News feed - Page 213 of 254 - The Weekly Driver

Car buyers remain neutral with silver, black favorite colors

There’s Ferrari Red, of course. Bruce Springsteen sings the praises of a pink Cadillac. But those colors are the exceptions to the rule. Most car buyers opt for silver or black, with the two uninspired colors battling closely for the most popular vehicle color globally. According to the yearly survey by DuPont, only two percentage points separate silver from black as the leading vehicle color globally. White and gray are third and fourth among car colors choice. Red is the only non-neutral color in the top five. The top 10 global vehicle colors: 1. Silver, 26 percent 2. Black/black effect,

Michigan couple celebrates 25-year affair and more than 225,000 miles with a 1986 Honda Civic Si

Pamm and Rick Tarchinski recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of their love affair. Mostly, it’s a one-sided romance, but it’s still epic. The Michigan couple paid $10,000 in 1986 for a new Honda Civic Si. But it’s Pamm Tarchinski’s car or at least it sure seems that way. The original sales brochure made the car appealing, but it’s not perfect. Yet the Tarchinskis are forgiving and appreciative. Through muffler problems, near-catastrophes with deer and a countless number of potential trade-ins when no one wanted the vehicle, the husband-wife still own the car. And they hope to drive it at least

Author Patrica Cornwell donates rare Ferrari Superamerica for San Diego veterans' auction

Patricia Cornwell, the bestselling author, has signed over the title to her limited edition 2005 Ferrari 575 Maranello Superamerica, appraised at $250,000, to Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD), to be sold for public auction on Dec. 9th, 2010 at 7 p.m. ET. The rare, 2005 Ferrari 575 Maranello Superamerica is one of only 559 produced. It boasts a 540 horsepower, V12 engine, and has a top speed of almost 200 miles per hour. Its condition is “showroom new,” inside and out, with only 5,865 miles on the odometer. With the flip of a switch, the car goes from a

Hyundai joins expanding auto industry 2011 PGA Tour season title sponsor list

Carmakers and other auto-related companies will have an increase presence presence on the PGA Tour in 2011, with Hyundai assuming a title sponsorship and BMW, Cadillac and Honda also remaining event title or co-title sponsors. In all, nine of the 49 PGA Tour sanctioned pro events in 2011 will included automakers or affiliated companies in their titles. Hyundai will debut as a title sponsor for the PGA Tour’s traditional early January start in Hawaii with Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Kapalua The PGA Tour season will continue through Nov. 27 with the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup in China. In

American Express will offer sweet daily wish: half-price BMWs

American Express, like other web sites, offers special prices to its online customers. But arguably the best deal ever available for new car buyers will occur Dec. 16 when two 2011 BMW 328i models will be sold for half-price. Similar to Groupon.com and LivingSocial.com, DailyWish.com, American Express’ online marketplace, leverages the power of group purchasing. A limited/fixed number of items are offered at a deep discount and once the last item is sold out, the deal is over. In this instance, only two BMWs will be available for half-price $17,262.50 (regularly $35,975). The BMW 320i deal, like all a DailyWish.com

Honda announces Element will cease after 2011 model

Some car manufacturers would be pleased with a 2.5 percent market share. Not Honda. It will stop making the Element crossover after the 2011 model year because of diminishing sales. The box-shaped Element was introduced in the U.S. in December 2002 and more than 325,000 been purchased, according to the manufacturer. But sales of the versatile SUV crossover have steadily slipped while sales of its sibling, the CR-V, have increased. Honda also makes a large SUV, the Pilot. The Element accounted for nearly 10 percent of all crossover sales in the United States 2003. But the Element has accounted for

Most Unsafe Cars in History: Ford Pinto to Chevrolet Corvair

Automotive News, News Service

The Chevrolet Corvair earned the dubious honor in part when the book “Unsafe At Any Speed” paid homage to its horrible reputation for crashing disasters. The Ford Pinto is on the list because its gas tank was in the optimal place for exploding after even a minor accident. What these cars and eight other infamous vehicles have in common is that they’ve been selected as the Most Dangerous Cars In History. The websites, The Consumerist. and Auto Shippers.com have combined to present a list of common vehicles and some not so common that earn honors they’d prefer not have. The

Mercedes-Benz turns age 125 with tradition, innovation

Mercedes-Benz, now 125 years old, was founded in 1886 with the introduction of Karl Benz's first gas-fueled car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen. Much has happened since. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, the carmaker now has manufacturing plants around the globe, easing car dealer cost on popular Mercedes Benz models — coupes to sedans, sport utility vehicles to crossovers, roadsters to supercars. Mercedes-Benz also manufacturers trucks and vans as well as arguably the world's most unique vehicle, the current Popemobile. The new Mercedes-Benz SUV is a modified Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Twenty-years after the manufacturer first marketed its automobiles, the Mercedes-Benz brand name debuted

