News Service

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Super Bowl commercials: Suzuki, dogs exchange sled for hip ice trip in Kizashi

Suzuki, following Volkswagen and Chevrolet, has premiered its Super Bowl commercial well in advance of the Feb. 5 football game that also serves as television's most expensive day of commericals. The one-minute Suzuki commercial, like Volkswagen's, features dogs, and it's entitled "Sled." The ad, which emphasizes the premium features and unique all-wheel-drive prowess of the 2012 Kizashi sport sedan, marks the second consecutive year Suzuki will advertise during the Super Bowl. In 2011, the brand featured its popular "Wicked Weather" spot during the big game. Volkswagen recently coninuted in Stars Wars theme commericals, this time with dogs barking the famous movie's theme song. Developed by El Segundo, Calif.-based advertising agency Siltanen & Partners Advertising, Suzuki's “Sled” television spot illustrates the

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Kiplinger's Best, 2012: Toyota Prius V, Honda Odyssey, Ford Escape Hybrid

Kiplinger has been published for 90 years and now for the 61st time it's publishing its annual buyer’s guide of best value new cars. Kiplinger’s Best in Class and Best New winners are based on rankings that weigh performance, value and safety. Half the score comes from performance and value and about a third from vehicle safety. The remaining score is based on Kiplinger test drives of the cars, during which we assess design, comfort and dashboard layout. Sedans are ranked within price categories while crossovers, SUVs, minivans and wagons are not broken up by price but scored on a scale that rewards lower prices. The results are presented monetarily in categories and sub-categories, under $20,00 to more than $50,000,

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Kiplinger's Best, 2012: Ford Focus (Under $20,000), Audi A7 (More than $50,000)

Kiplinger has been published for 90 years and now for the 61st time it's publishing its annual buyer’s guide of best value new cars. Kiplinger’s Best in Class and Best New winners are based on rankings that weigh performance, value and safety. Half the score comes from performance and value and about a third from vehicle safety. The remaining score is based on Kiplinger test drives of the cars, during which we assess design, comfort and dashboard layout. Sedans are ranked within price categories while crossovers, SUVs, minivans and wagons are not broken up by price but scored on a scale that rewards lower prices. The results are presented monetarily in categories and sub-categories, under $20,00 to more than $50,000,

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BMW X6, 2012: sturdy crossover has keen craftsmanship, hefty price

Now approaching its fourth birthday, the BMW X6 is touted as a Sports Activity Coupe. It's a mixed, odd offering — a small, luxury sport utility vehicle meshed with a high-performance sports coupe. It's built with the X5, it similar sibling (they share platforms) in Greer, South Carolina. In addition three standard offerings, including a turbocharged V8, a hybrid X6, called the BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid, debuted in 2009. The Weekly Driver Test Drive In its assessment, U.S. News & World Report noted: "If you’re in the market for a practical SUV, the BMW X6 definitely isn’t it." Rarely has so much been said in a car review in so few words. During my week with the base model xDrive35i,

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Ford gets jump start, first carmaker to unveil 2013 NASCAR model

For the third time, Ford has simultaneously launched production and NASCAR versions of a new model. The latest is the 2013 Fusion. It joins the first dual launch of Ford Torino (1968) and then in 2006 when the Fusion was selected the first time. With the announcement, Ford became the first manufacturer in NASCAR to unveil its 2013 car. "The NASCAR Nation is made up of car enthusiasts, and NASCAR fans certainly love to pull for a brand or make of car second only to being able to pull for their favorite driver," said NASCAR President Mike Helton. "Today is a very significant landmark for us. It brings back the relevancy of NASCAR on the race track to what fans

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Rare Mercedes-Benz Gullwing fetches nearly $5 million in auction

Hagerty Insurance, the company that among other specialties, track sales at vintage car auctions, compiled a list of vehicles sold last week at the Arizona auctions houses known for their unique collection of old, unique cars. Barrett-Jackson announced it sold more than $92 million of vehicles in its annual year-opening auction describes as "rare, high-end collectible vehicles, exotics, customs, classics, hot rods and resto-mods." But rival Gooding took auction house honors in individual sales honors. Its 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL alloy Gullwing sold for $4,620,000. Here's the rest of the list of top sellers: 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder sold for $3,905,000 (Gooding) 1948 Tucker Torpedo sold for $2,915,000 (Barrett-Jackson) 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay DHC sold for $2,750,000

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Snow, car crashes and drivers' stupidity plentiful in Bountiful, Utah (video)

The dangers of driving in the snow aren't always readily apart. And even when what appears to be a rather tame slightly declining road in Bountiful, Utah, becomes increasingly dangerous, drivers and pedestrians just don't seem to get it. And so it was. Driving in the snow is downright nasty In this five-minute video, filmed by Rhee Braby, the driving nightmare begins slowly with a few cars hitting curbs. Then there are about a half-dozen accidents, cars skidding into yards and any number of vehicles careening out of control. But does everyone heed the warnings of citizens and policemen trying to help? No. The result: In a few minutes, a not-so-serious-looking Utah snow on Jan. 21 storm turns ugly. And

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Danica Patrick won't race Indy 500, will compete in Coca-Cola 600 in 2012

Danica Patrick, who as a rookie seven years ago became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500, will not compete in the event this year, opting to focus on NASCAR racing and the same day Coca-Cola 600. Patrick, who late last season announced her decision to focus on NASCAR racing, had left the Indy 500 as an option. Now, Patrick who finished fifth in the 2005 Indy 500 and a career-best third in 2006, has furthered distanced herself from Indy cars. "I hope to do it in the future, the Indy 500 that is, and maybe it will be a double," Patrick said Jan. 23. "But at this point in time, after a lot of conversations, it's just going

