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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.

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It looks like it is going to take more than just a ‘little’ terrorist attack to call off the Lisbon-Dakar rally in Mauritania. Last week four French tourists and four Mauritanian soldiers were shot and killed in Mauritania allegedly by the Al Qaeda. After the attack many people assumed that the rally would be canceled – but after a meeting held by the chief of security for the rally and several government authorities in Mauritania they have decided to move ahead.

Last year’s rally had two stages canceled due to security concerns regarding Algerian rebels. This year’s rally is set to depart from Lisbon, Portugal, on January 5, passing through Mauritania on January 11 en route to the finish line in Dakar, Senegal, on January 20, covering a total of 9000km (5600 miles).

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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 continue to be offered with a manual transmission, now with “Incline Start Assist”. Oh, and of course, being a Subaru, the Forester will never send its power anywhere if not to all four wheels.

The Forester will be available in a variety of models, from the base Forester X to the quietly quick XT to the range-topping L.L. Bean Edition. Each will benefit from a more spacious cabin rendered in higher quality materials and styled, for better or worse, much like the interior of the new Impreza. New interior features and options include double-stitched seat fabrics, advanced audio systems, and—finally—a navigation system. The little crossover’s safety résumé also grows to include standard stability control, in addition to surround-sound air bags with a rollover sensor. Subaru is planning on releasing the new Forester in January at the North American International Auto Show.

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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 the first to offer the automaker’s new direct-injection technology when a turbocharged V-6 is added to the MKS for 2010 to provide the power of a V-8 without the corresponding fuel-economy penalty.

Meanwhile, the name Flex will stick for the Ford version, Fields insists, saying it “researched well.” Our vote is to return to the Fairlane name that graced the original concept.

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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. The direct-injection 4.6-liter V-8—the same 375-hp, 4.6-liter Tau V-8 that will power the Hyundai Genesis sedan—is paired with a six-speed auto. A diesel will join the lineup in the second model year for many markets, but the U.S. may have to wait longer, officials say.

The Korean Borrego will be offered with a choice of all-wheel-drive systems, one of which is a part-time setup. U.S. models will be offered with a single AWD system, perhaps shared with the current Sorento.

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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 would be ridiculous to heavily punish the taxi driver after he kindly helped Michael. Wouldn’t we all prefer to have helpful taxi drivers?” Schumacher’s long time manager Willi Weber marvelled.

At the Race of Champions event in London at the weekend, Schumacher himself suggested that the tale had been blown out of proportion. “You just have to laugh about it,” he smiled. If only the poor cab driver could laugh about it too.

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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 coming from the V10 is more than enough.

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The 2007 Nissan Nismo Z may be a bit hefty ($38,695) than the normal Nissan vehicles that they have released – but it might just be worth the money. It is $2000 more than the Grand Touring model that they built – but it also has more features to it.

Engineers created the ‘aero’ pieces of the vehicle in a wind tunnel where they found out the exact hardware updates they would need to augment them: -shock-tower bracing and radiator supports, extra body-shell welds at the A- and B-pillars, a heftier brace spanning the rear shock towers, higher spring rates, firmer dampers, and a bigger rear anti-roll bar.

Although the stiffening hones the Z’s responses to an even sharper edge, the aero elements were the prime focus of the NISMO engineering effort. The front fascia, with a deeper chin spoiler shaped to vector underbody airflow, was developed to provide high-speed downforce, as opposed to the slight lift in other Zs. Similarly, the large rear wing and the underbody diffusers help keep the stern firmly planted. According to Nissan, the base 350Z produces almost 18 pounds of rear lift at 75 mph, whereas the NISMO’s aero tweaks generate more than 33 pounds of downforce.

At 5.2 seconds to 60 mph, the NISMO Z was no quicker than the last Z car (the June), and its quarter-mile run—13.8 seconds at 103 mph—was a hair slower, probably owing to increased aero drag. Braking was good—159 feet from 70 mph versus 169 feet—but the June car, a base Z, pulled a better skidpad number, 0.93 versus 0.92. The bottom line: This is a sincere and thorough effort by NISMO, but its virtues will be tangible only on a road or track with very fast turns.

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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 design challenge gave our newest designers an opportunity to sprint.”

The task presented numerous challenges to the new designers. While sketching and sculpting together in the HUMMER studio, these recent graduates drew upon the creative energy of each other, further improving their individual designs, as well as that of the final concept.

“We drew inspiration from one another,” said Kang. “As you’re designing and sketching you try to absorb what the other designer is doing and try to make it better.”

“While we took inspiration from the HUMMER heritage and DNA, we each wanted to evolve it in a new way,” said Jablonski. “We agreed it should be contemporary, compact and definitely open air. It came out great.”

After three months of sketching and sculpting theme work for the new HUMMER concept, each designer had the opportunity to present scale clay models to Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman and Ed Welburn, who chose which design would ultimately become the HX concept. In its final concept form, the E-85 FlexFuel capable HUMMER HX embodies the off road spirit of HUMMER in a fully customizable package.

The HX offers an open-air driving experience via a pair of removable roof panels above the driver and front passenger and a modular, removable rear roof assembly enabling a quick conversion from closed vehicle to open vehicle SUT. It also features a slant back assembly with removable doors and fender flairs.

“Working as a team, you realize it’s more than one person influencing the vehicle,” said Rojas. “You can see the inspiration from each of our designs in the final concept vehicle. We’re all proud to have the chance to see our sketches become reality.”

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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

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The new 2008 Audi RS4 is not the usual Audi luxury sedan that we are used to seeing. Not only does the RS4 have a more edgy and powerful look to it – but it also has a much more powerful V8 engine that sports 420 horsepower. For a compact luxury sedan we are pretty curious as to how well this vehicle can drive.

