Auto Industry News
And Car Reviews

Earlier this week, we got a preview of the latest Jeeps outfitted by Mopar, Chrysler's aftermarket parts arm. Well, Mopar's prowess isn't limited to trucks and off-roaders; it has plenty to offer Chrysler-group cars, too. One of those cars will debut around the same time as Mopar's Moab Jeeps—later this month at the New York Auto Show. It's the Mopar-ized 2011 Dodge Charger.

Mopar has been pretty picture-happy this week and has been less willing to divulge hard information on its latest special editions. So we don't have a whole lot of explanation to go by, meaning we'll have to fend for ourselves with our own eyes.

It looks like the Audi Quattro concept debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show is on its way toward production. While it has yet to be officially confirmed, Autocar reports that Audi is quite close to giving the go-ahead. Launch is expected as early as 2013.

Essentially an ultra-light RS5, the Quattro uses an aluminum space frame, aluminum body panels, and a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic hood and trunk to tear out 660 lbs. In its Paris form, the model used a 408-hp 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine and six-speed manual transmission.

Toyota and Microsoft are teaming to develop a telematics system that will compete with GM's OnStar. The next-generation software will likely debut in the company's electric and plug-in vehicles next year. Details are a bit sparse at this point, but we know the system will run on the upcoming Windows Azure platform.

What we don't know if this system will be an infotainment system like Ford's Sync or Chrysler's Uconnect, or if it will be more like GM's OnStar system, which is focused on navigation and consumer assistance.

We knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. After weeks of saying little more than that it's watching the situation closely, Ford announced that it will have to shut down its first plants as a result of shortages of Japanese-sourced auto parts. Like GM before it, Ford remained mum as to what part(s) was at issue.

Late last week, Ford announced that it would close its Louisville, Kentucky plant responsible for building the F-Series Super Duty trucks and Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs as of this week. Additionally, Ford said that it would close a plant in Belgium responsible for building S-Max and Galaxy minivans and the Mondeo sedan as a result of parts issues.

Not to be outdone by its country-mate, Kia, Hyundai used the 2011 Seoul Motor Show to introduce a green concept all its own. Hyundai's concept, called the Blue2, uses hydrogen fuel cells paired with an electric motor.

Hyundai packages its fuel-cell-powered electric in sedan form. The concept has a 120-hp electric motor that provides around 82 mpg with the help of the hydrogen fuel cells. The car exemplifies Hyundai's "New Thinking—New Possibilities" tagline.

Well, it looks like Lamborghini may be abandoning the lighter components/smaller engines philosophy that company executives talked about last year. Because all we've seen since then, except for the Sesto Elemento, is bigger and bigger engines. Sure, composites have been part of the picture, but there really doesn't seem to be much effort in cutting engine size.

The latest rumor out of French site L'Automobile indicates that the Gallardo replacement, a car that is likely to be introduced in 2013, will add 30-hp over the current Gallardo top-dog—the Gallardo Superleggera—for 600 horses worth of power. That engine's job will be a bit easier thanks to weight cuts from composite construction.

It looks like the joke is on BMW once again. Not only did the car paparazzi ruin BMW's big April Fool's prank (the M3 pickup), but now LupiniPower, a South African tuner, has used that model as a jumping point to advertise its own juiced-up pickup car: a supercharged pickup called the Chevy SuperUte SS. The car is more powerful than the M3, though probably not as luxurious inside.

LupiniPower's head honcho Michele Lupini repurposes the M3 prank-pickup: "It is hugely gratifying to note that M has taken note of a need for such top-end pick-up vehicles, although we do also need to point out that SuperUte is certainly no joke—our development cycle is now close to being completed and we'll soon be ready to deliver."

Everyone knows the Silverado HD was recently named Motor Trend’s 2011 Truck of the Year. Yet, competitors like Ford and Dodge still offer quality trucks and The General needs to ensure consumers know which brand reigns supreme. GM’s global vehicle line executive for full size trucks, Rick Spina, recently stated that the company “wanted to get away from spec-sheet comparisons and show how these trucks perform in the real world." Perhaps the best way to do so is by a head-to-head comparison pitting the best against the best: HD vs. HD.

In so doing, Chevrolet created a heavy-duty pickup cage match in seven short videos, appropriately named HD to HD. Spina actually hosts with sidekick—Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long—instant credibility points here. But wait, you’re concerned this is a fluff piece meant to taint your completely unbiased opinion about pickup truck brands? Think again. GM employed AMCI to independently test the Silverado HD against the Ford Superduty and Ram HD.

If you had any doubt that hybrid, electric, fuel cell, and other alternatively powered vehicles are the future of the automobile industry, the European Commission is here to dispel those doubts. The executive arm of the European Union has proposed a ban on all gas and diesel vehicles in European city centers by 2050. The ban follows similar actions and proposals in individual cities around Europe.

The proposal seeks to cut emissions and reliance on foreign oil by up to 60 percent. The EU currently relies on foreign oil for around 96 percent of its transportation needs. The European Commission hopes that zero-emissions vehicles will make up half of Europe's vehicles by 2030. By 2050, it wants to all gas and diesel vehicles out of cities altogether.

BMW is going to officially launch the 2012 6-Series Coupe at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month, but a few journalists have seen the car in Munich ahead of the show. The coupe adds a fixed roof and a Hofmeister Kink to the convertible version.

The coupe's front fascia has LED headlamps and optional triple-element fog lamps. Power comes from a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 that makes 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission gets all that power to the rear wheels.

Well, according to a Bloomberg report, not only has Bugatti decided to build the sedan, it's gotten the blessing from parent company Volkswagen.

Basically a Veyron dressed up in ultra-premium sedan clothing, the Galibier features the Veyron's 8.0-liter W16 engine along with two superchargers. At the time that it introduced the concept, Bugatti called it the "the most exclusive, elegant and powerful four door automobile in the world." With its Veyron-based powertrain, excessively luxurious interior, and likely super-million-dollar price tag, it is certainly without a modern rival in terms of elegance and power. Bugatti never specified the output of the Galibier, but it was said to be somewhere between 800-hp and the 1,000-hp of the Veyron 16.4.