Helio Castroneves goes for record fifth Indy 500 win

Eight former winners, including Brazilian Helio Castroneves, are among the field of 33 drivers assigned to cars for the 106th Indy 500 on Sunday, May 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Defending titlist Castroneves, who also won in 2001, 2002 and 2009, will be joined by two-time winners Juan Pablo Montoya (2000, 2015) and Takuma Sato (2017, 2020). Former one-time winners Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2013), Alexander Rossi (2016), Will Power (2018) and Simon Pagenaud (2019) are also in the field. Castroneves joined A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the most prestigious club in motorsports – four-time winners

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2022 Honda Civic: Still reigns as top compact sedan at age 50

Technology overload and extraneous warning lights and sounds. Mood lighting and champagne flutes in mini back-seat refrigerators. Paddle shifters standard in family sedans with continuously variable transmissions? Where will it all end? How about with a 2022 Honda Civic? It’s not a return to automotive simplicity with roll-up windows and cigarette lighters. Rather, it’s an iconic car, now in its 11th generation. It’s 50 years old, with 12 million sold. It cost less than $31,000 for the top-line model, about two-thirds of the average price of a new car in the United States. With its new mature appearance inside and

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#226, Newport Car Museum visionary Gunther Buerman

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:56 — 43.9MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreApproaching its fifth anniversary, the Newport Car Museum is the largest automotive museum in New England. It celebrates seven decades of modern industrial car design represented in more than 85 vehicles. It’s all the vision of owners Gunther and Maggie Buerman. The couple, who live in Highland Beach, Florida, and Newport, R.I., opened the museum in 2017. It’s located about 20 miles north of Newport in Portsmouth. Gunther Buerman, originally from Mannheim, Germany, moved as a young boy with his family to New York.

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New cars are fine, but vintage wheels always better

Not too far into the future, 300 million cars will be registered in the United States. More than 30 current manufacturers have new cars currently available; plenty of other carmakers are defunct and either revered or best forgotten but with models still driven. The staggering number of vehicles on the road and hoarded in garages further dilutes an often-asked question” “If money were no object, what car would you buy?” There’s no right answer, but vintage simplicity is far more appealing than impress-the-neighbors bling. A 1954 Kaiser-Darrin, 1967 Mercedes Benz 250 SL Convertible or a 1991 Nissan Figaro? Yes. Any

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2022 BMW 240i drives big as small luxury coupe

Just when every niche in the automotive industry appears filled, another arises. The 2022 BMW 2 Series coupe 240i is a leader in the small luxury car fraternity. It’s a small group, which includes country rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Following the discontinuation of the convertible offering, the redesigned 2022 BMW 2 Series coupe is available in two trims, 230i and the reviewed M240i xDrive. The base 230i features a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 255 horsepower. The M240i xDrive more defines many BMW drivers’ common enjoyment — performance rules. It includes a 3-liter, 24-valve, 6-cylinder, 382 horsepower engine matched with

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What’s Important About the Ford MT82 Transmission Recall

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Ford MT82 Transmission Recall notice: Mustangs and Mustang GTs from 2011 to 2019 were equipped with a Ford MT82 transmission with a six-speed manual. Many owners have found the transmission faulty. Further, according to Car and Driver, Ford was aware of the problem since the car began testing in 2010. The company had issued no less than seven notices to dealers on how they could fix the problem. The transmissions, supplied by Getrag, had a wide array of issues, and it led to Mustang owners to file a Class Action Suit. Problems Included • Issues with the gearbox• Transmission that

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#225, Chris Bright talks Collector Part Exchange success

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:31 — 46.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreChris Bright remains as enthusiastic and energized as the vintage car enthusiast and businessman was last July when his new company Collector Part Exchange debuted. Bruce Aldrich and I interviewed Bright last summer, just before Monterey Auto Week, for Episode #190 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Collector Part Exchange: Nearing One-Year Anniversary A few weeks later, we met him and his business partner and co-founder Aaron Laliberte at the annual show to talk all things vintage cars and online businesses. Bruce is on vacation

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Buying a new or used car? Study pros, cons and be prepared

When shopping around for the best possible car, make sure to have a good checklist to help determine what vehicle will work best for you. Cars provide independence and freedom, both strong reasons why buying a new car should be taken seriously. Determining the proper steps toward pursuing a need is imperative to a successful purchase. As such, here are some of the key ideas to keep in mind, not only to purchase the best car but to enhance the freedom and independence a vehicle can provide. New Or Used Car One key decision: Should you buy used or new.

