Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Car Connection - Blogs and News

The Car Connection - Blogs and News

Link to The Car Connection

Ethanol Blends Increasingly Common: Want Pure Gasoline?

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 04:41 PM PDT

The next time you fill up, think about this: What you think of as gasoline might not be gasoline. At least not entirely. Take a close look at the pump you're filling from; there will be a label with fuel details, and odds are you're probably filling up with E10, a blend of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol—usually derived from corn...


Muscle Car Collector Arrested For Sales Tax Evasion

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 02:56 PM PDT

If you've got the cash to buy 150 classic muscle cars and house them in an immense garage, you ought to have the cash to pay the sales tax on them, right? Not if you're Mark Pieloch, according to Nebraska authorities. Pieloch has been arrested for "felony willful avoidance of sales tax" on more than 100 cars. The Nebraska State Patrol executed...


2011 Chevrolet Cruze Packs 36 mpg Into $16,995

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 01:24 PM PDT

Hybrids (and a few diesels) are the gold standard in fuel efficiency these days, but there's still a lot that can be done with a small but punchy four-cylinder engine paired with the occasional turbocharger, and the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze hopes to put a point on that. EPA figures revealed today put the standard 1.8-liter Ecotec Cruze LS at 26 mpg...


2011 Forester First Of Many Subarus To Get Higher-MPG Engine

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 01:22 PM PDT

Subaru will, over the next year, begin introducing a new line of four-cylinder engines that will be ten percent more fuel-efficient than the ones they replace. The 2011 Forester first gets the all-new mill, with the Impreza, Legacy, and Outback to follow, perhaps for 2012. Although Subaru's current 'boxer' four has been updated nearly every year...


Today in Car News: Volt, Cruze, and Cash for Clunkers Redux

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 12:03 PM PDT

Without a Cash for Clunkers boost, August car sales were soft. Recovery summer, where for art thou? [Detroit Free Press] The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is close to reality: production begins on Veterans' Day. [AutoBlogGreen] GM is seeking to trademark "range anxiety" as it pitches the Volt at nervous-nelly electric-car likers. Snarky Tesla PR folks are...


Today at High Gear Media: Hackers in Cars, Kia Optima, and Leaf

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 11:55 AM PDT

We've driven the 2011 Kia Optima enough for a very Quick Drive. First Drive? We'll save that for a future date. [MotorAuthority] Could your WiFi-connected car be vulnerable to hackers? And could you hire them to hotwire the Coke Zero machine? Just a thought. [TheCarConnection] Smart's Fortwo is hitting a serious slump, but the Daimler division...


GM Moving To Own 'Range Anxiety' For Chevy Volt Campaign?

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 11:47 AM PDT

Range anxiety—that's the worry that people feel as they approach an electric car's driving range—has long been a bit unbecoming to discuss among fierce electric-vehicle advocates; but looking out at the general market, it's one of the most significant barriers against widespread electric-vehicle adoption. As we get past the first early...


2011 Kia Optima Quick Drive

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 11:17 AM PDT

We just got back from driving the 2011 Kia Optima at Road Atlanta, and unfortunately, we don't have much to report. Why? Because we only got a handful of very reduced-pace laps around the track with the car. But we did spend enough time with Kia's latest sedan to give you the 10,000-foot overview. The executive summary: it looks darn good from...


Video: Porsche Undergoes DNA Test To Prove Its Babydaddy-ness

Posted: 01 Sep 2010 08:40 AM PDT

It's a fairly quiet week as far as car news goes, what with many folks trying to get in some last-minute R&R before the busy fall season kicks off. That makes it a perfect time for Porsce to launch a new marketing campaign that explores the automaker's high-performance pedigree. The campaign in question is more about the Porsche brand as a...


2011 Ford Explorer Will Join Taurus On Police Duty

Posted: 31 Aug 2010 10:00 PM PDT

The last couple of months have seen three different police vehicle concepts unveiled by each of the domestic automakers: the Chevrolet Caprice Police Detective PPV from GM, the new Dodge Charger Pursuit from Chrysler and the Taurus Interceptor from Ford. Now, the Blue Oval has unveiled a second Police Interceptor vehicle based on the latest 2011...


Could Connectivity And Smartphones Open Your Car Up To Hackers?

Posted: 31 Aug 2010 07:24 PM PDT

Is it time for firewalls and malware protection for your car? Almost, but not quite yet, say experts, in a top-notch report from CNET. Earlier this year we reported on research from the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego, that showed how researchers were able to break into vehicle networks or change...


Smart Sales Sputter, But Upcoming Products Will Broaden Appeal

Posted: 31 Aug 2010 04:33 PM PDT

Smart's newness in the U.S. is wearing off, and demand for its only U.S. model, the Fortwo two-seater is, falling. According to Automotive News, the Smart brand will likely sell fewer than 100,000 vehicles worldwide, down from 114,000 in 2009. Citing a report from the German paper Der Spiegel, it reports that U.S. sales will likely this year be...


Today in Car News: Chrysler, Fiat, Ram and Volt

Posted: 31 Aug 2010 01:09 PM PDT

We've seen the 2011 Chrysler 300 in the company's Chapter 11 filing, but snippets are landing on the Interwebs like the first flakes of winter. Is it time already? [Jalopnik] While Chrysler divorces the Ram brand from Dodge, it's giving the fledgling nameplate its own iPhone app. Perfect for the logger looking for friends who also own a Ram 3500...


Today at High Gear Media: Sonata Steering, Paris Previews

Posted: 31 Aug 2010 01:08 PM PDT

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata is being checked out for a steering defect--not an official recall, but the stirrings of one? [TheCarConnection] Fiat is signing up 165 Chrysler dealers to sell the teensy 500 and possibly some Alfa Romeos. [TheCarConnection] A trio of High Gear Media editors have driven the 2011 Honda CR-Z. Opinions range widely; yours may...


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