Car Chute

Stuttgart (dpa) – The next generation Audi A4 heading for the markets in 2014 will be significantly lighter and more economical than current versions, according to a report in Germany’s Autobild newspaper.

The latest A4 underwent a major facelift last year with sales in Germany falling behind those of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class. During the first quarter of this year only 9,033 A4 models were sold compared to 12,714 units of the BMW 3-Series and 17,114 Mercedes C-Class models.
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FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Daimler’s flagship luxury brand Mercedes-Benz expects it will at least keep pace with the 15-20 percent growth of the overall premium car market in China this year, its chief executive said.

China is the key growth driver for companies like BMW and Mercedes. Volkswagen’s Audi counts China as its single largest market, responsible for a quarter of its volumes.
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BERLIN (Xinhua) — BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) AG will recall some 9,200 cars worldwide due to possible cooling pump defect, the Munich-based German luxury car maker announced on Monday.
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SEOUL – German carmaker BMW planned to recall 2,231 passenger cars in South Korea for a defective cooling pumps, the transportation ministry said Thursday.
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Munich (dpa) – BMW is offering a full-colour, head-up display in the new 3-Series, projecting a virtual image onto the windscreen at the eye-level of the driver.

The virtual image is perceived as ”hovering” at eye level above the bonnet and is visible only to the driver, according to the manufacturer.
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The AutoMotionTV sponsored #38 Mazda finished 2nd at the NASA Championships presented by Toyo Tires. Sunday’s championship race was held at the 13 turn Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. Twelve Performance Touring D cars took the green flag featuring makes from BMW to Acura to Mazda.
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Enough with the car awards of the year, it’s time to look under the hood and check out which engines made it as the 10 Best for 2010. According to Ward’s 10 Best Engines, the winners are as follows:

This year’s winners and the applications tested:
2.0L TFSI Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Audi A4)
3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi S4)
3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel (BMW 335d)
2.5L DOHC I-4 Hybrid (Ford Fusion Hybrid)
3.5L EcoBoost Turbocharged DOHC V-6 (Ford Taurus SHO)
2.4L Ecotec DOHC I-4 (Chevrolet Equinox)
4.6L Tau DOHC V-8 (Hyundai Genesis)
2.5L Turbocharged DOHC H-4 (Subaru Legacy 2.5GT)
1.8L DOHC I-4 Hybrid (Toyota Prius)
2.0L SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI)

“This year’s list embodies how the industry is responding to demands for higher fuel economy and lower emissions without shortchanging performance,” Ward’s AutoWorld Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter said. “Auto makers are using innovative designs and advanced technology to boost horsepower and torque while downsizing engines and increasing efficiency.”

It’s a good thing that one of the criterias involved was the lower gas emissions. It just shows that engine makers do care about saving the environment. Now if they can only make engines this good that runs on ethanol. In the meantime, since the US economy’s going down the slippery slope, it’s great that they’ve also included the criteria regarding fuel economy. The last thing we need are engines that guzzle gas like there’s no tomorrow.

Here’s to hoping that next year’s best engine’s list will have engines that help save more on gas and produce lower (or better no) carbon emissions.

Press Release

Photo Credits: Associated Press

The new Z4 is the first roadster in BMW history with a retractable hard top so it replaces both the Z4 roadster and the Z4 coupe. It’s also a slick package with more masculine exterior styling and improved head and elbow room than the predecessor Z4s. And there’s a first-for-the-Z4 dual-clutch automatic transmission with seven speeds, too.

For all this, there’s a price. Starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $46,575 for the non-turbocharged six cylinder and manual transmission. The lowest-priced 2009 Z4 with automatic starts at $47,900 and with leather seats and other options it easily jumps to more than $50,000.

In comparison, the starting MSRP, including destination charge, for a 2009 Audi TT is $42,895 with V-6 and standard all-wheel drive. The 2009 Porsche Boxster has a retail starting price of $47,550.

Press