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September 2009

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Friday, September 25, 2009

Pagenaud Takes de Ferran Acure To Top Five

Pagenaud Takes de Ferran Acure To Top Five

CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN, September 25, 2009: Young Acura driving star Simon Pagenaud made a charge at a top three qualifying position Friday at Road Atlanta against a stellar field of LMP1 driving talent in preparation for Saturday’s prestigious Petit Le Mans sports-car classic. The 25-year-old Frenchman, with three pol ... Continue reading

First drive: 40 MPG 2010 BMW X1 xDrive20d - VIDEO ENHANCED

First drive: 40 MPG 2010 BMW X1 xDrive20d - VIDEO ENHANCED

BMW enters premium compact segment right in time By Henny Hemmes Senior European Editor Amsterdam Bureau The Auto Channel LEIPZIG, September 26, 2009. Last year at the Paris auto show, when BMW unveiled the X1 Concept, we got a good view on what to expect of the future production model. Right now it rolls off the assem ... Continue reading

Financial Future of A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Secured

Financial Future of A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Secured

London, September 225, 2009: A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will be starting Season Five in just over a month with the Nikon SuperGP on 22 to 25 October and a financial restructuring has been put in place to secure its long term future. A1GP Chairman, Tony Teixeira, has outlined his plans for the series having secured th ... Continue reading

Centennial Era Concours d'Elegance Moving To 2011 At IMS

Centennial Era Concours d'Elegance Moving To 2011 At IMS

INDIANAPOLIS, September 25, 2009: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Centennial Era Concours d’Elegance, featuring some of the world’s finest classic and antique automobiles and motorcycles, is moving to June 17-19, 2011. The event, originally scheduled for June 18-20, 2010, is shifting to the new date due to th ... Continue reading

NASCAR at GIR a Success Despite Several Challenges

NASCAR at GIR a Success Despite Several Challenges

MADISON, September 25, 2009: In the span of a calendar year, unemployment in the St. Louis area rose from six percent to ten percent with racing’s TV ratings plummeting 37 percent, the most of any market in the nation. In addition to that, during Gateway International Raceway’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race w ... Continue reading

Summerton Keeps Championship Hopes Alive

Summerton Keeps Championship Hopes Alive

BRASELTON, September 25, 2009: For the second year in a row, the battle for the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda title will go down to the final race of the season, and Jonathan Summerton is once again one of three drivers in contention for the championship. Summerton leapfrogged his New ... Continue reading

IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights Drivers Race In Karting Event

IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights Drivers Race In Karting Event

Indianapolis, September 25, 2009: Dan Wheldon and Ed Carpenter lead a group of IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights competitors into the Mazda Robo-pong 200 Presented by Bridgestone on Sept. 27 at New Castle (Ind.) Motorsports Park. The endurance karting event that includes pit stops and driver changes begins at 12 ... Continue reading

De Phillippi, Smrz Selected for 20th Annual Team USA Scholarships

De Phillippi, Smrz Selected for 20th Annual Team USA Scholarships

Braselton, September 25, 2009: Connor De Phillippi, from San Clemente, Calif., and Brett Smrz, from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, have been named today as the latest recipients of prestigious Team USA Scholarships. The two teenagers will follow in the footsteps of an array of accomplished American drivers who have earned ... Continue reading

Toyota Announces Prices on Five 2010 Models Including All-New 4Runner

Toyota Announces Prices on Five 2010 Models Including All-New 4Runner

Adjustments on Tacoma and Prius TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 25 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., announced new manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for the all-new 2010 4Runner sport utility vehicle (SUV), 2010 Land Cruiser full-size SUV and Venza sedan. MSRP adjustments were also announced for the 201 ... Continue reading

Brawn GP Practice - Singapore - September 25, 2009

Brawn GP Practice - Singapore - September 25, 2009

Brawn GP's Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello took to the track under the floodlights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore this evening for the first of the practice sessions ahead of Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix. The first practice session got underway at 18:00hrs in relative daylight which darkened over t ... Continue reading

Knowles Takes 2009 SCCA Touring 2 National Championship

Knowles Takes 2009 SCCA Touring 2 National Championship

ELKHART LAKE, September 25, 2009: Don Knowles, of Pittsboro, N.C., captured his fifth-career SCCA National Championship today, winning the Touring 2 class title at the 2009 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America. Jason Ott, of Thornton, Colo., and Andy Wolverton, of Papillion, Neb., completed the top three. ... Continue reading

