John Voelcker, Contributing Editor
Articles
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It's not every day you see a historic Bentley Speed Six parked in midtown Manhattan.
But there it was, in front of the luxe St. Regis Hotel in some of the priciest real estate in the world.
The...
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2013 Honda Accord To Offer HondaLink Smartphone ConnectivityHonda said today that it would launch a new cloud connectivity service in its upcoming 2013 Accord, which will be unveiled later this year. The 2013 Accord will offer HondaLink on upper trim levels, and the new HondaLink service represents the first full launch of the Aha internet radio platform in...
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Ford's Innovative SYNC System Inducted Into Computer MuseumWhen you think of Silicon Valley's Computer History Museum, you may imagine Eniac, or a DEC PDP-8, perhaps even such early personal computers as the Altair and Apple II. Well, think SYNC, too. Curators at the museum have added Ford's SYNC in-car connectivity and communications system to its...
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Cadillac to offer hands-off Super Cruise self-driving system... 'very soon'It appears that Cadillac will offer its hands-off adaptive cruise control on one or more vehicles for the 2014 model year--at least if one high-ranking executive is to be believed. Appearing at the Driverless Car Summit in Detroit yesterday, Gary Smyth, executive director of GM's North American...
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2012 Tesla Model S Hits The Road Early: VideoThe official date for the first deliveries of the eagerly awaited 2012 Tesla Model S electric sedan isn't until Friday, June 22. But as Green Car Reports noted early this morning, a production Model S has already been photographed in the wild--complete with personalized California license plate...
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2013 Buick Enclave: New York Auto Show Preview Live PhotosThink of Buick. Then think of fine food and wine pairings. Do the two go together? Buick hopes you think they do, and as part of an ongoing marketing initiative, it treats owners and potential buyers to invitation-only culinary and other cultural events. So it was that at this morning's unveiling...
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As the Phantom flagship enters its tenth model year, Rolls-Royce today unveiled an update to keep the range at the pinnacle of luxury and capability.
To be known as the 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom...
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2013 Volkswagen Beetle TDI Live Photos: 2012 Chicago Auto ShowYou had to look closely to see what made it special, but the white Beetle on Volkswagen's stand at the Chicago Auto Show had three chrome letters on the liftgate that gave it all away: TDI. That's VW's name for its diesel models, and the car on display was actually the first official U.S. showing...
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Build Your Own LS Small-Block Chevy Engine: Photo GalleryIn honor of the 100-millionth small-block Chevrolet V-8, which just rolled off the lines, we thought we'd bring you a photographic visit to the plant that built it. In July 2010, Chevy announced it would offer a new program to buyers of its Corvette sports car. Not only could they watch their very...
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2013 Ford Escape Live Photos: 2011 Los Angeles Auto ShowIf this year's Los Angeles Auto Show was all about sedans and SUVs, then the most important among them may have been the all-new 2013 Ford Escape. The longer, lower, sleeker, and more feature-packed compact crossover replaces a model that's now a decade old--and still one of the best-selling in its...
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2012 Ford Focus ST: Los Angeles Auto Show PreviewIt's finally here, although Ford still hasn't quite said when it will go on sale in the U.S. Right now, all we know is "next year." But the 2012 Ford Focus ST, to be sold not only in the U.S. but 40 other countries too, looks like it will be worth the wait. If you're a regular MotorAuthority...
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Subaru Impreza XV Will Come To U.S. For 2013: ExclusiveFor 2012, the Subaru Outback Sport model has been retired, replaced by a new Impreza Sport model that combines a specific set of options. But Motor Authority has learned that for 2013, the Subaru XV model unveiled two weeks ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show will come to the States--although not under...
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It's spring, and what could be more pleasant than putting the top down in a stylish European four-seat convertible?
We got the chance to drive the 2011 Volvo C70 recently, rediscovering the joys...
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2012 Acura TL: First DriveWhen it was launched as a 2009 model, the Acura TL was the most extreme definition of Acura's new styling direction. It was a polarizing design, with a brash front end and beak-like silver grille surround. According to Acura marketers, buyers in Miami and New York loved it, but Californians and...
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Bentley Supersports ISR: Tales From Le Mans Champ Derek BellIt's the most powerful Bentley ever built, and now it'll be a limited-production model. At today's New York Auto Show, Le Mans champion driver Derek Bell discussed the Bentley Supersports ISR convertible, the car that set a new ice speed record of 205.48 miles per hour in February on the frozen...
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Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class: 2011 New York Auto Show Live PhotosThe current Mercedes-Benz A-Class, not sold in the U.S., is an upright five-door hatchback that's now long in the tooth. My, how things change. After its debut at Auto Shanghai 2011, Mercedes-Benz unveiled its Concept A-Class last night at the brand-new Mercedes-Benz Manhattan showroom on the west...
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First New MG Model In 16 Years Goes Into Production In EnglandThe long, sad, failure-ridden story of what used to be England's auto industry has filled many books, and drained many pints of both ale and oil. But next Wednesday, a new car will roll off the lines of the former Austin factory in Longbridge, England, headed for showrooms later this year. The new...
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Saab Production Restarts After Halting Over Unpaid SuppliersProduction at the main factory of Swedish automaker Saab has restarted this morning after it was halted by a dispute over unpaid suppliers. Adding to concerns over the future of the small Swedish automaker, Saab's main plant in Trollhattan shut down yesterday when suppliers halted delivery of...
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All we can say is, we feel your pain.
A motoring journalist for CAR Online, videotaping himself driving the just-launched 2012 Ferrari FF four-wheel-drive shooting brake on a limited-invitation press...
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Prince Harry's Car Hits Paparazzo After Late-Night Rugby BashEven leading the charmed life of an English prince can't guarantee good drivers--or self-preservation on the part of paparazzi. Early Sunday morning, a silver Ford carrying 26-year-old Prince Harry, the younger of Prince Charles' two sons, hit a photographer in central London. The incident occurred...
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Chevrolet Launches MyLink Infotainment System on Volt, EquinoxTonight, Chevrolet unveiled its new Chevy MyLink in-car infotainment package, which lets drivers control integrated online services like Pandora internet radio and Stitcher SmartRadio using either touch-screen menu options or voice commands to control smart phones via Bluetooth connectivity. While...
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Hey, Vince, A Dodge Charger or Challenger Hybrid Is Simple!In the recently-released film The Dilemma, Vince Vaughn's character, Ronny Valentine, and his best friend Nick (played by Kevin James), run an automotive supplier business that has to create a "sound-alike" system for hybrid-powered muscle cars. Using a 2011 Dodge Charger as the guinea pig, the duo...
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Got Some Holiday Cash? Buy Your Very Own Test Track Facility!We all dream about having bigger, better garages. But now you can dream a little larger: How would you like your very own test track and vehicle development facility? Courtesy of the car-fantasy specialists at Bring A Trailer, we learn that Honda is peddling its entire Proving Center outside...
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BMW Stuck In The Snow? Guess Which End Your Chains Go On...Back in the day, buying a BMW was something only true sports sedan fanatics understood. But the legendary 2002 is long gone--35 years now--and all sorts of new folks are buying Bimmers. Including those, apparently, who think their BMW 1-Series has front-wheel drive. Earlier this year, CEO Norbert...
John Voelcker