End of an Era: Last Crown Vic

(NEWSER) - In June, Ford brought the heads of the nation’s top police fleets to its Dearborn headquarters and had them test drive its latest Taurus. The goal: to convince them that there would be life after the Crown Victoria. The Crown Vic is the unrivaled king of cop cars, making up 85% of American police fleets. But Ford is pulling the plug on the lumbering vehicle in 2011, the Detroit News reports. More»

Gizmos proliferate amid concerns on distracted driving

(NEWSER) - Imagine cruising down the highway at 65mph while checking tweets, buying movie tickets online, or booking reservations at a restaurant. This scenario is the not-too-distant future of driving, reports the Wall Street Journal , as auto manufacturers seek to design an innovative "connected car" full of Internet-accessible gadgetry. The push for a tech-infused car comes as a national push for rules banning phones in cars seems to be fizzling out and automakers look to entice the youth demographic. More»

2010-11 Ford Fusions and Mercury Milans affected

(NEWSER) - As far as reasons for a recall goes, this one's up there with the best: Ford is recalling 129,000 Ford Fusions and Mercury Milans because the wheels might fall off. The cars affected are from 2010 and 2011 with 17-inch steel (not alloy) wheels, reports Reuters . Ford has seen one case in which a front wheel fell off while the car was in motion and five more involving rear wheels. Apparently, mounting pads or rear brake discs that provide support aren't up to snuff. All the cars were built at an assembly plant in Mexico. More»

Chrysler, VW saw huge gains

(NEWSER) - Americans may be worried about the economy, but they still need to get where they’re going. Auto sales beat expectations last month, rising 14% to 994,721, their fastest sales pace since August 2009, reports the AP . Chrysler led the pack: The automaker’s sales jumped 45%, Reuters reports. Close behind was Volkswagen, whose sales soared 41%; Hyundai, Nissan, and Ford also saw double-digit gains. More»

Partnership prompted by airport-terminal chat

(NEWSER) - A trans-Pacific partnership between Ford and Toyota is set to bring us a new generation of hybrid vehicles. The two companies will join together in creating a gas-electric hybrid system suited to light trucks and SUVs, the Wall Street Journal reports. The two firms already have hybrid systems that power front-wheel drive cars; now, they’ll aim to make rear-wheel drive vehicles more efficient within the next decade. More»