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President Obama: '1 million electric vehicles by 2015'

It’s no secret alternative fuel cars and electric cars will infiltrate the automotive industry as last evidenced by the attention several new green car models offered by Honda to Toyota and Volkswagen to Ferrari received at the Detroit auto show. But in case there’s any doubt on the major emphasis ahead for carmakers, here’s the short, relevant text from the State of the Union address from President Barack Obama on future car technology: “At the California Institute of Technology, they’re developing a way to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, they’re using

Oscar nominations: Best performances by actors with cars: Steve McQueen, Bullitt; Gene Hackman, The French Connection

With nominations for the Academy Awards just announced, what better time to discuss perhaps the best component film that doesn’t directly get nominated for awards — Best Performance By An Actor With Car. Indirectly, of course, great acting, editing, directing, music, special effects, etc., have all helped create many of the best car scenes on film. Too many movies have too many great car scenes to list. But two great action car scenes involving iconic actors top the list. James Bond movies, for example, feature great footage with Aston Martin. And Batman films throughout the years have featured iconic technology

Ferrari 288 GTO 1984-1985 car review

Casual observers might mistake the 1984-85 Ferrari 288 GTO for the 1975-89 Ferrari 308/328 that became nationally known in the popular 1980-88 “Magnum P.I.” television series. However, there’s a world of difference between the ferocious 288 GTO and nice-but-slower 1975-85 308 and near-identical 1986-89 328. The 288 GTO was simply the world’s fastest production car when it arrived. And no wonder. The mid-engine 288 GTO was built for the FISA’s new Group B race series, in which cars such as the super exotic, limited-production Porsche 959 and Jaguar XJ220 were qualified to compete. Cars weren’t eligible to race in the

Chevy Camaro gets familiar role as 2011 Indy 500 pace car

Chevrolet and the Indianapolis 500 aren’t quite synonymous, but they could be considering the long relationship with between the race and the brand. A prime example will occur Sunday, May 29 when a special edition of the Chevy Camaro convertible will serve as the official pace car of the 2011 Indy 500. The special edition and its 50 pace-car replicas will help commemorate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and Chevrolet’s centennial year. The pace car and replicas are painted white with orange stripes and door graphics. The interior is trimmed in orange leather and the front- seat headrests

Qatar Motor Show debuts with Bentley to Bertone concepts

Like any good auto show, the inaugural Qatar Motor Show, beginning January 26, will have its share of concept cars. The offerings will be presented by established manufacturers like Volkswagen and its futuristic-looking XL1 diesel-electric. But there will will also be concepts from unique carmakers like Autostudi, Bertone and Castagna. One stunning concept will be the Bentley Continental Flying Star offered by Touring Supperleggera, in conjunction with Bentley and manufactured in Milan. The limited edition supercar is custom built by the same group that created the Ferrari 166 and the Aston Martin DB 4/5. Two of the rare Bentley models

Volkswagen unveils diesel/electric in Qatar, 313 mpg rating

Volkswagen is debuting a concept car at the inaugural Qatar Motor Show the manufacturer says can travel 313 miles on a gallon of diesel and emits only about 1.5 ounces of carbon dioxide per mile. The XL1, which seats two adults, combines a 0.8 litre, two-cylinder diesel engine with an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery. It’s constructed around a carbon fiber reinforced polymer monocoque to reduce the weighs only 1,750 pounds. Volkswagen says the futuristic car negotiate the standard 0-60 mph test in 11.9 seconds. Speculation has Volkswagen beginning production of the XL1 in 2013.

Controversial JFK death ambulance auctioned for $132,000

Nearly 47 years after his death, controversial still surrounds the shooting of President John F. Kennedy — even the sale of the 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ambulance that transported the president after he was killed. The ambulance that took the president from Air Force One to the Capitol after his death sold at auction last weekend for $132,000 — about 13 times more than a “regular” 1963 Pontiac ambulance is worth. Yet, the hopeful selling price was estimated to approach $1 million until a car conservator society questioned the car’s authenticity. McKeel Hagerty, CEO of specialty car insurer, Hagerty Insurance Agency,

Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid 2011 car review

Electric and Hybrid

Mercedes-Benz gives some models in its S-Class flagship line a stupefying amount of horsepower for a dignified, prestigious sedan. Such power should be left to the automaker’s smaller, sportier models. However, the $91,000 S-Class S400 gas-electric Hybrid model I tested is a sensible, reasonably fuel-efficient alternative to the gas-guzzling hot rod S-Class versions. The S-Class once stood alone as the ultimate luxury car in America, far outdoing Cadillac. Caddy hasn’t offered an S-Class rival for a long time. But now rivals include the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, BMW 7-Series and Porsche Panamera. All are excellent, but lack the formidable reputation

Ford touts new green fleet with snide actor Ed Begley, Jr.

