Automotive News

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Ford pick-ups from 2008 investigated for faulty steering

Ford is perennially the top-selling pick-up truck in the United States, but two models of the 2008 lineup are being investigated for faulty steering gear boxes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening a preliminary investigation into 340,000 Ford F250 and F350 Super Duty trucks from 2008 after several reported crashes. According to the NHTSA, five complaints alleging an internal failure of the steering gear box resulting in a complete loss of steering control and resulted in the the driver crashing the truck into a parked car at 20 miles per hour. A second report said failure of the steering gear box resulted in a roadway departure at 35 miles per hour. Another complaint said a 2008 F250

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Ferrari rules (what else?) at Ferrari Challenge at Sonoma Raceway

Started 20 years ago by Ferrari North America, the Ferrari Challenge affords its customers the opportunity to appreciate their cars in competition while racing against other Ferrari owners on tracks throughout North America. The Challenge began with the then-current Ferrari 348. When newer models arrived — the 355, 360 and F430 — they were included.  Since 2011, the 458 had been the Ferrari of choice in the Challenge. Ferrari cars racing in the series are prepared and maintained for competition by authorized Ferrari dealers, many of whom have formed racing teams for the series. All images © Bruce Aldrich, Sonoma Raceway, April 28, 2013 This year, the Ferrari Challenge series stop in the extended San Francisco Bay Area was held

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Electric carmaker Coda pulls plug after one year, 100 sales

Coda, which joined the green car fraternity and introduced its vehicles to California consumers about one year ago, has filed for bankruptcy protection after selling only about 100 of its all-electric sedans. The five-passenger Coda E.V., imported from China, had a range of 125 miles on a single charge. But the $37,250 vehicle was criticized for its no-frills styling. Its brief tenure also included a recall for faulty air bags. According to Reuters, the bankruptcy filing with the federal Bankruptcy Court in Delaware will allow the Los Angeles company to leave the auto industry and refocus on energy storage. Coda uses the same technology it used in cars to build systems for utilities and building operators to store power. A

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Porsche adds beauty to beauty, names Maria Sharapova ambassador

Maria Sharapova owns a Porsche, she’s famous, she’s athletic and she’s stunning. That’s the ideal combination for the German sports car manufacturer. It has signed Sharapova to a three-year contract as a brand ambassador. Sharapova, 26, of Russia, is a four-time Grand Slam winner and is currently ranked N0. 2 in the world. “Maria Sharapova is an exceptional athlete. She combines top performance in her sports with elegance and power. These are precisely the qualities that are embroiled in our sports cars,” said Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller. “Her profile and charisma are an ideal fit for Porsche. She is also highly respected around the world and enjoys an outstanding reputation.” Sharapova was rewarded with a white Porsche Carrera S Cabriolet

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Jaguar XJ, Kia Sedona among five cars you should never buy

A 2013 Jaguar XJ and a Kia Sedona may not seem to have much in common. And they don’t unless a potential of either car is interested in depreciation value. If that’s the case, don’t buy either. The $76,000 Jaguar and $25,000 Kia have among the worst depreciaton values over a five-year ownership. At least, that’s the opinion of IntelliChoice, the Campbell, Calif.-based research firm. In its findings, according to an article on Bankrate.com, logic often rules in the auto industry. Cars in high demand tend to have a high resale value, as do sporty cars, compact cars and the base-line model of a lineup.Large vehicles, midsize cars and minivans tend to lose their value. Here are five vehicles that

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Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mazda in massive global airbag recall

Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi combined will recall more than three million vehicles dating to 2000 and for an often-repeated, recent-year auto industry woe — defected safety equipment. The latest crisis involves airbag inflators made by Takata, the Japanese safety gear producer. Takata made the products from 2000 to 2002. It’s the biggest recall involving Takata since 1995, when several automakers called back a then-record almost nine million vehicles to replace faulty seat belts made by the Japanese company. “It looks like the cost of the recalls may be pretty big,” Satoru Takada, a Tokyo-based analyst at Toward the Infinite World Inc., referring to Takata, told Reuters. “It doesn’t seem like something that would be easy to identify and fix.

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Ford announces special edition package for 2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Ford announced its F-150 SVT Raptor, one of the stablemates in the country’s best-selling vehicle lineup, will have a new optional Special Edition package that will complement the existing Luxury Package. The upgrade will include a Ruby Red Metallic exterior color and box-side graphics. Interior upgrades include Brick Red seat bolsters with black inserts and cloth honeycomb highlights, console top finish panel, and center stack and door panel appliqué accents. The 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition, which will go on sale in the of 2013, will also be available in Tuxedo Black Metallic. The Raptor has found an enviable niche in full-size pickups, with sales up 14 percent in 2013. More than 13,000 Raptors were sold in 2012. Since

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Hyundai, Kia recalling nearly 2 million cars dating to 2007 via faulty brakes, air bags

Despite experiencing record sales and infiltrating many car-buying segments with innovation and value, Hyundai and Kia are facing major growing pains with a massive recall of nearly two million cars. The switch recall covers almost 1.7 million vehicles — most of the automakers’ model lineups from the 2007 through 2011 model years — to fix problems with air bags a brake light switches. In addition, Hyundai is recalling about 194,000 Elantra compacts from 2011 to 2013 to fix an air bag problem. A faulty switch can stop the brake lights from illuminating when drivers press on the pedal, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported its website. The cruise control also may not turn off when a driver

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New NHTSA car safety rating system app unveiled

