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First seen at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show , today the BMW Group officially rolled out its latest four-seat MINI Cooper Convertible featuring, as they say, "improvements in the areas of design, quality, handling, performance, efficiency, and functionality." Built on the latest-gen MINI platform, the new soft top comes in both standard and S models and receives all of the benefits of the hardtop including new four cylinder engines, electromechanical power steering, and a stiffer body structure.

The Mini Cooper Convertible 's roof is electrohydraulically powered and may be raised or lowered at speeds up to 20 mph. Standard is a delightfully kitschy "Openometer," which records time traveled with the top open to the elements.

New for this second-gen convertible is an electromechanically... // TheCarConnection.com

Munich. November 26, 2008; The world record in the men's 100 meters stands at 9.69 seconds, whilst a BMW M3 Coupe is capable of reaching 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. Starting today, three-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt knows what it feels like to travel at both speeds because the 22-year old Jamaican was able to experience the outstanding driving characteristics of his future sports car while driving it to its limits at the BMW Vehicle Test Facility in Aschheim near Munich. "It was a fascinating experience", comments the athlete par excellence, following almost three hours of BMW Driver Training. He was greatly impressed by the tremendous power and the full sound of the engine. Usain Bolt had obviously thoroughly enjoyed driving the 414 horsepower sports car across the handling course in... // Autochannel

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Dealership lawyers predict that Chapter 11 filings by any of the Big Three would "kill many of its dealerships quickly" even if the companies successfully reorganize, says Automotive News . The situation would place dealerships into an immediate cash shortage from which many would simply not recover.

What money would they miss out on in the event of Chapter 11? Automotive News says sales incentives, holdbacks, and warranty reimbursement payments from automakers direct to dealers would all cease, and with the current dearth of auto sales, this scenario could be the final turning point for dealers and the catalyst for their failure.

Bankruptcy court might allow automakers to pay dealerships just small fractions of the money they owe, and even those... // TheCarConnection.com

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In the NHTSA's crash testing regimen, the new 2009 Dodge Challenger earned 5-star ratings for both driver and front passenger protection in frontal crashes. It also earned top 5-star driver and rear-passenger ratings for side-impact protection.

The vehicle has the benefit of a stout platform - the previous-gen Mercedes E-Class - upon which its optional fire-breathing HEMI V-8 and Mercedes 5-speed (or optional 6-speed manual) are fitted to provide scorching acceleration. In addition to the solid platform, Chrysler fitted safety features that include advanced multi-stage... // TheCarConnection.com

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Click above for a hi-res gallery of the 2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI

Volkswagen customers in the United States have been patiently awaiting the arrival of the new sixth-generation Rabbit and its GTI performance variant. And while it's still a little ways off, at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel as the German automaker has announced that the new model will hit the U.S. market in early September 2009. European customers, meanwhile, already began taking delivery of their new Golfs last month, with the GTI due to arrive there next summer.

American versions will initially be available with the current 2.5-liter inline-five, a new 2-liter turbodiesel in the TDI version and the GTI's 2-liter TSI. A new 1.8-liter TFSI is expected to replace the base 2.5-liter unit, with 4Motion... // Autoblog

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Americans love VW's GTI , as evidenced by '07 sales of that model that were 15,000 strong, more than a third of total '07 Rabbit sales. Due to that fondness for the GTI , explains Edmunds , VW pursued a quick schedule to get the car on sale in the U.S. after its June sale date in Germany.

VW hopes to sell more than 100,000 Rabbits and GTI 's annually in the U.S. by 2018, part of it and Audi's corporate strategy of aggressive worldwide growth. At this point anyway, they look poised to deliver on the audacious goal, with a worldwide sales increase of some 15 percent in the third quarter of '08.

And despite numerous updates and... // TheCarConnection.com

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How did the Federal Government ensure that the public's money was well spent in the Chrysler Co. bailout of 1979? Explains Sarah A. Webster of Automotive News , an oversight board was created to watch Chrysler carefully as it moved through tough times with government assistance. That board consisted of the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, the U.S. comptroller general, and the secretaries of Treasury, Labor, and Transportation.

The board appointed a Chrysler staff of approximately 20 individuals tasked as liaisons between the government officials and Chrysler . They monitored and worked with Chrysler as it pushed through its problems, and reported back to the board so that all parties... // TheCarConnection.com

The 2009 GT-R is the sixth generation of Nissans flagship sports car and the first to come from a clean slate design, with the previous versions based on Japanese-market models.

The vehicle features an all-new VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine and GR6 six-speed twin-clutch transmission, both hand assembled by a single technician.

It also is the first production car to include independent trans-axle four-wheel drive, which uses a rear-mounted transaxle and two independent propeller... // Oakland Press

Los Angeles, California - Motor Trend magazine has selected the Nissan GT-R as the 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year. The complete report will appear in the magazine’s January issue.

