VW's Jonathan Browning out, Michael Horn named President & CEO

Lots of top job shake ups this week. In a surprising turn over at Volkswagen of America, President and CEO Jonathan Browning has announced that he is leaving the company and will be replaced by Michael Horn. Horn will assume the President and CEO position effective January 1st.

Browning came to Volkswagen in 2010 after a distinguished career at both Ford and General Motors. During his time at VW, he oversaw 23 percent gain in 2011 and an additional 30 percent rise for 2012. This year,  sales of Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi and Bentley models are up 1 percent in a market that’s risen 8 percent. Sales at VW  have been falling for the last 8 months.

Michael Horn who will replace Browning, has been with Volkswagen since 1990. And is currently head of Volkswagen Global After Sales. A position he has been in since 2009.

Browning says that he is leaving the company for personal reasons and is planning to return to England.


Source: Automotive News.

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GM's Akerson to retire in 2014. Mary Barra named as CEO

General Motors has announced that chairman and CEO Dan Akerson will step down from his post effective January 15th, 2014.

Akerson joined General Motors in 2009 as a member of the Board of Directors and was named Chairman and CEO in 2010. He successfully led General Motors through it's difficult bankruptcy and restructuring.

Mary T. Barra, Executive Vice President, Global Product Development & Global Purchasing & Supply Chain will replace Dan Akerson as CEO of GM. She has been responsible for the design, engineering, program management and quality of General Motors vehicles around the world. She has 33 years of experience with GM and began her career in 1980 as an intern at Pontiac.She becomes not only the first female CEO of GM, but also the first female CEO of a global
car company.

The Board also named Theodore (Tim) Solso to succeed Akerson as Chairman.  Solso, was formerly chairman and CEO of Cummins, Inc., and has been a member of the GM Board since June 2012.


Source: General Motors

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Oficially official, the 2015 Ford Mustang

As promised, here's the all new 2015 Ford Mustang. The first completely new Mustang with inspiration from 50 years of production (yes even the Mustang II years). What can I say about the 2015 Mustang? Well for one, it looks fantastic. While overall the car is just a tad larger than the current Mustang. The new car actually looks smaller than it is. Which I really like. It gives the look of a sporty European sports car. The design is fresh and crisp, and when you get in to GT trim, it's very aggressive. The styling was critical when it came to the new Mustang as this is the first Mustang to be designed for global distribution. Believe it or not, all previous Mustangs were not made for global sales. And because of this new focus for the Mustang. Ford is pulling out all the stops to make a truly world class product. The new car is lower and wider with a wider rear track. And for the first time in a number of years, a true fastback body that leads to three dimensional LED, sequential tail lamps. You may notice the lack of the faux gas cap that had become a staple of the previous Mustang is absent in the photos. We have been reassured by a source that there will be a faux cap offered on some trim levels of the new car, however not all of them. Up front, we find LED running lamps, and a design treatment heavy on Ford Design DNA that still captures the Mustang's grille and shark bite design we have come to love on the GT 500.

The big news for the new Mustang lie in the performance and suspension. The traditional V6 and 5.0 liter V8 engines remain. But they are now joined by an optional 2.3 liter Ecoboost 4 cylinder. A first for the Mustang for nearly 30 years. And don't think this will just be a fuel sipping Focus in a new body. The Ecoboost Mustang is expected to pony out 305 Hp with 300 lb.-ft of torque. So you'll still get all the performance while saving some gas. The Ecoboost features a cast aluminum cylinder block with forged steel crankshafts and connecting rods. It also includes a newly designed high flow cylinder head with integrated exhaust manifold and a new twin scroll turbo charger that will make its debut on the Mustang.

The 5.0 liter will have in the neighborhood of 420 hp on tap while the standard 3.7 liter V6 will be at 300 hp. The V8 features larger valves, revised and re-balanced camshafts, and forged connecting rods and valve springs, for optimum high RPM performance. The engines will be backed by an updated 6 speed manual trans or a new select shift 6 sped automatic that will offer for the first time in a Mustang, paddle shifters. Very European no? The Getrag manual trans has had the shifter location moved closer to the drive and away from the cupholders (a complaint in the outgoing car). The new output shaft has been designed with a new ball bearing that will allow the GT to have a top speed of 155 miles per hour.

