Ferrari has nine of top-10 most expensive auctioned cars

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With Monterey Auto Week and its collection of high-end car auctions on the horizon in mid-August, it’s always interesting to see how much car enthusiasts will pay for rare automobiles. They’re often Ferrari models. What’s surprising is that some vintage cars attract little attention and sell for reasonable amounts. And, of course, there are cars that attract international investors willing to pay whatever amount it takes. The current highest amount paid at auction is for a 1962-63 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta. It sold for $38.1 million in August 2014 to an investment group at Bonham’s Quail Lodge Auction in Carmel,

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Say goodbye to three Honda models in 2015

Honda makes great cars. The Honda Civic, Accord and CR-V are annually among the top-10 best selling vehicles in the United States. But even Honda admits failure sometimes. Which is why at the end of the 2015 model year, three Honda models will be discontinued. Gone will be the Civic Hybrid, the Accord Plug-In Hybrid and the natural-gas powered Civic GX. Honda has plans for a new plug-in hybrid and battery electric models. But in the meantime, here’s a look at the three departing Honda models: It’s a Natural Honda Gas The innovative Civic GX was arguably the least appreciated

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2016 Honda Accord: Five cool new features for sedan icon

Manufactured since 1976 and soon debuting in its 10th generation, the 2016 Honda Accord remains among the most popular and reliable vehicles in the United States. The new edition will be available at dealers in August and it will showcase a new exterior and interior and a good share of new technology. The new features of the 2016 Honda Accord can be grouped into five distinct categories. Here’s the list: New, Modern Wheels A host of new designs will be available, including 19-inch options. The new choices will provide the vehicle with a more aggressive appearance. Bright Lights At Night

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2016 Honda Accord

With an emphasis on technology and safety, the 2016 Honda Accord will debut in August. It will have new exterior and interior look and will be the first Honda to offer both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Further advancing, the vehicle’s modernization, the 2016 Honda Accord sedan and coupe will have HD Radio, heated rear seats, front and rear parking sensors an several additional upgrades. The 2016 Accord’s facelift will mean sportier, more sophisticated styling, front and rear. The front restyling will be more sharply creased and with a intricately structured bumper fascia with outside edges that tuck into intake-like

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Barrett-Jackson debuts car care products

Barrett-Jackson, the name synonymous with automobile auctions, has debuted a line of car care products for interior and exterior cleaning, waxing and restoration. The exterior car care includes washes, waxes and detailers formulated with Carnauba wax, providing a durable finish and deep wet look shine. The wash and wax is a blend of cleaners, lubricators and hydrophobic polymers that gently lift and wash off dirt. It produces a renewed appearance with a lasting shine and is biodegradable and safe for all finishes. Barrett-Jackson’s paste wax, spray wax, rapid detailer and liquid wax kit are formulated with hydrophobic polymers and work

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Hack attack prompts Chrysler recall of 1.4 million vehicles

In the aftermath of two security researchers hacking into the wireless system of a Jeep, Chrysler has announced the recall of 1.4 million vehicles in the United States dating to 2013 models. The vehicles recalled may be affected by a hackable software vulnerability in Chrysler’s Uconnect dashboard computers. The vulnerability was first demonstrated earlier in July when Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek wirelessly hacked and assume control over dashboard functions, steering, transmission and brakes. The recall doesn’t require Chrysler owners to bring their cars, trucks and SUVs to a dealer. Instead, they’ll be sent a USB drive with a software

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2015 Toyota Sienna: no more minivan stigma

Minivans get a bad rap. They’re boxes on wheels. They’re only for soccer moms. Neither criticism seems fair to me, and one reason is the 2015 Toyota Sienna. Manufactured since 1997 when it replaced the Toyota Previa, the 2015 Toyota Sienna has been refreshed in the fourth year of the third generation introduced in 2011. Among the most versatile and safe vehicles available, the Toyota Sienna received a new tail light and interior design refresh. The Sienna SE reverted to the original pre-facelift “sport” tail lights and Sky Blue Pearl, Creme Brulee Metallic and Attitude Black Metallic are new exterior

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Chrysler has new car industry issue, remote hacking

If you own a Jeep Cherokee, Chrysler 200, Dodge Ram or one of several other Chrysler vehicles made in the last three years and something goes seriously wrong while you’re driving, you could have been hacked — remotely. The problem? Hackers can control the vehicles over the Internet and cut the brakes, shut down the engine, drive the car off the road or short the electric system. The issue can only occur in Chrysler products equipped with Uconnect, a wireless system that connects the vehicles on the Sprint cellphone network. The flaw was discovered by researchers, Charlie Miller and Chris

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The 2016 Ford F-150 could cost $70,000. Really?

