Automotive News

Dave Ankin, guru of ToyMakerz, shares his passion for cars

By David Ankin I first felt “the itch” when I was a kid, growing up in the heart of motor country in Indiana and Michigan. Watching my dad, a skilled car fabricator nicknamed “The Iron Man” for his impressive metalworking skills, I yearned to build my own custom rides. And so I learned to tinker and create my first custom Toyz! I’d modify my bike — once I extended the front fork by hammering together two regular bike forks — my first Chopper! The funny thing is, even though my father is a welder, it didn’t occur to me to ask him to weld the forks together. Trust me, that did not end well. Next up was a motorized dirt bike

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Peugeot prepping for US return, details remain secret

What styles, when they will arrive and how they will be sold are all unknown. What’s certain is Peugeot will be re-introduced to the North American market within a few years. It’s been absent for nearly three decades. Groupe PSA, the multinational manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands, announced its intentions in late February. Larry Dominique, President and CEO, PSA North America, Inc., was a recent guest on The Weekly Driver Podcast. It’s the broadcast I co-host with Bruce Aldrich and available on all major podcast platforms. Dominique cited facts, figures and industry trends. He explained that after China, North America is the world’s second-largest car market. The industry is extraordinarily

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#77, Peugeot president discusses iconic car’s return

Groupe PSA is the multinational manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands. In late February, the French company announced it will soon re-introduce Peugeot to the North American market. Larry Dominique, President and CEO, PSA North America, Inc., is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Dominique reasons for the iconic vehicle’s return after nearly a three-decade absence. Dominique cites facts and figures and industry and trends. He explains that after China, the United States is the world’s second-largest car market. The industry is extraordinarily competitive, but Dominique explains Peugeot again realizes it must be sold in North America to correctly

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Trends Now Affecting Auto Transport Industry

SPONSORED CONTENT As technology evolves and the economy constantly fluctuates, so does the auto transport industry. When car shipping changes as the result of things economy or technology, shipping rates get directly impacted. If you plan on shipping a car, understanding these trends and changes can help you better understand and predict possible future rate changes. Capacity Crunch – Capacity crunch is an auto industry freight term referencing to diminishing capacity for shipping. Realistically, this is being caused because there is a lack of people entering the freight industry. So, when people retire or leave the industry and don’t get replaced right away, the overall ability to ship something decreases slightly. This is occurring now, and the auto shipping industry

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Kaiyun Motors offers new, cheap EV pickup for $8,950

Cheap new vehicles aren’t a new phenomenon in certain countries. But so far it’s only been wishful thinking for a few niche manufacturers in the United States — until now. Kaiyun Motors will soon arrive. It will soon introduce the Pickman, an all-electric pickup in the U.S. It has a base price of $8,950. The price was listed mistakingly listed previously at $5,700, but it was for a non-street legal version of the truck not available in the U.S. The Pickman has a 5.5 horsepower engine and a top speed of 35 miles per hour. It’s classified as a low-speed or neighborhood electric vehicle (LSV/NEV). Kaiyun Motors Co Ltd. was founded in 2014 and is based in Xingtai, China. Kaiyun

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Toyota Sequoia tops vehicles achieving 200,000 miles

Which cars are proven to last the longest for their drivers? It’s a question the website iSeeCars.com wanted answered. Analyzing more than 13.8 million vehicles, the online automotive search engine and research website determined the Toyota Sequoia tops the list, with 7.4 percent of its vehicles reaching at least 200,000 miles. The average among major manufacturers is 0.8 percent. Here are the top 14 vehicles with the highest percentage of its vehicles reaching at least 200,000 miles: 1. Toyota Sequoia, 7.4 percent; 2. Chevrolet Suburban, 5.0; 3. Ford Expedition, 5.0; 4. GMC Yukon XL, 4.0; 5. Toyota 4Runner, 3.9; 6. Chevrolet Tahoe, 3.8; 7. Toyota Highlander Hybrid, 3.1; 8. Honda Ridgeline, 3.0; 9. GMC Yukon, 2.8; 10. Toyota Tacoma, 2.6;

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Bugatti debuts most costly new car; sold for $18.9 million

Bugatti has never made a subtle car. Now, even by the elite manufacturer’s standards, the French carmaker has outdone itself. During this year Geneva Motor Show, the one-of-a-kind La Voiture Noire was unveiled. It’s touted as the most expensive new car of all time with a price of $18.9 million. Inspired by the Type 57 SC Atlantic, the La Voiture Noire references Bugatti’s heritage in its design. Constructed from carbon fiber and coiffed in a deep black finish, the one-off hypercar was handcrafted. It has a 16-cylinder, 1,479 horsepower, 1,180 lb-ft of torque, a top speed of 261 mph and with six exhausts. “Every single component has been handcrafted and the carbon fiber body has a deep black gloss only

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Ray Elliott Commentary: Never buy a Chrysler product

Oh My God. Never buy a Chrysler product. My reasoning? It’s a dangerous product that not only thinks for you, but also will endanger your life and damage the interior for something as simple as a flat tire. This, in my opinion, is one of the best examples of piss-poor engineering. Why? My first example was when I encountered one of these vans last winter. It was two weeks old, still with dealer plates, and it had overheated. It did start and run, but the windows were frosted over because of the cold morning. To see where I was going, I lowered the driver’s window to stick my head out. When I lifted my butt off of the driver’s seat,

