Although most U.S. consumers would not consider the current Volkswagen Rabbit roomy, the need for greater fuel economy may dictate a need to import something even smaller. VW may not have to reach far because it already has a host of small cars it gives to the rest of the world. Just like VW's famous ad campaign, the trend in the U.S. is becoming “think small”, and it doesn't want to miss the boat. So now Volkswagen is reported to be considering introducing the subcompact Polo to the U.S. (...)

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Hartge unveiled finally its aero kit for the small but sporty Bmw 1-Series Coupe. The new kit contains a stylish front spoiler, new side skirts, a trunk lip spoiler, a roof spoiler and a rear air diffuser, but this available only for the 135i versions fitted with the M Aerodynamic package. Also a new exhaust system was added together with a sport steering wheel at the interior. In order to push the limits of the car Hartge boosted the 3.0 liter gasoline engine up to 350 hp making the sprint (...)

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After deciding to build a new plant, the next thing that Volkswagen need is powertrains. Last year for example, the Puebla factory turned out 340,000 engines, well below its annual capacity of 500,000. But this are gasoline engines, but the company also needs diesel and hybrid. Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen of America said the vehicles produced in Chattanooga will be offered in gasoline, hybrid and diesel versions. "We are one of the technology leaders worldwide with diesel technology, (...)

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When Volkswagen unveiled the Up! concept last year, they announced the production version will be RWD, but because of some development difficulties, the Up! may have to be converted to a more conventional front-wheel-drive layout to achieve its original targets. According to Volkswagen the project has three key difficulties. First, the low-cost, mid-engined layout of the Up! is proving more costly to engineer than anticipated. It's apparently difficult to accommodate a radiator in the car's (...)

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Renault unveiled an official teaser of the Megane R26R that will debut at the British Motor Show on July 22. The road legal Megane R26R, is based on the standard Megane RS. It will be powered by the stock version's 224 Hp 2.0-liter turbo engine. The car features carbon-fiber body parts and polycarbonate windows that helps reducing weight. It also features stickers depicting the Nurburgring race track, a roll-cage and a race-style bucket seat for the driver. (...)

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Maserati announced the European prices for the 2009 Quattroporte and Quattroporte S. The 'old' 4.2 litre 400 hp version, the standard Quattroporte has a price of € 166,992, while the new Quattroporte S is priced at €181,982. There are also two Executive GT versions, priced at €179,630 and €194,620. Sales will begin in September. The Quattroporte S is powered by the 430hp 4.7 liter V8 engine first used in the GranTurismo S. Both cars feature the 6-speed automatic transmission developed in (...)

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Elfin is working on a new performance car, Type 5, that will be released in less than a month. But until the launch, here's the first sketch of the car. The car wants to compete with models like Lotus Elise, Caterham 7 and the Ariel Atom. Type 5 will get a new chassis, exterior styling, interior design and a newly sourced engine. It will have a weight of approx. 750 kg depending on spec level with a 4 cylinder engine to produce around 268 hp of power and 258 lbs-ft of torque. Price will (...)

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Even if the Camaro will make its official debut on Monday the embargo was broken and the first official images appeared on the internet. The guys from CarTribe are the first one to bring them. The 2010 Camaro will be offered in three trims :LS, LT and SS and will be available with 6-speed manual and auto transmissions. Under the bonnet there will be a 296bhp 3.6-litre V6 and 416bhp 6.2-litre V8 engines, which can run on fewer cylinders to improve economy. The car will feature: an (...)

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