Category Archives: new vehicle

SAE Auction of Unique Roush Mustang Coming to Ford Field

What’s said to be a unique pony car has a custom silver body and graphics, a Roush 5-liter supercharged V8 engine using Ford Racing’s “Aluminator” long block. The engine is rated at 625 horsepower and 540 ft-lbs of torque, numbers you can believe because of SAE standardized test procedures that stopped creative math calculations by performance car marketers. Continue reading

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Cadillac ELR Coupe Coming Using Chevrolet Volt Technology

General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson announced plans today the new Cadillac ELR luxury electric coupe to China. The announcement of the first extended range electric vehicle from Cadillac in China shows just how significant the world’s largest auto market has become to all automakers. The question now is where the ELR will debut first – the U.S. where it was developed and Cadillac’s home market or China? Continue reading

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Cadillac to Build New XTS in China at Shanghai GM

Cadillac will build the new XTS luxury sedan in China in conjunction with its mandated joint-venture partner Shanghai General Motors (SGM) starting this fall. Cadillac sold a record 30,000 vehicles in China in 2011, compared with 17,000 in 2010 even … Continue reading

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Bentley Mulsanne Diamond Jubilee Debuts in Beijing

Bentley unveiled the first example of its new Mulsanne Diamond Jubilee Edition, which will be limited to 60 cars – one per year of the Queen’s reign. The car for one-per centers – or even 0.01-percenters – is expected to sell for more than $960,000. Continue reading

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Acura 2013 ILX Compact Starts at $26,795 this May

The hot selling Civic costs several thousand dollars less, but if you think this car is cool then you will fork over the extra money for what Acura hopes will be perceived as “smart luxury.” Continue reading

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U.S. Auto Sales Shift to Efficient and Less Profitable Cars

One potentially negative result because of the downsizing and easier credit trends is declining profits at automakers. The shift to smaller vehicles—in addition to the increase in financially less-qualified new–vehicle buyers, who tend to be younger and with less money to spend—means the average transaction price for new vehicles has dropped substantially in the recent quarter. Continue reading

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First Drive – 2013 Lexus GS 350 Sport Sedan

The GS 350 also, surprisingly, outperforms the BMW in extreme performance driving. The transmission has some features adopted from the Lexus IS F high-performance sedan — including faster shifts, earlier torque converter lockup and downshift throttle blips — to support four driving modes that can be operated by toggling the new Lexus Drive Mode selector. Continue reading

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Ford Fusion Start-Stop System is Optional at $295

The Fusion and the smaller Focus are aimed right at the heart of the passenger car market long dominated by the Japanese Three – Toyota, Nissan and Honda – whose compact and mid-size models – Camry, Corolla, Accord, Civic, Altima -historically provide a lower cost of ownership. Recently Hyundai has made large inroads in the same so-called D- and C-car segments by under pricing major competitors by $1,000 or more. Continue reading

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April First in New York as Mini Cooper Yachtsman Debuts

The latest BMW press release from Mini on 1 April 2012 says that Mini customers will be able to boldly go (sic) where no motorer has gone before when the all-new Mini Cooper Yachtsman makes its world premiere at the New York International Auto Show this week, right beside the Hudson River. Continue reading

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Chevrolet TrailBlazer Debuts in Thailand. No U.S. Sales Planned

In the U.S., the TrailBlazer was discontinued after 2009, and replaced by the unit body Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook. A Chevrolet spokesperson told AutoInformed that no U.S. sales are planned at this time. Continue reading

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Focus Electric Approved for $10,000 in Taxpayer Handouts

The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Resources Board (CARB) has dictated that owners of the new 2012 Ford Focus Electric can drive in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Owners also will be able to receive up to $10,000 in tax credits between the state’s new $2,500 rebate and a $7,500 federal tax incentive – both funded by taxpayers at a time of soaring deficits. Critics call this socialism for the rich. These subsidies appear to be crucial for sales success of the Focus Electric. Without them, the car lists starting at $39,995. This means a typical payment to buy the compact car – with $4,000 down – is almost $800 per month for 48 months at Ford’s 7% interest rate. The gasoline-fueled Focus starts at just over $17,000. Continue reading

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Camaro COPO Drag Racing Car Ready to Burn Out in 2012

The new COPO Camaro, if it is competitive, should be fastest Camaro ever offered by Chevrolet since current national records for quarter-mile times in these classes are in the nine-second range. The Camaro starting at $89,000 cannot be registered, titled, licensed, or driven on public roads or highways. COPO is specifically offered for off-highway, competitive NHRA use only. Continue reading

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Mopar Debuts Third Factory Built Hot Rod off Chrysler 300

Still working its muscle car roots, the Mopar 300 has a 363 horsepower (hum the Charger was 370?) 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine and a now dated five-speed automatic transmission. A change from a 3.06:1 to a 3.91:1 final-drive means zero-to-60 mph times in the low 5-second range, according to Chrysler, same as the Charger. Continue reading

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BMW to Spend $900 Million on South Carolina Plant for New X4

Since 1994, the plant has undergone four major expansions and produced 6 different BMW models and their variants (318i, Z3, Z4, X5, X6, X3). Employment has grown from 500 in 1994 to more than 7,000 today. Continue reading

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Dodge Dart Debuts Using First Fiat Architecture. More on Way

The U.S. Dart is in many ways similar to the original Ford Focus (C170) that was derived from a European Ford design a decade ago. And Dart faces the same challenges as well. Though bigger than that Focus – a decided plus in North America, and with much more content – it remains to be seen if Dart’s U.S. suppliers can rise to the quality challenge posed by competing small Japanese and Korean cars. Continue reading

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