IIHS: 2009 Nissan Murano wins a crash test Award for safety
Feb 29, 2008 Car Safety, NEWS
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The new 2009 Nissan Murano has won an award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS took nine mid-size SUVs and crash-tested them, using data taken from front, side and rear impacts and the 09 Murano earned the institute’s Top Safety Pick - out-ranking even the strongest contenders, including the Hummer …
MotorMediaWATCH Feb 29: Mustangs to be recalled +++ 90 seconds in a Nissan GT-R +++ Alfa Romeo MITO launch after Geneva?
Feb 29, 2008 NEWS
Murano wins a crash test Oscar for safety
Toward the end of ‘No Country For Old Men’ Anton Chigurh (the cold-hearted assassin) has his arm broken in a car crash. (LAT)+++
Auto racing actors: Past and present
Steve McQueen was one of many actors whose success bought a ticket to the race track. James Dean, James Garner, Paul Newman, Patrick Dempsey and others have a need for speed and a strong desire to attempt professional racing.(LAT)+++
Car Designers Woo Japan’s Youths
With domestic car sales falling, Japanese car makers are trying to woo some of the world’s toughest customers: young Japanese, who have fallen out of love with the automobile.(WSJ)+++
Asian Brands Get Top Billing
Honda, Toyota and Subaru topped Consumer Reports’ annual list of the best cars sold in the U.S. Hyundai placed two models in the best-of-class categories.(WSJ)+++
Curbing Garage Chaos A two-car garage can morph into an all-purpose repository for household junk. We contacted four companies to see if they could come up with workable solutions. Our goal: organize the sports equipment, get the recycling out of site, and make room for another car.(WSJ)+++
Silicon Valley Hummer to close
Sales of big SUVs are in the toilet. Headlines scream of $4 gas by spring. So it’s no surprise that Silicon Valley Hummer is going out of business, right? (SJM)+++
2008 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
When Porsche first announced their intent to step onto the SUV playing field, purist “Porsche-philes,” for the most part, reacted negatively. The independent German automaker has long won acclaim for building one of the… (SFC)+++
2007/2008 Suzuki Burgman 400
Scooting in style in Suzuki’s latest offering
Yes, there was an earlier version of the Burgman 400 scooter, and even a 650 model as well for that matter. (SFC)+++
Silverado cracks Consumer Reports top 10, but Asian brands dominate
Foreign automakers dominate the market for reliability and design in the eyes of Consumer Reports, while a Detroit model cracked the magazine’s top picks for the.. (DFP)+++
American Axle strike may idle GM site in Pontiac today
The strike at American Axle & Manufacturing is expected to force General Motors Corp. to idle its Pontiac Truck & Bus plant this afternoon. (DFP)+++
GM may need to cut spending to fund UAW health care trust
Setting up a huge health care trust for hourly retirees could force General Motors Corp. to cut or delay spending in other areas, the automaker said in its annual report filed today.(DFP)+++
Mustangs to be recalled
Ford Motor Co. says it is recalling 470,000 Ford Mustangs from the 2005-08 model years to recalibrate how forcefully the air bag deploys on the front passenger side. (DFP)+++
Bill Ford’s compensation stays on hold
Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford can begin earning a salary and other compensation this year, though he won’t get paid until the company’s global automotive operations are profitable, excluding onetime items. (DFP)+++
A showcase for French supplier’s features
This is the only look you’re likely to get at one of the year’s most fetching concept cars, the Faurecia Premium Attitude.(DFP)+++
Daimler bonus to LaSorda outlined
Daimler AG paid Tom LaSorda a $15.7-million bonus for the successful sale of Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management last August, filings with the federal government showed Wednesday.(DFP)+++
Melbourne 2008: New FPV lineup shows the Blue Oval does badass, too
Despite how it might seem, all the action at the Melbourne motor show is not happening over at the Holden and HSV stands.(AUTOBLOG)+++
Melbourne 2008: Holden unveils VE Sportwagon and adds SS for flavor
Wagons are cool. They’re practical, too — a fact most of the world outside North America seems to fully understand. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Australian Badass: HSV W427 unveiled in Melbourne
The modern American auto show circuit has turned into a series of venues at which automakers try to out-green or out-crossover each other, with the occasional fire-breather thrown in. (AUTOBLOG)+++
First encounter of the fast kind: 90 seconds in a Nissan GT-R
When a friend tipped us that there might be an R35 Nissan GT-R drifting around Southern California, we tried to get more details. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Push-button starts to alter the interior landscape?
