Randall Halcomb - Autoblog

Dual-clutch transmissions are viewed as an improvement over current automatic and auto-manual transmission technologies. Here in the US, we tend to look at the use of the technology by VW as a performance enhancement, primarily. It is a marriage of the directness of a manual transmission with the ease of use of an automatic, while providing quicker shifting than is humanly possible. BorgWarner, the supplier of the dual cluch technology for VW's DSG transmission, is

We can hear Carlos now, "We don't need no stinking kei cars!" According to Japan Today, Ghosn et all don't see a need to build or design their own kei cars. Instead of going through the hassle of building their own tiny car for the markets that consume them, Nissan will still prefer to sell another OEM's product as their own. Nissan currently sells two kei cars designed by Suzuki and Mitsubishi, the Moco and Otti respectively.

When VW teamed up the HPA Motorsports last year to create the Passat R GT concept, the automaker from Wolfsburg caused us to stand up and pay attention. What is this, a Passat from VW with street cred? No way! Now we see VW testing this Passat R36 variant at the Nürburgring, and it'

A study by Purdue University states that safety systems like ABS and airbags make drivers less vigilant. Fred Mannering, the professor of civil engineering at the university who led the study, brought his team to the water of five years of motor vehicle crashes in Washington State. The students began studying the collisions beginning in 1992, as that was about when airbags and ABS began to be introduced rapidly into the mainstream auto market.

What happens when you take a perfectly good first-generation Miata and start grafting other car parts as disparate as the headlights from a Toyota Celica and a the rear clip of a1959 Cadillac? Well, you get this, the appropriately dubbed Bat Car. This one-of-a-kind includes fins from a 1959 Cadillac, 2003 Celica headlights, shaved door handles, and its own special VIN just for being so freakishly weird. Even though this car is almost completely stock underneath that unique exterior, we would nev

Earlier this month, the R8 made its debut on U.S. soil and was put on display at the new Audi Forum on Park Avenue in Manhattan. This Monday, Audi will be removing the R8 from display, and we may not get another chance to see the R8 in the real until the car's Los Angeles Auto Show debut. Do not lose hope yet, Audi fans, because Fourtitude has been given t

Allpar.com has posted some great spy shots of the revised Dodge Sprinter. The Mercedes-built van has been a quiet success for DaimlerChrysler in the U.S., and DCX may be looking to expand its place in the market. The passenger version shown in these photos may indicate a new focus for the Sprinter van product, as well. With a little investment, the Sprinter could become an even better people moving tool for organizations like churches, schools, and maybe even some f

Popular Mechanics acquired an inside perspective on the upcoming Audi A5 coupe and convertible that we've heard talk of for some time. At an informal dinner in the heart of French-Canada, or more exactly Montreal, Popular Mechanics operatives questioned Audi of America's Executive Vice President, John De Nysschen, about the new model. de Nysschen outlined how the A5 would be positioned above the A4 Cabriolet in Audi's line and the A5 Cabriolet woul

You can always count on Bob Lutz to provide a wealth of future product tidbits at his press conferences. Spy shots posted on LLN confirm Bob's comments about new Hummer models. This H3 captured is both longer than a standard H3 and is camouflaged in the rear. A close inspection reveals the tent work that is hiding the back of the truck sags aft of the B-pillar, indicating without a doubt there's a b

Car Magazine has posted a few close-up spy shots of the next 7-Series and also provides more details on what to expect in Munich's new flagship with some interesting tidbits that appear sourced from right inside BMW. For BMW fans, the new 7-Series is also the start of a new set of chassis designations, with the short-wheelbase version known as the F01 and the stretched version internally referred to as F02. The outgoing model's Bangle-era styling will be shelved for the cleaner, more elegant sty