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Many types of headaches can occur after a car accident

People who have suffered in a car accident can experience a variety of headaches. Headaches can be caused by trauma to the head, neck or back. They can also be caused by swelling or inflammation of the brain. Headaches are not always associated with a car accident and may appear after other events such as an injury, illness or surgery. There are different types of headaches after a car accident. The headache some people might experience after a car accident is called a post-traumatic headache. Other types of headaches include tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches. Consult a doctor immediately

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Vintage cars are great fun, need care, quickly empty wallets

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Vintage cars are often neither fuel-effective nor budget-friendly. But they look, feel great and drive beautifully. Sit or drive a classic vehicle and the experience can be a coolness and freeing feeling, not too dissimilar to what Sean Connery must have felt like when he driving an Aston Martin in a James Bond film. If you attend a classic event in your area, such as the Monterey Auto Week, it’s the perfect opportunity to get to know more about your favorite cars and how owners preserve them. Classic vehicles require a lot of care and repair to remain on the

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2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe: purists’ joy

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For some BMW purists, the 8 Series sedan isn’t enough. Fine. How about the 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe? It’s quick, stunningly attractive and rare with about 2,000 manufactured for those with discriminating tastes, the need for more performance and possessing deep pockets. Founded in 1965, Alpina, the German customization specialty company, and BMW have maintained a long business relationship. The former works independently but it’s also permanently partnered with BMW. The collaboration morphs into vehicles greater than the sum of the two companies. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that produces 612 horsepower, the 2022 BMW Alpina B8

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Favorite car? Old or new? It’s in the eye of the buyer

Who can pick their favorite car? Not too far into the future, 300 million cars will be registered in the United States. More than 30 current manufacturers have lineups currently available; plenty of other carmakers are defunct and either revered or best forgotten and still driven. The staggering number of vehicles on the road and hoarded in garages further dilutes an often-asked question, “If money were no object, what car would you buy?” There’s no right answer, but vintage simplicity is far more appealing than impress-the-neighbors bling. A 1954 Kaiser-Darrin, 1967 Mercedes Benz 250 SL Convertible or a 1991 Nissan

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Stuck in a rut? How about driving a Walmart truck for $110,000

No one has ever said making a living as a truck driver was easy. But starting pay of $110,000 a year might be the enough incentive to attract more workers to a long-hauler career. Walmart hopes so. The country’s largest retailer is trying to alleviate the country’s truck driver shortage by increasing the starting salary to $110,000 for those interesting in long-distance hauling the company’s vehicles. Driver with previous work experience working for with Walmart can earn more based on their tenure and location. Walmart, which currently has about 12,000 workers who drive its company-owned trucks, said the average company

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Top Questions to Ask an Auto Repair Shop



Finding the right auto repair shop for your vehicle can be tricky. But if you are looking for quality engine or car repairs in the Woodlands, Texas, area, it couldn’t be easier. And one thing is usually true. Auto maintenance shops usually have a good reputation because they are  . . . reputable. Nonetheless, if you are new to an area or unsure, it’s best to good questions. Auto maintenance repairs in the Woodlands area, like Adams Automotive, have experience repairing all makes and models of vehicles — Ford to Lexus, Land Rover to Chevrolet — repair they can help.

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Best Compact SUV? CarsForSale.com lists top-10

A compact SUV is about as ubiquitous as it gets on American roads. As tastes have shifted away from minivans and sedans, those seeking a blend of practicality and drivability have flocked to the smaller, more car-like version of the hulking SUV. Choices in the segment are diverse, from decent off-roaders to stylish canyon cravers to people-moving champions, there’s something here for every buyer. Compact SUVs excel at being the ultimate all-rounders, capable of serving as your weekend adventure vehicle and daily commuter, shipping kids to soccer or taking on the trails with equal aplomb. CarsForSale.com rates the 2022 Mazda

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#224, Cars.com editor reports on EVs, NY Auto Show

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:31 — 31.6MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreJoe Wiesenfelder, the executive editor of cars.com, recently returned from the New York Auto Show. Electric vehicles continue to be emphasized in the automotive market space, and Wiesenfelder is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss it. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with the veteran journalist about the influx of new manufacturers in the EV segment as wells as the health of the segment. Can any new EV carmaker, Rivian to Lucid to Polestar to VinFast, challenge

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