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Parents Push Teens To Drive Stick to Avoid Distracted Driving
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Just when an earlier study suggested that teenagers today prefer owning smartphones and electronic devices over owning a car, a local study by news channel Sacramento News10 revealed that there is a resurgence of manual transmission automobiles for young drivers. Worried about teen drivers texting and driving, parents have started a trend of purchasing stick…
Chevrolet Creates Worlds Largest Claw Game, Claims Guiness Record [Video]
GM continued flexing their marketing prowess with a new promotion for the Chevy Sonic, creating the world’s largest claw game on Hollywood Boulevard out in Los Angeles. The five-story 3D projection of a claw game was created on the side of The Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California and even won itself a spot in…
Nissan Leaf Reaches 10,000 Units Sold In The US, The Earth Smiles Back
Nissan has a reason to celebrate now that their electric vehicle, the Leaf, has achieved its milestone of 10,000 vehicles sold in the US. The Leaf, which first hit the American market in December 2010, still isn’t available in all 50 states – though Nissan looks to rectify that by March of this year. Surely…
Volkswagen Up! GT Gets The OK!
Volkswagen has confirmed the development of a production version of the mini hot hatch Up! GT. One of the many variations of the Up! concept that was unveiled at last year’s Frankfurt motor show, Volkswagen emphasized that the Up! GT will drive and perform very closely to the original Golf GTI, which Volkswagen enthusiasts were no doubt happy to…
New Toyota Corolla Could Get Direct Injection Turbo Engine
At the recent Tokyo Auto Salon, Toyota motorsports partner GRMN worked with the Japanese auto giant to introduce a turbocharged version of the popular Vitz (Yaris) compact. While the car on exhibit may be a one-off, Toyota is reportedly planning to shift its focus to downsized, turbocharged, direct-injection engines rather than focusing only on gas-electric…
Dodge Dart Will Get Hyundai Transmission
Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik recently confirmed that they’ll be supplying Chrysler with the six-speed automatic transmission that will be found in the new Dodge Dart. The announcement gets our attention since Chrysler and Hyundai recently split from the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA) which also involved Japanese automaker, Mitsubishi. As a result from…
2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI to Bow at Chicago Auto Show
The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI is set to make its debut at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. Though there aren’t any confirmed details yet on the diesel-powered Beetle, it’s expected to feature a 2.0L turbocharged, inline-four in its engine bay. The same 2.0L can be found in the Volkswagen Golf, Jetta and Passat, with 140-hp…
50,000 Sales Target for Fiat 500 “Incredibly Naive” Admits CEO Marchionne
Look, we get it. Everyone wants to be a little optimistic when a new model hits the streets, especially when it’s one of Italy’s most iconic compact cars. When Chrysler first introduced the Fiat 500 (read out review here) to the American market, they might have been a little too optimistic by estimating that they’d…
Fiat 500 Limo Lets You Live Large in a Small Way
Italian coachbuilder Castagna Milano has their eyes set on the American market, and to lead their entrance is a stretched Fiat 500 limo in three different variants: LimoSun, LimoCity and LimoCity Presidential. To be frank, we’re a little skeptical that the American market would even have a demand for a Fiat 500 limousine, considering that…
Chrome Fiat Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari By Office-K [Video]
It appears that the Japanese have also embraced Italy’s compact Fiat 500, but this was hardly what we expected from a Japanese tuner. Office-K out in Japan got their hands on a limited edition Fiat Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari and figured it’d look a whole lot better in chrome. The Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari comes…
Lotus-Parent Proton Sold to Private Conglomerate DRB-Hicom
In a deal eclipsing $410 million, DRB-Hicom purchased a 43 percent stake in Proton, a Malaysian automaker better known for its ownership of the famous British sports car brand, Lotus. Originally, the stake belonged to Malaysia’s state-owned Khazanah Nasional Bhd. However, as Proton has not made a profit in the last two years, multiple prospective…
Toyota Prius Camper Van Might Be The Most Ridiculous Thing Ever: 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon
We’ve seen a lot of strange things come out of Japan’s aftermarket over the years, but this might be the most ridiculous thing yet. Relax Cabin, a Japanese aftermarket company, specializes in camper conversions and apparently thought Toyota Prius owners would have a demand for such a thing. We guess there’s a remote possibility that…
