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

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Honda recalls 167,000 Acura TSX models with potentially faulty power steering hoses

The power steering hoses, according to the manufacturer, could deteriorate prematurely from prolonged exposure to high under-the-hood temperatures. Visit: owners.acura.com/recalls or call 800-382-2238 for a full list of recalled vehicles. Dealerships will replace the power steering hose, O-ring gasket and fluid will be replaced without charge.

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BMW, 335d, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

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The 2009 version I drove six months ago attracted a lot of attention. Some onlookers didn’t know a BMW diesel was available in the United States. Other car enthusiasts wondered what the odd exterior promotional decals were all about. Little has changed with the 2010 model, the second year of car in this country. Officially, there’s only one change. The 2010 model has HD radio. But the promotional decals are long gone, replaced by a BMW strong point, exterior paint colors and a well-coordinated interior. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance,

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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

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Looking for a Ferrari? Tour de France rider George Hincapie may have a Ferrari F430 for you

About nine months ago, Hincapie purchased a 2006 Ferrari F430. But he’s now likely to sell the car because he just doesn’t have the opportunity to drive it much. During a recent trip to California to ride in a cancer awareness event for his work with Breakaway From Cancer and to help launch to new location of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, Hincapie discussed his 4.3-liter, 490-horsepower V8 (Red) Ferrari. Hincapie, 36, lives part-time in Greenville, S.C. He will compete May 16-23 in the Tour of California and then participate in the Tour de France for the 15th time,

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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

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GM unveils new hybrid, a 'taller, roomy' Volt sibling, MPV5

And unlike the Volt the MPV5 concept is bigger and certainly heavier so GM says it will only go 32 miles on all electric mode. The Volt has a claimed 40-mile, all-electric range. Stylistically, the Chevy MPV5 concept is very similar to the Volt with a lot of features that look like they came straight out of the Volt including the MPV5 concept’s dashboard. The Volt is scheduled to go on sale toward the end of this year, and according to GM it will go about 40 miles on electricity only using a large lithium-ion battery before the car’s small

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Bugatti Veyron tops top-10 list of world’s most expensive cars

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The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is only four years old, but its reputation has quickly spread around the globe among elite automobile enthusiasts. It tops the list of the world’s top-10 most expensive cars. Here’s the list: Bugatti Veyron,  $1,700,000 The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the most powerful, most expensive, and fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a proven top speed of over 400 km/h (407 km/h or 253 mph). It reached full production in September 2005. The car is built by Volkswagen AG subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS and is sold under the legendary Bugatti marque. It is named

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Suzuki Kizashi, 2010: Roman Mica's Rambling Review

The most important part of the car is the door handle. Why? It’s the first part of the car you touch. In my case, it was love at first touch with the all new 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS. What Suzuki has managed to build is a $20,000 car that looks and feels like a $30,000 car. For me, the mark of a good car, make that a great car, is its ability to make you feel special when you drive it. And I felt like a C list movie star in the Kizashi. The Kizashi GTS isn’t a great car

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Hyundai Tucson, 2010: Roman Mica's Rambling Review

But just like many of the most fashionable shoes in the world, you have to sacrifice comfort to look so good. Don’t get me wrong. My tester had all of the latest toy and technology you’d expect from a small, modern crossover including: All-wheel drive, Navigation (6.5 inch screen0, Enormous/Panoramic duel sunroofs, Satellite radio, Premium Audio (with external amp and Sub-woofer) . . . and the list goes on. In fact, my tester’s grand total of goodies came to a segment-topping sticker price of $29,590.00. That’s a lot of money and a lot goodies for a small CUV. But that

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Ford Fiesta, 2011: Roman Mica's rambling video review

“The Michigan-based carmaker is about to introduce the diminutive Ford Fiesta this summer to American car buyers. The American Fiesta, while made in Mexico, is almost identical to the European version now the best-selling car in Europe. “In the United States, we get basically the same car as the Europeans, as well as a sedan version of the 5-door hatch not a for sale in the ‘old world.’ Ford thinks young urban types will take to the car which gets 30/40 mpg with a dual clutch automatic Ford calls a PowerShift. Prices start at $15,795. Mica’s assessment of the 2011

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Ferrari announces six new models, including hypercar, to debut before 2013

According to the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, a new variety of the entry-level 458 Spider will be debut the new offerings and is scheduled for 2011. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars A new generation of the 612 Scaglietti will follow and likely provide the base for Ferrari’s first hybrid model. Codenamed F151, the 612 Scaglietti successor’s name is still unknown. In 2012, the next hypercar Ferrari will debut, based on the small production mystique of the Enzo. A new version of the 599 GTB Fiorano,

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Ford Transit Connect, 2010: The Weekly Driver Review

Named “North American Truck of the Year 2010” at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), the 2010 Ford Transit Connect can seat five, but can also be configured to seat two. Ford‘s official web site features several examples of small businesses customizing the Transit Connect with various signage and with several interior modifications. The examples all provide ideal reasons why 600,000 Transits have sold in 58 countries and on four continents since the “leisure activity vehicle” debuted in 2003. The Weekly Driver Test Drive It didn’t take more than a few minutes on my first drive in the Transit

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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

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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

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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

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