Car Review Center

2008 Toyota Highlander And Highlander Hybrid At The 2007 Chicago ...

2007-02-08T02:10:00.000-08:00

Toyota unveiled the all-new next-generation Highlander and Highlander Hybrid mid-size sport utility vehicles (SUV) at a press conference today at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. "Toyota Highlander holds a unique distinction within the Toyota brand and within the industry," said Don Esmond, TMS senior vice president, automotive operations. "Along with the Toyota 4Runner and the Toyota FJ Cruiser, it anchors one of the industry's only three-vehicle, mid-size SUV line-ups. Equally important, along .

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New car registrations rise in January

2007-02-06T02:12:00.000-08:00

New Zealand new car registrations totalled 6792 in January compared with 5468 in the previous month, a rise of 24 per cent and up 7.6 per cent from a year earlier, Land Transport New Zealand said today. Used car registrations - generally imported used cars - totalled 9799 last month, 13 per cent below a year ago, the government agency said in a statement. New commercial vehicle registrations during the month were 1676 up from 1543 recorded a month earlier, and up 14.3 per cent on January 2006. The top selling make for the month was Toyota with 1164 new cars, followed by Holden with 1054 new cars. .

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Mazda awards young driver with an MX-5 and racing career

2007-02-04T02:09:00.000-08:00

You've got to hand it to Mazda. They want to be Zoom Zoom and they poney up the products and the marketing to back it up. Back in October we told you about Mazda's unique sponsorship of the SCCA, where they ran a contest for Mazda drivers in the amateur series. To be eligible to win, drivers had to win of one of the National Championships at the 2006 SCCA Runoffs. The winner gets a MX-5 with a ton of modifications, plenty of MazdaSpeed parts, and the money and tires to race in the 2007 SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup. After three days of racing, four of the top 25 drivers were in Mazdas and were eligible to win the prizes, which amount to about $50,000 and a chance of a lifetime to race with the pros. 18-year-old Andrew Caddell came in first in the competition by being near perfect in 10 of the 11 on and off track challenges.

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Car Review - Skoda Roomster

2007-02-02T02:12:00.000-08:00

Skoda has broken into the highly competitive MPV market with the launch of the new Roomster. Currently embarking upon a massive TV advertising campaign, Skoda have a lot to be proud of with the Roomster, being the first Skoda to be awarded five stars in the EURO NCAP rating for adult occupant safety. The Skoda Roomster will be available on three trims, Roomster 1,2 and 3 with a choice of four petrol engines and three diesels. Prices start from just over £9,000 for the entry level Roomster 1 mated to a 1.2 litre petrol engine, rising to top of the range Roomster 3 on a 1.9 diesel engine which is seriously competitive and very appealing to families. A host of optional extras are available in an effort to really personalise the family car. The exterior of the Roomster will probably not win any beauty contest, but don’t forget, "beauty is within" and this is certainly the case with the Roomster.

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Dallas Formula BMW Asia Drive Experience Prize

2007-01-31T02:10:00.000-08:00

Formula BMW Drive Experience winner Ben Dallas with the Formula BMW single-seater he drove at Pukekohe Park Raceway yesterday. Photo: Fast Company/Andrew Bright-Ultrapix KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND Media Release For immediate release * 2007 Formula BMW Drive Experience Pukekohe Park Raceway Pukekohe January 30 2007 PRESS RELEASE 31-01-07 DALLAS CLAIMS FORMULA BMW ASIA DRIVE EXPERIENCE PRIZE New Zealand kart champion Ben Dallas from Auckland will be winging his way to the Formula BMW Racing School in Bahrain late next month courtesy Formula BMW Asia and BMW New Zealand. There he will compete against promising young drivers from all over the Asia-Pacific region for one of five $US50,000 scholarships to compete in the 2007 Formula BMW Asia Championship.

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Nazi-era Audi on display in New York before auction

2007-01-29T02:10:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK A rare Nazi-era race car is making a pit stop in New York City today, on its way to an auction in Paris. The sleek silver D-Type -- made by Audi's forerunner company -- is believed to be one of only two in existence. An Audi spokesman says it was hidden in a German mine shaft during World War Two. The car revolutionized racing by putting the driver in front of the engine, instead of behind. The Silver Arrow could hit speeds up to 185 miles an hour. More than 20 such cars were built between 1933 and 1939. This model was designed by Ferdinand Porsche. It goes on display today at Audi's showroom on Park Avenue. The Silver Arrow will be auctioned next month as part of Christie's Retromobile sale. It could fetch a sale price of nearly 15 (m) million dollars.

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Ford, Toyota may establish deeper ties

2007-01-23T02:13:00.000-08:00

Toyota Motor Corp and Ford Motor Co are sending more signals that they may want to establish deeper ties, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. The report said part of Toyota's aim in courting Ford is diplomacy -- an effort to win what people familiar with management 's thinking describe as political peace from the US's second- biggest automobile producer. Though protectionist rhetoric has abated significantly, Toyota officials remain concerned about a possible backlash as they continue to gain market share in the US while Detroit's Big Three shut factories and ax jobs, according to the report. Analysts expect Toyota to outsell Ford in the US on an annual basis as early as this year. Toyota also could benefit in a practical way if Ford agreed to use its gasoline-electric hybrid technology, said the report, adding that is in part because Toyota's momentum in establishing its hybrid design as an industry standard has slowed.

