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Tesla Model S on sale earlier than expected
Friday, May 11, 2012
Tesla Motors will begin deliveries of the Model S in June, a bit earlier than what the electric car manufacturer had initially projected. The new sedan is expected to account for 90% of its revenue this year.
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Infiniti and Magna Sign Complete Vehicle Assembly Agreement
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Infiniti, the luxury vehicle brand of the Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Magna Steyr, an operating unit of Magna International, for the assembly of a future luxury entry level Infiniti compact vehicle. Production of the vehicle is due to start in 2014. This tentative agreement follows an engineering assignment which Magna Steyr is already intensively working on.
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Mitsubishi rolls Mirage out in Thailand
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Mitsubishi announced it will sell its all-new global compact, Mirage, beginning in Thailand on March 28. The Mirage will be made at a brand-new third factory at Mitsubishi Motors Thailand's Laem Chabang Plant, the company's largest plant outside Japan.
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Subaru announces EyeSight coming, celebrates BRZ line-off
Friday, March 16, 2012
Subaru this week announced plans to bring its EyeSight driving assist suite to North America beginning this summer. The technology, already a proven hit in Japan where EyeSight models account for 90% of all Legacy and Outback sales, is the world's first to use solely stereo camera technology to detect objects in front of the car, such as pedestrians or cyclists. The suite includes pre-collision braking control, pre-collision brake assist system, lane-sway warning system and adaptive cruise with all-speed range tracking function.
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Build quality has come a long way
Friday, February 24, 2012
As I photographed this week's tester, I marveled at the precision of its fit and finish. The vehicle, a 2012 Acura TSX, may be an upscale ride but with a base MSRP of $31,890, it's far from an expensive premium marque.
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Production of the 2012 Camaro ZL1 starts in Oshawa
Sunday, February 05, 2012
The Oshawa Assembly Plant today celebrated the start of regular production of the hotly-anticipated 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in a ceremony with employees and invited guests.
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Ford Focus Electric jumps onto Michigan assembly line
Thursday, January 12, 2012
In an era less concerned about fossil fuel consumption, this vast factory was known as the Michigan Truck plant. It built Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators, while further back in its history, in the fifties and sixties, it built Ford's yacht-like station wagons.
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Chrysler extends roots in Detroit
Friday, January 06, 2012
Chrysler is adding a third crew and 1,100
new jobs at its Jefferson North Assembly
Plant and reaffirming plans to reopen its
Conner Avenue Assembly Plant, both in
Detroit. The former will produce the new
diesel version of the 2013 Jeep Grand
Cherokee for North America.
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Car and trucks expected to pass in 2012-2013
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
We love to speculate as much as the next guy sitting in some fancy office on Wall Street. The big difference is that we tend to have a better idea of what we are doing, plus our guesses won't have you living in the street or working at McDonald's to make ends meet during your retirement.
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2011 European automaker report cards
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Audi
Life is good, but you never know when the end will come. Arrogance is a multi-edge sword, one that you can wield as long as there is no harm, no foul. However, claiming that you don't need to attend a media event of national significance because it wouldn't get you any more visibility is pretty short-sighted.
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2011 Japanese automaker report cards
Friday, December 30, 2011
Honda (Acura)
Oh la la. Talk about a sinking ship. This Japanese automaker had the industry copying its every move 15 years ago when the entire Honda and Acura lineups made non-owners green with envy. The Civic Si, the Acura Integra... now that was some car!
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2012 Ford Focus Electric to start at $41,199 in Canada
Friday, December 16, 2011
Ford of Canada announced its new electric car, the 2012 Ford Focus Electric, will have a sticker price of $41,199 before destination and delivery charges ($1,500) as well as applicable taxes.
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2011 Korean automaker report card
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Here's an automaker that just can't fail. Actually, the Veracruz (launched in 2007) is the brand's last flop, not counting the Entourage minivan. The fact of the matter is that the Sonata, Accent, Tucson and the likes have all been monster hits. Sales are so strong, in fact, that Hyundai is even working on niche models with a limited production run.