Flipping the shiny side over is where the Mustang is going to get really exciting. The Mustang is setting new benchmarks in terms of handling. The suspension has been redesigned from the ground up. The outgoing Boss 302 was the benchmark which has now been exceeded. A new perimeter subframe reduces the overall mass of the car while also making it stiffer. Thus allowing for more predictable wheel control to allow for better ride quality, handling, and steering. This new front suspension also allows for larger brakes to be utilized. And for 2015, there will be three different brake packages available. One will likely be Brembos.

In back where the rubber meets the road, a new integral-link independent rear suspension, again designed for the ultimate in ride quality and handling. This marks the first time the Mustang has ever had an independent rear end. Though I'm sure many diehards will miss the old live real axle, we're sure they'll take to this one.

Like all new Fords, the 2015 Mustang will feature the SYNC system and the new My Key system. The drive will also have different drive modes available (not sure if available on every model) allowing the driver to adjust engine, suspension, and steering settings at the touch of a button. A new advanced stability control system and the GT's standard launch control round out a powerful performance punch.

Looking at the interior pictures, I'm seeing a lot of new, and more upscale additions. First, a source at Ford confirmed that the material quality will definitely be far better than what we have seen on the previous Mustang. Better quality materials and leathers for a more quality feel. For instance, a leather covered dash top and center console, memory power seats, and it looks like the GT will have two additional gauges in the center of the dash. All 2015 Mustangs will also wear a special badge on the dashboard saying "Since 1964" In honor of the Mustang's 50th anniversary April 17th, 1964. An interesting fact, even though the Mustang's launch considered the car a 1964 1/2. Most states did not recognize a half year for title and registration purposes, thus making all 64 1/2s really 1965 Mustangs.

Pricing hasn't been released yet, though I wouldn't expect it to be far off from the current Mustang's base price. Ford is expecting the 2015 Mustang to hit showrooms in late 2014.


Source & Photos: Ford Motor Co.

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This is it! The 2015 Ford Mustang

It was bound to happen. Ford's plan was to reveal the 2015 Ford Mustang on Thursday. But as usual, things don't always go to plan. An adept reader of AutoWeek magazine received their December 9th issue and smack on the cover is the completely new Mustang.

It's a very tasteful mix of American Muscle meets European Tuning. I was worried that the car would be too much Ford Design DNA (i.e. Fusion, Taurus, etc). But this car isn't. You look at it, and instantly think Mustang. I won't go in to too much detail now, that is until I get my hands on the official photos and specs from Ford on Thursday, so stay tuned.

Source: Mustang6g.com

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Arrivederci Gallardo!

After ten years and 14,022 cars, the Lamborghini Gallardo has come to the end of the road. The Gallardo was the first Lamborghini to really break the mold so to speak. Prior to the car's production, the company would average around 250 or so cars a year, The Gallardo brought a whole new way of thinking at the company in terms of volume by jumping to 2000+ per year. Since Lamborghini was founded in 1963, nearly half of all the cars produced are Gallardos.

Like all Lamborghini's, the Gallardo name was derived from bullfighting. The Gallardo bloodline was known for its exceptional courage and undaunted nature. ans was bred during the 18th century. When the Gallardo was introduced in 2003, it also brought many new advancements for Lamborghini. Including an all new aluminum space frame, the first ever Lamborghini to have full time all wheel drive, and a robotized electronic shifting system (e-gear). The Gallardo also set records with 32 different variants of the car over it's 10 year run. My particular favorite was the Superleggera. It was also the first Lamborghini to have a special service record with 2 cars built for the Italian State Police.

The 2013 Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse boasts a dry weight of 1340 kilograms, 70 less than the already lean Gallardo LP 560-4. With a stunning power-toweight ratio of 2.35 kilograms per hp it delivers breathtaking performance: from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h in just 10.4 seconds.

Now, the final car produced? It is a Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante in Rosso
Mars (red) and it is destined for a private collector.

Source: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

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Happy Veterans Day

Veterans Day is a special day, created to honor and pay respect to our country’s heroes. These heroes never ask for our recognition or gratitude, yet they deserve our appreciation every day. Thank you to those brave men and women who have sacrificed, along with their families, to serve our nation and protect our freedom.

