This weekend sees the first-ever A1GP race at Brands Hatch, England. The innovative series, which bills itself as "The World Cup of Motorsport," has been carefully designed from the ground up to be different from existing open-wheel championships. The 25 national teams that will take the grid this weekend are all using identical Lola/Zytek cars, with plenty of power and no driver aids, to showca

Ah, the question in the title is one of the more painful ones for me as it relates to GM's current situation. To the objective observer, the answer is a clear "no!"; GMC doesn't have any truly distinctive vehicles, and the nameplate means little to the vast majority of truck and SUV buyers. In fact, its existence may very well be preventing Chevrolet from snatching the light-truck sales lead. But I retain a lot of affection for the brand, and it's not just because I currently own a GMC. I

The US automotive component supply chain is said to be insufficient for hybrids, forcing manufacturers to go elsewhere for parts. This problem was revealed last month when Ford complained about the limited supply of Aisin transmissions, but the problems go well beyond that component. US-based battery manufacturers such as JCI and Cobasys are said to be eventual players, but Ford still went to Sanyo for the Escape's pack. Charge-control electronics is another weakness for American supplie

I won't be making any claims that hurricanes will miss the Gulf region again, so pardon me if I sound a bit like Chicken Little. Oil prices jumped $4 yesterday as Tropical Storm Rita picked up steam on its way towards a projected path through the Gulf of Mexico. Great. We know what happens if a storm hits New Orleans, and a hit on the Texas coast could be just as bad for our energy supplies. In the meantime, som

Transmission specialist Antonov is taking Toyota to the German courts over allegations that the automaker violated an existing patent with its hybrid drivetrains. While the article states that German case law can extend to the entire European Union, and Antonov had also filed for patent protection in Japan, no mention is made of the legal situation as it relates to the US. This is the second such lawsuit filed against Toyota recently, wh

I know some of you out there think that everything with a corporate label on it is bad, but I really have to argue with you about Volvo. The company was the first to put together an all-woman team designing a car specifically for the womenfolk, its emphasis is and has always been on safety, and it has put together countless expeditions into third world countries to help the poor. I really think the company deserves props for that. This time, Volvo's employees are teaming togethe

from the original "Mad Max" movie was up for sale on eBay. Built from a 1976 Ford Falcon 500, it's the real deal, not a copy.

General Motors was on the receiving end of a class action lawsuit filed on Monday claiming that it misled investors about its financial outlook. The suit alleges that the company misled investors in late February and early March, inflating its stock price and debt ratings before warning on March 16 that its 2005 earnings would be as much as 80 percent below its then current

Barely done with Frankfurt, Chrysler is already working on the next big thing: the Akino to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. The vehicle, a one-boxer that will seat five, uses all-natural materials to create a home-like feel, including bamboo flooring, sconce lighting and throw rugs and pillows. One thinks of the Honda Step WGN, now on sale, with its own wood flooring and colored laminated glass skylights.