“No Nissan has been as formidable or as capable as the GT-R, and no 2009 contender crushes our criteria like the GT-R,” said editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie. “For that, it deserves our Golden Calipers. The Nissan GT-R rewrites the rule book for high-performance vehicles. This technologically advanced coupe delivers a level of performance, handling, and efficiency that rivals the world’s best-known supercars, at a fraction of the price. Exhilarating to drive, the GT-R sets benchmarks every automaker in the world will be studying. For a company like Nissan, this car is an extraordinary... // CanadianDriver

U.S. News Rankings & Reviews (Enlarge photo)

In a year when Americans are buying small cars (well, those who are buying cars at all are buying small), fuel-efficiency is the top concern on car buyers' minds. Even luxury car buyers are cutting back on extravagant options and horsepower.  That's why it may come as a surprise that the most honored car of the year is a brutal, vicious beast of a machine that beats winding roads into submission and leaves many of the world's fastest cars staring meekly at its taillights.  It doesn't give a damn about fuel-efficiency...but it is a surprising value, if an $80,000 car can be called a value.  Sure, it's a lot of money - but the car leaves some million-dollar supercars gasping for breath. 

The car they call Godzilla - the 2009 Nissan GT-R - just threw another coveted award in its... // U.S. News Rankings & Reviews

Motor Trend editors faced the daunting challenge of choosing one winner from one of the toughest Car of the Year fields in the history of the award. Even as the economy spirals down, editors noted that the auto industry has rolled out a number of significant vehicles.

"This was a year that saw record gas prices, a meltdown on Wall Street, and it is a tough time for automakers around the world," said MacKenzie. "The irony is 2008 was a vintage year for cool, interesting, and compelling cars. Of the 17 all-new or significantly upgraded vehicles eligible for the 2009 Car of the Year award, a bunch were real... // PR Newswire

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While other companies struggle for their existence, fat cats like Mercedes are expanding their premiere dealerships in halo markets like New York City. Mercedes announced Sunday a new Manhattan store, to be located on 53rd street, will replace the current 41st street location and will come online in 2011. The automaker will be investing $30 million in the new center, and MBUSA dealer partners across the country are investing another $1 billion in the new dealership design that will roll out across the country.

Similar to Audi's recent announcement of new premiere dealerships , Mercedes-Benz takes all elements into account: design, architecture, customer service, transparency, and convenience. Mercedes claims... // TheCarConnection.com

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Continuing its penchant for pithy one-liners, Motor Trend doles out a parade of them while gushing over its winner of the 2009 Car of The Year contest, the 2009 Nissan GT-R . Here's a brief sampling from Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief: "no 2009 contender crushes our criteria like the GT-R...the Nissan GT-R rewrites the rule-book for high-performance vehicles...rivals the world's best-known supercars, at a fraction of the price...the GT-R sets benchmarks every automaker in the world will be studying." Thankfully the winning vehicle is actually deserving of the award, unlike dubious picks such as the GMC Envoy , SUV of The Year winner for 2002. In our review, we gave that SUV 6.8 out of a possible 10 points.

The GT-R , indeed, has the stats to back up its win, with a base... // TheCarConnection.com

"This technologically advanced coupe delivers a level of performance, handling, and efficiency that rivals the world's best-known supercars, at a fraction of the price."

The 2009 GT-R is the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car and the first to come from a "clean slate" design, with the previous versions based on Japanese-market models.

The vehicle features an all-new VR38DETT 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine and GR6 six-speed twin-clutch transmission, both hand assembled by a single technician.

It also is the first production car to include... // AZ Central.com

NEW YORK (AP) - Motor Trend Magazine on Tuesday named the Nissan GT-R as its 2009 car of the year, saying that it delivers a world class level of performance at a much more affordable price.

Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend, said that none of the other 2009 competitors «crushed» the magazine's criteria like the GT-R did.

«The Nissan GT-R rewrites the rule-book for high-performance vehicles,» MacKenzie said in a statement released by Nissan.

«This technologically advanced coupe delivers a level of performance, handling, and efficiency that rivals the world's best-known supercars, at a fraction of the price.

The 2009 GT-R is the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car and the first to come from a «clean slate» design, with the previous versions based on... // PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)

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Apart from dabbling in some weak-kneed four cylinders in the late 70s/early 80s, Ford Mustang s have always throbbed with a thrilling V-8 soundtrack to accompany the prodigious thrust from their V-8 engines. From the original 60s 289 V-8 through the iconic 5.0 of the 80s and 90s up to the modern-day 4.6-liter OHC V-8, Ford has always taken special care to give its Mustang s a sonorous war cry befitting their ponycar mission.

Tuning exhaust sound is quite a science, and it starts with custom crafted exhaust headers, which replace standard issue exhaust manifolds coming right off of the engine. Serving as the vocal chords of an engine, headers typically equalize the length of each tube coming from the cylinders en route to a collection tube prior to the catalytic converter and the remainder... // TheCarConnection.com

NEW YORK (AP) - Motor Trend Magazine has named the Nissan GT-R as its 2009 car of the year.