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New Cannonball record. A.k.a How I drove across the U.S. in under 29 hours.

This one just came across my desk and I felt this one was worth of posting here as I, and many others in our office are Cannonball Run, Gumball Rally, Bull Run, etc fans. Ed Bolian, a Lamborghini dealer from Atlanta, Georgia. is such a fan of the infamous Cannonball Run events, that he once told Brock Yates that he planned to break the record. This was before Alex Roy setting the previous record of 31 hours and 4 minutes in his ultra modified BMW M5.

I guess we should say what the new record is. Would you believe, 28 hours and 50 minutes? Shattering the previous record by about 3 hours. Very impressive, but also extremely dangerous. Bolian's choice of equipment was a 2004 Mercedes Benz CL55 which like Roy's BMW was equipped with several navigation units, and a host of radar detectors and monitoring equipment. And the run was made with co-driver Dave Black and support passenger Dan Huang. So, a pretty comfortable ride for 3. During the run, their top speed was 158 miles per hour with an average of 98 miles per hour from the Red Ball Garage in New York City and finishing at the Portofino Inn, in Redondo Beach, California. The original start and finish of the Cannonball Runs. The only thing that I personally didn't agree with was releasing the details about the run this soon. Alex Roy waited nearly a year before releasing the details of his run so that the statute of limitations would expire. Bolian's run was just made on October 19th. And he only waited about 10 days to release the news. But either way, the record has been broken. I wonder who will break it next, and more importantly, with what car? Congrats go out to the team. But we do caution our readers. If you have the need for speed. Please, take it to the track.

Source & Photos: http://edbolian.com/

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Modification Italian Ferrari 458 by Justin Bieber

Hollywood - Singer Justin Bieber (19) had a Collection Sport Cars

Justin Bieber is known as a star of the massive Canadian pop growing in popularity day by day seems known. Previously, the sport car exterior is in white colored up to the rim. Ferrari emblem on the entire body with a distinctive color combination of black and yellow was changed to light blue.


Now, Justin Bieber Ferrari 458 Get Modification in Matt Blue Transform

Check out my baby, baby, baby blue ... Ferrari! Justin Bieber cracks a smile as he often willing to take a ride in luxury sports car. Justin Bieber treated photographers increasingly rare smile earlier this week, and no wonder - he would take his brilliant blue baby Ferrari for a spin around Los Angeles.



Justin Takes The Ferrari 458 Out Around of Los Angeles

Justin Bieber and Lil Za PAL are cheerful as they come for a day in Los Angeles this weekend. Bieber was spotted giving a homeless woman some money during his lunch-date with young model Ashley Moore in Beverly Hills. Justin Bieber and pal Lil Za are in high spirits as they step out for a day in Los Angeles this week.

Another Modification of Justin Bieber’s Car:



Justin Bieber's Audi R8 with leopard-print bodywork
The Batmobile: The Baby singer's distinctive Cadillac CTS-V

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New Volkswagen Golf Plus and Golf R

New Volkswagen Golf Plus





The new Golf Plus is expected to come out late to next year. It will undoubtedly be based on the MQB architecture and will be powered by all sort of different engines, ranging from a base 1.2-liter TSI with 85 hp to a very decent 2.0-liter TDI with 150 hp. Although thickly padded in camouflage, this prototype does let us peak at the design. The wheel design is also taken directly from the Golf, but the tailgate is something completely new. Compared to a regular Golf you have a lot more space to relax, and compared to a Variant, it's shorter and easier to use in the city.


New Volkswagen Golf R



Volkswagen has made R-badge Golf longer than expectation. Set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, now just weeks away, the new Golf R acks a whopping 296 horsepower.

That's not just more than the 286 hp we expected or more than a proportionate increase over its predecessors: Compare that figure to the 237 hp in the first Golf R32, the 247 hp in the one that followed and the 261 hp in the outgoing Golf R, and you'll realize that the new output doesn't just represent a bigger leap than Volkswagen R GmbH has ever taken before, it's bigger than the entire progress of the line until now.

The suspension of 0.78 inches compared to the Mk7 Golf on which it is based (0.2 inches lower than the GTI) decreased the aerodynamic kit similar to the R-Line, the looks we saw previously, dual exhaust pipes protrude from the diffuser in the back and buyers can opt for 18- or 19-inch wheels.