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VIDEO From Medialink: Get Exotic Extras With Your New Car

2007-01-21T02:12:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Automakers often claim that their vehicles can do more than just get you from point A to point B. Drivers often wish they can push the speedometer on that shiny new sports car over a hundred, but few of them ever get the opportunity -- until now. Some automakers are now helping fulfill those dreams by offering up exotic extras with their new purchase. If any SUV was built for off-roading, Hummer is it. If you have a new Hummer, make a reservation at the Hummer Academy in South Bend, Indiana. There, you can test your rock crawling skills with varying degrees of difficulty. The Swedish automaker Saab goes a bit further, with what they call the "Ice Experience." Customers are taken up to the very north of Sweden, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

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Mazda contest drives onto campus

2007-01-19T02:12:00.000-08:00

It's hard to imagine Carleton University as a place where an online driving simulation game for Mazda would be filmed. Fuel Industries, an online entertainment and advertisement-gaming company, is behind the filming of a promotional online videogame called Campus Joyride that took place around Carleton's campus Jan. 7. The game is being filmed on two other Canadian campuses: Queen's University and Bishop's University. Director Cy Hogg describes the game as "spot the Mazda." The cars were filmed strategically placed along driving paths at each campus and the player's job is to click on the Mazda as they notice them when they are driving by.The game offers other details, such as being able to change the radio station."This is where the competition comes in," says Ryan Anderson, public relations manager at Fuel Industries.Mazda is holding a competition for university bands to provide the soundtrack for the game, which will feature groups with at least one member currently enrolled in a Canadian university.Bands can upload their songs to a website and the public will vote for the top 25.

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2006 China car market review

2007-01-17T02:14:00.000-08:00

In the first 11 months of this year, China's passenger car sales grew 33 percent from the same period last year, among which, mid- and high-grade car sales increased by 37 percent year on year. China has a mid- and high-grade car market capacity of 690,000 units so far, among which 320,000 units are new products, accounting for 46 percent of the total. The Toyota Camry, a mid-grade car with a total production of 13,358 units in November, ranking first in terms of production on the market, surpassed the Honda Accord's 11,236 units in the same month. Mid- and high-grade cars including Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen's C-Triomphe, Beijing Hyundai's NF Yuxiang, Dongfeng Nissan' Sylphy and Shanghai GM's Buick LaCROSSE have good market performance. ...... The full text is available in the December Issue of AutoChina.

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BMW Malaysia launches navigation system for its cars

2007-01-15T02:15:00.000-08:00

MORE than 500 BMW enthusiasts attended the launching of BMW Navigation System on 325i Sports and 730i models at its sole BMW dealer in Perak, held at Tian Siang Premium Auto Sdn Bhd (pix below). BMW is the first car manufacturer in the country to offer integrated navigation system in its cars in Malaysia. The navigation system provides orientational guidance like visual arrow displays and voice directions to guide drivers reliably to a location marked on a digitised map. SOLE DISTRIBUTOR IN PERAK: Tian Sang Premium Auto. NST Pix by Wong Tuck Keong) .

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ALMS: Audi unveils plans for title defense with R10 TDI

2007-01-13T02:11:00.000-08:00

Audi Sport North America will field two of the revolutionary cars for all 12 rounds of the 2007 season, starting with the 55th annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.source: crash.netAllan McNish and Dindo Capello have been given the opportunity to retain their American Le Mans Series LMP1 championship in 2007 as Audi AG announced its full-season line-up and programme with the diesel-powered R10 TDI.McNish and Capello will be joined by Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner, both two-time champions in the series' highest class.All four full-season competitors have combined for seven class driving titles, 66 victories and 150 starts in the American Le Mans Series. In 2006, Audi swept the P1 class with 10 wins in 10 starts, including seven with R10 TDI. The group's collective work at Le Mans is just as impressive with nine overall wins between them.Audi Sport North America once again assumes responsibility for running the pair of R10 TDI cars.

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Toyota Debuts 'Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience ...

2007-01-11T02:12:00.000-08:00

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 10 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. announced today it will launch a nationwide tour called "Highway to the Future: Mobile Hybrid Experience," designed to provide consumers with a firsthand opportunity to experience automotive hybrid technology. The tour debuts Jan. 11 at the San Jose International Auto Show and will travel to more than 150 events throughout the country during the next 18 months. Consumers will have an opportunity to test Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system and learn about hybrid technology through a number of interactive educational exhibits and test drives. "Most people have heard of hybrid technology and probably have a vague idea of how it works, but few have actually driven a hybrid and or taken an up-close look at its operation," said Celeste Migliore, Toyota's National Manager, Advanced Technology Vehicles.

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Summit Township looking for new police car

2007-01-09T02:15:00.000-08:00

After several months of considering purchasing a new police car, township supervisors gave their approval on the decision during Monday night's reorganization meeting. &#8220We have been considering purchasing a new car for sometime," township Supervisor Dave Lohr said during a telephone interview Sunday night.In April, the board started discussing whether to purchase an additional car. Supervisors was presented with the option of purchasing Garrett Borough's police cruiser in September for $4,200 but decided against it.The township's current cruiser, a 1998 Ford Crown Victoria with more than 135,000 miles, has required several recent repairs, leaving the vehicle's reliability questionable.&#8220It's (the car) been giving us a lot of problems," said Lohr.At the supervisor's Dec. 18 meeting, where members again postponed their decision on purchasing a new police car, the township's only cruiser broke down at the township building.Lohr added the car has had some additional maintenance problems since the last supervisors meeting.Finding a new police car for the department is the responsibility of Officer-In-Charge Nathan Claycomb.

