Getting away for the long weekend? You might not completely get away from traffic. Part of the issue: that our population has nearly doubled, as well as shifted significantly, geographically, since the Interstate system was launched in 1956. According to a new report, you increasingly likely to experience traffic bottlenecks in rural areas, either…
Read the original here TheCarConnection… Read the rest
One of Suzuki’s most intriguing new models—the all-new Swift hatchback—isn’t arriving to U.S. dealerships this year after all. According to Automotive News, citing American Suzuki’s head of product development and business Steve Younan, the product plans for the Swift were put on hold after Volkswagen bought about 20 percent of Suzuki…
Read the original here TheCarConnection
2011 Audi A8 to Feature Built-in Google Earth, Maps, and Local Search The all-new 2011 Audi A8 incorporates more technological advances and wizardry than a Boeing 787. Highlights include an aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) that is 40% lighter and 25% stiffer than a comparable chassis made of steel and Audi’s pre-sense safety system for avoiding accidents and for… Read the rest
Interstate 10 near Phoenix, Arizona was shut down Saturday when heavy rain caused a chain reaction accident claiming 69 (Heh!) cars (Take that San Francisco ). Only six people were taken to the hospital, with two in serious condition. [ MyFoxPhoenix ] More
What would comedy be like if Douglas Kenney was alive? Hard to say, but the man who helped found National Lampoon and served as a co-writer of both Caddyshack and Animal House can be judged by the company he kept: Chase (in his most fertile era), Ramis, the Murrays, and O’Rourke to name just a few. After a not-so-positive… Read the rest
Experienced any unexpected stalling in a late-model Jetta TDI? You might have information that’s useful to Volkswagen, or to the federal government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which just opened a preliminary investigation into the issue. NHTSA said that its Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received seven…
Read the original here TheCarConnection
The EPA has to adapt to changing times. New vehicle types like the Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF require new types of fuel economy testing and labels to allow consumers to compare among them. The agency has just released two new sets of labels, and are asking the public to comment
Read the original here GM Volt
Auto sales may have helped consumer spending in July, but were a small bright spot in some pretty dim economic news. [Detroit Free Press] What car would you lose your job over? We’d choose an XKR Convertible, but–hey, wait–we drive cars for a living! No need to steal! Whew. [Jalopnik] The 2009 VW Jetta is being investigated for stalling.… Read the rest
In today’s morning mail, the Mazda Shinari–a gorgeous four-door coupe that we can’t help but think would kick the RX-8 to the curb. Agreed? [MotorAuthority] The 2011 Buick Regal is one of the IIHS’ Top Safety Picks this year, meaning it’s earned top scores, has stability control, and meets new roof-crush standards. Three cheers for engineers!…
Read the original… Read the rest
Filed under: Hatchback , Mazda , Rumormill , Diesel 2010 Mazdaspeed3 – Click above for high-res image gallery File this in the drawer labeled “Only Remotely,” but Mazda U.S. VP of product development Robert Davis allowed that the company is considering a diesel engine for the next Mazdaspeed3 . Based on the report in Car & Driver, it looks… Read the rest