The Car Connection - Blogs and News

Driven: 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:05:00 -0500

BMW's X6 "Sports Activity Coupe" is a car of contradictions. Our review of the 2009 BMW X6 range called it "an oddity: a sport-utility vehicle designed to have a coupe-like shape." For 2010, BMW has added a new model that may polarize people even further. It's the 2010 BMW ActiveHybrid X6, the first production hybrid from the maker of ultimate ..

Opel CEO Calls It Quits, Rolls-Royce Hybrid: Today's Car News

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:23:00 -0500

It's official. The boss of Opel, Carl-Peter Forster, will be leaving his role as head of the European operation and will advise the company during the transition to find a new CEO. Who will that be? Rumor has it, none other than GM's own Bob Lutz. [Motor Authority] You know hybrids have really caught on when some of the most ..

Do Dogs Leave A Larger Footprint Than SUVs?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:38:00 -0500

Are dogs worse for the environment than SUVs? You'll find a number of sources trumpeting the widely publicized results from New Zealand researchers, concluding that yes, dogs are worse for the planet than SUVs. But don't kick out the hound quite yet and head for the Hummer dealership; according to the Seattle-based Sightline Institute, the ..

2010 Hummer H3 And H3T Treading Water Before Real Change

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:58:00 -0500

Hummer is in the midst of a move--from General Motors to China's Sichuan Tengzhong--but the brand has announced details for its 2010 H3 SUV and H3T pickup, which are slated to go on sale next month. Changes are minimal. The standard engine is still a 239-horsepower, 3.7-liter five-cylinder engine, but most noteworthy is that the H3 line finally ..

Spitting Mad at Speed Cameras? Vote 'Em Out At The Ballot Box!

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:32:00 -0500

By now, every driver knows about traffic enforcement cameras. Found in more than 20 states, they photograph drivers committing traffic offenses, whether it's speeding or running a red light. The tickets simply arrive in the mail. Found in more than 20 states, they're attractive to municipalities because they're run by private companies that ..

Rolls-Royce Ghost Goes Green(ish)

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:16:00 -0500

Early last month, we reported on surprising rumors that less-than-green Bentley is developing a hybrid powertrain for 2011. Not wanting to be left out of all the eco-fun, Bentley's high-end rival, Rolls-Royce, now says that it's also working on a hybrid powertrain -- one for the new Rolls-Royce Ghost. There's no official drop date, but reports ..

WTF: Renault, L'Oreal Create First-Ever 'Spa' Concept Car

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:24:00 -0500

The ZOE Z.E. concept car stems from a curious collaboration between French automaker Renault and luxury skincare company Biotherm (a division of L'Oreal). The ZOE Z.E. offers the usual complement of EV conceptual goodness -- it's battery-powered, boasts zero-emissions, is quickly rechargeable, and makes use of solar power -- but it also has a ..

NHTSA Chastises Toyota, New Saab Coming, Safe Traffic: Today At High Gear Media

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

Toyota's floor mat safety issue is rapidly turning into a public spectacle, as the NHTSA yesterday said statements made in a letter to customers about the floor mats were "inaccurate and misleading." The worst part? The NHTSA says the letter was inaccurate and misleading about the existence of defects in the 3.8 million vehicles at issue. ..

L.A. Auto Show: Finalists In The 'YouthMobile 2030' Contest

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:21:00 -0500

The Los Angeles Auto Show is just a few weeks away, so now seems as good a time as any to skim through the submissions for its 6th Annual Design Challenge. This year's theme is YouthMobile 2030 -- the goal being to envision vehicles two decades down the road. Participating studios include Audi, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, and GM, whose ..

Upcoming Concept Vehicle Will 'Define The New Saab'

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:47:00 -0500

The good news for Saab keeps on rolling: last month, we mentioned that the company's sale to Koenigsegg was looking like a done deal (thanks to a 400 million loan from the European Investment Bank), and now comes word that Saab is developing a new, small concept vehicle to presage the company's future lineup. The concept vehicle is set to ..

Fiat-Based Jeeps Coming In 2013

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:25:00 -0500

Following the announcement of the proposed alliance between Fiat and Chrysler in January, the question on everybody's lips was which European top-sellers were finally going to come to North America. With Wednesday's reveal of the new Chrysler-Fiat duo's five-year strategy, things are starting to get a lot clearer. One of the ..

Traffic Fatalities Continue To Drop To Record Lows

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:39:00 -0500

We have some good news. The federal government has released an early estimate of traffic fatalities for the first half of this year, and the results are positive, with overall fatalities down about seven percent versus the same period last year. Even adjusting for the fact that people are driving a lot less, the fatality rate is showing ..

The $650 Ford Taurus: A Cash-Strapped Classic

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:54:00 -0500

Forget the Tata Nano--the $2,500 car aimed at the developing world--or even the cheapest models in the U.S. market, the $9,970 Hyundai Accent and $9,990 Nissan Versa. If you're on a shoestring budget, a used car like the 1993 Ford Taurus might be the only option. Leave it to the sometimes-funny, always-ridiculous folks at The Onion to give the ..

Adwatch: Do Smart's New Ads Look Better Than Its Cars?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:17:00 -0500

The Smart ForTwo is impossible to ignore. It inspires adoration (because it's cute and convenient for city-dwellers) or antipathy (because it's ugly, cramped, expensive, and not nearly as green you'd think), but little in-between. That said, Smart's new print campaign designed by BBDO NY is awfully attractive -- possibly more attractive than ..

Ford's Inflatable Seat Belts Are Finally Ready To Roll

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:46:00 -0500

At the 2001 Detroit auto show, Ford debuted some intriguing technology: airbag-enabled seat belts. After years of additional testing and refinement, it appears that the devices are finally ready for prime time. They'll soon be available as an option on next-gen Ford Explorers; afterward, they'll debut in Europe and other markets. While we're ..