Ford, it seems, can’t catch a break these days. First, the automaker drew flak for running an unscripted “press conference” ad, featuring an F-150 owner who was critical of automakers taking bailout money. Earlier this week, Ford pulled the ad from rotation on television, and even pulled it down from YouTube for a brief period… Original post:  Congressman Questions Ford Over Bailout Ad

A few months back, Malcolm and I were headed north on I-95 after a Southern Automotive Media Association meeting in Miami. We were driving at around 75 miles per hour, in a steady rain and moderate traffic, when the minivan next to us spun. The whole thing happened too fast to be puckering; one minute, the van was alongside us, and the next the driver was looking out his windshield at the side of my car. No one was hurt, and the van suffered only minor damage. Traffic was slowing ahead, and the minivan driver most likely tapped his brakes. What caused the spin? My guess is bald tires on a wet road. Years ago, most states required annual vehicle inspections to certify that cars were safe to drive. Thanks to apathy, budget cuts or the idea that requiring repairs would put an “unfair financial burden” on drivers with limited income, annual inspections have largely been eliminated. The result is that many cars on the road today aren’t safe at 35 miles per hour, let alone double or triple that. Scope the tires of cars in a shopping mall parking lot, and you’ll see what I mean. Motor Authority and AutoExpress report that a German company, ProContour, has developed a tire scanner, designed to spot unsafe tire tread depth. The scanner uses a series of high speed cameras and lasers to record and measure tread depth, at speeds up to 75 miles per hour. Tires that show wear to 1.6 millimeters, over the central 75 percent of the tread, would trigger an alarm at a nearby police checkpoint. Drivers would then be stopped and issued warnings or fines. There’s no plans yet to implement them on this side of the pond, but officials in the U.K are currently debating the benefits and drawbacks of installing the $67,000 scanners. While the scanners have the potential of increasing road safety, they also have the ability to generate revenue for local governments. As with speed cameras, we suspect the technology will be more about money than about safety. View original here: Will Tire Tread Scanners Keep Roads Safer? See more here:  Will Tire Tread Scanners Keep Roads Safer?

American luxury today lacks the grandeur and optimism of the past, a fact driven by a generation raised with no appreciation for hoods long enough to land a Dreamliner, or the mystique of the opera window. Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Lincoln Mark V serves as a stoic reminder of what luxury once was, but is its price a little too reminiscent? More » See original here: For $12,000, that’ll leave a mark [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe] The rest is here: For $12,000, that’ll leave a mark [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

EVO’s own Chris Harris, one of the most respectable automotive journalists, delivers a new video review of the 2012 BMW M5. Harris had the opportunity to drive the F10 M5 on race track at Ascari where BMWBLOG’s Shawn Molnar delivered a drifting session aboard the same M5 super sedan. Our own review of the M5 can be found here, previewed by the following conclusion: “Finally and in conclusion, we arrive at the topic of curb appeal. I challenge you to walk past the new M5 and not feel your heart beat just a little bit faster, or your eyes lock onto its curves. Its sheet metal is muscular and menacing, yet swoopy and curvaceous. Now in its fifth generation, the M5 is packed with charm.” It became clear to me while driving through a small Spanish town that the M5 has street presence. It turned heads, first for its sound, then for its looks. I believe its gorgeous sparkling blue paint may have also had something to do with it (or perhaps its handsome driver? No, most certainly not!). I heard a young girl yell, “Muy bonita!” translated, “Very beautiful!” while driving past. Men and women of all ages could not help but lock eyes on the slippery blue shape as it rolled away. The M5 seemed to enjoy the attention, because it rather rambunctiously revved its engine every time the auto start-stop technology would switch the engine back on. After a large enough crowd of young men had gathered their attention, the least I could do was tromp on the throttle – much to their fist-pumping, cheering delight. This is a happy car – it wants to take in the moment. It often makes you smile. And for that – it can fittingly be badged an M car. Muy bonita indeed.” Now, let’s see if Harris agrees with us. Here is the original post:  Video Review: 2012 BMW M5 by Chris Harris

Filed under: Humour A German company has invented a caravan suitable for both land and sea; sailors are now expecting Sunday afternoon tailbacks stretching hundreds of nautical miles. The aquatic caravan is called the Sealander, and it raises the delicious possibility of a holiday spent trapped in a small box bobbing up and down on the North Sea. The interior is modular, and can be equipped as either a kitchen or bedroom – or a combination of both, like a central London bedsit. On the road it can be towed like a normal caravan, equipped with two wheels, but in the water it utilises a small electric outboard motor to get about. Conceived by German industrial designer Daniel Straub and developed within two years, it will cost around £13,000 when it goes into production. Find you more in the video below.   See the original post here: Aquatic caravan ready to cause North Sea tailbacks View original here:  Aquatic caravan ready to cause North Sea tailbacks

