James Raia

Articles by James Raia

Chevrolet debuts 2011 Corvette Z06 carbon limited edition

“Designed to further incorporate technology developed through racing, the Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Corvette’s first race in the 24 Hours of LeMans,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet General Manager. “With a limited production of 500 units, this car is a must-have for the true Corvette collector and driving enthusiast.” AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, The Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition is another example of the expanded Corvette line-up. Five years ago, customers had the choice of a Corvette coupe or convertible. With the addition of the Z06, Grand Sport coupe and convertible and ZR1, Corvette enthusiasts now have more choices.

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Daimler AG, manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, fined $185 million for bribery

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon ordered Daimler to pay $93.6 million in criminal fines and $91.4 million in civil penalties. According to court documents, Daimler AG and its subsidiaries in Germany, Russia, and China agreed to the filing of a single count of conspiracy to violate U.S. anti-bribery laws. The Justice Department said Daimler, whose stocks trade on multiple exchanges in the U.S., “engaged in a long-standing practice of paying bribes to foreign government officials.” Countries whose officials were bribed, according to the court documents: China, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Latvia, Nigeria, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and several others. The Justice Department said the bribes were made “to assist in

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Volkswagen Golf, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Thirty-seven years later, the sixth edition in 2010 continues the car’s legacy without missing an RPM. Through 2007, more than 25 million of the cars had been built. According to the manufacturer, it’s the best-selling Volkswagen in history and the third best-selling vehicle of all-time. The sixth generation Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit model features a more spacious interior and slight changes to the grille, headlights and air intake. It’s also now called the Golf again after four years as the Rabbit. Golf is the more global name for the car. Beyond the name switch and design changes, the Golf remains an easy-to-like, sturdy and handsome hatchback — inside and out. Equipped with a 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower, inline 5-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission,

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Subaru Forester, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Additionally, the Forester, like all Subaru models, features an all-wheel drive drivetrain. It’s the standard in the industry that nicely complements another keen Forester features. The Forester’s low center of gravity allows the vehicle to meet the U.S. federal standards for passenger vehicles, and thus it does not require a risk of rollover warning label. The name Forester was used to convey the vehicle is “of the forest.” The name has always worked. The Forester’s characters are shared with siblings Legacy and Outback and the manufacturer’s versatility was a primary reason why it was chosen by the U.S. ski team years ago as one of the first “official vehicles” involved in sponsorship. The 2010 Forester has only slight updates following

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China's Geely finalizes deal to buy ailing Volvo from Ford

Volvo had been on the market since 2008 when Ford put several brands up for sale. Geely bought Volvo for $1.8 billion, the biggest overseas purchase by a Chinese car manufacturer. “Today represents a milestone for Geely,” the company’s chairman Li Shufu said of the deal first announced last December. Ford, which purchased Volvo in 1999 for $6.5 billion, hopes revenue from the sale will help pay off its debts. Volvo has not made a profit since 2005. Geely, China’s biggest independent car maker, has pledged to keep Volvo as a separate company with its headquarters remaining in Sweden. Geely, founded in 1986, has 12,000 employees and the capacity to manufacturer about 300,000 cars per year. Geely said it will

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Dog rips off police cruiser fender; quarantine for beast, no recall for car

After almost two weeks in confinement, he was reunited with the Emerling family at McKamey Animal Shelter. “We think Chattanooga Police Department showed amazing restraint in not shooting the dog,” owner Michael Emerling said.  “I know that a lot of places close to here we’ve seen cases where dogs have done a lot less and been shot.  So we really are grateful to them for not doing that.” Emerling paid court-required fees of more than $200 and was required to enroll to dog obedience and canine good citizen classes. The dog attacked the vehicle after escaping from a fenced-in area at welding shop on March 14. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has

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AAA selects best commuting cars, Honda to VW, Ford to Mazda

With the average commuting nationally about 3 1/2 hours per week, AAA’s last compilation is the  good commuting cars based on comfort, fuel efficiency and affordability Here’s the list and a comment on each car. Honda Insight: Among the best in fuel economy while being reasonably comfortable for the driver and front-seat passenger. Ford Fusion: Four-cylinder versions have a good combination of power, comfort and handling competence. Volkswagen Jetta TDI: A fine-running modern diesel that “is every bit as economical as the most miserly hybrids” and “fun to drive.” Hyundai Electra: Good fuel efficiency combined with an interior that accommodates a driver and three passengers and 10-year/100,000-mile warranty. Subaru Legacy/Outback: These new models with four-cylinder engines perform well and offer

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Chrysler will introduce electric version of iconic Fiat 500

The zero-emission 500EV will be powered by new-generation lithium-ion batteries being developed in Michigan. A prototype was unveiled at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. Nissan’s Leaf all-electric car, also powered by lithium-ion batteries, will also debut in the U.S. from manufacturing facilities in Japan and Tennessee. For additional information, visit: Chrysler James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author

