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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: cars

cars stories: 166 news summaries

1 - 20 of 166 Stories | 1 2 3 4 5 ... 9 Next >>

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RUNAWAY CARS

Feds: Toyota Statement on Accidents 'Misleading'

Matter isn't closed,
says NHTSA

Nov 5, 09 2:21 PM CST
(Newser) - Federal safety officials have criticized Toyota for trying to play down mechanical concerns over their "runaway cars.” Though victims and media reports have suggested that computer malfunctions or pedal design flaws are to blame in several incidents in which cars uncontrollably accelerated, Toyota says oversize floor mats are... More »

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Toyota • recall • NHTSA • cars

 Say What? 
 Convertibles 
 Harm Hearing 

Noise can reach damaging 90 decibels at 50 mph

Oct 7, 09 1:46 AM CDT
(Newser) - Tearing down the road in a convertible with the wind whipping at your ears exacts the same kind of hearing damage as listening to a pile driver, scientists warn. Noise from the engine, road, traffic and wind can be as high as 90 decibels at speeds of 50 mph and... More »

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noise • speed • hearing loss • decibel • cars • convertible • ears

 6 US Cars Worth Buying 


Sep 5, 09 5:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Now that American automakers have turned it around, you’re planning to buy an American car, right? No? Well, you should be, writes Jim Montavalli of Money Watch, and he’s got six cars worth snapping up.
  • Ford Fusion: A fun-to-drive mid-size sedan that’s getting gushing reviews—
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Detroit • auto industry • Ford Focus • cars

 Ludacris Makes 
 Like Oprah,  
 Gives Away Cars 

Rapper's nonprofit holds contest

Sep 2, 09 10:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - Need a ride? Ludacris wants to help. The rapper and actor plans to give away 20 cars on Sunday through his Ludacris Foundation, SixShot.com reports. To qualify, you must really need a car; be 18 or older; have a valid Georgia license; and be able to afford taxes and... More »

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entertainment • Georgia • contest • rapper • Ludacris • actor • cars • Jay-ZTV

(Newser) - The rumors of the “cash for clunkers” deal’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, the White House said today, promising that the trade-in program will continue even after consumers have used up its allotted $1 billion. “If you were planning on going to buy a car this weekend... More »

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Detroit • Michigan • Carl Levin • auto industry • Big Three • cars • Obama administration • Robert Gibbs • Cash for Clunkers

(AP) - The government plans to suspend its popular "cash for clunkers" program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases. The Transportation Department called lawmakers' offices to alert them to the decision to suspend the program at midnight Friday. The program offers... More »

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Detroit • auto industry • car dealers • cars • Cash for Clunkers

(Newser) - Rolls-Royce has good news for cash-strapped millionaires: They won’t have to condescend to buy a Bentley, Time reports. The automaker, known for its gigantic limousines, is about to release the Ghost, a short, sleek four-door sedan priced at a mere $245,000. That’s a sight lower than the... More »

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recession • luxury car • auto industry • Rolls-Royce • cars

EARNINGS REPORT

 Ford Shocks Street 
 With $2.3B Profit 


Jul 23, 09 6:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Ford surprised the markets today by posting a $2.3 billion quarterly profit, thanks mostly to debt restructuring actions, Reuters reports. The result beat estimates and represents Ford's first good quarter in more than a year; this time in 2008, the automaker lost $2.7 billion. But the global downturn... More »

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debt • Ford • corporate earnings • restructuring • auto industry • quarterly reports • quarterly profits • cars

OPINION

 'Cash for Clunkers' 
  Is a Car Wreck 


Jul 18, 09 5:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Cash for Clunkers program should never have left the lot, Michelle Singletary writes in the Washington Post. The premise is fine: Give people a financial incentive to trade in old gas guzzlers for new gas sippers. It's the details that smell like a lemon. "The law does... More »

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fuel efficiency • debt • auto industry • cars • Cash for Clunkers

Hybrid Owners Have More Accidents, Get More Tickets

Environmentally-conscious motorists also drive more, study says

Jul 17, 09 6:39 PM CDT
(Newser) - Owners of hybrid vehicles tend to drive more, have higher repair bills, and get more tickets than their gas-guzzling counterparts, the Car Connection reports. A study of the behavior of 360,000 motorists found insurers pay 17% more for comprehensive coverage of hybrid owners compared to owners of conventional models.... More »

