BMW ActiveHybrid X6 coverage continues with the first marketing video posted by BMW-web.tv . We’ve seen yesterday several videos with the new 7 Hybrid and we were anxious to finally see some footage of what journalists call “the fastest hybrid vehicle in the world”. Priced at 102,900 euros in Germany, the two-mode X6 Hybrid is powered by a combination of a V8 petrol engine and an electric drive. The base V8 twin-turbo engine produces 407 horsepower and the two electric motors output 91 hp and 86 hp, respectively, with peak torque values of 192 lb-ft and 206 lb-ft. Top speed in the electric mode is 37 mph, maximum range is 1.6 miles. See video after the jump! Here is the original post:  Video: Fascinating Efficiency – The BMW ActiveHybrid X6

Devon Motorworks has released a video showing its new Devon GTX American supercar on the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca where it returned a lap record time of 1:35.075. The car is making its public debut this week at the 2009 Pebble Beach Councours d’Elegance on August 15. The first production Devon GTX will make its road debut during the first quarter of 2010. Click through for the video . Devon GTX : Devon GTX : – By: The Daily Auto Editor             Originally posted here:  Video: Devon GTS on the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca See original here: Video: Devon GTS on the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca

Apparently the economic crisis has not hit the entire world and BMW has scored a major single sale this week: 132 740i and 740Li models have been purchased by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The vehicles handover took place during an official ceremony at the BMW Welt in Munich and BMW was represented by Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing. The 7 Series limousines will be used by the Saudi Arabia embassies across the world. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a growing market and it is becoming increasingly important for BMW. Compared to last year, in the first half of the year 2009, BMW sales saw an increase of 24% more new cars. Today, the Kingdom is the largest importer of the BMW 7 Series in the Middle East region. From January to June 2009, there were 617 BMW 7 Series sold, representing an increase of 124% over the previous year. [Source: BMW ] View post:  BMW delivers 132 units of 740i & 740Li to Saudi Arabia officials

Will cheap, small compact hybrids be a hit? Rumors coming out of Japan indicate that Toyota could roll out a new $15,650 hybrid that achieves 94 mpg. Unfortunately, that 94 mpg is probably based on Japanese fuel economy estimates which are derived from a methodology that is entirely different than that used in the US. So, this new Toyota hybrid is probably a good bit more fuel efficient than the Prius, but certainly well below 94 mpg. Still, $15,650. Now that seems like a car almost any American new car shopper can afford. Obviously, such a hybrid would be smaller than the Prius , however, could such a hybrid – based solely on its sticker price – challenge the Prius for the king of hybrid cars sale’s crown? Here is the original:  New Toyota hybrid under $16,000?

A good reason to buy a Chevy Equinox? The Chevy Volt is still more than a year from hitting dealer showrooms, yet GM is already using the Volt to sell other GM vehicles. This morning on the Cars.com website, I saw a new GM 230 ad, where the zero of the 230 is a plug-in socket, which then morphs into an ad for a 30 mpg Chevy Equinox. Is that what petroleum-free driving is all about? Someday we’re [GM] going to sell a limited production 230 mpg Volt, so go out and buy a 30 mpg Equinox today? Is that really what the Volt is about? The rest is here: GM using Volt mileage to sell other vehicles

Think small, light and foreign according to Forbes Looking for a cheap car? Well, think small and foreign, but don’t think hybrid writes Forbes magazine. While hybrid cars offer greater fuel efficiency than compacts, they are packaged with more options increasing their costs while making them more expensive to maintain and to insure notes Forbes . Of course, if your vehicle offers more options, one would expect to pay more, so this is kind of a ‘no duh’ sort of article, especially considering that Toyota Prius , for instance, is a good bit larger than a Toyota Yaris. Nonetheless, it does beg the question, will there ever be a stripped down hybrid? Is such a vehicle capable of achieving cost-effectiveness for manufacturers? Continued here: Cheap and fuel efficient: Don’t think hybrid