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New taxation in Cyprus starts with success for Mazda

2007-01-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

New vehicle registration taxes have had an up-and-down effect on car sales in Cyprus over the past two months, but they have not slowed Mazda's showroom success. October saw total registrations drop 51 percent over the same month last year while the authorities debated the tax changes. When they came into effect at the beginning of November, sales shot up 15 percent. None of this could dampen Mazda's sales which surged a massive 70 per cent in November to 105 vehicles. The key to success? "A great product line-up and value for money," said Louis Loizou, Sales and Marketing Manager with the island's distributor, A Stephanides and Son. “The Mazda3 has done particularly well taking an 18 per cent share of the 'C' (small/medium passenger car) segment.

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Evenflo Company Statement: Consumer Reports Car Seat Review Not ...

2007-01-05T02:14:00.000-08:00

VANDALIA, Ohio, Jan. 3 -- Evenflo Company, Inc. is deeply concerned that Consumer Reports magazine has decided to publish an article that may potentially alarm consumers about the safety of their infant child restraints. The magazine decided to publish this article without consultation with child seat manufacturers, even though the tests appear to have been conducted in October and November of last year. Evenflo is committed to manufacturing safe and highly effective car seats that meet or exceed government standards. In addition, Evenflo subjects its car seats to extensive testing both in-house and through independent laboratories to ensure every car seat is compliant before initial sale of its products and during ongoing production. Despite our request, Consumer Reports has declined to provide us with an advance copy of the article, and further declined to disclose in advance of publication the pertinent information relating to its underlying test conditions and protocols.

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BMW 6 Series car for new course record at Commercialbank Qatar Masters

2007-01-03T02:17:00.000-08:00

RETIEF Goosen, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Chris DiMarco will have an added incentive for breaking the course record at the 10th Commercialbank Qatar Masters later this month - a brand new BMW 6 Series, courtesy of Alfardan Automobiles. The news follows the announcement that BMW has been named as the Official Car for the $2.2 million tournament to be staged at Doha Golf Club from January 25-28 and sanctioned by both the European and Asian Tours. The partnership will see Alfardan Automobiles - Qatar's exclusive BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce importer - provide a fleet of vehicles from the luxurious BMW range, as well as a course record prize of a BMW 6 Series. As the official car, Alfardan Automobiles will provide 25 chauffeur-driven vehicles from their BMW range and is committed to ensuring a luxurious service to the players.

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Abt Audi driver Martin Tomczyck believes 2006 was the best season ...

2007-01-01T02:13:00.000-08:00

The 25-year-old German, who has raced for Abt in the touring car championship since 2001, took the first win of his DTM career at Barcelona in Spain on his way to finishing the season fourth in the points. And, with the exception of retiring from the Norisring round in July, he saw 2006 as the ideal season. Tomczyk said: "As I see it, there were no lows - it was a consistently positive season. Okay: at the Norisring I had to retire due to a brake failure, but things like that just happen in motor racing. No problem." "At the end of the day, it was just the icing on the cake that I could silence all my pundits, with this success. "First of all, I wanted to prove myself that I've got what it needs to make it." Audi returned to Abt in 2006 as Audi handed them a deal to run their works team, and believes the key to his improvement from his 13th place in 2005 was a return to familiar surroundings with the squad who gave him his DTM break almost six years ago.

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Toyota dressed down by taxman for failing to declare 6 billion yen ...

2006-12-30T02:12:00.000-08:00

NAGOYA -- Toyota Motor Corp. failed to declare more than 6 billion yen in taxable income over a three-year period ending March 2004, sources close to the company said. The figure includes 2 billion yen the company is accused of raising by selling car parts to its overseas subsidiaries at lower prices. It is also accused of using the money to cover its sales promotion and other expenses, the sources said. The tax authorities further charged that the company padded its advertising expenses and deducted the amount from its taxable income. The automobile giant has been slapped with approximately 2 billion yen in back taxes, including the heavy penalty tax, according to the sources. The company said it has paid the back taxes, even though it denies deliberately concealing its income.

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That new car smell

2006-12-28T02:14:00.000-08:00

The fussiest and trendiest buyers of vehicles in SA are young Indian and coloured males, according to research company Synovate. Trendsetters make up 17% of buyers: they're the most image conscious, the least brand loyal and are the early adopters of new models. Other segments of like-minded buyers are the enthusiasts - the a-to-b'ers (all about the budget), the family focused (safety is their number one concern) and traditionalists. Synovate carries out a study of initial quality of new cars sold every year by interviewing 50 000 people three months after they bought. All complaints are recorded: from rattles in the dash and uncomfortable seats to dodgy gearboxes. From that, Synovate compiles a profile of South African buyers. Trendsetters biggest complainers Trendsetters report the most problems: 224 per hundred vehicles compared to just 108 from traditionalists; 18- to 24-year-olds complain more than anyone: they find 224 things to be unhappy about versus 114 for those older than 50.

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Mazda Carol Gets a Facelift

2006-12-26T02:14:00.000-08:00

Mazda Motor Corporation has given the Carol, one of its micro-mini vehicles for the Japanese market, a fresh new look. The Carol has been a popular model with women due to its charming design and practicality, and this freshened version goes on sale nationwide at all Mazda Autozam, Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealers from today. The upgraded Carol features a modified front end, seats and door trim design, together with improved fuel economy and eco-friendliness. Two new body colors have also been added as options: Antique Rose Metallic and Lime Green Metallic. The target sales volume for the entire Carol model range is 800 units a month.Main features of the upgraded Carol .