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insurance • Toyota Prius • accident • driving • Prius • hybrid car • vehicle • cars • gas mileage • automobile • traffic violation • gasoline

(Newser) - Recession be damned, desire for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro far outstrips supply—and some dealers are even charging a premium for the sporty new ride, USA Today reports. “Our current production schedule can’t meet the demand,” a General Motors spokesman said. But “that supply-demand tension is... More »

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General Motors • recession • model • Chevrolet • auto industry • supply and demand • cars • automobile • Camaro • Ford Mustang

(Newser) - If you think that pricey speeding ticket is unfair, just look at Finland, where fines are based on income. Mental Floss takes a look at five doozies:
  • In 2002, a Nokia exec on a Harley got hit with a whopping $103,600 fine for cruising at 47mph in a
... More »

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speeding • driving • Finland • cars • traffic violation • wealthy • speeding ticket

(Newser) - Car-insurance fraud spurred by the recession is continuing unabated, Newsweek reports. “Give-ups”—feigning theft or arson to collect insurance money on an unwanted vehicle—are up 24% this year over last, according to an industry group. And claims stemming from suspicious car fires are up 27%. “Normally... More »

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recession • arson • insurance fraud • auto insurance • cars • car theft

 Advocates Push for 
 Rear Seatbelt Laws 

They reduce fatalities by up to 73%

Jun 15, 09 9:50 AM CDT
(Newser) - Highway safety advocates are pushing for a federal transportation bill to include incentives for states to make safety belts mandatory for all passengers, but opponents say the move would set a precedent for the government to tell citizens what to do, USA Today reports. Though studies show that rear seatbelts... More »

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car accident • seatbelts • highways • cars • transportation bill • state law

ANALYSIS

GM's Car of the Future Sparks Doubt in the Present

Even top exec fears hybrid will fail to herald new start for automaker

Jun 7, 09 12:19 PM CDT
(Newser) - Success has many fathers, and for the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt, paternity claims could stretch from Detroit to Washington. But if the GM hybrid turns out to be an orphan, it could be because many of its backers, including a top GM exec, are ambivalent about its potential to rejigger the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
General Motors • fuel efficiency • Toyota Prius • hybrid car • Chevrolet Volt • cars

(Newser) - An annual survey of driver smarts is out, and the coasts fare poorly, the Los Angeles Times reports. Conducted by GMAC, the survey posed questions from US drivers license tests and found that 20% of current drivers would fail a written exam. New York ranked dead last and California... More »

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driving • driver's license • survey • GMAC • cars • test • rules of the road

GM Close to Hummer Sale That Would Save 3K US Jobs

Has picked a buyer; deal would be finalized by Sept.

May 31, 09 10:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - GM has selected an unnamed investor to buy its hulking Hummer brand, in a move aimed at saving more than 3000 US jobs, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. They say the company hopes to seal the deal, rumored to be in the $200 million range, by September. An... More »

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General Motors • Detroit • business • employment • Hummer • job • investor • cars • brand

OPINION

 We Fell Out of Love With Cars 


May 30, 09 12:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - Plenty of economists are trying to define what killed Detroit, but they’re looking in all the wrong places. “Fire the MBAs and hire a poet,” writes PJ O’Rourke in the Wall Street Journal. This isn’t a story of unions or financial crisis. “It’... More »

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auto industry • P.J. O'Rourke • cars • automobile

No-Car Suburb in Germany May Prove Tough
to Translate

Americans 'suspicious' of green model

May 12, 09 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Will Europe’s assault on the American way of life stop at nothing? Vauban, a town in the southwest corner of Germany, is a working model of a leafy-green suburb without cars. People walk or bike, and a tram runs through the middle of town. “When I had a... More »

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Germany • Oakland • bicycles • suburbs • cars • public transit • Vauban

(Newser) - Indian automaker Tata has 203,000 domestic orders for the Nano—the world’s cheapest car—which will start delivery in July, Bloomberg reports. The first editions of the $2,500 vehicle will go out to just 100,000 eager buyers, who will be chosen by lottery and must put... More »

MORE ABOUT:
India • automaker • auto industry • Tata Nano • cars • thrift

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