The Chevrolet Cobalt has been put under federal investigation due to a large number of steering complaints, according to multiple reports. The investigation covers model year 2005-09 Cobalts and 2008-09 SS models, possibly afflicting 905,000 vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has received 1132 complaints about the Cobalt, concerning “difficulty controlling the vehicle, such as departing from the desired travel lane.” Most of the complaints were made in the last six months.

The Department of Transportation reports eleven crashes and one injury relating to the complaints, but no fatalities.

“We are cooperating with the agency in the investigation,” General Motors spokesman Alan Adler told Automotive News.

Source: NHTSA, Detroit News, Automotive News

BMW’s most athletic 7 Series sedan, the 2011 Alpina B7, can be had for a starting price of $122,875 when it hits North American dealers this spring. A long wheelbase version will sell for $126,775. Both prices include an $875 destination and handling charge.

For the uninitiated, Alpina is the sole BMW-backed tuner and car manufacturer that bases its products on the Bavarian luxury machines. Each of its models is sold, warrantied, and serviced at authorized BMW dealers.

This latest B7 is the second generation to come to the States. Like its predecessor, it reeks of exclusivity and performance. Its twin turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 boasts an impressive 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque courtesy of new pistons, larger intercoolers, and a revised 14.5 psi boost pressure.

Power output is some 100 hp and 66 lb-ft more than a 750i with the same base mill and catapults the four door to 60 mph in a reported 4.5 seconds. Rowing through the Alpina-tuned six-speed auto takes only a “few hundred milliseconds”.

Handling is beefed up through shorter springs and 21-in. forged alloys wrapped in sticky Michelin rubber. New splitters fore and aft also reduce lift by 30% up front and 15% out back, while at the same time providing a clean look.

Swing open a door and you’ll find Lavalina leather matched with Myrtle Burl wood trim. Alcantara headlining and Alpina badges round out the customized interior.

Source: BMW

It may be late to the four-door coupe party, but Audi officials promise it’ll be well worth the wait. Our spy shooters caught the German brand’s upcoming A7 undergoing a battery of winter testing in Europe. Unfortunately, thanks to haste of Audi’s engineers, only two of the shots really show the car’s profile and size.

It’s poised to compete head-to-head with the Mercedes-Benz CLS and newly released BMW 5 Series GT and is something of an A6/A8 hybrid build. The platform is said to come from the next A6, while its powertrains from both the A6 and bigger A8. Inside its cabin will be all the usual high-end Audi features.

The best idea of what the A7 will look like comes via the automaker’s Sportback Concept first shown at the 2009 Detroit show. Its sleek styling was largely welcomed by both the press and public. Like the 5 Series GT, the Sportback touts a five-door hatch configuration, a feature most likely to be found on the production A7.