Automotive News

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Barnfinds.com: Auto site for owners and dreamers, Bugatti to Buick

Amid all of the fine automotive sites, Edmunds to Car and Driver, Kelley Blue Book to Motortrend, one new unheralded site has joined best-of-the-best car sites list. It's only slightly more than one-year-old, but it's developed a strong following. It doesn't give tips to find the best prices for a new car or tips for negotiating with salesmen or getting the best insurance prices. Barnfinds.com is the site for anyone who has the same fantasy as car enthusiasts everywhere — finding a classic. Its sub-title is perfect, "Barn Finds, Survivors and Unique Collector Cars For Sale." According the site, based in Wyoming: "Every auto enthusiast knows what a barn find is and we all dream about finding one. Not every

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Toyota recalling nearly 800,000 vehicles dating to 2006 with suspension problems

Toyota is recalling nearly 800,000 RAV4 and Lexus vehicles in a six-year span dating to 2006 because of potentially suspension arms. The recall includes 760,000 Toyota RAV4 vehicles from 2006 to 2011 and 18,000 Lexus HS 250h vehicles from 2010. The manufacturer announced that if the nuts on the rear suspension arm are not tightened following the proper procedure and torque specification during a rear wheel alignment service, excessive play may occur at the threaded portion of the arm, followed by rust formation. If the problem occurred, the threaded portion of the rear suspension arm may wear and cause the arm to separate. Toyota said it's developing a solution and when available it will contact owners by mail with direction

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MINI Cooper takes on human flight launch in outrageous commercial

MINI takes chances with its videos, which means the iconic brand and its BMW ownership are successful whether the commercials are raging hits or fall flat. But to attempt human flight with John Cooper Works Countryman edition? That takes the carmaker's efforts to an entirely new horizon on the desert? Is the whole thing rigged? Is it real? And could the flying man in the wing suit possibly land on the car? It's up to the viewer's imagination, right? And isn't that one more reason why MINI commercials work so well? James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding

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Car technology 101: Anatomy of a dashboard

The icon of a human figure with a ball in its chest? A triangle with an exclamation point in the middle? Under the category technology overland, the website carinsurance.org has introduced an instructional infograph to define all of the functions on the dashboard — odometer to warning signs designated with bizarre icons. The website has title the infograph as “What Are All Those Light on My Dashboard?” What are all those lights on my dashboard? So, to define the icons: The human figure in a seated position with ball shape near its chest indicates there’s an electrical problem the car’s airbag system. The trangle with an exclamation point is the master warning light and in general terms designates something is wrong

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Rare Tesla Roadster owned by George Clooney set for Monterey Auto Week auction

It won't be the first nor likely the last celebrity car sold during Monterey Auto Week. But George Clooney's rare 2008 Tesla Roadster is expected to attract its share of attention during annual collectipn pf vintage and exotic car show and auctions. Clooney owns a Tesla Roadster "Signature 100" model. According to Inside Line, the website property of Edmunds.com, the car has only 1,700 miles on its odometer. The Obsidian Black Metallic Roadster, number 0008 from the run of 100 special editions, will be auctioned by Gooding & Company on Aug. 19. The car features a two-tone leather interior and is predicted to sell for an estimated $125,000. The purchase amount will go toward the Satellite Sentinel Project, an organization

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Leonardo DiCaprio, Fisker announce equity marriage for plug-in hybrid

Leonardo DiCaprio, the three-time Oscar nominated actor and celebrity environmentalist, has become an equity investor and brand ambassador for Fisker Automotive, the manufacturer of the Karma plug-in hybrid. The timing of DiCaprio's involement is curious since the California-based carmaker recently expanded its recall of its $103,000 Karma because of the incorrectly positioned hose clamps. The recall represents more than 25 percent of the estimated number of Karma's sold. "DiCaprio will work closely with marketing and promotional initiatives to bring attention to sustainability and environmental issues around the world,” Fisker Automotive said in a press release. “In turn, Fisker will support the work of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.” Fisker Automotive didn't specify how much DiCaprio invested in the company, nor how

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MotoGP fans can save money with new Corkscrew Passport app available at Laguna Seca

When the country's most prestigious motorcycle racing event returns to Mazda Raceway Laguna this weekend fans with hearty appetites and a wont to save money will be fortunate. The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, featuring the MotoGP World Championship, scheduled July 27-29, is the first of the three remaining motorsports events this season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. in with attendance can utilize the aptly named Corkscrew Passport application. Available as a free download on iTunes, several restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula are offering dining discounts during the three events. The new app allows users to make reservations at participating partner restaurants, get directions and post to the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca fan wall. “Our fans come

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Jerry Seinfeld's back taking funny friends to coffee in vintage car show about nothing

It's no secret Jerry Seinfeld is a car collector. But beginning July 19, he's mixing his comedic talents and passion for vintage cars and he's sharing both with friends as they take the cars to coffee shops — or at least that's how it's being promoted. The show is appropriately called "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. It's scheduled to debut at 9 p.m. Thursday July 19 on Crackle. In the promo for the show, Seinfeld drives around in brief snippets with Michael Richards, Ricky Gervais, Larry David, and Alec Baldwin, among others. According to its web site, www.crackle.com: "Crackle is the place to experience pure entertainment: full-length movies, TV shows, and original series from genres that embody cool — all

