Automotive News

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Baboons frolic in Hyundai Elantra just for the fun of it

Baboons likely don't know one car from another, but a dozen of the monkey seemed to have a good time recently when turned loose to frolic in a Hyundai i30 park in Britian's Knowsley Safari park. Hyundai used the keen marketing approach to test the durability of the car known as the Hyundai Elantra wagon. The baboons acted liked . . . baboons. "At Hyundai, we believe in thinking differently, so we decided to give a new approach to this test of durability," said Felicity Wood, product manager at Hyundai i30. Many of the monkeys chose to play in the trunk, and most of them dirtied the interior and scratched exterior paint. "The fact that the car survived with only

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Ferrari recall: faulty crankshaft could cause no-so-good vibrations

Even the esteemed Ferrari, specifically the 458 and California, apparently aren't perfect. But a crankshaft issue? As odd as it may sound, Ferrari is recalling a combined 206 Califiornia and 458 models worldwide. The problem is caused by an incorrect finish to the models' crankshaft. As a result, unwanted vibrations can damage the engine "We are writing to all clients affected now, asking them to return the car to a dealer for the work to be done,"Ferrari spokesman said. 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 this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The

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Carroll Shelby: Automotive legend, medical marvel dies at age 89

Carroll Shelby, the sole member of a rare automotive fraternity who rose to prominence as a driver, builder and owner, has died at age 89 in Dallas, Texas. Shelby won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Aston Martin in 1959 with co-driver Roy Salvadori. He also won U.S. sports-car championship titles with Ferrari and Maserati and raced in Formula 1 for two seasons. In the 1960s, Shelby created the iconic Shelby Cobra. It dominated the racetracks of the era and defeated Ferrari for the world manufacturer's title. Shelby lent his name and tuning expertise to existing models, most notably the Ford Mustang with the Shelby GT350 Mustang. As a modern version, the 650-horsepower V8-powered Shelby GT500 Mustang, is still

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How hot is Hyundai? Son of company founder seeks nation's presidency

As Hyundai continues its current front-of-the-pack status, the South Korean manufacturer's legacy is now going in a new direction. Chung Mong-joon, a veteran lawmaker and a son of the late Hyundai Group founder, has declared his candidacy for president. Chung, 60, said in a news conference announcing his candidacy. "I will write a new history for Korea by drawing on my experiences in managing a firm, in foreign diplomacy and in helping the Republic of Korea become one." The presidential election is scheduled for Dec. 19 with incumbent President Lee Myung-bak barred by law from seeking re-election. Chung was re-elected to parliament for a seventh straight term in the April 11 general elections. It was Chung's second time being chosen

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2012 Honda Fit video review

The 2012 Honda Fit sport model features a 1.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine with 117 horsepower and a five-speed automatic transmission. The sport model also includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler keenly integrated into the hatchback and an optional navigation system. The Fit’s interior is space efficiency defined. There's 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space, as much as some compact SUVs. With all seats down, cargo space expands to 57.3 cubic feet. Although numerous subcompacts and compacts are averaging more than 40 mpg, the Fit doesn't fare as well, with averaged of 27 mph in city driving and 33 mpg in highway driving. The MSRP is $19,690.00 Videographer Bruce Aldrich, publisher of www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com, produced the video below. James RaiaA sports,

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Scion FR-S, 2013: Performance-oriented, mean sports car machine

The 2013 Scion FR-S, with its affordable $24,000 base price packed with value, is a true rear-wheel drive sports machine, not some vague imitation with front-wheel drive pretending to be a sports coupe. I test drove the Subaru BRZ and walked away thoroughly impressed. If the FR-S is anything close to performing like its Japanese cousin, we can look forward to seeing a lot them being picked up by the enthusiast crowd. Just the Numbers The FR-S is powered by a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder boxer engine that can crank out 200 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,400-6,600 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic, with paddle shifters and Dynamic

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Dodge Dart, 2013: Pricing announced for return of iconic sedan

The 2013 Dodge Dart, which will be available in five trims when it debuts in the summer of 2012, will be priced from $15,995 to $22,495, according to Chrysler. The entry level price for the Dodge is lower than some of its main competition in the compact market, which accounts for about 15 percent of new car sales. “The all-new Dodge Dart is a groundbreaking car, offering features and benefits never before found in a compact car,” said Reid Bigland, Dodge President and CEO. With class-leading style, customization, safety, technology, and interior levels of roominess, the all-new Dart perfectly blends Alfa Romeo DNA and Dodge passion and style into one all-new car that customers will be proud to own and

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Two Fords, Two Chevys among 10 worst cars ever sold in America

It's not the first time the Pontiac Aztek has been named the worst car in history. But Jerry Hirsch, the long-time auto reviewer for the Los Angeles Times, has a lot of fun revisiting his list and calling it the "Ten Worst Cars Sold in America." The Aztec is again No. 1. The current list spans more than 85 years and includes four vehicles from the 1970s as well as two Fords and two Chevrolets. Each vehicle on the list is feature with a picture, and the axiom that one picture is worthg one thousand words certainly holds true by the looks of some of the beasts. But each vehicle is also followed by a brief description of why it's

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Hyundai confirms first hydrogen car Tucsan ix will debut in late 2012

