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Ferrari, Aston Martin, VW top NY Times' 2010 best cars

Ferrari, Aston Martin and the Volkswagen GTI top the New York Times automotive critics’ 2010 top-10 Cars of the Year list. Lawrence Ulrich, one several journalists who regularly report on the automotive industry for the newspaper, was direct in his top pick for the year, the Ferrari 458 Italia. “The world’s best sports car, a racing video game come to life in three gorgeous, thrilling dimensions. This is the car I would buy tomorrow if I inherited $250,000 today.” Jerry Garrett selected the Aston Martin Rapide: “The exquisitely executed Rapide is, like the sleek Jaguar XJ, a product of Ian Callum, designer extraordinaire. A sedan is a new offering for Aston, a tiny builder of British sports cars, as is

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Honda, Lexus, Chevrolet dominate Kiplinger's/Yahoo Cars of the Decade list

The Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Corvette couldn’t be more different. And likewise, there’s nothing similar between a BMW 3 Series and a Honda Odyssey. Unless, of course, Kiplinger’s magazine and Yahoo.com happen to be compiling a list of the cars of the decade. With a vast number of vehicles from which to choose in the past decade, how could the publications possible select the top-10 cars of the decade. The Prius, for example, was selected with the following description: “When the Prius made its U.S. debut in 2001, it barely registered a blip in the auto industry. But then the Hollywood green crowd adopted the little gas-electric hybrid as a symbol of saving the planet. “Ten years and two redesigns

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Audi, Ford, Lexus on The Weekly Driver's 2010 Best List

Recall was likely the most used word in the automotive industry in 2010. Toyota topped the list of manufacturers’ whose cars were retrieved by the millions with myriad issues. Regardless, of the 20 million recalls. it was another remarkable year for cars. The Hyundai Sonata for the first time in some monthly totals outsold the Honda Accord. The Chevy Camaro returned in 2009 as a 2010 model. Honda introduced the attention-grabbing Crosstour and discontinued the Element. The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf made their public debuts amid an enormous public relations joust and with the future of hybrid and electric vehicles still largely unclear. The specialty car market was constantly in the news. Premium prices were dished out at auctions

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Ten great cars not for sale in the United States

Plenty of great choices, sedans to sports cars, hardtop convertibles to pick-up trucks abound for car buyers in the United States. But there’s also a good selection of vehicles, the Chery A5 to the Wiesmann Roadster MF3, available in various part of the world — but not in the U.S. Business Week.com has compiled a diverse list of cars it deems worthy and that may one day be available in the United States. It’s just that you can’t purchase any of cars now in the U.S. Consider the HSU Maloo R8. The Guinness World Records book clocked the Maloo at 169 mph in 2006, making it the world’s fastest pickup truck. Since the early 1990s it has been built by

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Move aside, Hummer; Liebherr makes world's biggest truck

Before its recent demise, the Hummer took its share of criticism as a gas-guzzling, over-the-top vehicle driven by owners often chided as likely candidates for various testosterone issues. But the Hummer had nothing on the Liebherr  T 282B. The German-built monster earth-hauling machine is the world’s largest truck and among the largest machines ever built. Designed in 2004, the top level model is driven by a 10 1/2-ton, 90-liter diesel engine that produces 3,650 horsepower. The Liebherr boasts several other wowing statistics. It weighs 203 tons empty and has a maximum capacity of 592 tons. It’s 47.5-feet long, 24.2 feet tall and has a wheelbase of 21.6 feet. The earth-hauling monolith has a top speed of 40 mph and costs

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Smart ForTwo, Porsche Cayman among 2010 sales losers

The automotive industry followed a disastrous year in 2009 with an encouraging sales year in 2010. About 11.5 million cars and light trucks will be sold in the United States this year, an improvement from 10.4 million in 2009. Automotive industry experts forecast sales of 12.8 million in 20111 and 17.1 million by 2015. But while several manufacturers’ brands — Buick, Cadillac, Infiniti, Ford, Hyundai and Jeep — had banner years in 2010, several manufacturers had dismal sales years.   Mostly notably, Mazda and Suzuki had the worst sales years in 2010, combining for half of the top-10 poorest-selling cars by percentage when compared to 2009 sales. According to a tabulations and forecast for final December sales, Forbes.com reports the

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Nissan Cube, Honda Crosstour get 2010 all-ugly honors

