Ford Debuts Mustang (Again) To Honor Steve McQueen's Driving Legend

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Approaching three decades since his death, Steve McQueen remains the “King of Cool,” most notably when it involves cars, motorcycles and high speeds. The latest homage to McQueen will occur Nov. 16-25 when Ford Motor Company introduces  a special edition Mustang to honor the 1968 vehicle McQueen drove in the movie Bullitt. The new vehicle will be available in black and in dark highland green, similar to the color of the Mustang used in the movie. Seven years ago, Ford manufactured its first McQueen commemorative Mustang. In the film, McQueen played Lt. Frank Bullitt and he often drove around the

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Mercury Mariner, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

So in a category that includes more than 25 choices, how does the Mariner find its share of the market? During the recent inaugural Tour of Missouri bicycle race, I drove the 2008 Mariner Premier with all-wheel drive nearly 1,000 miles in eight days. While crossing the state West to East on primarily high-speed highways, the Mariner performed well under nearly ideal late summer conditions. The highway speed limit varies in Missouri, but I often used the cruise control (inset switches at the nine p.m. location of the steering wheel) and set it at the flow of traffic about 5

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Did Roberto Clemente Drive A Chevy?

Sponsors like Bank of America, Holiday Inn, Pepsi, Sharp and Taco Bell are offering trips to the series as grand prizes in sweepstakes tied to the games. And as far as the automotive industry, Chevrolet will have a substantial presence. Most important for the American manufacturer: It will be the presenting sponsor of the Roberto Clemente Award. The honor is given to the player who epitomizes the humanitarian efforts of Major League Baseball. It will be presented on the field during pre-game activities in Game Three. The presenting sponsorship is part of the manufacturer’s $100 million campaign geared toward the

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Skoda Extends Tour de France Official Car Deal Through 2011

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But the Tour de France is nothing if not a moveable money machine, which is why one of its most important sponsorships is the race’s official vehicle. The manufacturer will serve it that capacity was announced on the eve of the 2008 race route when Skoda agreed with race organizers to extend its current sponsorship through 2011. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Professional cycling’s image is not as its best, but that didn’t deter the Czech manufacturer from agreeing to keep its brand in the race’s

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Hey GM, Chrysler, Toyota? Get Charlize Theron Behind The Wheel — Now

Theron likely has plenty of apparel and fragrance deals in the works. But a smart car industry expert would immediately find out what kind of car Theron drives (if she drives) and persuade her with a healthy financial deal to tout the car — let’s say while she’s driving along Highway 1 on the Carmel, California, coastline. The sexiest woman alive promoting a car? Watch the sales spike make assembly plant lines reach critical mass. Now, Jill Wagner may not be as well-known as Theron, but she’s certainly a pretty actress, too. And her appearance beginning in 2005 in Mercury commercials

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Another Auto Strike? How About Less Talk, Better Cars?

What the pending strike means for the auto industry at large is hard to know. But it what is known is that tactics used both the company management and the UAW is growing old. Management gives its side of the equation to the media and the workers’ representatives follow with their thoughts. Or the scenario works in reverse. Regardless, both sides spin their tales to the press knowing exactly what they’re doing. And the media reports it. For years, I’ve periodically heard friends and the parents of friends give their the strong opinions about the best cars to buy, the

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Auto World Museum: Fulton, Missouri

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Upon my arrival and two hours into my drive from St. Louis to Kansas City, I stopped for the night near Fulton, Mo. And as I pulled into the parking lot of my motel, I noticed another connection to transportation and travel — a dimly lit road sign for the Auto World Museum. Since it was nearly 10 p.m. I waited until the next morning to explore. The following day, I had about a 2 1/2-hour drive to Kansas City, so I figured a brief stop at the museum would be a beneficial way to start the day as well

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Nissan Altima, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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The two-door features unique body panels that share only the hood. Additionally, the wheelbase and overall length has been shortened and it the coupe has an upgraded suspension. The result is a Euro-styled machine that garners further attention from passersby and deserves even more consideration after its driven. The 2008 Altima sedan will be available in four trims, but only the coupe is currently available in the new year’s model, and it has two options. My test vehicle was the 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder with 175 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. There’s also a 3.5-liter V6 option with 270 horsepower.

