News Service

Tim Allen: Santa Claus, car buff and new voice of Chevrolet Cruze

In addition his status a Detroit-area native, Allen is owner of a 1996 LT5 Impala SS among several other cars. “Tim Allen brings the right combination of a recognizable voice with the credibility, likeability and humor that will connect with viewers,” said Joel Ewanick, GM’s CMO. “His passion for all things cars makes him the perfect match for the Chevrolet brand.” Allen’s voice is first heard in the new Chevy Cruze campaign. The carmaker plans to utilize Allen in additional but undetermined advertising campaigns. Chevrolet will have an advertising presence during the Super Bowl television broadcast for the first time in three years in 2011. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written

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Letter grade system proposed for fuel efficiency, emissions for 2012 cars

The new rules, released jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department, would be the most substantial changes in 30 years to the familiar price and mileage labels affixed to new cars on sale at dealerships. It’s proposed as part of a broader effort by the government to promote electric cars and other advanced-technology vehicles. Current labels many miles per gallon averages and a vehicle’s estimated annual fuel costs. Under the new proposal, new labels would carry a letter grade assigned by regulators. Electric vehicles and gas-electric hybrids would get the highest grades. More powerful sport utility vehicles and muscle cars would get lower grades because they burn more petroleum and release more carbon dioxide. The proposed changes,

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Driving Miss Rachel (age 92): Jay Leno talks cars with Mercury queen

The original video that detailed the purchase of her car and the-now 600,000 miles she’s driven it, has been viewed more than six million times. One of Veitch’s recent media appearances was as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the late-night talk show host and car-collecting mogul. Veitch, who calls her car “Chariot,” bought the Mercury new on Feb. 17, 1964. She and her husband sought cheaper transportation than their 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Veitch settled on a four-door Caliente model with tan interior, a 164-horsepower/260-cubic-inch V-8, automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering and every other available option except power brakes. The 2,700-pound sedan cost $3,289. The spry, witty Veitch has driven the car about 1,000 miles

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Volkswagen hopes transparency means sales for luxury Phaeton (video)

The Phaeton is hand-assembled in an eco-friendly factory with a glass exterior, the Transparent Factory in Dresden, Germany called Gläserne Manufaktur. The same factory assembled Bentley Continental Flying Spur vehicles destined for the European market until October 2006, when all assembly of the Bentley products was transferred to Crewe, England. The Phaeton body is fabricated and painted at the large Volkswagen works at Zwickau, Germany, and the completed bodies are then transported about 60 miles by special road transport vehicles to the Transparent Factory. Most Phaeton engines, the W12 being the notable exception, are built at the VW/Porsche/Audi engine plant in Győr, Hungary. The transparent factory is likely the world’s most pristine car facility. Workers wear white in what has

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Hyundai predicts its new U.S. cars will average 50 mpg in 2025

The improved average would be about a 60 percent increase from Hyundai‘s current average, 30.9 mpg — the nation’s highest. Honda (30.1 mpg) has the second-highest mpg, followed by Toyota (29 mpg). AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Hyundai Motor America’s chief executive, John Krafcik said the goal was a stretch, but said he was “very confident” the company could reach it. “We don’t know precisely how to get there right now,” he said. “We do have a road map.” According to Krafcik, Hyundai expects to mostly use technologies available today with modifications to minimize fuel consumption. He said the company envisioned a 2025 lineup in which

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Geely, Ford announce final numbers in Volvo deal — $1.5 billion

The original price of $1.8 billion was agreed upon in March. The Chinese carmaker confirmed Stefan Jacoby, former head of Volkswagen AG’s U.S. operations, will be Volvo Cars’ chief executive, replacing Stephen Odell, who becomes chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe. Li Shufu, founder of Geely and new chairman of the board of Volvo Cars, and Ford Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth signed the agreement in London. Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally expressed confidence in Volvo’s prospects, noting the carmaker had returned to profit after a restructuring. “The sale of Volvo will allow us to sharpen our focus on the Ford brand around the world and continue to deliver on our ‘One Ford’ plan serving our customers with the

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Cars of the Tour de France, Skoda to Citroen to Fiat

The Czechoslovakian automaker provides approximately 250 Superb, Superb Combi, Octavia, Fabia and Roomster vehicles for race officials’ use and to transport teams, VIPs and the media. The cars are kept spotlessly clean and are presented at the start of each stage. Skoda’s vehicles are not available in the United States, but the brand is distributed in about 40 countries — and that’s reason enough to be part of the cycling biggest event. Despite its large presence at the Tour de France, Skoda (it has a contract with the even through 2013) represents a partially representation of vehicles at the Tour de France. Rental car fleets a depleted for by media representatives. All of the teams, sponsors, police and, of course,

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GM recall: 1.5 million vehicles, including Cadillac, Chevrolet, have windshield wiper system fire risk

The recall affects several pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, crossovers and passenger car models from model years 2006-2009. General Motors had a similar recall in 2008, but new issues arose in fixed vehicles. General Motors said it will disable the heated washer fluid system module that could lead to fires. The Detroit automaker will pay owners and those leasing vehicles $100 each since the feature is being disabled. Five fires, but no injuries or crashes in GM vehicles have been reported. Nearly 1.4 million vehicles are in the U.S. and more than 100,000 vehicles are in Canada, Mexico and other international markets. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used

