Osc 2601 Radiator on 2040-parts.com

2012 Volkswagen Beetle to launch with Black Turbo edition

Volkswagen is borrowing a page from sister company Porsche and will turn to the color black to sex up the soon-to-arrive 2012 VW Beetle--and to draw attention to a preorder program launching this year. The Beetle Black Turbo edition follows in the lineage of Porsche 911s augmented with Black editions, and the VW will sticker for $25,720, including shipping. Power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, which is the same as the regular turbo Beetle--and VW's hot hatch, the GTI.

Nissan’s black cab: what will London’s new taxi be like to ride in?

Nissan Around 300,000 people use black cabs in London every day, and by the end of 2014, they’ll be faced with a new alternative in the form of Nissan’s NV200 London Taxi, unveiled today. See Nissan's new London taxi The Japanese manufacturer has done its best to make the NV200 echo the carbon-dateable TX4 (which owes much of its styling to the 1958 Austin FX4), but let’s be honest – the new Nissan looks like a van. No coincidence there – it is based on the NV200 commercial vehicle.

Fisker Automotive begins hiring blitz

Fisker Automotive will hire 120 workers in the coming months to staff the former General Motors factory in Wilmington, Del., that will build Fisker's next plug-in hybrid sedan, due in 2013. Code-named Project Nina, the future car will join the plug-in Karma sedan in Fisker's lineup as the company expands its portfolio of premium hybrid cars. The Karma is launching this year, and production of the future sedan--expected to be priced at about $39,000 after government incentives--would begin late next year.