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June 2007

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Monday, June 25, 2007

2007 MINI Cooper Review - VIDEO ENHANCED

2007 MINI Cooper Review - VIDEO ENHANCED

2007 MINI COOPER What a Hoot! By Steve Purdy TheAutoChannel.com Detroit Bureau Alec Issigonis was a genius. In 1959 this talented British engineer introduced his innovative design to the world – a tiny car with a little four-cylinder engine mounted crossways in the front, driving the little (probably 10-inch) fron ... Continue reading

2008 Scion Preview : The Next Generation

2008 Scion Preview : The Next Generation

By Carey Russ Scion is a young brand, and that's appropriate as Scion is Toyota's youth-oriented division. It's been remarkably successful since it debuted in California in June, 2003, and spread in a controlled fashion across the country by June of 2004. That success was due, in no small part, to a simple lineup and a ... Continue reading

Smart Energy Solutions to Unveil Advanced Battery Brain for Army Vehicle Systems

Smart Energy Solutions to Unveil Advanced Battery Brain for Army Vehicle Systems

POMPTON PLAINS, N.J., June 25 -- Smart Energy Solutions, inventor and manufacturer of the innovative Battery Brain(TM) vehicle aftermarket device, today announced it will unveil a new generation of advanced battery systems for military use at the Army's Expedited Modernization Initiative Procedure (EMIP) on July 26. "O ... Continue reading

Imported Vehicles Could Shift U.S. CAFE Outcome

Imported Vehicles Could Shift U.S. CAFE Outcome

Washington DC June 25, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that last week's Senate vote for higher fuel economy standards was a defeat for the Detroit 3, which had lobbied heavily against the measure. By contrast, international brands – known for their fuel-saving technology - might have the credibility to slow congr ... Continue reading

Nissan Announces Pricing on 2008 Versa

Nissan Announces Pricing on 2008 Versa

NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 25 -- Nissan North America, Inc. announced pricing on the 2008 Nissan Versa Sedan and Hatchback models, which go on sale today at Nissan dealers nationwide. Versa enters it second model year with strong sales momentum -- through May 2007, the Versa Hatchback and Sedan have combined to sell more t ... Continue reading

Japan's Hino Motors to Open Truck Assembly Plant in W. Virginia

Japan's Hino Motors to Open Truck Assembly Plant in W. Virginia

$8.6 Million Investment to Hire 80; First Vehicle Assembly Plant in West Virginia WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va., June 25 -- At a ceremony today, Gov. Joe Manchin joined Hideichiro Chikahiro, president of Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A. Inc. (HMMUSA), Sen. Jay Rockefeller and local officials to announce that the company will ass ... Continue reading

Nickelodeon Secures Multi-Million Advertising and Promotional Partnership With Chrysler That Highlights Its All-New 2008 Town & Country Minivan

Nickelodeon Secures Multi-Million Advertising and Promotional Partnership With Chrysler That Highlights Its All-New 2008 Town & Country Minivan

Deal Pairs Town & Country SIRIUS Backseat TV(TM) with Jimmy Neutron, and Extends to Multiple Platforms Including Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite Television, Print and Digital Chrysler Brand Signs on to Become an Official Sponsor of Nickelodeon's Slime Across America Summer Tour NEW YORK and DETROIT, June 25 -- Nickelodeon ... Continue reading

J.D. Power and Associates to Release 2007 APEAL Study Results June 28

J.D. Power and Associates to Release 2007 APEAL Study Results June 28

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., June 25 -- J.D. Power and Associates will announce the results of the 2007 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study at 7 a.m. EDT Thursday, June 28. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a) APEAL identifies what consumers like and dislike about their ... Continue reading

NAVTEQ Tapped by Panasonic to Power its First U.S. Mobile Navigation System

NAVTEQ Tapped by Panasonic to Power its First U.S. Mobile Navigation System

Strada CN-NVD905U offers NAVTEQ Traffic through SIRIUS Satellite Radio CHICAGO, June 25 -- NAVTEQ , a leading global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, today announced that it has been selected to provide Panasonic, a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics, with NAVT ... Continue reading