The question “Where are my car keys?” hasn’t left the building just yet, but is being shown to the door. (AUTOBLOG)+++
ICE Touch: British customers get trick entertainment system in Lexus RX
We think Lexus has struck the right balance with the sweetest in-car entertainment system yet.(AUTOBLOG)+++
Melbourne 2008: Holden Coupe 60 shocks showgoers
We’re elated when an embargo doesn’t break or official images don’t somehow manage to find their way to the wrong people ahead of time.. (AUTOBLOG)+++
McLaren-powered Mercedes G-wagon spotted… guess where
The German automakers keep on making more and more powerful sport-utes – some capable of pulling jumbo-jets and driving up buildings – with seemingly no end in sight.(AUTOBLOG)+++
REPORT: Alfa Romeo hatch named MITO, launch after Geneva show
Whether by design or just poor timing, the latest reports have Alfa Romeo presenting its highly-anticipated (AUTOBLOG)+++
Hot Rod Jakob a stunning tribute to first Volvos
You may remember Lief Tufvesson as the ex-Volvo employee turned SEMA regular who arrives in Las Vegas nearly every year with another new custom Volvo hot rod of some sort. (AUTOBLOG)+++
BMW may sell engines and transmissions to GM and Fiat
Word out of Frankfurt from the Financial Times Deutschland is that BMW is in talks to sell engines and transmissions to both General Motors and Fiat. All three companies have declined to officially comment.(AUTOBLOG)+++
A-Bomb: Ariel Atom to get 500-hp supercharged V8
With over 500 horsepower and only 1,150 lbs. to schlep around, there’s only one possible reason not to lust after the Caterham RST-V8 Levante, and that’s the love-it-or-hate-it “classic” styling.(AUTOBLOG)+++
Geneva 2008: 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco arrives early
We can’t follow where this particular embargo break began, but a pair of official embargoed images of the production 2009 (AUTOBLOG)+++
Consumer Reports names Top Picks for 2008
Consumer Reports will soon release its highly anticipated Annual Auto Issue and we’ve got the scoop on which cars will be honored as Top Picks within its pages. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Geneva ‘08 Preview: Magna Steyr MILA Alpin concept
Three years ago, Magna Steyr debut what it called the Mila concept car — Magna Innovation Lightweight Auto. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Car Porn: Supercarmovies.com tackles the Wiesmann GT
Supercarmovies.com has released its latest mini feature film and the leading role is played by a relative unknown. (AUTOBLOG)+++
TRD HiLux to make official debut in Melbourne. Honest.
Toyota Australia is finally ready to unleash TRD HiLux.(AUTOBLOG)+++
Interest in Chevy Malibu sets record for domestic mid-sizer
The 2008 Chevy Malibu has already taken home some prestigious hardware in the form of the 2008 North American Car of the Year award, and now it seems to be winning over midsize car buyers in an important metric. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Toyota hints FT-HS concept could inspire next Supra
Usually we would have no reason to report on a concept that we’ve already seen debut. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Officially Official: Opel Meriva Concept ready for Geneva
The current Opel Meriva on sale to Europeans is a rather ho-hum affair, which is why there’s actual anticipation for the Meriva Concept that will debut next week at the Geneva Motor Show. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Rendered Speculation: 2010 Fiat Panda may take retro cues from 500
The Fiat Panda has been on the market in its current form since 2003, making it a likely candidate for replacement in the next couple of years.(AUTOBLOG)+++
Melbourne ‘08 Preview: Holden to unveil Z06-powered super HSV sedan
Today at the Melbourne Auto Show in Australia, GM’s Holden subsidiary is rumored to debut a new super sedan based on the Commodore and developed by its highly capable Holden Special Vehicles division.(AUTOBLOG)+++
Geneva ‘08 Preview: Koenigsegg CCX & CCXR Edition
The Swedes seem to have a way of cutting through the hype. While its rivals call the special versions of their supercars things like “Hermes edition” and “Versace edition“, Koenigsegg simply calls theirs the Edition. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Geneva ‘08 Preview: Italdesign releases new images of the Giugiaro Quaranta
The seemingly endless stream of teasing on part of the Italian design …(AUTOBLOG)+++
Honda ending U.S. motorcycle production
Honda has announced that next year it will cease motorcycle production at its Marysville, OH manufacturing plant.(AUTOBLOG)+++
Game On! Edmunds launches Car Stock Exchange
Automotive research site Edmunds.com has taken a cue from the popularity of fantasy sports and applied it to what the site knows best: car sales. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Yee-haw! Toyota Tundra named TOTY by… farmers?
