Lamborghini News

Lamborghini is an exotic supercar brand based in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy. The company was founded in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini, who ran a tractor and heater business prior. Driven into bankruptcy by the energy crisis in the early '70s, Lamborghini was sold and has since been owned by a number of companies, including Chrysler and current owner Audi AG, which itself is owned by the Volkswagen Group.

Kia News

Kia is one of two brands sold in the U.S. by the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the other being Hyundai. The South Korean company has recorded consecutive sales growth in the U.S. ever year since it began selling its first car, the Sephia, back in 1994.

Jeep News

Jeep is the off-road brand of Chrysler Group LLC, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2009. The heritage of Jeep begins with an off-road vehicle designed and built by the Willys-Overland company for the U.S. military during World War II. Willys-Overland evolved into the Jeep marque, which has been owned by several automakers and expanded its lineup to include SUVs, CUVs and even performance models. Jeeps are known for being "Trail Rated" and their iconic grilles with seven vertical slots.

Jaguar News

Jaguar is a British luxury automaker located in Coventry, England. Founded in 1922 as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars, the companies subsequent car designs like the XK120 and E-Type and considered some of the most beautiful in automotive history. Jaguar is currently part of Jaguar Land Rover, which was purchased by Tata Motors from Ford Motor Company in January 2008.

Infiniti News

Infiniti is the luxury automotive brand of Nissan and was launched in November 1989 exclusively for the North American market. It has since expanded to 15 countries including most of Europe. All Infiniti models are based on Nissan's FM platform, except for the QX56 full-size SUV, which is based on the F-Alpha truck platform. The brand's logo is an artistic interpretation of Japan's famous Mount Fuji.

Hyundai News

Hyundai is one of two automotive brands owned and operated by the Hyundai Motor Company that operates in the U.S., the other being Kia. The Korean company entered the U.S. market in 1986 with the Excel, which sold well but established a poor reputation for quality. Quality concerns were addressed with the introduction of the industry's longest powertrain warranty. Hyundai has also expanded its lineup to include larger cars, luxury vehicles, sports cars, CUVs and SUVs.

Honda News

Honda is a Japanese automaker offering a full lineup of vehicles in the U.S., including the Acura brand of luxury vehicles. Established in 1946 by Soichiro Honda, the company produced only motorcycles in its early days. Honda began operations in the U.S. back in 1959, though didn't sell cars here until the fuel-efficient Civic arrived in 1973 at the outset of this country's first energy crisis. Well known as a leader in engineering, Honda also still produces a full line of motorcycles, as well as power equipment like lawnmowers and generators.

GMC News

GMC, sometimes referred to as GMC Truck, is a brand of General Motors and one of four remaining core brands that remains after the automaker emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2009. Normally the second best-selling GM brand behind Chevrolet, GMC markets mostly trucks, SUVs and CUVs under the tagline Professional Grade, though all are versions of models sold by other GM brands.

Ford News

The Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is an American multinational corporation and one of the world's largest automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. Based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, the automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford brand of vehicles, the company also operates Lincoln.

Fisker News

Fisker is a joint venture company between Fisker Coachbuild and Quantum Technologies to produce a plug-in hybrid called the Karma. The Karma has a claimed range of about 50 miles before a range-extending gas engine begins recharging the batteries.

Fiat News

Fiat, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, is an Italian automaker and a major player in the European marketplace. Founded in 1899, Fiat is now the world's sixth largest automaker and the largest based in Italy. The company is currently led by Sergio Marchionne and its portfolio includes the Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat brands. The company began selling vehicles in the United States in 1908, but pulled out of the U.S. market in 1983. In January of 2009, Fiat acquired a 20-percent stake in Chrysler and will once again sell its products in the States, starting with the 500 subcompact.

Ferrari News

Ferrari was founded in 1928 by Enzo Ferrari and participated in motorsports before building its own vehicles beginning in 1947. Purchased by the Fiat Group in 1969, Ferrari has maintained a presence in motorsports, particularly Formula One, since its founding. At the same time, the Italian automaker has also produced such famous road cars as the Dino, 288 GTO, Testarossa, F40 and Enzo, named after the company's founder.

Dodge News

Dodge is one of four brands owned by Chrysler Group LLC, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2009. Founded in 1900, the company began producing automobiles in 1914 and today offers a full lineup of cars and SUVs. It's well known for the Viper supercar launched in 1992 and recently spun off its trucks under the Ram brand name.