Vogue Tyre and Rubber Co. announces new signature model

A leading manufacturer of custom-built tyres for more than 96 years, Vogue Tyre and Rubber Company has announced the debut and availability of its 20-inch Signature V to retailers, wholesalers and new car dealerships. With its sidewall sporting a raised gold V and an asymmetrical tread design (10/32 inch tread depth), the new tyre features enhanced driveability and a quieter drive while returning longer wear. The mud and snow rated Signature V allows enthusiasts to purchase only one set without sacrificing performance or safety and eventually saving money. The Signature V is the first all-season luxury performance blackwall touring tyre

BMW reaches 95th birthday with new models, more U.S. production

For nearly 95 years, BMW has been synonymous with luxury, value and performance automobiles. With MINI and Rolls Royce Motor Cars also under the BMW Group umbrella, the manufacturer founded in 1916 as Bayerische Flugzeug- Werke (BFW), has vast and diverse offerings across its three-brand canvas. BMW car prices range between $30,025 for the entry level 1 series to $103,225 for the top-of-the-line M6 model. Beginning with its first brief tenure as a small company building military aircraft engines, BMW experienced rapid growth throughout its history. In recent years, BMW's commitment to "sheer driving pleasure" as a top priority throughout

Mazda MX-5, 2011 review

Since its debut in 1989, The Mazda MX-5, still often known to purists as the Miata, has maintained a strong reputation as among the leading small two-seat convertible sports cars in the United States. Substantially refreshed for 2009 and updated for 2010, the Mazda MX-5 is unchanged for 2011, keeping its same fun factor and value pricing from previous years. Change isn’t always a good anyway, and it must present a dilemma for Mazda. With the Mazda MX-5, appropriate updates have been warranted through the years. Then again, since 850,000 Mazda MX-5/Miatas have sold (the most of any sports car

Nissan Leaf, 2011 review

The Nissan Leaf hatchback sedan — the first mass-produced all-electric car —drives like a regular, pleasant five-passenger economy car. However, some owners may worry they’ll run out of charge before reaching their destination. However, Nissan says 90 percent of the U.S. population, on average, drives less than 100 miles a day. It says typical consumer weekday and weekend driving patterns are mostly less than 50 miles. The ran of the Leaf with a fully charged battery is touted as 100 miles. So far, so good. But Nissan cautions that actual range will vary, depending on driving/charging habits, speed, conditions, weather,

Porsche Cayenne, 2011: The Weekly Driver car review

The extensively redone 2011 Porsche Cayenne SUV finally looks like a Porsche. The bland appearance of its predecessor, however, didn’t stop it from being Porsche’s top seller here soon after it arrived in America in March 2003. Porsche always had been a sports car company, but it ignored protests from many Porsche owners and its often rabid fans when it introduced the Cayennne. But business is business, and Porsche needed the money the Cayenne would produce. Besides, it has lots of pride and was tired of seeing its sports cars sitting in garages next to expensive SUVs from competitors. As

Oprah reveals free 2012 Volkswagen Beetle to 275 audience members in 'favorite things' giveaway

Oprah Winfrey and Volkswagen have unveiled marketing genius by not unveiling the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, but making a collective promise to give the soon-to-retire talk show host’s 275 audience members a free new edition of the iconic car. The redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Beetle was selected as part of Winfrey’s wont for giving away some of her favorite things to audience members. Winfrey owns and drives a 2011 Volkswagen Beetle. She asked Volkswagen for the assistance and the carmaker said it would donate the vehicles. “Oprah Winfrey and the Volkswagen Beetle are two American icons, so when the “Oprah” show approached

Great American classic cars: Buick, Mercury, Ford, Rambler

Rare Bugatti race cars, vintage Ferrari machines and best-of-show collectors’ cars are great for auto shows. And then there are sentimental favorites, the 1951 Buick your family owned when you were a youngster or the 1951 Chrysler K310 in the neighbors’ driveway?

Fiat set for North American return with three 2012 models

Fiat marked its return to the North American market with the unveiling of the 2012 Fiat 500 at the Los Angeles International Auto Show and showcasing the carmaker’s ingenuity to build a small car through simple design like it did 50 years ago. The 2012 Fiat is available in three models: Pop, Sport and Lounge. Fiat 500 Pop Designed for the individual who wants Italian style, efficiency and personalization options, the new Fiat 500 Pop includes a manual transmission, 15-inch steel wheels with chrome-accented wheel covers and all-season tires, seven standard air bags, air conditioning, AM/FM/CD/MP3 radio with auxiliary audio