Automotive News

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Ford gets jump start, first carmaker to unveil 2013 NASCAR model

For the third time, Ford has simultaneously launched production and NASCAR versions of a new model. The latest is the 2013 Fusion. It joins the first dual launch of Ford Torino (1968) and then in 2006 when the Fusion was selected the first time. With the announcement, Ford became the first manufacturer in NASCAR to unveil its 2013 car. "The NASCAR Nation is made up of car enthusiasts, and NASCAR fans certainly love to pull for a brand or make of car second only to being able to pull for their favorite driver," said NASCAR President Mike Helton. "Today is a very significant landmark for us. It brings back the relevancy of NASCAR on the race track to what fans

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Rare Mercedes-Benz Gullwing fetches nearly $5 million in auction

Hagerty Insurance, the company that among other specialties, track sales at vintage car auctions, compiled a list of vehicles sold last week at the Arizona auctions houses known for their unique collection of old, unique cars. Barrett-Jackson announced it sold more than $92 million of vehicles in its annual year-opening auction describes as "rare, high-end collectible vehicles, exotics, customs, classics, hot rods and resto-mods." But rival Gooding took auction house honors in individual sales honors. Its 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL alloy Gullwing sold for $4,620,000. Here's the rest of the list of top sellers: 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder sold for $3,905,000 (Gooding) 1948 Tucker Torpedo sold for $2,915,000 (Barrett-Jackson) 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay DHC sold for $2,750,000

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Snow, car crashes and drivers' stupidity plentiful in Bountiful, Utah (video)

The dangers of driving in the snow aren't always readily apart. And even when what appears to be a rather tame slightly declining road in Bountiful, Utah, becomes increasingly dangerous, drivers and pedestrians just don't seem to get it. And so it was. Driving in the snow is downright nasty In this five-minute video, filmed by Rhee Braby, the driving nightmare begins slowly with a few cars hitting curbs. Then there are about a half-dozen accidents, cars skidding into yards and any number of vehicles careening out of control. But does everyone heed the warnings of citizens and policemen trying to help? No. The result: In a few minutes, a not-so-serious-looking Utah snow on Jan. 21 storm turns ugly. And

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Toyota Highlander, 2012: Tackles family, weekend duties with ease

The 2012 Toyota Highlander is a three-row crossover that offers a choice between four-cylinder and V6 power, front-wheel drive (FWD) and full-time, four-wheel drive (4WD). The Highlander Hybrid, with EPA fuel economy estimates of 28/28-mpg city/highway, provides a nice blend of performance and fuel economy. The 2012 Highlander is available in Highlander, SE and Limited grades with either front-wheel drive (FWD) or full-time four-wheel-drive (4WD). A 270-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 is standard on the Limited grade and available with other models. All Highlander Hybrids are equipped with four-wheel-drive with intelligence and are available in Highlander and Limited grades. Standard engine for the Base and SE models is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine which produces 187 horsepower at 5,800 RPM and 186 lb.-ft.

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Danica Patrick won't race Indy 500, will compete in Coca-Cola 600 in 2012

Danica Patrick, who as a rookie seven years ago became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500, will not compete in the event this year, opting to focus on NASCAR racing and the same day Coca-Cola 600. Patrick, who late last season announced her decision to focus on NASCAR racing, had left the Indy 500 as an option. Now, Patrick who finished fifth in the 2005 Indy 500 and a career-best third in 2006, has furthered distanced herself from Indy cars. "I hope to do it in the future, the Indy 500 that is, and maybe it will be a double," Patrick said Jan. 23. "But at this point in time, after a lot of conversations, it's just going

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Formula 1 ticket waitlist opened for U.S. return at Circuit of the Americas

The return of Formula 1 racing to the United State is still about 10 months away, but reservations for the waitlist for tickets to the debut event Nov. 16-18, is now available. A refundable deposit of $100 will secure a place for waitlist, which opened Jan. 21 and will close Feb. 13. If you sign up for the Select Seating waitlist and decide you are no longer interested in purchasing a suite or select seating, the deposit, paid via Paypa, will be refunded. Following the close of the Select Seating enrollment period on Monday, February 13, individuals on the waitlist will be contacted with a survey with information regarding the different seating options and pricing available. Personal Seat Licenses, priced

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Volvo, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz dominate 2012 safest cars list

With its auto content, Forbes.com likes lists. Its current offering, like much of its other car content, is subjective — the safest 2012 cars. Infiniti, Mercedes-Benez and Volvo, with three selections, dominate the list. The subjectiveness of the list is not a criticism. It's subjective via the criteria used to make its choices, which, seem like the right criteria. One of the strongest considerations is the designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). For 2012, a total of 69 cars, 38 SUVs and three pickups made the non-profit's Top Safety Picks list, including 18 new recipients. To qualify as an IIHS Top Safety Pick, a car must garner top scores for performance in front, side, rollover and rear-end

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Buick Regal GS, 2012: Fast, handsome competition for Audi, Acura

Buick’s fast 1965-74 GS (Gran Sport) muscle cars were far more luxurious than some rivals. The 2012 Buick Regal GS revives the “GS” name in fine style. This time around, though, the mid-size GS is a fast, handsome rival to foreign sedans from Audi and Acura. The new Regal GS has a decidedly European feel because it was largely engineered by General Motors’ Opel unit in Germany. It thus has a taut, supple ride, confident handling and a refined demeanor. The 2012 Regal also is offered with an 182-horsepower four-cylinder, which makes it feel a little underpowered, and a turbocharged 220-horsepower four-cylinder. The GS has an advanced engine that easily outdoes those motors. The old GS models had big V-8s,