One car owner’s dream car is another auto enthusiast’s nightmare. In 2010, more than one model grabbed its share of attention and catapulted its way to the year’s all-ugly list — the Nissan Cube to two Honda models. Correspondingly, while the Nissan Cube and Honda Accord Crosstour have received all-ugly honors, they’ve also received auto industry innovation design awards. In its 2010 end-of-the-year compilation, Forbes.com chose eight cars for their less-than-attractive appearances. The website also features a clever image of a Nissan Cube mostly covered by a brown paper bag. In its introduction to the article, the Forbes’ writer said: “Granted, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some consumers love the quirky angles of the (Scion) xB, or

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Volkswagen recalls 380,000 Jetta, Golf, Rabbit, Beetle models with fuel leak potential

Volkswagen has announced the recall of nearly 380,000 vehicles, including Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Golf and Rabbit models from the 2007 to 2009 because potential fuel leaks which could lead to a fire. A total of 266,936 of the above-mentioned models are affected as well as an 110,350 hardtop and convertible New Beetles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) official bulletin read: “The Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Golf and Rabbit vehicles may have a small plastic tab located on the windshield washer fluid reservoir that may chafe against an underhood fuel supply line. “The New Beetle and the New Beetle Convertible vehicles may have a fastening clamp on a hydraulic hose of the power steering system that may be located in

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Ferrari Challenge announces 2011 return to Laguna Seca

The Ferrari Challenge, a two-day program featuring Ferrari Challenge and the F1 Corse Clienti, will return May 21-22 to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Cars in the series include the new purpose-built Ferrari 458 Challenge. These modern race cars will share the paddock with the speed, elegance and style of the greatest cars from Ferrari’s glorious F1 past like Niki Lauda’s 312T and Michael Schumacher’s F2001. “The Ferrari Challenge will provide motorsports fans with a thrilling season opener at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Fans will surely enjoy the sights and sounds of these modern race cars and shrieking F1 cars as they challenge the Corkscrew.” Since the days of Ferrari founder

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Volkswagen to offer three 2011 Jettas for $5,995 on Gilt.com

Volkswagen of America is partnering with Gilt Groupe to offer three 2011 Jettas, on three consecutive days beginning Dec. 15, all for less than $6,000. The promotion, according to the carmaker, furthers its “Great for the Price of Good” message. Volkswagen is the first automotive brand to be sold on Gilt, or any flash sale site in the U.S. The price for each of the vehicles will be $5,995, or $10,000 less than the original price. The Dec. 15 sale, beginning at noon, will only be accessible through Gilt mobile applications on the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Android devices. On the following two days, the sale will take place on Gilt.com as well as through the mobile applications. Each

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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 a few more thousand miles. If it happens, the Honda Civic will have been driven more than 238,000 miles —

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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 offerings, can only be purchased by American Express Cardmembers. Here’s a sample of rules and regulations of the BMW deal:

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Most Unsafe Cars in History: Ford Pinto to Chevrolet Corvair

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 subjective list, according to The Consumerist.com, was compiled when “Auto Shippers combed through the auto industry’s storied history of catastrophic

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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 us with this incredible opportunity to share her Beetle experience with deserving viewers, we instantly wanted to be a part

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Honda, Audi models among most expensive cars to insure

Honda and Audi are among the most respected manufacturers in the automotive industry. But the ZDZ from Acura and the TTS and A5 models from Audi are also the most expensive cars to insure. Conversely, the Kia Sedona, Mazda5 and Ford Escape are cheapest vehicles to insure, according to InsWeb, an online insurance comparison provider. According to InsWeb, the insure price formula called “loss behavior” includes repair costs and the chances the vehicle will be involved in an accident. InsWeb says model loss formulations also include the driving history of a car’s previous owners. High performance and high profile cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac Escalade are more prone to accidents than a the mosre subdued, practical cars like

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Nissan recalling more than 600,000 vehicles with potential steering, battery defects

Nissan is recalling more than 600,000 vehicles, mostly in United States and involving Frontier pick-ups and Xterra SUVs, to fix faulty steering columns and battery cables that could result in cracked steering shafts. A lower steering column joint and shaft will be replaced on approximately 303,000 Frontier edition and 283,000 Xterra editions in 2002-2004 model years. Additionally, the positive battery cable terminal will be replaced on approximately 18,500 Sentra sedans made between May 15, 2010 to July 8, 2010 in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Approximately 515,000 of the vehicles involved are in the U.S. The remaining recalls will occur in Canada and several Latin American and African countries. In the SUVs, the lower steering column joint can, in rare cases, develop corrosion

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