Chevrolet Impala Chrome Ss Side Pillar Emblems "flying Impalas" on 2040-parts.com

Chinese brands are narrowing the quality gap with foreign automakers

When it comes to vehicle quality, domestic Chinese brands are catching up to their global peers, according to the 2010 China Initial Quality Study published by J.D. Power and Associates. The consultancy found that the quality gap between domestic and foreign brands has reached its narrowest margin in the survey's 11-year history.

Jaguar XKR Goodwood Special (2009): first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 01 July 2009 09:22 CAR was hanging out at Jaguar yesterday when we spotted this: the new XKR Goodwood Special – an XKR turned up to 11 to wow the crowds at this weekend's Festival of Speed.Editor Phil McNamara was on hand to soak up the one-off XKR, which points to a harder, faster XKR. Power rises to 523bhp from the standard XKR's 503bhp and torque swells to an earth-rippling 516lb ft.The new Jaguar XKR Goodwood Special: the lowdownWe were at the Whitley design centre on an, ahem, top-secret feature for a future issue of CAR Magazine, when design director Ian Callum and chief engineering type Mike Cross arrived unannounced in the XKR Goodwood Special. Over to you, Mike: 'The regular XKR has a torque limiter to conserve the gearbox's life,' he explained.

BMW 0 Series revealed? +video

Is this the BMW 0 Series? If BMW are going to go further downmarket in their quest for more sales – which we know they are with their plans for front wheel drive BMWs – then short of a sub-brand marque (entirely possible some will wear the Isetta or i-setta badge) then the only number we have to play with is a big, fat 0. It seems daft to give a BMW a leading 0 and its own series, but it certainly looks to be under consideration.