Fatal Crash Prompts Distributor to Press for Chinese Tire Recall

Fatal Crash Prompts Distributor to Press for Chinese Tire Recall

Tires Become Latest Chinese Product to Threaten Consumers PHILADELPHIA, June 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A death and injury lawsuit has prompted a U.S. tire importer and distributor to ask the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for help in recalling nearly half a million Chinese-made light truck tires. In ... Continue reading

Acacia Automotive Announces Successful Completion of Initial Private Placement Stock Offering

Acacia Automotive Announces Successful Completion of Initial Private Placement Stock Offering

NASHVILLE, Tenn. and OCALA, Fla., June 25 -- Acacia Automotive, Inc. announced that it has recently completed its first offering of Common shares. The company completed a capital raise of $1,025,000 in line with its goals. "We are very pleased to have achieved success in consummating that first offering as planned," sa ... Continue reading

TEAM REPORT (TARGET-GANASSI) - TOP-TEN FOR TARGET TEAM IN CHALLENGING IOWA RACE

TEAM REPORT (TARGET-GANASSI) - TOP-TEN FOR TARGET TEAM IN CHALLENGING IOWA RACE

The inaugural Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway began with Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon in the pole position but quickly turned into a very challenging day for the team. On the first lap, driver of the no.10 Target Honda, Dan Wheldon spun on the first green flag lap, collecting Vision Racing's Tomas ... Continue reading

GRAND AM (MID-OHIO) - Skavnes, Hemmingson Play Pit Strategy to Perfection

GRAND AM (MID-OHIO) - Skavnes, Hemmingson Play Pit Strategy to Perfection

Returning after a one-race hiatus, the No. 111 ICY/Phoenix Racing Subaru/Rotary/SPT Subaru Legacy and drivers Kristian Skavnes and Chuck Hemmingson played pit strategy to perfection in recording their second Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Street Tuner (ST) victory of the season in Sunday’s two-and-a-half hour race ... Continue reading

INDYCAR (NEWTON) - FINAL RESULTS

INDYCAR (NEWTON) - FINAL RESULTS

1. (3) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 250, Running $115,800 2. (12) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 250, Running $94,850 3. (4) Scott Sharp, Dallara-Honda, 250, Running $78,750 4. (17) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 250, Running $67,000 5. ... Continue reading

NHRA (ENGLISHTOWN) - POWERADE SERIES POST RACE NOTES

NHRA (ENGLISHTOWN) - POWERADE SERIES POST RACE NOTES

TOP FUEL · Larry Dixon earned his fourth career win at Englishtown in his sixth consecutive final-round appearance at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. · Dixon piloted his SkyTel dragster to a 4.625 at 321.73 while runner-up Doug Herbert earned his second runner-up finish of 2007 with a 4.675 at 316.30 in his Sna ... Continue reading

NHRA (ENGLISHTOWN) - SNAKE RACING DOUBLES UP WITH DIXON AND JOHNSON JR.

NHRA (ENGLISHTOWN) - SNAKE RACING DOUBLES UP WITH DIXON AND JOHNSON JR.

Drag racing legend Don "Snake" Prudhomme celebrated a double-win Sunday as his two drivers -- Larry Dixon in Top Fuel and Tommy Johnson Jr. in Funny Car -- pulled off a pair of wins at the 38th annual ProCare Rx NHRA SuperNationals presented by R2B2. Ironically, Pro Stock winner Greg Anderson tallied his 49th career vi ... Continue reading

GRAND AM (MID-OHIO) - Lally, Valentine Score Third Rolex Series Grand-Am GT Victory

GRAND AM (MID-OHIO) - Lally, Valentine Score Third Rolex Series Grand-Am GT Victory

Andy Lally put the No. 66 TRG CRG/Maxter Porsche GT3 in victory lane for the third time in the last four Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve GT races Sunday in the EMCO Gears Classic presented by KeyBank at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, as he held off Sylvain Tremblay in the two-and- ... Continue reading

Automobile Insurance Companies Ranked on How They Treat Online Customers in Customer Respect Group Study

Automobile Insurance Companies Ranked on How They Treat Online Customers in Customer Respect Group Study

