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Officially Official: Volkswagen confirms new engine plant in Silao, Mexico

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Volkswagen

Volkswagen has officially announced plans to construct a new powerplant facility in Mexico. Designed to crank out a total of 330,000 engines a year, the Silao plant will cost the company $550 million to build and will bring around 700 jobs to the area. VW says that the new factory is key to its strategy for expansion, and it will help provide engine components for both the new Jetta, which is built in Puebla, Mexico and the company’s New Midsize Sedan (NMS), which is slated to be built in the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant starting in 2011.

The new facility also underscores the VW decision to redouble its focus on the American market. The manufacturer says that the new plant is part of its plan to create vehicles that are more tailored to American tastes in a quest to go after a larger market share.

In addition to having an ample work force, the 60-hectacre piece of land already features transportation options and had been previously developed. The full press release can be found after the jump.

[Source: VW]

Continue reading Officially Official: Volkswagen confirms new engine plant in Silao, Mexico

Officially Official: Volkswagen confirms new engine plant in Silao, Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 17:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Honda confirms natural-gas GX trim for next-gen Civic

Filed under: Sedan, Hatchback, Honda

The natural gas-burning Honda Civic GX has been around since 1998, and even though the Environmental Protection Agency anointed it the cleanest internal combustion vehicle in history, sales have been less than brisk.

There are quite a few reasons the Civic doesn’t sell in high volume, including a hefty $25,000 price tag and the $4,600 required to install a home refueling station. But according to our comrades over at Translogic, that won’t stop the Japanese automaker from offering up a new GX for the 2012 model year.

The new GX will still likely cost quite a bit more than the standard Civic and it will still need a pricey home charging unit, but improvements will also be made. For example, Honda spokesperson Jessica Fini tells Translogic that consumer feedback complaining about the levels of available equipment on the last GX prompted the automaker to offer more “desirable options like a navigation system and upgraded stereo.”

We’re happy to hear that the GX will live on in 2012 and beyond. After all, it’s tough not to love an environmentally friendly Civic that can deliver about 30 miles per gallon at fuel prices that can be one third the price of regular gasoline. We’ll be looking out for details on the 2012 GX, along with the entire Civic lineup in the months ahead.

[Source: Aol Autos]

Report: Honda confirms natural-gas GX trim for next-gen Civic originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Stratos project gets itself a website, confirms Ferrari F430-based

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Specialty, Design/Style, Lancia

New Lancia Stratos

New Stratos – Click above for high-res image gallery

The New Lancia Stratos project has made itself even more legitimate by getting a full-blown presence on the web. Well… kinda. While there is a fresh website for the New Stratos, much of the car’s precious details are blacked-out. We assume that will change leading up to the car’s official debut, which the website confirms will take place in November.

We also learn that the Stratos revival is a private project by Michael Stoschek, a successful businessman who heads the fifth-largest auto parts supplier in Germany and campaigned as a vintage rally car driver, along with his son Maximilian. As rumored, the New Stratos is indeed based on the guts of a Ferrari F430 and its bodywork is crafted completely from carbon fiber, allowing for a power-to-weight ratio of less than five pounds per horsepower and a 50:50 weight distribution.

Confirmation also comes that Jason Castriota was in charge of the design at Pininfarina until he left for Stile Bertone. Pininfarina’s Luca Borgogno apparently completed the project, including its interior. It’s not yet decided if this car will be a one-off (there is currently only one in existence) or if a small production run of 25 units will be completed. We supposed that would depend on demand for the car and by how much it would cost to reproduce. We vote yes, obviously.

Gallery: New Stratos

[Source: New-Stratos.com]

New Stratos project gets itself a website, confirms Ferrari F430-based originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus accidentally confirms Evora automatic and S variants for Paris through email snafu

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Lotus

2010 Lotus Evora – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus seems to have quite a hit on its hands in the form of the Evora. We were quite taken with it ourselves when given the chance to put the car through its paces in Southern California, and we’ve yet to hear a nasty word uttered in its general direction. But that doesn’t mean Lotus can’t find a way to improve the breed yet further.

