Auto Mobiles

Two teenage friends were arraigned this afternoon on charges of murdering and kidnapping a 21-year-old Chesterfield Township man.

Filed under: Etc.

Thanks to modern technologies like ignition keys with embedded chips and factory installed security immobilizers, it's getting harder and harder to steal new cars. As a result, the number of cars and trucks stolen in the United States dropped by 13.1 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, a trend that has been continuing for five years. Total thefts for the year could actually end up under 1 million for the first time in 20 years.

Owners of older cars on the other hand aren't so lucky. One of the main driving factors behind car thefts is to strip the vehicles and sell the parts. The main market for those parts is older, high volume vehicles, so the same vehicles are the ones that tend to get stolen. The top ten stolen vehicles for 2008 includes a couple of surprises and a bunch of perennial hits. Check out the whole list by clicking the image above.

[Source: SmartBrief | Photo by stephenyeargin | CC 2.0]

Continue reading Top Ten Stolen Vehicles of 2008

Top Ten Stolen Vehicles of 2008 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Volkswagen

After spending time with the Jetta sedan last year, we came away mostly impressed by its performance and looks. V-Dub's bread-and-butter model is handsome enough to keep buyers interested, but every design gets stale and after wearing the same duds since 2004, VW is working on all-new sheetmetal for the 2011 model year.

KPG caught the new Jetta Sedan undergoing hot-weather testing in Arizona, and while most of the shots show little more than swaths of black camo, the heat and wind worked away at the adhesive to reveal crisper lines, a swoopier roof, a more angled rear side window and some snazzy looking taillights.

VW is calling the revised Jetta its "New Compact Sedan" and the Jetta name is in no danger of being changed. Expect the 2011 Jetta to take aim at the Civic and Corolla with a significant drop in its base price when it goes on sale late next year.

Spy Shots: 2011 VW Jetta Sedan originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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	First Drive: 2010 Audi R8 V10 answers our power prayers Audi addresses our singular gripe with the R8 by replacing the standard model's stock powerplant with the V10 from the Lamborghini Gallardo. Porsche 911 Turbo, M-B SL63 and (whoops) LP560-4, it's official: You're on notice.		VIDEO: Production Cadillac CTS Coupe breaks through in new 60-second spot With the tagline "America, we have re-ignition," Cadillac is out to reintroduce itself to buyers. And the flagship model of GM's new ad campaign is the CTS Coupe.
	Toyota accused of 'ruthless conspiracy' to conceal, destroy evidence by former attorney Toyota looks to have a potential public-relations nightmare on its hands. According to reports, one of the company's former lawyers, Dimitrios P. Biller, has filed a federal racketeering suit against the Japanese automaker.	Other news of import Stand-alone Buick, GMC dealers to be dualed, only 17k Pontiacs left BMW in talks to use iQ platform for future models, Toyota to get Mini in return?! Penske to close all Canadian Saturn dealers Dunkel Industries creates ultimate off-road RV VIDEO: Don't call it OCD: Dude builds 32-valve DOHC V8 out of Legos

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 8.31.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Ever wonder what actually goes into determining the rated fuel economy of a new car or truck? Anyone with a vehicle that's failed to live up to its EPA estimated figures would surely fit into that camp - especially if the car or truck were purchased in large part to its high mileage rating - and you can add our names to that list as well. As it turns out, the process is every bit as as complicated as we'd expect.

Car and Driver recently hung out at the EPA's testing facility near the Motor City, and some highly intriguing bits of information were gleaned. For instance, C/D says that just 15 percent of new cars get tested by the EPA each year for fuel efficiency, and the rest get their ratings from testing performed by the manufacturer using the government agency's guidelines. It's reportedly rare that the EPA's figures vary greatly from the numbers provided by the manufacturer, but if they do, discussions and negotiations ensue.

There are a total of five tests performed to measure expected fuel efficiency, some dating all the way back to the late Seventies. More recent protocols are a bit more complex and require specialized facilities that can cost up to $10 million dollars by EPA estimates. There's plenty more to the story, so click here to read the full four-page report. Hat tip to Julio!



[Source: Car and Driver]

C/D drills down to find out what goes into EPA fuel economy ratings originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Ever wonder what actually goes into determining the rated fuel economy of a new car or truck? Anyone with a vehicle that's failed to live up to its EPA estimated figures would surely fit into that camp - especially if the car or truck were purchased in large part to its high mileage rating - and you can add our names to that list as well. As it turns out, the process is every bit as as complicated as we'd expect.

Car and Driver recently hung out at the EPA's testing facility near the Motor City, and some highly intriguing bits of information were gleaned. For instance, C/D says that just 15 percent of new cars get tested by the EPA each year for fuel efficiency, and the rest get their ratings from testing performed by the manufacturer using the government agency's guidelines. It's reportedly rare that the EPA's figures vary greatly from the numbers provided by the manufacturer, but if they do, discussions and negotiations ensue.