By now, most of you know that Volkswagen will officially acquire 42 percent of Porsche’s stock by the end of 2009 . By the end of 2011, Porsche will merge into Volkswagen, becoming the 10th brand under Europe’s largest automaker. “Volkswagen and Porsche today took a decisive step towards a joint future,” said Martin Winterkorn, Chairman and CEO of Volkswagen. As a group with now ten strong, independent brands we will further expand our unique global position. More than ever before, we now have what it takes to become the automotive industry’s number one.” According to spokesman Tony Foladpour, Porsche will most likely run autonomously in North America after its integration with Volkswagen AG. “We have been assured that Porsche will remain Porsche, and this was also mentioned today amidst all the breaking news,” spokesman Tony Foladpour said in an e-mail to Automotive News . – By: Omar Rana Photo Credit:  Flickr View post: Porsche to run autonomously in United States Here is the original:  Porsche to run autonomously in United States

BMW has just released a video for those who hate reading to have a closer look at the innovative hybrid technology found in the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6. Making at total of 480-hp from its 4.4L twin-turbocharged V8 and two electric motors, the BMW ActiveHybrid X6 is considered the world’s most power hybrid electric-vehicle. It also has the ability to run exclusively on electric-power when traveling at speeds of up to 37 mph for a total of 1.6 miles. Fuel-economy in the EU test cycle is improved by roughly 20 percent. Stay tuned for official EPA figures. Check out our original BMW ActiveHybrid X6 post for more details. Click through for the video . 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 : 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6 : – By: Kap Shah             Read more here: Video: A closer look at the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6’s technology Continued here:  Video: A closer look at the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6’s technology

The Department of Energy recently gave out $2.4 billion in grants for electric-vehicle and lithium-ion battery development. Analysts and investors are now saying that the DOE seems to be playing safe in its selection of 48 companies, picking big names and companies that plan to build plants in Michigan. Four out of every five applicants for the U.S. Department of Energy’s $2.4 billion were rejected and didn’t make the lists. Critics are now arguing that the funding was aimed to advance battery technology and not just hand it to the old boys to put present generation technology into production and on our roads. Start-ups like California-based Imara Corp, which claims to have a breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology was ignored by the DOE. General Motors Company received the lion’s share of the money with a total of $241 million. FoMoCo and Chrysler followed with $93 million and $862 million respectively. Another $862 million is going to a group of four battery companies , most of which have partnered with a Big Three company to produce lithium-ion batteries in Michigan. – By: Stephen Calogera Source: Dow Jones (via Green Car Advisor ) Here is the original post: DOE’s $2.4 billion for electric-vehicle technology left small companies in the cold View post:  DOE’s $2.4 billion for electric-vehicle technology left small companies in the cold

The 2010 Porsche Panamera debuts in Monterey, California, this week, as Porsche Cars North America has air-freighted 31 cars from Germany for display at the various events staged on the peninsula from August 9 to August 16. No doubt you'll see one at The Quail , the Monterey Historics , or the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance . Fortunately I don't have to get a Monterey hotel room at $625 per night, because I had a chance to get into the car in Germany, where the car was presented for our First Drive . And because I was in Germany, I didn't have one of the 202 Porsche dealers in North America standing next to me while I shot video footage of this four-door that Porsche persists in calling a GT, not a sedan. Not that I can remember much of it. It was a complete thrash, just like every event organized by a car manufacturer to introduce its new vehicle, and I spent so much time glued to the camera's eyepiece that I barely knew where I was. Read the rest here: 2010 Porsche Panamera: Germany, not Monterey Here is the original post: 2010 Porsche Panamera: Germany, not Monterey

The upcoming  Veritas RS III supercar will be one of the world’s most exclusive and expensive automobiles. Pricing for the open-top goodness will start at a whopping 342,000 euros ($487,665 USD). Of course let’s not forget that the 600-hp 5.0L V10 (from the BMW M5/M6) will probably be a little more expensive than its 480-hp 4.0L V8 sibling. 0 to 60 mph for V10 model choice comes in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 215 mph. Veritas will only make the 30 units, so you can be pretty sure you driving something highly exclusive. If you’re not down with putting the top down, Veritas is also planning a coupe variant . Make the jump for the high-res image gallery and a video . Vermont Veritas RS III : Vermont Veritas RS III : – By: The Daily Auto Editor             Original post:  Veritas RS III to start just under $500,000 Read more from the original source:  Veritas RS III to start just under $500,000