Dentici Takes GT-Lite National Championship on Home Turf

Dentici Takes GT-Lite National Championship on Home Turf

ELKHART LAKE, September 25, 2009: Jim Dentici, of Oconomowoc, Wis., took his second-career GT-Lite National Championship at the 2009 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America. Defending GTL National Champion Christopher Bovis, of Lawrence, Kan., and Robert Lentz, of Chantilly, Va., completed the podium. Starti ... Continue reading

Renault F1 To Continue In Formula One

Renault F1 To Continue In Formula One

Singapore, September 25, 2009: According to Ian Parkes writing for the Press Association, RENAULT has confirmed its intention to remain in Formula One, despite the stain on their reputation caused by the Singapore race-fix scandal. The team has also withdrawn the complaint made against Nelson Piquet Jnr and Snr of fals ... Continue reading

Miller Captures CSR National Championship

Miller Captures CSR National Championship

ELKHART LAKE, September 25, 2009: Matt Miller, of Orland Park, Ill., made the most of his rookie appearance at the 2009 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America, capturing the C Sports Racing title by just 0.128-second over Jacek Mucha, of Laval, Quebec. James French, of Sheboygan, Wis., finished third to com ... Continue reading

AAA Campaign Aims to Pass Texting While Driving Bans-Launches 'Heads Up Driving Week'

AAA Campaign Aims to Pass Texting While Driving Bans-Launches 'Heads Up Driving Week'

New AAA Research Shows Reduced Texting by Drivers After California Law Takes Effect WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2009; AAA and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety are launching new legislative and communications campaigns to reduce distracted driving and improve safety on our roadways. AAA today announced that the motor clu ... Continue reading

Survey Shows Bond Between Truck Owners and Their Trucks - It's Truck Love For Sure!

Survey Shows Bond Between Truck Owners and Their Trucks - It's Truck Love For Sure!

CHICAGO, Sept. 25 -- How much do pickup truck owners love their trucks? Consider that 64 percent of all pickup truck owners (66 percent of male owners) said that their truck is an extension of their personality and more than 40 percent of them have slept in their truck, it's safe to say that truck owners have an incred ... Continue reading

EV-MOTORING: Charging Through Induction

EV-MOTORING: Charging Through Induction

By Henny Hemmes Senior European Editor Amsterdam Bureau The Auto Channel Frankfurt September 15, 2009; German IAV (Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto & Verkehr - or the Association Engineers, Auto and Traffic) wants to make the electric car less dependent on battery technology. The future electric vehicle could automatically a ... Continue reading

General Motors India and REVA form partnership to transform electric vehicle market

General Motors India and REVA form partnership to transform electric vehicle market

New Delhi, September 24, 2009: General Motors India and Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop electric vehicles for the Indian market. This unique partnership will bring together two companies, established in their own field to develop car platforms, electric vehicle te ... Continue reading

Flood-Damaged Cars - CarMax Advises How to Avoid

Flood-Damaged Cars - CarMax Advises How to Avoid

RICHMOND, Va.--In the wake of recent flooding, CarMax, Inc., , the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, is advising consumers on how to avoid purchasing flood-damaged vehicles. “Consumers should be aware that some businesses and individuals may try to sell salvaged and flood-damaged cars without revealing ... Continue reading

GM Announces Establishment of China Science Lab

GM Announces Establishment of China Science Lab

Will Contribute to Technological Innovation Shanghai – General Motors Company announced today the establishment of its China Science Lab in Shanghai. The unique facility will carry out important research projects in a number of automotive-related fields for General Motors. As the first major science lab establishe ... Continue reading

New Race Series Set to Make U.S. Motor Sports History

New Race Series Set to Make U.S. Motor Sports History

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 25 -- The Caged Heat Racing Series is set to make motor sports history as it becomes the first racing series of its kind. This innovative series is designed to pit 30 custom-built half-scale stock cars against each other, on a custom engineered 22-foot high indoor caged racetrack. April 2010 will ... Continue reading

September 2009 U.S. Sales will Plunge, J.D. Power Says

September 2009 U.S. Sales will Plunge, J.D. Power Says

Washington DC September 25, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that U.S. auto sales are expected to plunge in September back to the worst levels of 2009 as buying dried up following the government's cash for clunkers incentive program, J.D. Power and Associates said on Thursday. According to Automotive News, U.S. auto ... Continue reading

Exotic Clunkers also got the Crunch Under Program

Exotic Clunkers also got the Crunch Under Program

Washington DC September 25, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that at its creation, a 1997 Bentley Continental R was one of the most powerful and exclusive cars in the world, with every hand-built copy from the English countryside valued at $300,000 and beyond. Click here for a picture. According to the Detroit Free ... Continue reading