Congrats to the Toyota Tundra. It has just been named “Truck of the Year” by Farm Industry News, a leading product and technology magazine for “high-income, Midwestern farmers” (their words, not ours). (AUTOBLOG)+++
Saleen S5S Raptor concept coming to New York
While its custom Mustangs continue to astound, Saleen has long since emerged from the field of aftermarket tuners and established itself as a genuine American supercar make.. (AUTOBLOG)+++
Lexus LS 460L, Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Silverado: Best Used Cars 2008
Feb 29, 2008 NEWS
Consumer Reports has named four new models to its Top Picks list for 2008 — the Hyundai ElantraSE and Hyundai Santa Fe as top choices for small sedans and midsized SUVs, respectively; the redesigned Chevrolet Silverado as the top choice for pickup truck; and the Lexus LS 460L as the best luxury sedan.
Chrysler Launches Technical Programs: Technical Fellow and Master Black Belt Senior Specialist
Feb 27, 2008 Press Releases .
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 27 - For decades, Chrysler LLC has offered specialized programs to help its technical talent build their skills and develop strong careers while at the same time helping the company to create incredible vehicles and powertrains — and two of these Read the rest of this entry »
programs are now getting even better.
Honda: Music lovers can win a blinged Civic Hybrid ‘Panic At The Disco’ edition
Feb 27, 2008 Deluxe cars, NEWS
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Honda is giving music lovers a shot at the ride of their lives by offering them a chance towin a Honda Civic Hybrid designed and autographed by the members of Panic At The Disco. The band is the headlining act of the Honda Civic Tour ‘08.
Audi A6: A State-of-the-art V-8, as close to R8 racing power as it gets
Feb 27, 2008 NEWS
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At least that is what the L.A. Times reviewers thinks about the Audi’s newest $56,300 (base price) sedan. And well, this judgement is justified if you take a closer look at the latest Audi’s specs: The A6 4.2-liter Quattro sedan has a 350-horsepower V-8,
Ford Flex: Pricing starts at $29.000
Feb 27, 2008 NEWS
Ford Motor Co. just announced the pricing of the new 2009 Ford Flex with the release of a new price list, distributed to Ford dealers. The highly-anticipated Flex will goo on sale this upcoming summer at a starting price of $28,999. Shipping charges are included.
Boosting efficiency: GM Europe plans to outsource 5.000 jobs
Feb 27, 2008 AutoBusinessNews .
According to Automotive News, General Motors executives will meet with union leaders on Thursday to discuss a plan to outsource 5,000 jobs. The proposals will be covered at a meeting of GM Europe’s Employees Forum in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the base of the Opel brand. GM Europe President Forster recently said General Motors wanted to boost efficiency by increasing outsourcing.
General Motors has shed around 12,000 jobs in Europe in the last four years as part of a cost-cutting drive.
Crisis in Bavaria: BMW to cut 8,100 jobs, book high provisions
Feb 27, 2008 AutoBusinessNews .
According to a Thomson Financial report, Munich-based car maker BMW plany to cut 8,100 jobs and to book provisions in a three-digit million euro range.
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SuperSportscar on steroids: Lamborghini’s Gallardo to get the LP550 badge
Feb 27, 2008 AUTO SHOWS ., New Cars ., Sportscars ., Top News 2
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The Lamborghinis are taking over the world with a range of models. When it comes to super tuning they offered us the LP640, which is a wilder, beastlier Murcielago drenched in testosterone. Now, the Italian DeLuxe carmaker genetically modifed the Gallardo with the craze serum ‘LP’, to develop the LP550.
