Sports Cars

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Honda Announces New Restyled, Refined 2009 Accord

The new Accord’s styling is an evolution of the current model, although it’s significantly wider and slightly lower than its predecessor. It adopts a ‘sharp-edged’ design with muscular wheel arches to emphasize the car’s wider track. The more sporty approach to exterior design is perhaps best expressed in the new Touareg, which still offers incredible versatility and practicality, but a mix of curves and crisp lines at the rear give the estate a more stylish overall appearance. Making its debut in Accord is Honda’s second-generation diesel engine – the i-DTEC –, which builds on the outstanding qualities of the award-winning i-CTDi unit. Not only is the new diesel more powerful – offering 150 PS at 4,000 rpm – it also

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Jaguar Super V8, 2008: Bill Belew's Car Buzz

Life before and after the Jaguar Super V8 in no particular order. Before — I used to worry about fuel prices. After — If I can afford this car, ($95K) I don’t need to worry about another $1-2/gallon increase. Besides 22 mpg on the highway and the Jaguar will get me from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Cincinnati to Nashville, the New Orleans to Miami. Before — I used to hate getting stuck in traffic. After — I just love sitting in the Jaguar. Who needs to get anywhere in a hurry when you are sitting in a moving living room? Before —  used to have to fumble with CDs. After — Now, I hit the 60’s button, the 70’s,

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GM Announces Education Partnership To Reduce Oil Consumption Via Less Frequent Oil Changes

And for millions of GM vehicles, that could be mean oil changes with much longer durations than decades-old standard of every 3,000 miles. General Motors will support public outreach efforts by the Cal/EPA and the CIWMB to help motorists understand how frequently they need to change their engine oil, and the proper methods of doing so. The traditional 3,000-mile oil change recommendation was based on past engine and oil technologies. Today’s engines are built to strict tolerances using advanced technology, reducing or eliminating contaminants that might enter the engine. In-vehicle technologies like the GM Oil Life System can also reduce the frequency between oil changes by determining each engine’s oil “life.” “Driving conditions vary from one driver to another,” said

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Honda Begins Limited U.S. Distribution Of Hydrogen Car, Clarity

The FCX Clarity runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the gases believed to induce global warming. Honda began transporting the first supply of the vehicle June 16 from Takanezawa, Japan to Los Angeles. A few dozen of perhaps 200 of the vehicles expected to be available in coming months have created a buzz among Hollywood celebrities, according to the Associated Press. The news service reported actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Harris, filmmaker Christopher Guest and Ron Yerxa and businessmen Job Spallino and Jim Salomon are among the Clarity’s first customers. Honda believes its new car is two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car.

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Volvo C30, 2008: Bill Belew's Car Buzz

I first saw a Volvo up close when I spent a year one winter in Buffalo, NY. A Volvo sedan in front of a dealer was completely mangled. Smushed. Ready for the scrap heap. There was a sign next to it, “The Driver Walked Away From This Crash Without A Scratch.” So, the first thing I wanted to do when I recently got in the 2008 Volvo 2 Door Hatchback C30, was roll it down a hill, it into a paper wad, err,metal wad, make it look like mashed potatoes, a pile of corn cobs and see if I could live through it. A friend here in San Jose, Calif. rolled his Volvo. It just made him dizzy. The car

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2008 Porsche Tops J.D. Power & Associates Initial Quality List

The Porsche 911 has the fewest quality issues, with 67 problems per 100 vehicles, the study noted. Lincoln took dubious honors, falling from No. 3 to No. 15, according to the results released June 4. Jeep is at the list, with Mini one position from the bottom. Saturn also faltered, falling to No. 33 from No. 20 in 2007. Ford and Mercury performed well both in the top 10. J.D. Power and Associates commended the auto industry for “a continued reduction in the level of defects and malfunctions” in vehicles. Overall quality improved by 6 percent in 2008 compared with 2007. The study found that new-vehicle sales in 2008 shifted away from large cars and trucks toward smaller models. The

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Ford Mustang Tops List Of Young Drivers' Most Wanted Cars

ForbesAuto.com, in its long article written by John Adams, is quick to explain vehicles purchased by car buyers under age 21 represent only 1.2 percent of all new car sales. Nevertheless, it’s interesting]]> to examine young car buyers’ habits, particularly considering 3.2 million kids in the United States have or will graduate from high school this year. Nine of out the top-10 (and ties) favorites among young car buyers are automobiles priced under $20,000. Ford has three cars on the list, Volkswagen, Toyota and Honda are represented twice. Jeep, Dodge and Chevrolet have one selection each. 10. Volkswagen Jetta; 9. Dodge Charger; 8 (tie) Jeep Wrangler, Ford F-150; 7. (tie) Ford Focus, Chevrolet Impala; 6. Toyota Corolla; 5. 2009 Toyota

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Smart Fortwo Gets Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's Top Rating

The Fortwo’s seat/head restraints earned the second highest rating of acceptable for protection against whiplash in rear impacts. Smart Fortwo is classified a microcar, meaning it’s smaller even than minicars. Weighing about 1,800 pounds, the Smart is more than three feet shorter and almost 700 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper. It weighs about a third as much as one of the heaviest vehicles the Institute has tested, the BMW X5, a midsize SUV. As the price of fuel climbs and tougher federal fuel economy requirements kick in, auto companies are expected to introduce more small vehicles to the market. The Smart is the smallest car the Institute ever has tested. The IIHS test results generally demonstrate how well vehicles

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Dodge Viper's Dubious Honor: Most Expensive Car To Repair

