MotorAuthority

Mazda Asks, 'What Do You Drive?': Video

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Mazda has always marched to the beat of a slightly different drummer. The brand embraced the rotary engine when other manufacturers had abandoned the design, and it became the heart of Mazda’s iconic RX series of sports cars. When other manufacturers abandoned the idea of a simple, inexpensive roadster as unprofitable, Mazda found a way to...

Tesla Model X Unveiling And Ordering Details: Video

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0000

If you missed yesterday’s unveiling of the new Tesla Model X, we’ve got you covered. The video above shows the event in its entirety, and it could represent automotive history in the making. The Tesla Model X has the potential of becoming the first electric car with broad market appeal, especially if its pricing can be kept in check...

$1 Billion Prize Proposed For 100 MPG Car

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:30:00 +0000

If California Representative Dan Lungren has his way, automakers may soon have an incentive other than environmental responsibility to design and produce cars that deliver fuel economy of 100 miles per gallon. According to Fox News, Lungren has introduced a bill in Congress that would award a a $1 billion prize to the first automaker that builds...

INDYCAR Sets Leaders Circle Participants For 2012

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:00:00 +0000

The IZOD IndyCar Series has a plan that assists its prominent teams called the Leaders Circle, which INDYCAR has modified for the upcoming 2012 season. The program has been capped at 20 entrants for the year, with additional funds used to enhance race payouts for non-Leaders Circle entrants. INDYCAR said the 18 returning members that finished in...

Bertone Leaks Nuccio Concept Sketches Prior To Geneva Debut

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Over the years, the name “Bertone” has graced some truly classic automobiles, including the Alfa Romeo Giulia GT, the Lamborghini Muira, the Lancia Stratos, the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari 308. Despite Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone’s death in 1997, the company is still active in automobile design and still producing concept...

Coming Soon: Three-Cylinder BMW 3-Series Models?

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0000

BMW’s 3-Series has long been known for its silky-smooth inline-six engines. In these fuel-conscious times, however, the Munich-based automaker is replacing some of its inline-six engines with 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder powerplants in 3-Series and Z4 models. If Britain’s Whatcar? is correct, the downsizing won’t end...

New Porsche 911 GT3 RSR Pleases ALMS Drivers

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Porsche Motorsport North America's new 911 GT3 RSR had its first outing this week at the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Winter Test on the Sebring International Raceway road course, in preparation for the 2012 ALMS season. Over two days of testing, drivers declared the new car race-worthy and ready to tackle the tough competition that faces them...

Japan Muscle Car Graveyard Follow-Up: Video

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Last month, we brought you a video from Daniel O’Grady, showing classic American muscle cars seemingly abandoned in a lot in Kurume City, Kyushu, Japan. The big question on O’Grady’s mind, as well as on our own, was, “why?” We still don’t have an answer as to why the cars have been left to the elements, but...

Cadillac XTS Getting 'Sensor Fusion' Driver Assistance Package: Video

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:45:00 +0000

Cadillac, like other automakers, is working towards the ultimate goal of self-driving cars. Computers, it seems, are far better at multi-tasking than humans, and aren’t prone to cell-phone-induced distractions. While self-driving cars are still potentially decades in the future, technology being developed towards that end can be implemented...

Tesla Model X, Morgan Plus E, Toyota FT-Bh: Today's Car News

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Tesla's 2014 Model X electric crossover is finally on the loose--digitally, at least--and it's a falcon-winged bubble of awesome. If you're a fan of fast, luxurious, and green cars that look great, anyway. Morgan, the carmaker known best for its retro styling and wood-framed chassis affinity, will unveil an all-electric roadster at the Geneva Auto...

Morgan Planning Plus E Electric Roadster With Manual Gearbox For Geneva

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:30:00 +0000

The classic style and modern performance combination of the typical Morgan might seem like an odd platform to launch an electric vehicle, but that's exactly what the company plans for the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. It'll even have a manual gearbox. That won't be the electric Morgan's only nod to the technology of the past, of course, with a...

NHRA Winternationals Qualifying Begins At Pomona

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The National Hot Rod Association's (NHRA) 23-race season started this week with the first round of qualifying for the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, held on Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. This is where every NHRA season begins; this is where every NHRA season ends. On a Chamber of Commerce Thursday afternoon, the Pro Stock, Funny Car and...

2012 Lincoln Navigator Recalled For Faulty Head Restraints

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Ford has issued a recall on its 2012 Lincoln Navigator SUV as well as the vehicle’s Blue Oval twin, the Expedition. The reason is due to the vehicles’ head restraints, which may have inadequate welds on their support brackets. The affected head restraints are only those found on the right-hand seat of the second row, and the only...

Koenigsegg Bringing First Agera To U.S. In June, Hints At Camless Engine

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:30:00 +0000

The same smart airbag issue that has plagued fellow supercar startup Pagani from launching its Huayra in the U.S., and caused Lotus to stop selling its Elise and Exige, has one other high-profile casualty in the form of Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg. The maker of the 1,115-horsepower Agera R and slightly tamer Agera is hoping to attain...

2014 Tesla Model X Unveiled: Electric Luxury Crossover With Wings

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:15:00 +0000

Sharing parts between models is a common practice in the auto industry, though it can be taken too far--just ask the "old" General Motors. But in Tesla's case, sharing 60 percent of the parts between the Model S and Model X makes great sense. As a startup, sharing parts between models means more efficient manufacturing, and since that's the main...