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China-Israel's Car Collaboration Has Failed Environmental Government Test

Shanghai - China-Israel's car collaboration "Qoros" has failed an environmental test, though their production cars are ready for the market. Small-scale production had already begun to do. However, before mass production implemented, Qoros stumble problem after the car they do not pass the test environment by Changshu Environmental Bureau.



Finally results, Qoros likely have to postpone their mass production car pending further inquiries into the environmental impact of the plant on the local environment. One car is ready for production Qoros is Qoros 3. Although this is a Chinese car, but the car brand "Qoros" claims that European quality.

The exterior of this car designed under the leadership of Gert Volker Hildebrand makes this car design in Munich and Shanghai to achieve customers' satisfaction both in China and in Europe who claimed to set new standards for cars produced in China to side with the car in Europe.

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Cold War of Suzuki and VW Still Continues

Tokyo - The news about the reconciliation Suzuki and Volkswagen are indisputable. The cold war is still going on between them. Suzuki has denied there have been discussions with VW.

Disputes both happened after Volkswagen bought a 20 percent stake in Suzuki in January 2009 with a value of 1.7 billion euros. At the beginning of the agreement, Volkswagen will be helped given the way for entry into the Indian market where Suzuki is considered very strong.

Access to environmentally friendly technologies will also be opened. However, the relationship was fractured in September 2011 after VW accused Suzuki had violated their contract by choosing to use diesel engines from Fiat.

After this feud, Suzuki asks Volkswagen to release the shares and will buy again by Suzuki, but VW refused the request.

Previously rumored that the two companies are going to meet to solve the problem. "There are a variety of reports, but there really is not like that fact, so I can not talk about this topic," said Executive Vice President Suzuki Toshihiro.

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French Police Prefer Riding Gasoline Fueled The BMW R1200RT

French - When the most of countries in the world began to consider using electric motorcycles for law enforcement duty vehicles, the French Police (French Law Enforcement Agencies) prefer riding gasoline fueled The BMW R1200RT. The reason, electric motorcycle for long distances will face obstacles.



Therefore, customs officials and police in France still use the BMW R1200RT. This motorcycle has proven comfortable ride for long-range patrols on the highway. Petrol engine motorcycles remain the choice for law enforcement facilities and battery technology does not yet support. In addition, electric motorbike price is still expensive.

The first BMW R1200RT 'Authorities' motorcycles were delivered to the French police in April, when the police motorcycle squad of the Republican Guard took delivery of 35 BMW R1200RT machines. At the same time, French customs officers received 20 new motorcycle BMW R1200RT 'customs-specification' bikes. While another 190 units will be distributed to police and officers escort.

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Hyundai Develops Small SUV to Fight Ford Ecosport

Hyundai car manufacturer secretly floating Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) are small to fight Ford Ecosport. The car is reportedly now being designed.




Compact car segment in the world is growing. Many manufacturers make compact SUV from Ford Ecosport up with a plan to develop the Suzuki XA-Alpha.

Hyundai did not want to miss to make it and now they are rumored to release this car in 2014. Similarly, as reported by Auto Esporte, Saturday (2013/07/03).

Hyundai's small SUV reportedly will take the platform of HB20 and the lines will be very inspired design of the latest generation of the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Aura Santa Fe is likely to be present in the grille, the side line to line in the stern design.

Not yet known what choice of petrol and diesel that will strengthen this car, but it is likely that the machine will use a small engine under 2.0 liters.

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Breaking News: Detroit files for bankruptcy protection.

While breaking, this story really comes as now surprise to me that the City of Detroit has filed for chapter 9 bankruptcy protection.

In a surprise move today, the city's state appointed emergency manager, Kevyn Orr asked for permission to put the city under Chapter 9 protection this afternoon in court. Currently, Detroit is $18.5 billion dollars in dept. Currently, the Governor of Michigan has to sign off on the bankruptcy since it is the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Details are still forthcoming so we will be posting updates as we find them.

Source: Detroit News.

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Legendary hot rodder, Dean Jeffries, dead at 80.

Perhaps best known for much of his work that was claimed by George Barris, Dean Jeffries was one of the most legendary men in automotive culture. He was the complete package. He was a metal worker, a painter, a designer, a car builder, stuntman. He did it all. I mean, where do you begin?