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Miami Herald editor to retire

2006-12-17T02:12:00.000-08:00

Miami Herald executive editor Tom Fiedler, who has been criticized for comments in recent months, will retire at the end of February. Fiedler, 60, who covered the Gary Hart scandal in 1987 as a reporter, was challenged by the city's Cuban exile community after calling critics of the newspaper "Chihuahuas." He will be replaced by Anders Gyllenhaal, editor and senior vice president of the Star Tribune of Minneapolis. .

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BMW Sauber F1 Team - Jerez Test day 2

2006-12-15T02:12:00.000-08:00

Weather conditions: Dry and sunny all day. Air: 9/17C, track: 9/20C Number of cars participating: 19 Fastest lap overall: 1:19.112 min, Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren Mercedes Nick Heidfeld: Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06B-04 / BMW P86 V8 Test kilometres today: 527 km (119 laps) Fastest lap: 1:19.944 min (on lap 95) Robert Kubica: Chassis / engine: BMW Sauber F1.06B-05 / BMW P86 V8 Test kilometres today: 443 km (100 laps) Fastest lap: 1:20.204 min (on lap 72) Programme: The BMW Sauber F1 Team experienced another trouble-free day of testing and enjoyed ideal track conditions in Spain. As both cars achieved very good mileage again, the team is happy with the work done and completed the scheduled test programme. Both Nick and Robert spent the morning on set-up work. In the afternoon Nick did five long runs and Robert did three, each of them simulating slightly longer stints than Nick's.

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Growth of bosses’ pay packages still accelerating

2006-12-13T02:15:00.000-08:00

Pay for top management rose by 6.3% this year, compared to inflation of 3.9%, which was faster than the rate of salary growth recorded in 2005, according to the figures. The growth in pay for top management has steadied in recent years. In 2000, executives were receiving pay increases of 8%. This dropped to 3.7% in 2001 and the figure has crept up in the last couple of years. .

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False alarm: Toyota recalls 220,000 vehicles for lying check ...

2006-12-09T02:13:00.000-08:00

In addition to the recalls announced by Volkswagen today, we should all tell you about a recall Toyota issued on Wednesday for check engine lights in some 60,700 Highlanders built from 2001 through 2003 and 159,100 RAV4s built in 2001 and 2002. The Malfunction Indicator, as it's called by sticklers, can light up when there's no underlying problem with the vehicle due to an issue with the software on the ECM. There have been 80 reported cases of this happening.Of course, recalls don't exist in Toyota-land. Here they're called Special Service Campaigns, a description that must've been invented by a suit in marketing because it sounds like something fun to do, like a Jeep Jamboree or something. Nevertheless, a recall is what Toyota announced on Wednesday, even if it is for something as minor as a wonky check engine light.

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New car 'launched' in Monaco.

2006-12-07T02:13:00.000-08:00

The GP2 Series will officially unveil the 2007 version of its Dallara chassis at the Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco today [Wednesday], bringing to an end a three-year cycle of development. The latest specification is the last version of the original car introduced along with the F3000 replacement in 2005, allowing GP2 to live up to its promise of producing substantial revisions for the start of each successive season. The principle behind the annual 'reinvention' is to maintain the challenge for teams and drivers, whilst ensuring that the racing spectacle remains at a level enjoyed by spectators over past seasons. After the move from grooved to slick Bridgestone tyres, and a subsequent reduction in rear-end downforce to compensate for the increased grip that the new tyres created, in 2006, an all-new aero kit has been designed for 2007, including an engine-cover-mounted wing, new sidepod-mounted exhaust chimneys and 'T-wings' and an all new rear wing assembly.

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2006 Economy Sedan Comparison Test: Honda Civic vs. Mazda 3

2006-12-05T02:16:00.000-08:00

Automotive rivalries have a way of driving home loyalty with both enthusiasts and average consumers. And now there's another one to add to the list: Mazda 3 vs. Honda Civic. Even though the battle for economy sedan supremacy won't be played out on drag strips, rally stages or the Mulsanne straight, the stakes, for the automakers involved, are equally high. After all, winning consumer loyalty in this segment — which rivals full-size trucks and midsize sedans as a volume leader in the U.S. auto market — can make a serious dent in year-end balance sheets. This is why companies like Honda and Mazda have spent major effort designing and redesigning the Civic and Mazda 3 and why they are the two most prominent players in the game at the moment. Top ranked players When it comes to economical compact sedans Honda is a serious contender.

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BMW unveils 7-passenger X5 crossover in Los Angeles

2006-12-01T02:11:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES B-M-W A-G is getting into the people-hauling business, but the company says the new version of its X-5 crossover vehicle won't compromise its reputation for performance. The company unveiled the X-5 this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, with a version that can carry up to seven people. Michael Ganal is a member of the automaker's Board of Management. He says the vehicle boasts increased engine performance while reducing fuel consumption because of improved aerodynamics and engine technology. Crossovers are car-based vehicles that have many of the attributes of a sport utility vehicle but generally are lighter and more fuel efficient. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Audi Returns With Iconic TT-Coupe

2006-11-27T02:14:00.000-08:00

Bandar Seri Begawan - TCY Motors Sdn Bhd will hold a road show on November 30 at The Mall, Gadong to unveil Audi's new models, including the TT-Coupe, Q7 and A4. Audi TT-Coupe was first launched in 1998, taking the sports coupe segment by storm and sharpening the brand's profile in the process. Now, the company is set for another success story - in its design, technological features and powerful engines. True to its iconic status, even its introduction to the world was unconventional. Instead of a motor show, the new Audi TT-Coupe was first launched in April this year at the star-studded "Germany - Land of Ideas" forum at Brandenburg Gate, Berlin in Germany. The company subsequently chose the extravagant "Design Annual" exhibition in Berlin to showcase the car, alongside the world's best-designed products.

