| Green, lean and mean | | Posted Friday, January 05, 2007 2:46:15 PM by Blog57 Team | | Any auto show worth its salt ought to reflect market trends, and give car buyers and car lovers a glimpse at the near future. And that's exactly what people will get when they attend the San Jose International Auto Show that opens Thursday. The downtown show, now in its 13th year, features hundreds of new vehicles from more than 30 automakers. This year's version moves from its past Wednesday-to-Sunday format to a Thursday-to-Monday run that takes advantage of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Jan. 15. Asked to give advice to showgoers, one auto-industry veteran sees nothing wrong with going to the show without a game plan. ``Go there to see what you like and what you want to see,'' said Matt Stone, executive editor of Motor Trend magazine. The San Jose show is staged by Motor Trend Auto Shows, a Primedia affiliate.... | |
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| | | Cars.com Announces Winners of First Annual Lifestyle Awards | | Posted Friday, January 05, 2007 12:46:23 PM by Blog57 Team | | CHICAGO, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The votes have been tallied and the winners of the first annual Cars.com Lifestyle Awards are: Family Car of the Year -- 2007 Honda Odyssey; Work Car of the Year -- 2007 Dodge Ram; Play Car of the Year -- 2007 Volvo C70; and the most Eco-Friendly Car of the Year -- 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid. Developed to recognize vehicles best suited for the lifestyle needs of today's car buyers, the awards punctuate the launch of Cars.com's Lifestyle Buying Guide. This new site feature helps shoppers to identify the right car based on their personal lifestyle needs, whether they are looking to purchase a new car for a growing family, a ride for weekend fun or a set of wheels that can withstand the rigors of a long commute. The guide features expert picks from Cars.com's editors, based on their experiences in dozens of test drives and their evaluation of criteria most important to shoppers in each respective lifestyle category.... | |
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| | | SEMA Preview: New Chevy Silverado To Anchor GM's Show | | Posted Tuesday, October 24, 2006 2:46:06 AM by Blog57 Team | | LAS VEGAS — Various permutations of the redesigned 2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup will grace the General Motors display next week at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association show, including an off-road concept developed with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and a low-rider concept from Orange County Choppers. A pure performance edition of the new full-size pickup, the Silverado 427, is named for the cubic-inch displacement of its 7.0-liter small-block Gen IV engine — the same 505-horsepower V8 that is shoehorned into the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Among the other two dozen vehicles on the GM stand at SEMA are hotted-up versions of the company's newest roadsters, the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. The Solstice GXP-R concept gets restyled front and rear fascias, 19-inch cast chrome wheels, a more potent turbocharged engine and other modifications.... | |
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| | | Automakers have a lot riding on new models | | Posted Sunday, October 01, 2006 2:45:57 AM by Blog57 Team | | From the Honda Accord to the Chevy Silverado, a handful of new cars and trucks that will go on sale over the next 12 months could determine the success of the companies that make them. Some replace existing models, while others move automakers into new corners of the market where they hope to boost sales and profit. Nearly all share a higher emphasis on fuel economy and design flair. The new models are especially key for struggling General Motors and Ford. The Chrysler Group also unveils the newest versions of its minivans. The new model year traditionally begins now. New models now arrive year-round, but this is a good time to size up the year's market movers. Toyota Tundra Vehicle type: Full-size pickup. Why it matters: The biggest and most powerful pickup Toyota has ever built, the all-new Tundra will roll out of assembly plants in Indiana and Texas.... | |
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| | | ESRB Rating: T (for Teen) | | Posted Thursday, August 31, 2006 8:46:10 AM by Blog57 Team | | Have you ever looked into onrushing traffic and imagined how much damage you would cause with a simple crank of the steering wheel? If so, FlatOut 2 is the racing game for you. The latest entry in a genre best described as Evel Knievel meets NASCAR, FlatOut 2 lets you vent vehicular aggression without dying or getting sued. As in the popular Burnout series, the object here is to cause as much destruction as possible. Push your rival into a drainage ditch during a sharp curve. Knock others for a death loop while flying off a jump. Or ram them until they crumple like tinfoil. Although most of the cars are rough-hewn beaters, there is some variation in performance. The BlasterXL, which looks suspiciously like a barf-covered GMC Jimmy, is slow but indestructible. The tiny CTR is a speedy racer that wrecks easily.... | |