Filed under: Humour A Vauxhall Frontera has been found at the top of Mount Snowdon for the second time in a month. The bizarre reappearance follows its September 3 climb to the summit , after which its owner was arrested and charged with dangerous driving. After its first appearance at the summit the car had to be taken back down the mountain on a railway carriage. Irked parties this time around include the police, National Trust, and Snowdon mountain rescue, all currently trying to work out how to get it back down this time. Mystery surrounds the reappearance, not least because nobody seems to know who put the car there again, how, and exactly why? However, in answer to the last question, visitors to the centre near Snowdon’s summit where the Frontera is parked say there’s a sign in the windscreen, claiming it will be auctioned online and that the proceeds will go to the mountain rescue team. However, any money generated from its sale will be rejected because, in Ian Henderson of the Llanberis Moutain Rescue Team’s words, “we could not accept the donation as this is the result of an illegal act.” It seems inconceivable that the arrested owner, Craig Williams, who’s due in court early next month on the first charge, would drive it up there again. The Snowdonia National Park Authority has slammed whoever drove the car, not least for parking it away from the railway line this time, making its removal more difficult. It has urged the police to prosecute whoever it is.   The rest is here: 4×4 scales Snowdon illegally for a second time Original post:  4×4 scales Snowdon illegally for a second time

Filed under: Formula One Mercedes GP on Friday confirmed reports ousted Ferrari technical boss Aldo Costa is reuniting with his former colleague Ross Brawn. And the Brackley based squad also announced that HRT’s recently-departed Geoff Willis, who was with the German team in its Honda days until 2006, is joining up as technology director next month. Italian Costa, who worked under now Mercedes team boss Brawn at Ferrari some years ago, will start his new job as engineering director in December. Both Costa and Willis will report to technical director Bob Bell, the former Renault chief, Mercedes GP added. “Aldo will be responsible for design and development, and Geoffrey will head the aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, control systems and simulation functions,” the team said in a media statement. Said Brawn: “Building a winning team is an exciting challenge for us all as we work towards the competitiveness and standards that we aspire to as the Mercedes-Benz works team.”   View post: Mercedes signs Costa and Willis See more here: Mercedes signs Costa and Willis

Despite its German-like name, Hess Motorsports is a US-based car customizing company which has released its take on the E350. Starting with a gloss-painted black body sedan body, Hess added a rear spoiler and applied Llumar black tint to the windows. Continuing with the all-black theme, Hess then replaced the standard wheels with 20-inch NC forged rims with black centers and a polished outer lip. The spoke design allows the brake rotors to show through, while the ride height has been adjusted with Eibach Pro springs to provide just the right clearance between the fenders and the Michelin low-profile PS2s. Taken as a whole, Hess Motorsports has produced a version of the E-Class that is at home both as a boulevard cruiser and as a chariot of the rich and powerful. Continued here: Hess Motorsports Releases Customization Kit For The E350

When a world-famous car-loving, car-collecting comedian takes the time to visit your factory, you of course roll out a grand welcome and use what footage you have to thumb your nose at your competitors. MBUSA’s release of this clip shows Jay Leno hopping off a private plane and being greeted by the AMG CEO himself. Taking to a track that he saw only in pictures in his youth, Jay Leno gets advice from Mercedes driver and ambassador David Coulthard who tells Jay to just basically “trust the car”. The final part of the video shows Jay helping out with assembling an AMG engine. One doesn’t know if Robert the technician is a really serious guy who’s serious about his work or he’s just apprehensive that Jay will screw up his handcrafted engine. Being the comedian that he is, Jay must have wreaked havoc on the work atmosphere during his tour of the facilities. Read the original here: Jay Leno Drives The SLS AMG Roadster At The MB Track

Filed under: Latest News For years it’s been mooted, but finally a Government has had the gumption to raise the national speed limit from 70mph to 80mph. It was confirmed yesterday by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, and will come into law within two years. Despite 80mph being seen by many motorway users as an ‘acceptable’ speed, raising the limit is a highly divisive issue, largely because of safety concerns. The announcement coincides with the release of Department for Transport (DfT) accident figures for 2010, which show that road casualties have fallen significantly for the third year in a row. Road deaths were reduced by 17 percent compared to 2009, while overall injuries went down by six percent. The DfT says that factors influencing the downward trend include improved vehicle safety, better road engineering and “falling traffic levels for the last three years and continued reduction in free flow speeds.” Concern about the speed limit increase among some is based on the assumption that 90mph will actually become the tacit maximum speed. “Most drivers who currently exceed the limit are only likely to exceed a new limit by the same margin,” said RoSPA’s Kevin Clinton; it’s a view shared by plenty of Twitter users, too. Road safety charity Brake has slammed the increase as “shameful”, with chief executive Mary Williams saying that it has been done simply to “legitimise law breakers.” In a highly emotive statement, she said: “This is a selfish move that will achieve nothing other than carnage and is pandering to an uninformed few. “What is far more legitimate is the grief of families bereaved on Britain’s motorways in horrendous pile-ups at high speed, and the rights of all UK citizens to have slower, not faster, speeds on roads to enable drivers to avoid collisions. Higher speeds equal less time to react and avoid a collision in an emergency.” But Philip Hammond believes that the 70mph limit is outdated, because cars are far safer now than they were when the limit was introduced in 1965. “The economic benefits will outweigh the very, very small impact in casualty numbers,” he said, adding that the move will “put Britain back in the fast...

