BMW confirms MINI coupe and another car headed for production in Oxford

BMW Chairman Norbert Riethofer paid a visit to the Mini factory in Oxford England this week to inform staff members that they will soon have two new cars to build. The first confirmed model for production is the Coupe concept that was previewed online last week ahead of its Frankfurt Motor Show rollout. The Coupe will be joined by a second concept at the show which in all likelihood will be the oft-rumored speedster version of the coupe.Reithofer...

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First Drive: 2010 Audi R8 V10

On a gravel-strewn, dead-end road 20 miles north of Sonoma, California's Infineon Raceway, the opportunity finally presents itself. We slot the R8's gated shifter into first, rev the engine to 3,500 RPM and drop the clutch. No wheel spin, no screeching tires, just an immediate and seamless conversion of potential energy into vision-warping thrust. Our skull snaps back into the headrest, our spine compresses against the seat and a few seconds later,...

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Top Ten Stolen Vehicles of 2008

Thanks to modern technologies like ignition keys with embedded chips and factory installed security immobilizers, it's getting harder and harder to steal new cars. As a result, the number of cars and trucks stolen in the United States dropped by 13.1 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, a trend that has been continuing for five years. Total thefts for the year could actually end up under 1 million for the first time in 20 years.Owners of older cars...

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Hyundai Genesis Sedan - The most awarded car of 2009?

When the Hyundai Genesis Sedan hit the scene, it was hard to know exactly what to think of the handsome-if-anonymous looking luxury intender. After all, Hyundai hadn't ever had a presence in our luxury car market, and attributes like rear-wheel drive and V8 engines weren't exactly a Hyundai staple. Over the past year, however, the Genesis' well-judged appointments and recession-friendly pricing Genesis Sedan won us over, and our contemporaries in...

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First Drive: Rossion Q1

"How fast can you take it?" I ask Craig Spuhler, Rossion's technical engineer and my passenger at this particular moment in time. "About 75 mph with an 85 mph exit speed." I was behind the wheel of a Rossion Q1 winding my way up a 270-degree decreasing radius on-ramp that shoots straight onto Florida's I-95. As Spuhler has put more miles on Rossions than anyone else alive, and I'd been in the car all of 15 minutes, I decided that 65 mph was a nice,...

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Ferrari 458 Italia: Maranello releases more details

The Frankfurt Motor Show is fast approaching, but rather than hit the brakes as they would for an approaching corner, Ferrari is pulling out all the stops. In gearing up to unveil their new 458 Italia at the show next month, Ferrari is giving us a little more each week. We've already seen the first batch of shots, downloaded the ringtone and heard the company's brand and technical directors talk about the car; now Maranello has released an additional...

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Watermelon Juice - the next great automotive fuel?

Corn as a source for ethanol has its problems. While there are a number of backers, there are real issues that need to be addressed, including (but not necessarily limited to) the huge amount of corn required to brew large batches of the alcohol fuel and the large quantities of water needed in the process. A new alternative is just now popping up that may offer at least a partial solution: watermelon juice.According to Discovery News, 360,000 tons...

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