Today’s Arnage is showing its age against modern ultra-luxury rivals like the Rolls Royce Phantom and Maybach saloons, but testing of a new model is well underway. Despite the head start of its rivals, Bentley is planning to pause almost a full year from this September before going into production of its next-gen, up-scale Arnage replacement, which has been partially revealed in teaser form, and is also confirmed for an unveiling at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours D’ Elegance in Monterey, California this August.

The all-new model is expected to be more expensive than the current Arnage, and some sources speculate the car might be pitched at a higher position.

2010 Bentley Arnage replacement spy shots

Read more

On the back of falling sales and a model run that has lasted more than nine years, Chrysler decided back in January to end production of the PT Cruiser by the middle of this year. In June, we brought you word that the retro-styled wagon would live on for at least another year, and now Chrysler has made the news official.

The rather brief official announcement made it plain that Chrysler isn’t just sticking with the PT Cruiser for its good looks, but because it thinks the car is a successful and desirable model.

Chrysler PT Dream Cruiser Series 5

Read more

That was quick. Just a month after President Obama signed in the $1 billion ‘cash for clunkers’ bill, and less than a week of it running, the program has already run out of money once and received House approval for another $2 billion, with a vote passing the additional funds 316-109 today. Senate approval will have to wait until next week, however.

The additional funds come less than a day after confusing and conflicting messages about the program’s possible termination from the White House and the Department of Transportation.

Read more

Wh

Mazda Roadster 20th Anniversary Special Edition

Read more

Speculation on Renault’s interest in Saturn has been circulating since GM’s bankruptcy filing began looking like a certainty, but it was Roger Penske’s Penske Automotive Group that won the bid to buy the carmaker. Now, however, Renault may yet get a chance at some involvement, with confirmation from the French carmaker today that Penske is working on a deal to supply Renault cars to Saturn for the U.S.

The parts and car-sharing arrangement would not be a Renault-Nissan deal, however, reports Automotive News.

Read more

Residents of California will be in for a treat this weekend when Subaru holds its first ever WRX games - an event that will feature a full day of Subarus and driving experiences. According to Todd Lawrence, the promotional manager for Subaru America, the WRX games will allow people to experience what it’s like to be part of “the Subaru community”.

A number of activities will be held throughout the WRX games, but doubtless the highlight will be driving demonstrations from Subaru factory drivers, as well as guest drivers.

Driven: 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX

Read more

Mi

Read more

Windows Mobile devices have been doing it for years. Palm devices for even longer. So why haven’t high-end luxury cars offered handwriting recognition as a standard feature yet? That question may soon be answered - whether for the good or the bad - with the next-gen Audi A8.

Set for a debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the next Audi A8 is expected to come with handwriting recognition according to a report from Germany’s Autobild. The input device will be a center console-mounted touchpad, much like what you’d find on a typical modern laptop.

The device would replace a plethora of switches and buttons on the center console stack, and could even offer effective use without taking the driver’s attention from the road, much like Lexus’s new haptic Remote Touch input system.

2011 Audi A8 renderings

Read more

In May the White House unveiled a new fuel efficiency policy calling for 35.5mpg fleet averages by 2016, and almost immediately the carmakers began talking about how much it would cost them. But now it looks like the luxury carmakers in the U.S. - primarily foreign marques - could catch a break thanks to an exemption being considered by the Obama administration.

Currently the plan would put an industry-wide standard into place, but the exemption, nicknamed the ‘German provision’ by lobbyists, would allow carmakers that sell fewer than 400,000 vehicles in the U.S.

Read more

The RWD Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni was just officially revealed a month ago, and now the company has released a video documenting Balboni’s involvement with and influence on the car’s design process, and how it reflects his 40 years of test-driving experience.

At just shy of five minutes long, the video doesn’t go into tremendous depth but with cut scenes of the car in serious sideways action and Valentino Balboni himself explaining the car, it adds a level of authenticity and perspective that might otherwise be lacking in the two-wheel drive Gallardo’s image.

But enough talk.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2

Read more