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| | | HotShot(R) Heated Washer Fluid System Featured on 2007 Full-Size Trucks and SUVs from General Motors | | Posted Tuesday, August 29, 2006 10:45:57 PM by Blog57 Team | | FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Aug. 28, 2006 -- HotShot, the revolutionary hot washer fluid and windshield de-icing system, will be available on GM 2007 full-size trucks including the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra, scheduled for arrival in the fourth quarter of 2006. HotShot is currently featured in General Motors SUVs including Cadillac Escalade ESV and Cadillac Escalade EXT, Chevy Avalanche, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, and GMC Yukon Denali and GMC Yukon XL Denali. Manufactured by Microheat, Inc., HotShot is the first product in 75 years to solve the problem of frozen or grimy windshields. "Drivers of full-size trucks can now enjoy HotShot, which is useful in every season and driving condition," said Microheat President and CEO Gary Pilibosian. "The system automatically removes snow, ice, bugs and road grime from windshields in under 90 seconds with the push of a button." Introduced commercially in 2002, HotShot features a patented cycling technology that intelligently heats fluid to an exact temperature and sprays the fluid at a precise time interval to quickly and efficiently remove snow, ice, bugs and road grime from vehicles.... | |
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| | | WARROAD, MINN.: Picking up the pieces | | Posted Tuesday, August 08, 2006 12:46:12 PM by Blog57 Team | | WARROAD, Minn. - Two days after tornadoes touched down in this small Minnesota town, the debris-lined streets were swarming with residents, volunteers and city employees ready to bring it back to life. At least three tornadoes possibly four or more roared through Warroad on Saturday night. The strongest of the storms was an F-3 tornado with wind speeds of up to 180 mph, the National Weather Service in Grand Forks reported Monday. No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported. The tornadoes danced through town, stopping first at the Marvin Windows factory where 16 trailers were overturned and a production building sustained roof damage. The storms then headed to the Pepsi bottling plant, a row of Main Avenue homes and a camping site. Other parts of Warroad remained still.... | |
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| | | Man Killed In Driveby Shooting | | Posted Monday, August 07, 2006 2:46:01 AM by Blog57 Team | | TAMPA - Gunfire and the sound of crashing cars interrupted the quiet of a north Tampa neighborhood Saturday afternoon, leaving one man dead and deputies searching for his killer. The violence marked the second time in three weeks that someone died of gunshot wounds within the same two blocks of 21st Street north of Fletcher Avenue. Witnesses reported hearing several shots and seeing a red sport utility vehicle and a green Lexus sedan with tinted windows speed north past the Beechwood Apartments complex, Hillsborough County sheriff's Detective Lisa Haber said. The chase lasted about a block before a red GMC Jimmy crashed into three parked cars in front of a duplex at 13802 21st St. at about 1 p.m. The SUV had at least four bullet holes. The impact shoved one of the parked cars into the side of the brick duplex.... | |
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| | | What's in a Frame? | | Posted Sunday, July 16, 2006 12:45:52 PM by Blog57 Team | | As automakers put the kibosh on all things truck-based – witness the demise of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy – and trade them for car-based successors, you might be wondering what all that means. Not to worry, we'll explain: A truck-based model has body-on-frame construction, with a steel ladder-like frame underpinning the chassis. Imagine a wide, rigid ladder under the cabin floor with suspension and engine components bolted onto it. The rear suspension is typically non-independent, and the whole package is usually better suited for off-roading and heavy load-bearing. Examples include most pickup trucks as well as larger SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Toyota Sequoia. .... | |
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| | | Spring Car Care Relief for Your Vehicle | | Posted Saturday, July 15, 2006 2:46:19 AM by Blog57 Team | | (ARA) - Winter can be tough on lots of things, including cars and trucks. Cold temperatures, snow and ice, road salt and pothole-causing freeze-thaw cycles put car batteries, tires, brakes and suspensions to the test. Spring is the time to rid vehicles of winter's sins in time for summer travel. Since 1970, Americans have more than doubled their vehicle miles traveled, according to federal statistics. In summer, many of those miles are logged on driving vacations far from home, the last place motorists want to risk a breakdown."Regular vehicle maintenance and inspections can help improve a vehicle's fuel efficiency, achieve peak performance and even help avoid major repairs down the road," says Peter Lord, executive director, GM Service Operations. .... | |
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