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2007 Hamann Renntaxi BMW Z4 M Coupe Photos

Fiat had a small but impressive lineup at the Auto Shanghai . The Italian company is trying to revive its local operation and find new partners to cash in on the China automotive boom. Currently, Fiat has just one small production plant in China: a joint venture with Nanjing Auto, where a small number of Palio and Siena cars are being produced each year. Now that Nanjing Auto is focusing on reviving MG, Fiat is looking for a new angle to make its way in the China market. At the Shanghai show, many visitors were attracted to the stylish new Bravo hatchback. As Fred Duan, commercial director of Nanjing-Fiat, put it: "When you buy an import car in China, you want something special." Bringing in the Bravo would provide a halo effect for the brand, but it wouldn't be a mainstream product. The midsize Linea — which was the centerpiece of Fiat's stand here — could do that job, but the business case has not yet been made for its local production. Fiat is also trying to find...

Among Chinese indigenous brands at the Shanghai auto show , Great Wall and Chery run neck and neck in the number of new-model debuts. We think Chery had the edge, though, with such memorable products as the A6CC sport coupe, the Shooting Sport wagon and the Tiggo6 SUV, among others. Chery 's almost limitless ambition to become a major exporter to the Western world led to hot anticipation of its Shanghai show lineup. And the reality lived up to expectations as Chery proved again that it is increasingly a force to be reckoned with. There were many highlights, notably the neat Bertone-designed A6 and its companion, the A6CC sport coupe, which brought to mind the elegant Pininfarina-designed M14 roadster. One can only hope that at least one sporty model will make it into production. There seems at least to be a fighting chance that the A6CC will make that leap, since Chery described two power options for it: a V6 3.0-liter with variable valve timing and a four-cylinder, turbocharge...

The Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), one of China's dominant conglomerates, had a vast hall to itself at the Shanghai show. Much of it was devoted to the fruits of joint ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen — but a huge chunk was reserved for the Roewe 750, a revived Rover 75. Elsewhere at the show, Nanjing Auto presented its new MG7. To show-goers, the Roewe 750 looked more promising and more accomplished than Nanjing's MG. Just before the show's opening, SAIC chairman Hu Maoyan told the Associated Press in an interview that his company is open to cooperation with Nanjing Auto. SAIC showed it has big plans for the Roewe brand. The company displayed a hybrid version of the executive sedan as well as a concept car called the W2, which was designed by former MG-Rover designers in cooperation with SAIC engineers. Shanghai Auto targets adding a second model to the Roewe range by the end of this year, and the solid-looking package that was the W2 is a c...

(from Lumma Design Press Release) The LUMMAnator! Spectacular CLR 500 RS with 560 HP in the BMW M5 -Basis * V10 with 560 HP * Racing exhaust system with racing catalytic converter * Complete body-kit with impressive rear apron with integrated diffusor * Motor optical package of carbonized parts and red cylinder cover * Sport chassis and 40 mm lowering * LUMMA DESIGN -set of wheels in an impressive 21 inches * sporty interior accessories in matching colours to exterior chassis The swabian tuner LUMMA DESIGN continues its series of refined premium vehicles through CLR 500 RS. This time the development was based on the current BMW M5 . This high performance limousine receives a complete body-kit in spectacular optics, a new chassis, a racing exhaust system, numerous interior accessories as well as power enhancement providing even better performance. This car, which is refined using every trick in the tuning book, celebrated its premier during the Auto Salon in Geneva 2007 as Show Car at ...

Daihatsu is the maker of China's best-selling passenger cars, yet the Japanese company has lacked a presence of its own in the world's biggest auto market. This is about to change. Back in the mid-1980s, Daihatsu struck a licensing deal with Tianjin Xiali, a then-new automobile manufacturer, which resulted in the Chinese production of the Daihatsu Charade. This agreement has long expired, but Xiali, which now belongs to the country's biggest auto company, FAW, is still the best-selling brand in China. And its main products are still based on the old Charade. Once Toyota made huge inroads into China, it was inevitable that its microcar specialist subsidiary, Daihatsu, would gain a foothold. The right moment came at Auto Shanghai 2007, where Daihatsu introduced its Xenia minivan, which will be produced at the FAW Jilin factory. The Xenia , which was originally available in ASEAN markets, is a seven-seat minivan powered by 1.3- and 1.5-liter four-cylinder gas engines. It wil...

Sand returns as an available convertible top color option on the 2007 Saab 9-3 Convertible, shown here, Blue is also available this year. (Saab, United States) The sand often times conjures memories of walks on the beach with the fresh sea air swirling in and out with the tide. With the availability of optional tan colored top, in place of the standard black or optional blue colors, Saab 9-3 customers are now able to reminisce year-round in this robust four-season convertible. A Sand convertible top was only offered in 1993 and 1994 on the first generation convertible. After a 13-year hiatus, and many customer and dealer inquiries, the Swedish-born brand conceived by aircraft engineers, the option returns. “Saab is a customer-focused brand,” said Yanlin Sun, Saab 9-3 Convertible marketing manager. “Our customers and dealers alike asked us to bring back the sand ... so we did.” Since launching its first convertible, Saab has played a major role in advancing the popularity of open-top ca...