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  • Texting while driving is a major distraction

    We all know someone who's fused to their cell phone, texting, talking, twittering and incessantly updating their calendars - even when behind the wheel. The problem is rampant among teens, and a new study confirms the obvious: it's dangerous to text behind the wheel. It's equally dangerous to use an MP3 player. Both texting and using MP3 players caused increased rates of speed changes - typically slowing down - and 'lane position deviation'. The study, performed by Eastern Virginia Medical School, was presented to the Pediatric Academic Societies this past weekend. The study is an informed...

  • heat2power thermal energy recovery system
    French company claims 35% efficiency improvement with thermal energy recovery system

    Despite decades of modern advancements, it’s common knowledge that internal combustion engines are far from efficient when it comes to transmitting the energy stored in the fuel they burn into real motion. In the recent past we’ve seen regenerative braking, engine stop-start and direct...

  • Mattias Vöx Volvo P1800 rendered by Vizualtech
    Modern day Volvo P1800 envisaged by Koenigsegg engineer

    Koenigsegg and Volvo may be worlds apart in terms of the cars they build, but the two companies do have one thing in common - engineer and petrol head Mattias Vöx. The Koenigsegg engineer shares a love for both marques, and his work with the Swedish supercar company has allowed him to take on some...

  • Fiat 500
    Fiat ranks last in UK JD Power survey, bodes poorly for Chrysler

    Chrysler's vehicles, like all of America's cars, have improved greatly in recent years. But not-too-distant memory reminds us of the Le Baron and even of another ill-fated Italian tie-up and its Maserati-branded spawn. So Fiat's poor scores in the most recent JD Power survey in the United Kingdom...

  • 2010 Lincoln MKZ
    IIHS awards Lincoln MKZ with Top Safety Pick

    The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently updated its testing regime to better reflect the outcomes of real-world accidents, namely to simulate the result of an accident between different sized vehicles. This saw ratings for many small cars revised downwards and reinforced the age...

  • avus performance a5 coupe matte black 005
    Avus Performance gives Audi A5 a menacing matte black finish

    After a tough go of things last week, Avus Performance is trying to spring back with a new matte black Audi A5 dubbed simply the A5 Coupe Matte Black. Though it offers a healthy boost to the pulling power of the V6 TDI under the hood, the main focuses are handling and appearance modifications...

  • 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

    Americans don't know what to think about diesel, and when they do, they usually think it's a clattery, foul-smelling solution best left to freight-movers and trains. But the reality of today's diesel-powered cars is much different, and Volkswagen is out to inform the public through a new site called 'TDI Truth & Dare'. Focusing on racing accomplishments, green credentials, tax credits and comparative benefits over hybrids, the new VW site aims to fun-wash the already green-washed clean diesel technology in its Jetta and Touareg vehicles. For a taste of just what the Germans are doing to make...

  • 2010 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ
    2010 Chevy Equinox to get 32mpg highway rating, beats Honda and Toyota

    Chevrolet revealed pricing for its all-new Equinox crossover earlier this month, and now it has released the expected fuel efficiency rating for its four-cylinder model. Set to go on sale across the U.S. this June at prices starting from $23,185 (including a $745 destination charge) for the...

  • 2010 lingenfelter camaro ss 001
    Lingenfelter teases plans for 2010 Camaro SS

    Superchargers, twin turbos, body kits and handling upgrades - all this and more is on the Lingenfelter docket for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS. Ranging in power from 550hp to 800hp, the tuned 'Maros will be among the most powerful on the road. The new images of the body kit and wheels show that...

  • 2010 ford taurus 001
    Ford's image improves by staying above the fray, says study

    It wasn't so long ago that people were deriding Ford for mortgaging the Blue Oval itself, key investors were dumping shares into the open market and the company was forced to sell off its stake in Mazda. But now a study is saying things have turned around, with Ford's image improving in relation to...

  • 2009 Hyundai Sonata
    Hyundai-Kia overtakes Nissan for sixth spot in U.S. sales

    April was another tough month for carmakers but amidst all the doom and gloom was some positive news for South Korean duo Hyundai-Kia. Despite seeing sales decline more than 14% last month, Hyundai-Kia managed to overtake Nissan for sixth place in U.S. new car sales on the back of several exciting...

  • Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat
    Fiat wants to form new company to combine Chrysler and GM Europe

    Fiat has confirmed that it wants to acquire General Motors' European operations and to do so the Italian auto giant may form a new company to combine its Fiat car brands (Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo) along with Chrysler and any acquired GM entities. The information was revealed in a statement issued...

