Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards are dictating a change in engine development. On mainstream models, a focus has turned to maximizing fuel economy though turbocharging. Hyundai/Kia was the first to proclaim the mid-size V-6 sedan as a thing of the past, and Chevrolet and Ford have followed. The two top sellers in the segment, Toyota and Nissan, are sticking with V-6 power though. Toyota hasn’t announced any plans for a turbocharged four-cylinder in the Camry whatsoever, sticking to natural aspiration. Both Toyota and Nissan have said as long as there is V-6 demand, they will continue to build them. Illustrating this commitment, Toyota has announced an $80 million investment at its Huntsville, Alabama engine plant. The investment includes adding 125 new jobs and boosting V-6 capacity at the plant by a 216,000 units, to 362,000. A 300,000 square feet building will be constructed as part of the investment. “This V6 line addition continues to reflect our growing optimism for an improving North American market, and we continue to study more localization in North America,” said Steve St. Angelo, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. The Huntsville, Alabama plant produces V-8, V-6 and four-cylinder engines for eight of Toyota’s North American vehicle lines. The total capacity of the plant will be up to 700,000 engines when the additional capacity comes online in March 2014. Toyota’s engine capacity in the U.S will stand at 1.4 million overall. Since the beginning of the year Toyota has announced $700 million in investment into U.S plants, along with 1,100 jobs. This investment is interesting because it indicates optimism about auto sales in the U.S, and with this particular announcement, higher V-6 sales. Where do they expect to need the additional capacity? It couldn’t come from Camry. Camry is experiencing its stiffest competition ever, and has never had any capacity issues. Anyhow, it is good to see increased investment in U.S manufacturing. Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Read more: Toyota Announces $80 Million Investment In Additional V-6 Engine Capacity

Looking for an affordable, reliable new car before summer? This Memorial Day weekend is a good time to hit the showrooms for deals on a new car primed for a road trip adventure. Dealers are in the final crunch to make their end-of-the-month sales quota this coming weekend, and the holiday weekend typically brings out additional incentives, putting shoppers in a strong position to negotiate a great deal on a good car. For our holiday deals, we have listed 2012 models that offer the best discounts—between 15 percent and 20 percent below MSRP. But dealers may be interested in negotiating further to reach their sales quota and to move vehicles off the lots. Also, you may find local deals and incentives, so check our pricing information on the model pages. As the model year approaches summer, it is wise to monitor which vehicles will be replaced for 2013. On this list, several deals—such as the Ford Escape, Ford Fusion, and Honda Accord—will soon be supplanted by next-generation models. The models listed below are just a few of our Best New Car Deals , meaning there are notable discounts on models that meet Consumer Reports’ criteria to be recommended. These vehicles scored well in our testing, had average or better reliability in our subscriber survey, and performed well in government or insurance-industry safety tests, if evaluated. See our full list of deals on 2012 models. Make & model Expires MSRP Invoice price Customer rebate Dealer incentive Bottom line price Go here to see the original: Best new car deals for the 2012 Memorial Day weekend

  As the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Chevrolet celebrated 100-year anniversaries in 2011, the shared motorsport passion of both American brands receives another page in their expanding chronicles this year. Returning to the Brickyard for the first time since 1993 in competition, Chevrolet was brought back thanks to a 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 IndyCar powerplant developed by Illmor engines. For Indianapolis 500 Pole Day qualifying for the main event, the first-place starting spot seemed like Chevrolet’s position to lose. Driving the #26 Chevrolet-powered entry for Andretti Autosport during Friday practice, driver Marco Andretti posted a 227.540-mile per hour lap speed to lead contenders into Saturday where a four-lap effort by race teams will decide where or even if they will start the 96th running of the 500-mile race. Living up to the pre-qualifying expectations, the Chevrolet IndyCar engines cycled around the 2.5-mile oval at speeds faster than most of their competition running engines supplied by auto manufacturers Honda and Lotus. At the end, a shootout between Chevrolet-powered Dallara DW12 race cars thrilled the crowd with what would be the closest margin in speedway history between the pole and runner-up spot in time trials. Ryan Briscoe, piloting the #2 Team Penske entry’s average speed of 226.484 miles per hour was a narrow 0.003 miles per hour faster than Andretti Autosport #27 car wheeled by James Hinchcliffe. Over the combination of four laps around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Briscoe’s pole for Chevrolet is a matter of 0.0023 seconds less time. Triumphant in the pole, Ryan Briscoe declared on behalf of himself and his Team Penske racing organization “I can’t tell you how proud I am to run with the Bowtie here with the history of Chevrolet, and their involvement. They’re there, every step of the way. They continually give us updates and they just don’t stop working. We’re extremely happy to have Chevrolet engines.” Instrumental in the return of Chevrolet to open wheel racing through the IZOD INDYCAR Series, owner of the #2 car Roger Penske gave credit to the driver and team saying, “The guys did a great job. It was just a pleasure to bring that Chevrolet engine down home to the front with IZOD as our sponsor.”...