Hyundai has confirmed its previously announced plans to introduce later this year its hydrogen car, the Tucsan ix, as a 2013 model and at a cost of nearly $90,000. The initial release will be 1,000 cars, with Hyundai predicting it will sell 10,000 units of the new vehicle per year by 2015. Most of the debuting hydrogen Hyundai models will be released in Europe. Most major manufacturers are planning fuel cell vehicle rollouts in limited production numbers in 2015, including Toyota, Honda, and possibly General Motors. Although the new vehicle is largely set for distribution in Europe, new Tuscan ix models that make it to the U.S., will likely be distributed in the Los Angeles where other manufacturers' fuel cell

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Bubba Watson, Carl Edwards talk golfer's 1969 Dodge Charger (Video)

Unlike other pro golfers who drive and sometimes arrive at PGA Tour events in Mercedes-Benz sedans to motorhomes and vintage Porsche coupes to Cadillac Escalades, Bubba Watson prefers Chrysler — a 1969 Dodge Charger, General Lee edition. Only slightly more than 300 of the 1969 Dodge Chargers were modified and used in the television program, The Dukes of Hazzard. In the program, cousins Bo and Luke Duke drove the cars in chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode. The doors were welded shut, leaving the cousins to climb in and out through the windows. Watson purchased his Dodge Charger at the Barrett-Jackson auction in January for $110,000 and calls the General Lee his "dream car." It's called

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Chevrolet dominates 2012 safest small cars list

Advanced design, safety features more stringent seatbelt and DUI laws have resulted decreased traffic fatalities in recent years. But nearly 33,000 people died in traffic accident in the United States in 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA further details the yearly death vehicular accidents mean a fatality occurs once every 16 minutes and that vehicle collisions remain the leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of three and 34. As such, with an increase in the purchase of small cars because of better fuel efficiency, safety or lack of safety are omnipresent in small cars. And the begs the question: What are the safety small cars. Forbes.com has compiled a list of

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Volkswagen up! one-ups 33 rivals for World Car of the Year honors in New York

The Volkswagen up!, the car with arguably the most unique name in automotive history and a vehicle not expected to be available in the United States, has won World Car of the Year honors as selected by international auto journalists at the New York International Auto Show. The minicar defeated 33 other nominees in the competition judged on merit, value, safety, environmental impact, significance and emotional appeal. "This award shows once again that in the up! our designers and engineers have created a vehicle that has been thought through in minute detail, said Volkswagen Chairman Dr. Martin Winterkorn. The Volkswagen, up!, also called the SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo in various markets, is a 3-door and 5-door hatchback "city car."

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Mazda2, 2012: keen handling lightweight among top sub-compacts (video)

The sub-compact car segment is increasingly popular among buyers on tight budgets and interested in saving money on rising fuels cost. The 2012 Mazda2 joins the Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio as top offerings in the class. A year after Mazda introduced the third generation of the "2," the 2012 edition remains the same. It's a 100-horsepower, 1.5-liter, four-cylinder entry level sedan with a a five-speed manual transmission standard or a four-speed automatic optional. Videographer Bruce Aldrich (www.tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com) produced this video and The Weekly Driver (James Raia) provided commentary. 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.

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Dodge Viper, 2013: V10, 640 horsepower and new interior technology (video)

The 2013 Dodge Viper, the third generation of the elusive supercar, is debuting in the New York Auto Show and will be welcomed by power hungy fans of the iconic massive machine. The new Viper, anticipated since the new beast's pending arrival months ago, features its signature long hood, short deck and double-bouble roof as well as twin air extractors, fender vents and side exhausts. The 8.4-liter V10 produces 640 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via its only transmission option, a six-speed manual. The body is made lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum. Chrysler detailed that the Viper's interior features improved materials, an LCD performance monitor, infotainment system and a grab handle. The Viper is returning

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Hyundai to dump Veracruz, replaced by new Santa Fe

For all of its recent successes, Hyundai has also had disappointments — like the Veracruz. The poor-selling, seven-passender sport utility vehicle will soon be no more, according to John Krafcik, the carmaker's North American CEO. According to Autoblog.com, quoting Krafcik, the seven passenger Santa Fe, which debuted at the 2012 New York Auto Show, will replace the Veracruz. The Veracruz debuted in 2007, but has been among the lowest-selling Hyundai models. This year, while Hyundai is selling at a record-setting pace overall, sales of the Veracruz has continued to struggle. In just-released totals, the Veracruz sold 622 units in March of 2012, 50 fewer that it sold in March 2011. In the first quarter of 2012, the Veracruz has sold

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Hyundai popularity continues with all-time record sales month

Hyundai achieved its all-time best sales month in March 2012, with the South Korean manufacturer selling 69,728 vehicles. The record was a 13 percent improvement from March 2011, the company's previous best sales month. For the first quarter 2012, Hyundai sales have increased 15 percent over 2011 and overall retail sales through dealerships have risen 33 percent over last March. “As Hyundai continues to offer more fuel-efficient vehicles, we are seeing more and more consumers in our showrooms, resulting in greater 40-mpg highway vehicle sales than ever before,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “Our 40-mpg vehicle sales are up an astonishing 67.5 percent over last March.” Here are Hyundai's comparative sales numbers from 2011 to

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