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Ethiopian elite look to continue domination - 2006 TOYOTA Great ...

2006-11-25T02:14:00.000-08:00

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Ethiopias top elite juniors will look to preserve their 100% home record when the 2006 TOYOTA Great Ethiopian Run takes place on Sunday 26 November. MEN - Jeylan is the overwhelming favourite Ethiopias World junior 10,000m champion Ibrahim Jeylan is the overwhelming favourite in the mens race as he looks to complete a memorable 2006 on a high note. The 18-year-old, who represents the Muger Cement Factory sports club, finished fourth in the corresponding race last year, but begun this year with an upset victory over the Tariku Bekele in the junior race of the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships. Although he failed to medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Jeylan atoned for his cross country aberrations with a well-taken victory in the 10,000m race at the Ethiopian Championships.

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New car buyers should check finance options

2006-11-23T02:11:00.000-08:00

Before committing to the purchase of a vehicle, a full understanding of APR rate, payment terms and the total cost of purchasing is essential, said Sue Robinson, Director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) - part of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF) - commenting on the Trading Standards Institutes (TSI) warning today that eager young motorists are running up huge debts after being persuaded to take on high interest credit when buying a car. The vast majority of consumers already take adequate safeguards before committing to finance - however, some buyers are caught by inappropriate and costly finance agreements. Robinson ended: When looking to buy a car, consumers should shop around for the most appropriate finance package - dealers will be able to help in locating the best options.

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Mazda launches Special Edition 'Demio' and 'Axela Sport' Models

2006-11-21T02:12:00.000-08:00

HIROSHIMA - November 21, 2006: Mazda Motor Corporation today announced the launch in Japan of the Mazda Demio special edition "Style C" and "Style S" models and the Mazda Axela Sport special edition 23ST and 20ST models. All models come with exclusive body colors and interior design and go on sale nationwide at all Mazda, Mazda Anfini and Mazda Autozam dealers from today. These special edition models make up part of the Stylish Tone Series, which are products with enhanced style and chic color tones. Mazda plans to extend this concept to certain other vehicles in the Mazda product range. The Demio (known as the Mazda2 in overseas markets) Style C is based on the Demio Casual, the core model in this product range. The stylish feel and comfort level have been strengthened by the exclusive Icy Blue Metallic body color, specially designed seat upholstery with light-blue highlights, a rear roof spoiler and an advanced keyless entry and starter system.

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Casino Royale (2006) Movie Review

2006-11-19T02:11:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge James Bond fan. Not to say that I don't enjoy the adventures of the beloved superspy, but just that I'm not as big a fan as I am of, say, the Star Wars movies. Especially the last few years of Bond movies. While I think that Pierce Brosnan made a suave Bond, his scripts let him down. The movies became clones of action movies, trying to top one another in the sheer ridiculous quotient. (Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist named Dr. Christmas Jones, solely for the filthy double entendre at the end that you could see "arriving" from a mile away). Much like the Batman series once Schumacher took over, the movies seemed to exist for the toys, even if the Bond toys were solely on screen. And now we have Casino Royale, which actually continues the Batman comparison with the "rebooting" of the franchise from the beginning.

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Stewart's sees rise in BMW sales

2006-11-17T02:12:00.000-08:00

One of the country's leading car dealership operators, Stewart Auto Sales, is seeing an increase in sales of premium car marque BMW. In June of this year, Stewart's opened its doors to the public as the new dealer for BMW and Mini, taking over from Sterling Motors, a subsidiary of Lascellles. The Stewart family has been in the car dealership business since 1938. Since 1982 it has represented Suzuki, having sold in excess of 18,000 units to date. Last year Stewart's sold 900 Suzuki vehicles. Sterling Motors did not enjoy a reputation for good customer service and efficiency and hence it lost the dealership. Stewart's has moved quickly to restore the dealership's reputation by placing emphasis on customer service, reliability and reducing its turnaround time for delivering spare parts.

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Toyota says it's targeting China, India in quest to grab market ...

2006-11-13T02:23:00.000-08:00

TOKYO (AP) - A leaked copy of Toyota Motor Corp.'s "global master plan'' calls for grabbing 14 percent of the world car market by 2010 in the company's quest to unseat rival General Motors, a newspaper said Monday. Toyota declined to comment on the report in The Wall Street Journal Asia, but confirmed that the world's No. 2 automaker is betting on surging demand in places such as China and India to fuel rapid expansion. Toyota, on pace to end GM's half-century reign as the world's biggest carmaker, has mapped out plans to capture 14 percent of the global market in the next three years, up from 11 percent in 2005, newspaper reported, citing a confidential document it said was circulated to top Toyota executives earlier this year. The plan predicts global auto sales to jump to 73 million vehicles in 2010 from 65 million in 2005, the newspaper said, adding that Toyota will likely boost production in India and China to meet demand.

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This New Car: Biodiesel -- Is Willie Nelson Singing the Right Song ...