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So long, Toyota Prius C; It’s been a good eight years

The Toyota Prius c, introduced in December 2011 as the carmaker’s least expensive and smallest hybrid, will likely be retired with the introduction of the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. According to a report on Motor1.com, the little hatchback will be outdone in its well-touted economy by the new Corolla. Available in the spring of 2019, the EPA has already released the mileage estimates for the new Corolla, 53 mpg in city driving, 52 mpg on the freeway. The Prius c is rated at 48 mpg in city driving, 42 mpg on the highway Fuel economy for the 2020 Corolla Hybrid is already available from the EPA. It gets 53 miles per gallon city and 52 mpg highway for a combined

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Winnebago Launches New Wheelchair-Friendly RV Collection

Winnebago has launched three accessibility-enhanced motorhomes, the Intent 30R AE, Adventurer 30T AE, and Forza 34T AE, to assist travelers with limited mobility. The new wheelchair-friendly models are available in three standardized floor plans that include the most commonly requested options. The new models debuted at the 2019 Florida RV Supershow in mid-January. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 report, there are around 3.6 million people over the age of 15 who use a wheelchair, with an additional 11.6 million people using a cane, crutches or walker to get around. To serve these large markets, Winnebago offers customers a sense of travel and adventure with an accessibility-enhanced motorhome. The new vehicles reduce the need for extra planning related to

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Save money with do-it-yourself used car parts

SPONSORED CONTENT When considering purchasing a vehicle for yourself or for a friend or family member, the flawless condition of its safety features is most important. Driving in winter conditions, snow to icy roads to rain, places further safety at the forefront. And to prepare for any driving in any conditions, what’s the best way to ensure your vehicle is safe? Would prefer to go to a service station and spend more? Or why not consider saving lots of money and do the repairs yourself? All you need for this approach is the ideal online shop where you will find all the components that will definitely be compatible with your car. Onlinecarparts.co.uk is an ideal online shopping site. Just select

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HERE, Amazon announce navigation collaboration

HERE Technologies has announced a new collaboration with Amazon. The companies will integrate Amazon Alexa and HERE navigation and location services. The combination of the voice-first interactions through Alexa with a leading in-car navigation solution makes it easy for automakers to deliver an intuitive, voice-first experience for users inside and outside the car.

Alexa will come pre-integrated within HERE Navigation On-Demand, the new one-stop solution for automakers to enable compelling, full-featured and always-fresh navigation experiences in their vehicles. Leveraging the Alexa Auto tools and APIs, HERE has built a voice-first car navigation experience that keeps users focused on the road while enabling Alexa to deliver personalized guidance when and where it’s needed most. 

HERE will also provide information from its location services

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VW Beetle to Chevy Volt to Ford Focus: goodbye, farewell

The end of the year in the automotive world always marks the end of the run for a car or two and sometimes more vehicles. The end of 2018 was among the most drastic farewells to vehicles in recent years. Manufacturers announced their departures from the car-making business to focus on sport utility vehicles and trucks. Vehicles with long histories and some that barely had time to build a sustained buying base will soon be defunct. In all, the production of at least 14 cars has stopped or will soon cease. The most significant departure from the new car landscape is the Volkswagen Beetle. The “people’s car,” as designated in the late 1930s in Germany, will no longer be produced

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Ford calls another massive recall in F-150, Super Duty trucks

For the second time in three months, Ford is recalling large quantities of the best-selling F-150 vehicles in North America over a several-year time frame for fire risks. The manufacturer has just recalled 900,000 F-150 and Super Duty trucks to replace an engine block heater cable to due to the risk of fire. The recall involves more than 410,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. and nearly 464,000 in Canada. Affected models include: * 2015-19 F-150 vehicles built at Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan, truck plant between March 18, 2014, and Nov. 17, 2018, and at its Kansas City plant between Aug. 21, 2014, and Nov. 17, 2018. * 2017-19 Super Duty vehicles built at Ford’s Ohio assembly plant between Feb. 5, 2016,

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2020 models aplenty set for debuts

Some 2019 car models haven’t arrived in dealerships, yet many 2020 new cars and trucks are on the near horizon. More sport utility vehicles, an electric version of a luxury sedan and an enduring compact sedan have been announced. Here’s a look at three 2020 vehicles set for release soon and a list of others with new editions or with multiple upgrades. Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 — The manufacturer’s first full-electric vehicle, the EQC is a crossover and another addition to the ever-increasing popularity of SUVs. The EQC, positioned between the GLC-Class and GLC-Class SUVs, features two electric motors, one for each axle, combining for 402 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque. Energy is stored in an 80-kWh battery pack with

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Opinion: Driving is a privilege; it’s not your right

Driving in the State of California is not a right; it is a privilege, revocable at any time. Operating a motor vehicle is not just an act. it is a way of life. Each of us has our own styles of driving; some bad, some good. Most of us obey laws as we interpret them. I for one interpret the basic speed law as; travel at a speed that is safe for current conditions. The Basic Speed Law in fact states: (CVC 22350)  “No person shall drive a motor vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and

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