The country’s best-selling vehicle may now cost more than $70,000. The high-end sticker price belongs to a limited edition of the soon-to-debut 2016 Ford F-150 pickup. Ford has announced the F-150 Limited will be available in late 2015 as a 2016 model. The manufacturer has not announced price details, but the new offering will start at about $60,000 and will likely surpass $70,000 with all of its options. The new edition will feature include 22-inch polished aluminum wheels, Mojave leather seats and interior accents made of aluminum and fiddleback eucalyptus. Each truck’s production number will be laser-engraved in a VIN

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2016 Toyota Corolla gets sport edition

The current 11th generation Toyota Corolla, the best-selling car in history, debuted in 2014. The 2016 Toyota Corolla will further add to the iconic brand with a Special Edition. It will feature increased sportiness with a variety of standard additions. Straightforwardly known as the 2016 Toyota Corolla Special Edition, the new edition will feature steering wheel paddle shifters, rear disc brakes and a Sport Driving mode among a lengthy list of additional standard equipment. The limited edition will be manufactured from August 2015 to January 2016 and will comprise 8,000 units. The 2016 Toyota Corolla Special Edition will have an

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Tesla gets another (obvious) honor: quickest electric car

The Tesla Model S and Chevy Volt have little in common beyond their respective segment shares in the electric vehicle industry. The Volt is a wise choice in the entry-level electric car segment. It may the slowest among the top-17 electric vehicles in the standard 0-60 mph acceleration test. But it offers a good balance between performance, comfort and price. The Tesla Model S is a wise choice in the high-end electric segment. It’s the fastest vehicle currently available in the mainstream automobile market and it’s among the fastest cars, electric or gas, street legal or not. Motor Trend recently

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2016 Special Edition Toyota Camry

After its extensive redesign a year ago, the 2016 Toyota Camry will be offered in a Special Edition. The newest Toyota Camry will feature  a more aggressive look and increased technology. More than 2,000 changes were made in the 2015, with only the roofline remaining from the previous edition, the new Special Edition model of the 2016 Toyota Camry will based on the Camry SE. The limited production Camry will add sporty interior and exterior features. In addition to features found on the Camry SE, standard equipment on the Special Edition will include: * Unique 18-inch alloy wheels with machined face

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2015 Ford Mustang: Iconic muscle car turns 50 in style

The 2015 Ford Mustang marks the car’s 50th anniversary, and the carmaker celebrated the milestone with a surprise. It didn’t spoil the party with an over-the-top, too powerful machine. Instead, it offered an EcoBoost four-cylinder as one of six trim levels. The Weekly Driver Test Drive With its Competition Orange exterior paint and black ragtop, the 2015 Ford Mustang attracted as much attention as any car I’ve driven with the exception of a Rolls-Royce Wraith. Young people in the neighborhood yelled out praise. Strangers in parking lots offered compliments, and a few drivers accelerated past me on the highway seemingly

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2016 MAZDA CX-3

With its release about a month away, Mazda has announced the price of the 2016 Mazda CX-3 subcompact crossover will start at $19,6000. As a $1,250 upgrade, buyers can select CX-3 Sport with Mazda’s predictive i-Activ all-wheel drive that takes temperature, road conditions, steering-angle and weather into account. It will also help optimize to which wheels engine power is routed for maximum performance and stability. “We wanted to send a strong statement that new buyers, early adopters, empty-nesters and right-sizers can get everything they want in a crossover that fits their needs,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO, MNAO. “CX-3

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2015 Ford F-150 sales slump prompts $10,000 discount

The Ford F-150, the biggest-selling vehicle in the United States for more than three decades, is in a sales slump. But Ford Motor Co., is hoping to reverse the trend by offering discounts of more than $10,000 on the new aluminum-bodied edition. The company’s website offers “up to $10,029 in total savings” on a 2015 F-150 XLT SuperCab 4X4 with the luxury chrome or sport package in some U.S. regions. That model comes with a discount of $7,050 in other areas, according to Ford.com. Sales fell 8.9 percent in June for Ford’s F-Series pickups, its top-selling line and most profitable

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Toyota Prius recalls continue with software, hybrid system woes

Toyota and recalls as synonymous. The Japanese manufacturer has announced another recall, this time 625,000 Prius models worldwide for a software issue. that could result in the failure of the hybrid system. In the United States, the recall affects 109,000 Prius V models from 2012, 2013 and 2014. The issue in the current software for the motor/generator control and hybrid control ECU’s can cause increases temperatures near some transistor. A warning light would warn drivers, but it could also escalate and cause the hybrid system severe damage. Dealers will upgrade the software for both ECUs to fix the issue. Toyota

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