IPSWICH, Mass.--The Customer Respect Group, an international research and consulting firm that focuses on how corporations treat their online customers, today released findings from its Second Quarter 2007 Online Customer Respect Study of the Automobile Insurance Industry. The study evaluated the websites of a represen ... Continue reading

Audi Announces 2008 RS 4 Cabriolet Pricing and Equipment

Audi Announces 2008 RS 4 Cabriolet Pricing and Equipment

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 25 -- Audi of America, Inc. announced today the pricing of its RS 4 Cabriolet model at $81,900. The destination charge will be $775, and the gas guzzler tax will be determined prior to arrival at U.S. showrooms in fall 2007. Because of its limited production, RS 4 Cabriolet will only be offere ... Continue reading

Ford SUV Earns Insurance Industry's Top Safety Award

Ford SUV Earns Insurance Industry's Top Safety Award

ARLINGTON, Va., June 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2008 Ford Taurus X, a midsize SUV, meets the criteria to win the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's TOP SAFETY PICK award. Winners of this designation afford superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their class. To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK, ... Continue reading

Tenneco Announces Senior Executive Departure

Tenneco Announces Senior Executive Departure

LAKE FOREST, Ill., June 25 -- Tenneco Inc. announced today that Paul Schultz, senior vice president, global supply chain management and manufacturing, is leaving the company today to pursue other opportunities. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051028/CGF002LOGO ) Shultz, 56, joined Tenneco in 2002 from Inge ... Continue reading

CSK Auto Corporation Appoints Interim Chief Financial Officer

CSK Auto Corporation Appoints Interim Chief Financial Officer

PHOENIX--CSK Auto Corporation today announced that Steven L. Korby was appointed as interim Chief Financial Officer effective upon the departure of current Chief Financial Officer, James B. Riley, who previously announced his intent to resign from the Company to join Ormet, an aluminum production company in his home st ... Continue reading

Methode Electronics Board Approves Dividend

Methode Electronics Board Approves Dividend

CHICAGO--Methode Electronics, Inc. , announced its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.05 per share to be paid on July 27, 2007 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on July 13, 2007. About Methode Electronics Methode Electronics, Inc. is a global manufacturer of electronic co ... Continue reading

AutoTrader.com Announces Exclusive Classifieds Relationship with MSN Autos

AutoTrader.com Announces Exclusive Classifieds Relationship with MSN Autos

ATLANTA--AutoTrader.com, the ultimate automotive marketplace, today announced a new strategic relationship with MSN Autos that makes AutoTrader.com the exclusive provider of new, used and certified pre-owned vehicle listings on MSN Autos. The alliance provides users of MSN Autos (http://autos.msn.com) with access to Au ... Continue reading

Market Share and Sales Volume for Midsize Non-Premium SUVs Plummet as New-Vehicle Buyers Increasingly Trade to Crossover Models

Market Share and Sales Volume for Midsize Non-Premium SUVs Plummet as New-Vehicle Buyers Increasingly Trade to Crossover Models

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., June 25 -- The midsize non-premium utility segment, which was once one of the largest segments in the new-vehicle industry and the source of substantial profits for several automakers, is dramatically declining, according to the Power Information Network (PIN), a division of J.D. Power and Ass ... Continue reading

Report Says International Vehicle Brands Appeal to Young Buyers

Report Says International Vehicle Brands Appeal to Young Buyers

Washington DC June 25, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that when it comes to cars, twenty-somethings say they want three things: style, performance, and affordability. It's an equation that usually adds up to a foreign car purchase. According to the Detroit Free Press, the buying trend is due to international car c ... Continue reading

NHRA - Frustrating First Round Loss for Troxel

NHRA - Frustrating First Round Loss for Troxel

Melanie Troxel, driver of the Vietnam Veterans POW/MIA Top Fuel dragster, was defeated in the first round of eliminations at the 38th annual ProCare Rx SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. In her match up against Doug Herbert, Troxel lost traction around 300 feet out before seeing her opponent also havin ... Continue reading

The Best of the Best in High School Auto Technology Compete for the Coveted 2007 National Title

