2010
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Last week, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, GM's vice president of global vehicle engineering, set to rest rumors of a mid-engine next-generation Chevrolet Corvette. That got a lot of attention among Corvette fans. But a footnote to the story was that Stracke said not only that a hybrid Corvette was possible, but that such a powertrain would be "an interesting idea." He noted that Porsche has announced it will add hybrids across its lineup, to meet new fuel efficiency regulations. Hypothetically, Stracke said, a carmaker might offer a very small number of standard powertrains in its sports car lines...
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Nissan Helps Keep You More Efficient With ‘Eco Pedal’
Save Gas With This Automatic Moving Pedal
Jonathan McGrew -
Honda Civic Hybrid: Software Upgrade Fixes Battery Issue
Honda is asking Civic Hybrid owners to bring their cars back to the dealership for a software upgrade, as the hybrid system's original power management tactics might result in a battery life that's shorter than intended.
Bengt Halvorson -
Only One Hybrid Car Pays Back Its Owners; Know Which One?
One of the criticisms of hybrid cars has historically been that there's no payback, especially given the cheap gasoline prices in the U.S. The extra money you spend on a hybrid isn't returned in gas savings, say critics. Well, that may be true, especially when regular gasoline is averaging $2.77 a...
John Voelcker -
Tomorrow's Hot-Rodders Will Take to Electric Cars, Just Watch
Headers. Cams. Pistons. Liners. Ports. Carbs. Crankshafts. Filters. Mufflers. Are these all words we'll start to see disappearing from the tuning magazines of the future? Mankind has always wanted to go faster, whether that's in a car, an aircraft, a boat or even on a horse. Tuning is an essential...
Antony Ingram -
Need a Smart Car? Try Giving Blood
Blood Centers of the Pacific Entice Donors With a Small Car
Jonathan McGrew -
We wrote about the 2011 Coda Sedan and Coda's EV cost calculator not too long ago, and described the cars as a "Chinese-built sedan" with a battery pack "containing Chinese-made lithium-ion cells." The Coda, we said would be "the first Chinese-manufactured passenger car sold in the U.S. when it arrives." Which prompted a note from Coda's Matt Sloustcher pointing out that "final assembly of our vehicle will take place in California." Final assembly: Driving it off the line Technically, that means that the 2011 Coda Sedan will be "American manufactured," not Chinese-manufactured as we'd...
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MINI Asks: Are You An Adrenaline Junkie?
Direct Mail That Teases MINI and Their MINIcross Event
Jonathan McGrew -
Great Smart Car Road Trip: The Final Verdict
To Drive a Smart or Not To Drive a Smart
Jonathan McGrew -
Great Smart Car Road Trip: The Smart Versus The Canyon
Sporty Might Not Be the First Adjective That Comes To Mind
Jonathan McGrew -
Lincoln Moves To Under Cut Other Hybrid Competition
Gas or Hybrid, When They Are the Same Price How Do You Choose?
Jonathan McGrew -
BMW Plans a Mini MINI? Fact or Fiction?
Is a New Smaller MINI Prototype In The Works?
Jonathan McGrew -
You've got to be at least somewhat extroverted to drive a 2010 Smart ForTwo minicar, the smallest car sold in North America. People stare at it, point at you, and often ask you variations of, "What on earth makes you want to drive that?" Now, for the most extroverted of Smart owners, there's a new and even more noticeable option: car wraps in a variety of styles, colors, and patterns. Plaid. Houndstooth. Formica-style wood grain. Abstract patterns. Random graphics, including a curvy female silhouette. The list seems endless. As Smart says, "You can now create your mobile masterpiece from...
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Toyota Already Building a Car To Test Tesla's Battery, It Says
One of the many unknowns about Toyota's partnership with Tesla was whether it would result in a jointly produced car. That won't be known for many months yet, but Toyota has already taken a first step: It's building Tesla's battery into a test car so it can compare the Silicon Valley startup's...
John Voelcker -
Car Batteries, Diesel Golfs, Prius Crashes: What's the Link?
Like many site editors, we read our traffic stats religiously. Perhaps unlike other site editors, ours frequently make us laugh. We try to provide practical information on navigating your way through the confusing claims made about 'green' cars, whether they're hybrids, clean diesels, or just very...
John Voelcker -
Nicolas Hayek: Smart Car Creator Passes Away At Age 82
We Pay Our Respects To a Man With a Vision
Jonathan McGrew -
Mazda Miata Special Edition Goes On Sale For 20th Anniversary
Unfortunately For U.S. Customers It Won’t Be Sold Here
Jonathan McGrew -
We've written before about the diesel-engined Mini Cooper D that's sold in Europe, but not in the U.S. We really like the idea of a clean-diesel Mini. And now for something completely different. How about a 3500-horsepower V-18 diesel Mini? Ummmm, yes. At this week's Goodwood Festival of Speed, the annual English event for fans of cars, engines, racing, and sheer automotive velocity, diesel engine-maker Cummins Ltd. unveiled this rather unusual conversion. It's an old-style Mini Pickup fitted with a 78-liter, 3500-horsepower Cummins QSK78, a 12-turbocharger diesel engine built for use in...
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VantagePoint’s Alan Salzman on Tesla and how VCs should think green
I just sat down with Alan Salzman, CEO of VantagePoint Venture Partners — perhaps better known today as the first venture capital firm to invest in Tesla Motors — to see how he’s feeling about the big win, and what it might mean for VPVP’s growing green strategy. As you can imagine, he was...
John Voelcker -
IPO Or Not, Tesla Won't Survive As Independent, Analysts Say
Quick, name the last automaker to go public before yesterday's Tesla Motors IPO. Stumped? It was Ford Motor Company. The year was 1956. Perhaps buyers of Tesla Motors stock [NSDQ:TSLA] were optimistic because they had little context to assess the comapny. Tesla's stock soared from its offering...
John Voelcker -
A Tale of Two Toyota Corollas: U.S. Buyers Get More For Less
When auto editors go on vacation, we rent cars too. Which is how a pair of very plain 2010 Toyota Corollas in South Africa taught us a few lessons about fuel economy, green value, and what other countries drive. The bottom line: U.S. buyers get a lot more car, for a lot less money, than elsewhere...
John Voelcker -
Honda Spotlights Fuel Efficiency As New Company Focus
Will Fuel Economy Keep Honda Ahead Of the Competition
Jonathan McGrew -
Report: Hybrids To Make Up 10 Percent Of Market By 2015
Sales will be more than 1.4 million units.
Tim Healey