Car News Articles

Detroit’s not flying the white flag just yet, but you can hear the unmistakable sounds of unfurling. Post Black Tuesday, GM CEO Rick Wagoner set about painting General Motors as a victim of unforeseeable circumstances; the switch from truck to car sales was faster than “anyone” could imagine. Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli simply said everything’s fine– a sure sign that nothing is. And earlier today, Ford President Mark Fields pleaded for government intervention to protect/create a domestic electric vehicle battery industry. Clearly, finally, The Big 2.8 are thinking ahead. To government bailouts.

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Click above for gallery of the remade Family Truckster

People have remade the iconic Family Truckster wagon from the movie National Lampoon’s Vacation before, but we don’t think many have done so well as forum poster ls1nova71 over at ls1tech.com. He’s faithfully recreated the metallic pea (everything except for turning the white wall tires into green walls) from a Ford LTD Country Squire wagon and dropped in a stock 5.3L small-block GM V8 to keep it road worthy. As we caught up to the forum thread, ls1nova71 had loaded up the Truckster and made it to a stop on the Hot Rod Power Tour, where he did us all proud and ran the Griswold’s wagon down the quarter mile at 14.9 seconds at 94 mph. Clark would’ve no doubt been ecstatic if his version could do that in the movie. Perhaps then he could’ve kept up with Christie Brinkley’s Ferrari.

Gallery: Family Truckster

[Source: ls1tech.com]

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WASHINGTON — The federal government must make plug-in hybrid vehicles “a national priority” and substantially invest in the technology, Ford Motor Co. President of the Americas Mark Fields said Wednesday.

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Paul Willis began his professional career as a management trainee with retail chain Marks and Spencer in London. He spent six years with the company before deciding he’d like to work in the auto industry.

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It’s only three months until we see the new Mini Convertible, but CAR has obtained the latest spy photos of the premium soft-top.

It looks the same! What’s new on the Mini Convertible?

Think of this as the sister to the latest R56 hatchback; the Mini Convertible will gain that car’s new, swollen dimensions, the new PSA-BMW petrol engines with fuel-saving tech, and a new cabin with fresh dashboard design and the odd extra millimetre of passenger space.

So far, the Mini’s eco systems have shared BMW’s Efficient Dynamics name, but Munich is rebranding the system for Mini. From now on, they will be called Minimalism. It includes:

• An automatic start/stop system
• A display for letting the driver know the best time to change gear to minimise fuel consumption
• Intelligent alternator control that only charges the battery when coasting or braking
• Electric assisted steering system that doesn’t draw power until you turn the wheel
• A regulated oil pump that consumes less energy

Eventually, Minimalism will extend to cover the whole Mini ownership experience; it will be an umbrella badge to include service and finance packages – the idea being that Mini will minimise the hassle of car ownership. Geddit?

Click ‘Next’ to read more about the new 2009 Mini Convertible

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Billy Meyer’s Texas Motorplex in Ennis will host the inaugural 1320x Grassroots Drag Racing Fest, a combination of drag racing and classic rock music, on July 4. The program will feature heads-up Outlaw and Bracket racing for American muscle cars, a manufacturer’s midway/car show, a concert by Grand Funk Railroad and fireworks. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 734-439-7368 or on the Web at www.texasmotorplex.com.

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No doubt you’ve heard about it, read about it and experienced it each time you’ve filled up your car: Gas prices are higher than ever. How can we change our behavior without sacrificing any of the essentials — like entertaining the kids, doing the grocery shopping and continuing to be the hot mamas we were born to be?

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“Chrysler LLC reduced its number of U.S. dealerships by 196 in the past year and increased the percentage of outlets selling all of its brands, as the automaker tries to create a stronger sales network.” That’s one way to look at it. The alternative theory– that the “reduced” dealers simply went belly-up– doesn’t get a look in from Bloomberg. Reading between the lines… “The pace of consolidation may be quickening as falling real estate values and declining auto sales convince more of the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based company’s dealers to sell,” ChryCo executive vice president of sales for North America Landry told Bloomies. It would be interesting to know to whom these dealers sold. Meanwhile, the ailing American automaker claims 3,488 outlets at the end of May, a decline of 5.3 percent from a year earlier. So what of Project Genesis, Chrysler’s attempt to consolidate its dealers into tri-branded stores? The hard numbers are notable by their absence. But we do get anecdotal evidence of the plan’s progress. “John Gunning, owner of Manassas Dodge in Manassas, Virginia, said many Chrysler dealers in his area can’t afford the risk of borrowing money to buy another franchise and build a new dealership as auto sales decline.” Hey! Maybe Chrysler could buy-out the dealers? Uh, maybe not.

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