Jeffries was born in Lynwood, California in February 1933. He had dreamed of attending the Art Center in Pasadena, but instead of doing well in school he gravitated toward cars like most teens do, learning from his  father who was a mechanic. While stationed in Germany during his stint in the Army, he learned the art of pinstriping from a furniture and piano striper, and upon returning home to California, he continued to learn from Kenneth “Von Dutch” Howard. This landed him a  job as the in-house pinstriper for George Barris. Along the way, he learned how to shape metal, as well, and began to take the customization of his clients’ cars further; during that time, he not only striped James Dean’s infamous Porsche 550 Spyder with the nickname “Li’l Bastard,” but also built Chili Catallo’s 1932 Ford three-window coupe, the one that the Beach Boys used on the cover of their Little Deuce Coupe album.

Jeffries also did work for Caroll Shelby. He painted the first Cobra as a favor to Shelby. He sympathized with Shelby’s effort to get the car done on a budget. “The body was a disaster, all heliarced and torched up. I had only three days from start to finish. I asked Shelby what color he wanted, and he said, ‘Any color you want.’ So, not knowing if it was right or wrong, I painted it pearl yellow because I had heard on TV that yellow stood out the best.” Shelby would later provide Jeffries with a Weber-topped 289-cu.in. Ford V-8 and four-speed transmission for Jeffries’s Mantaray, an asymmetrical single-seater based on a 1939 Maserati 8CTF Grand Prix chassis.

After leaving Barris' shop. Jeffries set up shop in Hollywood. This attracted plenty of celebrity clientele and made way for jobs creating and customizing cars for the movies and for the stars, including the Monkeemobile, the Chrysler Imperial based Black Beauty from The Green Hornet television series, and the Landmaster from Damnation Alley. He didn’t restrict himself to Hollywood cars, however: He also designed and manufactured the Kyote Volkswagen based dune buggies and built a number of custom and concept cars for Ford Motor Company, including a gullwing-door show car called the Cougar, the Falcon Python show car, and the Ford GT40. He also did some construction and painting for several Indy Car teams. 

Jeffries also worked for a while as a stuntman. During the production of Honky Tonk Freeway in 1980, Jeffries performed a jump stunt with a truck in which he broke his back. He also performed stunts in The Blues Brothers and Fletch. What he will mostly rememberh him for if not through his cars then through his feud with George Barris, brought on by Barris’s habit of taking credit for Jeffries’s work throughout the years. “He couldn’t put a dent into something, never mind taking one out, but he’s a hell of a promoter, believe me,” Jeffries said. Barris retorted that he couldn’t “control what magazines write and who they list as the designer and builder.”

Jeffries remained very active in the industry until about five years ago and still maintained a shop in Hollywood. 

Source & Photos: Hemmings Motor News & The Jalopy Journal

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Cruze Diesel Driven 900 Miles At 57.7 Average MPG

General Motors has posted a video showing yet another potential advantage offered by the pending 2013 Chevrolet Cruze turbo diesel over the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

At least that’s the hope, because the competitive advantages appear to possibly be mixed with disadvantages as well, such as a starting price higher by $730, and city mpg lower by 3 mpg. But the Cruze diesel is well equipped at that price, promises more power, highway mileage of 46 vs 42 for the Jetta TDI, and on that note, GM engineer Tessa Baughman says she achieved an 800 and 900 mile run, each on a single tank. She did this, she says, while avoiding other hyper mileage techniques with the only concession to maximizing fuel economy being that she drove 5 mph below the posted limit.

With a fuel tank capacity of 15.6 gallons for the Cruze diesel, this equates to a highway figure of 51.28 and 57.69 mpg respectively. As a point of comparison, the record set with a manual-transmission 2013 VW Passat TDI rated at 43 mpg highway was an astonishing 84.1 mpg over 1,626 mpg. However this was set by expert hyper mileage instructors, John and Helen Taylor, and in this case, the boilerplate caveat “your mileage may vary” applies doubly. The take home message with the Cruze Diesel is it too can substantially beat its highway numbers, so, is it thus possible it can beat its city mpg number and close the gap between it and the VW as well?

