The American automaker Dodge has announced that its models might be sold wearing Alfa Romeo badges in Europe. Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said that all Dodge models might be sold as Alfa Romeos in Europe, and all Alfa Romeo models as Dodges in the U.S. The cross breeding of cutures would certainly make for an interesting lineup. It makes sense after all, if an automaker is going to invest the amount of money it takes to produce a vehicle, why limit yourself to just one market.
According to Marchionne: "Dodge is the American muscle car, while Alfa Romeo is the European muscle car. How we dovetail these two brands is very important. The level of competition between these two brands is tremendous because they are both going after the same customer." The man from across the Atlantic had some pretty bold words to say, but it would be nice to have Vipers allowed in the Targa Florio.
If there is one thing we can say about the 2009 Infiniti G37, it is that we liked it. We really liked it. Our Athens Blue Coupe could put a smile on your face and instantaneously make you forget about any troubles that might be clouding your day.
The car is beautiful on the inside and out, the handling is amazing and the exhaust note is nicer than the VQ35 powered Nissans, especially when you get higher up in the rev band. Our four passenger GT car is powered by a 3.7 Liter V6 with VVEL variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust camshafts to make an astounding 330 HP and 270 lb-ft of torque and shifted through a 7 speed automatic transmission.
Once you are behind the wheel you forget about the 19 inch sport rims or the chrome front grill, even the HID headlamps won’t seem impressive when you are sitting in the Stone leather seats, gripping one of the most comfortable leather wrapped multifunction steering wheels on the market, because all you will be able to think about is the road. The G37 engages you in a way that only a fun car can.
Continued after the jump.
> More
.
We’re right in the middle of summer and it seems that everybody’s just about ready to put on their sun blocks and head out for a vacation. But before doing so, you might one want to hear about this interesting new promotion by General Motors:
The 72-Hour Sale.
While this sale doesn’t exactly translate into GM cars being offered at slashed prices at discount bins, it does allow prospective – and well-qualified - buyers to be offered a low-rate financing of 0 percent for up to 72 months on a number of 2009 and 2010 cars, including the Chevrolet Silverado, the GMC Sierra, GMC Yukon XL SUVs, the Chevrolet Impala, and a slew of Pontiac models including the Vibe, the G3, the G5, the G6, and the G8. Other GM models also have their own reduced rates of financing of 0 percent for up to 60 months – also for well-qualified buyers. For more information on this once-in-a-lifetime program, including a full list of current offers, conditions, and eligible vehicles, prospective buyers can log on to http://www.gm.com/shop/currentoffers/<
> More
Finally, we have some competition.
It seemed like a millennium ago – and it really is, if you think about it - when Lexus was challenged as the number one luxury brand in America but now it seems to have found a rival in BMW.
The German-based luxury car manufacturer has finally unseated the throne Lexus has occupied since 2000 as the US luxury-brand-of-choice. It’s been a long time since the Beamer last held the top spot – 1997, to be exact - but thanks to a noticeable decline of 37.2% in Lexus sales this year, Toyota’s luxury brand would have to settle as the runner-up to BMW.
Lexus’ decline in sales is actually not an indication of a strengthening market-hold for BMW, which actually suffered its own drop of 30.5% in sales. Nevertheless, Americans still bought over 76, 819 BMW’s compared to 73,186 Lexus vehicles.
> More
John Greenwood’s contributions in cementing the legacy of the Corvette as America’s Sports Car should never go unnoticed. As one of America’s most feared race-car drivers at that time, Greenwood took his Corvette racing operation nationwide and proceeded to win two consecutive Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) A/Production National Championships in 1970-71. This, of course, comes after he made a name for himself as a legend in Detroit with his street-racing exploits in an Impala and a Corvette.
Greenwood’s reputation as an ace driver landed him a sponsorship deal with B.F. Goodrich, which turned out to be the first of many sponsors who would come knocking at his door. With his tire sponsorship in tow, Greenwood set out to make his very first full-modified Corvette racers, which he aptly called his ‘Swing-Arm Cars’. Greenwood once again proved that he had the Midas Touch with Corvette’s when he raced in IMSA’s Camel GT Challenge and subsequently took home 3 wins in the SCCA’s Trans-Am Series in 1972 and 1973.
> More
.
The candidates for the 2010 North American car and Truck of the Year was recently released and as with any awards categories, this one includes a steady dose of expectant favorites, underdogs, and the proverbial dark horses.
All in all, 37 vehicles have been nominated for the two categories. The country with the most nominations is Japan with 12 – which includes a rare Suzuki entry with the Kizashi. Japan is followed by two regions fielding 11 cars each: the US and Europe. Rounding out the field is Korea with three entries with the Hyundai Genesis, the Kia Forte and the Kia Soul.