Chrysler News

Chrysler is one of four brands operated by Chrysler Group LLC, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2009. Ownership is currently shared between the U.S. and Canadian governments, a trust controlled by the United Auto Workers union and Italian automaker Fiat. Founded in 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler, Chrysler is the only one of the Detroit 3 automakers to have ever been controlled by a foreign company, the first being Daimler-Benz from 1998 to 2007 and now Fiat.

Chevy News

Chevrolet is produced by General Motors Company and one of four core brands remaining after the automaker emerged from Chapter 11 bankrupcty in July 2009. It is the top-selling GM marque with vehicles ranging from subcompact cars to medium-duty commercial trucks. Its number-one seller in the United States is the Silverado pickup and the brand has launched the world's first mass-produced range-extended electric vehicle called the Volt.

Cadillac News

Cadillac is a luxury brand owned by General Motors and one of four remaining core brands after the automaker emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2009. Founded in 1902 and bought by GM in 1909, Cadillac became the premier luxury vehicle marque in the U.S. during the mid-20th century. After losing that distinction from the intense competition of foreign competitors and a number of unpopular models, the brand was reinvented around 2003 with an "Art and Science" design language.

Buick News

Buick is part of General Motors and one of four remaining core brands after the automaker emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2009. The entry-level luxury brand is meant to compete against Japanese import luxury marques like Infiniti, Acura and Lexus. While GM is focused on improving the perception of Buick in the U.S., the brand has become one of the most popular in China.

Bugatti News

Bugatti was founded in 1909 in Molsheim, France by Ettore Bugatti. The brand has made a name for itself building some of the most exclusive and fast cars ever made. While having often found itself in dire financial straits throughout its long history, Bugatti has been passed through many owners and is now controlled by the Volkswagen Group. The sole vehicle it produces today is the Veyron 16.4, which is the most expensive and fastest production car in the world.

BMW News

BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke. The German luxury automaker is based in Munich, Germany and owns both the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands. The brand is famous for the tagline Ultimate Driving Machines, which describes its lineup of luxury and sports cars. BMW also produces motorcycles under the BMW Motorrad division.

Bentley News

Bentley was founded in 1919, and in addition to being known for its ultra high-end automobiles, also produced rotary engines during World War I. It was purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1931, and the two brands co-existed together until 1998 when they were purchased by the Volkswagen Group. BMW, however, retained the rights to the Rolls-Royce name, and the two brands were eventually split apart in January 2003.

Audi News

Audi is a German luxury brand that has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1964. Based in Ingolstadt, Germany, the marque is well known for its best-selling model, the A4, as well as the R8 sports car and the company's dominating presence in Le Mans racing both in North America and Europe. Vorsprung durch Technik is the brand's slogan, which means "Innovation through Technology."

Aston Martin News

Aston Martin is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. It was part of Ford Motor Company from 1994 until 2007 when it was sold to a consortium led by Prodrive founder David Richards, Aston Martin collector John Sinders, and Investment Dar and Adeem Investment Co, two international investment companies headquartered in Kuwait. Ford retained a $77 million stake in Aston Martin and received $848 million for the remaining share.

Acura News

Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. It primarily competes with Buick, Lexus and Infiniti, among others in the luxury vehicle segment. Acura is also well known for being one of the few luxury marques that does not offer a rear-wheel-drive or V8-powered model. With the Acura brand, Honda is credited with being the first Japanese company to establish a luxury division in the U.S.

Chinese take majority stake in German tuner Carlsson

It is clear that the Chinese appetite for luxury cars with monumental power and imperial luxury has barely begun, so automakers are positioning themselves to make sure they can provide a growing supply. Zhongsheng Group Holdings, owners of a dealer group that includes Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus showrooms, has taken a 70-percent stake in German tuner Carlsson according to a report in Reuters, and it has plans for its new purchase that offer enormous potential.

Saying that off-the-rack luxury cars have sold so well in major cities that they feel "like driving a Camry in Los Angeles," the Zhongsheng CEO is one of the new faces in the exotic customization segment. He plans to open a number of retail outlets for Carlsson, to use Carlsson to design bodykits and accessories for marques that his company sells, and to build a factory in China for local assembly.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. However, Reuters notes that Mercedes-Benz has officially approved the deal, which means warranties will still be honored for Carlsson customers everywhere.