Demand for 'Must Have' Camaro Dwarfs Supply

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»

Smart car? Maybe not so smart

(NEWSER) - Some of us lovingly referred to our first car variously as "the jalopy," "the tin can on wheels," or "the death trap." And some of us were right. Here, as per Autoshippers, are the most dangerous cars of all time:

• 1967-1971 Ford Pinto: Had a nasty habit of exploding even on low-speed impacts.
• 1915-1925 Briggs & Stratton Flyer: No doors, windshield, impact protection. Super cheap, and often fatal, transportation.
• 1960-1963 Chevrolet Corvair: Engine in the back let toxic fumes in the car and the steering wheel was known to fatally impale drivers. Other than that, great car.

Car giant tries to improve 'branding' by killing nickname

(NEWSER) - You can see the USA in your Chevrolet, but GM would rather if you stopped driving your “Chevy” to the levee or anywhere else. The company has sent out a memo to all its employees urging them to banish the ubiquitous nickname from their vocabularies. “We’d ask that whether you’re talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertiser, or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet,” the memo read. More»

Steering failures affect Chevrolet Cobalts, Pontiac G5s

(NEWSER) - General Motors is recalling 1.3 million compact vehicles sold in the US, Canada, and Mexico, to correct a power steering problem. The automaker says the problem, which affects 2005 to 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts and 2007 to 2010 Pontiac G5s, causes occasional power steering failures. GM says the cars are safe to drive until a fix is ready, the AP reports. More»

Layoffs, property price plunge leaves middle-aged workers in limbo

(NEWSER) - Tens of thousands of middle-aged white-collar workers have been left jobless and stranded in Michigan by the recession, the Wall Street Journal reports. Auto industry veterans laid off by the Big Three are finding themselves competing against against younger people for a smattering of job openings. With property prices down 45% from their 2006 peak, people are unable or unwilling to sell their homes and seek work elsewhere. More»