Automakers Exploring Ways to Make Electric Cars Louder, Safer

Automakers Exploring Ways to Make Electric Cars Louder, Safer

Washington DC September 25, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that Toshiyuki Tabata spent 30 years as a Nissan engineer trying to make gasoline-powered cars quieter. Now he's consulting music composers to make electric cars noisier – and safer. According to the Detroit News, electric and hybrid cars, with little ... Continue reading

RSR Debuts Jaguar XKR GT2

RSR Debuts Jaguar XKR GT2

Braselton, September 25, 2009: RSR and Paul Gentilozzi rolled out the new Jaguar XKR at Road Atlanta. Click here for Hi-Res In preparation for a full championship effort in 2010, RSR unveiled its Jaguar XKR GT2 at the American Le Mans Series’ famed event - the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 - with the ... Continue reading

Pobst Wins SPEED GT Pole at Road Atlanta

Pobst Wins SPEED GT Pole at Road Atlanta

BRASELTON, Sept. 25, 2009: K-PAX Racing teammates Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., and Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton, Fla., continued their assault on Road Atlanta during SPEED World Challenge GT qualifying today. Driving a pair of Volvo S60s, Pobst and Pilgrim claimed the top two spots, respectively, in preparation for ... Continue reading

Grids Set for 2009 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Grids Set for 2009 SCCA National Championship Runoffs

ELKHART LAKE, Sept. 24, 2009: Qualifying has concluded for the 2009 SCCA National Championship Runoffs. Seven pole positions changed hands on the third and final day of qualifying and now eight polesitters have a restless night ahead of them as they prepare for Friday’s races. On the final day of qualifying, Corey ... Continue reading

Dempsey Extends Championship Lead with Pole Position Point

Dempsey Extends Championship Lead with Pole Position Point

BRASELTON, September 24, 2009: Peter Dempsey of Juncos Racing qualified in the pole position this afternoon after being fastest in two out of the three previous sessions this weekend at the Petit Le Mans event in Road Atlanta. The Irishman also snatched another point for qualifying in first position, extending his poin ... Continue reading

Marcos Celebrates 50 Years!

Marcos Celebrates 50 Years!

Bradford on Avon, September 25, 2009: One of the most enduring marques, which has become a legend among sports cars, celebrates 50 years in a new pictorial autobiography entitled "Making my Marque" by Jem Marsh, founder of Marcos. With over 300 photographs, most of them previously unseen, it provides a colourful journe ... Continue reading

Yokohama Tire Corporation Announces ALMS Partnership with RocketSports

Yokohama Tire Corporation Announces ALMS Partnership with RocketSports

BRASELTON, September 25, 2009: Yokohama Tire Corporation and RocketSports Racing (RSR) are teaming up to field a Jaguar XKR GT2 entry in the 2010 ALMS season. Yokohama was named the official tire supplier of RSR at a press conference at Road Atlanta on September 24. According to Mark Chung, Yokohama director, corporate ... Continue reading

Small Range Rover Confirmed For Production

Small Range Rover Confirmed For Production

Land Rover has confirmed today that a production version of its exciting LRX concept car will be built. The new car will debut next year and join the Range Rover line-up in 2011. ... Continue reading

Volvo's New Automatic Braking Techology - Responding to Both Vehicles And Pedestrians

Volvo's New Automatic Braking Techology - Responding to Both Vehicles And Pedestrians

The next generation of preventive safety technology from Volvo is a groundbreaking function that can detect a pedestrian who has walked out in front of the car, as well as automatically braking to avoid the person at speeds below 15 mph if the driver does not react in time. ... Continue reading

Volvo Cars Environmental Vision: "Drive Towards Zero"

Volvo Cars Environmental Vision: "Drive Towards Zero"

Volvo Cars' vision is to develop cars that are entirely free from harmful exhaust emissions and environment-impacting carbon dioxide. This vision is called "DRIVe Towards Zero" and steps are continuously taken to reach that vision. In 2009 alone, Volvo introduced seven high-efficiency diesel DRIVe models with very low ... Continue reading

IIHS Safety Pick: 2010 Buick La Crosse and 2010 Nissan Versa Earn Highest Award

IIHS Safety Pick: 2010 Buick La Crosse and 2010 Nissan Versa Earn Highest Award

2010 Buick LaCrosse and 2010 Nissan Versa earn Top Safety Pick award The 2010 Buick LaCrosse and the 2010 Nissan Versa are the Institute's newest Top Safety Pick award winners. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped w ... Continue reading

Ford Focus Declared Best-In-Class Used Car by What Car?

