General Motors started building the first pre-production Chevrolet Volt electric vehicles today. The significant milestone marks the first time engineers are assembling a vehicle that looks like the car slated to start rolling off an assembly line next year. These cars, known as integration vehicles, are key to the Volt’s development because they are used to refine things like driving dynamics. They also get shaken down and beaten up to ensure the range-extended EV is road-ready. So

Jaguar wants to bring a little style and panache to the lowly cruiser, a vehicle that tends to be as tough a rottweiller and as engaging as a goldfish. The venerable British automaker has developed a high-performance “police pursuit vehicle” - please, don’t call it a squad car - based on the XF diesel. Its 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine produces 275 horsepower. Stomp on the pedal to chse down a miscreant and she’ll do zero to 60 in 5.9 seconds. Not bad. Even better, the car

Each new generation of Lexus hybrids brings with it new gains in efficiency. With the HS 250h, designers and engineers took the opportunity to create a truly unique luxury car that maximizes fuel economy while further shrinking its impact on the planet by using ecologically advanced materials, clever packaging of people and components and eradicating waste wherever possible. They also found fresh ways to make driving easier and more efficient, with the premium quality and

If you've ever seen Chip Foose at work, it's hard not to admire the guy. He's got more natural talent in his pinky finger than most of us car guys can dream of, and each of the vehicles he builds ends up being a work of art. He recently got his hands on a brand new 2010 Ford Mustang GT, which was Foosified on an episode of Spike TV's MuscleCar. The best part? You can enter to win the car on PowerBlockTV.com. This customized pony car features an Edelbrock supercharger system, Roush body

In an effort to appeal to its more performance-minded customers, Lexus launched its F-Sport line of accessories at SEMA in 2007. Available for the IS model, the parts ranged from a ceramic brake upgrade to a beefier clutch that could handle 15% more torque. Coinciding with the launch of its IS hard-top convertible, Lexus is also introducing a line of F-Sport accessories available for both the IS250C and IS350C that will be available at the same time the cars hit showroom floors. Parts

Jake's Hot Magenta Fiesta (above is the model we drove in NYC during our First Drive) is one of 100 Euro-spec models that Ford has loaned to selected "agents" across the U.S. We don't have many details, but we have confirmed with Ford spokesman Alan Hall that the car has gone missing. Scott Monty, head of social media at Ford, has also confirmed the crime's occurrence on his Twitter page. Not only does Ford know one of its Fiestas was swiped, it's also tracking the hot property. All of the cars given to

Many entrepreneurs have tried to break into the auto industry over the past century. Since the very early days, almost none have succeeded – or even lasted very long. Most such names have been forgotten and consigned to the dustbins of history. On the other hand, one of the most memorable failures of all time was Preston Tucker and his radically unconventional Torpedo. Only 51 of the forward-thinking sedans were built in 1948 before the company finally went belly up

While Fiat and Chrysler are desperately trying to secure an alliance here in the United States, the Italian side of the duo is also reportedly considering an alliance with General Motors' core operations in Europe and Latin America. If all goes ahead, a merged Fiat and Chrysler, along with the GM operations, would become the world's second-largest auto group. The latest information comes from a source familiar with the matter, who revealed to Automotive News