The Cruze diesel starts at $ $24,885 plus $810 destination charge. It is available only with automatic transmission. Volkwagen offers a manual for $23,055 plus $795 destination or automatic for $24,155 plus destination charges. The EPA mileage per gallon estimates for the Cruze Diesel are 27 city, 46 highway, 33 combined. For the Jetta TDI, it’s 32 city, 42 highway, 33 combined. This said, options can easily make either car overlap each other, and GM says for the starting price, its Cruze Diesel is a comparatively solid value as equipped.

Without a doubt, VW has established a fan base for its Jetta TDI, which leads the small but growing clean diesel car market. The Chevrolet, GM points out, has a track record too, however. It was launched in other markets in 2010, and 33,000 units have been sold so far.
The gas variants of the Cruze furthermore have proven to be a top seller for GM, even usurping once stalwarts such as the Honda Civic. So, if the Cruze diesel, engineered with help from Germans to give all comers a run for their money is as good as promised, GM does stand to begin eroding VW’s market.

Working against them all is diesel remains more expensive than gasoline, making the premium each vehicle costs over gas equivalents a real exercise in number crunching. In their favor also, diesels can operate at lower rpms, potentially can last longer for those who keep their cars till the wheels fall off, and their power characteristics are excellent also.

The Cruze is said to offer performance like a V6 with highway mileage only 2 mpg less than the Toyota Prius Liftback, and with potential to match the Prius Liftback’s mileage and be much faster when desired. Of course, The Prius’ 51 mpg city and 50 mpg combined figures solidly trounce the Cruze diesel’s 27 mpg and 33 mpg respectively, but the Toyota is an altogether different technology that lends itself to excellent city figures. We could go on and on with point and counterpoint, but the addition of a new contender, whether it sells well, or only moderately, can only be seen as a step in the right direction. Rome was not built in a day, and neither will a changeover be to more fuel-efficient transportation.

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Honda’s Civic Tops All Safety Ratings

The new 2013 Honda Civic Sedan has received the highest possible overall safety ratings from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

This is good news for a car that is known to be one of the most popular small car among individual buyers. The 2013 Civic Sedan recently received the top 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score in the NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), and the highest possible rating of Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS, including a top score of Good in the new small overlap frontal collision test.

Honda said it leads all automakers with every one of its tested model year 2013 vehicles earning a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. The 2013 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe are the first and only small cars to earn the IIHS’ highest safety rating of Top Safety Pick, and the NCAP 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for the Civic Sedan further separates Civic from the competition in safety ratings performance.

The 2013 Accord also earned these high safety ratings in the midsize segment. “Car shoppers cannot find a small car with higher overall safety ratings than the 2013 Honda Civic,” said Art St. Cyr, vice president of product planning and logistics at American Honda. “Safety ratings leadership across product lines is a fundamental part of not only our strategic business plan, but also our philosophy as a company.”

The Civic Sedan, which Honda said was significantly re-engineered for 2013, is equipped with Honda’s next generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which contributes to make Civic the first small car to earn a Top Safety Pick+ crash safety rating, and the first to earn the highest rating of GOOD in the IIHS’ new small overlap frontal crash test (sometimes called a ‘narrow offset’ test).

This aggressive test is designed to simulate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole at high speed. Honda said the reinforced ACE body structure found on the 2013 Civic further enhances frontal crash energy through a wider range of these offset and oblique collision scenarios.

Additional standard safety equipment on all Civic models include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control; an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); side curtain airbags; dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags; and driver and front passenger side airbags.

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Tesla Model S. The best car. EVER

In some news out of left field. The folks from Consumer Reports have come out an announced that the Tesla Model S is bar none, the BEST car they have ever tested. Interesting because of the fact that it is a full electric car. But that's also one of the biggest reasons why CR says it's the best. Styling is uniquely Tesla, and looks like nothing else on the road. Inside, a 17 inch touch screen panel controls just about everything in the car. Now how it is better than say a VW Jetta TDI?

Well, I'm not sure other than you can take the Jetta on long road trips. The Model S can handle say Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Longer trips are possible thanks to a network of supercharged charging stations that can charge the battery from empty to half full in about a half hour. However, expect a full charge to take 12 hours using normal 240 volt home electric. That can be cut down with an optional charger from Tesla that takes about 5 hours to recharge.

