Archive for May, 2010
Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Dodge Nitro
Posted on 11. May, 2010 by admin.
Cars.com editor Bill Jackson compares the 2010 Dodge Nitro to a bacon double-cheeseburger; it’s highly enjoyable even though he knows it’s not the best for him. The Nitro is a member of a rare breed: a truck-based SUV that comes with all the benefits (towing capability) and downsides (gas mileage) of that platform. Although the Nitro is certainly not for every driver, read Jackson’s full review to find out if its good points are useful enough to overlook its flaws.
2010 Dodge Nitro Review
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Seven Audi R8 LMS Cars To Tackle Nurburgring 24 Hours Race
Posted on 11. May, 2010 by admin.
More than 200 vehicles will contest the Nurburging 24 Hours endurance race this weekend, including seven Audi R8 LMS cars entered by the Audi customer teams ABT Sportsline, Black Falcon and Phoenix Racing. Last year, when the new GT3 race cars made their debut in the 24-hour race with support from Audi Sport and ABT Sportsline, they immediately…
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Spy Shots: BMW 1-Series M Car Spotted With Quad Exhaust
Posted on 11. May, 2010 by admin.
Fans of the E30 and E36 M3s and even earlier BMWs have been longing for a return of a smaller, hopefully lighter, M car. But so far, BMW has shied away from building a 1-Series-based M car, and not just because of the difficulty of using the vaunted “M1″ name. But despite the price/performance concerns over stepping on the M3′s toes, these spy…
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Nissan Titan Production Jumps
Posted on 11. May, 2010 by admin.
After bottoming out last year, production of the Nissan Titan half-ton pickup appears headed for a significant rebound in 2010.
Nissan has built 10,886 Titans through May 08, 2010 vs. only 1,256 Titans during the same period a year earlier, according to North America car and truck production data reported by Automotive News.
Manufacturing has ramped up to meet growing demand from new truck buyers.
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620-HP Porsche 911 GT2 RS Leaked
Posted on 10. May, 2010 by admin.
The Porsche 911 GT2 is the last variant of the 997-series 911 to receive its mid-cycle update and in typical GT2 style the last update comes just before the current generation of Porsche’s iconic supercar reaches the end of its product cycle. The all-new ’991′ Porsche 911 is just over a year away so the facelifted 911 GT2, seen previously testing…
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Marchionne: Fiat-Based Chryslers On Sale Before 2012, IPO Possible
Posted on 10. May, 2010 by admin.
While it’s looking more and more likely that the first Alfa Romeos won’t go on sale in the U.S. until 2012, a new range of Chrysler models based on Fiat platforms could be on sale before then. Chrysler is planning to use Fiat’s compact car expertise to develop a range of new fuel efficient models, and according to Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio…
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Spy Shots: 2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Facelift
Posted on 10. May, 2010 by admin.
The latest generation W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been on sale since 2007 and is now due for its mid-cycle facelift. As these latest spy shots reveal, Mercedes-Benz designers won’t be mucking around with the stylish look of the current model, instead choosing to focus on only minor changes such as new bumper and wheel designs, and a…
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Cars.com Best Bets Not For Sale
Posted on 10. May, 2010 by admin.
Today’s Wall Street Journal featured a story on how Consumers Digest — not to be confused with Consumer Reports — charges automakers to use its Best Buy awards in their advertising. While the practice seems suspect on its face, the fact that those payments are Consumers Digest’s top revenue generator makes the awards even more questionable.
Because the story addresses that publication’s “Best Buys,” we thought this would be an opportune time to point out that none of Cars.com’s awards — from our Best Bets to our Lifestyle Awards to our Platinum Awards — are for sale; they are chosen strictly by our editors, with no outside influence from anyone.
Before our editors weigh in on which cars get nods, the nominees must meet predefined standards: “To qualify as a Cars.com Best Bet, models must meet three quantified criteria: a Good rating in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests, average or higher reliability ratings, and average or higher fuel mileage within their class.”
In fact, just a couple of years ago an automaker asked us point-blank how it could get more of its cars into our Best Bets. Our answer: “Build better cars.”
You might see Cars.com’s name mentioned in an automaker’s advertising, perhaps touting our Platinum Awards or, in one case, when Toyota recently publicized our American-Made Index to highlight its Camry sedan. All of these mentions have been requested by the automakers and must be checked for accuracy by our Editorial department before they can be used. No money ever changes hands.
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Matte Black Nurburgring Lexus LFA Special Edition: $465,000, Please
Posted on 10. May, 2010 by admin.
We’ve been keeping tabs on the upcoming Lexus LFA supercar for some time. It looks like an intriguing car for a company known mostly for luxury sedans and SUVs.
Today, the company announced it would make 50 of its 500 LFAs even more special by adding a Nurburgring edition with a sport tuned suspension – the regular one is for relaxing? – that adds grippier tires, lighter wheels and a ginormous rear wing. That will set you back an extra $70,000 on top of the $375,000 starting price.
The special edition comes in four colors: whitest white, orange, black and matte black, with the matte paint job costing an additional $20,000. There are also three interior colors: black, red and violet.
Does all of this seem a bit like overkill? Yes, but can you really put a price on having a matte black LFA with a huge wing and a violet interior? Yes, yes you can. It’s $465,000.
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‘Caraoke’ Lets Drivers Share Their Inner Rock Stars
Posted on 10. May, 2010 by admin.
Anyone who’s ever driven alone has done it: A song you really dig comes on the radio, and all of the sudden, you —who got a C in ninth-grade choir — are belting out the lyrics at the top of your lungs.
Recognizing the intrigue and hilarity that comes with these private moments, Aha Mobile has created an iPhone application that allows drivers to share their inner rock stars with the world.
Although the app does a number of practical things, such as deliver local traffic reports, prerecorded podcasts and your Facebook wall posts read aloud (OK, “practical” is probably too strong a word for that last one), it also comes equipped with “Caraoke.”
Caraoke allows Aha users to record 15-second audio clips as they drive and sing along to whatever song is playing on the stereo. The clips then go out to the entire community of Aha users, creating an endless stream of entertainment, whether it’s spot-on Eddie Vedder imitators or tone-deaf Cher fans.
“It does tend to sound like the ‘American Idol’ blooper reel,” Aha Mobile Chief Executive Robert Acker told Wheels’ John Quain.
Yet Quain gives Caraoke rave reviews, saying users can either surprise you with their musical competency or crack you up on an otherwise monotonous drive.
“One gentleman’s version of Seal’s ‘Kiss From a Rose,’ ” writes Quain, “gave me the giggles for half an hour.”
Long story short: We want to try it. Listening, not singing, that is.
Caraoke, for When the Shower Is Too Far Away (Wheels)