2006-11-11T02:21:00.000-08:00

Worcester, MA --* On Sunday, November 12 from 9:30-10:30 p.m. (Eastern), WICN/90.5 FM, the NPR affiliate serving Central New England, will broadcast and webcast Episode 5 of "This New Car: Exploring Transportation Alternatives," a brand new 13-week, one hour special edition of /The Business Beat/. In "This New Car," Steve D'Agostino, host of /The Business Beat/ since 1995 and principal of Best Rate Of Climb http://www.bestrateofclimb.com>, moderates a panel of experts. They are: Jim Dunn of the Center for Technology Commercialization http://www.CTC.org>;* *Gilles Labelle of Westboro Toyota's Hybrid Center of Massachusetts http://www.hybridcenterma.org>; and Craig Van Batenburg of the Automotive Career Development Center http://www.auto-careers.org>. In Episode 5, "This New Car" explores: Biodiesel -- Is Willie Nelson Singing the Right Song? To hear a 2-minute 7-second audio clip of the November 12 show, in MP3 format, visit Episode 5.

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Required Riding: The 1978 Mazda RX7

2006-11-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Check this out. The original Mazda RX7's air conditioning unit seriously sapped power. Remember, this little Japanese sports car had a Wankel rotary engine up front, a handbag-sized three-piece Wearing Blender that stumped-up just 135 hp (or, with the chiller engaged, less). That meant, if you happened to encounter a late '70's Yank tank spoiling for a fight, you'd reach-up and press the little button that turned the AC off. The RX7 bucked slightly, as the engine regained lost vigor. You kinda felt like Mad Max, spooling-up his supercharger on the last of the great V8 Interceptors, only you know, in reverse. The '78 RX7 was certainly a welcome weapon for cash-strapped, sports car-starved Americans. And it came from an unexpected source. The Mazda RX2 and RX3 were odd-looking ducks whose Wankels were only slightly more reliable than Ethiopian train service.

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Review police car policy

2006-11-09T02:25:00.000-08:00

The decline in the price of gas helped defuse the controversial proposal to charge city police officers a nominal fee for using take-home police cars. But the desire to review the policy should not disappear. Police Chief Rusty York has decided to step back from his plan to ask police officers to help pay for gas. He has instead decided to perform a comprehensive review of the entire take-home car program. The program began in 1995, and it's time city leaders give it a careful review. Previously, because of the staggering rise in the department's fuel budget for 2007, York considered asking police officers with take-home cars to pay part of the cost of the gas they use for personal driving. The reaction to York's plan from police union leaders was more than disappointing; it was detrimental to the program.

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Audi Reports October Sales

2006-11-05T02:11:00.000-08:00

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Audi of America, Inc. today reported that October 2006 sales totaled 6,431, a decrease of 3.4 percent compared to strong results a year ago. For the year, Audi sales are up 4.1 percent over the same period in 2005. Consumers showed strong interest in the all-new Audi Q7 SUV and A8 models. Audi Q7 sales totaled 1,653 during October, bringing the year total to 5,663 since its launch in June. The A8 model line had 442 sales during October, a 12.5 percent increase over the same month last year. .

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SEMA: Toyota Camrod by Rad Rides

2006-11-03T02:20:00.000-08:00

In the past, we've voiced our opinion about the Toyota Camry's front end, which is that it's weird. We give Toyota credit for taking a risk, but the Aurion sold in Australia that has a more traditional face on a Camry body shows us that a cleaner, simpler front end would do wonders. We ran across this Camry at the SEMA show that again proves the car would be improved with a new nose. Called the Camrod and built by Rad Rides by Troy, the car features completely revised front and rear fascias fashioned from fiberglass. While no doubt on the wild side with three large air intakes spanning the front fascia's lower half and vented slits below the headlamps, the front fascia's large grille somehow still seems at home. A center-mounted dual exhaust and two-step rear spoiler also give the Accord owners out there something nicer to look at while waiting at a light.

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Mazda Starts Production of the CX-9, its Second Crossover SUV for ...

2006-10-30T02:16:00.000-08:00

Hiroshima, Japan, Oct 30, 2006 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation today held a 'line-off' ceremony for the CX-9 crossover sport-utility vehicle (SUV) being built for the North American market at the Ujina Plant No.1 near its global headquarters in Hiroshima. Hisakazu Imaki, Mazda's representative director, chairman of the board, president and CEO, along with approximately 450 staff - comprised of several senior executives, union representatives and employees - attended this ceremony. The Mazda CX-9 will be arriving in North American showrooms in early 2007."The CX-9 will be the latest addition to Mazda's product lineup in the all-important North American market, joining the Mazda CX-7, which went on sale there in May", said Hisakazu Imaki. "CX-9 is a key model aimed at raising the visibility of Mazda in North America and will be an integral part of building the brand.