MINI Cooper Recalled for Fire Risk
BMW is currently cooperating with NHTSA to recall 88,911 MINI Cooper models that were sold between 2007 to 2011 for fire risk. Affected models include the 2007-2011 MINI Cooper S, 2008-2011 MINI Cooper S Clubman, 2009-2011 MINI Cooper S Convertible and additional variants manufactured between November 2006 to January 2011. Back in summer of 2010,…
Hyundai Achieves CAFE Number Early, Stands By Elantra MPG Claims
Hyundai might still be under fire by consumers that aren’t having such stellar mpg results with their Elantra, but the Korean automaker had no problems announcing that they’ve achieved the 36-mpg corporate average fuel economy four years ahead of the US government’s rule for 2016. Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik refuses to step down from…
Scion Series xB, xD and tC Make Appearances in Canadian Market
At the 2012 Montreal International Auto Show, Scion brought a trio of Release Series vehicles out to display for the Canadian market. This is the first time Scion’s Release Series vehicles have ever been to a Canadian auto show. Starting with the xB Release Series 9.0, the limited edition xB will only see 200 units…
Mazda Demio Smart Stylish Looks, Well, Smart and Stylish: 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon
One of numerous Mazdas on display at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, the Demio (sold as the Mazda2 in North America) Smart Stylish, delivers as promised with a classy look that adds some luxury appeal to this sub-compact. Based on the new ultra-efficient Skyactiv 1.3-liter model, the Smart Stylish gets a complete aerodynamic overhaul, with…
Chrysler Considering Axing Dodge Avenger To Focus On 200
Rumors are brewing that Chrysler may be considering dropping their Dodge Avenger within three years in order to focus on the better-selling Chrysler 200 sedan – which is built on the same platform as the Avenger. Head of the Dodge brand, Reid Bigland, recently said “”Chrysler Group will likely consolidate around one midsize car in…
2013 Dodge Dart to Get Over 150 Mopar Accessories
The Dodge Dart is being billed as Chrysler–Fiat‘s foray into the increased efficiency market that is growing quickly in the U.S. Now, Dodge customers who are already planning on buying one when they become available in 2013 have a little more to look forward to. Mopar is offering a list of accessories and a few…
Chrysler Reserves Diesel Engines For Large Vehicles
The fuel wars are heating up as automakers search for new ways to squeeze more mileage out of their cars. While some might take this chance to preach doom and gloom for future cars, Chrysler–Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne isn’t ready to call the Road Warrior just yet. Some companies are turning to electric vehicles, others…
2012 Nissan Versa Tops Sub-Compact Segment
Despite less-than-glowing reviews, Nissan‘s Versa sub-compact continues to dominate its segment. In December, Nissan moved 9,939 Versas, nearly double that of its nearest competitor, while giving the Versa an incredible 24.2 percent market share dominance in a segment that is populated by 13 models. Thanks to the addition of the new Versa sedan, sales for…
Honda Previews Tokyo Auto Salon Lineup
Honda has announced its lineup of vehicles for the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon, the automotive aftermarket expo of Japan. The Honda exhibit will feature a variety of models including automobiles, motorcycles, power products, racing vehicles and other highlights in order to convey the joy of mobility and motorsport excitement. Honda Access Corp., manufacturer of genuine…
2012 Fiat 500 Abarth to Start at $22,000
Pricing for the Fiat 500 Abarth model has finally been announced, starting at $22,000 making it cheaper than the Volkswagen GTI, MINI Cooper S and (presumably) the Hyundai Veloster Turbo. Though the comparisons with the other models aren’t exactly apples to apples on paper, Fiat’s 500 Abarth has the most impressive power-to-weight ratio compared. With…
Volkswagen Group Reaches Record 8 Million Deliveries For 2011
It seems that Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automobile manufacturer, has no intention of slowing down. Sales results for 2011 revealed a sales gain of another 14.3 percent from last year. In a single December, Volkswagen completed 650,000 deliveries. However, the most staggering statistic of all is that Volkswagen Group delivered more than 8 million vehicles for…
Nissan Leaf Predicted to Double Sales in 2012
As with all new products, analysts are quick to analyze its success after its first year of sales. When Nissan reported that its Leaf electric vehicle sales tallied 9,674 units last year, industry analysts claimed that the poor sales number proved that a market does not exist for electric propulsion. CEO Carlos Ghosn saw differently,…
