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I think that it’s safe to say that when you have a kind heart and nice smile you can change the world. At least you can try to change your world. Melina Salazar was just an ordinary waitress who did her job everyday and put up with all the customers that she had. One of her regular customers was WWII vet – Walter “Buck” Swords – who was described by Melina as “kind of mean”. He would swear at her and yell at her – but she would still serve him with a smile and give him everything he needed. In return Walter willed her $50,000 and a 2000 Buick after he passed away in July. I’m sure the old man had tipped her well in the past – but nothing could beat this one. Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!
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Subaru has decided to give their Forester a complete makeover for 2009 in hopes that it will bring in a positive reaction from consumers and will be the ultimate SUV. The Forester has always been viewed on as a good SUV – but when it came to style and the way it looks it has always fallen flat. The new SUV will be given a wheelbase that is three inches longer and a more manly look to it. What won’t change is its tall wagon, raised-suspension program, but the ’09 model’s off-roading capability should be heightened—literally—thanks to no less than 8.9 inches of ground clearance. Helping on-road demeanor is its stiffer, all-new platform, which utilizes a new double-wishbone rear suspension for improved cornering prowess. As with the current model, the ’09 Forester will be powered by a choice of four-cylinder boxer motors, each displacing 2.5 liters and available in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms (the latter requiring a gaping hood scoop). Better news still is that it will...
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Ford has decided to build a Lincoln version of the 2009 Ford Flex. The Flex is the next generation of Mini-vans that can fit up to 7 people. Ford is letting the Flex production car come out before making any definite plans and moving forward with the Lincoln concept . Alan Mulally – CEO of Ford – has stated that they are going to wait at least a year before adding the new Lincoln ‘Flex’ to the production line-up. It is in keeping with a strategic plan going forward to place more emphasis on the Lincoln premium brand.. At the recent L.A. auto show, Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, said Lincoln will take over as the volume piece of the Lincoln Mercury franchise. “We won’t walk away from Mercury,” Fields said, but “we have higher aspirations for Lincoln.” He notes November retail sales for the brand were up for the 14th consecutive month. Lincoln has its new flagship MKS sedan set to go on sale next fall with Ford’s new 270-hp, 3.7-liter V-6 under the hood. The Lincoln will be...
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It seems that automakers everywhere will be changing things up a bit for 2008. Many are showing off new vehicles that will amaze us and will take vehicles to the next level. Kia is joining the club and has plans to launch their first seven passenger full size SUV. They will be displaying the new Borrego in January of next year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Powering this body-on-frame truck will be a choice of a V-6 or Kia’s first V-8 engine when the Borrego (named for bighorn sheep that live in desert state parks in California) goes on sale here next summer. It’s a bold move for the Korean automaker, venturing into big-truck territory at a time when U.S. automakers are veering to smaller and more-fuel-efficient cars. But to be fair, although this is Kia’s largest offering to date, it is closer in size to a mid-size Ford Explorer than a Chevy Tahoe. We anticipate a high take rate for the 2009 Borrego with the 260-hp V-6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission...
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It looks like the cab driver who let Michael Schumacher take the wheel of his taxi in order to get him and his family to the airport on time might be facing some serious charges. But that doesn’t seem to be stopping him from making something good come out of what happened. The cab driver’s Opel mini-van was a normal car until Schumacher got behind the wheel and made a little bit of history. Now it has doubled in value and the cab driver is looking to sell it for the highest bidder. “More than ten people are interested in buying it,” the taxi driver, Tuncer Yilmaz, confirmed. “One has offered 63,000 euros, and I need the money - because of the Schumi-Ride I could be in big trouble with the police,” he confirmed. Coburg traffic authority chief Kai Holland confirmed to Bild newspaper that he will meet with Yilmaz, because the story appears to be “an offence against the Personnel Transport Act”. Schumacher, meanwhile, faces the prospect of a small fine. “It...
