Automotive News

The worst car ever? Auto-Kabine, a VW Bug on steroids

The ugliest car ever made is an ideal topic over a great burger and couple of beers. There’s plenty of room for discussion. But the worst car ever? There seems to be a consensus: The Hoffmann Auto-Kabine. M. Hoffmann, a post-WWII engineer and entrepreneur, built bicycles and Vespas in Germany in the late 1940s and then decided to entry automobile manufacturing. It was disastrous. The Auto-Kabine microcar, which resembles a VW Bug on steroids, couldn’t have been a more contrary mechanical assemblage. The engine drives the single rear wheel mounted on a cradle. It pivots on a kingpin in the center of the vehicle’s triangular frame. An extraordinarily complex lever mechanism operates the steering. The short wheelbase, rear-wheel steering proved

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Consumer groups to President Trump: keep passed gas deal

About 4 1/2 years ago, the Obama administration announced new strict gas mileage standards effective 2025. The rule mandates the U.S. auto fleet averages 54.5 miles per gallon. Industry leaders and environmentalist endorse the pending standard. Announced by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson, the new standards will significantly cut U.S. oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA. President Trump has proposed rolling back the standard. The Consumers Union and Consumer Federation of America is in disagreement. With permission, following is the leader the two groups have written to the president: President Donald J. Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: February 23, 2017 On

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Lexus, Porsche top J.D. Power reliability survey

Lexus and Porsche are the most dependable car brands after three years of ownership, according to the 28th annual survey conducted J.D. Power, the global marketing research company. It is the sixth consecutive year that Lexus topped J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. The streak puts Lexus halfway to tying its record of 12 consecutive titles for most dependable brand between from 1997 to 2008. Toyota, Buick and Mercedes-Benz rounded out the top five brands overall. Mercedes, Hyundai (No. 6), BMW (No. 7) and Jaguar (No. 10) were newcomers to the Top 10 this year, while GMC, Acura, Ram and Lincoln dropped out. The industry averaged 156 problems per 100 vehicles in the latest dependability study, up by four

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Watch Car of the Year pick live from Geneva Motor Show

The Geneva International Motor Show is arguably the most important car event of the year. In addition to new model debuts, the Car of the Year is selected. This year marks the 54th year of the honor. The announcement will be made Monday, March 6 at 3 p.m. local time in Switzerland. Among 29 original candidates, seven finalists were selected last November after a week of testing in Denmark. The finalists for the sixth Car of the Year celebration during the Geneva International Motor Show include: Alfa Romeo Giulia, Citroën C3, Mercedes E-Class, Nissan Micra, Peugeot 3008, Toyota C-HR and Volvo S90/V90. The finalists were tested again in Denmark. The Car of the Year honor is organized by seven of

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Mercedes-Benz gets dubious meanest ‘honors’

The Mercedes-Benz AMG G65 has received plenty of praise, but it now also has a dubious honor — for the second straight year. A performance-oriented luxury SUV, the Mercedes-AMG G65 is the “meanest” car, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. It’s the most environmentally dirty 2017 car on the road. In a repeat of 2016, Mercedes-Benz again dominates the ACEEE’s worst polluters list. The German manufacturer has five of the 12 lowest-scoring models, although three if the selections are close siblings. Toyota, which accounted for three of the 12 greenest cars, is also represented on the “meanest” list with three entries, two full-size SUVs – a Toyota and a Lexus – and the hefty Toyota Tundra pickup

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2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric greenest of green cars

The unheralded Hyundai Ioniq, the new midsize sedan with the unusual name, has the smallest environmental footprint among 2017 vehicles, according to American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The 20th annual environmental ratings, available on greenercars.org, is a comprehensive list of the year’s Greenest, Meanest, Greener Choices, and best-in-class vehicles. “Anyone buying a new car now has plenty of options for making an environmentally smart decision,” said Eric Junga, Transportation Research Analyst at ACEEE. “Whether you are looking to purchase the greenest car available, or the greenest vehicle for your needs such as a minivan, or simply stay away from the bottom of the list, greenercars.org can help you.” The following vehicles comprise the Greenest List for 2017. Each car is given a

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New Ferrari 812 Superfast: Italian carmaker’s finest?

Ferrari may have outdone itself. The iconic Italian automaker will debut the Ferrari 812 Superfast, “the most powerful and fastest Ferrari” in the manufacturer’s history at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show. Th 87th Geneva Auto Show will be held March 9-19. According to Ferrari, the 812 Superfast will be brand’s last naturally aspirated V12. It’s powered by a 6.5-liter V12 that outputs about 789 horsepower, 8,500 rpm and 525 pound-feet of torque at 7,000 rpm. The 812 Superfast, which is front-mid mounted, is matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It’s the first Ferrari to use electric power steering. Four-wheel steering has been added to increase low-speed maneuverability as well as high-speed stability and responsiveness. The V12’s acceleration is 0-100 kph in 2.9

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Buying a car with flood damage can be trouble

The nationwide flood damage this year has affected many industries, including the automotive market. Tens of thousands of cars have been submerged, leading to potentially significant damage. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB.org), unwitting consumers are at risk of buying a flood-damaged car if they don’t adhere to guidelines. Unknowingly buying a vehicle with flood damage may put you and your family in physical and financial danger. A vehicle’s electronic systems are often destroyed from prolonged exposure to water rendering many of its safety features inoperable. Experts from a leading pre-insurance auto inspection company note that while misrepresenting a vehicle with flood damage is illegal, it happens often. “If a deal looks too good, be careful,” said James

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Keep your car love alive with Valentine’s Day gifts

SPONSORED CONTENT Everyone loves their car when they buy it, but after the honeymoon phase is over, it’s sometimes hard to keep that love going strong. 3M Auto, Prestone, Meguiar’s and Royal Purple have come up with five easy solutions to fall back in love with your car just in time for Valentine’s Day. 1. Take Years Off the Look – Yellow and hazed headlight lenses don’t just make your car look old, they’re also a safety hazard and can decrease visibility. 3M Quick Headlight Renewal provides an easy-to-use headlight restoration solution to help increase visibility and remove minor haze from headlights in a matter of minutes. Your headlights will look like years younger in no time. 2. Keep the

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Commentary: Can fuel cell vehicles thrive?