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Chevrolet Sonic, 2012: Supple ride in automaker's best-ever economy car

The new 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is the best subcompact car the manufacturer has produced. But, looking at Chevy history, that may not be saying a lot. Its tinny, troublesome 1970s Vega is still remembered by many as being one of the worst small cars from Detroit. However, it’s a different auto world now. The Sonic is derived from General Motor’s German Opel Corsa and provides larger-car refinement and driving kicks. The front-drive Sonic replaces the lackluster Aveo and is Chevrolet's newest small car, although it feels larger inside than it looks from the outside. The Sonic is among the new crop of small, upscale U.S. cars. American automakers have finally learned how to make money with small family cars. Formidable

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Volkswagen goes to the dogs in Stars Wars homage Super Bowl commerical

Volkswagen may have outdone itself. As if fathers and sons and Darth Vader and Star Wars weren’t the perfect combination for one of the most popular Super Bowl commercials in history, how about dogs playing Star Wars characters and barking the famous movie’s ominous theme song? Last year, the “Mini Darth Vader” commercial was the outright favorite in the Super Bowl. It’s generated more than 40 million page views on VW’s YouTube channel. This year, VW has produced a video for a video of its television commercial “The Bark Side.” It will be broadcast in the third quarter of the Super Bowl on Feb 5. The carmaker has replaced the child dressed like Darth Vader with several dogs in custom

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Hyundai claims another honor via J.D. Power's customer loyalty crown

Hyundai has claimed another honor, the time it's been ranked highest among all automotive brands in J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Retention Study. Now in its ninth year, the study measures the rate at which automotive brands retain their existing customers and examines the reasons why customers remain loyal. Hyundai earned the top spot in the study, improving its retention rate by four percentage points from 2010 to 64 percent in 2012. According to J.D. Power and Associates, Hyundai's increased retention rate is shaped by its expanding model lineup, as well as the fact that perceptions of the brand's quality and appeal have continued to improve during the past decade. The 2012 Hyundai Elantra was a top pick among

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BMW recalls 235,000 Minis globally with engine fire potential

BMW is recalling more than 300,000 of its Mini-branded cars globally, including nearly 89,000 in the United States, because of faulty water pumpas and the potentiall the problem could leading to engine fires. Three months ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened up a defects investigation, citing a dozen reports of fires in the vehicles manufactured by BMW. Among the 12 reports, five of the fires reportedly destroyed the cars, but there were not injuries. The recall in the U.S. will comprise of seven models of the Mini series in model year from 2007-2011, including: 2007-11 Cooper S; 2008-11 Cooper S Clubman; 2009-11 Cooper S convertible; 2011 Cooper S Countryman; and the 2009-11 John Cooper Works, John Cooper

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Nissan Xterra, 2012: Rugged, comfortable, keep off-road

Named after the off-road triathlon race series that began in 1996 as the Aquaterra, the Nissan Xterra was introduced in 2000 as a compact sport utility. Nissan ended its sponsorship of the multi-sport event in 2006, but the vehicle bearing the same name remains. It's now in its fourth generation, the 2012 edition is largely unchanged from the previous year's model. The Xterra was Nissan's entry-level SUV until the arrival of the 2008 Nissan Rogue. In the model lineup, the Xterra is priced between the Rogue and the Murano. The Weekly Driver Test Drive For my week's test, I drove the PRO-4X edition, the most off-road geared of three Xtrerra trims. It feature all-terrain tires, skid plates, locking rear differential,

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Nissan Murano, 2012: Flagship SUV offers smooth drive as segment leader

By Mary Ellen Ash In the highly competitive crossover SUV segment, Nissan offers buyers its flagship, the five-passenger Murano. First presented almost a decade ago, the Murano has stood apart from its competitors for years and is still an industry leader. Its appeal goes deeper than ts distinctive styling — the drive quality is also a step above the rest. The combination of Nissan’s strong 260 horsepower 3.5L V6 engine, smooth shifting CVT, well-tuned suspension, and a plethora of features adds up to a crossover that rides like an oversized Maxima. New for this year, the 2012 Nissan Murano is available in five trim levels each with varied specifications to attract potential buyers. Build & Styling It’s always nice to

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Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Star have new 2012 cruisers

Three Gorgeous New Cruisers Here’s a look at three new cruisers you’d love to ride down the beautiful open road. Good-looking cruisers are fun to ride, but it’s even more fun knowing you have nothing to worry about. Make sure to wear a helmet and get in touch with MotorcycleInsurance.com before hitting the road. Star Motorcycles Raider S A great new cruiser and head-turner is the Star Motorcycles Raider S. Star Motorcycles is a subsidiary of Yamaha, and their cruising bikes are quite impressive. The Raider S is a sleek and powerful machine that resembles a custom semi-chopper. This cruiser features a 113 cubic inch V-twin engine with a 5-speed transmission and belt drive. A double cradle raked swingarm frame, 5-spoke

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NAIAS hits and misses: Ford Fusion 2013, Honda Accord Coupe, 2013

After several media-only days, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), often called the Detroit Auto Show, is now open to public for the next week or so. Ford and Honda — two of the expected most popular manufacturers — are getting a lot of attention, but for opposite reasons. The 2013 Ford Fusion is getting heavily praised and has been selected by Yahoo Autos as one of the top five hits of the NAIAS. The 2012 Honda Accord Coupe has been selected by Justin Hyde of Yahoo Autos as one of the top give misses. Here's what Yahoo wrote about the Ford Fusion: "Like anything popular, midsize sedans can get boring fast. The new Fusion, which Ford will sell

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