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Nissan recalling 135,000 Infiniti G35 coupes, sedans with airbags issues

The recall involves G35 coupes from the 2005 to 2007 model years and G35 sedans from the 2005 to 2006 model year. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Nissan reports the air bag unit’s wire harness under the front passenger seat could wear down and interrupt the air bag’s signal. In a crash, the air bag may not deploy and could increase the risk of injury. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Nissan has not yet provided the agency with a plan to fix the vehicles or a timeline of when owners will be notified. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than

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Toyota troubles continue, automaker now facing more than 320 lawsuits

In a report filed with U.S. District Judge James Selna, attorneys for the plaintiffs and Toyota listed 228 federal cases and 99 related cases in state courts. A judicial panel consolidated the federal cases before Selna last month. Selna’s court is in Orange County, California, near Los Angeles and close to Toyota‘s U.S. headquarters. The next court date in the case is scheduled for May 13. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Toyota said the acceleration problems were caused by faulty floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals. Some plaintiffs also claim there’s defect with Toyota’s electronic throttle control system. Plaintiffs are alleging injury and death due to the sudden

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GM dedicates $890 million at five U.S. plants to generate new fuel, robust employment

According to a GM press release, the investment consists of the following: * Two plants will support the engine production: Tonawanda, N.Y. (an investment of $400 million resulting in more than 710 jobs) and St. Catharines, Ontario (an investment of $235 million resulting in approximately 400 jobs); * Three plants will support engine casting and component production: Defiance, Ohio (an investment of $115 million resulting in up to 189 jobs); Bedford, Ind. (an investment of $111 million resulting in about 245 jobs); Bay City, Mich. (an investment of $32 million resulting in over 80 jobs). The investments include facility renovation and installation of new, highly flexible engine machining and assembly equipment and special tooling designed for manufacturing efficiency and engine

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Hertz now really No. 1, acquires Dollar Thrifty for $1.27 billion

After beginning discussions last November, the companies approved the deal on April 25, according to newspaper. Hertz plans to keep the Dollar and Thrifty brands. The acquisition is “really about having a multi-brand strategy in the leisure segment,” said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz chairman and CEO. Buying Dollar Thrifty will help Hertz better use its fleet, give it a foothold in the mid-tier car rental market, increase its locations outside airports and let it push deeper into Europe, Frissora said. According to the newspaper’s account, Hertz currently uses about 95 percent of its fleet during the week but only 30 percent to 40 percent during the weekend, he said. Dollar Thrifty, by contrast, uses most of its fleet during the

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GM completes government loan payments, increases Chevy Volt, Malibu focus

AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, “I am very pleased to announce that, as of today, General Motors has repaid, in full and with interest, the loans made last July by the U.S. Treasury and Export Development Canada,” said GM chief executive Ed Whitacre, speaking at a plant in Fairfax, Kan., where GM builds Chevrolet Malibu and Buick LaCrosse sedans. Whitacre also announced GM would make two big investments for production of the next-generation Malibu: $136 million in the Fairfax facility, which will become the primary production point for the car. Likewise, GM has invested $121 million in its Detroit-Hamtramck plant to provide additional production at peak demand time.

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Best practices, top tips for buying car insurance

Reed begins the article with the statement: When it comes to auto insurance, you want to be adequately covered if you get in an accident but you don’t want to pay any more than you have to. So how can you navigate your way through this murky subject?” Reed offers step-by-step guidelines from how much coverage is needed to soliciting competitive quotes and researching online insurance companies for discounts to canceling your old policy. The author also offers a succinct, comprehensive checklist: * Determine your state’s insurance requirements. * Consider your own financial situation in relation to the required car insurance and consider buying more to protect your assets. * Review the status of your driving record — do you

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Sixty years of Vespa Girls: Cast your vote for the best of the bombshells

The LX has four different engines, all high-tech and Euro 2 compatible, ranging from a powerful 50cc two-stroke and a 50cc four-stroke to a 125 and 150cc four-stroke. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Roman Mica, a contributing editor to the Weekly Driver.com, ikes one tradition of Vespa more than its cool scooters. It’s the  tradition of the Vespa Girls, a wonderful collection of beautiful women who have served as Vespa Girls through the years. Mica has Vespa Girls polls, selecting the most attractive representative for the company. To view all of the Vespa Girls and to cast your vote, visit: www.tflcar.com. James RaiaA sports, travel and

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Honda tops most stolen car list, but Ford has three models on dubious top-10 list

Here are the top-10 most stolen cars in the U.S. in 2008, the most recently available list: 1. 1994 Honda Accord; 2. 1995 Honda Civic; 3. 1989 Toyota Camry; 4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup; 5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup; 6. 2000 Dodge Caravan; 7. 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee; 8. 1994 Acura Integra; 9. 1999 Ford Taurus; 10. 2002 Ford Explorer. Esurance.com has suggested tips for avoiding auto theft. 1. Don’t be a dummy— simple common sense will go a long way towards protecting you against theft. Always lock your doors (even in your own driveway), try to avoid parking in risky areas (if you’re not sure, it’s probably risky), and never leave tempting valuables in your car (if you must,

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