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''Crash'' Corrigan builds GM's 100-millionth small-block Chevy
Friday, December 09, 2011
Well fair enough, that's maybe stretching the truth somewhat, but I did get to install both sets of tappets! You see, along with invited guests and a few fellow journalists, I was in Wixom, Michigan this week to witness (and assist) in the building of this iconic piece of automotive history.
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The biggest car plant in the world
Friday, November 25, 2011
ULSAN, Korea - As the cars pass slowly by, they bear little resemblance to the sleek sedans they'll eventually become. Skeletal frames, they slowly gather parts, growing incrementally as they travel down the line. Here, workers move in well-rehearsed choreography, adding suspension parts and exhaust systems; there, a giant robotic arm swivels and plants a windscreen in place with unfailing accuracy.
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Too many, too fast
Friday, November 18, 2011
At the 2012 Toyota Camry press launch last month, the Japanese brand was proud to announce that between now and the end of 2012, no less than 20 Toyota, Lexus and Scion models will be added, completely redesigned or face-lifted.
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Dearly departed 2011 models
Friday, November 11, 2011
Like humans, cars have a circle of life. At one point in time, a new nameplate or brand is born and more often than not, it's only a matter of time before it is retired or killed. Makes tend to live on longer, unless they're absorbed into a group where they're either injected with new life or are dissected for their good parts.
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Honda's North American production idling again
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
After the massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan last March, widespread flooding in Thailand now compromises manufacturing operations at Honda. The company decided to follow Toyota's lead and put its North American assembly plants on idle.
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Pininfarina ends car production operations
Friday, October 14, 2011
Pininfarina, the Italian design studio that's responsible for designing almost every Ferrari sports car since the early 1950s, is shutting down its car production operations after more than 80 years. A total of 127 workers will be laid off.
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GM developing a new family of small engines
Thursday, October 13, 2011
General Motors will make a giant leap forward in its quest to reduce our oil addiction with the introduction of a new family of small-displacement (1.0L to 1.5L), three- and four-cylinder Ecotec gasoline engines, beginning at mid-decade.
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Hyundai, a victim of its own success
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
While just about everyone considered Hyundai and Kia as second-tier brands a few years ago, the pair is currently making headlines for being too... successful.
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BMW greenlights MINI Paceman
Thursday, September 01, 2011
It was the subject of countless rumours, but now, BMW made it official: the MINI Paceman will be built!
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Will the Tesla Model S be ready on time? Elon Musk's $1M bet
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Dan Neil, the Pulitzer Prize-winning automotive journalist who now writes for the Wall Street Journal, bet Tesla Motors president and CEO Elon Musk $1 million that the company's Model S won't meet delivery schedules.
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3,000 orders so far for the 2012 Fisker Karma
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Like the Chevrolet Volt, the Karma is an extended-range vehicle that relies on 403 hp worth of battery power and a 260-hp gasoline engine that acts as a generator. The Fisker is much more exciting than the Volt, however, and according to autocar.co.uk, Fisker claims having secured 3,000 orders for the car.
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Porsche to boost production of Cayenne SUV as sales rise
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Cayenne currently is Porsche's bestselling model in Canada; it's also the case in many other markets. With the ever-increasing popularity of its sports-luxury SUV, Porsche has decided to increase production in order to meet demand.
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MINI's Coupe makes an appearance in the UK
Monday, July 11, 2011
A lightening blue MINI Coupe has rolled off the production line at Plant Oxford in the UK as the first production version of the latest MINI offering in an already star-studded lineup.
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Toyota upgrading two Ontario plants
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Toyota's assembly plants in Ontario will see a future upgrade thanks to investments from the government of Canada along with the province of Ontario. The total investment plan, referred to as Project Green Light, is approximately $545 million and comes as Toyota's North American plants are working to return to normal production. During the 2008-'09 economic downturn, Toyota's Ontario plants suffered, and so the investment will help create jobs and boost production.
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The Evoque is on its way
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Concept vehicles are often just that; concepts. They rarely, if ever, see the light of day and if they do they're often in limited quantities and/or nothing like they originally appeared to be. However, such is not the case with Land Rover's stylish, modern, uber-cool Range Rover Evoque.
