Car Throttle

Just when you think the Saab saga is settled for just a little while, something gets thrown in the mix to mess things up. We've got to hand it to the guys at Spyker - they keep trying over and over. No one ever though it would be easy for a diminuitive company like Spyker to handle Saab, and that has proved to be just the case. The deal with Chinese manufacturer Hawtei Motor Group Company Limited struck earlier this month has fell apart. Automotive News reports new deal with Chinese automobile distributor Panda Automobile has been tentatively worked out. Rather than focus on an immediate stake in the company, the deal focuses on large purchases of Saab cars in bulk. These purchases will keep Saab's

Yes, you read that right. After having production shutdown for over a month, some good news is finally arriving. Saab has secured a good chunk of financing for the foreseeable future. This includes every facet of the deals we've been discussing for a while now, and then some. For a restart of production, Gemini Investment has agreed to a six-month (!) loan worth 30 million Euros. The rest of the funding comes from the European Investment Banks as part of a draw down of Saab's previous loan. The other deal with Vladamir Anotov to sell a stake in the company, as well as the company's facilities like the Trollhattan plant, is awaiting approval but looks to be close to completion. The big deal though is nearly

In 2009, Bugatti showed off its 16C Galibier Concept, a preview of a future high-performance luxury sedan. Instead of showing it at the Geneva Show, the company held a private event just ahead of the event. This was due to the fact that the head of Bugatti didn't like showing vehicles that might not be produced. However, all indications have pointed to production for the car, as it has been shown to prospective clients and dealers to gauge interest since its introduction. Since then Powered by the same 8.0-liter 16-cylinder as the Veyron, the 16C Galibier would be the world's fastest production sedan. That would enable Bugatti to claim yet another record in addition to the world's fastest production car title it holds with the Veyron. Make

A sales race that CarThrottle has consistently covered is the one between the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. The Mustang, with its universal appeal and wide model range, has historically outsold its cross-town rival the Camaro. When the Camaro first launched, it was speculated that it would surpass Mustang sales, at least in the first year. That didn't work out though due to its late start. Last year, was the first full year of sales between the two. Despite Ford fielding the improved 2011 Mustang, the Camaro managed to outsell the Mustang by 7,655 units. This year, the Chevrolet Camaro gets a convertible variant as well as a high-performance ZL1 model to stir interest. Camaro Convertible sales haven't managed to kick in yet in a

General Motors announced early this morning that the HUMMER brand, formerly dead after the transformation to new-GM and the DOA sale to a Chinese tractor company no one had ever heard of, would be returning next year as the world's only hybrid/EV/electric/environmentally-sensible/responsible/not embarrassing to Americans brand. Jim Taylor, former manager of GM's HUMMER off-road brand, beamed with pride this morning as he made the announcement that everyone had been waiting for.  Standing on the steps of GM's corporate headquarters on Renaissance Avenue in Detroit, MI, Jim began reading from the press release, his voice barely disguising his excitement. "We were faced with a crucial decision.  We could let the HUMMER brand, steeped in history and beloved by the entire American public, sink into the annals of history,

The cost of insurance has rocketed at an unprecedented rate over the past twelve months, with the AA estimating that car insurance prices for the average motorist have risen by over 50%. However, it isn’t just auto insurance which has been affected, with bike insurance also having been on the receiving end of some pretty sharp rises. Quite frankly, there is no way you can avoid these escalating prices unless you decided to walk everywhere, which is a bit dull and takes an awfully long time. Despite recent attempts by the European Court of Justice to eliminate gender discrimination in insurance (the effects of which are likely to spill over to the USA), little has been done to eliminate age-based discrimination. This will likely mean

The Honda Civic Si has been a shoestring-budget enthusiast favorite for a long time. But it's hard to deny that it's been standing pat while it's competitors have been charging past it - sometimes at a way faster rate of speed.  Budget rockets like the MazdaSpeed3, Lancer Ralliart, and Subaru WRX have sucked down a lungful of turbo boost and proceeded to blow the Si's doors off.  Even though the current Si is a hoot to drive, it's a bit embarassing that a V6 Mustang will blow it's doors off.  Enter the rumormill: when the refreshed 2012 Civic Si hits dealer lots, it's going to have a new engine under the hood. Now, that's not to say the current Si's motor is a dud.  Far from

According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the price of auto insurance in the USA is continuing to increase with a further 1.1% jump having been experienced between November and December last year. This will add an additional $9 to the average driver’s auto insurance each month. Britain has witnessed even more severe insurance increases with UK price comparison service Moneysupermarket.com reporting a price rise of over 40% for the average British driver in 2010. This means that it has never been more important to consider insurance costs when buying a new car. You would therefore be wise to avoid buying the following vehicles which are the 10 most expensive cars to insure on the roads today. Here we go in reverse order: 10. Mercedes Benz S600

Audi has been on a tear lately, with its lineup of new models impressing critics, consumers and enthusiasts alike. We're particularly happy with the performance models that have been coming from the brand. Regardless, with a larger lineup than ever, Audi has been on a sales roll - so much so in fact, that it has already surpassed its record high sales mark set in the heady days of 2007. Earlier this week Audi logged its 93,507th transaction in the United States for 2010. The previous record stood at 93,506 and Audi says that it is likely to surpass the 100,000 mark by the end of the year. This increasing momentum has been felt globally as well, with sales in China up by a staggering

The small car segment is heating up with new entrants into the segment by the American manufacturers. Chevrolet's entry, the Aveo, has been on the market for a while. However, GM was readying a new model to replace it. The Aveo wasn't a bad car but it wasn't the most competitive entry into the segment. As such, rumors swirled about a name change for the upcoming small car. On Tuesday, GMInsideNews reported the new name would be Sonic. Today, the name change was made official by General Motors. The decisionto change names was made by GM's new marketing chief Joel Ewanick. His predecessor Mark LaNeve wanted to rename the car "Viva" (an ill-conceived idea) but Bob Lutz ordered the car to retain its name. Renaming the