Ed Begley, Jr. isn’t the first actor hired to help sell automobiles and he likely won’t be the last. But whether, it’s an actor’s voice-over in television commercials or Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong pitching the Nissan (one of his team’s sponsors) and its Leaf, no celebrity pitchman has been as opinionated as Begley, Jr. in his new collaboration with Ford. The actor is a noted environmentalist and his “green” lifestyle has been showcased often on television and in the print media. In the Ford video, which debuted in conjunction with the carmaker’s new electric offerings at the Detroit

Tesla testing five-seat Model S sedan, production in 2012

Tesla has sold about 1500 of EV Roadsters globally since its debut in 2008. It’s a small number, particularly when compared to how many Toyota sells a week around the world. But Tesla hopes its Model S will bring a practical, stylish electric sedan to more garages at about half the price of the EV Roadster. The development of the five-seater Model S has been a long and twisty road, but Tesla final has rolled out the car for testing. “The first Alpha (test car) is amazingly agile for a car of its size. It has great handling balance and

Jaguar history celebration set for Rolex Monterey Reunion

Jaguar will be the featured marque of the 2011 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Few automakers are as synonymous with sports car racing as Jaguar, and the reunion will highlight the 50th anniversary of the iconic Jaguar E-Type and 60th anniversary of the remarkable Jaguar C-Type’s win in the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, August 19-21 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, will host approximately 550 authentic and historic race cars from nearly every decade of motorsports history. The cars are divided into 17 groups according to age, engine size and must be period-correct in their

Infiniti QX56, 2011 car review

The 2011 Infiniti QX56 is a completely redesigned and power-loaded edition of Nissan’s largest SUV, which originated in 1997 as a re-badged midsize Nissan Pathfinder. The new QX56 is longer, wider, and lower than the previous model. Its only powertrain teams a 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 engine with a 7-speed automatic transmission. The seven-passenger (or eight passenger with an optional second-row bench seat) is available in a single trim level with rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive that can be left engaged on dry pavement. It also includes a low-range gear for off-roading. The Weekly Drive For the past seven years, I’ve

Ford Mustang, 1965 car review

Some argue a collectible car must have been built in fairly small numbers to make it exclusive, and thus more desirable and valuable. So how do they explain why the 1965 Ford Mustang is such a popular collectible? After all, it attracted a staggering 680,989 buyers after its early public introduction at the New York World’s Fair in April, 1964. The 1965 Mustang set an all-time record for first-year sales of any new model. Today’s auto market is too fragmented with different types of cars for a single model to ever get the wildly enthusiastic reception of the first Ford

Chrysler working with EPA on hydraulic hybrid engine

Automotive News

In the wake of ever-increasing hybrid and other alternative engine vehicle infiltrating the automotive industry, Chrysler has announced it’s working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to introduce a hydraulic hybrid system to hopefully use on its Town & C0untry minivan. Chrysler is the only major automaker in the U.S. market without a hybrid offering. The announcement came at a joint appearance by Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. The project, according to a Reuters report, comes as automakers work to meet strict new fuel economy standards expected to take effect after 2016. The EPA has

Dodge Durango, 2011 car review

Except for its name, there’s virtually no resemblance between the old truck-based Dodge Durango sport utility vehicle and the redesigned 2011 Durango. The new four-door Durango is handsome and aerodynamic. It has Dodge’s “crosshair grille” and resembles the muscular, discontinued Dodge Magnum wagon. There are four trim levels: Express, Crew (also offered with a CrewLux lifestyle package), sporty R/T and Citadel. They come with rear or all-wheel-drive and have three rows of seats. List prices range from $29,195 to $43,945, without an $850 shipping charge. Add $2,000 for all-wheel drive. To emphasize the Durango’s upscale nature, Dodge says there are

Golden Globe Awards: Chrysler shines with black & white ad

Chrysler has promoted its cars in recent years with several innovative commercials. It may have outdone itself with the primarily black-and-white commercial broadcast during the 68th Golden Globe Awards. The commercial is called “Whatever Happened to Style?” and it showcases numerous classic cars through different decades. The text begins with the words: “Whatever happened to style? Where has the glamour gone? Wasn’t too long ago. America had it. Looking and feeling like a million bucks. “It was practically a birth rite. We didn’t race from A to B. We cruised. Going for a drive was a big deal. And when