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June 2008

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPION SPIES TO RACE IN RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP

AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPION SPIES TO RACE IN RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, June 12, 2008 – There will be a fourth American on the MotoGP grid at the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP, as two-time reigning AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies will race as a wild-card rider for Suzuki at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Spies, 23, from Longview, Texas, won AMA Superbik ... Continue reading

Goodyear Headlines Fuel Savings with Key Vehicle Fitments

Goodyear Headlines Fuel Savings with Key Vehicle Fitments

Fuel efficiency of tires is important for auto makers and consumers AKRON, Ohio, June 12 -- As fuel prices continue to climb, most consumers are searching for ways to achieve improved gas mileage, and North America's largest tire maker has some advice. A recent posting by the U.S. Department of Energy (at http://www.fu ... Continue reading

Goodyear Tires Outfit High-Powered Mustang

Goodyear Tires Outfit High-Powered Mustang

AKRON, Ohio, June 12 -- Among exotic, high-powered automobiles, there is a fine line between track and street performance. The ability to transmit the power and torque to the pavement rests with the work completed by the vehicle engineering team and a tire company's engineers. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh ... Continue reading

AUDI'S MEMORIES OF LE MANS

AUDI'S MEMORIES OF LE MANS

"There are many memories since then but for sure I will never forget my very first lap on the Le Mans circuit," says Capello. Photo: Regis Lefebure Everything Audi and its drivers do are focused toward just one goal: winning at Le Mans. And that is something Audi has done seven times in eight years first with its R8 an ... Continue reading

Toyota Developing Two New Hybrids and Plug-Ins Too!

Toyota Developing Two New Hybrids and Plug-Ins Too!

Washington DC June 12, 2008; The AIADA newsletter reported that Toyota Motor Corp. yesterday fired a fresh volley in the green car wars, promising two new hybrid vehicles and the start of lithium ion battery production next year. The two hybrids – one badged a Toyota, the other a Lexus – will debut at the Det ... Continue reading

AAIA Releases Newly-Expanded 2009 Aftermarket Factbook & Lang Annual

AAIA Releases Newly-Expanded 2009 Aftermarket Factbook & Lang Annual

300 Pages of Market Intelligence BETHESDA, Md., June 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) has released its newly-expanded 2009 Aftermarket Factbook & Lang Annual, featuring more than 300 pages of one-of-a-kind industry trends and analysis. Now conveniently compiled in a s ... Continue reading

AUTODELTA Unveils Alfa 159 J4 2.2 C Models Using JTS Direct Injection Engine J4 2.2 C

AUTODELTA Unveils Alfa 159 J4 2.2 C Models Using JTS Direct Injection Engine J4 2.2 C

AUTODELTA J4 2.2 C - Development Project & Invitation to World Première After 18 months of intensive development of the 2.2 JTS direct injection engine, Autodelta is pleased to announce that it will unveil the bespoke Alfa 159 J4 2.2 C at an exclusive event at the Yacht Harbour of Driessen, Amsterdam, on 20th & 21st ... Continue reading

AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPION SPIES TO RACE IN RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP

AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPION SPIES TO RACE IN RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GP

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, June 12, 2008 – There will be a fourth American on the MotoGP grid at the inaugural Red Bull Indianapolis GP, as two-time reigning AMA Superbike champion Ben Spies will race as a wild-card rider for Suzuki at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Spies, 23, from Longview, Texas, won AMA Superbik ... Continue reading

Wallace looking to defend charity title

Wallace looking to defend charity title

MACON, Ill. (June 11) -- JEGS.com racer Kenny Wallace will welcome a large group of fellow NASCAR stars to the racetrack he co-owns with Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader Thursday night for the U.S. Army Night of NASCAR Stars II. Wallace is the defending champion of the charity race, which donates its proceeds to the chari ... Continue reading

INDYCAR SERIES NOTES

INDYCAR SERIES NOTES

1. Andretti, Foyt, Rahal follow in fathers’ footsteps: Life in the IndyCar Series can mean a lot of time on the road away from friends and family. For drivers Marco Andretti, A.J. Foyt IV and Graham Rahal, their famous fathers/grandfather are the reasons they started racing. And family is never far away at the rac ... Continue reading

Canadian Maxwell Looks to Defend Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport Race Saturday at Mosport

Canadian Maxwell Looks to Defend Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport Race Saturday at Mosport