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What the future holds for Nissan according to Larry Dominique, VP of product planning
Monday, June 27, 2011
Last week, we got the chance to sit down and talk about all things Nissan with one of the guys who's in the best position to answer our questions, the vice president of product planning, Larry Dominique. He talked about his ambitions in terms of sales, vehicles, changes and improvements as well as the challenges that automaker will face in the months and years to come.
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Saab production on hiatus for 2 more weeks
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Despite agreeing to a rescue package from two Chinese car companies, Saab is forced to halt production yet again. The Swedish manufacturer announced yesterday that output at its Trollhattan plant would stay still for another two weeks (June 20-July 3). Apparently, Saab has still not secured an agreement with all of its suppliers.
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Supply of Rapide larger than demand, Aston Martin slows down production
Friday, June 17, 2011
When Aston Martin unveiled the luxury sedan Rapide in 2008, the automaker was planning on building about 38 per week (2,000 per year). Apparently, sales of the car aren't living up to the British firm's expectations, as Aston Martin has slowed production down to 25 per week (1,300 per year) to adjust to the demand.
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MINI Rocketman fails to take off
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
In a sad piece of news, MINI and BMW have decided not to produce the wildly popular Rocketman Concept unveiled at this year's Geneva Auto show. This is quite the opposite of what we were told a short while back.
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Saab suspends production once more
Friday, June 10, 2011
Weeks go by and it's business as usual at Saab. Not! The automaker today revealed that its Trollhättan plant will temporarily suspend production yet again as some parts suppliers are reportedly still waiting for payments.
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GM to build Cadillacs overseas starting in 2012
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Speaking on the eve of GM's first annual shareholders meeting since its initial public offering last fall, CEO Dan Akerson announced that Cadillacs would soon be manufactured outside of Canada and the United States.
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Audi Q3 goes into production in Spain
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Production of the Q3, Audi's all-new compact SUVs, has started today at the SEAT plant in Martorell, Spain. From today, around 100,000 units will roll off the high-tech assembly line annually and be delivered to dealerships around the world.
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It's official: Mazda6 leaves U.S. for Japan
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
As part of ongoing efforts to increase global manufacturing efficiencies, Mazda Motor Corporation announced that its next-generation midsize car for the North American market - currently sold as the Mazda6 - will leave the United States and move to Hofu, Japan.
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Tesla Motors Model S and more
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Already a year has passed since Tesla Motors of California went public. At their annual shareholder meeting, CEO Elon Musk gave the gathered crowd a peek at what is to come from this fully electric and eclectic car company.
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Chevrolet Impala production to leave Oshawa for Detroit
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
General Motors today announced that the production of the next-generation Chevrolet Impala will move to the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant alongside the new Malibu and the Chevrolet Volt/Opel Ampera electric cars.
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2011 BMW 1M for 10 months only
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Having recently returned from the launch of the car and still not shutting up about it, our own Matt St-Pierre still can't say enough good things about BMW's latest M creation, the 1-Series M Coupé.
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Toyota to boost North American production earlier than expected
Friday, May 13, 2011
Toyota is doling out good news since the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11, affecting most of its production operations. Beginning in June, overall North American production will reach approximately 70 percent of normal levels.
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An end to the nightmare? Saab to restart production within a week
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Unable to pay its suppliers and faced with an important financial crisis that forced it to shut down its assembly lines twice and for a long period of time, Saab's ordeal may be coming to an end thanks to the help of its owner, Spyker Cars.
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Honda warns of possible 2012 Civic shortage
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Don't let the reduced media coverage fool you - Japanese automakers are still scrambling to get back on track after the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country and jeopardized the entire car production chain.
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Japan Earthquake: over half a million units to make up for
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
It's common knowledge that the natural disaster that has devastated Japan also struck an incredible blow to the auto industry. While the country's seven major manufacturers are still struggling to right themselves, we learned that the earthquake and subsequent tsunami have inflicted losses of over half a million units.
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All-new Malibu coming sooner than expected
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
With the world premiere of the all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu at the Shanghai Auto Show just six days away, General Motors chose to begin production about four months ahead of schedule.
