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When Porsche introduces a new 911 update, you know exactly what that means: derivatives. The Porsche 911 has more derivatives, body-styles and variants than just about any other automobile in production, and after unveiling the latest 911 Carrera and Carrera S, Carerra 4 and Carrera 4S, in both coupe and cabrio formats, the next version due for release is the 911 Targa.

Porsche defined the term Targa when it borrowed the name from the famous Sicilian race, the Targa Florio, and applied it to its lift-roof-section model, bridging the gap between its convertibles and coupes. The outgoing 911 Targa features a sliding panoramic roof section, but we\’ll have to wait and see what tricks Porsche has up its sleeve for the newest version.

[Source: GermanCarScene]

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We\’ve actually talked about doing this ourselves before, at least internally here at AB HQ. Giving some practical pointers on basic photography theory for new bloggers trying out their DSLR skills for the first time. Basic stuff like composition and lighting, focal lengths and depth of field. Well, our pal Rich Truesdell beat us to the punch, and did a much better job than we probably could have done in the process. Check out the series of articles he wrote to learn the basics and a whole lot more. While not everyone wants to be the next Ansel Adams, these tips can help you capture the best angle of your ride for that craigslist or eBay ad, or to show it… Read the rest of this entry

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BMW\’s 1-Series does not smirk at you and say \”don\’t hate me because I\’m beautiful.\” No, this small Teut is easy to deride on appearance; one look has you hating it because it\’s not beautiful while so many of its past brethren have been classically handsome. Whether it suits your taste or not, the 128i convertible we borrowed is unmistakably the work of the wizards of Munich. So, it\’s definitely a BMW, and it\’s being described as a reincarnation of the legendary 2002; does it measure up?

Gallery:

Photos Copyright ©2008 Dan Roth /… Read the rest of this entry

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An eternally unanswerable question seems to be whether or not Ford is actively shopping around Volvo for a buyer. Just this week we reported that Chinese automaker SAIC and some Russian investors had expressed interest in purchasing the Swedish carmaker from Ford, but today we learn from a source within SAIC that the company is doing nothing of the sort. The unidentified source said that, as far as he/she knew, the two companies were not in contact about a possible purchase at all. Volvo\’s staying quiet and licking its wounds after announcing 2,000 layoffs this week, while Ford is singing the same old song with a catchy chorus that insists Volvo is not for sale. Well, the rumor that some Russians are interested in Volvo hasn\’t been refuted yet, so until someone named Boris says otherwise, let\’s considerable Volvo on the market… Read the rest of this entry

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Toyota\’s new $1-billion assembly plant in Brazil reportedly will build variants off the subcompact Yaris platform. (Photo courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Toyota Motor plans to invest $1 billion in a new small-car manufacturing complex in Brazil in 2010. The facility will also build engines and will have an annual capacity of 200,000 units a year.

According to the financial newspaper
Valor Economico, Toyota will build the new plant in Sao Paulo state. Its existing plant, in Indaiatuba, assembles the Corolla compact.

Industry sources told
Inside Line that the new plant is expected to build variations of the Vitz/Yaris subcompact.

Also under consideration are one or more models derived from the iQ minicar concept that Toyota unveiled last fall.… Read the rest of this entry

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(Photo courtesy of Samsung)

SEOUL, South Korea — Samsung SDI and Robert Bosch have formed a hybrid-vehicle battery joint venture that will begin operation this September.

Called SB LiMotive and headquartered in Korea, the 50/50 joint venture will develop, manufacture and market lithium-ion batteries for automotive applications. The batteries are intended for use in both hybrid gas-electric vehicle and pure EVs.

Samsung SDI, a division of the Korean consumer electronics giant, is an industry leader in the global battery market, with production last year of 376 million battery cells, used mostly to power laptop computers, power tools and mobile phones.

The Bosch Group is a leading automotive supplier and has considerable expertise in power electronics, battery management, electric motors, transmissions and DC converters.

Plans are to have the production kickoff in 2010. The partners plan to invest a minimum $500 million in the… Read the rest of this entry

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(Photo courtesy of JE Design)

LEINGARTEN, Germany — The Street Rocket from German tuner JE Design is definitely no conventional soccer-mobile.

Springing from the Audi Q7, the Street Rocket is a bit more subtle than a number of its tuner-shop counterparts, with a relatively subdued \”red rocket\” paint scheme over a modest aero body kit, set off with LED lamps and 22-inch alloy wheels. Inside the vehicle, JE Design has applied additional red accents.

The 3.0-liter six-cylinder TDI engine under the hood gets a nudge to 281 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The extra muscle helps slice 0-60 acceleration to less than 8.4 seconds.

What this means to you: A six-cylinder turbodiesel, even one with this much torque, should still return reasonably decent fuel economy — a good thing with pump prices in Europe now well over $6 a gallon. —
Paul Lienert, Correspondent

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Saleen\’s SpeedLab is offering a new supercharger for the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. (Photo courtesy of Saleen)

TROY, Michigan — Saleen\’s SpeedLab division has unveiled its popular Series VI twin-screw supercharger for all 2007-\’08 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators.

The blower features a two-stage water-to-air intercooling system, which gives the utility vehicles\’ V8 a boost of up to 100 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque. The additional muscle provides more towing capability, and owners should see a 30 percent improvement in 35-65 mph passing times, according to Saleen.

\”SUV owners today need tremendous versatility out of their vehicle, so whether you want to catapult yourself from 0-60 mph in under 7.0 seconds, tow your boat to your favorite lake or simply deliver the soccer team to practice, this supercharger delivers with… Read the rest of this entry

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(Photo courtesy of IFR)

LONDON — IFR Automotive is the latest boutique manufacturer to pull the wraps off a two-place, open-wheel roadster: the Aspid.

Although the first customer deliveries are said to be at least a year away, the Aspid will make its public debut next month at the 2008 British Auto Show. Projected prices will start at just under $150,000, with fully loaded models going for roughly twice that tariff.

In case you were wondering, IFR stands for Ignacio… Read the rest of this entry

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The Corvette\’s supercharged V8 makes 638 horsepower. (Photo courtesy of General Motors Corporation)

NURBURG, Germany — During testing this week at the N?rburgring Nordschleife, the supercharged 638-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 turned a lap of 7:26.4, quicker than the 7:29 set on April 16-17 by the Nissan GT-R, which is believed to be the lap record for a mass-produced sports car. Tadge Juechter, Corvette Chief Engineer, says, \”The vehicle is exactly like the cars that will be built in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and sold around the world later this summer.\”

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has been testing at the N?rburgring over the last two weeks for final tuning before production begins later this summer. Development engineer Jim Mero drove… Read the rest of this entry