Filed under: Humour Chris Evans is no stranger to publicity – the man can’t even turn up late for work without everyone getting all bent out of shape about it. And with Lotus possessing an unparalleled ability to conjure up some of the most baffling PR stunts ever , it’s inevitable that when the two come together, there’s gonna be a photographer. Having announced that it would be donating a quite peculiar Evora Freddy Mercury Edition to be auctioned for the late Queen singer’s HIV AIDS charity, the company must have been rubbing its hands together when the winning bidder turned out to be the UK’s most famous ginger (car) nut. We spoke to Lotus this morning, and it turns out that the Freddie Mercury Edition was knocked up in Paintbrush (or whatever it is car designers have on their Macbooks), with the winning bidder actually given the choice to spec his or her Evora in any way they fancy. So the orange Evora you see in the picture above is probably just a not-so-subtle hair-based juxtaposition; Evans’ car hasn’t been made yet. And as it happens he’s decided to have the Paintbrush version anyway, with no changes at all, meaning speccing up the car was a four-word process: “I’ll have that one.”   See the original post here:  Chris Evans + Lotus = epic photo opportunity Here is the original:  Chris Evans + Lotus = epic photo opportunity

With all the talk of Porsche expanding its lineup, the tendency is to center around cars that hard core enthusiasts roll their eyes at. The Cajun small SUV is destined to be the next entry to Porsche’s lineup, but we like what we are hearing about some of the other possibilities. One that has been oft-discussed is a new 928 GT, and that would be perfect given the Panamera platform is there to form a basis. The other is a small mid-engined roadster that would slot in below the Boxster. CAR Magazine reports that work is being done on a model, referred to as the “550.” The 550 is far from receiving an official green light, however. CAR reports that the 550 is in the engineering feasibility stage. That means specific numbers are being evaluated, to decide whether the business plan will make sense. The car has been reportedly nixed before due to the numbers just not working out. With Porsche becoming part of the vast Volkswagen Group empire though, the dynamics might have changed. The proposed mid-engined small Porsche could share a platform with Audi and Volkswagen (Blue Sport Concept) variants. For us, the question is when does the Porsche model become too similar to the other platform derivatives? It would make sense to have one model at the high-end, the Porsche (or the Audi if need be) and then the VW Blue Sport at the low end. Curiously though, CAR reports that the Audi model would have the top billing, with all-wheel drive and a five-cylinder engine making 340 horsepower. That doesn’t make much sense at all. Recent history shows that Audi has a lot of sway though; it pretty much gets to do what it wants even if that means stepping on another brand’s toes. One way to differentiate would be different variants, like a speedster, coupe, and shooting brake. CAR reports those are all under consideration, and that the Porsche 550 (we’re pretty sure that name won’t be making it to production) would be powered by a new 1.9-litre flat four-cylinder that Porsche is developing. The engine would make around 210 horsepower, well enough power for the lightweight 550. If approved, the 550 would be a modern-day 914….one likely to be a lot cooler than the original. Related posts: New Porsche Model In the Works? Porsche Confirms...

