Category Archives: new vehicle

“Upscale” McLaren P1 Concept to Debut at Paris Motor Show

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

McLaren Automotive will show a concept of what it is calling the next generation ultimate supercar later this month. The P1 will be at the center of the McLaren stand at its first big league auto show, the Paris Motor Show or Mondial de l’Automobile 2012. The British company says the car is only a design study, next year a production version will be revealed and go on sale. Continue reading →

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Milestones: 50 years of Mustang at Watkins Glen

Posted on 16 September 2012 by Ken Zino

It was 50 years ago that Ford Motor Company decided to show a mid-engine, V-4 powered two-seat concept car at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix.  While the striking handsome white car – still residing at the Henry Ford museum in … Continue reading →

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First Drive: Honda’s 2013 Accord – a Comeback Car?

Posted on 10 September 2012 by Ken Zino

It looks good. It feels good. It sounds good. A day of test-driving the all-new Honda Accord shows that for the 2013 model year, Toyota Camry will once again face strong competition from one of the best selling family sedans in the U.S. So strong is the Accord brand that the outdated outgoing model is still the second best seller in the family car segment, behind Camry even with Accord’s 5-speed automatic transmission that was badly lagging in the fuel economy rating wars. Continue reading →

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Toyota Says 2013 Avalon Lightest in Class. But Where’s the MPGs?

Posted on 6 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Toyota claims its new 2013 Avalon is 110 lbs. lighter than the 2012 model, at 3,461 lbs. compared to 3,571 for the 2012 model. When Avalon arrives at dealerships later this fall, it will be the lightest-weight vehicle in the premium mid-size segment, according to the world’s largest automaker.

This is a claim without a real distinction, though. The V6 powered Avalon is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined and 21 city, 31 highway – not exactly world beating. For comparison consider the Buick La Crosse, which comes standard with a mild hybrid or so-called e-assist system, is rated at 29 combined, 25 city and 36 highway. Continue reading →

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First Look – 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan

Posted on 5 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Since electric driving depends on a tiny 6.7 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery, this means the Accord plug-in will be hard pressed to stay on electricity for more than 10 or 15 miles, although it will look good on the window sticker with a projected EPA rating of greater than 100 MPG-e. The electric motors are rated at 124-kilowatt (kW). Thank goodness there is also power dense gasoline on board, so the projected range of the plug-in is almost 500 miles. Continue reading →

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Chinese Automaker Zhejiang Youngman to Buy 29.9% of Spyker

Posted on 27 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Chinese automaker Zhejiang Youngman will invest Euro €10 million in Spyker and take 29.9% holding of the company. A series of transactions starting next week will involve the purchase of 6.7 million Class A shares of Spyker at €0.05 per, as well as a loan of roughly €3.3 million to the Dutch company. Two new joint ventures to develop and manufacture Saab based vehicles will also being formed. In a statement issued this morning, Youngman said it will not increase its position further and has no intention of taking over Spyker – but that depends on which company you are looking at. Continue reading →

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Recycling NASA Style as Kings Point Buys Liberty Star

Posted on 24 August 2012 by Ken Zino

The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York has a new training vessel, the MV Liberty Star, a twin diesel ship with 2,900 horsepower. The 176-foot long Liberty Star has a 6,000 mile range and a maximum published speed of 15 knots. In its prior seagoing life, Liberty Star was one of NASA’s rocket booster recovery vessels. Along with its twin, MV Freedom Star, Liberty Star worked on NASA’s shuttle missions by positioning itself 140 miles offshore of Cape Canaveral in advance of shuttle launches to retrieve the two 146-foot, 200,000-pound reusable booster casings ejected during shuttle launches. Continue reading →

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First Look – Bentley Continental GT Speed Flagship

Posted on 22 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Bentley has released details of its Continental GT Speed, a revised 205 mph, all-wheel drive performance coupe ahead of its official international debut at the Moscow Motor Show on 29 August. The Continental GT Speed is the fastest road-car Bentley has ever produced with deliveries scheduled to start in October 2012. Continue reading →

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First Look – 2013 Range Rover SUV

Posted on 16 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Land Rover has released the first photos of what it says is an all-new 2013 Range Rover. The fourth generation version drops its steel body for an all-aluminum monocoque design that is somewhat lighter. The upshot is total vehicle weight savings of about 700 pounds on what will remain about a 5,000 pound (or more) SUV in its two V8-powered U.S. versions. Currently the $80,000-$100,000 sport ute is rated by the EPA a 12 mpg city, 18 highway and 14 mpg combined, which is at the lower end of the class and requires a 28-gallon tank of premium fuel to provide a decent range. Continue reading →

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Reality Versus Concept as Production Accord Photos Released

Posted on 9 August 2012 by Ken Zino

The ninth generation Accord, a perennial top seller in the family car category faces unprecedented competition from the Toyota Camry – the best selling car in the U.S. and all new last year – a revised Nissan Altima, and the Hyundai Sonata, as well as the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu, among others. The category is important for its size – almost 20% of the cars sold in the U.S., and as a result, its bragging rights. Continue reading →

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Buick Verano Turbo to Be Priced at $29,990 This Fall

Posted on 8 August 2012 by Ken Zino

The 2013 Buick Verano Turbo sedan will be priced at $29,990, including a destination charge of $885. The turbocharged Verano uses GM’s Ecotec 2-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection and continuously variable valve timing to produce 250 horsepower (187 kW) at 5300 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm) of torque at 2000 rpm. Continue reading →

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Lexus Debuts New LS Flagship Sedan Tonight in San Francisco

Posted on 30 July 2012 by Ken Zino

The original Lexus full-size sedan – the 1990 model LS 400 – caught the Germans by surprise with its combination of high quality, silky smooth ride, and a price that undercut competing Mercedes-Benz and BMW sedans by $10,000 or more.

Initially dismissed by the Europeans, the success of Lexus ultimately forced improvements in quality and a lowering of prices by Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. The Japanese brand’s success has also prompted an expanding list of joint ventures with BMW. Continue reading →

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Red Tail Mustang to be Auctioned at EAA Oshkosh for Eagles

Posted on 23 July 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor will auction a one of kind Red Tails Mustang at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture convention in Oshkosh next Thursday. The single edition Mustang has VIN 00051 in honor of the red tail P-51 Mustang planes flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during more than 1,500 missions during WWII. Pervasive racism in the army kept the black unit segregated during the war. Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls 2013 Escapes for Fires; Honda Recalls CRVs

Posted on 19 July 2012 by Ken Zino

This is the second recall on the new Escape, an earlier one was conducted to repair carpeting that interfered with accelerator and brake pedal movement, and it raises concerns about Ford’s ability to launch new models without quality concerns. Honda recalled more vehicles in 2011 than any other automaker operating in the U.S. Continue reading →

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Aston Martin has Web Darling in Vanquish. Sales to Follow?

Posted on 27 June 2012 by Ken Zino

A week after its internet debut, the new Aston Martin Vanquish is breaking viewing records at the British automaker’s site. The end of last week saw the three highest traffic days ever recorded on Aston Martin’s global website – www.astonmartin.com – as car fans around the world clicked to find out more about a new V12-engined touring car. Whether web interest actually translates to sales to punters with the minimum of £189,995 when the Vanquish goes into production late this year remains to be proved. Continue reading →

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