Al Oppenheiser sweats the details. The Camaro chief engineer pulled the frameless rearview mirror off of his ’68 and told those responsible for the modern car’s reflective surfaces to “make me one like that.” This throwback element will be standard equipment on all 2013 versions of the retro-futuristic Camaro; we saw it in person as installed in the preproduction Camaro ZL1 convertible Oppenheiser drove to our office yesterday. Read full story » See the original post here: 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Convertible Stops By, Shows Off New Retro Rearview Mirror Read the original here: 2013 Chevy Camaro ZL1 Convertible Stops By, Shows Off New Retro Rearview Mirror

If someone were to ask us what’s going on with GM’s marketing and advertising these days, our honest answer would have to be, “we have no idea.” A few years back the automaker played musical chairs with its ad agencies for Chevrolet, kicking long term partner Campbell Ewald to the curb. Next came Publicis, who lasted about a month, before the Chevy account was handed off to Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, who still (more or less) has the business under the new name Commonwealth. We’d argue that Goodby’s advertising tagline, “Chevy Runs Deep,” may be the worst pitch line in the history of the automobile, and we’re far from alone in our belief. Despite public criticism, GM’s chief marketing officer Joel Ewanick seems happy with the slogan, which doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. A few weeks back, GM announced it would pull its advertising from Facebook, which it deemed as “ineffective.” Ford was quick to point out that Facebook advertising worked fine for them, as part of a multi-layered campaign to attract the all-important Millennial buyer. Now comes word that GM is pulling out of Super Bowl advertising, too, which it deems as “not cost effective” because of rising air time costs. A single 30-second ad can sell for as much as $3.8 million for airtime alone, and that cost isn’t expected to drop for future games. The Wall Street Journal quotes Joel Ewanick as saying, “It’s just getting too expensive and we’re not just going to do the same thing every year.” We doubt that Volkswagen feels the same way, and we’re pretty sure that Kia is happy with the results of its Super Bowl advertising. It helps if you create ads that don’t suck, and both the VW and Kia ads were far more upbeat than Chevy’s end-of-the-world Silverado ad seen here. When many American families are still struggling to find jobs and keep houses, perhaps the collapse of society isn’t as funny as it first seems. We’ll offer up some free advice to GM, although we doubt very much the automaker will listen: Super Bowl advertising may be expensive, but it’s less costly than shedding customers thanks to ineffective ad campaigns.   More here: GM Pulls Out Of Super Bowl Advertising See the original post here: GM Pulls Out Of Super...