Ford Focus Declared Best-In-Class Used Car by What Car?

The Ford Focus is winning plaudits as a used vehicle after a decade as the UK's best-selling new car. ... Continue reading

Volvo Car Corporation to Introduce Plug-In Hybrids In 2012

Volvo Car Corporation to Introduce Plug-In Hybrids In 2012

Volvo is introducing a series-produced plug-in hybrid as early as 2012. Pure electric power from the battery will cover the daily transport needs of 75 percent of European drivers. For longer distances, an efficient diesel hybrid engine automatically takes over when the battery energy levels start to run low. The total ... Continue reading

Vertu Extends Partnership With Fiat Group to Take on Cars

Vertu Extends Partnership With Fiat Group to Take on Cars

One of the largest motor retailers in Britain has been awarded the Fiat car franchise for the first time ... Continue reading

Volvo Cars Working Towards an Accident Free Future

Volvo Cars Working Towards an Accident Free Future

In the quest for a traffic accident free future, Volvo Car Corporation's short-term target is that no one will be killed or injured in a new Volvo car by 2020. ... Continue reading

Honda Ranked One of the World's Best Global Brands

Honda Ranked One of the World's Best Global Brands

Honda Motor Co. has been named one of the top four automotive brands in the world according to BusinessWeek and Interbrand's 100 Best Global Brands 2009 list ... Continue reading

Skoda Australia Supports a Cyclist's Ultimate Test: Riding Across Australia

Skoda Australia Supports a Cyclist's Ultimate Test: Riding Across Australia

Further to Skoda Australia's involvement at the Around the Bay in a Day 2009, we are pleased to announce our support of Gary Harvey and his Break the Cycle Challenge. ... Continue reading

LeaseCompare.com Names Most Requested Vehicles to Lease. Cadillac CTS Debuts; Consumer Lease Options Diminish

LeaseCompare.com Names Most Requested Vehicles to Lease. Cadillac CTS Debuts; Consumer Lease Options Diminish

LeaseCompare.com Names Most Requested Vehicles to Lease. Cadillac CTS Debuts; Consumer Lease Options Diminish Cincinnati, OH – September, 24, 2009. Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. (ACS), the leader in online direct-to-consumer auto leasing and financing, released a list of the top 10 most requested ve ... Continue reading

Edmunds.com Forecasts September Auto Sales: Industry Down Over 40 Percent from Cash for Clunkers Boon

Edmunds.com Forecasts September Auto Sales: Industry Down Over 40 Percent from Cash for Clunkers Boon

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--This month's new vehicle sales (including fleet sales) are expected to be 742,000 units, a 22.9 percent decrease from September 2008 and a 41.1 percent decrease from August 2009, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information. Edmunds.com analysts predict that Sep ... Continue reading

Dealix's UsedCars.com Launches the 'Certified Pre-Owned Center'

Dealix's UsedCars.com Launches the 'Certified Pre-Owned Center'

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 24 -- Dealix, a division of Cobalt and an industry leader in automotive sales leads for dealers, dealer groups, and manufacturers, today introduced the Certified Pre-Owned Center on UsedCars.com. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071213/COBALTLOGO) The UsedCars.com Certified Pre-O ... Continue reading

Ford Motor Company Announces New Flexible Assembly Plant to Expand Production in China

Ford Motor Company Announces New Flexible Assembly Plant to Expand Production in China

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 24 -- -- Ford Motor Company's successful joint venture in China - Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) - is building a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chongqing, scheduled for completion in 2012 -- The significant investment, valued at $490 million (RMB 3.34 billion), underscores ... Continue reading

Punish the Cars or Deal With the People?

Punish the Cars or Deal With the People?

Growing movement says answer is both when it comes to solving the DUI problem LITTLETON, Colo., Sept. 24 -- While a study released last week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) indicates growing public support for the use of ignition interlocks on the cars of drunk drivers, a growing body of justice of ... Continue reading

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: September Retail Sales Drop as Effects of Expected Post-CARS Payback Are Compounded By Additional Market Factors

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: September Retail Sales Drop as Effects of Expected Post-CARS Payback Are Compounded By Additional Market Factors

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 24 -- September new-vehicle retail sales are expected to come in at 590,000 units, which represent a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 7.5 million units, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which gathers real-time transaction data from more than 8,900 franchisees across t ... Continue reading

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