Escalating gas prices and “green” cars are the most hotly discussed topics in the automotive industry. But there’s an equally important issue for car owners. It’s the determining factor for some new/used car buyers, while other consumers buy brands regardless of resale value and cost of operation. The factor, most expensive to repair goes to the Dodge Viper. Forbes.com does a lot of keen reporting in the auto industry, and its latest effort is no exception. It’s the list of the most expensive cars to repair. Using 2008 repair estimates calculated over a five-year period and tabulated by Vincentric did the study. It’s an auto industry data-analysis company that examines the cost of zero-deductible, bumper-to-bumper extended-warranty claims to calculate the

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Electric Sports Car, Tesla, Makes Los Angeles Debut

According to an Associated Press report, the Tesla can travel 225 miles on one charge and fully recharge in 3 1/2 hours. The car was developed in San Carlos, Calif., with venture capital of more than $40 million. Google Inc. founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were among the initial investors. A distribution for San Carlos as well as in Chicago, New York and other cities by early next year. Although a fully loaded model can cost $124,000, the Tesla’s 6,831-cell lithium-ion battery pack gives off no emissions. The Tesla accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in slightly less than four seconds and it has a top speed of 125 mph. According to the Associated Press: * Tesla officials report

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Safety Institute Determines 2007 Buick Rendezvous Most Dangerous Car In Crashes

The IIHS evaluates automobile safety via front and side-impact protection, stability control and rollover risk. The four-door Rendezvous had an abysmal three-star (out of five) NHTSA frontal impact rating. The 2008 Buick Enclave, a crossover SUV with a full roster of standard safety equipment, replaced it. Here’s the list of the most dangerous cars to be in during a car crash in 2007, according to IIHS. It’s an organization that represents the interests of the insurance industry. 1. Buick Rendezvous SUV 2. Ford Ranger/Mazda B-Series 3. Nissan Frontier 4. Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner 5. Toyota Yaris 6. Hyundai Accent 7. Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe 8. Kia Rio 9. Chevrolet Aveo 10. Suzuki Reno/Forenza 11. Ford Focus 12. Jeep Liberty 13. Dodge Dakota

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Consumer Reports Selects Its Worst-10 Vehicles For 2008

Here’s the list of 10-worst (actually 11) vehicles. That is, the vehicles with the 11 lowest scores (out of 100 points) and Consumer Report testers’ highs and lows comments: 1. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Score: 17; Highs: Off-road ability; Lows: Ride, handling, braking, noise, fuel economy, fit and finish, visibility, front seat comfort, access, reliability. 2. Hummer H3 (5 Cylinder) Score: 27; Highs: Off-road ability, turning circle; Lows: Acceleration, fuel economy, access, visibility, ride, heavy tailgate, emergency handling, reliability. 3. Jeep Liberty Sport, Score: 27; Highs: Off-road ability; Lows: Fuel economy, noise, agility, fit and finish. 4. Chevrolet Aveo5, Score: 32; Highs: Front access, turning circle, hatchback; Lows: Acceleration, handling. 5. Dodge Nitro SLT, Score: 33; Highs: None; Lows: Ride, handling,

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Audi Gets Two World Car Of The Year Honors

When naming the Audi R8 as the 2008 World Performance Car, the jurors observed it has “solid credentials on paper thanks to its mid-mounted 420 horsepower V8 engine and aluminum construction. But where it excels is in the exceptional balance, refinement and control that grant the driver the confidence to push to the limit. It has astonishing precision for a car of its size category.” Last year, the Audi RS 4 collected the World Performance Car award, so this makes it two in a row in the performance category for the brand with the four rings. This year there were two representatives from Audi in the final stages of voting, as the Audi S5 was also one of the top

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What's In A Car Name? For The Thunderbird, Try A New Suit

AOL reports a great new name for a car nowadays may cost a c manufacturer $50,000. Those in the business of thinking up car names can earn $5,000 to $10,000 per letter — a hefty sum in any writing world. Known as “naming consultants,” the current-day car namers of add a letter or two to proposed names like XT, XL or ZZ, into the deal. “In their extreme form, the results can look like untidy snippets of mutant gene code or meaningless debris from some Martian game of Scrabble,” writes the AOL author. Examples: Cadillac STS, the Pontiac G6, the Honda Civic Si Coupe, the BMW X3 SAV, Taurus X, Nissan Xterra. It’s as though consumers “are going to go

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Audi A4, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Not many vehicles in the same class are offered as a sedan, convertible and wagon, and that’s another strong trait for the vehicle often credited with jettisoning Audi out of its sales slump and image problems in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The ’08 Audi remains largely unchanged from 2007. The minor alterations include new bumpers and a new lower side door trim. The A4 is available with one of two engines. A 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder produces 200 horsepower and the 3.1-liter V6 has 255 horsepower. My weekly test drive is the 2.0-liter, turbocharged Quattro, Audi’s all-wheel drive system. Audi A4 sedans have either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. I’m

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Ferrari, Jaguar and VW Karmann Ghia (Really!) On London Telegraph's Top-100 car list

But the Ghia had its moments. I once drove it round-trip from Sacramento to Las Vegas and managed to maneuver through heavy rain, strong winds and followed a snow plow over a mountain pass on Interstate 50. A few years into ownership, the Ghia was heavily vandalized and I sold it cheap. Turns out my father had good taste, similar to readers of The (London) Daily Telegraph. In its recently released list of the “100 Most Beautiful Cars,” the VW Karmann Ghia was voted No. 32, finishing better than some Ferraris and eight positions shy of the unique Talbot Lago T150C SS. The London Daily Telegraph’s comment on the Talbot Lago was great, succinct commentary: “Commonly known  as the “Teardrop”

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