Cayenne And Panamera

Even in this harsh economical climate, Porsche sales continue to grow, as the German maker shifted 21,218 units in the first three months of the 2010 short fiscal year (August 1 – December 31). That's an impressive 86.4% growth compared to the same period last year, although Porsche management admits that the prior-year quarter was "relatively weak", so a higher growth rate was expected.

Sedan Jaguar XJ

When you're sitting behind the wheel of a new Jaguar XJ, it would appear that no rainy day could affect your mood. Well, except for those 6,475 U.S.-spec units manufactured between July 28, 2009 and November 3, 2010, on which the front wiper arms weren't sufficiently torqued during assembly. Consequently, Jaguar has issued a recall for the affected cars, according to a NHTSA press release.

America's Resistance To The Roundabout

I want to be upfront about something: I'm not an American, I'm an Australian. And as such, I don't really understand NASCAR or baseball, and my daily driver is from a country that the Americans were at war with seventy years ago. Heck, I sometimes even eat croissants.

So what gives me the right to chide American drivers for resisting such a basic piece of road design as the humble roundabout? Well, that's simple: in Australia we've been using roundabouts for years.

New Saab 9-4X SUV Arrives in the US, First Model Delivered in Ohio

Saab is still trying to work through its problems, but the Swedish carmaker has some good news from the States. The first examples of the firm’s new crossover, the Cadillac SRX-based 9-4X, have just arrived at US showrooms.
“Our first vehicles are just hitting retailers and our first customer sale took place last weekend at Saab North Olmstead in Cleveland, Ohio” said President and COO of Saab Cars North America, Tim Colbeck.

The Price of Parking: Colliers’ Releases Results of 2011 Global Survey

The results of Colliers International’s 2011 Parking Rate Survey are in for the U.S., Canada and the rest of the world, and there are few surprises.
The U.S. national median monthly parking rate is US$155.22, with the highest being midtown Manhattan at US$541 and Renoa at US$45 the cheapest. In Canada, Calgary topped out at US$486 followed by Toronto at $342 USD and Montreal at $305 USD.

Fiat Marks 500 Launch in China with 100 “First Edition” Models

The first Fiat 500 to make its way into China was presented today in Shanghai by Fiat Group Executive Vice President for International Operations, Lorenzo Sistino.
To celebrate the launch, Fiat crafted a special version named 500 “First Edition” featuring bodywork graphics by five young Chinese designers. The special edition will be available in a limited run of just 100 numbered units ahead of the city car’s regular launch in China on September 15.

US Government offers Concessions to Detroit Big 3's Trucks Models

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the US government is willing to allow carmakers to lower the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) of their future trucks and SUVs at a slower rate than normal cars.
In return, the Obama administration wants to reach a deal by early next week that will allow the government to improve mileage standards from today’s target of 35.5 mpg (6.6 lt/100 km) by 2016 to 56 mpg (4.2 lt/100 km) by 2025 for both cars and light trucks, leaving the automakers a longer period of time to bring their large trucks, pickups and SUVs in line.

European Car Registrations Drop 8.1% in June amidst Economic Crisis

The latest figures form ACEA, the Brussels-based European carmakers’ lobby, show that the economic recession in Europe has taken its toll on automobile sales.
In June, new passenger car registrations dropped by a significant 8.1% across the EU, amounting to 1,233,298 units. According ACEA, contractions ranged from -0.3% in Germany to -1.7% in Italy, -6.2% in the UK, -12.6% in France, -31.4% in Spain and -34.1% in debt-ridden Greece and Portugal.

Chrysler Announces Prices on New 2012 SRT8 Models Including the 300, Charger, Grand Cherokee and Challenger

The Chrysler Group’s newly formed Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand has released pricing on its latest crop of models, which include the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8, the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8, the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 and the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.
Prices together with an $825 destination fee start at $47,995 for the Chrysler 300 SRT8, $46,660 for the Dodge Charger SRT8, $44,077 for the Challenger SRT8 and $55,295 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.
All four SRT8 models are powered by the Chrysler Group’s new 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with Fuel Saver Technology that cranks out 470 horsepower (351kW) and 470 lb-ft (637Nm) of peak torque (465 lb.-ft. / 630 Nm in the Grand Cherokee SRT8).

Chrysler Recalls 243,000 Ram Pickup Trucks over Steering Flaw

Chrysler’s Ram brand has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Association that it is recalling 242,780 pickup trucks over a steering failure that could lead to “a loss of directional stability”.
The safety agency reported that the left tie rod ball may fracture during low speed parking maneuvers when the driver is making a sudden turn. This could lead to the loss of directional stability in the left front wheel.

Ferrari Says No to Plans for Limited Production New Stratos

“Despite Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo’s excellent assessment of the New Stratos after his test drive at Fiorano, Ferrari does not consent to construction of the planned limited run by either Pininfarina or any other Ferrari-dependent suppliers.”
And with the above short statement, Ferrari announced to Michael Stoschek, the man behind the 21st century interpretation of the famous Lancia Stratos of the ‘70s, that it won’t let him use its chassis, engines nor allow any of its suppliers to participate in the build.

New Gen Y Buyer Survey Spells Trouble for Detroit

Auto pricing website TrueCar studied the car buying behaviour of four million Gen Y (18 to 27 year-old) over a twenty-four month period and here’s what they found.
Scion took the crown for top brand, with 37.4% of the market and for top model (the tC coupe), with 21.2%, while second place went to Mitsubishi (32.1%) and their Lancer sedan (20.3%).
Mazda was the third most visited brand for Gen Y buyers, though only 17th in terms of model. The top four vehicle choices were Japanese, with a German in seventh place and a South Korean in ninth.