Chrysler and Pure Detroit Agree to Settle Imported from Detroit Merchandise War

The "Imported from Detroit" tagline used by Chrysler to launch its redesigned models last year has made many a headline; not always in the way intended, though. Its award-winning 2011 Super Bowl commercial was copied by Audi in a German ad for its A6 Avant leading to a legal dispute with Eminem, while the Pentastar brand was also embroiled in a legal battle with a clothing company. Chrysler sued Motown-based clothing retailer PureDetroit in March 2011 for copyright infringement as it started selling merchandise with the "Imported from Detroit" logo right after the Super Bowl ad aired. Read more " Copyright © Carscoop.blogspot.com - All Rights Reserved

Volkswagen to Test a Fleet of Pure-Electric E-Golf Prototypes in the USA

It's no secret that Volkswagen is developing an all-electric version of the Golf as the automaker itself has confirmed that a production model based on the soon-to-be revealed Golf Mk7 is scheduled for an introduction sometime next year. In the meantime, the German brand continues to evaluate the car's electric drivetrain on a fleet of prototypes based on the five-door version of the current Golf. Today, Volkswagen announced that it will begin a pilot scheme to assess 20 prototype E-Golf Battery Electric Vehicles over a nine-month period in the States. The company said that twelve of these vehicles will be given for evaluation purposes to select Volkswagen employees. Read more " Copyright ©

Lada Station Wagon Flies Into a Snow Bank

For some strange reason, certain Russian owners of Lada's classic Riva series believe that their car is an invisible machine on wheels built for extreme speeds. Like this driver of a station wagon version of the Riva who thought it would be a great idea to push the pedal to the metal on a snowy road bypassing the rest of the cars. See what happened next in the video that follows past the jump. Read more " Copyright © Carscoop.blogspot.com - All Rights Reserved

Scoop: Audi Tries to Hide New Q6 Crossover Under Q5's Body

Another crossover from Audi? Yes and this time, the brand with the four rings is pointing its guns towards the BMW X6 with what could be best described as a Sportback version of the firm's familiar SUV model series. Sometimes, you need to pay close attention to prototypes to see that they are test mules but that's not the case here as the extended wheelbase together with the widened tracks are a clear giveaway, despite the Q5 body shell. Read more " Copyright © Carscoop.blogspot.com - All Rights Reserved

Volvo CEO Criticizes EU s Strategy on CO2 Emissions Reduction and Electric Cars

Stephan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Cars, said today at an industry seminar in Brussels that the European Commission"s plan of reducing CO2 emissions and promoting electrification throughout Europe is mistaken. Jacoby believes that a lack of a cohesive incentive strategy and over-optimistic targets set by the EU will not have the desired effects. He said that the high cost of hybrid and all-electric vehicles is currently preventing European car buyers from adopting them. "Volvo Car Corporation urges the EU to coordinate incentives while supporting research and development", said Jacoby, adding that if this does not happen, European carmakers will have to deal with the consequences.

Hartge Shows us how Fast its Tuned BMW 525d xDrive Accelerates on the Autobahn

It's one thing putting numbers on paper and another displaying the capabilities of a tuned vehicle in action on the road. To make a better business case about its products, German tuning firm Hartge has published a video showcasing a BMW 525d xDrive with and without its power kit. In standard guise, the 525d xDrive gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel churning out 215hp (218PS) and 450Nm (332 lb-ft). Hartge's power kit that includes a software upgrade lifts those numbers to 254hp (258PS) and 530Nm (391 lb-ft) respectively. Read more " Copyright © Carscoop.blogspot.com - All Rights Reserved

Mercedes to Drop R-Class from its U.S. Lineup, Officially Confirms New GL SUV for NY Show

It's official: some seven years after the presentation of the U.S.-built R-Class, Mercedes-Benz's multi-purpose crossover model will be gradually phased out in the States as there won't be a 2013 model, however, it will continue to be offered in overseas markets. Mercedes-Benz USA spokesperson Chrisitan Bokich confirmed the news to Carscoop and added that company's three other SUV/crossover models including the GLK, M-Class and the larger GL, cover the market's needs. "It's true that there will be no model year 2013 R-Class in the U.S. Over the years since the R-Class was introduced, we have expanded our light truck model offering significantly and these vehicles are outselling the R-Class to the extent that we can no longer make the business case for continuing to offer the R-Class, " Bokich told us in an email today.

Real Steel: U.S. Slaps Duties on Steel Wheels Imported from China

It seems that the U.S. administration has finally decided to respond to similar measures taken by China, such as imposing extra duties on U.S. made cars. Another episode of the trade war between the United States and China aired yesterday after the U.S. Commerce Department announced that it has set new duties on steel wheels imported from China. The Department said that Chinese manufacturers, who last year exported over US$84.2 million worth of steel wheels in the U.S., are selling them 44.96 to 193.45 percent (! ) "below fair value". Read more " Copyright © Carscoop.blogspot.com - All Rights Reserved

DMC's Lamborghini Aventador LP900 Tune Alone will Cost You More Than a New Porsche 911

Modifying exotic supercars can be a very, very expensive sport. How expensive, we hear some of you ask? In the case of DMC, the German tuning firm's LP900 "Molto Veloce" upgrade package for the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 will cost potential buyers a whopping 125, 000 (US$163, 200) or about 20 percent more than a brand new 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S in Germany! Read more " Copyright © Carscoop.blogspot.com - All Rights Reserved

Older Man Thrashes Young Bodybuilder in Aussie Road Rage Incident

A video of an older man in a Mercedes SUV beating up a young bodybuilder during a road rage episode in Australia last Thursday has been making the local headlines. After airing the amateur footage of the traffic punch-up and seeing the response from viewers, the Nine Network's flagship program "A Current Affair" investigated further and found the "guy with tattoos" named Josh. Josh told the news channel that the older man in the Mercedes SUV almost backed into his pregnant girlfriend's car. The young Aussie claims that he jumped out of the vehicle to approach him at the next set of lights and they exchanged words and one thing lead to another. Read more " Copyright © Carscoop.blogspot.