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Tour de France, 2012: Citroen exhibit showcases iconic French carmaker

Bugatti, Citroën, Peugeot and Renault are the current major French automakers. With the exception of Bugatti, French highways and country roads are often crowded with many models, new and old, from the other three carmakers. And also with the exception of Bugatti, I've driven new models of Citroën, Peugeot and Renault as rental cars in different years since I began attending the Tour de France in 1997. French cars, like other countries' cars, have strengths and weaknesses, Yet, French cars often get criticized unfairly. While none of the carmakers' vehicles I've driven could be described as performance cars, all three got me through three weeks and about 4,000 miles of driving, including some treacherous ordeals in the Pyrenees and the

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Chevrolet Cruze recalled as GM fixes potential flammage liquid issue

General Motors is recalling nearly a half-million Chevrolet Cruze compacts sedans from 2011 and 2012 to modify the under-engine shield so flammable liquids are not trapped in the engine compartment. The recall covers 2011 and 2012 Cruze sedans built at GM's Lordstown, Ohio plant from September 2010 through May 2012. The recall affects 413,418 vehicles sold in the United States, 61,299 in Canada and 701 in Israel. The engine shield on the models affected has the potential to trap engine fluids and raise the risk of a fire, GM said. Cruze models sold around the world made at plants other than in Lordstown, Ohio, do not have the same design and are not believed to have the same issue, a

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Tesla delivers new Model S with high hopes for luxury electric sedan

The Tesla Model S, which the controversial carmaker calls "the world's first premium electric sedan," has arrived to its initial customers with a starting price of just under $50,000 after federal tax incentives. The "affordable" sedan is about half the price of its older, svelte sibling, the two-door Roadster. With its vast array of options, the new Tesla's price can reach nearly $100,000. "It's certainly not mass market by General Motors or Toyota standards," Edmunds.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs told NPR Morning Edition co-host Renee Montagne. "Tesla says they're going to make 5,000 of these this year, and then increase the production next year. So it still really is a niche vehicle." According to Tesla, the performance version of the

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Click and Clack, 'Car Talk' hosts, driving off into NPR retirement sunset

Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of the National Public Radio's popular "Car Talk" program that puts a comedic spin on often mundane topic of automotive repair, will retire in September after 35 years. The brothers, who used the moniker broadcast name Click and Clack, the Tappett Brothers, have been taping the weekly show at WBUR, Boston's public radio affiliate, since 1977. "My brother has always been 'work-averse," said Ray Magliozzi said in a release about Tom who will turn age 75 this year. "Now, apparently, even the one hour a week is killing him." NPR will continue to broadcast the show with highlights from the more the 1,200 episode of the shows, with occasional updates from the Magliozzi brothers. First

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Adam Carolla: Driving, performing at Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Comedian Adam Carolla, the avid sports car enthusiast, former host of The Car Show and current host of the weekly podcast Carcast, will perform August 17 during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Carolla, who will be competing in the event while driving two of his vintage Datsuns, will perform at 8 p.m. at the The Sunset Center in Carmel. A package deal that includes a ticket to the show and a two-day pass to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion is available in person at the Sunset Center Theater box office for $150, a savings of $25. The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 17-19 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, celebrates the life of Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012,

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Toyota surpasses four million hybrid vehicles sold since 1997 debut

The Toyota Prius dominates the hybrid car segment and it's the primary reason why 16 years after its debut, the carmaker recently surpassed four million hybrid units sold. Toyota currently sells 18 hybrid passenger vehicles in 80 countries and regions. This year, hybrid vehicle accounted for 15 percent of TMC’s global vehicle sales. Prius, Toyota’s first hybrid passenger car, went on sale in Japan in 1997. Hybrid technology was later introduced to the U.S. in 2000 with the arrival of the Prius. Since then, the Toyota Division of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. sold 1.5 million hybrid vehicles in the U.S., accounting for 65 percent of all hybrid vehicles sold in the region. Prius, the iconic hybrid brand, comprises half

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Dario Franchitti wins Indy 500 for third time, honors Dan Wheldon

Dario Franchitti, 39, of Scotland, who May 27 won the Indianapolis 500, joined a select fraternity of the drivers who've won the event three times. With his third winner in yellow-flag circumstances, Franchitti joins Louis Meyer, Wilbur Shaw, Mauri Rose, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser and Helio Castroneves as triple winners. "Thank all the fans for saluting our Dan (Wheldon) today," said Franchitti, who was one of deceased driver's closest friends. "What a race. What a race. I was side by side with Takuma (Sato). We hit and I managed to keep it out of trouble." Franchitti's third win occurrred on a record-beaking day with more lead changes in the race than in any previous Indy 500 race. The victory also

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Carroll Shelby's life celebration planned at Rolex Motorsports Reunion in Monterey

The life of Carroll Shelby, a veteran who flew B-29s, an oil roughneck, a chicken farmer and automotive legend, will be celebrated August 17-9 at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway Laguna Raceway. The connection between Shelby and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has long been intertwined. Shelby was a frequent participant in the formative years of the raceway, then named Laguna Seca. On Oct. 20, 1960, Shelby drove the No. 98 Tipo 61 Maserati “Birdcage” in the final race of his legendary driving career. Despite taking nitroglycerin pills to ease chest pains, he finished second after leading much of the race. That position, however, earned enough points for Shelby to clinch the 1960 USAC Sports Car Championship. Plans

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