  • 2010 Ford F-150

    Back in the days of $4-per-gallon fuel prices, diesel cars became the clamor of carmakers looking for a quick way to boost the fuel economy of their vehicles. Ford was one of the carmakers to jump on the diesel bandwagon, announcing plans to introduce a new 4.4L V8 diesel engine for the F-150 pickup truck as early as next year. Now that petrol prices have fallen down to their pre-spike levels and is once again cheaper than diesel, it doesn't make economic sense for Ford to introduce a new diesel engine for the F-150 and thus plans for the oil-burning truck have been delayed. Ford is being...

  • Police car
    Beat the Heat in Miami: New program allows drivers to drag race police cars

    In Miami, the thrill of racing down a strip of asphalt with police sirens blaring behind you was an experience once reserved for escaping criminals or the extremely brave. In a recent development, however, this experience will soon be available to all, with police officers now giving motorists the...

  • 2009 Gumball 3000 Rally
    Coast to coast trek picked for this year’s Gumball 3000 Rally

    The long wait is finally over for Gumball 3000 fans around the world as this year’s event has just kicked off. The 11th edition of the annual rally started in Los Angeles and will see the parade of rock stars and royalty trek across the country to Miami. The 3000 mile route, incorporating...

  • 2009 Ferrari F1 race car
    Max Mosley: F1 could live without Ferrari

    Formula One could live without the sport's most famous, successful and longest-serving team, Max Mosley insists. The FIA president's disquieting comments come after war threatened to break out between the Paris body and Maranello-based Ferrari, enraged at the introduction of budget caps. The...

  • Mercedes Benz S400 BlueHybrid
    Mercedes Benz E-Class Hybrid in the pipeline

    Mercedes Benz will launch its first hybrid vehicle, the new S400 Hybrid in the third quarter of the year, but the new saloon will be the first of many Mercedes hybrids as the carmaker is planning to sell petrol-electric versions of its three major model lines. Joining the S-Class hybrid will be...

  • 2009 Lotus Elise Purist Edition Ardent Red
    Lotus offers new ‘Purist Edition’ Elise for U.S.

    Finding ways to lure customers into dealerships - and once there, secure the sale - has rarely been harder for car companies. And that's why we see so many schemes afoot to do just that. Lotus is taking a tried and true approach to the situation, however, offering lots of features for less money...

  • Dodge Viper SRT8

    This past week’s bankruptcy announcement for Chrysler means the decisions will be coming hard and fast. The carmaker has already confirmed that overlapping models and some slow-sellers will be dropped but there will also be a lot more cutbacks as revealed by new bankruptcy documents filed with a court in New York. The documents revealed that up to eight plants in the U.S. will be closed but it appears no employees will be retrenched. Speaking with Automotive News, Chrysler spokeswoman Dianna Gutierrez said the alliance with Fiat would allow the carmaker to “retain...

  • 2010 Toyota Prius
    Foreign car dealer's association angry with Obama's 'buy American' message

    Toyota, Nissan and Honda all build cars in the U.S. General Motors, Chrysler and Ford all build cars in Mexico and Canada in addition to within the U.S. It's hard to know which car is built where as a consumer, and the American International Automobile Dealer's Association (AIADA) is upset over...

  • Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen Trailer #3
    Video: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen third trailer released

    Fast and Furious isn’t the only major car-related Hollywood movie making its debut this year. A new trailer for the sequel to last year’s Transformers movie, Revenge of the Fallen, has been released, revealing more action, more cars, and several new mechanized terrors. The new movie is...

  • 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid in NYPD police trim
    NYPD chooses Nissan Altima as first hybrid patrol car

    Government fleets have been among the first to go green in a big way, exceeded perhaps only by some private sector firms. The latest government agency to take up the environmental banner is the New York Police Department (NYPD), which today deployed 40 Nissan Altima Hybrids in its fleet. The cars...

  • 2009 Radical SR3 RS
    Radical Updates SR3, Adds RS Badge After Win At Rockingham Speedway

    Hardcore motorsport fans are no doubt familiar with Radical Sportscars, makers of the legendary Nordschleife record-holding SR8. But they also make a range of cars for the track-day enthusiast, including one of their most popular cars, the SR3. This week the SR3 gets a new name to match its...

  • Holden Commodore SS-V
    Holden Prepares Business Case To Sell Commodore Under Different GM Brands

    Pontiac's demise has left a lot of people in the lurch, including General Motors Company’s [NYSE:GM] own Australian subsidiary Holden, which lost a vital contract for the supply of its Commodore-based G8 sedans to the North American market. The Aussie subsidiary is not giving up on bringing...

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