GM says it has 16 buyers for Saturn

Earlier today GM confirmed that it has a buyer for Hummer. During a conference call with reports, GM CFO Ray Young told reporters that the automaker has 16 buyers interested in purchasing the Saturn brand.

16 is a lot more than the two we’ve been hearing of including the Penske Group and Telesto Ventures, an investment group that includes private equity firm Black Oak Partners LLC.

No word on whether if GM has received offers for it Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky business, which it said the automaker would be open to selling in a separate deal.

So far we’ve heard that Mitsubishi wants to supply Saturn dealers with vehicles after the contract with GM expires. Penske is looking to bring in vehicles from Renault Samsung Motors, which is owned 80.1 percent by Renault and 19.9 percent by Samsung.

Hamann kit for the Rolls Royce Phantom

The German tuner Hamann is on a roll and shortly after “pimping out” most of the recent BMW models, the X6, 7 Series or the new Z4, they moved onto the other BMW-owned super luxury brand: Rolls Royce.

Both the Phantom and the Drophead Coupe received the Hamann special treatment which most of the time stands out due to the upgraded wheels.

Same as the 7 Series, the Rolls Royce model get an upgraded wheel size, from 21 inch to a whooping 23 inch. But the most impressive upgrade lies under the hood, where the 6.75-liter V12 engine receive an impressive power boost from 460 horsepower to 535 horsepower.

The peak torque has also increased, from 534 lb-ft(720Nm) to 616 lb-ft(835Nm). Top speed level was raised all the way up to 186 mph(300 km/h).

While no other details were released at this time - we expect a full press release shortly- there is one more item worth mentioning: the Hamann branded steering wheel was specifically designed for the Phantom models.

With a price tag of $400,000, we cannot wonder how much more the Hamann kit will add to this number….

P.S. Just in case you’re wondering: we definitely DO NOT dig these wheels.

[Source: Worldcarfans ]

MotorTrend: 2009 Audi A8 vs 2009 BMW 750Li vs 2009 Mercedes-Benz S550

We’ve been waiting for this comparison for quite some time now. If the new 2009 BMW 7 Series has been compared with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class over and over again, the Audi A8 was missing from this picture despite the fact that it is also a direct competitor to the two other German high-end luxury cars.

But the fellows at MotorTrend took on the task of putting these three ultra-luxurious head-to-head and regardless of the final results, the controversy among the fans will still remain.

Obviously most of us are biased towards one of these brands and it is perfectly acceptable, but still let’s see what you think after we tell you that MotorTrend chose the Mercedes-Benz S550 as being their first choice.

Jason Statham and Pierce Brosnan, playing their silver-screen action selves, battled the baddies in a BMW 7 Series (”The Transporter,” “Tomorrow Never Dies”). For his sequel, Statham switched to an Audi A8L, a car he also drove in “Transporter 3.” As for the third premium German giant, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, versions of the maker’s flagship sedan have appeared in everything from “The Sopranos” to “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ronin,” “Enemy of the State” — in fact, just about any action flick or TV show involving piles of cash or a “Mr. Big.”

So, yes, you know they’re all good-action pros don’t play around with second-rate tools. But of the current-gen versions, which of the three ranks as our favorite getaway?

It’s a closely matched trio. The Audi A8L 4.2 quattro, the Mercedes-Benz S550, and the brand-new BMW 750Li: Each sports a twin-cam V-8 making between 350 and 400 horsepower. The three are within an inch of each other in overall length (each is a long-wheelbase version; the Benz is sold only in extended form stateside) and range from a low of 4449 pounds (Audi) to a high of 4659 pounds (BMW). Base prices are close enough that cost probably won’t be a major issue for the moneyed shoppers considering these steeds: Audi ($78,725), BMW ($86,025), Mercedes-Benz ($91,225).

Ian Callum talks about the 2010 Jaguar XJ

The top-of-the-line leaping cat was blessed with an aluminum chassis that was well ahead of its time, but the Jaguar XJ's historically derivative design left luxury customers less than impressed - if indeed they recognized it as a new model. Chief Jaguar designer Ian Callum, who hit the ball right out of the park when he designed the award winning XF, now has an opportunity to make things right with the flagship XJ. We've already seen spy photos of the XJ's interior and exterior, and everything so far points to the Jag's flagship model taking plenty of cues from the smaller, less expensive XF; not that that's a bad thing.
The 2010 Jaguar XJ is one of the most eagerly anticipated unveilings this year, but since it won't go public until July 9, you'll have to wait until we can gather some more information. After the jump is a short video of Callum discussing his coup de gras; the new XJ. We only caught two very brief, very muddled shots of the next generation of Jaguar's "Gorgeous" design philosophy, but it's still worth a look.
[Source: Jaguar via YouTube]

2009 Subaru Forester 2.5X Premium retains edge, adds smoothness

Adequate dynamics, very capable, super handy. That about sums up the last ten years of the Subaru Forester. And yet - once the sportier turbocharged version put rally-bred heat under the skinny pedal, the Forester was no longer just the squishy, squeezy Official Car of Vermont. It was suddenly possible to haul the family Newfoundland to the groomer and scorch the doors off more prestigious iron by flattening that Birkenstock. Eat our dust, punctuated by a "Be Green" sticker. More luxurious appointments were also put on offer, there was once even a Nardi edition. For all that, the Foresters were still little funk machines. For 2009, Subaru's Forester retains and expands what has historically been great about this Fuji Heavy crossover, but the rough edges have been hammered flat. Click past the jump to see if that's impacted the Subie's appeal.

Bentley Arnage successor to go even further upscale, debut at Pebble Beach in August

The auto show circuit may be on its annual summer break, but that's not going to stop Bentley. A recent report suggests the crew from Crewe is preparing to take the wraps off its next-generation Arnage at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California this coming August. And when it does, it'll be bigger and badder than ever.
There's no word yet regarding rumors that the Arnage's replacement could take on Bugatti's W16 or Audi's V12 TDI engines, but reports indicate that the new Arnage - aside from being, you know, new - will be bigger and further upscale from the current, aging behemoth. Apparently Bentley and their corporate overlords at Volkswagen are growing tired of watching their clientele go to arch-rival/former sister-company Rolls-Royce or (heaven forbid) Maybach, but they're still going to take their time: The next-gen Arnage isn't supposed to begin production until a year after the current model, now in its final iteration (pictured above), ceases production. At Pebble Beach we're tipped to see a pre-production prototype that promises to closely mirror the eventual production model, which is expected to take advantage of Audi's modular platform but incorporate a unique V8 engine (probably based on the current Jurassic-era 6.75-liter "perfectly adequate" V8) mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic and likely able to run on E85 ethanol to give the muscle-tank the air of environmental conscience.
[Source: AutoTelegraaf]