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Cheap insurance available for savvy car shoppers

The recession has affected consumers from all economic levels. And when financial times are tough, both the rich and the poor alike may share one bad financial habit — not saving enough nor properly budgeting money. Shopping wisely for a car and for its insurance is a good way to save money. An insurer presented with Porsche 997, for instance, may exclaim: “Whoa! That’s an expensive car, and it could be stolen just as much for its parts as can for the whole car.” As such, the owner of Porsche seeking cheap insurance isn’t likely to find it. But a car buyer can save money on insurance if they consider buying an older, more common make and model and in

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First U.S. Ferrari 458 grabs $530,000 in Los Angeles auction for Haiti charity fund

The 570-horsepower Ferrri 458 Italia will debut in the United States in estimated price tag of $225,000. the Ferrar 458 Italia is the replacement to the F430, with an even more enticing exterior design and a potent 4.5-liter eight-cylinder powerplant rated at 570 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The new Ferrari has a top speed of 202 mph and is rated at 0-100 kilometers kph (62.2 miles mph) in 3.4 seconds. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times

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BMW X6 M, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

BMW introduced the X6 M at the New York Auto Show in April 2009 with a lofty goal. The German manufacturer wanted to offer serious competition in the high-performance crossover segment. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and Mercedes ML63 AMG are leaders in that fraternity, and who’s going dispute the warranted popularity of those vehicles? The BMW X6 M is hard to criticize, too — at least from a pure performance perspective. What’s not to like about a 555-horsepower, 4.4-liter V8 that powers down the highway with little effort? Just like its primary competition, the 2010 BMW X6 M edition presents itself as an open road beast. It’s heavy (2.5 tons), it’s strong and it’s in charge. The new BMW has

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Ferrari World: fast times on Abu Dhabi F1 roller coaster?

According the official Ferrari literature, Ferrari World facts and figures include:new * World’s first Ferrari theme park; * World’s largest indoor park; * Located on Yas Island on the North East side of Abu Dhabi’s mainland; * Adjacent to the Yas Marina Circuit, site of inaugural 2009 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; * More than 20 state-of-the-art rides and attractions: * The world’s fastest roller coaster emulating the feeling of being in an F1 car; * G-force experience taking passengers on an adrenaline-pumping ride up over 62m, through the roof and back down again; * State-of-the-art racing simulators using a similar system as those used by the Ferrari racing team; * Flume ride journey through the heart

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Porsche, Mercedes-Benz most expensive sports cars to insure

1. Porsche 911 Carrera GT2 $2,943.78 2. Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG $2,863.03 3. Dodge Viper SRT-10 $2,851.89 4. Porsche Panamera Turbo AWD $2,837.39 5. Dodge Viper SRT-10 Convertible $2,815.90 6. Mercedes-Benz CL600 $2,754.80 7.  Audi R8 $2,751.55 8. Porsche Panamera S $2,744.78 9. Mercedes-Benz SL600 $2,715.86 10. Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo $2,706.04 James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author

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Honda recalls more than 400,000 Odyssey and Element models

Honda will recall Odyssey and Element in the 2007-2008 model years to fix the vehicle stability assist modulators. Some of the modulators were assembled so that could allow air to enter, Honda detailed in a media release. The trapped air could cause the brake pedal to fall closer to the floor before the car stops, and in affected vehicles the problem tends to increase over time. Not all of the cars involved in the recall may have this issue, but Honda is including all units that could be affected. Honda said it will start contacting affected customers at the end of April, and it encouraged all owners to see an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification that their

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Nissan debuts mini-car March in China, hopes for 1 million global sales in 4 years

The 1,200-cc engine compact, called March in Thailand, China and Japan, and Micra in India, Europe and other markets will have a price range between $11,500 $16,500). Nissan Chief Operating Officer Toshiyuki Shiga said the compact would be sold in more than 160 countries, with Thailand one of four main manufacturing and export hubs with China, India and Mexico. Nissan expects production in China to begin in the second half of this year. Production of the March model would nearly double Nissan’s Thai car output to 200,000 units a year. The Micra/March, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, is the Japanese car maker’s most important model in years, the culmination of extensive experimenting with new materials and

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Hyundai cruises past Toyota, Honda in Kelley Blue Book customer loyalty

Additionally, throughout the month of February 2010 Hyundai outperformed the overall car segment average by a healthy margin. Hyundai values increased 2 percent month-over-month, relative to a 0.3 percent increase for the entire car segment. In addition to topping brand loyalty, the all-new 2011 Sonata was named to kbb.com’s Top 10 Most-Researched New Vehicles list for the first time. In February, the Sonata was the fifth most-researched new car on kbb.com alongside ‘Top 10 Most-Researched’ mainstays such as Accord, Civic, Camry and CR-V. “2009 marked an unprecedented year for the Hyundai brand and we are well poised to keep the momentum going in 2010,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “With impressive new vehicles like the all-new

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