Consumers interested in quick access to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) 5-Star Safety Ratings can now get the information via a new iOS appplication for iPhones and iPod touches. The NHTSA real-time vehicle safety information is available to consumers from SaferCar.gov site. It allows users to search its 5-Star Safety Ratings for vehicles by make and model, locate car seat installation help, file a vehicle safety complaint, find recall information and subscribe to automatic notices about vehicle recalls. NHTSA will also give developers real-time access to the data that powers this app through an Application Programming Interface (API), enabling them to integrate these data into new and existing apps and empowering consumers with important safety information. Millions of

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Kia Optima, 2014: Style, substance, affordability

Kia Motors America debuted a vastly updated 2014 edition of its popular Optima, the fast-growing four-year-old midsize sedan, at the New York International Auto Show. Available in LX, EX, SX and SX-Limited trims, the 2014 Kia Optima arrives with updated front and rear fascias, retaining the vehicle’s dynamic and sporty proportions. The Optima’s new premium amenities and convenience options make Optima an even more competitive option in the competitive mid-size sedan segment. The 2014 Optima is expected to arrive in Kia retail showrooms in the third quarter of the year, and pricing will be announced closer to the vehicle’s on-sale date. The 2014 Optima cements the model’s status as a trailblazer of combining style and substance in an affordably priced

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2013 Kia Optima gets performance, cargo area, efficiency upgrades

In its short tenure, the Kia Optima Hybrid has received its share of accolades. Now it’s likely to receive more.  Kia has announced the updated 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid. It features a more performance-driven and fuel-efficient powertrain as well as more cargo space and premium features. Value continues to be a strong selling point Kia, with the Hybrid with LX starting at an MSRP of $25,900 and the fully loaded EX at an MSRP of $31,9501. For 2013, the Optima Hybrid features numerous powertrain refinements for smoothness and drivability, including a more robust 47 HP electric traction motor, a stronger Hybrid Starter Generator (HSG) and a more powerful 47 kW Lithium Polymer battery.  With a combined 199 horsepower and 235

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Bugatti Veyron thrives on enduring mystique

Buying a supercar like Bugatti or an entry level auto like the Nissan Versa is the same in one respect — it’s a subjective choice. But then the similarity ends suddenly. Beyond the obvious financial differences between a $10,000 car and a $2 million car, the major difference between a Versa and a Bugatti is exposure. Drive a Versa and you’re invisible, always. Drive a Bugatti and it’s impossible not to seen. Every new edition of the Bugatti is automotive industry extravaganza, particularly if it’s the manufacturer’s most powerful roadster to date. That occurred in April 2012 when the open-top version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse at the Beijing Auto Show. The new Bugatti has remarkable numbers:

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Ford cooking with anything but gas in sustainable car-making initiative

For about a year, Ford has been touring the country with a marketing program, Fusion Meets Fusion. The initiative allows the carmaker to explain how it uses sustainable food sources to replace plastic and rubber in cars like the fuel-efficient Fusion sedan. Like in other locales, the Sacramento presentation was offered at an established local restaurant, Mulvaney’s B&L in midtown Sacramento. Restaurant co-owner and chef Patrick Mulvaney prepared a family-style meal incorporating soybeans, wheat straw, coconut and dandelion greens. Dandelion greens were used in the spring greens salad and whole wheat fettuccine; wheat straw was an ingredient in hay-scented chicken; soybeans were used in the salad served with salmon; coconut was prominent in the crème brulee dessert. Carrie Majeske, Ford‘s

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Some weird autos become legends, other cars just fade away

Some automakers have long lives. General Motors, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo all recently became centenarians. And there are plenty of infamous manufacturers. Some, like the DeLorean have attained cult status, while others like the Bricklin have largely faded away as complete failures. The Bricklin was shortlived. One of the early investors in Subaru, Malcolm Bricklin manufactured the Bricklin from 1974-76, and were touted as safety cars were made in the odd colors Safety Orange, Safety Green and Safety White. The gullwing doors trapped occupants and overall poor constructions prompted low sales. Bricklin’s misfortune had only just begun. He later introduced the equally disdained Yugo to the United States market. Cars with odd legacies like the ATS, Bricklin, Davis, DeLorean

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Ford Edge SE overtakes minivan dominance, tops lowest annual insurance rates

Minivans, once the go-to car for family versatility and insurance friendliness, have been overtaken in 2013 by crossovers and SUVs, including models from Ford, Jeep, Kia and Hyundai, according to a report by Insure.com. In its recently announced findings, the insurance website noted the Ford Edge SE has the country’s lowest annual insurance rate. “The SUV is the new minivan,” said Russ Rader, spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which performs crash tests on vehicles. “These are vehicles used largely by families. They’re going to the mall, taking kids to school and driving to sports practices on the weekends. They’re not getting into a lot of crashes.” The only small among the least expensive top-20 cars to insure

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Kelley Blue Book: 2013 Scion iQ Cheapest U.S. car to own for five-year tenure

Kelley Blue Book, like many other automotive sites, likes car lists. Arguably the enduring site’s most popular list is its annual compilation of the cheapest cars to own. The new list covers 22 categories for 2013 models. The new list is collaboration with Forbes.com and winners of the Kelley Blue Book Total Cost of Ownership Awards. The list considers many factors: depreciation, fuel, insurance costs, registration fees and maintenance. Add up all the factors and the amount is the cost of the vehicle over five years. Here’s the list in 22 categories with the segment vehicle name, Base, MSRP, 5-year cost and cost per mile: Subcompact, Scion iQ, $16,250, $27,011, $0.36 Compact, Hyundai Veloster, $18,395, $30,581, $0.41 Hybrid/Alternative Energy, Honda

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