Mitsubishi debuts expensive electric vehicle, i-MiEV

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Still, Mitsubishi, Japan’s fourth-largest auto manufacturer, believe the i-MiEV will increasingly intensify global competition in the electric vehicle market. The i-MiEV is powered solely by electricity, and can be recharged from a regular home socket. The four-seater vehicle can run up to 100 miles after charging seven hours at 200 volts. Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV costs $47,560, which the manufacturer said “is a major hurdle to encouraging people to buy the car.” Its names stands Mitsubishi innovative electric vehicle. In Japan, where the vehicle will debut to consumer in April, 2010,  i-MiEV buyers can receive hefty subsidies and pay no tax under

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Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, 2009: Roman Mica's Rambling Review

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Thirty some years later and somethings are still the same. Just like that Eldorado that my dad bought in 1978, the 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid has that almost magic American quality of being bigger on the outside than on the inside. After driving the Escalade for a week, I finally get why my dad bought that Eldorado. Just like the Eldorado, the Escalade is big shouldered, brash and very American (or is it Texan) in-your-face-sort of a ride. For instance, I could drive a Prius from Denver to Nebraska tailgating “that” car doing 55 mph in the fast lane and

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Monterey Auto Week: Best of show: Concours on the Avenue in Carmel

But since its debut in 2007, Concours on the Avenue in Carmel was the best thing about Monterey Auto Week. Compared to other activities, all with great appeal, the Concours on the Avenue had the most appeal, at least for me, because of its collective calm and coolness factors. How much better does it get than  attainable vintage cars, presented on Ocean Ave., and accompanying side streets in Carmel, jazz playing the background and at an extraordinarily fair price — free. Last year, Porsche and Ferrari were featured Monday, and the other marquees were exhibited Tuesday. This year, the one-day

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BMW, X5, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Weekly Driver Ratings Acceleration (6) Steady as it goes. It’s not the fastest SUV, but the 3.0-liter, 24-valve, 260-horsepower doesn’t waste any time, either. There’s also a 4.8-liter, 350-horsepower, V8. It wasn’t test, but it likely gets the job done with a quicker acceleration and obviously heavier duty power. Braking/Steering/Handling (6) Three of BMW‘s finer traits. The X5 exudes confidence on the open road. But it’s a good thing a friend’s wife drives an X5. When I mentioned the stiffness of the car’s steering, he mentioned the dealership where his wife’s car was purchased offered steering adjustments at the

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Ferrari prepares for two new car debuts, automaker's new London retail location opens

Which is particularly good for Ferrari lovers right now. The luxury Italian automobile and its Prancing Horse logo are represented in three new ways — two new cars and a new upscale retail store selling Ferrari paraphernalia. The new Ferrari offerings include the Scuderia Spider 16M and the Ferrari California. The Scuderia Spider 16M will be elusive and the fastest convertible Ferrari has ever offered. Only 499 will be built and its price has not been announced. But it will cost more the Scuderia Spider coupe priced at $277,000. The Ferrari California will debut as the automaker’s attempt to make

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Chrysler Town & Country, 2009: Roman Mica’s Rambling Review

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“How the heck do I turn on the heater on this bloody car?” I almost screamed at my 11-year-old son while seriously editing my language and shivering while driving him to school in a 2009 Chrysler Town & Country. 49 — That’s how many buttons, knobs and dual-function controls the Chrysler’s center stack has, and that’s not counting the dozen or more touch screen functions associated with the multimedia entertainment screen. 7 — That’s how many functions you’ll find on the key for the minivan, including a remote start button. 3 — That’s how many video screens, kids television stations,

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Ferrari expands brand popularity with new retail store in London, more Prancing Horse outlets planned

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Set in two stories of a columned, stone building in the heart of London, the 5,705-square-foot store will have all the usual Ferrari goods, including spaces devoted to car and F1 products, such as clothing and model cars. Räikkönen, the team’s most recent world champion in 2007, also signed the counter, the now-traditional way Ferrari breaks in its new outlets. The store will be managed by the Percassi Group, an Italian retailer which also owns the Ferrari store in Milan. There are other Ferrari stores in Rome, Venice, Barcelona, San Francisco, Miami, Abu Dhabi and Macao (China). Ferrari plans to

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Subaru Forester, 2009: Roman Mica's Rambling Review

When the elements cooled and the steam drifted away, the Forester stood tallish and proud in the vanguard of the new crossover craze. Others would follow in its tracks, but it was the Forester that showed them the way. It will come as no surprise that for 2009 the Forester has gotten bigger, taller, and even fatter than the very first model that rolled out of the Subaru‘s primordial soup. Is it a giant station wagon, or a small SUV, and does it really matter to most new car buyers? I suspect what matters to Subaru is that the Forester