Noticeably absent from being nominated in the two categories is Chrysler, despite having a slew of cars and trucks in its roster.
Both Hyundai and Ford figure to defend their titles as Car and Truck of the Year after winning the two awards last year with the 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the 2009 Ford F-150, respectively. While the 2010 Genesis remains in the hunt for a back-to-back showing, the F-150 conspicuously was left among the entries for the Truck of the Year, meaning that it’s up to the Ford Transit Connect to defend Ford’s title.
Continued with list of nominees for the 2010 North America Car of the Year after the jump. > More
We here at Top Speed have thoroughly enjoyed our run with the subcompact Toyota Yaris. Since we received the tiny five door, we have thoroughly tested the car both on highway and off. The VVT-i 1.5 Liter four cylinder works hard at higher speeds, but is able to chug along with the flow of traffic. Despite the car’s smaller footprint, the Yaris is extremely spacious on the interior, and the cloth seats were extremely comfortable on our two hour highway stint. The Yaris did quite well on the open road, the car was able to get up to speed quickly, there was minimal exterior noise in the cabin and the seating position kept the controls in easy reach while allowing you to relax for the duration of the trip.
The Yaris shines in a crowded urban environment. The way that the wheels are pushed out to the far corners, just like the original compact car the Mini, allows for many of the same benefits. There is maximum use of the interior space, weaving in and out of traffic is a breeze and finding a parking space has never been easier. For those reasons and many more, we don’t mind trading in massaging seatbacks and fancy hard drive based navigation units for a simpler, less-complicated automobile. However our favorite feature of the Yaris are all the storage compartments hidden in the dashboard.
The Toyota Yaris is not only a great first car; it is also a great second car. Save the 599 for the weekends, tell your wife that you’ll be taking the Yaris to the office today, you’ll just have to be selective about which clubs to bring to the driving range after work, because an entire golf bag definitely won’t fit in the trunk. But for around $15,000 you can’t go wrong with a Toyota Yaris, it also comes with one of the greatest guarantees in the world, it’s a Toyota.
.
In the world of high-performance automobiles there are two kinds of owners. First, there are those who buy an exclusive vehicle, only to hide it away, parked inside an enormous warehouse filled with the rest of their toys. Occasionally, those owners invite a friend or two inside to show off the pieces of automobile and maybe even take the classic out for a Sunday drive. Then there is the kind of sports car owner that just so happen to be a driver. These enthusiasts appreciate their vehicles in a way that the previous group only dreams of. There is nothing like fully stretching your super car’s legs or seeing just how deep into a turn your prized possession can go. For those drivers, there are these magical things called track days, a place where speed junkies can get full use out of their big boy toys.
Top Speed recently attended one of these Saturday afternoon visits to one of our local race tracks where we joined up with Henry Gilbert and got Hooked on Driving. The problem with most track days and even racing schools is the price. Not only is participating in one of these programs expensive, but the amount of actual seat time is rather limited. Most instruction programs will have you sitting in a class room for half of the day and then make you wait around amongst all the other pupils for your brief opportunity to make good on everything you learned earlier on in the day. Not at Hooked on Driving, they do conduct a brief chalk talk for first timers, which are always a good idea, but this track day program is geared towards giving clients the most seat time possible in a safe, responsible environment.
Continued after the jump with video.
For more information check out the link below.
> More
.
As you know Toyota will bring to the US market a small iQ 3+1 city car badged as a Scion. Sales will begin in 2011. The Scion iQ will be 118 inches in length.
Sold as a Toyota iQ in Europe, the car needs minimal modifications, mostly to the bumpers, to meet U.S. standards. Under the hood the company will place a 1.0-liter I-3, a 99-hp 1.3-liter I-4 and a 1.4-liter diesel, but a 1.6-liters is also a possibility.
The next time you’re driving around North Carolina and you happen to pass by this bloodcurdling monster, fret not, it’s only made of roadblocks.
This unique – and frightening – creation was made by Joseph Carnevale, a North Carolina State University who specializes in creating these behemoth artworks made from those mild-mannered orange construction barrels. His latest – and arguably biggest – creation is this monstrosity he affectionately dubbed the “Barrel Monster”.
The problem is, local authorities failed to see the artistic brilliance in Carnivale’s work, who happens to also go by the handle ‘U Live and You Burn’, and instead of lauding his unusual creativity, they arrested him and slapped him with charges of larceny. To be fair, he did steal those barrels.
Continued after the jump.
> More
Pages: 
Post a comment
Picture Gallery
RSS -
Webmaster free news |
Linux Management Services