Volvo’s ‘World Premier’ is a bit of a damp squib

We had been hoping – and, to a degree, expecting – that Volvo’s big ‘World Premier’ they’ve been teasing for today would be the new Volvo XC90, a long overdue replacement for the (still surprisingly good) current model which is now more than a decade old. But it’s not. Instead, the big news is that the facelift Volvo XC60 is getting a global launch with Swedish House Mafia’s ditty ‘Leave the World Behind’ as its sound track.

Porsche nearing 900 orders for its 918 Spyder hybrid concept

When Porsche AG showed the 918 Spyder at the Geneva show in March, we said it was a car to “make anyone a believer in hybrid supercar tech.” Well, maybe not anyone, but Porsche now says it has almost 900 potential buyers for the two-seater hybrid prototype as the German automaker gets closer to approving production. Porsche development chief Wolfgang Duerheimer said he is confident the company will soon reach the threshold of 1,000 orders, which is how many the company needs to “make a sound business case.” The 918 has 680 hp and, according to Porsche, will get 78 mpg and run from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. Porsche said it wants to double its overall vehicle sales to 150,000 in the next five years or so.

Ford uses football to draw buyers

Ford Motor Co. will use football and the Web to try to convince a new set of consumers that the Taurus is not the stodgy car they remember. Ads for the re-engineered and restyled 2010 Taurus begin next week.