Automotive News

Two 2018 JL Jeep Wrangler models set for giveaway

Brian Deegan, a 16-time X Games Freestyle Motocross medalist, and Barricade Off Road, a leading manufacturer for off-road Wrangler parts, have joined for the biggest-ever Jeep Wrangler giveaway. Brian and his daughter Hailie have announced they’re giving away two 2018 JL Wranglers in conjunction with ExtremeTerrain, a leading authority in Jeep parts and accessories. This ultimate “His and Hers” Wrangler giveaway will feature two, one of a kind, unique JL Wranglers slathered in aftermarket parts from Deegan38, Barricade and more. With Brian Deegan’s approval, these 2018 Wranglers are ensured to be “absolutely sick.” Lift kits, wheels, tires, grilles, bumpers, fender flares, body armor, lights and other accessories are part of the recipe for these one-off Wrangler builds. A four-door JL

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Zynga CSR Racing 2 honors Ferrari 70th anniversary

Owning a Ferrari is a lifelong dream for many performance car enthusiasts. But not many vehicle owners get to have their dream come true. But in conjunction the supercar’s 70th anniversary, Zynga a leading social game developer, has launched its homage to the iconic Italian vehicle in CSR Racing 2 (CSR2). Players can get behind the virtual wheel of a Ferrari 488 GTB, one of the six tailor-made Ferraris coming to CSR2 in honor of the manufacturer’s milestone celebration. “Over the course of 70 years, Ferrari has set the luxury standard of excellence in the automotive industry, producing some of the world’s most desirable vehicles,” said Bernard Kim, President of Publishing, Zynga. “As the exclusive mobile partner for Ferrari’s 70th

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Three Big Impact Ford Vehicles for Small Businesses

SPONSORED CONTENT Ford vehicles are popular among most small and medium businesses. The consistent performance, unmatched design, passenger comfort, cargo ferrying and powerful features make the vehicles unsurpassed. Considering the manufacturer’s major impact, what are its current most popular vans? Here are three for consideration: Ford Transit — The most manufacturer’s most popular full-sized cargo van, the Transit is available in regular wheelbase and long wheelbase models. The latter model also has extended length options. The Transit van also offers an optional high roof version to accommodate increased cargo. Research the reviews from Dealer Reviews before finalizing a purchasing decision. The extended high roof edition offers 81.5 inches of interior height, the most spacious van for cargo ferrying. The Transit

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German motorhome cost $1 million, will carry your car

Recreational vehicle enthusiasts, like car and truck owners, have varied preferences in the modes of travel. Add to the list the Variomobil Signature 1200. The bus-sized motorhome features a 523 horsepower Mercedes-Benz engine, and it can carry another Mercedes-Benz or another car of your choice. It’s an expensive alternative to towing a vehicle. The base price is about $922,000. With options, the motorhome’s price can reach $1.3 million. The Variomobil is mmanufactured Germany, and the Signature 1200 has impressive specs: It’s 39 feet long, has three axles and a six-cylinder turbo diesel engine. It also features a steerable trailing axle for improved maneuverability, air suspension and driver-assistance technologies like lane departure alert, active braking assist and available 360-degree camera system.

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2017 Kia Forte5: Unheralded hatchback shines tough segment

The 2017 Kia Forte5 is the hatchback trim of its more well-known sedan sibling. It’s reminiscent of the short-lived, defunct Volkswagen station wagon squareback that debuted in the late 1960s and ceased production six years later. The VW squareback was underpowered and quirky, but more than 350,000 were manufactured before its demise in 1974. Loyal followers liked the sizable cargo area, drivability, and versatility. The VW’s motto was, “Is it a small sedan that’s a station wagon or a station wagon that’s a sedan?” While similar is concept — a wagon-style cargo area in a sedan, the 2017 Kia Forte5 is far superior to its distant relative with a different name. But like the rest of its current family, it

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AmericanTrucks offers $2,500 truck parts giveaway

AmericanTrucks has one of the quickest and most popular ways for Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and RAM truck owners to improve the looks and attitude of their vehicles — a wheel and tire upgrade. The aftermarket parts company is continuing to make it easy for its customers to do just that with a late summer parts giveaway. With a aluev of $2,500, the grand prize package will help truck enthusiasts of all levels to upgrade their rig, rims and rubber and get further attention on the road. The contest began in August and continues through the end of September. Weekly entries are allowed. Since its re launch in April 2017, AmericanTrucks has quickly made a stamp on the domestic pickup

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2017 Toyota Corolla: Enduring sedan keeps getting better

The 2017 Toyota Corolla marks the enduring sedan’s 51st year. Through 11 generations, the former econobox-on-wheels has lifetime worldwide sales of 43 million through last year. Since 1997, when it surpassed the Volkswagen Beetle, the Corolla remains the best-selling car in history. A new generation arrived in 2012, with yearly updates since. In 2016, Toyota began to offer a limited special edition to celebrate the car’s 50th anniversary. While competition remains intense, the 2017 Toyota Corolla keeps up with new safety and driving improvements, some not standard on luxury sedans. A rearview camera, forward collision warning, lane departure intervention and adaptive cruise control are now standard on all models. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The compact sedan market may be

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Mecum Auctions offers best bargain at Monterey Auto Week

