Automotive News (Page 1117)

First it was voice recognition to help drivers; now Ford Motor company (NYSE: F) will feature wider, bolder fonts within vehicle controls and interface screens for easier legibility.

The award-winning Ford SYNC® AppLink™ software program, the free software program that gives SYNC users voice control of apps stored on their smartphone, is migrating to a new group of 2012 Ford vehicles.

Voice recognition is now being made easier and more intuitive for drivers to successfully use Ford Synch®, as the voice system now understands more than 10,000 first-level commands, up from 100 with first generation SYNC system; all thanks to the collaborative efforts with Nuance Communications (Nasdaq: NUAN).

The second day of the Rocky Mountain Driving Experience found us in the lap of luxury, comfort and ease of handling provided by the heavenly ambience of the 2011 Jaguar XJL. We had the pleasure of driving the reps for Jaguar and Range Rover, namely Ree Hartwell, Tom Collins, and Kim Daniel to the Evergreen parking area in Colorado’s foothills.

A significant aspect of the Rocky Mountain Driving Experience held June 15-16 is the opportunity to drive the latest models from numerous manufacturers on the open highways of Colorado’s high plains as well as venturing up the highest paved road in North America, often in the company of a brand representatives. This adds a real world component to the significant if less common experience provided by the off-road and track aspects of the two-day event.

Chrysler's redesign of the Dodge Durango SUV and Charger sedan earn "most improved" awards from Consumer Reports, but other updated models are still not up to snuff.

The Suzuki V-Strom 650 is the "poor" mans adventure bike. Much in the same way a Cessna is a "poor" mans personal aircraft. The little V-Strom does have some glaring strengths and no weaknesses, save one: It's boring. When Suzuki announced that a new one was going to be shown off, everyone got excited. All they had to do was fix the boring aspect of the bike, that's it! So did Suzuki fix it? Nope!

Heritage Propane has added a ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas Ford E-Series passenger van to its fleet, to show corporate decision-makers why they should invest in America for the betterment of America.

Just yesterday Mini dropped the curtain on the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe and today, the company has offered pricing for the entire 2012 model year lineup.

Saab production at their Trollhattan facility is halted as the automaker works out their non-payment issues with suppliers and Saab’s newest solution is asking their creditors to accept 10% of what is owed to them right now and the rest of the debt will be paid in September.

Honda, in positioning itself as an environmentally friendly car company, has created a slogan to reflect its commitment to building a safer world for future generations of boys and girls: "Blue Skies for Our Children."

We’ve seen spyshots; we’ve heard rumors but now it is all official as today, BMW lifted the curtain on the 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe as they have offered up a huge spread of images and all of the important details on the new Mini model.

Michiganians whose driver licenses, plates and tabs expire the weekend of July 4 can renew or get them the following day without penalty or can use the Internet to get their business done, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said Monday.

Saab and their parent company Swedish Automobile (formerly Spyker Cars) announced today that their plant in Trollhattan will continue to be shuttered due to problems with a long list of suppliers for at least two more weeks.

Nissan and Mitsubishi, which signed a joint-venture agreement in December, have named the new company NMKV Co., Ltd.

Quality at Ford Motor Co. has long been Job One, and this week the car company founded by the great Henry Ford has been recognized twice for its continuous commitment to doing things right the first time.

The 2011 Chevrolet Camaro is the bestselling model in its class, outselling the Mustang and Challenger every month this year and this success has helped the bowtie-clad muscle car see its 5 millionth production unit roll off of the assembly line at the Oshawa Ontario production facility.

Blood at a race track is usually not a good thing, but it will mean free tickets to the July 22-24 “New Jersey 250 Presented by American Red Cross” GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series event weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

This past weekend, NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series took to banks of Michigan International Speedway for the Heluva Good Sour Cream Dips 400 and when they did, the 2012 Ford Focus served as the official pace car with Ford’s Mark Fields at the helm as the celebrity pace car driver.

Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan on Lake St. Clair on Father’s Day 2011 was the place to be if you wanted to experience the evolution of an automobile’s design. For certain, the 24th EyesOn Design (EOD), Automotive Design Exhibition, a benefit for the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology is not your average car show.

Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, set a price Sunday for the exclusive rear-wheel drive 2011 LS 460 Touring Edition.

Roadrunner Shuttle & Limousine Service, an award-winning ground transportation company based in Ventura County, Calif., that is committed to going green, is the first of its kind in its county serving LAX airport to use propane autogas as its chief alternative fuel.

Nissan and Infiniti return to the North American International Auto Show after a two-year absence.

The Midwest regional regional press launch of the family-oriented 2012 Toyota Prius v, the second member of the Prius lineup, is scheduled for this morning at the Eagle Crest Conference Resort in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Seven-time Pikes Peak Hillclimb champ Jeff Zwart will drive Porsche’s fastest road car up the world’s most famous hillclimb. But as a precursor to that 12.42-mile race on Sunday, this weekend he drove 1,100 miles from California to Colorado to get there in his 620 horsepower 911 GT2 RS and arrived without incident. Zwart told TorqueNews.com today that his 911 delivered 22.3 mpg.

All Michigan Secretary of State offices are gearing up to sell Gold Star license plates to honor fallen military heroes. They can be bought anytime after the July 4 holiday.

The Motor Press Guild has named Larry Rusznak business operations manager. The guild is the largest automotive media association in the United States and Canada. Ruznak, a former marketing manager for Nissan and other car companies, has been a guild member for more than two decades.

Michigan's Secretary of State has found a way to creatively serve drivers while at the same time saving money and offering greater accessibility. The mobile office put on the road today by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson has every service offered by brick-and-mortar branches but has the added benefit of being able to be used at special events or as a mobile site when a branch is shut for remodeling.

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.