Automotive News (Page 1117)

Automotive News

This section of Torque News provides the latest auto news and updates from the car manufacturers. Every day number of news stories and editorials are published here that give our readers an overview of what is happening in the automotive industry. Read this section daily to find out about new cars, vehicle reviews and car pictures. Torque News is an automotive news website by Hareyan Publishing, LLC, dedicated to covering the latest news, reviews and opinions about the car industry.

Cali ready to celebrate classic Porsche cars

By Hawke Fracassa on May 28, 2011 - 10:16PM

Porsche Cars North America and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca are planning Porsche's Rennsport Reunion IV at the track in California Oct. 14-16. Rennsport Reunion IV is expected to be a landmark event that collects Porsche vintage and current race cars and the drivers who made them great in one place.

Lexus lives it up, mixes fine dining with fine automobiles

By Hawke Fracassa on May 28, 2011 - 8:23AM

Lexus is known for its fine automobiles. Now it is also dabbling in the culinary arts with fine foods and vintage wines. So it makes sense that the luxury car marque sponsored the Pebble Beach Food Wine Festival, where celeb chefs Daniel Boulud, Michael Chiarello, Dean Fearing, Christopher Kostow, Masaharu Morimoto and Michael Symon performed demonstrations for about 200 guests.

Group, data make roads 3 times safer than national average

By Hawke Fracassa on May 27, 2011 - 11:47PM

The Traffic Improvement Association, whose efforts have resulted in local roads being three times safer than the national average and two times safer than the state average, has opened a new headquarters. The new site is in Auburn Hills, Mich., to serve drivers and pedestrians in suburban Detroit's Oakland County.

Kansas man the acknowledged guru of the vintage Studebaker

By Don Bain on May 27, 2011 - 8:00PM

Those concerned with keeping a model of the long gone Studebaker line road or show worthy know the name of Vern Ediger. In addition to his Halstead KS E&V Motors, he owns a salvage yard with over 120 of the vintage automobiles providing recycled parts to collectors and restorers around the globe.

GM reportedly cancels plans for a Cadillac SRX plug-in hybrid

By Patrick Rall on May 27, 2011 - 5:48PM

In December, TorqueNews brought you the news that General Motors was reportedly working on a plug-in hybrid luxury SUV based on the Cadillac SRX but according to a variety of sources – that program has reportedly been canceled.

Ford raises prices for the third time in 2011

By Patrick Rall on May 27, 2011 - 4:57PM

Ford Motor Company has raised prices again this month, citing increased commodity costs as the cause for the third increase of the year in just 5 months.

Mopar's new Ram Runner Kit for serious off-roaders

By Don Bain on May 27, 2011 - 4:43PM

If you want to turn your Ram Truck into a desert racer, Mopar's new Ram Runner kit boasts it will provide performance on a par with dedicated off-road racers, give you superior shocks and suspension and do it all while looking drop dead desert gorgeous. You too can have a Mopar-powered desert racer.

Fiat plans to buy last 6.6% of Chrysler from US govt

By Patrick Rall on May 27, 2011 - 4:27PM

When Fiat SpA paid off $7.6 billion dollars in debt to the US and Canadian governments this week, they effectively raised their ownership of the Chrysler Group to 46%, leaving the US government to own 6.6% while the Canadians now hold 1.7%; but according to a statement filed to the US Treasury department Fiat plans to purchase the 6.6% held by the US government before the end of 2011.

Twenty percent of drivers unsafe at any speed

By Don Bain on May 27, 2011 - 3:46PM

The 2011 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test results revealed today nearly 1 in 5 drivers cannot meet the basic requirements for a driver's license. That adds up to 36.9 million American drivers – roughly 18 percent – could not pass a written driver’s test if taken today.

Lexus CT 200h excels in crash tests, nabs Top Safety Pick

By Hawke Fracassa on May 27, 2011 - 3:44PM

The new Lexus CT 200h hybrid, a showroom baby in that it's only been on the market for two months, has already earned the Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Porsche adds boss, builds momentum toward new HQ

By Hawke Fracassa on May 27, 2011 - 1:03PM

Porsche Cars North America bolstered its communications staff on Friday, announcing the appointment of Nick Twork as manager of product communications. The new role makes Twork No. 2 on the Porsche PR team in America and comes at an opportune time.

Nicola Bulgari adds last Cadillac DTS to collection

By Keith Griffin on May 27, 2011 - 12:06PM

The Cadillac DTS, first introduced in 2006, saw its short history end this week when the last one rolled off the line at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant. But this sedan is no orphan as it has found a home in the prestigious collection of Nicola Bulgari.

Nissan Extends Special Pricing to Military Personnel

By Keith Griffin on May 27, 2011 - 11:40AM

Active duty military personnel and members of the reserves will get a break through the Nissan Vehicle Purchase Program, the Japanese manufacturer announced just in time for the Memorial Day holiday, which honors those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedom.

Suzuki giving away spending money on relaunched site

By Hawke Fracassa on May 27, 2011 - 11:26AM

American Suzuki, hoping to promote itself so people think of it as a car company that possesses "the power of engineering" instead of just a cool maker of motorcycles and bikes, relaunched its Web site Friday morning to make it faster, easier to use and more informative, so people are ready to buy when they hit the showroom floor.