Toronto driver co-piloted Ford Mustang to victory with Joe Foster in 2007; Three drivers co-lead GS points DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 11, 2008) – Scott Maxwell gave his hometown crowd at Mosport International Raceway something to cheer about in 2007 when he and co-driver Joe Foster took the No. 55 Hyper Sport Ford ... Continue reading

IMS, IRL DONATE $100,000 TO BELLE ISLE, HOLE IN THE WALL CAMPS

IMS, IRL DONATE $100,000 TO BELLE ISLE, HOLE IN THE WALL CAMPS

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, June 12, 2008 – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indy Racing League are donating the $100,000 purse from the 2008 McDonald’s Pit Stop Challenge, canceled May 23 due to rain, to Belle Isle Park and Hole in the Wall Camps. Belle Isle Park, located in Detroit, and Hole in the Wall Camp ... Continue reading

TomTom Brings Tele Atlas in Contact with 20 Million Customers

TomTom Brings Tele Atlas in Contact with 20 Million Customers

Huge amount of community map feedback delivered to map provider in industry first CONCORD, Mass., June 12 -- TomTom and Tele Atlas bring the ideal of having fully up-to-date maps closer than ever before. Today, TomTom announces that it is providing all Map Share(TM) feedback to Tele Atlas. After extensive verification ... Continue reading

Jiffy Lube(R) Empowers Drivers to Improve Fuel Efficiency

Jiffy Lube(R) Empowers Drivers to Improve Fuel Efficiency

Fast Lube Leader Helps Consumers with Fuel Efficiency Tips and $10 Prepaid Gas Cards HOUSTON, June 12 -- As costs to operate a vehicle continue to rise, drivers want to take more control of improving their fuel efficiency. That's why Jiffy Lube International is putting customers back in the driver's seat with a fuel ef ... Continue reading

SAE 2008 World Congress Attendee Wins Dodge Nitro

SAE 2008 World Congress Attendee Wins Dodge Nitro

DETROIT, June 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ahmad Nasser, a software engineer for Vector CANtech in Novi, Mich., drove away from the SAE 2008 World Congress in a new Dodge Nitro. The car was awarded through a random drawing funded by Dassault Systemes, whose flagship CAD program CATIA was used to design the Nitro. Appr ... Continue reading

Ford of Europe Sales Continue to Grow in Challenging Environment

Ford of Europe Sales Continue to Grow in Challenging Environment

COLOGNE, Germany, June 12 -- -- In the first five months of 2008, Ford of Europe sold 828,300 units in its 51 markets, an increase of 2.3 percent -- Ford maintained year-to-date market leadership in the UK, Spain and Turkey -- Russian sales increased by more than 36 percent in May -- May was a record month for Transit ... Continue reading

TRW Automotive Introduces Compact Airbag Modules for Knee Protection and Optimized Interior Styling

TRW Automotive Introduces Compact Airbag Modules for Knee Protection and Optimized Interior Styling

ALFDORF, Germany, June 12 -- TRW Automotive GmbH, a subsidiary of TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. is increasing the intelligence of safety with the launch of a new compact knee airbag module which combines airbag performance with reduced weight and dimensions. The innovative technology allows vehicle manufacturers to opt ... Continue reading

Safe Kids Program Hits Major Milestone - One Million Seats Checked for Proper Installation

Safe Kids Program Hits Major Milestone - One Million Seats Checked for Proper Installation

Government safety agencies say program has helped change child safety "culture" and saved "hundreds of lives" LOS ANGELES, June 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Safe Kids Buckle Up, the child passenger safety program of Safe Kids USA sponsored by General Motors and Chevrolet, has reached a milestone no other program can c ... Continue reading

Need AAA Roadside Assistance? Just Dial *AAA on Sprint and Nextel Wireless Phones

Need AAA Roadside Assistance? Just Dial *AAA on Sprint and Nextel Wireless Phones

Sprint Wireless makes it easy for AAA members to call for roadside assistance from their mobile phones with *AAA ORLANDO, Fla., June 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Access to AAA's renowned road service just got a little easier for AAA's more than 51 million members with the launch of *AAA on the Sprint Wireless network. ... Continue reading

Chrysler LLC Teams With eBay Motors as Sales of Certified Used Vehicles Rise

Chrysler LLC Teams With eBay Motors as Sales of Certified Used Vehicles Rise

Pre-owned Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge Brands to be Marketed by Internet Giant - On-line hub to provide 12 million* monthly visitors with Chrysler's Brand Spankin' Used(R) U.S. Certified Pre-Owned selection - Chrysler CPO program sales grow every year since 2002 launch and are up 8 percent year to date in 2008 - Consume ... Continue reading