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Casio Men's Ana-Digi Atomic Watch # WVA106HDA-2BV

2006-10-28T03:27:00.000-07:00

Sleekly modern in design, this analog/digital Casio Waveceptor men's atomic watch (WVA106HDA-2BV) combines powerful style with technologically advanced timepiece features. A great choice for your active lifestyle, this watch includes a 1/100 second stopwatch and a distinctive stainless steel bracelet band. This radio-controlled watch receives time calibration signals transmitted from Fort Collins, Colorado, and signal reception is possible within a radius of about 2,000 miles from the Fort Collins transmitter. You can choose to automatically receive this signal four times a day, or manually update the Waveceptor to the atomic clock. The round stainless steel watch case and bezel frames a shimmery deep blue dial face with Arabic numerals at the quarter hours, luminous dial markers and gray hands, and a digital display in the lower half of the dial. The stopwatch measures up to 60 minutes and offers elapsed time, split/lap time, and 1st-2nd place modes. The stopwatch measures up to 100 minutes and offers elapsed time, split/lap time, and 1st-2nd place modes. It also has four daily alarms (with one snooze alarm), world time for 29 time zones/30 cities, 12/24-hour time, and auto-calendar programmed to 2039. The AfterGlow LED electro luminescent backlight provides easy readability in low-light conditions. Other features include water resistance to 50 meters (100 feet) and a battery life of approximately 2 years.

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'06 BMW HP2 - Time Tested

2006-10-26T03:10:00.000-07:00

sWe had our first taste of a High Performance Enduro back in June, but after giving back our 2006 BMW HP2 test bike it wasn't long before a second helping was on its way. You see, MotoUSA's Editorial Director, Ken Hutchison, was invited to a press introduction for the BMW R1200GS Adventure shortly thereafter, and while hobnobbing with the BMW brass he couldn't stop the torrent of "HP2 this," and "HP2 that" streaming from his piehole. Two days of his warbling and the Beemer crew had a long-term test bike lined up before we could say California roadtrip. BMW must have figured they were lucky to have our first HP2 returned in such pristine condition because our new machine included a matching set of plastic cylinder guards, handguards and a headlight shield. We had our doubts about all three when we first saw them.

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Audi TT Roadster bargain

2006-10-24T03:11:00.000-07:00

After a new drop-top TT? You're in for a pleasant surprise. Audi's new roadster will be cheaper than expected when it goes on sale in March. The new TT roadster starts at £26,875 for the 2.0-litre TFSI and rises to £31,535 for the 3.2-litre quattro. A diesel version is also a possibility for 2008, most likely using a 168bhp 2.0-litre unit. These official pictures have been released ahead of the car's unveiling at the Los Angeles motor show at the end of November. Although the original TT roadster had an electrically assisted hood, it required some manual effort – you had to unlatch the roof, then get out of the car to fiddle with the tonneau cover, but the latest version has a fully automatic rood. The cabin remains almost unchanged from the coupe's, save for optional tan-coloured baseball-glove stitching on the seats – as on the original drop-top.

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Service Plus Card for Audi drivers

2006-10-23T03:50:00.000-07:00

T.C.Y Motors Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Audi vehicles in Brunei Darussalam, has introduced a new card programme exclusively for owners of Audi vehicles. Audi's Service Plus Card will entitle cardholders to discounts ranging from 10 to 20 per cent for spare parts and servicing from T.C.Y Motors Sdn Bhd depending on the age of their Audi vehicle. Cardholders will also be able to enjoy discounts at some 20 affiliated shops and hotels nationwide. The programme also has tie-ups with hotels under Starwood. Some 200 Audi local owners and another 50 potential Audi customers are expected to signup for the new Service Plus Card, according to Mr Shane Mamuhewa, the service manager of T.C.Y Motors Sdn Bhd. "The idea of the card is to create loyalty among existing customers," he said.

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Audi puts brakes on Hungary plan

2006-10-23T03:48:00.001-07:00

German carmaker Audi has said it will halt investments worth as much as 1bn euros (671m; $1.3bn) in Hungary after the government imposed tax increases. Audi makes its TT sports cars at a plant near Gyor in western Hungary and is the country's biggest exporter. The decision to halt investment could slow economic growth in Hungary at a time when the government is trying to repair the country's tattered finances. Hungary recently introduced a 4% "solidarity" tax on companies. 'Additional burdens' The government is having to increase taxes in order to shrink Hungary's massive budget deficit, which has ballooned to 10.1% of gross domestic product. Plans to introduce an austerity package, coupled with Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's admission that his party lied about the economy to win an election, prompted the worst riots since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

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Audi halts Hungary plan in tax row

2006-10-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

BUDAPEST, Hungary (Reuters) -- Hungary's biggest exporter, Carmaker Audi, said on Friday it would suspend a 1 billion euro ($1.26 billion) investment in protest at tax rises, dealing a blow to the country's plans to attract foreign investment. Audi's is the first high-profile protest at the Hungarian government's planned tax rises to help plug the budget deficit, which will hit 10.1 percent of gross domestic product this year, the highest level in the European Union. "The investment plan has been suspended," Audi Hungaria Motor Kft press spokeswoman Monika Czechmeister told Reuters. Hungary, which attracted a record $6.7 billion in foreign direct investment in 2005 according to UN data, needs foreign investment to help plug its current account gap which is forecast by economists to be 6.25 percent of GDP this year.

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Audi concedes title but vows revenge in finale.

2006-10-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

Tom Kristensen finally conceded defeat in the battle for 2006 DTM honours at Le Mans last weekend, but in typically gritty fashion the hard-charging Dane did not go down without a fight. After qualifying a strong second to championship rival Bernd Schneider's ninth, the 'King of Le Mans' made a poor start to slip back to fifth position, before working his way back up to third at the chequered flag – his fifth podium finish of the season. Unfortunately for the 39-year-old, Schneider's fifth place was enough to ensure the German clinched the crown for a record fifth time, while team-mate Bruno Spengler's victory pushed Audi's number one down to third in the standings. "It goes without saying that I'm disappointed the championship is lost," Kristensen said, magnanimous as ever in defeat.