Saab production restarts at Trollhattan with 1,300 car order from Chinese distributor

By John Matras on May 27, 2011 - 11:09AM

The assembly lines are rolling again in Trollhattan as Saab restarted production after a month and a half of sitting idle, thanks to an influx of cash from a 1,300 car order from Pang Da Automobile, the current Saab suitor from China.

Chevy Volt owners plug-in to the sun

By Frank Sherosky on May 27, 2011 - 10:43AM

It was bound to happen eventually, a 2011 Chevrolet Volt plugged-in to a solar array. And Chevrolet is proud enough to tout the good news on its media page.

GM to invest $331 million in Arlington plant, add 110 jobs

By Patrick Rall on May 27, 2011 - 10:37AM

General Motors has announced yet another multi-million dollar factory investment – this time spending $331 million on their Arlington, Texas SUV plant to prepare for the production of future models.

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines get their own license plates

By Hawke Fracassa on May 27, 2011 - 10:24AM

For the first time military veterans in Michigan can buy license plates beginning next week that promote the branch of the armed forces that they served in.

NHTSA considering mandating "black box" recorders in all cars

By Roman Rosa on May 26, 2011 - 6:21PM

Every airliner you fly in contains a "black box" which records every conceivable detail about the aircraft, including its vital signs, its location, direction and flight path, and what is being said in the cockpit. These black boxes (which are actually bright orange) are designed to survive the most extreme of impacts and are waterproof as well as fire resistant to almost 2000 degrees

NCSR looking for the most dangerous intersections in the U.S.

By Don Bain on May 26, 2011 - 5:59PM

The National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) has issued a call to drivers asking them to submit dangerous intersections as part of a national movement to make our worst intersections safer. It is estimated there will be more than 400 traffic fatalities and 39,400 injuries from motor vehicle collisions over the Memorial Day weekend.

Chrysler's Ram brand delivers its first plug-in hybrid pickups

By Patrick Rall on May 26, 2011 - 5:09PM

Chrysler announced over a year ago that they were working with the Department of Energy to put together a demonstration fleet of plug-in electric hybrid Ram 1500 pickups and yesterday, the Ram brand delivered the first 10 PHEV Ram 1500s to the municipal services group of Yuma Arizona.

First Quarter auto sales buoyed by expanding loan policies

By Don Bain on May 26, 2011 - 4:49PM

Auto manufacturers across the board have been claiming sales increases in the 10 to 30 percent range in the first quarter of 2011, as compared to the same period last year. Now Experian Automotive has reported the share of loans to credit-challenged new vehicle shoppers grew by 11.1 percent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to 2010.

Emissions from traffic congestion cause 2,200 premature deaths annually

By Don Bain on May 26, 2011 - 4:06PM

It’s known that the air near major intersections where traffic stagnates is highly polluted with particulate matter. Now a study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis (HCRA) at the School of Public Health projects the additional emissions from traffic congestion in the nation's 83 largest urban areas lead to more than 2,200 premature deaths in the U.S. last year.

New license plate honors fallen U.S. military personnel

By Hawke Fracassa on May 26, 2011 - 3:52PM

Michigan has begun offering special Gold Star license plates to families who wish to honor loved ones who have died while on active duty in the U.S. military.

Motorcycle safety a growing priority in Michigan

By Hawke Fracassa on May 26, 2011 - 1:01PM

New Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson says a top priority is motorcycle safety. To make that point, Johnson (pictured) got on a Harley at Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills and drove around to preach to the uninitiated.

GMAC Insurance Test Finds Men Are Better Drivers

By Keith Griffin on May 26, 2011 - 12:58PM

The annual GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test has settled it once and for all: men are better drivers than women, at least when it comes to knowledge of driving laws.

Ford Explorer 2011 Technology Requires Reviews by Drivers Too

By Armen Hareyan on May 26, 2011 - 12:48PM

Ford Explorer 2011 is an exciting car and its advanced technology may appeal to younger drivers and families, but the tech features require good review before one drives it.

Calling all Chrysler fans - introducing the Mopar MoVenture

By Patrick Rall on May 26, 2011 - 12:15PM

Chrysler’s Mopar division has announced the MoVenture - a cross-country road rally and scavenger hunt pitting 10 teams of hardcore Mopar enthusiasts head to head as the groups race from Detroit to Golden Colorado in 2011 and 2012 Chrysler vehicles.

Canadian Auto Workers concerned about Impala production in Detroit

By Patrick Rall on May 26, 2011 - 11:29AM

Yesterday we brought you the news that General Motors will produce the next generation Chevrolet Impala at the Detroit Hamtramck plant – leaving us wondering what the workers currently building the Impala think about the move and we already have a statement from the Canadian Auto Workers’ head.

Ford Focus makes history with two Euro NCAP Advanced awards

By Frank Sherosky on May 26, 2011 - 11:17AM

Stephen Odell, Chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe, accepted two Euro NCAP Advanced awards from Dr. Andre Seeck, President of Euro NCAP, a first in the history of Euro ENCAP.

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