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Cash-strapped Saab halts production yet again
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Last week, we reported that Saab had to halt car production for three full days after several of the Swedish automaker's bigger suppliers stopped deliveries due to unpaid bills.
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No more naturally-aspirated mills for BMW's M line
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
The restrictions of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) imposed on automakers to reduce the fuel consumption and harmful emissions of their vehicles have gotten the better of the naturally-aspirated engines powering BMW's M range of products.
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Honda to resume limited production in Japan on April 11
Friday, April 01, 2011
Much like Toyota, Honda is slowly but surely getting back on its feet after the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan a few weeks ago. The automaker announced today that beginning Monday, April 11, limited production of finished automobiles will resume at the Sayama and Suzuka plants, exactly one month after they were forced to shut down.
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Saab in financial straights, but confident
Thursday, March 31, 2011
After Saab shut assembly lines down for a few hours on March 29, industry analysts and observers voiced their concern about the state of the Swedish automaker's finances and its future. Today, Spyker Cars N.V. confirmed that some suppliers had stopped delivering parts while discussions are currently underway concerning payment and supply terms and conditions.
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Toyota resumed production of three hybrids
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Toyota is slowly but surely seeing the light at the end of the tunnel following the earthquake that suspended most of its operations in Japan. Today, the automaker resumed production of three hybrid models after a two-week hiatus.
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Earthquake in Japan: Mazda, Honda, Chrysler and Ford affected
Monday, March 28, 2011
As expected, the effects of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that have devastated Japan are now being felt in North America. With production suspensions dragging on, Mazda and Honda have been forced to temporarily stop taking orders for vehicles manufactured in Japan, while parts shortages are preventing Chrysler and Ford from offering specific colours of pickups, cars and SUVs.
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It's official: the Fisker Karma enters production
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
No, it's not a joke. After several postponements, Fisker spokesperson Roger Ormisher has announced that production of the Karma was finally launched today at Valmet Automotive's Finnish plant.
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Fisker thinks it can sell 7,000 Karmas in 2011
Monday, March 07, 2011
We certainly can't accuse Fisker Automotive of lacking ambition! The firm behind the sporty and luxurious Karma says it will be able to sell 7,000 units this year and 15,000 in 2012.
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Saab 9-4X enters production
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The first Saab 9-4X crossover rolled off the assembly line of the Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico today, three months after its initial unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
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Mazda MX-5 to set new Guinness record
Friday, February 04, 2011
Mazda announced that its MX-5 roadster is about to make history once again. With 900,000 units sold since April 1989, the iconic Japanese will retain its title of "Best-selling two-seat sports car" in the Guinness Book of World Records.
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Volkswagen XL1 confirmed for production
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Earlier this week, we reported a story about the Volkswagen XL1, a plug-in hybrid concept that burns as little as 0.9 litre of fuel per 100 kilometres.
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The Fisker Karma in production by March?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
A spokesperson for Fisker Automotive told plugincars.com that production of the Karma would start this March, but that establishing a specific delivery date would "be difficult."
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Jeep Compass and Patriot to be ''Fatto in Italia''
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sergio Marchionne got 54 percent of the workers at Fiat's Mirafiori factory in Turin to vote in favour of a groundbreaking contract that limits wildcat strikes and absenteeism around holidays. In exchange, the automaker will invest nearly $1.4 billion to modernize the plant.
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Saab is Back for 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
To say that Saab is back is actually a misstatement. Saab was the only one of the General Motors divisions that never went out of business. Production was halted, but while Pontiac, Hummer and Saturn were shut down, Saab continued to sell cars in North America. Only the factory in Sweden was mothballed.
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Cadillac aims younger customers with 7-model expansion plan
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Following a sales increase of 35 percent from 2009 to 2010, Cadillac is considering a seven-model expansion in order to capitalize on the fastest sales growth seen amongst premium car manufacturers in the US, AutoCar reports.
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News & Events Multimedia
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Gone is the dash-mounted flower vase in the latest version of Volkswagen's Bug. Gone too is much of its cutesiness, replaced by a notable degree of sportiness intended to broaden the Beetle's target market by attracting male attention.
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Car Reviews
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