Automotive News

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Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, pistachios and cars

The upcoming Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao bout may be the most anticipated fight in boxing history. As such, exposure of both athletes has expanded beyond the boxing circles — and in far different ways. Pacquiao has a television commercial promoting pistachios. Mayweather is more flamboyant. He’s taken to social media to showcase his empire, including his vast collection of iconic cars. As a car collector, Mayweather isn’t in the same league as entertainers like Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld. But his choices are impressive, and certainly expensive, and easily attainable for anyone who happened to make $105 million in 2014. Mayweather likes to flaunt his cars and the other extravagant means of his life. In a recent Twitter image,

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Lincoln Continental is back, but can Ford icon rule again?

The Lincoln Continental, the once iconic luxury car owned by hot rod racers and a brand to movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor, is back. Ford has announced the sedan will be unveiled with a new look and minus its recent MKS name as a concept vehicle at the New York Auto Show. The show begins April 3. The Continental, which will likely be available to the public 2016, will have a new 3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price has not been announced. Lincoln, which debuted as a manufacturer in 1915, was once the dominant luxury brand. But that hasn’t been the case in many years with auto industry experts wondering if the Lincoln name would survive. The

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Jeremy Clarkson driven to anger, gets fired from Top Gear

Jeremy Clarkson, the irreverent host of Top Gear, the immensely popular BBC automotive review program, has been fired for hitting a colleague while filming the show on location earlier in March. Tony Hall, the general director of the BBC, which produces the show, made the announcement. Hall, who said he’s a fan of Clarkson, detailed the decision was made after an investigation of the confrontation between Clarkson and the producer. Clarkson was originally suspended, but the BBC subsequently Clarkson’s contract will not be renewed. It was scheduled to expire at the end of March. Ken MacQuarrie, a BBC official, confirmed Clarkson hit producer Oisin Tymon and used “derogatory and abusive language.” MacQuarrie added the BBC needs “distinctive and different voices, but

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Playboy, Playmates and their hot (and not so hot) cars

Playmates of the Year get a lot of attention. Playboy, the magazine selecting the honored women since 1964, promotes the models and, among other accolades, gives each winner a new car. For the first 12 years of the award, all of the new cars awarded were pink. But once the odd color selection ended, another more curious occurrence happened — the sometimes bizarre choices of the cars selected. In some instances, the Playmate of the Year received what has become an iconic car, including several Jaguar and Porsche models. In other years, the cars awarded are now nearly worthless. The Playmates of the Year through the years have also on occasion been rewarded with a motorcycle or boat. The women are

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Watch out for driverless Audi in control, New York bound

Watch out for an Audi SQ5 near you. It’s driverless and it’s now making its way from San Francisco to New York utilizing Delphi autonomous car technology. Jump-starting the long-planned and heavily promoted claims by Tesla one of its electric cars will also be driven across the country on autonomous technology, Audi hopes its experiment will prove successful in time for the New York Auto Show. The Audi‘s trek, which began March 22, is planned for about 3,500 miles. In addition to the vehicle, the Audi voyage began with a few engineers and a “driver.” Stints of six-to-eight hours are planned with the driver in the car. The SQ5 is one of four vehicles Delphi has modified for autonomous driving

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2015 Toyota Highlander: Comfortable, versatile SUV

Fifteen years after its debut at the New York Auto Show, the Toyota Highlander is in the second year of its third generation as a midsize, car-based sport utility vehicle. The Highlander was a quick hit and became Toyota’s best-selling SUV until its smaller sibling, the RAV4, assumed the carmaker’s top SUV spot in 2006. Facing increasing SUV competition, the Highlander was extensively redesigned in 2014, boosting its tired predecessor. The 2015 model remains the same as last year’s offering. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Available in five trims, my weekly was the top-line Limited Platinum model. The base model begins with a four-cylinder engine and 18-inch wheels and a host of standard technology features. More technology and convenience upgrades add

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Apple Watch: car tech craze or auto disaster?

The announcement of the Apple Watch was long anticipated. And if April’s release date materializes it will be interesting to observe the effects the Dick Tracy-like contraption to various industries — particularly the automotive world. The possibilities are vast. Will the media frenzy about the watch reflect an equal excitement about Apple stock? How will the new watch and its myriad functions change industry, the mainstream watch world to the ever-advancing infotainment systems and driving habits in the auto industry? Tim Cook, the Apple CEO said, among other features, the Apple Watch would soon feature Car Play. It’s the application Cook said every major car manufacturer has committed to use. It will allow the watch features to function via iOS

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Lexus again rules J.D. Power dependability study

Lexus has built its reputation on quality craftsmanship, styling and dependability. For the fourth straight year, the luxury carmaker’s dependability has been recognized by automotive industry research experts, J.D. Power. The California-based global research company ranked Lexus highest in its recently released 26th annual Vehicle Dependability Study. According to the company’s compilation, Lexus had 89 problems per 100 vehicles. It was the lowest among all manufacturers. Buick (110) finished second in the study. Toyota (111) was third. The study evaluates overall dependability of cars and trucks by examining the problems owners experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2012 model-year vehicles. Driving experience, features, controls and other considerations are included. The 2015 survey found issues with Bluetooth