The compact to mid-size truck segment in the United States is pretty uncompetitive and has taken a back seat to the full-size market. It is a pretty stagnant segment – Ford is discontinuing the ancient Ranger, the Chevrolet Colorado (and GMC Canyon) have been left without any updates, and the same holds true for the Dakota. The Toyota Tacoma is the best-selling and freshest truck in the segment. Today, Toyota has released a pre-production performance version in Texas. What better place to release a new truck than Texas? It is pretty much as truck-country as you can get, which is why Toyota builds trucks there at its San Antonio plant. While the Tacoma isn’t a real competitor to the Raptor, you’ve got to give Ford credit for reviving interest in performance trucks with that truck. The new Tacoma is developed by the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) division, and is dubbed the Tacoma T|X (Tacoma Extreme) Baja Series. Toyota is currently planning on offering the Baja Series line on the Tacoma Access and Double Cab 4×4 models equipped with the TRD Off-Road Package. Expansion to the PreRunner line is being considered. The front suspension has been upgraded with 60 mm piston Bilstein race shocks and a one inch increase in wheel travel. Other upgrades beneath the skin include a TRD cat-back exhaust and TRD coil springs with a protective zinc-plated body. The rear suspension gets new 50 mm piston Bilstein race shocks that also have a zinc–plated body. The shocks include a remote reservoir to increase shock oil capacity. Rear wheel travel is increased by 1.5 inches. Overall ride height has been increased by two inches, and the Tacoma Baja Series features Gun-Metal gray bead-lock style wheels with BF Goodrich T/A KO tires. Exterior changes are mainly limited to Baja Series graphics. Power comes from the Tacoma’s 4.0-liter V-6 manual that is mated to a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual. The Baja Series builds on some of the other features of the existing TRD Off-Road package, including Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), Downhill Assist Control (DAC) and an electronically-controlled locking rear differential. The package will be offered on the 2012 model Tacoma, which has recently been fretted with a...

Filed under: First Drive Remember the Lancia brand? Many enthusiasts do and are still sad at the Italian sporting brand’s departure from the UK in 1994. Well, now its back – sort of. In case you weren’t aware, Fiat Auto has taken over the US car maker Chrysler . As part of its plans, Lancia and Chrysler are to be merged in Europe, with the Italian manufacturers models rebadged as Chryslers in Europe, in much the same way as Vauxhall and Opel brands work. One of two new Chrysler models launched here is the Ypsilon supermini. This all-new five-door version made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and for Lancia anoraks, yes, it can trace its roots back to the individually styled first-generation Y10, which was sold in the UK. The badge on the bonnet might have changed, but like the Y10 and Ypsilons of the past, the looks of the new car are pleasingly individual. Highlights include the curvy floating roof, that’s similar to its bigger brother, the Delta. At the front, there are distinctive sloping headlights, a shield-like chromed front grille and a clamshell bonnet. Move to the back and the highlights are the curvy rear light clusters and deep rear window line. I thought it looked at its best with the optional two-tone paint, which is expected to cost around £1,200 extra. Sadly, the interior of the Ypsilon isn’t as interesting as the exterior. You sit high and there’s nothing wrong with the centrally mounted instruments or soft-touch trim. However, the instruments are not very well integrated into the rest of the dashboard design. Still, the finish is up to Fiat 500 standards, which is interesting as this car is built on a stretched 500 floorpan. The seats are comfortable, there’s enough room in the back for six-footers and there’s the practicality of a 245 litre boot. A choice of three engines are available for the Ypsilon in the UK: two petrol and one diesel. Petrol engines start with the 2011 Engine of the Year, the 0.9 turbo TwinAir, that like the bigger 69bhp 1.2-litre has a 99g/km emissions figure. The one diesel engine is the 95bhp, 1.3 Multijet diesel with emissions of 115g/km and a Combined consumption figure of 57.6mph. All of these engines feature green technology including a start-stop...

With the current state of the economy, many people are scrambling to make ends meet. Whether families are now shopping at thrift stores, using coupons or hosting more yard sales, the need to save money is clear. Some people try to lower their bills or avoid paying them altogether just to have money to put food on the table. While some bills such as car insurance are necessary, you can actually save money if you pay the entire amount up front. What is a Paid in Full Discount? Car insurance companies would rather not process monthly payments. It requires more labor to issue and process those payments, labor that could be put to better use generating more sales. That’s why insurance companies reward customers for paying the entire policy in full, whether the policy term is for six months or one year. Insurance companies often charge monthly fees to process premium payments to make up for the cost of the additional labor. So, by paying your entire policy in full, you can actually save yourself money. Not only does paying in full make the car insurance company’s job easier, but it also gives the company confidence that you will be their customer for the next six months or one year. Insurance companies rely on stability and your premium paid in full helps the company make accurate financial projections necessary to ensuring there is always enough money on hand to pay claims. How Much Can I Save? If you pay your entire policy upfront, you can expect to see savings anywhere between 5 percent and 21 percent. The monthly installment charge varies by company and is usually a flat fee, regardless of the policy premium, so the percentage changes depending on the premium. Insurance companies are shy about revealing the true cost of installment fees. According to ConsumerAction.org, Progressive changes $5 per installment payment. If you have another company like State Farm, Metlife or Farmers Car Insurance , you could pay even more. Other Ways I Can Lower My Rate? In order to save yourself the most money, you can combine your paid in full discount with other savings such as safety features, great driving history and successfully completing a driver safety course. If you have been involved in accidents that have increased your premiums, paying your policy in full can...