Automotive News (Page 1106)

Despite a lackluster economy, Mitsubishi of North America reported a 97.7 percent increase in sales over June of last year.

The Motor Press Guild named Laura Burstein its president on Friday. She formerly was vice president of the organization. The guild, which is based in Los Angeles, is the largest automotive media association in the United States and Canada.

In an event for the history books, the Tesla Roadster will be the first all-electric production vehicle to ever participate in the Goodwood Festival of Speed’s Hill Climb. The event is said to be the largest car culture festival in the world, celebrating historic and contemporary motorsports with a diverse, authentic array of conveyances along with a star-studded line-up of drivers.

When the Check Engine light comes on next to the gauges on your dashboard, it could mean your fuel cap is simply not on securely. Then again, it might be a harbinger of the need for a pricey new catalytic converter or some other expensive repair. CarMD reports motorists dealing with this indicator paid an average of $421.49 in Arizona last year – the highest in the nation. Arizona Drivers pay 18 percent more for repairs and 23 percent more for parts over the average paid in other parts of the country.

The Chevrolet Camaro has led in the rear wheel drive sports car segment over the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Nissan 370Z from January to May but as June 2011 sales results have trickled in – the Ford Mustang has claimed the top spot in sales for the month.

The Toyota Camry is one of the bestselling cars in America and Toyota has hoped to begin repairing their image with the introduction of the redesigned 2012 Toyota Camry – which was recently teased in a video featuring Toyota president and CEO Akio Toyoda.

A week ago, we brought you a spy video of Husqvarna testing their new prototype bike. Now they've released the studio photos to the public. My thoughts? Well, I'm truly delighted to see how ugly it is. For example, a Platypus is basically a beaver that lays eggs, has a duck bill, and is venomous. It's incredibly ugly, but you can't deny that the Platypus is awesome.

After the 2012 BMW M5 was formally introduced in public at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, the folks at Microsoft introduced the new Forza Motorsports 4 Limited Collector’s Edition with the gorgeous new high performance BMW sedan serving as the cover model for the special edition of the next generation of the Forza series.

Car buyers in June handed the larger, better appointed Jetta its best sales month ever as Volkswagen moves to capture a bigger share of the U.S. market.

It’s a fair question in light of the CNBC article which quoted Nautilus Invest for its decision to have zero exposure to stocks. Point is, auto sector stocks are especially sensitive to economic conditions, including sovereign debts and default potentials like Greece.

Honda Canada decided to question its followers on Canada Day and ask where in this country they are headed. Some are just headed to work.

General Motors is trying to turn around its poor selling Opel, which is costly to build and isn’t thought of having the prestige to command higher prices.

Toyota has added a new, custom-badged PLUS accessory performance package for the 2011 Prius, the best-selling hybrid in America. Prius PLUS, which can be ordered at Toyota dealerships beginning today through October, features components culled from the new PLUS hybrid Toyota Racing Development line.

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., a global leader in active and passive safety, has just revealed their design for a conceptual folding steering wheel that retracts into the dash, making driver and passenger egress and ingress much easier. Featuring two retractable handles that close fully, the steering wheel then folds away into the dashboard.

A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports two thirds of drivers in cities where red light cameras have been used for a significant length of time support their use. According to their findings, intersection cameras have reduced the number of fatal crashes caused by drivers running red lights by 24 percent in these cities. Opponents of red light cameras, while vocal and sometimes influential, are in the minority.

Italian automakers Ferrari and Lamborghini have both offered branded laptops but the folks at Porsche have taken a different route to entering the computer world – designing a set of low profile external hard drives for storage experts LaCie.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is looking to gain a controlling interest in AvtoVAZ, Russia's largest automaker.

Consider it a sign of the times. As 50 percent of smart phone owners use their devices as a shopping tool, GMC is releasing a new app so smart phone users can shop, research and configure a GMC vehicle via the GMC Showroom Mobile App whenever the urge strikes.

The US Supreme Court will decide if lawmen must have a warrant to use a GPS tracking devise for an extended period of around-the-clock surveillance.

Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn's bank account grew $11.46 million for the 2010 fiscal year, more than the CEO of any other automaker in Japan.

An article in the Houston Press today highlights a grey area of tow truck practice related to a black and white aspect of the law, a contravention enforcement likely overlooks as a form of professional courtesy. According to the Houstonian who brought this to the paper’s attention, Houston Police state flatly any forced entry into a vehicle is a criminal act and yet tow trucks there and chances are where you live too regularly break into cars to secure the front wheels for towing.

As everyone gets ready for their Fourth of July, everybody would like to get a little more out of their gas dollar despite the slight lull in gas prices. Though only a few will be replacing their tires over the next week, that decision does have an effect on the mileage you get. Everyone else can benefit from the following reminders on how to get the most out of your fuel dollar.

CNBC has ranked all 50 states for business in ten categories, based on criteria used by the states to self promote. Michigan, for example, the home of the automotive Big 3 as well as technical centers for Toyota, Hyundai and many auto suppliers, ranked 34.

We’ve all been there – had hot coffee splashed all over us or had our bones jarred by an unexpected pothole. In some of our cities, the roadways are nearly half and half relatively smooth roadway as opposed to dips, bumps and potholes. Then the trucks repairing them are about as good for traffic flow as the eroded asphalt gaps are for the suspension of your car – and so it goes.

General Motors tapped alternative fuel leader Westport Innovations, Inc., of Vancouver, BC, to develop advanced natural gas engine technology.

It was 55 years ago today the 46,876 miles of the Interstate Highway System began to become a reality with the passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 – popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956 – on June 29. The road system was originally named The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways after the former President who championed its creation. Now most simply refer to it as “the Interstate.”

Just yesterday, Saab parent company Swedish Automobiles announced a sale of 50.1% of the Trollhattan production facility after selling 582 vehicles to a Chinese firm and today, the company has announced a new creditor who may put Saab one step closer to resuming production.

In March, we reported that Chrysler was suing a Detroit-based clothing manufacturer for the use of their “Imported from Detroit” slogan introduced during the Super Bowl and reports are now coming out that the judge has ruled against Chrysler in their attempt to make this other company stop selling knock-off products.

Shelby American has twice offered modified Ford Mustangs through Hertz rental car agency, first in 1966 and then again in 2006, and if rumors are true there could be a new Shelby/Hertz rental Mustang available in the coming year.

The latest polyurethane innovations for the auto industry, ranging from advancements in flexible molded foams to improvements in paint protection, will be showcased at the Polyurethanes 2011 Technical Conference this fall in Nashville.