Sticker price for the Model S comes in at a hefty $90,000 give or take a couple hundred bucks. And lets face it. Frankly, it's not a Prius, and that's why we like it. Even though we still prefer our cars to suck gas, not electricity.

So, while it may not fit the need for everyone, it's pretty darn close for some. Unfortunately, for those of us here in Pittsburgh, and the rest of Pennsylvania for that matter. There are no Tesla dealers. There is a service center in Philadelphia, but the closest dealer is in Tysons Corner, Virginia which is just outside of Washington D.C. That is partially due to Tesla's troubles with their store style of dealer system that has the national and state dealer associations up in arms. And that's not to mention the other financial troubles that have hounded Tesla.

Here's hoping that Tesla sticks around for a while. 

Source: Consumer Reports, Tesla Motors.

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2005 - 2011 Porsche 911 RS1 Street by LOMA

LOMA is best known for its work on the C6 Corvettes, but recently the German company has decided to turn its sights on Porsche. Because of the company’s location, all of the parts in the kit are made in Germany using carbon fiber, which is something a Porsche owner will prefer.

The 911 GT3 RSR is one of the most awesome Porsches ever built, but it’s not built to handle daily driving nor is it priced for the average Porsche buyer. To help satisfy your urge to own one, LOMA decided to make a kit to allow for you to turn your 997 into an RSR.

The 911 retains the stock engine that produces at least 325 horsepower, but LOMA offers a sports exhaust system to give the car more of a racecar soundtrack. The suspension and brakes also stay the same as the stock car, so the car doesn’t ride any lower than stock unless you decide to lower the car yourself.

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2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Indianapolis 500 Pace Car

Chevrolet Corvette served as an Indianapolis 500 pace car for the first time back in 1978 and Chevrolet has sent a total of 11 models to pace "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." The 2013 model year will be the 12th time a Corvette model will pace Indianapolis, and as rumored two days ago, it will be the new Corvette Stingray.

The model will be equipped with the track-capable Z51 package, which adds a limited-slip differential for reduced under-steer while cornering, improved aerodynamics and ride tweaks to help it handle corners more effectively. The Stingray Pace Car is painted in a Laguna Blue Tintcoat exterior combined with official Indianapolis 500 graphics on the doors.

The technology features and powertrain will be identical to the standard version, except that the Pace Car will be equipped with track-mandated safety features and strobe lights.

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2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe Revealed in Patent Drawings

Jaguar announced its intentions to release a coupe version of the F-Type once the roadster version hit the market. Until now, however, the car has never been spotted testing anywhere around the world, so we had to just trust Jaguar’s word.

Today, we can add some substance to Jag’s claim, as leaked patent drawings of the F-Type Coupe have made their way onto the Internet and they reveal the final design of the sports coupe. Not that it’s very hard to imagine how an F-Type Coupe would look like, since you are essentially slapping a fixed roof on top of the F-Type Roadster. Reports point toward everything else being borrowed from the roadster version, including the exterior look and the engine lineup.

The F-Type Coupe will arrive on the market sometime in 2014 and will be followed by a more powerful R version. A Sport Brake version has also been rumored, but we doubt we are ever going to see it.

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Trying something new

Now know you love cars, and everything associated with them. Did you know that you can buy almost anything from Amazon? Sure you did. Well, of course there's costs associated with maintaining the blog and as a way to help keep the lights on, we've partnered with Amazon. So if you're looking to buy anything on Amazon, come here to Autobahn Automotive News first and click through on any of the Amazon banners on the main page. Then, whatever you buy on Amazon, we'll get a tiny percentage of whatever you spend. It's a win win. And you can get anything you want on Amazon with (to take one from Larry Miller), an actual Amazon.

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Happy Birtday Mustang! And a special milestone.

April 17th, 1964. That was the day that the automotive world was turned on it's ear. It was on this day that Ford Motor Company unveiled the all new 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang. Launched at the New York Worlds Fair, the Mustang quickly rose to be Ford's best selling car since the Model A. It also launched the pony car craze that led to the muscle car. Ford sold over 400,000 Mustangs in 1964. 100,000 of which were sold in the first 3 months of production.

