For the 2009 model year, the Fortwo 61hp and 71hp will feature the firm’s micro hybrid drive system as standard while Smart has also enhanced the minicar’s equipment levels. When Smart says ‘micro hybrid drive’ or MHD for short, what the company means to say is an automatic start/stop start function. The system operates during the engine idling phases and promises to return fuel savings of up to 24% compared to the standard models and lower CO2 emissions to 103 grams per km. If the driver doesn’t want to use the start and stop function, it can be deactivated through a switch on the center console until the next time the car is started.

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The All new Cadillac CTS-V will be priced from $59,995 (€44,700 with the current exchange rates) in the US market seriously undercutting the less powerful though quite possibly a bit more rewarding from a driver’s point of view, 507HP BMW M5 which costs in the States $85,100 (€63,500). Aside from the 556HP supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine and the Magnetic Ride Control suspension, the CTS-V comes standard with plenty of features, including a hand-crafted cabin, a 6-speed manual transmission and a Bose surround sound system with a 40-gigabyte hard drive with a USB port. Continued

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 A few days after the Camaro went officially on sale in the States, GM of Canada announced that starting Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008, Chevy dealers across the country will also begin accepting customer pre-orders. Production is scheduled to begin in February 2009 at GM’s Oshawa, Ontario Car Assembly Plant, with dealership deliveries beginning immediately afterwards. Canadian pricing and specifications for the 2010 Camaro will be released in the following weeks, but just so you can get an idea, in the U.S. the sticker for the V6-powered LS starts at $22,995 US while the price for the V8-powered SS has been set at $30,995 U.S. Continued

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GM has released pricing for its all-new 2010 Camaro as customer ordering opened today, Monday October 13. The 2010 Camaro starts at $22,995 MSRP for the V6-powered LS model, and $30,995 for the V8-powered Camaro SS with both prices including a $750 destination charge. Production will begin in February 2009 with first deliveries expected to hit dealer lots shortly after. Continued

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Not that we haven’t seen the 2010 Camaro Coupe’s specifications, packages and available options before (thanks to a series of leaks), but this time its official as Chevrolet uploaded the Camaro’s buyers guide on its dedicated website as it gets ready to greet customers on Monday, October 13th. Chevy’s dealers across the U.S. will be able to put your order in for the 2010 Camaro Coupe but bear in mind that you’ll have to be patient as the first cars won’t be arriving before spring 2009. Click through to check out of the official buyers guide. Continued

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Credit crunch, what credit crunch? Maybe for us, but not for the rich and richer. While most automakers are in the process of tightening their collective belt, Rolls Royce is seeing its sales soar this year and it’s getting ready to hire more workers to keep up with demand. Last month the British brand delivered 129 cars which represents growth of 7,5 percent compared to the same month in 2007. From January through September of this year, BMW Group-owned Rolls-Royce has delivered a total 827 vehicles to customers, achieving a gain of 42.8% over the previous year (579 units). Continued

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Attempting to reach out to customers that like to really stand out from the crowd, Ford performed the debut of three special factory-fitted packs called Digital, Tatoo and Grand Prix for its all-new Ka minicar at the Paris motorshow. The most vibrant package of them all is without doubt the ‘Digital’ that uses a high-contrast green as the base color for the interior and exterior of the car.

If you’re looking to add o sportier touch there’s the Grand Prix theme with a chequered flag motif based on either a red or white exterior colour scheme while the less funky Tatoo package adds tribal-style tattoo designs (with a heart in the center…) on various parts of the outer body as wells as in the interior. Ford said that all three option packs are available only on the standard Zetec trim and that prices will be announced closer to the Ka’s official launch date. Read more about the new 2009 Ka by clicking here. Continued

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