2008 Land Rover LR2 Summary

The 2008 LR2 is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury sport-utility, available in one trim only, the SE.Upon introduction, the LR2 is equipped with a standard 3.2-liter, I6, 230-horsepower engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 23-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.The 2008 LR2 is all-new for 2008.

Canadian hybrid sales up 90%

With growing concern for the environment and increasingly volatile fuel prices, hybrid sales have increased about 90% for the first half of 2007 in Canada.The wait for most hybrid models continues to grow. Want a Toyota Prius? 90 days. A Toyota Camry? 45 days.

Hybrid sales in Canada were a modest 1,000 units a year until 2004, after which sales rose to about 9,000 units annually by the end of ’06. Through the first 6 months of ’07, 6,500 hybrids have been sold throughout Canada.

As more models get introduced to the market, hybrid sales will likely continue their upward march.

Posted on Aug 7, 2007 by Peter Johnson Of AutoNorth.Ca

VW to stick with TDI and pass on Bluetec diesel branding

For a while it looked as though the Bluetec name and technology, which was developed by DaimlerChrysler, was going to be used by other German automakers in order to achieve the U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 diesel regulations. Both BMW and VW had earlier said they they would be utilising this technology.However, BMW has since bowed out, preferring to go their own way and now VW has backed out stating that they would continue to use the TDI branding. The feeling is that the term Bluetec is so closely associated with Mercedes that it could hamper VW marketing.

Posted on Aug 7, 2007 by Karen McGinnis in AutoNorth.CA

2008 Audi S5 Test Drive

Full Test: 2008 Audi S5
American Flyer

By Michael Jordan, Executive Editor
Date posted: 08-01-2007
Audi has been serious for decades, busily bringing us such engineering breakthroughs as the five-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive, the aluminum chassis, direct fuel injection and competition-prepared diesels. It’s been like science class. At least the lab projects have been impressing the neighbors and even winning races at Le Mans.But with the 2008 Audi S5, the technoid visionaries of Ingolstadt have finally lightened up. After all, we’re Americans. We’re just a simple people. Speed and style are what sell.

Nuvolari Returns From the Past
Audi has figured out that a coupe should be beautiful, not merely exclusive. Even as the typical German sedan has become a beast with swollen fenders and a massive grille, designed to bludgeon the meek out of the fast lane on the autobahn, the 2008 Audi S5 has a different look. Its curving contours are leaner, more expressive and more energetic.

The face of the new Audi coupe comes from the midengine Audi R8 sports car, and the rest has been inspired by the 2003 Nuvolari showcar. The S5 version of the coupe is set apart visually from the conventional A5 by a radiator grille painted in platinum gray and inlaid with chrome trim, more aggressive bumpers, outside mirrors painted silver and four oval tailpipes.

Overall, this is a car that makes its luxury statement with color and chrome, a look that sets it apart from its German counterparts, the BMW 6 Series and Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class.

Read More At Edmunds - Check out this and other model Audi vehicles at AutoCity101.Com</a>