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Aston Martin is offering a power upgrade kit to owners of the 4.3-liter version of the V8 Vantage (pictured). (Photo courtesy of Aston Martin)

GAYDON, England — Aston Martin, which launched a more powerful 4.7 V8 Vantage earlier this year, is offering a retrofit power upgrade to owners of the older 4.3 V8 Vantage.

The 4.3 upgrade package, which includes a revised induction system and a reprogrammed ECU, boosts output by 20 horsepower to 400 hp and torque to 310 pound-feet. Top speed climbs to 177 mph, and 0-60-mph acceleration is trimmed slightly. The U.S. edition of the 4.7 V8 Vantage is rated at 420 hp and 346 lb-ft.

A Sports Pack option is also available for the 4.3 V8 Vantage, bundling uprated springs, Bilstein shocks and five-spoke forged-alloy wheels.

Both kits are available through Aston Martin dealers worldwide.

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Rinspeed iChange is characterized as a \”1-2-3-seater\” because it adapts easily from sports car into three-passenger van. Note the trick tail. (Photo courtesy of Rinspeed)

ZUMIKON, Switzerland — Geneva showgoers always look forward to the latest novelty from local craftsman Frank Rinderknecht, who has redefined the term \”out of the box,\” at least as far as the automotive world is concerned. His next trick for the 2009 Geneva Auto Show: the Rinspeed iChange, which the company describes as a \”1-2-3-seater\” powered by a 130-kW electric motor.

The design sketches don\’t exactly illustrate the vehicle\’s most unique feature: an \”electronic trick tail,\” which the company says can transform the vehicle from a sports car into a compact van that can accommodate the driver and two passengers.

Among Rinspeed\’s partners on the project are AEZ Wheels, Siemens, Harman/Becker and Eberspaecher.

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The BlueZero F-Cell uses a hydrogen fuel cell to make 136 horsepower with no emissions. (Photo courtesy of Autobild.de)

DETROIT — Mercedes-Benz will unveil a family of BlueZero concept vehicles at next month\’s 2009 Detroit Auto Show, and the official images have already been leaked on several German Web sites.

The early buzz says the BlueZero hatchbacks preview styling for the next-generation Mercedes B-Class due in model year 2012.… Read the rest of this entry

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Nobel laureate Steven Chu, shown here (left) getting the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics from the king of Sweden, has reportedly been tapped to be the next U.S. energy secretary by Barack Obama. (Photo courtesy of Ulf Palm and sourced from NobelPrize.org)

CHICAGO — Steven Chu, 60, an early advocate for scientific solutions to climate change and a winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics, has reportedly been picked by President-elect Barack Obama as the new U.S. energy secretary.

Chu is the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is widely described as a major supporter of the development of alternative fuels. In a recent YouTube video, Chu urges investing in energy efficiency and warns about the hazards of ignoring global climate change.

\”Chu is currently pushing his scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory… Read the rest of this entry

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Chris Paine, director of the film
Who Killed the Electric Car? says on his Web site that he\’d rather have the Tesla Roadster, which he now owns, than any exotic sports car on the market. (Photo courtesy of Revengeoftheleectriccar
.com)

LOS ANGELES — Chris Paine, the director of
Who Killed the Electric Car? recently took delivery of a Tesla Roadster. His review is a gushy valentine that offers no criticisms of the electric vehicle.

\”I\’d rather have this Tesla than any Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus or Porsche,\” said Paine, who is working on a new documentary called
Revenge of the Electric Car. \”Those cars are just as expensive and far, far more polluting. Complaints? None. I just wish everyone could have this experience for themselves… Read the rest of this entry

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Series 5 Dodge Challenger SRT8 6.1 from Hurst comes in a sparkling Custom White Pearl color scheme with gold racing stripes. (Photo courtesy of Hurst)

IRVINE, California — Hurst Performance Vehicles has announced further details and pricing for its new 2009 Hurst/Hemi Challenger, which recently debuted at the 2008 SEMA show.

For those looking for a subtle upgrade, Hurst is offering the Challenger Series 2 R/T that ups output of the 5.7-liter V8 to an estimated 352 horsepower and 408 pound-feet of torque. Some of the other modifications include 20-inch polished forged wheels, a Hurst \”Hard Drive\” shifter, leather interior, Magnaflow stainless steel cat-back exhaust and an adjustable Eibach coil-over suspension. The Series 2 R/T Challenger retails for $18,350.

Next… Read the rest of this entry

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The supercharged Audi S4 goes on sale in the U.K. in April but won\’t be in the U.S. until fall, as a 2010 model. (Photo courtesy of Audi USA)

LONDON — Audi has released official prices on the U.K. edition of the redesigned S4. When the cars go on sale in Britain in April, the S4 sedan will start at $50,800, and the S4 Avant wagon will be priced from $53,200.

Only the S4 sedan will make the transatlantic trek. It is expected to go on sale in September as a 2010 model, also priced from around $50,000.

The supercharged 3.0-liter TFSI V6 in the new S4 is rated at 328 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. U.K. customers can order either model with the optional Audi S tronic seven-speed twin-clutch DSG transmission, priced from $1,800… Read the rest of this entry

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…to the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid. (Photo courtesy of General Motors Corporation)

TORONTO — The World Car of the Year (WCOTY) organization has announced the initial slate of candidates for 2009 World Green Car of the Year.

Launched three years ago, the World Green COTY title has been awarded in the past to the BMW 118d (2008), the Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec (2007) and the Honda Civic Hybrid (2006).

The 2009 candidates must be new and on sale by December 31. The list includes the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI, BMW 335d BluePerformance, Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon hybrids, Citro?n C1, Fiat Palio Weekend Electric, Fiat Siena Tetrafuel model, Honda FCX Clarity, Mazda Hydrogen Rotary RX8, Mercedes-Benz ML/R/GL320 Bluetec, Mini Cooper D, Mini E, Mitsubishi i MIEV, Nissan X-Trail 20 GT,… Read the rest of this entry

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The U.S. House may have approved the Bush administration\’s $14 billion emergency bailout plan for Detroit\’s Big Three late Wednesday, however the bill\’s fate is uncertain as it still needs to win the support of the Senate. And the omens aren\’t good for the American automakers. On Thursday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, talked against the bailout plan that would help General Motors, Chrysler LLC and to a lesser extent, Ford Motor Company, survive the economic crunch over the next few months. Mr McConnel labeled the proposal \”not nearly tough enough\” on the car sector.

In order for the measure to advance in the Senate, it has to collect 60 votes. Democrats who support the bill, currently hold a 50 to 49 majority in the Senate. On Wednesday\’s vote, the House passed the $14 billion loan package relatively easy with 237… Read the rest of this entry

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The Detroit auto show will not be displaying the Model S, an eagerly awaited, more affordable new sibling to the Tesla Roadster (pictured). (Photo courtesy of Tesla Motors)

SAN CARLOS, California —
Inside Line has confirmed that Tesla Motors\’ highly anticipated Model S sedan will
not be unveiled in Detroit next month at the 2009 North American International Auto Show.

\”The plan is to unveil that in late February or March,\” said Rachel Konrad, Tesla Motors spokesperson, in an e-mail response to a query from
Inside Line.

The electric four-door Model S is half the price of the $109,000 Tesla Roadster. The electric-car startup reached a modest milestone this week with the delivery of the 100th Roadster.

The five-passenger Model S is expected to have a… Read the rest of this entry