There are a total of five tests performed to measure expected fuel efficiency, some dating all the way back to the late Seventies. More recent protocols are a bit more complex and require specialized facilities that can cost up to $10 million dollars by EPA estimates. There's plenty more to the story, so click here to read the full four-page report. Hat tip to Julio!



[Source: Car and Driver]

C/D drills down to find out what goes into EPA fuel economy ratings originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Safety

Serious injuries to the head temporarily left a mechanic in the GP2 series in a medically-induced coma following a pit-lane incident at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit this past weekend during a support race for the Belgian Grand Prix. The GP2 series is the second rung on the ladder below Formula One, and shares its calendar with F1's European races.

According to reports, an air gun left out of place in pit lane was caught by the wheel of Trident Racing's Ricardo Teixeira, tugging at the hose which toppled a metal beam onto the head of team mechanic Vasco Rossi. The mechanic was evacuated with serious - but not life-threatening - injuries to a nearby hospital where he was placed into a medically-induced coma, from which he has since reportedly emerged. We wish Vasco a full recovery.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Trident Racing]

REPORT: GP2 mechanic placed into coma after pitlane incident at Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Safety

Serious injuries to the head temporarily left a mechanic in the GP2 series in a medically-induced coma following a pit-lane incident at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit this past weekend during a support race for the Belgian Grand Prix. The GP2 series is the second rung on the ladder below Formula One, and shares its calendar with F1's European races.

According to reports, an air gun left out of place in pit lane was caught by the wheel of Trident Racing's Ricardo Teixeira, tugging at the hose which toppled a metal beam onto the head of team mechanic Vasco Rossi. The mechanic was evacuated with serious - but not life-threatening - injuries to a nearby hospital where he was placed into a medically-induced coma, from which he has since reportedly emerged. We wish Vasco a full recovery.

[Source: Autosport | Image: Trident Racing]

REPORT: GP2 mechanic placed into coma after pitlane incident at Spa originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising

A restaurant that has a few hot cars gathered round is one thing -- but a car dealership that opens a restaurant, where does that rank on the scale of ambiance? With recent trends, you could soon get a chance to decide sooner than you thought.

As our friends at The Detroit Bureau point out, California's Bistro33 at Rocklin Mercedes will be the next dining experience in a dealership. The cars don't mingle in the restaurant -- this isn't some trendy Vegas amusement. And this isn't just about having something to do while you wait for the mechanics to finish with your car. You actually go to a dealership to have your dinner. That means you can discuss APR after appetizers and sort out your warranty with a nice Napa red.

There isn't any reason a dealership can't also make a decent dinner. Galpin's Horseless Carriage has been open for 43 years for a menu full of good reasons. And if you have an Aston Martin, the fare in Galpin's Aston Martin club is worthy of both brands. It remains to be seen this trend catches on in more than a few niche markets, but until car sales rebound. this could be a way to get more foot traffic and a bit more income. And besides, there's nothing like an aged strip steak to make you hungry for a car.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

"I'll have the 10W-30 burger, please" - Examining the car dealers as eatery trend originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, China, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Alternative Fuel

The headline is attention-grabbing. A former Chinese auto executive is proposing a $6 billion plant in economically-distressed north Mississippi that will employ 25,000 people and produce one million cars a year.

Automotive News' story is both intriguing and complicated - and not just because three players are named Wang, one is named Yang - so buckle up for the short-and-sweet Autoblog version.

Yang Rong was once China's third-richest man as the CEO of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. But after some disagreements with a Chinese government official in 2002, Yang fled the country and settled in Los Angeles.

Cars are only one of the reasons Yang wants to build $6.5 billion plant in Mississippi (that's six times the cost of Toyota's Mississippi plant, by the way). Another is green cards. When Yang left China, he also left his fortune and has apparently been unable to recoup any of it. It's a scary scenario that many wealthy Chinese fear: upset the government, lose your money. But the U.S. government makes it easy for Chinese residents to both invest their cash in America, as well as move here. Invest a minimum of $500,000 in an economically distressed region of the U.S., creating at least 10 jobs, and you get permanent resident status.

Vincent Wang, an associate of Yang's, says Italdesign Giugiaro is designing the new venture's cars, and documents show Porsche AG providing "our car's engineering design." Giugiaro confirms it has talked with the group, Porsche essentially says it has no comment. Such a controversial car must be powered by something just as unusual, right? Oh, yeah. The CEO of the project, C.T. Wang, tells Automotive News, the cars will be "powered by a combination of gasoline, electric, hybrid and compressed-natural-gas powertrains."

Yang calls his project, Hybrid Kinetic Automotive Holdings, Ltd. One of Yang's former associates has split from the group and also plans to build an automotive plant. That company is now called GreenTree Automotive, after being forced to change its name from Hybrid Kinetic Automotive Corp. Yeah. 'Cause that would have just been too confusing.

And where in Mississippi would someone go to gamble $6.5 billion on an automotive plant? Tunica County, of course. Home to nine of the Hospitality State's approximately 30 casinos.

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req.]

REPORT: Private Chinese investors sought to fund $6 billion auto plant in Mississippi originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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