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When we first saw the 2008 Viper ACR we thought for sure that it would be given a price tag of $100,000 – but Chrysler assured us that they would price it lower. This week we noticed that they kept their word when we saw that the price tag was $98,110. They kept their word – but they came as close as they could to the high number. The $12,000+ you spend over the base Viper coupe will get you a carbon fiber front splitter and adjustable rear wing, adjustable coilover suspension, a stiffer front anti-sway bar, lightweight 2-piece Stoptech brakes, and forged wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires. The net result of all this is a 40 lb weight reduction. You can also opt for the hardcore package that takes out the audio system, underhood sound deadening material, trunk carpet, and tire inflator. Doing so drops the weight another 40 lbs. No word as to whether you’ll be paying extra or less for that option. The powertrain remains untouched, but the 600 bhp and 560 lb-ft of torque...
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GM ’s Design division has just hired some fresh new faces and minds (David Rojas, Min Young Kang and Robert Jablonski) and we are thrilled that they were the lucky ones to be chosen. Their first job assignment was to “provide a vision for the future design of off-road vehicles.” Under the supervision of HUMMER design studio director Carl Zipfel, each young designer was assigned to either the wheelbase, approach and departure angles or stance - three core HUMMER proportions – and otherwise given liberty to design away. Though all three came up with their own visions, the won you see above was chosen by the suits to be transformed into an actual concept to be shown at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. “HUMMER appeals to young people globally and served as a perfect first assignment for our newest talent,” said Ed Welburn, vice president of global design and product planning. “Today’s graduates from top design schools are ready to hit the ground running. The HUMMER...
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Forza is a game that everyone looks forward to and is quickly becoming one of the most popular racing games. The great thing about the new Forza 2 is that you will get a chance to drive some of the fastest and best sport cars on the market today. This is the best way for everyone to experience just how powerful one of these beauties can be even if we don’t have the money to buy one of our own. Ok so it isn’t the same thing - but at least it can give you a small taste of what to expect. Here are some of the best cars that you can expect to work with. 1. 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455 2. 1980 Renault 5 Turbo 3. 1983 Audi Sport Quattro 4. 1991 BMW M3 E30 5. 1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Evo Street 6. 2006 Ferrari FXX 7. 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 8. 2007 Renault Clio RenaultSport 197 9. 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 10.2008 Audi R8 11.2008 Koenigsegg CCGT Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!
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We haven’t been able to see much of the 2009 Ford F-150 – except that which has been masked and covered by engineers. From what we can see we assume that there will be many changes to the interior as well as the exterior. We’re expecting one, or maybe both, of Ford’s new 5.8L and 6.2L BOSS V8’s will make its way into the F150. Eventually Ford’s new 4.4L Lion diesel motor will also show up under the hood. This will be a first for the F150 lineup to get a diesel. Style-wise, the new F150 will be more evolutionary than revolutionary with bolder fender flares and a “power dome” hood. Some may even refer to it as a “Super Duty Lite” in styling with a smaller version of the Super Duty’s bold 3-bar grille with vents on the side. The interior was a little hard to look at – but from what we could see it looks as if they have chosen to cover the trim and seats in ‘platinum’. The new truck is scheduled for 2009 – but there are hopes that it will...
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Hyundai is turning things around and taking on the big guns ( Toyota and Lexus ) by creating the new Concept Genesis prototype. It is their first luxury car that has the similar design of a BMW . Hyundai stated that even though it will be a luxury car we can expect it to cost much less than $30,000 – which is something that puts a smile on our face. The Genesis concept features a V-8 engine–the type of power plant widely used by such luxury automakers as Jaguar and Mercedes -Benz. The highest-caliber sedans, such as BMW’s 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz’s S-Class, use V-8 or V-12 engines, so Hyundai’s first V-8 is a step into the big leagues for the automaker. In a recent statement, Hyundai said the Concept Genesis’ 4.6-liter V-8 delivers “well over 300″ horsepower. The V-8 comes with a six-speed transmission, and in future applications, Hyundai could enlarge the engine or equip it with supercharging. “Concept Genesis,” the company said,...
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Automakers everywhere are breaking away from the usual line of cars that they create and are stepping foot into unknown waters. None is doing this more than Honda who is working at putting their FCX concept into production. The FCX is important because it will become the world’s first fuel-cell vehicle that is available for anyone. The FCX is electrically propelled, electricity generated by its fuel cell, seats four and comes with luxury equipment that includes an infotainment system, air-conditioned seats and a premium hi-fi. It is a little bigger than a Honda Accord and is slightly larger than the concept. The only difference is that the production model has a conventional radiator grille and the chassis is built out of steel. Consumers can lease the vehicle for three years at the price of $600. The car will be leased only in very localized areas because of the very limited availability of the hydrogen fuel it runs on - in the Los Angeles area of California there are currently three refueling...