I recently attended a gathering for alternative fuel vehicles, hosted by Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition (SCCC). The SCCC is part of a national network that supports the reduction of petroleum consumption in transportation. Several alternative fuel vehicles were on display, including the Toyota fuel cell car called the Mirai. The Mirai is a good-looking midsize sedan fueled with compressed hydrogen. The compressed hydrogen passes over a fuel cell stack to produce electricity for the electric drive motor. The Mirai has a 300-mile range, takes only three minutes to fill, and drives like any other car. It’s perfect, but where do get hydrogen at 5,000 psi? Chris White, with California Fuel Cell Partnership, said California currently had 25 hydrogen fueling stations.

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2017 Jeep Cherokee: Modern look, respect for the past

Jeep celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2016. A year earlier, the compact Jeep Cherokee replaced the Liberty in midseason. It continues the sport utility vehicle’s extended celebration and legacy as the modern version of the original WWII vehicle. For 2017, the Cherokee remains primarily the same as last year’s model. It also had a midseason addition last year with the top-end of five trims, the Overland. It joins the Latitude, Limited, Sport and Trailhawk. As the most powerful Jeep in the lineup, the Overland model I drove for a week featured a 3.2-liter, 24-valve V6 engine with 271 horsepower and matched with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The same engine is available as a $1,745 upgrade on other models. The small

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Tata Motors debuts exclusive new sports car Futuro

Tata Motors, the Indian carmaker that nine years ago introduced the world’s cheapest car, will debut its first sports car in the sub-brand TaMo (Tata Motors) at the Geneva International Motor Show. The new model, one of several new vehicles planned by the company that owns Jaguar and Land Rover, will be called the Futuro. It will feature a 1.2-liter, mid-engine turbocharged inline four-cylinder producing 180 horsepower. The two-seater will be unveiled in Switzerland as a concept. According to several media reports, the Tamo Futuro should be available in about 18 months. Its debut coincides with Tata’s decision to streamline its business, reducing its platforms from six to two. The 87th Geneva auto show will begin March 7. Only 250

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Super Bowl: Melissa McCarthy saves the planet in a Kia

Kia takes chances with its Super Bowl commercials. Who would have thought a pack of talking hamsters would be successful promoting the Kia Soul? But it’s been a hit for years. The Kia commercial last year featuring Christopher Walken, the “Walken Closet,” and beige and colorful sock puppets is arguably on the top-10 all-time Super Bowl commercials list. It brilliantly promoted the Kia Optima. And now comes along Melissa McCarthy, the comedic actress who while driving a 2017 Kia Niro has the task of saving the planet. She tries to save whales, trees, the polar ice cap and the rhinoceros kingdom. While promoting the 2017 Kia Niro, McCarthy meets catastrophe in each of her attempts to be an eco-warrior. The

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Elio Motors “owner” files lawsuit against fledgling company

The backlash surrounding the delay and recent official SEC filings for fledgling Elio Motors has resulted in a lawsuit by a wannabe customer who now wants his deposit returned. As reported on the website Gas 2.0, a posting on Reddit by a user named jimmbybob479 details his small claims court action against the manufacturer of a three-wheel vehicle that has been delayed for several years. According to the Elio Motors website, more than 68,000 interested buyers have made deposits for the $7,300 vehicle touted as getting 84 mph and a top speed of 100 mph. The person seeking his deposit returned, wrote: “I looked up their registered agent in my state, filed a small claims lawsuit with my local justice

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Jerry Seinfeld, Comedian in Cars, drive to Netflix

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, the innovative and increasingly popular program in which Jerry Seinfeld drives another comedian or personality to a coffee shop in an iconic car, has switched its streaming broadcast from Crackle to Netflix. The 59 shows produced for Crackle and sponsored by Audi since 2012 will be all be cataloged on Netflix. Twenty-four new segments, two standup comedy specials and other pending programming are included in the new deal. New episodes of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee will debut in late 2017. The original program received three Emmy nominations. Seinfeld’s guest have included many of comedy world’s best-known performers. Chris Rock, Don Rickles, Howard Stern, Jim Carrey and Steve Martin have appeared as well as Seinfeld TV

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What dealers do to make car buying difficult

A root canal and shingles might be worse. But a trip to a car dealership, as opposed to car buying online, is often high on the list of unpleasant experiences. It’s not universally bad. But there’s still plenty of salesmanship, up-selling and other persuasive ways car dealers make the most they can from every buyer. With Jim Dykstra (www.vinadvisor.net) and Jaclyn Trop (www.jaclyntrop.com) and James Raia (www.theweeklydriver.com) take a look at the Top 6 Things Car Dealers Do To Make Car Buying Difficult in text and a corresponding video. Car Dealers Price People Jim Dykstra, Vinadvisor
 “What’s the number one way that dealers make car buying difficult? They price people, they don’t price products. You can’t just walk into a

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