Toyota troubles continue, automaker now facing more than 320 lawsuits

In a report filed with U.S. District Judge James Selna, attorneys for the plaintiffs and Toyota listed 228 federal cases and 99 related cases in state courts. A judicial panel consolidated the federal cases before Selna last month. Selna’s court is in Orange County, California, near Los Angeles and close to Toyota‘s U.S. headquarters. The next court date in the case is scheduled for May 13. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Toyota said the acceleration problems were caused by faulty floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals. Some plaintiffs

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Nissan recalling 135,000 Infiniti G35 coupes, sedans with airbags issues

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The recall involves G35 coupes from the 2005 to 2007 model years and G35 sedans from the 2005 to 2006 model year. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Nissan reports the air bag unit’s wire harness under the front passenger seat could wear down and interrupt the air bag’s signal. In a crash, the air bag may not deploy and could increase the risk of injury. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Nissan has not yet provided the agency with a plan to fix the

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Rare Bugatti sold to California museum for record $30-40 million

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A blog report by the newspaper detailed that in late May, the estate of Dr. Peter D. Williamson sold the late car collector’s prized vehicle to the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. If the sale price is accurate, it would shatter the previous record, the $12.2 million paid in May 2009 at public auction in Maranello, Italy, for a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars The Bugatti sale was brokered by Gooding & Company, the automotive auction house based in Santa

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Tour de France titlist Lance Armstrong will get country's first Nissan LEAF

Nissan has provided more than 40 support vehicles for the 810-mile, eight-day Amgen Tour of California, including one Leaf which appeared at the finish line for each stage. Armstrong is also as an official spokesperson for the LEAF. Nissan representatives commented:  “Armstrong was chosen because his fitness and constant drive for perfection are a perfect match to the qualities of the LEAF.” 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

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Geely IG to replace Tata Nano as world's cheapest car

According to several reports, the Chinese manufacturer may soon sell its frugal min-car with its 1.0-liter, 70 horsepower engine and a five-speed transmission for about $2,250, a few hundred dollars less than the Nano. Geely debut the IG Fantastic, concept car, at the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show. It had gull wing doors, similar to the famous Mercedes Benz sports car. The IG that may be first available as a 2012 model will be 185 mm longer and will have a 100 mm longer wheelbase than the Toyota IQ. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans,

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Kia unleashes its rapping Soul(ful) hamsters, again

The rap music isn’t much. The hamsters are out of step. The lyrics are lame. But put it all together and the new commercial for the Kia Soul will likely make you laugh. Kia is also hoping it’ll make you consider buying a Soul. The repeated phrase in the music is: “You can get with this or you can get with that. This is the ride. This is the worldwide debut music video. This is the Kia Soul. A new way to roll.” James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new

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Cadillac unveils 2011 CTS Coupe pricing, options

The ultimate expression of Cadillac’s new Coupe, the high-performance V-Series edition with 556 horsepower, Brembo brakes and Magnetic Ride Control also goes on sale later this summer at $62,990 including destination charge. “CTS Coupe is a compelling new alternative for luxury and performance-minded drivers,” said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac marketing. “The addition of a Coupe, especially one this dramatic, provides an important entryway for new consumers to experience Cadillac Art and Science.” The Coupe expands the award-winning CTS line-up, which already includes the CTS Sport Sedan and CTS Sport Wagon. CTS has been named to the Car and

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Chrysler recalls 600,000 Jeep Wranglers, minivans

Chrysler is recalling nearly 600,000 minivans and Jeep Wranglers because of brake or wiring problems that could become safety issues, according to the automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA website reported Chrysler is recalling 288,968 Jeep Wranglers from the 2006 through 2010 model years due to a potential brake fluid leak. Additionally, 284,831 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans from the 2008 and 2009 model years are being recalled because a wiring problem can cause a fire inside the sliding doors. Neither problem has caused any crashes or injuries, Chrysler reported. On

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Infiniti G37 Sedan Journey, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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For 2010, the G Sedan, Infiniti‘s top-selling model, features revised exterior styling, an enhanced interior treatment, upgraded technology features and remains a top player as a near-luxury sports sedan. Most of the enhancements, except for the exterior refinements, are also available on the 2010 G37 Coupe and G37 Convertible. Infiniti buyers have four choices — G37 Sedan, G37 Sedan Journey, G37S Sedan Sport 6MT and G37x Sedan AWD. All 2010 G sedans are equipped with a 328-horsepower 3.7-liter VVEL (Variable Valve Event & Lift) V6. A 7-speed automatic transmission is standard on all models except the G37 Sport 6MT, comes