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Formula 1 ticket waitlist opened for U.S. return at Circuit of the Americas

The return of Formula 1 racing to the United State is still about 10 months away, but reservations for the waitlist for tickets to the debut event Nov. 16-18, is now available. A refundable deposit of $100 will secure a place for waitlist, which opened Jan. 21 and will close Feb. 13. If you sign up for the Select Seating waitlist and decide you are no longer interested in purchasing a suite or select seating, the deposit, paid via Paypa, will be refunded. Following the close of the Select Seating enrollment period on Monday, February 13, individuals on the waitlist will be contacted with a survey with information regarding the different seating options and pricing available. Personal Seat Licenses, priced

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Volvo, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz dominate 2012 safest cars list

With its auto content, Forbes.com likes lists. Its current offering, like much of its other car content, is subjective — the safest 2012 cars. Infiniti, Mercedes-Benez and Volvo, with three selections, dominate the list. The subjectiveness of the list is not a criticism. It's subjective via the criteria used to make its choices, which, seem like the right criteria. One of the strongest considerations is the designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). For 2012, a total of 69 cars, 38 SUVs and three pickups made the non-profit's Top Safety Picks list, including 18 new recipients. To qualify as an IIHS Top Safety Pick, a car must garner top scores for performance in front, side, rollover and rear-end

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Infiniti G37 IPL, 2012: Fast, powerful luxury coupe attracts attention

The Infiniti G Series dates to 1991, with the Infiniti Performance Line (IPL) debuting in the fall of 2010 with the 2011 edition of the G37 Coupe. The 2012 edition remains much same. The IPL version of the high performance luxury car features a retuned, more powerful engine, more aggressive body work, new wheels and better handling. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Driving a luxury sports car, even one defined as a "entry level premium coupe," attracts immediate attention. Further attention seemed to follow me during my test week, I think, because of the G37 IPL's exterior color. The color is called Malbec Black. And while Infiniti can call its color what its wants, the color is not black. Rather,

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Hyundai claims another honor via J.D. Power's customer loyalty crown

Hyundai has claimed another honor, the time it's been ranked highest among all automotive brands in J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Retention Study. Now in its ninth year, the study measures the rate at which automotive brands retain their existing customers and examines the reasons why customers remain loyal. Hyundai earned the top spot in the study, improving its retention rate by four percentage points from 2010 to 64 percent in 2012. According to J.D. Power and Associates, Hyundai's increased retention rate is shaped by its expanding model lineup, as well as the fact that perceptions of the brand's quality and appeal have continued to improve during the past decade. The 2012 Hyundai Elantra was a top pick among

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BMW recalls 235,000 Minis globally with engine fire potential

BMW is recalling more than 300,000 of its Mini-branded cars globally, including nearly 89,000 in the United States, because of faulty water pumpas and the potentiall the problem could leading to engine fires. Three months ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened up a defects investigation, citing a dozen reports of fires in the vehicles manufactured by BMW. Among the 12 reports, five of the fires reportedly destroyed the cars, but there were not injuries. The recall in the U.S. will comprise of seven models of the Mini series in model year from 2007-2011, including: 2007-11 Cooper S; 2008-11 Cooper S Clubman; 2009-11 Cooper S convertible; 2011 Cooper S Countryman; and the 2009-11 John Cooper Works, John Cooper

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NAIAS hits and misses: Ford Fusion 2013, Honda Accord Coupe, 2013

After several media-only days, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), often called the Detroit Auto Show, is now open to public for the next week or so. Ford and Honda — two of the expected most popular manufacturers — are getting a lot of attention, but for opposite reasons. The 2013 Ford Fusion is getting heavily praised and has been selected by Yahoo Autos as one of the top five hits of the NAIAS. The 2012 Honda Accord Coupe has been selected by Justin Hyde of Yahoo Autos as one of the top give misses. Here's what Yahoo wrote about the Ford Fusion: "Like anything popular, midsize sedans can get boring fast. The new Fusion, which Ford will sell

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Steam Power conference features technology, world record attempt pending

The latest developments in steam power technology will be the focus beginning Jan. 13 when the International Association for the Advancement of Steam Power and the Steam Automobile Club of America partner for a three-day conference at the California Auto Museum in Sacramento, California. Participants include steam automobile owners and developers, modern steam locomotive experts, small steam power plant developers and manufacturers, engineers and enthusiasts. Several steam-powered automobiles will features, including a car designed to break the world land speed record for a steam-powered vehicle. It will attempt to break the record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2012. Cyclone Power Technologies, the company that created the engine for the car, is the lead sponsor for the conference. The Cyclone

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Honda Civic HF, 2012: Better gas mileage but at what cost?

With the HF edition, Honda adds to its crowded 2012 lineup of Civics all featuring some lettering like LK, EX and EX-L. But there's also DK, Si and the HF, which stands for "High Fuel." It's hard to argue with success. The Honda Civic, introduced 40 years, is perennially among the top yearly sellers and among the best-selling cars in history. The Civic began as a two-door model and then a three-door hatchback. The 1972 Honda Civic included a basic AM radio, heater, foam-cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers, and painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap. Now in its ninth generation and its first redesign since 2006, the 2012 Civic is available in numerous configurations with gasoline, hybrid

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