The Best of the Best in High School Auto Technology Compete for the Coveted 2007 National Title

-- AAA: WHEN: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:15 a.m. - Starting gun Instructed to "start your engines, if you can," 100 students clad in red and black "pit crew" uniforms will run to their assigned, identically bugged 2007 Ford Fusions. 9:15 - 10:45 a.m. - Competition The fastest time to diagnose, repair, and drive their car ... Continue reading

Honda Achieves Record Monthly Overseas and Worldwide Auto Production

Honda Achieves Record Monthly Overseas and Worldwide Auto Production

<http://www.japancorp.net> Honda Achieves Record Monthly Overseas and Worldwide Auto Production Tokyo, Japan, June 25, 2007 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced its automobile production, domestic sales, and export results for the month of May 2007. Honda achieved a new record for overseas and world ... Continue reading

Orange County Choppers Reveal America’s First Renewable Energy Chopper Running on E85

Orange County Choppers Reveal America’s First Renewable Energy Chopper Running on E85

NEWTON, Iowa--Paul Teutul Sr. and his sons, Paul Jr. & Mikey, were sharing the track with international race car drivers at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 today as they unveiled their first ‘green’ chopper – the Iowa Farm Bureau Renewable Energy Chopper. The E85 chopper visually showcases sustainable renewable s ... Continue reading

Volvo Truck Deliveries January-May 2007

Volvo Truck Deliveries January-May 2007

STOCKHOLM, Sweden June 25, 2007; Total deliveries of trucks from the Volvo Group's (STO:VOLVB) four truck companies, including Nissan Diesel, through May this year amounted to 82,865, which is a decrease of 10%, compared with the year-earlier period. Deliveries from Nissan Diesel only include the period April to May 20 ... Continue reading

USA TODAY Looks at Top 25 Cars and Trucks As Part of 25th Anniversary Celebration

USA TODAY Looks at Top 25 Cars and Trucks As Part of 25th Anniversary Celebration

Today's List: Top 25 Cars and Trucks That Had an Impact MCLEAN, Va., June 25 -- USA TODAY turns 25 years young this September, and to continue the celebration, The Nation's Newspaper will look back at the Top 25 Cars and Trucks That Had an Impact. Cars and trucks are an indelible part of people's lives. And picking 25 ... Continue reading

LA Auto Club: It's Never Safe to Leave Children, Pets or the Elderly Alone in the Car in the Heat

LA Auto Club: It's Never Safe to Leave Children, Pets or the Elderly Alone in the Car in the Heat

LOS ANGELES, CA Jun 25, 2007; Nationwide 42 children died from heat stroke after being left in unattended vehicles in 2005. The Automobile Club of Southern California reminds motorists of the danger of leaving children alone in a closed vehicle, especially as the weather gets hotter. The Auto Club reminds parents and c ... Continue reading

Mitsubishi Motors Europe at 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show

Mitsubishi Motors Europe at 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show

FRANKFURT - June 25, 2007: Mitsubishi has embarked upon its most ambitious automotive project ever through the launch of its first global platform. Known as "Project Global" within MMC, and already successfully previewed with the second generation Outlander, this new global platform will next be rolled out to the Europ ... Continue reading

Lotus Cars To Go On Sale in South Korea Beginning July

Lotus Cars To Go On Sale in South Korea Beginning July

NORFOLK, England - June 25, 2007: Lotus Cars Ltd, the sportscar division of Group Lotus plc, is pleased to announce the appointment of LK Co., Ltd for the retail of Lotus cars in South Korea. Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus plc comments “I would like to welcome LK Co., Ltd. to the Lotus family and brand. The So ... Continue reading

Cheap Cars Seen As Way to Stimulate Slumping Indian Car Market

Cheap Cars Seen As Way to Stimulate Slumping Indian Car Market

MUMBAI - June 25, 2007: According to a story by Salil Panchal, and reported by AFP Agence France-Presse, India is Trading a motorcycle for a car in India has long been too expensive for many, but manufacturers plan to offer models at 3,000 dollars or less to attract new buyers, analysts say. ADVERTISEMENT The push by N ... Continue reading

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