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GM recall: 1.5 million vehicles, including Cadillac, Chevrolet, have windshield wiper system fire risk

The recall affects several pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, crossovers and passenger car models from model years 2006-2009. General Motors had a similar recall in 2008, but new issues arose in fixed vehicles. General Motors said it will disable the heated washer fluid system module that could lead to fires. The Detroit automaker will pay owners and those leasing vehicles $100 each since the feature is being disabled. Five fires, but no injuries or crashes in GM vehicles have been reported. Nearly 1.4 million vehicles are in the U.S. and more than 100,000 vehicles are in Canada, Mexico and other

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Rare Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa set for Monterey Auto Week auction

Delivered new to Brazilian Jean-Louis Lacerda Soares, 0738 TR was raced for several seasons in South America under the Esquardari Largatixa banner where it recorded a number of successful finishes. Continuing RM’s global leadership in the presentation of historic Ferraris at auction – holding seven of the top 10 all-time auction records for the marque – 0738 TR is joined by no less than 22 other exceptional vintage Ferraris in Monterey. Notable entries include: a highly-desirable, covered headlamp 1959 Ferrari LWB California Spyder, s/n 1489 GT, (Est. $2,750,000 – $3,250,000) delivered new to Prince Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia; a rare

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Chevrolet begins aggressive order campaign for electric Volt

Chevrolet dealers in six states and in Washington, D.C., have begun take orders taking customer orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the industry’s first electric vehicle with extended-range capability. Chevrolet is offering a lease program on the Volt with a monthly payment as low as $350 for 36 months at MSRP with $2,500 due at lease signing, including a varying security deposit based on current conditions The benefit of the $7,500 tax credit is included in the reduced lease payment, with the tax credit going to the lessor. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans,

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Bugatti introduces new Veyron, will debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

The new Veyron body was is also lighter and constructed with an all-carbon, monocoque frame. The new Veyron will make its debut at the Concours d’Elegance on August 15 in Pebble Beach. The event will also feature Alfa Romeo, Pierce-Arrow and Jaguar as well as  celebrate the designs of Ghia. And the event will also welcome Hot Rods, particularly lakesters and Bonneville racers, as well as Indy Cars. The second year for motorcycles at the famed show will focus on classic American bikes built prior to 1960. Bugatti is also the marquee for Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Mazda Raceway

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Nissan Leaf will offer same battery warranty as Chevy Volt

The pending battle between the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt has intensified with the announcement Nissan will match GM and offer an 8-year/100k miles warranty on the battery pack of its LEAF electric car. The MSRP for the LEAF starts at $32,780; the full Federal tax credit of $7,500 brings that down to $25,280. In California, the LEAF is eligible for an up to $5,000 CVRP rebate, bringing the price down to close to $20,000. The LEAF will debut in December in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and Tennessee. In January 2011 , LEAF will debut in Texas and Hawaii. The

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Acura ZDX, 2010: Roman Mica Reports (Text and Video)

Roman Mica, contributing editor to TheWeeklyDriver.com, compares the new offering to a BMW. But he also questions the vehicle’s practicality while simultaneously appreciating its performance. Here’s Mica’s text and video review: Perhaps the closest competitor to the ZDX is BMW‘s X6. BMW took the DNA of a SUV/Crossover and spliced it together with a 4-door coupe to create the X6 and a new kind of car. Acura has done basically the same thing, but the approach is much subtle. While the BMW engineers took a sledge hammer approach to performance, Acura takes a scalpel with its super handling all-wheel-drive. And

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Geely, Ford announce final numbers in Volvo deal — $1.5 billion

The original price of $1.8 billion was agreed upon in March. The Chinese carmaker confirmed Stefan Jacoby, former head of Volkswagen AG’s U.S. operations, will be Volvo Cars’ chief executive, replacing Stephen Odell, who becomes chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe. Li Shufu, founder of Geely and new chairman of the board of Volvo Cars, and Ford Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth signed the agreement in London. Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally expressed confidence in Volvo’s prospects, noting the carmaker had returned to profit after a restructuring. “The sale of Volvo will allow us to sharpen our focus on

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