Automotive News (Page 1110)

While the EyesOn Design show is more about cutting edge styling and the exterior designs that help to shape the trends of the automotive industry, at the 2011 EyesOn Design show Ken Lingenfelter has brought out his 2007 Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 – one of the fastest cars in the world.

Some folks are born to the racetrack and others find themselves there by a less direct route. Driving the latest automotive models about a track designed by, operated for and maintained in the interests of regional car and motorcycle-racing clubs is a rare opportunity for many in the automotive media. High Plains Raceway is just such a place under an hour East of Denver, where the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press provided track time for those attending the second annual Rocky Mountain Driving Experience this week.

This Sunday brings the Detroit area the 24th annual EyesOn Design car show but throughout this week there have been smaller events leading up to the big Father’s Day show, including the media preview where I got a chance to check out a gorgeous 1948 Fiat Topolino 500.

Chevrolet has announced the starting price of the Sonic subcompact will be $14,495, as well as information about its list of options and safety features.

The Chevrolet Cruze has quickly become one of General Motors’ bestselling models but when the 2012 Cruze models start hitting showrooms, they will offer more standard features and improved fuel economy over the current (2011) models.

Over the last two days, June 15-16, the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press hosted the second annual Rocky Mountain Driving Experience, bringing Western and regional automotive media together with numerous manufacturers and examples of their model lines in the unique environments Colorado can provide. Consisting of off-road, racetrack and even motoring up the highest paved road in North America, the second event was an unqualified success.

It is uncanny how often stock prices preempt and help define market cycles, even before headline events. Such is the case with Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR: TM) which today announced a return to full production in the U.S. in September.

The U.S. Senate, in an unexpected about-face from the day before, voted 73-27 Thursday to kill its $6 billion annual subsidy of ethanol corn fuel, which critics say has been an icon for wasteful spending for years.

A group of 48 creditors who are owned money by Saab have turned to the Swedish collection agency Kronofogden to gather monies amounting to a sum of over $3.6 million US dollars and if this group is successful, it could force Saab to declare bankruptcy.

The members-only Thermal Motorsports Track & Club in southern California has received approval from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to break ground on a new race track that will open by the first quarter of 2012. The board's approval was the last step needed by the luxury racing club to begin construction.

Even though American models like the Ford Focus and Chevy Cruze are flourishing in the US market, the Dodge Caliber has never received a great deal of respect – a problem Chrysler hopes to fix that when they unveil the next generation of the Caliber at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Despite an April sales report that showed an increase of 16 percent versus a year ago and year-to-date sales up 16 percent, Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) stock has since trended with lower lows and lower highs.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall of various 2010 and 2011 Porsche 911 models equipped with the race style center locking hub assembly due to early wear possibly causing the lugnut to work loose and release the wheel.

Ford presented the public with its 12th-annual sustainability report yesterday, addressing its plans to reduce CO2 emissions and water usage in the future, as well as improve passenger safety.

Since the IPO of the new General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), the stock has not only failed to meet investor and analysts expectations, but has been increasing its pace of making new lows ever since. The low of $28.29 from a few days ago was challenged today and broken one hour before the close. Market Close Update: GM's new low is $28.16 with the daily close at $28.57.

The folks from the Chrysler Group and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have announced of a wide variety of 2011 model year vehicles from the Chrysler Group, affecting 12 vehicles across the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands.

Since the introduction of the S197 platform Ford Mustang in 2005, the legendary pony car has been built at the Auto Alliance plant which Ford shares with Mazda but with the news that Mazda is planning to move out in the near future, some analysts believe that the Mustang alone does not move enough units to keep the Flat Rock production facility up and running.

Mazda Motor Corp has announced that they will be recalling almost a half million of their popular Mazda3 sedan and 5-door over an electrical issue that could cause the windshield wipers to not work properly.

The AIAG nonprofit performance-enhancement group for manufacturers is partnering with SAE International to launch a joint global sourcing engineering certificate program to benefit the automotive industry, the groups announced Wednesday.

Nissan recently released their press package for the 2012 model year and one interesting omission from next year’s lineup is the Nissan Altima Hybrid.

The Buick Regal GS, the highest-performance version of the luxury brand's smallest sedan, will have 270hp and 295ft-lbs of torque from a 2.0L turbocharged Ecotec 4cyl engine.

The high performance sedan crowd has been dreaming of the 2012 BMW M5 with the help of spyshots and company-provided videos of the car flexing its muscle but today, we have our first real look at the new super sedan – and it is just as spectacular as the spyshots and videos suggested.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne says he is not willing to risk the Italian automaker's credit rating to take over ownership of Chrysler.

A video of the Jayco Pinnacle 36REQS fifth wheel is now live on the Internet TV show RVBuddies. The 36REQS features a large living area with a pop-up HDTV and fireplace, sofa and two large recliners. The kitchen has a convection microwave and double-door refrigerator. There is a lot of counter space, too.

The first Chrysler Group product to wear the Fiat badge is a Dodge Journey, though with a Fiat face and a pair of diesel engines and renamed the Fiat Freemont.

The EyesOn Design Car Show is known worldwide for its creative focus on design themes. Aside from the usual cars and interviews, a special segment on Media Preview Day showed two visually-impaired inspectors feeling gaps, fits and finishes with white gloves a 1948 Fiat Topolino 500.

The EyesOn Design Car Show is known worldwide for its creative focus on design themes. In preparation for the 24th annual event, which takes place on Father’s Day, this Sunday, June 19, 2011 on the grounds of the historic Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, the media was given insight into the upcoming events plus a view of some auto displays.

A Republican senator from Oklahoma and a Democratic senator from California sought Tuesday to end a $6-billion, 30-year-old subsidy of ethanol by July 1, but the proposal was resoundingly defeated by the U.S. Senate, 59-40.

Few things are as pleasurable as an open air drive on a warm summer evening, with the lights of the city spreading across the valley like the stars in the heavens above. Few vehicles deliver that feeling like the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster. The 2012 model, the third generation of the car that launched the move to automatic hardtops, in now arriving at dealerships in the U.S.

The Chevrolet Corvette has seen better days with regards to sales even with no real competition in the current American market but that’s not stopping GM from hiking the price for the 2012 model year.