John Kraman, a broadcaster for Mecum Auctions, has been enamored by automobiles for as long as he can remember. His father was a Pontiac and Oldsmobile salesman in the 1960s in Southern California, and his employment locations were Kraman’s after school playgrounds. As family legend details, Kraman began to identify cars at age 2. Nearly 60 years later, vast auto industry knowledge has served him well. With three broadcast colleagues, more than a half-dozen auctioneers, 40 television crew members and 200-300 auxiliary staff, Mecum Auctions was back this year at Classic Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula with its four-day auction at Del Monte Golf Course. While Classic Car Week has several auctions and shows with overtly priced tickets, Mecum

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National Truck Driving Championship Challenges Best of the Best

SPONSORED CONTENT The annual three-day National Truck Driving Championship is held in August and features competitors from every state competing head-to-head in eight classes. They vie for the honor as the Bendix Grand Champion. One component of the competition stands out — knowledge is valued as much as driving skills. Competitors have to demonstrate skill, knowledge and capability but not just on the obstacle course. Drivers must also complete a written test to show their knowledge of rules and procedures. And they inspect a vehicle to show their knowledge of vehicles and their ability to detect malfunctions. Given the sometimes bad press the industry receives in situations involving accidents or ill-prepared drivers, this demonstrates the industry’s commitment to safe driving.

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Know the rules before driving and parking in Calgary

SPONSORED CONTENT Calgary attracts vistors from neighboring cities, other Canadiab provinces as well as the United States and other countries. It’s popular destination for tourists to sightsee and participate in the city’s diverse activities. But whether you visit to attend the Calgary Stampede, Opera in the Village or any of the many other food or cultural events the city hosts annually, studying common sense driving and parking regulation before you arrive is wise. Some of the most common parking infractions, according to the city’s website: • Remaining in a parking space after its metered time has elapsed • Not parking within a designated stall; • Parking in an alley; • Parking on private property; • Parking too close to a

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Love or hate ’em, here are 15 cars gone after 2017

One is 25 years old this year; others are still in their infancies. But for one reason or another, 15 cars including the iconic Dodge Viper, will cease production with their 2017 models. The powerhouse Viper, with is boisterous V-10, has always attracted muscle car aficionados. Other cars and their driver tend to get out of its way. The Viper was costly and it didn’t fare well with changes in its corporate ownership. But it did help Chrysler change its boxy, boring image and now it’s gone, a quarter-century old, the oldest vehicle on the soon-to-be deceased list. The Weekly Driver through the years has reviewed several of the doomed vehicles. I’ve linked to my reviews. Here’s the list of

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Tupac Skakur’s tricked out Hummer for sale — again

More than two decades after his murder in Las Vegas, the legend of Tupac Shakur remains in the spotlight. This time, a 1996 Hummer the rapper purchased less than a month before his death is up for auction beginning August 10. The fully loaded vehicle was customized by Shakur and is equipped with a 6.5 liter, turbo diesel V-8 engine with automatic transmission. The odometer reads 10,101 miles. The sale of the Hummer will be part of The Pop Culture auction from RR Auction in Boston that will continue through August 17. Tupac’s Hummer previously sold in May 2016 to a qualified bidder from Ohio for $337,000. After several attempts to collect payment — the winning bidder defaulted on payment

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More troubles for Elio Motors, company failure imminent?

It’s hard to keep it up with the setbacks of Elio Motors. Failure now seems imminent. The latest woes of the fledgling company include another production delay until at least 2019, a public offering with hopes of raising $100 million and an announcement of potential design defects in prototypes. Additionally, the company founded in 2009 by Paul Elio and his goal to offer a three-wheel vehicle with a top speed of 100 mph, a cost of $6,800 and an estimated 84 mph, doesn’t have operating revenue. It has dismissed much of its engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing workplace. “The Elio is still in development, and we do not expect to start delivering to customers until 2019,” Elio said in his

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Distracted driving can lead to death from behind the wheel

It’s likely you’ve seen or heard the disturbing commercials and public service announcements about the dangers of texting while driving. The messages are broadcast often on television, radio and the internet. But the marketing campaign hasn’t been effective. The Canadian Broadcast Company (CBC) marketed that British Columbia created a new awareness campaign specifically targeting young drivers. The reason? Texting is anticipated to become “the chief cause of death behind the wheel for teens.” Teenage drivers generally lack experience to handle tricky weather. They also may lack the defensive driving skills needed to avoid a crash, and they’re at an age where experimenting with drugs and alcohol is more prevalent. But teenage drivers’ addiction to technology may be their greatest threat.

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Proper car maintenance can beat summer heat woes

Summer is ideal for a car road trip — exploring new parts of your community, family vacations, visiting relatives and sightseeing. But if you don’t take care of your car or aren’t aware of some of the extra issues you can encounter in summer you may be unable to take that spur-of-the-moment trip. Worse, you could be stuck somewhere needing a tow truck company’s service. Despite being a beast of a machine, designed to travel in all kinds of weather and to protect you from the elements, your car can be vulnerable to heat. Imagine yourself on an August summer day, car packed, family all set for the annual getaway, and halfway through the mountains, your car dies. Not only

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Long Beach to ban oversized vehicles in residential areas?

The city of Long Beach, California, is moving forward with plans to ban long-term parking of oversized vehicles in residential neighborhoods. The Press-Telegram newspaper reports local Councilwoman Suzie Price saying the new law, if passed, would create consistency on the issue across the city. She noted that previous complaints and issues were handled individually. According to news reports, complaints raised about large vehicles parked in place for weeks or longer, include monopolizing parking, blocking views, causing congestion and creating a dangerous visibility issue for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. Large trucks parking on city streets can prove problematic. The new law would allow parking for 72 hours, with a permit and a maximum of 20 permits per year. It does not

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