In stylish new clothes, inside and out, the 2013 Toyota Avalon debuted today at the New York Auto Show. Despite getting a refresh in 2011, Toyota seems to have recognized that its full-size sedan, aimed squarely at baby boomers looking for value and comfort, needed a new face to continue competing with the ever-changing car...
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Volkswagen‘s Up! continued the trend from the past four years of small cars winning the World Car of the Year Award at the New York Auto Show today. “Our goal was always to make something small great,” a Volkswagen executive said on stage. To garner the award, the Up! beat both the volume-selling and luxurious...
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The Mazda Takeri concept that originally debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show last year took its American bow today at the New York Auto Show. Mazda doesn’t plan to bring the Takeri to market, at least not in name — but the company’s North America president and CEO but Jim O’Sullivan was quick to point out that...
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Absence from the New York Auto Show today didn’t stop the new Jaguar F-Type from stealing the show. Instead of a traditional teaser, Jaguar poked fun at the spy photographers publications rely on by offering them a break from hanging out in trees. Instead, those attending the press conference saw a short video featuring plenty...
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Leaks aside, Nissan debuted its 2013 Nissan Altima today at the New York Auto Show, displaying a host of new features in its refreshed mid-size sedan. Much of the information about the new Altima made its way onto the internet yesterday thanks to a set of loose lips, or careless fingers as it were but...
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With the advent of hybrids and electric vehicles, many skeptics thought the age of high-performance sports car would die out. Reality couldn’t be any more different, as America has more than 70 cars on sale today that make 500-hp or more. The number of vehicles pushing out 500-hp or more has nearly doubled in the...
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In the market for a new car and have cash ready to go? You might want to check out a joint promotion between eBay Motors and AutoNation, the largest group of U.S. car dealerships. From now until March 30th, AutoNation is celebrating the launch of AutoNation Direct by selling vehicles from Ford, General Motors, and...
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Disney’s Pixar has a magical way of not only touching the hearts of children, but also the hearts of adults through their movies. The movie Cars and its sequel Cars 2 are of course our favorites, and Disney California Adventure is adding a Cars-themed ride to their amusement park. The attraction Cars Land will open to...
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Daimler got caught with their pants down this year when Audi passed Mercedes-Benz for the first time in history to become the world’s number two luxury car maker. That won’t be the case if they have their way next year. According to internal documents obtained by Automotive News, Daimler is spurring Mercedes to increase output...
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Circuit of the Americas is halting of the Formula One circuit in Austin, Texas, effective immediately. The organizers came to this decision after they didn’t receive a contract to assure that the Formula One United States Grand Prix will be held at their venue. “We have spent tremendous resources preparing for the Formula One and MotoGP...
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Slow sales by Fiat are causing layoffs for workers in Chrysler‘s Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance Plant in Dundee, Mich., responsible for building the 1.4-liter FIRE engine used in the 500. The actual numbers behind the layoffs are, however, in dispute. Tom Zimmerman, the plant’s unit chairman for UAW Local 723, said in an interview with...
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The rising yen is making exports from Japan increasingly unprofitable and Honda is looking to cut vehicle exports by 50 percent over the next 10 years as a response to the change in currency valuations. Honda hopes to sell as much as 90 percent of its vehicles in markets that can use locally sourced vehicles....
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While General Motors seemed desperate to sell Opel back in 2009, GM CEO Dan Akerson now says that the terms of the sale were a “bad deal” and that Opel, along with GM’s other global divisions, are now profitable. Nick Reilly, GM’s European president, said that GM Europe will be profitable – albeit not by...
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General Motors has its hands in all corners of the globe, and while most consumers know about their operations in Europe and South Koreas, their arm in the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan is shaping up to be quite the powerhouse in the all-important Russian market. Despite only being in existence since November, 2008 GM...
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The Cars franchise is about more that just marketing and merchandising. In fact, the characters of Cars 2 (in theaters June 24) has teamed up with the Department of Transportation (DOT), to help fight distracted driving with a new public service ad. Staring Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater, the 30-second PSA is called, “Only the...
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the possibility of making keyless ignitions a mandatory item for cars, as a means of providing drivers with a way to shut off the engine quickly in case of emergencies. NHTSA is also considering banning the devices altogether, and mandating the use of a physical key, since...
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For all the fuss about Hyundai‘s success in the United States, the Korean automaker is making even bigger waves in Canada, where the brand reigned supreme for Q1 of this year. While truck sales far outpace car sales in Canada (just like in America – and both markets are topped by the Ford F-Series), Hyundai...
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Toyota is the latest automaker to adjust their North American production schedules, with plants idling on April 15, 18, 21, 22, and 25. Toyota’s engine and component factories will follow a similar schedule, while their Georgetown, Kentucky facility will remain open on April 21. Employees at the plants will have the option of report to work...
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General Motors will recall 2,000 laid off workers by September according to a Detroit News report, allowing the company to start hiring new workers for its American plants. While G.M. representatives would not confirm any timeline, Joe Ashton, UAW VP in charge of GM, confirmed that the workers would be back, stating “We will have...
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Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson will retire from Saab on May 19th, with the 59 year old executive leaving Saab during a tumultuous time. Saab Chairman Victor Muller will act as interim CEO as a search for a replacement gets underway. Jonsson, who was reportedly planning to retire regardless of the situation, will assist with...
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When dealing with an authoritarian state that exercises substantial government control of the economy, you generally know whose rules you’re playing by – and everyone from automakers to tech companies are happy to capitulate to the demands of the Chinese government, with car companies establishing joint ventures with local automakers for the sake of being...
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NASCAR star Jeff Gordon will appear in the upcoming Pixar film Cars 2 as Jeff Gorvette, a Corvette C6.R, and his role will be more than just a cameo. The Gorvette character (if it can be called that) will be positioned as a rival to protagonist Lightning McQueen. While the connection between NASCAR and Corvette Racing...
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Japanese auto makers have been scrambling to assess the impact of the recent natural disasters on their supply chains, as North American production facilities face potential harm, as Japanese factories have begun suspending production in the face of a series of catastrophic events. Toyota has suspended overtime production at their North American facilities, while Subaru...
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The Sultan of Brunei’s extravagant car collection is something of an urban legend among auto enthusiasts. Most of the evidence surrounding its existence is anecdotal, with a few grainy photos having leaked out over the years on rare occasions. Now, Sports Car Market has published an article by car broker Michael Sheehan detailing the vastness of...
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