Motor Trend says the GT-R it delivers a world class level of performance at a much more affordable price.

The 2009 GT-R is the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car and the first to come from a "clean slate" design, with the previous versions based on Japanese-market models.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.... // WLNS

NEW YORK : Motor Trend Magazine on Tuesday named the Nissan GT-R as its 2009 car of the year, saying that it delivers a world class level of performance at a much more affordable price.

Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend, said that none of the other 2009 competitors "crushed" the magazine's criteria like the GT-R did.

"The Nissan GT-R rewrites the rule-book for high-performance vehicles," MacKenzie said in a statement released by Nissan.

"This technologically advanced coupe delivers a level of performance, handling, and efficiency that rivals the world's best-known supercars, at a fraction of the price."

The 2009 GT-R is the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car and the first to come from a "clean slate" design, with the previous versions based on... // International Herald Tribune

NEW YORK (AP) — Motor Trend Magazine on Tuesday named the Nissan GT-R as its 2009 car of the year, saying that it delivers a world class level of performance at a much more affordable price.

Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend, said that none of the other 2009 competitors "crushed" the magazine's criteria like the GT-R did.

"The Nissan GT-R rewrites the rule-book for high-performance vehicles," MacKenzie said in a statement released by Nissan.

"This technologically advanced coupe delivers a level of performance, handling, and efficiency that rivals the world's best-known supercars, at a fraction of the price."

The 2009 GT-R is the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car and the first to come from a "clean slate" design, with the previous versions based on... // MLive.com

NEW YORKMotor Trend Magazine on Tuesday named the Nissan GT-R as its 2009 car of the year, saying that it delivers a world-class level of performance at a much more affordable price.

Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend, said that none of the other 2009 competitors "crushed" the magazine's criteria like the GT-R did.

"The Nissan GT-R rewrites the rule-book for high-performance vehicles," MacKenzie said in a statement released by Nissan.

"This technologically advanced coupe delivers a level of performance, handling, and efficiency that rivals the world's best-known supercars, at a fraction of the price.''

The 2009 GT-R is the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car and the first to come from a "clean slate" design, with the previous versions based on... // Toronto Star

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GM makes significant tweaks to its mid-size G6 lineup going into a rather bleak 2009 model year. Actually, GM says these changes are for the "2009.5" Pontiac G6 , set to arrive at dealerships in January. Visual and powertrain enhancements are meant to bring the G6 more solidly into Pontiac's performance fold. Alas, remaining are some old-skool bits in the form of an old-tech four-speed automatic and a pair of pushrod V-6s (with origins in the Chevy Citation) that date back to the last American auto industry financial crisis.

For the first time, the 2.4-liter EcoTec is available in the G6 coupe . Paired with GM's excellent six-speed automatic, it manages 33 mpg EPA highway mileage, a respectable figure for a roughly 3,400 lb. vehicle. Key to its efficiency is a modern overhead-cam... // TheCarConnection.com

NEW YORK (AP) - Motor Trend Magazine on Tuesday named the Nissan GT-R as its 2009 car of the year, saying that it delivers a world class level of performance at a much more affordable price.

Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend, said that none of the other 2009 competitors "crushed" the magazine's criteria like the GT-R did.

"The Nissan GT-R rewrites the rule-book for high-performance vehicles," MacKenzie said in a statement released by Nissan.

"This technologically advanced coupe delivers a level of performance, handling, and efficiency that rivals the world's best-known supercars, at a fraction of the price."

The 2009 GT-R is the sixth generation of Nissan's flagship sports car and the first to come from a "clean slate" design, with the previous versions based on... // MSN Money

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Motor Trend ( www.motortrend.com ), the leading automotive authority and part of Source Interlink Media, LLC, a subsidiary of media and marketing services company Source Interlink Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SORC) , announced today the selection of the Nissan GT-R as the 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year(TM). The complete report on Motor Trend's 2009 Car of the Year will be published in the magazine's January issue, available on newsstands December 2, 2008.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/motor-trend/35081/

"No Nissan has been as formidable or as capable as the GT-R, and no 2009 contender crushes our criteria like the GT-R. For that, it deserves our Golden Calipers," said Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief of... // PR Newswire

MOTOR TREND magazine has announced that the 2009 Car of the Year(TM) is the Nissan GT-R!

Motor Trend editors faced the daunting challenge of choosing one winner from one of the toughest Car of the Year fields in the history of the award. As the economy spirals, the auto industry has rolled out one of the strongest Car of the Year fields ever.

2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year contenders included:

Acura TL, Acura TSX, Audi A4, BMW 135i, Dodge Challenger R/T, Honda Fit, Hyundai Genesis, Jaguar XF, Lincoln MKS, Mazda6, Nissan GT-R, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac G8, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Volkswagen Passat CC

Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief of MOTOR TREND, will unveil the 2009 Car of the year on November 18. The complete report on the MOTOR TREND 2009 Car of the Year... // PR Newswire