makes plenty of sense. Both companies use engines born out of the now-defunct Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance with Mitsubishi . As a result, 2.0- and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines found in the Dart share more than a few strands of DNA with the same displacement engines found under the hood of vehicles like the Hyundai Sonata

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Report: Dodge Dart to use transmission from Hyundai