-There is still a lot to process about the Top Gear team re-emerging on Amazon instant video. Questions like when will we see the show? Will it all be released at once? Why did they decide to go with Amazon? – We’re now starting to get the answers that we crave, as former Top Gear producer and new Amazon employee Andy Wilman has started to talk about the new project. –
– Since we can’t get enough of the brilliant new Ford GT around here, especially in racing guise, we bring you Ford’s latest GT video, called “The Secret Shakedown,” which contains test footage of some of the racing development process, allegedly shot about three weeks before the racing car made its official debut at Le Mans last month. – The talking heads in the video, including Dave Pericak, director of
– A report on the Car Magazine website reveals more details about the upcoming four-cylinder turbo engines that are set to replace the naturally aspirated flat-sixes in the Porsche Boxster and Cayman. And, unfortunately, the horsepower output is going down—at least for the base-model and S versions. – In the report, the often-prophetic Georg Kacher confirms the depressing news that the base, S, and GTS versions of the Boxster and
– General Motors is expanding an earlier recall of Cadillac ATS sedans and coupes that let people close the sunroof too easily. – – According to a report in Automotive News, the 2016 ATS is now included and adds 4967 more cars to the original February recall for a total of 63,665 within the U.S. The 2013-2016 ATS models have sunroof switches that are flush with the roof panel and can automatically close the
Turbos are hot right now. Seemingly every segment of the car industry has at least one turbo engine on offer; twin turbos, once the realm of exotic supercars, are now available on pickup trucks and family haulers. In 2012, BMW upped the ante with a triple-turbo inline-six diesel engine for the European market. But too much is never enough, apparently. Rumor has it, BMW’s readying a new diesel inline-six with four
Filed under: Buying, Financing, Refinancing Getty Images By Kirk Haverkamp Immigrants are having a significant impact on the U.S. housing market. According to the Research Institute for Housing America, immigrants accounted for nearly 40% of the net increase in U.S. homeowners from 2000 to 2010. Meanwhile, the same group estimates that U.S. homeownership rates among Latino immigrants will hit 50% by the year 2020. Overall, the number of immigrant homeowners
By Ingrid Melander and Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) – Cheap oil and a weak euro helped France’s economy expand at its fastest rate in two years in the first quarter as consumers spent more freely, but the growth pickup was not sharp enough to generate extra jobs. French exports slowed, however, and a depressed real estate market kept weighing on the euro zone’s second-largest economy, the data from statistics office
By Ingrid Melander and Michel Rose PARIS (Reuters) – Cheap oil and a weak euro helped France’s economy expand at its fastest rate in two years in the first quarter as consumers spent more freely, but the growth pickup was not sharp enough to generate extra jobs. French exports slowed, however, and a depressed real estate market kept weighing on the euro zone’s second-largest economy, the data from statistics office
New Zealand’s central bank on Wednesday announced measures to cool Auckland’s red-hot property market, saying a potential real-estate bubble posed a significant risk to the economy. House prices in the South Pacific nation’s largest city have skyrocketed in recent years, resulting in Auckland being named as the world’s ninth least affordable major city in an international survey released this year. Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Graeme Wheeler said the
Filed under: Buying, Financing, Refinancing ZillowThe weekly mortgage rate chart illustrates the average 30-year fixed interest rate in six-hour intervals. By Lauren Braun Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed loans rose this week, with the current rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgages at 3.82 percent, up 9 basis points from the same time last week. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell Friday, then hovered around 3.69 percent before rising and
Sotheby’s New York headquarters Auctioneer Sotheby’s is gearing up for its first high-end watch sale by bid since partnering with online auction site eBay, which is scheduled for June 11. Last summer, Sotheby’s and eBay partnered to develop a digital platform that enables consumers to easily browse artwork, antiques and collectibles. Through the partnership, eBay has granted its 145 million active buyers access to Sotheby’s expertise, auction experience, artwork and
Gold bottles of Armand de Brignac Pop star Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has received negative feedback on her latest music video due to the high-end Champagne featured in a particular scene. In Beyoncé’s music video for “Feeling Myself,” which features rapper Nicki Minaj, the pop star reportedly dumps a $20,000 bottle of Armand de Brignac Champagne into the water of a hot tub. The Champagne brand, owned by Beyoncé’s husband Jay Z
Floris London’s Bergamotto Positano British perfumer Floris London is inviting consumers to “thirsty Thursdays” at its 89 Jermyn Street boutique to explore its By Request summer fragrance. For the month of May, Floris has invited enthusiasts to join the brand for a drink every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. Programs such as this one give consumers a social reason to visit the boutique that is rooted not in sales, but getting
Affluent consumers spend when they travel; image courtesy of Michael Kors U.S. fashion label Michael Kors is working to better serve its European consumers with a state-of-the-art distribution center in the Netherlands. Located in Trade Pont North in Venlo, the new European Distribution Center (EDC) will soon break ground to service Michael Kors’ European and Middle Eastern retail, wholesale and ecommerce needs. The 1 million square-foot distribution will help Michael
Karl Lagerfeld during the book launch party Italian fashion house Fendi is celebrating the 50-year tenure of head designer and creative director Karl Lagerfeld with an exclusive book. The book launch was held during the Cannes Film Festival with models such as Kendall Jenner and Chanel Iman in attendance, and the occasion also marked the opening of Fendi’s new boutique in Cannes. Fendi’s “Fendi by Karl Lagerfeld” offers consumers a
