India's second largest car manufacturer, Hyundai Motors, is gearing up to launch the Santro CRDi by May 2008 if the rumor mongers are to be believed. It is expected to be priced around Rs. 4.25-4.50 lakhs, ex-showroom. Car enthusiasts, both online (in the blogosphere) and offline (the real "diesel" heads) are all gearing up for this and are busy weighing in the pros and cons. If inside information... more.

Filed under: Time Warp, Auction Action, ChevroletYenko collection being unloaded at Barrett-Jacksonby Drew Phillips on Dec 20th 2008 at 7:20PMClick above for a high-res gallery of the Don Yenko's Chevrolet collectionWhile not necessarily to the same extent, Don Yenko was to Chevys what Carroll Shelby was to Ford. He may not have beaten Ferrari at Le Mans, but Yenko built some of the most powerful ... more.

Filed under: Time Warp, Etc., CelebritiesWho knew? Roger Ebert: Car Guyby Dan Roth on Dec 20th 2008 at 6:02PMIt's not in dispute that Roger Ebert is an expert on cinema, though he never had to sit through any masterworks by this film school graduate (he's suffered enough). A Pulitzer prize reminds us that Roger's a Jedi master with prose, too. We were, however, surprised to find out that America's... more.

Filed under: Time Warp, Coupes, Economy, Volkswagen, Rendered SpeculationNew details emerge about 2010 VW Beetleby Jeremy Korzeniewski on Dec 20th 2008 at 4:41PMClick above for high-res renderings of a possible New BeetleWhen designing a retro-style automobile like the revived MINI, Mustang or VW Beetle, the first generation is the easy one. The second go-round, on the other hand, is a tougher nut... more.

Filed under: Etc., Euro, SpykerSpyker by sea? Sylvestri Aquamotiveby Jonathon Ramsey on Dec 20th 2008 at 3:19PMClick above for a high-res gallery of the Silvestris Sports CabrioletAfter Dutch designer Maarten de Bruijn bought the rights to Spyker name, the first prototype design he attached it to was the Spyker Silvestris. A couple of years later, he and partner Victor Mol had Spyker making cars a... more.

Filed under: Motorsports, Sports/GTs, Chevrolet, GMGM Performance Parts to offer new Camaro body in whiteby Merritt Johnson on Dec 20th 2008 at 1:51PMSince automotive sales are in the toilet and the sour taste of high gas prices still lingers, the unfortunate timing of General Motors' long-awaited Chevy Camaro has the armchair quarterbacks fervently debating its long-term viability. This, despite ... more.

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/LayoffsAuto industry crisis leads to job losses even at strong companiesby Sam Abuelsamid on Dec 20th 2008 at 12:24PMWhen the the Detroit automakers' financial crisis started getting more media coverage a couple of months ago, a study was released by the Center for Automotive Research estimating that the possible collapse of the industry could ultimately cost up to 3 m... more.

Filed under: Etc.Iowa town de-ices roads with garlic saltby Jeremy Korzeniewski on Dec 20th 2008 at 10:49AMRoad crews in Ankeny, Iowa, have an interesting problem on their hands. It seems that the city is using just a pinch a half-and-half mixture of garlic salt and normal rock salt to season clear its roads during the winter. How did the small suburb of Des Moines manage to get 18,000 pounds of g... more.

Filed under: Time Warp, Etc., VolkswagenDollar Daze - Volkswagen Vanagons for a buckby Dan Roth on Dec 20th 2008 at 9:20AMThere's always lots of junk on Craigslist, especially cars. There are also often screaming deals, but seven VW Vanagons for a buck still strikes us as an upside-down transaction. While they're quirky, delightful, and generally well made, Vanagons can also be appallingly unrelia... more.

Filed under: Convertibles, Coupes, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, BMW, AustraliaBMW uses 2010 Z4 as art car (of sorts)by Jonathon Ramsey on Dec 19th 2008 at 7:58PMClick above for a high-res gallery of the Z4 painting "An Expression of Joy"Normally the models in BMW's art car line -- sixteen and counting -- get their body panels splashed up with designs by the who's who of the art world. BMW has deci... more.