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The bidding for Jaguar and Land Rover is still going on and just as it nears the end Apollo – the American private equity house – has decided to join in. They have chosen to team up with the Mahindra & Mahindra – the Indian tractor builder – and will be seeing it through to the end hoping to get their hands on the two automakers. Mahindra had put in dubs earlier in the race – but pulled out for what reason we don’t know. Yet, with the support of Apollo they decided that they have a much better chance at winning. Presentations will be made to union leaders and John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise ,by the prospective buyers this week. Other contenders for the two carmakers which employ 15,000 people in the Midlands, include Indian industrial conglomerate Tata and private equity group One Equity. A key part of the negotiations is thought to involve the use of intellectual property and Ford ’s continuing involvement. One source said: “The intellectual...
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It seems that when it comes to movies things become ‘unwrapped’ (if only for a little while). In ‘Transformer’s we got a glimpse of the 2009 Camaro and in the new Batman film we will get to see what the new 2009 Lincoln MKS looks like. For now we have only seen sneak pics of it while still in camouflage – but it seems that a lucky photographer was able to catch a glimpse of it in action while one set. The MKS concept was first shown at the Detroit auto show in January 2006. The production-ready car has clearly been influenced by the popular MKR concept, which debuted at the 2007 show a year later. Compared to the concept, the taillights appear to have become slightly taller and narrower. The headlights end at a less sharp point than on the concept, but remain true to the design language set out by the show car. Some detailing has changed since they created the concept car, but the overall appearance has not been changed too much. The MKS will share Ford ’s Volvo -derived D3 architecture...
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Saturn has plans to continue to provide top notch and affordable hybrids to consumers. Their newest hybrid, the 2008 Vue Green Line, is a perfect blend of easy to use controls with an electric motor-generator mated to a 2.4L four-cylinder engine and a modified four-speed automatic transmission. The system saves fuel by providing an electric power assist during acceleration; shutting off the engine at idle; early fuel cut-off during deceleration and capturing electrical energy through regenerative braking. The 2008 Vue was first shown last November at the Greater Los Angeles International Auto Show, as an uplevel XR model. At the show, Saturn also announced it will offer a version of the Vue Green Line with GM ’s new two-mode hybrid system, in the third quarter of 2008 . This system will provide a 45-percent improvement in fuel economy compared to its non-hybrid counterpart. Saturn had previously decided to make a plug-in version of the Green Line to so that they would have the upper...
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We have gotten our hands on a list of the top cars that are fun to drive. The list was compiled by Consumer Reports , which are very reliable, after they have conducted at least 50 evaluations on each of the vehicles. They look for performance, safety, comfort, convenience, interior quality, fuel economy, and cargo capacity. Here are the top vehicles that received the highest scores: The WRX features race car-like handling and a relatively good ride. For 2006 the updated 2.5-liter turbocharged engine adds more power and provides quick and effortless acceleration. Subaru’s well-tuned suspension offers a compliant ride, but it can easily slide its tail at its limits. The standard all-wheel drive provides secure all-season traction. The Miata won drivers over with its balanced handling, quick and precise steering, and crispshifting six-speed manual transmission, all available at a reasonable price. The manual top can be lowered and raised with one hand from the driver’s seat, making open motoring a snap. An optional power folding hard top was introduced for 2007. Audi ’s S4 is a high-performance version of the A4. Power comes from a smooth 340-hp, 4.2-liter V8 engine that drives all four wheels. A six-speed manual transmission is standard; a six-speed automatic is optional. We found the ride stiff but not punishing, unlike the ride in other sports cars. Handling is very capable and secure. The interior is well-finished and nicely appointed. The power-operated leather Recaro racing -style seats are supportive and comfortable. Crash-test results for the sedan are excellent. The updated G35 successfully blends sportiness and luxury. Available in rear- or all-wheel drive, it has an exuberant powertrain, agile handling, and a reasonably comfortable ride. The interior is nicely finished with much improved ergonomics. Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!
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