When I first saw the Infiniti Essence Concept in Geneva, I could not help but to think that this was Infiniti’s (Nissan’s) answer to Toyota’s Lexus LF-A . Supposedly the Infiniti Essence has a similar engine to that of the Nissan GT-R but also has an electric motor along side of it making this a Hybrid sports car. Some automotive experts believe the Infiniti Essence is closer to production than originally thought since the Concept vehicle, demonstrated in the video below, operates on its own power and has several completely functional components. Some car enthusiasts have already compared the styling to a Maserati GT or Fisker Karma and think that this car will never be a production vehicle. Only time will tell and it is ticking away. Case-in-point, today there will be a live unveiling at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance of the new Infiniti M but already the Infiniti Essence has made an appearance at the show being unpacked from a flat-bed truck. Check back for more images of the Infiniti Essence Concept and new Infiniti M unveiling at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The Infiniti Essence Concept [source: Infiniti] Celebrating 20 years as a creator of performance luxury vehicles, Infiniti introduces a vision crafted to embody our core values and inspire future design: the Infiniti Essence. This dramatic styling, technology and performance statement is a 592-hp gasoline/electric hybrid coupe defined by exterior lines sculpted to express fluidity and speed. Destined to influence production models of the future, the Infiniti Essence vividly captures the balance between grace and power, and the unrestrained possibility of Inspired Performance™.                                               More here: Infiniti Essence Concept Makes Stop @ Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Here is the original: Infiniti Essence Concept Makes Stop @ Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Apparently, small, fuel-efficient vehicles aren’t the only cars allowed to receive the cash-for-clunkers treatment.  The Ford F-150 pick-up truck and Cadillac SRX Crossover are both eligible under the program, as are versions of the ‘09 Lexus RX 350, 2009 Lincoln MKX, and the 2009 BMX X3 crossover, none of which are efficient over the point of 19 mpg. The programs qualifying conditions however, seem to aim to increase the fuel efficiency of cars on American roads, rather than maximize it.  In order to qualify under the program, buyers must be trading in a comparable class of vehicle with at least 2 mpg less fuel efficiency than the car they wish to purchase.  The price of the car though must be limited to $40,000. Certain watchdog groups are not surprised that less fuel-efficient vehicles are moving out of dealership doors, as Lena Pons of the watchdog group Public Citizen lends mention to the fact that Congress agreed to loosen fuel efficiency requirements under the program when it passed the initial legislation that founded the program. By: Stephen Calogera Source: MSNBC Original post: Some clunker cash not going towards fuel-efficient vehicles Continued here: Some clunker cash not going towards fuel-efficient vehicles

This video is really amazing, you get to see two super cars go head to head! A ZR1 vs a Lambo? I wish I could have been there! In theory the Lambo should be faster than the ZR1, its lighter by about 60lbs and has 30 more hp, plus it has AWD. In the video the Lamborghini is being driven by a factory driver and the Corvette is being driven by a regular old auto journalist. This really makes you think that the ZR1 is one hell of a bargain! [Source: YouTube via Autocar ] Go here to read the rest: VIDEO: Corvette ZR1 and a Lambo LP670-4 SV racing around Millbrook Check out CorvetteGuys.com and their large selection of C5 Corvette Parts. Read more from the original source:  VIDEO: Corvette ZR1 and a Lambo LP670-4 SV racing around Millbrook

About two weeks ago, the first 31 U.S. bound Porsche Panamera units took off directly from Leipzig, Germany . Around 4:00 a.m. this past Wednesday night, a fleet of Panameras made their way to the Monterey Peninsula where they were seen for the first time by the U.S. public and test-driven by journalists at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. We have the first exclusive video (posted on our YouTube channel ) of the Panamera’s late night/early morning arrival followed by the first drive of the Panamera 4S on the Pacific Coast Highway. After the short drive the car made its way to the Porsche Zentrum at the Quail Lodge in Carmel. The 2010 Porsche Panamera will go on sale at Porsche’s 202 U.S. dealers on October 17, 2009. Pricing will start at $89,800 for the Panamera S which carries a 4.8L V8 that produces 400-hp.The range-topping model in the U.S. will be the $132,600 Porsche Panamera Turbo with a 500-hp 4.8L twin-turbocharged V8. Click through for the video. Enjoy . 2010 Porsche Panamera : 2010 Porsche Panamera : – By: Omar Rana             Here is the original post:  Video: The Porsche Panamera has landed in the United States Original post:  Video: The Porsche Panamera has landed in the United States