Rising Gas Prices Spark Historic Interest in MINI

Rising Gas Prices Spark Historic Interest in MINI

MINIUSA.COM Experiences Unprecedented 88.9% Increase in Traffic as Americans Look to MINImize Their Gas Intake with the Coolest Small Car on the Market WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., June 12 -- In the wake of skyrocketing gas prices, MINI USA has received more than 920,000 visits to its website, MINIUSA.com, in the month of May ... Continue reading

CARAVAN SALON DUSSELDORF 2008: A Combination of Trend Show, Information Platform and Destination

CARAVAN SALON DUSSELDORF 2008: A Combination of Trend Show, Information Platform and Destination

DUSSELDORF, Germany, June 12 -- At CARAVAN SALON DUSSELDORF 2008, International Trade Fair for Recreational Vehicles, Motor Homes, Trailers and Camping Equipment, over 160,000 visitors will participate to view and order RVs, mobile homes, accessories, technologies and tents/awnings as well as camping and campground equ ... Continue reading

Senior Riders See No Limits to Fulfilling Their Passion for the Open Road With Unique Piaggio MP3 Scooter

Senior Riders See No Limits to Fulfilling Their Passion for the Open Road With Unique Piaggio MP3 Scooter

Innovative three-wheel technology fuels the spirit of adventure for two 70+ year old world travelers NEW YORK, June 12 -- Is 70 the new 50? Does four-plus-dollar-a-gallon gas have to curtail your summer road trip? Are three wheels sometimes better than two or four? The answers are yes, no and absolutely -- and to prove ... Continue reading

The Who Magic Bus to Make Special Appearance at CamperJam

The Who Magic Bus to Make Special Appearance at CamperJam

Visitors to CamperJam, a weekend event taking place at Weston Park, Staffordshire, from 20-22 June and which is dedicated to owners and lovers of Volkswagen vans, will have the chance to see and buy tickets for a special 1965 'split-screen' Transporter known as The Who Magic Bus. ... Continue reading

General Motors and Clean Energy Working to Expand Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure

General Motors and Clean Energy Working to Expand Hydrogen Fueling Infrastructure

DETROIT & SEAL BEACH, Calif. June 11, 2008; General Motors Corp. and Clean Energy Fuels Corp. announced today Clean Energy will open a hydrogen fueling station in Los Angeles with support from GM. The two companies also announced that they are exploring further opportunities to expand the hydrogen infrastructure. As th ... Continue reading

J.D. Power: Top Three Auto Factories in Germany

J.D. Power: Top Three Auto Factories in Germany

Berlin (ots) - Mercedes-Benz has the most reliable factory in the world, and the second and third most reliable plants are also found in Germany. This is the result of the "US Initial Quality Study," a broadly watched indicator of reliability in new cars published by the internationally renowned market research company ... Continue reading

Propulsion Goes Red, White & Blue: MKB Motorenbau GmbH Announces MKB North America

Propulsion Goes Red, White & Blue: MKB Motorenbau GmbH Announces MKB North America

Winnenden, Germany – June 11, 2008 – Today, MKB Motorenbau GmbH announces the official opening of MKB North America. MKB Motorenbau GmbH has 17-plus years of award-winning experience in fine-tuning Mercedes and AMG vehicles. MKB North America will focus on building a strong network of new Mercedes dealers and ... Continue reading

Toyota Kicks Off Sustainable Plant Activities in Europe

Toyota Kicks Off Sustainable Plant Activities in Europe

As part of global efforts to slash environmental impacts, Toyota has kicked off Sustainable Plant activities in Europe at two manufacturing companies in France and the United Kingdom. TMMF (Valenciennes, France) and TMUK (Burnaston and Deeside, UK) will ramp up efforts in Europe by serving as the industry benchmark for ... Continue reading

Ford of Europe Sales Continue to Grow in Challenging Environment

Ford of Europe Sales Continue to Grow in Challenging Environment

Ford of Europe's business momentum continued through May despite the challenging economic environment. Year-to-date sales in the company's 51 markets have risen by 18,400, to 828,300 vehicles - an increase of 2.3 per cent compared with the same period last year. ... Continue reading