Apparently, a couple of those improvements are headed to the Paris Motor Show later this year. Buried within the automaker’s stand will be both a hotted-up S version of the Evora and one bestowed with an automatic transmission. How do we know? Well, an errant email recently went out to everyone on Lotus’ media list (ourselves included) that promised the two machines along with the other “new car(s) not yet announced.”

As if the thought of a Lotus Evora S (forced induction?) and an automatic for the clutch averse among you wasn’t enough, it seems the British specialists have plenty more up their well-tailored sleeves. There’s been plenty of postulation regarding what else we may see – most notably the rumored return of the Esprit – but we’re content to just take a wait-and-see attitude on this one. Paris just can’t come soon enough.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Lotus Evora

Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: Lotus via iCars Singapore]

Lotus accidentally confirms Evora automatic and S variants for Paris through email snafu originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM confirms smaller dealer network, upgrades in the works

Filed under: Car Buying, GM

gm dealer

Updated Cadillac dealership – Click above for high-res image gallery

In the months leading up to its 2009 bankruptcy filing, General Motors attempted to shut down about one third of its 6,049 dealers that were operating at the time. However, some 1,176 of the 2,046 stores slated for closure weren’t ready to quit just yet and filed arbitration claims to try and stay in business. GM has now completed the arbitration process, with 702 dealers reconfirmed to remain in business. For those keeping track, this will leave GM with about 4,500 stores as of the end of this year.

Of the remaining dealers, many will be getting upgrades to their showrooms and service departments in the hopes of being more appealing to customers. Service departments are getting waiting rooms with power outlets for phones and laptop computers as well as free WiFi so customers can get some work done (or play on Facebook) while they wait.

Storefronts are also getting an update and new signage to give them a more modern and consistent look. By the end of this year, about 1,300 dealers will have been upgraded. Now GM just needs to get the brand new Chevy Cruze and Buick Regal into those refreshed showrooms so that customers have something up-to-date to buy.

Gallery: Updated Cadillac dealerships

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM confirms smaller dealer network, upgrades in the works

GM confirms smaller dealer network, upgrades in the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai confirms 2011 Elantra to arrive in U.S. by end of the year

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai

2011 Hyundai Avante/Elantra – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai’s all-new Avante compact sedan is officially on sale in South Korea as of today, and it’s coming to the U.S. market by the end of the year as the 2011 Elantra. The Avante debuted at the Busan show in Korea last spring and features a further evolution of the “fluidic sculpture’ look from the Sonata that Hyundai is calling “wind craft.” Whatever it’s called, this is a much more assertive design than the outgoing Elantra and should be a strong competitor to the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus.

Overall length has been stretched by about one inch and the axles are now two inches further apart. Hyundai isn’t giving any specifications for overseas markets yet, but the Avante is propelled by a new direct-injected version of the company’s 1.6-liter Gamma inline-four. In KDM trim, it’s rated at 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. Fuel consumption at home comes out 38.8 miles per gallon (U.S.) combined.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Avante / Elantra

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hyundai confirms 2011 Elantra to arrive in U.S. by end of the year

Hyundai confirms 2011 Elantra to arrive in U.S. by end of the year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche confirms 2011 launch of Panamera S Hybrid

2010 Porsche Panamera 4S – Click above for high-res image gallery

Buried within Porsche’s recent announcement regarding its plans to test three electric Boxsters, the company openly confirmed that the launch of the Panamera S Hybrid is on track for 2011. Though perhaps not as innovative or as those racy electric vehicles, the Panamera S Hybrid still hails from Stuttgart and, therefore, is bound to be one exhilarating ride.

The upcoming Panamera will borrow the hybrid hardware found in the current Cayenne S Hybrid. That means it will sport a 329-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 engine mated to a 46 hp electric motor. Like the Cayenne S Hybrid, the Panamera’s parallel hybrid setup boasts the ability to operate at low speeds under electric power alone. When the production Panamera S Hybrid takes to the streets in 2011, it will become the company’s second model to sport a hybrid powertrain, a remarkable achievement considering that few people associate Porsche with fuel efficiency. Follow the jump for more info on Porsche’s fuel-saving plans.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche confirms 2011 launch of Panamera S Hybrid

Porsche confirms 2011 launch of Panamera S Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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