Cars, Automaker | featured news

German carmaker BMW says 2012 was the best year in its history after it posted a rise in profits and record revenues.

This week in Geneva while Ferrari joined the hybrid race with McLaren and Porsche, Lamborghini unveiled its latest prototype, the $3.9 million Veneno. The 750-horsepower car is a one-off model made to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary. Its multi-million-dollar price tag makes it one of the most expensive cars ever made, putting it in the same echelon as the $2.4 million Bugatti Veyron and the $1 million McLaren F1.

Ford is joining with Diamler and Renault-Nissan to speed the development of cars that run on hydrogen. The three companies expect their alliance to bring affordable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to market as early as 2017. Fuel cell vehicles run on electricity generated from hydrogen and oxygen. The only byproduct is water.

The latest recall covers Honda Pilot models produced during the 2009 through 2013 model-years and Odyssey minivans from 2011 through 2013. Customers are being asked to take the vehicles to their dealers for inspection of the driver’s-side airbags and, if necessary, for repairs.It’s the latest in a series of problems Honda has had with airbags that have now resulted in the recall of several million vehicles in recent years. That includes one problem in which airbags could inflate over-aggressively, causing shrapnel to fire into the passenger compartment.

Several of India's car makers reported a drop or a modest increase in sales for December, despite year-end discounts and the recent introduction of new models.

Ford Motor Co is on track to sell 2.2 million cars under its main brand this year, up 7 percent from 2011, the automaker said on Saturday, but the company has acknowledged losing market share as it struggled to keep up with consumer demand.

A defect could allow the vehicles to roll away, the automaker said. The recall covers the 2003-4 Pilot and Odyssey and the 2003-6 Acura MDX.

General Motors' Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid car topped Consumer Reports' annual owner-satisfaction survey for the second straight year. Ninety-two percent of Volt owners surveyed said they would definitely buy the Volt again.

In a remarkable turnaround, Toyota is likely to set a record for auto sales this year. It has focused much effort on the U.S., refreshing its lineup and expanding its manufacturing in the country.

Japan’s two largest automakers appear to be locked in a race to achieve the dubious distinction of having recalled more vehicles than any other automaker during 2012 for an array of safety-related problems.