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Audi Target Victory in DTM Finale

2006-10-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

Despite the title having been decided already, DTM fans can look forward to an exciting season finale. At the tenth and final DTM round at Hockenheim on 29 October, the Audi drivers will do everything in their powers to record their fifth win of the season and level the score in the prestigious duel against Mercedes-Benz. Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen, currently third in the point standings, still has the chance to claim the runner-up honours. 147,000 spectators watched the DTM finale at Hockenheim last year. An equally impressive crowd is expected at this years season finale with brisk advance ticket sales having accounted for more than 60,000 orders. The thousands of Audi fans filling the grandstands want Tom Kristensen & Co. to put in a command performance again and end the Mercedes winning streak at the German Grand Prix circuit.

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Audi TT and Q7 win styling awards

2006-10-23T03:45:00.000-07:00

Audi has eye appeal. Audi's TT, Q7, and Shooting Brake concept vehicles drove away winners from the recent Auto Bild Design Awards. The German magazines competition was a feather in the cap for Audi design chief Walter de Silva whose cars took four of the seven categories up for judging. The Audi TT took victory in the sports-car and coupé category, the Audi Q7 high-performance SUV won in the off-road and SUV class, while the Audi Shooting Brake came out on top against the other concept cars. And the TT sports coupé celebrated a double success, being voted the most beautiful car of the past 12 months by the readers of Auto Bild. Selections were made from 146 cars. Redesigning the TT, which arrived in showrooms in September, challenged de Silva and his staff.

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ALMS at Laguna: Audi Completes Perfect Season with P1 and Overall ...

2006-10-23T03:44:00.001-07:00

McNish and Capello Give Audi a Perfect Year Allan McNish and Dindo Capello completed Audi's perfect American Le Mans Series season by winning the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday. The No. 2 Audi R10 won by 18.5 seconds over the No. 1 Audi of Marco Werner and Emanuele Pirro. Stefan Johansson led in the opening laps, driving the No. 15 Zytek, and he was closely followed by Nic Minassian in the No. 88 Creation. After a brief caution period for a car stopped off course just three laps in, Johansson continued to lead. The restart lasted only about ten minutes, when the second caution began for another car off course. The green flag waved at the 37 minute mark, but instead of staying in the lead Johansson brought the No.

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Zytek out to halt Audi winning streak.

2006-10-23T03:44:00.000-07:00

Zytek are looking to end their season on a high after claiming a stunning pole position in qualifying for the final round of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca, breaking their own lap record in the process. Having seen Tom Chilton and Hayanari Shimoda dominate in qualifying and the race last year, hopes are high that Stefan Johansson and Johnny Mowlem can repeat the feat after slashing their predecessors lap record by almost half a second, edging out the Creation-Judd of Nicolas Minassian and Harold Primat, who had beaten them to pole position at Road Atlanta. With Zytek starting from the front row for its fifth consecutive ALMS start, Johansson was full of praise for his car, claiming it to be the quickest prototype on the circuit thanks to its agile chassis.

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Press Snoop: Audi, Porsche, Aston top Friday AM.

2006-10-23T03:43:00.001-07:00

The weather was downright beautiful Friday morning at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the first official practice of the American Le Mans Series. RINALDO CAPELLO's Audi was fastest overall and in the LMP1 class with a time of 1m 14.806s. 'Dindo', as Capello is known, has already clinched the ALMS LMP1 Championship. He and co-driver, ALLAN McNISH, won the championship two races ago, over Labor Day in Mosport. Second overall and first in LMP2 was SASCHA MAASSEN's Porsche RS Spyder. Maassen is four points ahead of his Penske team-mate, LUCAS LUHR. Penske Motorsports and Porsche have already clinched the team and manufacturer's championship when they finished one-two at Petite Le Mans at Road Atlanta. .

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Collaboration Grids: Virtual Products and Business Benefits

2006-10-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

Collaboration is one issue where end-users have been pushing hard to make progress. Intel, IBM, Nokia and other firms with large numbers of designers want their design groups to use a collaborative environment so designers in different locations can work as a single team. Auto firms and aerospace companies have also been facing the issue of collaboration, largely because they need to reduce the time-to-market for new products (note the disastrous consequences in the Airbus case!).Recent and forthcoming meetings of European Commission-funded projects (e.g., SIMDAT, VIVACE) and of service-oriented architecture (SOA) product firms (e.g., the MSC Software conferences on virtual product development) indicate that auto and aerospace firms have made real progress. Using commercial SOA products or tools and grids, they have created "virtual cars" and "virtual planes," 3-D files with data that support collaboration between engineering design groups.

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Rampant speculation: Audi R4

2006-10-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

When AutoBild released their November issue with the above illustration on its cover, rumors of a new coupe from Audi began spreading like wildfire across the web. As we've discovered all too often, speculation and photoshopping go a long way in stoking the fires of the rumor mill. We're sure this is no exception, but a few sentences of translation and analysis can't hurt. Right?Designed to compete with the likes of the 2009 BMW Z4 and its M-badged variants, the Audi R4 will be a strict two-seater and, much like it's larger sibling the R8, will have a mid-ship mounted engine (that's were we started glazing over). A few engine choices will be available, with the top slot being filled by a 300 HP V6. Although the mid-mounted engine placement would seem to imply that Audi is taking a shot at Porsche's Cayman and Boxter, AutoBild's sources maintain that those vehicles are not its intended competition.If the R4 will ever see the light of day, expect it sometime in 2010.

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