Car Throttle

Welcome back to News Bites, Car Throttle's one-stop-shop for the this-and-that of all that's auto news.  What's on the plate for today?  Track times, the President's old whip, Volvos, wrecking Datsuns, and some other fun stuff. Car and Driver is one of the few automotive print publications people still like, because they still produce some unique content.  Best example: the annual Lightning Lap challenge.  They take road-going cars, divided up into classes by price, for hot laps around Virginia International Raceway - street tires, pump gas, license plates and full interiors, to see what's fastest.  This year they didn't run any LL5 cars ($250,000+) or LLU (non-street-legal, like the Ariel Atom and KTM X-Box), but they did add a new class: LLT, for trucks.  There's a

It's not everyday that one of your favourite bands hooks up with one of your favourite manufacturers. Okay so JLS - X Factor Runners Up - may have a fan-base with an average age in the low teens, but your slightly embarrassed author loves a good ballad or three and Marvin, Oritse, Aston and JB certainly know how to craft a top-selling single. The fact that they have already racked up 5 UK Number 1's is a testament not only to "Jack the Lad Swing" but their innate ability to create a catchy tune. What we have here though is Volvo Cars UK following on from where their Swedish head office left off with placement in the Twilight Saga. In order to get "in" with a

Volvo and Performance are not really two synonymous terms. Volvos have always been (well, until recently) square cars for even more square people.  Tough engines, comfy seats, angular styling - great for hauling the kids to soccer practice, not so great for hauling ass.  Right?  Well, this guy begs to differ:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGDxgYWG5MU

As it turns out, if you roll up next to a Volvo 850 at a stoplight and it sounds like an angry chainsaw, you probably shouldn't race it if you want to escape with your dignity intact.  Domestic Muscle guys have been learning this lesson the hard way for years. Now, to be sure, Volvo made some quick cars before the T-5 motor came out.  The 740 Turbo wagons in the

There's a lot of craziness out there - stunts, race drivers and the like. In fact some would even say racing a car around a track is crazy (obviously we wouldn't be counted as one of that bunch). But try racing around a race track blindfolded. Uh yeah, that is what we could categorize as insane. But that is exactly what Jonny Reid, a 27-year old driver, did around New Zealand's Hampton Downs raceway in Auckland. The event was sponsored by Volvo, with Reid managing a laptime of 1:28, clocking a top speed of 119 mph along the way. Volvo says he was "guided only by the feel of the car, his knowledge of the track and co-driver Earl Bamber's voice." Reid took more than

The new S60 is a pivotal model for Volvo, as a competitive entrant into the segment. With impressive sales of its crossover counterpart the XC60, the new sedan looks to be a big seller for the brand. As such, Volvo is in a midst of launching a big campaign for the car, dubbed the "Naughtiest Volvo Ever." Just based on its appearance, we already know the S60 isn't your usual Volvo - but the brand says it doesn't drive like one either. As part of the campaign, track days are being held across the country. There is an event in Los Angeles at the Santa Anita Racetrack tomorrow, October 23rd and Sunday, October 24th. Attendees can participate in a competition to win an Apple iPad, and will also be

Volvo has been on an effort to project a new image for itself with the redesigned S60. Volvo has always been noted for safety, but the brand would like to change things up with the S60's "Naugtiest Volvo" campaign. We don't know about that (it comes off as a bit desperate to us) but we do know the S60 ups the design ante considerably, providing a compelling product inside and out. The R-Design series is meant to be a sportier take on the S60 formula, providing more visual drama. R-Design starts out with the premise that the existing car is powerful enough - just that there are those who would like the car in a more sporting variety. As such, it is available in all trim levels and

With the sale of Volvo to Geely completed, the brand is hoping to turn the focus to product once again. No more headlines in the papers and automotive media about sale negotiations - and now Ford has entirely rid itself of any non-core automotive assets. The S60 mid-size sedan is an integral product for Volvo, and it shows off a new philosophy for the brand. No hardcore sport version is yet available, but Volvo is working with Heico Sportiv to introduce a limited edition sport model. Hot or not? Definitely hot. The S60 looks brilliant in Black Sapphire and in concert with the tasteful modifications made by Heico. Par for the course, ride height has been lowered and the suspension fitted with stiffer dampers. There are low profile

The sports compact genre has flourished over the past few years. Mitsubishi is a big player in that market with the Lancer Evolution, a favorite in racing games everywhere. The Evolution X SE is a new mid-range model that sits between the GSR and MR. Mitsubishi made a promotional video for the car as it was was put through its paces in California. We're glad Mitsubishi is focused on enthusiasts - because this car is specifically geared toward the enthusiast market. The Evo X SE starts at $36,445, and is equipped with the dual-clutch transmission on an Evo X. That price point puts it at about $2000 more than a base Evo X GSR and over $3000 cheaper than a base Evo X MR, the high-end model. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLkeGG_vva0&feature=player_embedded#! Next-Gen 3-Series

Volvo's future may be tenuous (what with the pending Chinese ownership), but they are still rolling out new products as if the apocalypse wasn't approaching.  The Geneva auto show this year will be home to a lot of big debuts, and among them is a brand-spanking-new Volvo S60, the brand's mid-sized volume offering.  Considering the current S60 has been in production since 2000, it's about time - that's about three lifetimes as far as mid-luxury offerings go. We've seen some leaked pictures and videos of the S60 here at CarThrottle before, but today brings tons of high-resolution images and details and specifications about the new sedan.  One thing's for sure: this is a brand-new car, not a shallow re-skin of the old P2 chassis.  Perhaps tired

Here at CarThrottle, we love teaser videos. Especially the ones that show a lot of the car in action, and this new one from Volvo definitely does that. Particularly of interest to a lot of people is the interior of the new S60, which hasn't been debuted yet. That's where this video is really defined as a teaser - it shows only a bit of the interior that gives a few key details. The S60 has been expected for a long time, but ongoing wrangling over who the new owner of Volvo would be pushed the car's launch back a bit. It is now expected to make a debut at the Geneva Auto Show next month. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM6GCDOWEC0