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Google speeds ahead, launches car insurance business

Google has confirmed a longstanding rumor. It has entered the car insurance business with the launch of Google Compare for Auto Insurance. The comparison-shopping sites allow consumers to compare rates from different insurance providers. If a consumer searches Google for “car insurance the comparison of rates will appear. The new service will debut initially for California residents only. But Google said other states will soon be added to the service. According to USA Today, Consumers who enter in this search query will see a small, gray questionnaire appear, asking for their zip code, and other information about their vehicle. If they choose to fill that out, Google will return a comparison unit listing insurance premiums, provided by its insurance advertiser

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2015 Dodge Challenger: Iconic Muscle Car Still Rules

Through three time frames dating to 1958, the Dodge Challenger has epitomized the American muscle car — big, heavy and powerful. Its legend continues in 2015 with seven revised trim levels ranging from 305 to 707 horsepower. The 2015 Dodge Challenger isn’t classified as a new generation, but its upgrades are so substantial it could easily be the debut of legendary car’s fourth generation. Among the changes, the five-speed automatic transmission has been replaced but with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Some of the trims have increased horsepower and a new grille has debuted that resembles the Challenger’s 1971 grille. The 8.4-inch touchscreen radio an navigation system and the keyless entry aren’t retro, of course. But the gauge cluster is also

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2015 Lexus ES 300h: Redefines luxury, hybrid marriage

The sixth generation of the Lexus ES series was unveiled at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. The upscale best-selling sedan for the first time included the ES 300h or hybrid edition. For 2015, the ES 300h remains largely the same as last year’s model, with a few exceptions. The upholstery quality has been improved and there are also a half-dozen technology upgrades, including a standard touchscreen display audio tech interface. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The ES 300h includes a hybrid powertrain that matches a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with an electric motor powered by a battery pack that combined generates 200 horsepower. Like all Lexus vehicles, the ES 3o0h ideally defines what makes the upscale carmaker. It’s a

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Five great cars in five great movies

Cars are movies stars. Who can forget the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger? How about the 2003 remake of the Italian Job with the three Mini Coopers bouncing up and down all those Italian streets during the heist scenes? Cars scenes are seemingly part of nearly every fantasy movie or a film with a love story theme. A 1962 Volkswagen Bug was the lead character in the Love Bug. A Ford Futura concept was made into the Batmobile in Batman. There are too many great and not-so great cars in movies to count. But here are five famous cars in five famous movies, beginning with TheWeeklyDriver’s favorite. French Connection (1971) The film includes arguably the most intense car chase in

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Safety Still Not Top Priority For Car Buyers

New car buyers purchase vehicles for many reasons — reliability to comfort, status to gas mileage. Safety isn’t at the top of the criteria list, but it’s became increasingly more important for consumers and manufacturers. In its 2014 Initial Quality Studies, safety is seventh among the top-10 reasons why car buyers choose a specific vehicle model, according to J.D. Power, the global marketing research company. Two years ago, safety was only the 10th most important reason for new car buyers to purchase vehicles. Although some car review publications offer safety scores, two national organizations, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are the most prominent. The government and IIHS ratings evaluate different

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Driverless Cars? Let’s Slow Down In High Tech Fast Lane

Autonomous vehicles, commonly known as driverless cars, have been portrayed in futuristic movies for years. And dating nearly 100 years, automakers have experimented periodically with various vehicles not needing drivers. But what once was Hollywood fantasy is now on the not-too-distant horizon. Directors’ imaginations could be the daily driving reality for soccer moms and traveling salesmen. In recent years, major carmakers — BMW to Volvo to Toyota — and technology monoliths like Google have ramped up their driverless car research. They’re testing driverless technology at least in part via new legislation in several states allowing the testing of autonomous cars on public roads. The new driverless technology, most notably unveiled in prototypes by Audi and BMW at the 2014 Consumer

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Range Anxiety? No need to worry

Not too many years ago, the term range anxiety might pertain to a golfer who’s nervous on a driving range or rancher uncertain about spending time on an open range. But with an increasing number of auto manufacturers offering electric options, range anxiety is a major reason why car buyers have been wary of switching from gas-powered vehicles. It’s the fear of running out of power and stuck miles from the nearest charging station. According to a survey conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association, the industry trade organization in Arlington, Va., 71 percent of respondents said range anxiety is a concern when considering purchasing an electric vehicle. And it’s warranted. With more than a dozen mainstream manufacturers offering electric-only vehicles,

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2015 Acura TLX: New luxury sedan battles icons

Call it consolidating and call it risky. But Acura has eliminated two of its popular sedans and created the 2015 Acura TLX. The five-passenger sedan fits in the middle. It’’s longer than the TSX, shorter than the TL, and it’’s now the only entry level luxury sedan in Honda’’s upscale nameplate’s lineup. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As Acura approaches its 30th birthday in the United States, the 2015 Acura TLX makes its debut as a midsized luxury sedan. It’s offered in three main trims, Base, Technology and Advance. The latter trims are primarily option packages included on the front and rear-wheel drive base model offerings. My Weekly Driver was the top-line 3.5-liter V6. It had 24 valves, 290 horsepower

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