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Ford Explorer, 2007: Weidel on Wheels

Consumer’s loved the look of the Explorer, enjoyed its solid cargo space, its versatility and considered it a wonderful family vehicle. However, the bubble burst on Ford’s most esteemed vehicle when the Explorer was experiencing rollover issues in 2001. For the past several years, no one was walking on a Ford lot looking to drive away in an Explorer. Sadly for this American auto manufacturer, the Explorer has never fully recovered. With that said, the Explorer has made a comeback by offering buyer incentives and positive word of mouth.  The rollover issue, which Ford explained was largely due to over-inflated

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Volvo S80, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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The adaptive cruise control, one of several new safety features for Volvo, determined the driver of the vehicle now perhaps 50 yards in front of me had changed lanes without the proper minimum distance. As such, my cruise control automatically disengaged. It’s an alarming feeling at first, but it’s one more reason why Volvo owners think they’re getting among the safest cars on the road. The Swedish manufacturer offers some of the more popular vehicles in areas where inclement weather rules, like Sweden. But for drivers in non-mountainous areas or when the weather’s often ideal, the new Volvo safety features

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BMW X3, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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I’ve driven the eastbound and westbound road more than 100 times en route to or departing the Monterey Peninsula. Maybe it’s the tight cement restraining barriers or what feels like an odd road camber. It’s just a winding downhill (or uphill) highway section that drives more difficultly than it should. Of course, that makes it a perfect place to test drive a vehicle. And that’s exactly what I did recently in both directions in a BMW X3. The 2007 version of the compact sport utility vehicle was restyled and its six-cylinder 3.0-liter engine features an updated transmission, increased horsepower and

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Saturn Sky 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

If there’s one sure thing about the Saturn Sky, it’s the new sports car’s attention-grabbing appearance. Passersby stopped me at traffic signals and asked questions. Restaurant patrons came to my table and inquired. Neighbors wanted to know about the Sky, and even friends who care little about cars were interested. The Sky was introduced as the manufacturer’s first “high-performance” convertible sports car as a 2007 model although it was first available in the spring of 2006. The two-seater, which shares its basic design with the Pontiac Solstice, is available in two options, the 177-horsepower base model and the 260-horsepower, turbocharged

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Mitsubishi Eclipse, 2007: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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Driving a nicely performing convertible with the top down on a sun-baked day is about as good as it gets. But the varying functionality and quality of convertible tops can easily diminish the experience. With the 2007 Eclipse Spyder, Mitsubishi is attempting to squelch the concerns of convertible buyers who may constantly wonder just how long their vehicle’s ragtop will work properly. After restyling and adding improved safety features to the Eclipse coupe for 2006, the convertible version became available for the first time this month (March, 2006). And it’s impressive. With the flick of two side easy-to-maneuver latches and

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Blackhawk Museum, Danville, California

Golf to real estate, the Blackhawk Community represents different things to different people. For automotive enthusiasts, what matters is the Blackhawk Museum. It’s a testament to rare cars, Bentley to Ferrari, Packard to Duesenberg. But the museum, which opened in 1988 is more than place to gawk at some of the world’s finest cars. Instead, it’s an interactive part of the community. The museum has increasingly popular docent training program. It has also been pro-active with a three-level education program from students. The museum welcomed its 150,000th student last June. The student programs area divided into grades kindergarten through third,

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Honda CR-V, 2007: The Weekly Driver

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There wasn’t much to complain about with the previous Honda CR-V. It provided a keen balance of versatility, comfort and utility vehicle refinement. But with the 2007 redesign, the manufacturer has done what Honda always seems to do. It took something good and made it better. For starters, the new CR-V has a restyled exterior. Its previous boxy appearance has been streamlined with elements of BMW and Audi. The new CR-V is also three inches shorter than its predecessor, but the wheelbase and interior dimensions are nearly the same as previous models. Honda further upgraded the vehicle by removing the

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Mercedes Benz E350 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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I was 18 at the time, and when my father let me take the car to the market or when we took the car on father-son journeys, life couldn’t have been better. Mercedes had more luxurious cars then, just as the manufacturer does today. But more than 30 years after driving father’s Benz, I owned a 1979 Mercedes Benz, a 280CE, for several years. It wasn’t the same, of course. It was more than 25 years old and had its issues. But it was  Mercedes, I could afford it, and had the same interior and exterior color as my dad’s

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