Audi has chosen to change things up for the New Year due to the increasing competition from BMW and Mercedes. Audi may have a hard time selling the new sedan though because of the high price that is attached to it.

The 2008 Audi RS 4 is a compact ultra-performance car based on the Audi A4, and it’s available in sedan and convertible body styles. Standard features include 19-inch wheels with 255/35 high-performance tires, Dynamic Ride Control suspension, xenon headlights, Recaro sport seats with power adjustment and front seat heaters. Silk napa leather upholstery, carbon-fiber cabin trim, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 10-speaker audio system with six-disc CD changer, a sunroof and rear park assist are also standard.

A 4.2-liter V8 engine powers the RS 4. Equipped with direct fuel injection and sporting a 12.5:1 compression ratio, this powerhouse makes 420 hp and 317 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual gearbox (the only transmission offered) sends the power to all four wheels through Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system, which has a 40/60 front-to-rear power split in this application. During instrumented testing, an RS 4 sedan shot to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 13 seconds at 107 mph.

The navigation system isn’t the most user-friendly design, though. As a serious performance car, the S4 sedan has been given standard Recaro front seats, which feature aggressive bolstering to hold one in place when zipping around corners. Although the rear seat is fine for small children, adults seated back there will likely complain about a shortage of legroom. Of course, it’s a welcome amount of space compared to sports cars that offer similar performance.

With more than 400 hp and the grip of all-wheel drive, the 2008 Audi RS 4 has no problem driving in and out of tight spaces. With a broad torque spread, there’s always power on tap. Apart from the incredible acceleration, the RS 4 makes a strong showing in the braking and handling departments. Through the curves, the RS 4 is a composed master despite its hefty curb weight.

For those of you who don’t prefer a sedan you can always choose the convertible model. The interior of the convertible will be slightly different as will the chassis (though not dramatically changed) – but the power will be the same.

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The 2009 Toyota Matrix S has officially hit the streets. When Toyota created the Matrix S their goal was to give it a sporty edge. Unfortunately they weren’t able to follow through on this idea. Sure it has a bit more edge to it – but they sacrificed some of the looks that made us love the previous models. So instead of giving it an edgy look they ended up by dulling it out.

The Matrix will be available in three trims: Standard, S, and XRS. The interior of all three has bright white-lit gauges offsetting red-lit needles and a large, dominant speedometer. Everything from sport seats to the three-spoke steering wheel is new. However, much of the brightwork and interesting design of the prior Matrix have given way to cheaper, monotone materials, and thus, in spite of additional equipment and so-called upgraded fabrics, it’s hard to consider the new interior much of a step forward in design.

Yet, even with all of its fashion faults we are happy to see that it is available with a lot of cool new features, including Toyota’s latest navigation system with XM traffic reporting, a JBL audio system, and stability control (the latter available across all trim levels). Storage space, too, is impressive, with cubbies upon cubbies and a massive glove box. And in terms of safety, besides stability control, there are no options: Six airbags come standard.

Under the hood, the Matrix Standard and the Matrix S sport a new 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine that generates 132 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque and featuring dual VVT-i (variable valve timing with intelligence). Unlike the The Matrix S is also offered with all-wheel drive. The brakes, too, have been upgraded to four-wheel discs. Transmission choices are a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Toyota says it expects at least 30 mpg from its new small cars, and the Matrix has been engineered to accommodate a hybrid powertrain as well, which we expect to hear more about within a year.

Driving the Matrix S was un unforgettable experience. And for traditional Toyota people, and those who evidently consider Scions too edgy, that’s probably a good thing. The 1.8-liter inline-four revs smoothly, if not terribly quietly. Feel through the tilting-and-telescoping steering wheel was rather tepid and springy. All in all we were looking for an improvement in the model line-up. Perhaps next year we will have more luck.

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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 arrive sometime next year.

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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, “marks the beginning of premium performance for the Hyundai brand,” adding that the car has a zero-to-60 time of “well under six seconds.”

Americans have never seen a rear-wheel-drive Hyundai before. Rear drive, in which the transmission sends the engine’s power to the rear wheels, provides superior steering and sportier driving dynamics, compared with front-wheel drive. Premium sedans, such as the 7 Series and S-Class, are rear drive, as are such sports cars as Porsches and Ferraris.

Hyundai says the Concept Genesis uses “ultra-high-tensile steel” in its construction, giving the car a stiff, light, large body that compares favorably to those of BMW’s 5 Series and Mercedes’ E-Class midsize sedans. Hyundai also says it tuned the Concept Genesis’ suspension to be sporty and responsive. The driver can select settings for the car’s ride and steering characteristics.

The car also features such upscale amenities as adaptive cruise control, which can make the car follow the vehicle in front of it at a fixed distance; heated and cooled seats; a push-button starter; a navigation system with a rear-mounted camera to assist in parking; Bluetooth technology; and an Infinity audio system.

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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 stations, only one of them 24/7, limiting its use to people who live within 100 miles or so of a station. The FCX has a range of 270 miles. But new hydrogen fuel stations are scheduled to open - there will be 11 by the end of 2008, and 19 in the area by 2012, with many more coming after that as part of California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to build a ‘hydrogen highway.’

Honda understands that creating a vehicle like this and leasing it may hurt them – but in the long run they will be receiving the input from consumers on how to improve on the next model. They believe that the FCX is just what they need to break the ice and are confident that in a few years these cars will have become popular. They are also hoping that they will help to reduce the pollution that is caused by most fuel-engine vehicles.

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