Blog Posts by: Alex Nishimoto   G

Though the BMW 7 Series has been refreshed for model-year 2013, most of the changes can’t be seen from the outside. BMW’s flagship sedan will arrive with upgraded drivetrains, new standard technology, and a range of new available options in 2013. On the outside, the 2013 BMW 7 Series ...    Read more

Though the Porsche 911 is already a competent performer, more potent variants are on the way. One of those variants has just been caught in the wild – the racing-derived 911 GT3. The car is seen practically uncamouflaged, and could preview the design of the actual sports car expected to ...    Read more

A garage fire involving a Fisker Karma and other vehicles has prompted an NHTSA inquiry, Bloomberg reports. The fire occurred at a Sugar Land, Texas home. Fisker is currently working with NHTSA and insurance adjusters to discover what caused the blaze. “We are conducting an ongoing field inquiry for ...    Read more

Mitsubishi released details today on its Pikes Peak hill climb entry, the i-MiEV Evolution. Under its extra-wide, carbon fiber body work lies many of the same drivetrain components as the regular Mitsubishi i, but the big difference with this car is it features a three-motor, all-wheel-drive setup with ...    Read more

Volkswagen has hogged the glory at Dakar for the past three years but, according to a report from Car magazine, another brand under the German auto giant’s umbrella is interested in contesting the famed desert race. The British publication says Bentley is buying back ...    Read more

With a reputation for transforming fast cars into barely-street-legal, gasoline-fueled missiles, Hennessey Performance always satisfies our hunger for high horsepower. The company’s latest videos show it’s still up to its old tricks. The Hennessey-modified Ford GT of Mark Heidaker broke the record for standing half-mile at 212.9 mph, ...    Read more

It’s a good thing we were paying attention to Ferrari’s latest quarterly sales release, as the automaker slipped toward the bottom a quote that confirms the next Enzo will debut by the end of the year, and will be the brand’s first hybrid sports car. “At the end of ...    Read more

Given that it’s the world’s largest gathering of Audis and Volkswagens, Austria’s Wörthersee Festival is a big deal. Audi has taken notice and is planning on bringing three Q3 SUV-based concepts and a hybrid two-wheeler to this year’s event. Those that think ...    Read more

The Infiniti FX50 S designed by two-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel will be both exclusive – at just 200 units slated for production – and pricy, as Autocar reports the special edition model will cost over 120,000 euros (roughly $155,600) when it goes on sale. As we ...    Read more

This week’s episode of Wide Open Throttle is all about Mercedes-Benz, as host Jessi Lang gets an in-depth look at a rare car in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center’s collection and gets artsy at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles with the ...    Read more

A new supercharger kit for 2007-2012 Shelby GT500 models has been announced by Shelby Performance Parts. Designed to replace the stock roots-type supercharger of the 5.4-liter V-8, the Shelby/Whipple 3.4L Black Supercharger Tuner Kit can increase output by as much as 300 horsepower and, according to Shelby, is ...    Read more

While its “Sport Leicht” initials roughly translate to “sport lightweight” in English, the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class has been anything but in recent years. The trend continues with the 2013 Mercedes SL550, which weighs in at more than 4000 pounds. But in this episode of Ignition , ...    Read more

This spy shot from our friends at Motor Trend shows a test mule for the Mini Paceman concept, which Mini first showcased at the 2011 Detroit auto show. While a production version is apparently on the way, the Paceman name will apparently not come with it, as rumor ...    Read more

BMW has released details on its line of M Performance parts designed for its 2011-2012 5 Series and 2012 BMW 3 Series models. Developed in concert with BMW’s M division, the parts are intended to provide a touch of the brand’s racing technology to the consumer. Differing from ...    Read more

Barn find stories rarely disappoint, especially if the discovery unearths a piece of automotive history. That was the case with this particular Austin Mini Se7en, believed to be the oldest unrestored Mini in existence, which recently sold at a Bonhams auction for three times its original estimate. The car ...    Read more

A total of 67 dealers are now certified to sell the 2012 Ford Focus Electric when it goes on sale later this spring. Located in New York, New Jersey, and California, the dealers are the first of many expected to receive certification for Ford’s first commercially available electric ...    Read more

The compact crossover continues to provide volume close to that of the midsize sedan class and, for April, the new Honda CR-V was the segment’s best-selling example at 23,627 units sold. That number represents an improvement of 9.0 percent over April 2011, when the model sold ...    Read more

A diesel-hybrid Volvo commercial truck nicknamed “Mean Green” recently set new world speed records at Utah’s Wendover Airfield. Recording a speed of 147.002 mph in the Flying Kilometer, and 95.245 mph in the Standing Kilometer, the hybrid big rig broke records in both events. “We are very pleased with ...    Read more

Select model-year 2013 Volkswagens will receive a four-year subscription to SiriusXM Traffic, a service that updates drivers with live traffic reports. The subscription is offered on certain models equipped with factory navigation systems. The navigation systems eligible for the four-year subscription include the RNS 510 and RNS 850, which ...    Read more

With thousands of disabled veterans returning from the Middle East, the wheelchair-accessible vehicle industry is booming. A report from The Detroit News suggests that the type of vehicle easiest to convert for wheelchair access -- the minivan -- doesn’t strike a chord with the influx of younger buyers. Historically, ...    Read more

In the midsize sedan segment, the Toyota Camry is traditionally the best-seller, but Nissan turned to the Hyundai Sonata for design inspiration with the new 2013 Altima, according to WardsAuto. In fact, Nissan briefly stopped development in order to size up the competition from Hyundai. “Clearly, we referenced the ...    Read more

With rumors swirling about Carroll Shelby’s declining health, the custom car builder cleared things up by posting a status update on Facebook. In the update, Shelby says he’s been in the hospital for the past several months with pneumonia, and is now “resting comfortably with family and ...    Read more

This year’s Beijing auto show featured a few notable debuts and concepts, despite not offering much as far as the U.S. market is concerned. With new cars like the Peugeot Urban Crossover concept, rehashed concepts like the NSX, and the usual representation of blatant Chinese copies, the 2012 ...    Read more

Electric vehicle upstart Coda Automotive has reached an agreement with Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors to co-develop a new compact EV for North American, European, and Chinese markets, reports The Detroit News. The move follows the company’s decision to withdraw its loan application filed with the ...    Read more

There’s thinking ahead, and then there’s this: 293 vehicles bought by the south Florida metro county have sat unused for years in a Miami parking garage, according to a report from AutoMinded. Many of the vehicles are 2006 or 2007 model-year Toyota Prius models, still in the wrapping ...    Read more