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The Weekly Driver On The Road: (Tour de) Georgia On My Mind

And since 1986, five years after I started reporting on the sport, I’ve covered at least one stage race every year — the Coors Classic, the Ore-Ida Women’s Challenge, the Tour DuPont, the Tour de Trump, Tour of California, Tour of Missouri and the Tour de France. Many of the races are now a blur. But as I’ve said for the past several years, the travel component of cycling is still appealing. It’s driving through small towns, meeting people and seeing familiar faces in pressrooms that make the races worth it. In the past several years, I’ve also had the

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Toyota Yaris, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

And it’s one of many reasons the Yaris is firmly positioned among several economical vehicles ideal for tight budgets but that don’t scrimp on safety or workmanship. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (4) Cars in the sub-compact segment can’t be expected to be sports cars.  The Yaris is a 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder vehicle with 106 horsepower. As such, it gets the job done steadily. But don’t expect much more. Braking/Steering/Handling (5) The Honda Fit is the segment leader in many areas, including these three categories. But the Yaris is no slouch. It has a small turning radius and ABS is standard

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General Motors set to end Pontiac, famous muscle car GTO

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Pontiac, introduced in 1926, wasn’t listed as a core brand with the automaker’s leading brands, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac. Saturn, Saab and Hummer are expected to be sold or “killed off.” But Pontiac was expected to remain as a “niche brand” with a focus on selected models. Pontiac was the third-best selling GM brand in 2008 behind Chevrolet and GMC. In 2005, vice-chairman Bob Lutz referred to Buick and Pontiac as “damaged brands” during a conference at the New York Auto Show. Speculation soon began than Buick or Pontiac would eventually be dumped. With a focus on affordable luxury,

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Toyota Venza, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Japanese manufacturer introduced the vehicle with hopes of attracting customers who want the comforts of a passenger car (camry) with the versatility of a sport utility vehicle (highlander). The combination defines crossover. In other words, the Venza is a modern-day station wagon. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (6) It’s standard for its vehicle segment, but doesn’t have the same peppiness as its primary competitors, the Mazda CX-7 or Nissan Murano. I drive often to the Monterey Peninsula and the stretch over the Pacheco Pass has a winding, hill section ideal for braking, acceleration and handling. The Venza fared well,

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Mini (John Cooper Works), 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Available in hardtop, convertible and Clubman models, the 2009 John Cooper Works further advances the Mini, now owned and marketed by BMW. It’s a compact driving machine featuring a 208-horsepower, turbocharged engine and six-speed manual transmission with larger, now standard 17-inch wheels. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (8) How’s 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 148 mph sound to you? Thought so. Enough said. The JWC Mini is driving nirvana. Braking/Steering/Handling (8) It’s among the smallest cars in the United States, but the Mini holds the road, steers with precision and stops with confidence, particularly the

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Pontiac Aztek's Dubious Honor: Ugliest Among Top-100 Ugly Cars

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But it also had some unique choices, Karmann Ghia to Citroen. And the top car was a beauty — the E-type Jaguar XKE. A month ago, results of the readers’ top 100 ugliest cars were released Scrolling through the list was as much fun and salivating over the most handsome cars. Telegraph readers cast votes for 309 cars for selection to the dubious 100 list, and here’s the final 20 on the all-ugly list. 20. Range Rover; 19. AMC Gremlin; 18. Nissan Micra; 17. Ford Edsel; 16. Trabant; 15. Audi Q7; 14. Triumph TR7; 13. Morris Ital; 12. Ford KA;

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Hybrid, eco-friendly, 'green cars' now mainstream

Today, owning an eco-friendly car has become mainstream—the same family down the street may still have their odd-looking hybrid, but the fraternity now includes soccer moms, bank executives and college students. Here are five distinct eco-friendly cars to consider: SmartCar: The ultra-compact ForTwo two-seater, built by a division of Mercedes Benz, was first distributed in foreign markets in 1998. Just shy of nine feet long, and slightly more than five feet wide, the ForTwo has a three-cylinder, 70-horsepower engine, and gas (premium recommended) mileage averages of 33 mpg. (city) and 41 mpg. (highway). It’s available nationwide at about seventy Mercedes

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Volkswagen Routan, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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But the Routan has no easy path among 2009 minivan comparisons. The potential market share is tight, so the Routan will have to compete against segment leader Honda Odyssey as well as Chrysler’s Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, its not-so-distant cousins. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (7) Superior acceleration from zero to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, according to VW’s estimates for the top-the-line SEL versus 10.2 for the 3.8-liter S and SE engines, all with six-speed automatic transmissions. Braking/Steering/Handling (6) Moves in-and-out of traffic well and maneuvers well particularly for its size. Steering is strong and responsive.

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