Kia kicks-off exclusive EURO 2008 activities

Kia kicks-off exclusive EURO 2008 activities

Kia Motors Corporation kicked off two activities in Vienna last week to celebrate its status as an official UEFA EUROTOP partner and highlight its support for the EURO 2008 championships. ... Continue reading

Volkswagen Sponsors 'Five Generations of Camper' at Vanfest 2008

Volkswagen Sponsors 'Five Generations of Camper' at Vanfest 2008

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and the organisers of the world's largest gathering of Transporter campervans, Vanfest, are inviting campervan owners to enter their vehicles into a special 'Five Generations of Camper' competition. The winning vehicles will be exhibited at a Volkswagen-sponsored display at the show which ... Continue reading

John Bean Unveils New Design for Wheel Aligners and Balancers

John Bean Unveils New Design for Wheel Aligners and Balancers

John Bean, a brand within Snap-on Equipment, has unveiled stylish new cabinet designs for its industry-leading ranges of wheel aligners and balancers. ... Continue reading

It's Official: Ford Focus RS Will Return

It's Official: Ford Focus RS Will Return

Ford RS is back and the all-new Focus RS is on track! An early prototype of the fastest Focus road car to date is now undergoing performance and durability testing at the challenging Nürburgring Circuit in Germany, in preparation for its launch in 2009. ... Continue reading

Compact light power - The world premiere presentation of Hella's new auxiliary spotlight "Rallye 3003 Compact" will be at the Off Road Festival in Dresden at the end of June

Compact light power - The world premiere presentation of Hella's new auxiliary spotlight "Rallye 3003 Compact" will be at the Off Road Festival in Dresden at the end of June

Compact dimensions, yet with all the quality features of its "older brother": this is how the new auxiliary spotlight "Rallye 3003 Compact" is to be launched on the market. It will be presented to the world for the first time at the Off Road Festival taking place in Dresden on 28th and 29th June 2008. ... Continue reading

Al Yousuf to Acquire 50 Percent Interest in ZAP Recharge-It-All Battery Line

Al Yousuf to Acquire 50 Percent Interest in ZAP Recharge-It-All Battery Line

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES and SANTA ROSA, CA Jun 12, 2008; Mr. Eqbal Al Yousuf will acquire a 50 percent interest in the Recharge-It-All Battery line of battery systems for mobile electronics from alternative transportation pioneer ZAP (OTC BB:ZAAP.OB - News). Mr. Eqbal Al Yousuf will acquire a 50 percent interest in ... Continue reading

Ford Says US Government Needed to Help Develop Plug-ins

Ford Says US Government Needed to Help Develop Plug-ins

WASHINGTON DC June 11, 2008; John Crawley writing for Reuters reported that Ford Motor Co is confident it has the expertise to design a plug-in hybrid, but it would need U.S. government help to get that done and to bring one to market, which it does not expect any time soon, the company's North American president said ... Continue reading

Just the Ticket for Father's Day The British International Motor Show Sponsored by Zurich Connect

Just the Ticket for Father's Day The British International Motor Show Sponsored by Zurich Connect

Rather than the usual socks or novelty tie, treat Dad to something a little different this Father's Day with tickets to the award-winning British International Motor Show sponsored by Zurich Connect. An incredible day packed full of sexy cars and exciting entertainment is the perfect way to show Dad you really apprecia ... Continue reading

Puszta Power by ABT Sportsline: New presence in Hungary

Puszta Power by ABT Sportsline: New presence in Hungary

Since last weekend, the high art of engineering and the design masterpieces of ABT Sportsline have found a new home in Hungary. For ambitious drivers, ABT is synonymous with sportiness suited for everyday use - also in the up-and-coming country in Central Europe. ... Continue reading

Mitsubishi Motors To Unveils Lancer Sportback at Paris Motor Show

Mitsubishi Motors To Unveils Lancer Sportback at Paris Motor Show

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will unveil, for the first time at an international motor show, the Lancer Sportback at the Le Mondial de l'Automobile 2008 (Paris Motor Show 2008) being held in Halls 1-8 of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from October 2 (October 4 for the general public) through October 19. The Lancer ... Continue reading

Ford says U.S. government help needed to develop plug-ins

Ford says U.S. government help needed to develop plug-ins

WASHINGTON, June 11, 2008; John Crawley writing for Reuters reported that Ford Motor Co is confident it has the expertise to design a plug-in hybrid, but it would need U.S. government help to get that done and to bring one to market, which it does not expect any time soon, the company's North American president said on ... Continue reading

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