That leads us to today's milestone. 49 years to the day of the introduction of the Mustang, Ford's Flat Rock, Michigan plant produced it's 1 millionth Mustang. Production of the Mustang was moved to Flat Rock from the famous Rouge factory in 2004 for the launch of the redesigned 2005 Mustang. Since 1964, over 8.5 million Mustangs have been tearing up American roads.

The car, a ruby red 2014 convertible was driven off the line by Raj Nair, Ford's Vice President for global product development. The production of the 1 millionth Flat Rock Mustang also helps to launch the 50th anniversary year of the Mustang. 


Source: Ford Motor Co.

Press release:

FLAT ROCK, Mich., April 17, 2013 – Happy Birthday Mustang! Forty-nine years to the day after its 1964 debut in New York, the iconic sports car celebrates another milestone: One million Mustangs have rolled off the line at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant since production moved there in 2004. Ford is celebrating this milestone as year 50 of continuous Mustang production gets under way at Flat Rock Assembly.

 

Raj Nair, group vice president for global product development, today rode off the line at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in a Ruby Red 2014 Mustang convertible. Nair was riding shotgun with Ed Salna, material planning and logistics manager at the plant. Salna is a 27-year veteran of Flat Rock Assembly, starting work there more than a year before the plant produced its first car.

 

“Mustang is one of the most beloved nameplates in the industry, with fans around the world and throughout Ford Motor Company,” said Nair. “The team here at Flat Rock Assembly has built an outstanding reputation for quality while producing one million Mustangs over the last nine years, and we expect that to continue for many years to come.”

 

Ford has built Mustangs near its home base in Dearborn, Mich. for 49 years. The car was built at Ford’s famous Rouge factory, just a few minutes from company headquarters, for four decades before moving a few miles south to Flat Rock in 2004.

 

Introduced in April 1964, Mustang proved to be far more popular than anyone expected, prompting Ford to add production capacity outside Michigan. By early 1965 plants in Metuchen, N.J. and San Jose, Calif. were also building Mustang. Less than two years later, on Wednesday, March 2, 1966, the one-millionth Mustang rolled off the line in Dearborn. To date, Ford has produced and sold more than 8.5 million Mustangs.

 

The launch of Mustang production at Flat Rock coincided with introduction of the then all-new fifth-generation model – first in the series to get a dedicated platform. In addition to the standard V6 and the V8-powered GT model, Mustangs coming out of Flat Rock Assembly Plant have included several special editions and race cars:

 

• In 2006 Flat Rock built a limited run of black and gold Shelby GT-H coupes for Hertz rental fleets to commemorate the 1966 Shelby GT350H rental car
• 2007 brought the debut of the Shelby GT500 Mustang developed by SVT with a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 producing 500 horsepower, the most ever for a Mustang then
• For the 2008 and 2009 model years, the Mustang lineup included the Bullitt, inspired by the car driven by the title character in the 1968 film of the same name
• For the 2012 and 2013 model years, Flat Rock built the track-optimized Boss 302
• The Flat Rock line has produced numerous competition versions of Mustang including the FR500, Boss 302R and the extremely successful Cobra Jet drag racer

The Flat Rock factory has been producing vehicles since 1987, when it opened as Mazda Motor Manufacturing USA and built the Mazda MX-6. In 1992 Ford purchased a 50 percent share in the plant and it was renamed AutoAlliance International. Over the years Flat Rock Assembly has produced the Mazda 626, Mazda6, Mercury Cougar and Ford Probe. In addition to Mustang, Flat Rock will add production of the Fusion sedan later this year.

 

“Flat Rock has gone through an amazing transformation over the past year,” said Tim Young, plant manager, Flat Rock Assembly Plant. “We’ve invested $555 million including a state-of-the-art, fully flexible body shop and an upgraded paint shop to make sure we’re continuing to build the best of the best for the next one million Mustangs.”

 

“The one-millionth Mustang is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of the Flat Rock Local 3000 membership,” said Tony Bondy, UAW Local 3000 chairman. “It’s been great building an iconic American car since 2004, and with the introduction of Fusion along with our new plant upgrades, we will keep building world-class quality in Flat Rock for years to come.”

 

Ford is adding 1,400 jobs and a second shift at Flat Rock Assembly Plant to support new Fusion production as part of its plan to add 12,000 hourly jobs in the United States through 2015.

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