When Tom Edwards’ wife, Teresa, refused to get out of bed to buy a car Monday morning, he left the room, smoked a cigarette, then came back in and shot her to death . Edwards told Columbus, Ohio police that he and his wife had been arguing about getting a new car the previous week. More » See the original post here: This Man Killed His Wife Over A Car Purchase [Car Crime] Read more: This Man Killed His Wife Over A Car Purchase [Car Crime]

Whether you know trucks or not, the Chevrolet Silverado is likely a familiar vehicle; in a huge swath of variations, it’s the tool of choice for those who need to get things done. From sport trucks to hybrids, and up off-road rigs and heavy-duty models, the Silverado 1500 still stacks up well against rivals—no matter what the… See the original post:  2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Salt Lake City police told KSL TV they may have averted tragedy when they apprehended a wanted man driving a stolen muscle car packed with firearms. But the car — a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS — was trashed in the chase. Sounds like a tragedy to me. More » Read more: A Car Thief Crashed This Stolen 1970 Chevelle SS In A Police Chase [Car Crime] Read more here:  A Car Thief Crashed This Stolen 1970 Chevelle SS In A Police Chase [Car Crime]

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with a little rental car abuse in the name of fun, we’d say 150 MPH Police chases in a car you didn’t actually rent is a slightly different story. More » Read more here: See What A Stolen Rental Camaro Looks Like After A 150 MPH Police Pursuit [Car Crime] Read the original post:  See What A Stolen Rental Camaro Looks Like After A 150 MPH Police Pursuit [Car Crime]

Today at High Gear Media, Google received its first autonomous driver’s license and Ford partnered with Rockstar Energy Drinks. Holden might already be testing the 2014 Chevrolet SS and Toyota revealed the 2012 RAV4 EV. All this and more in today’s car news, right here on The Car Connection. Could forgetting to use your turn signals be as… Originally posted here: BMW Recall, 2013 Hyundai Sonata Reviewed, 2013 Cadillac ATS: Today’s Car News

Despite more of an emphasis on small cars, hybrids and electric vehicles than ever, performance is still alive and well. In fact, the pony car and horsepower wars have reached a fever pitch. Ford shocked the world at the Los Angeles International Auto Show last November when it unveiled the 2013 Shelby GT500. It was announced as the most powerful Mustang ever, coming stock with 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. Those are absolutely insane figures for a Mustang. Supercar-level power, all in a package that still has a live rear axle and aerodynamics that remain largely the same as the stock car. Not to mention, all that power sent to the rear wheels exclusively rather than through an all-wheel drive system. Look out when these things hit the roads – you don’t have to be a driver with skill to purchase one. As far as power goes, rival General Motors has had a recent history of under-promising and over-delivering on power output figures. We’ve seen this to be the case with the GT500′s rival, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Now Ford is doing the same thing. The Society of Automotive Engineers has tested the 2013 GT500, only to find out it actually makes more power than Ford estimated. Team Shelby reports the SAE has certified the GT500 at 662 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque, up by 12 horsepower and an even more impressive 30 pound feet of torque. Te competition has its work cut out for it if they want to match these figures. Where will it end though? This horsepower war is getting pretty insane. The insurance on these things will be through the roof. It’ll be interesting to see what Chevrolet’s next moves are with the ZL1, as well as Street Racing Technology over at Chrysler. Will they be able to resist trying to outdo Ford? Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Read the rest here: 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Actually Makes 662 HP

There is always a risk in announcing estimated horsepower or fuel economy figures before final certification has been completed. Miss the mark and the car’s reputation is tainted at launch, potentially turning off consumers. Of course, sometimes a manufacturer low-balls the estimate, such as the case with the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500. Originally announced to be 650 tire-shredding horsepower, the official figure is now 662. The Ford Mustang defined the small coupe, V8 engine formula that begat the so-called pony cars when it was introduced in April 1964. Chevrolet joined in the fray with the 1967 Camaro, and the two companies have been drag, street, and bench racing ever since. With this announcement, Camaro enthusiasts may shed a tear. The ageless competition had Chevrolet throwing down the gauntlet at the last LA Auto Show with the unveiling of the long-rumored Camaro ZL1 boasting a 580-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V8 and a full compliment of track-inspired performance enhancements. This was the greatest factory Camaro ever offered—quite a statement given the car’s storied history. Ford answered the challenge immediately; the very same day Ford declared its updated 2013 Shelby GT500 would host 650 horsepower—”making it the most powerful production V8 engine in the world.” And, it wouldn’t be subject to the gas-guzzler tax, like the ZL1. Oh, snap. Fast forward to today, and the GT500 has taken another victory before the cars are on the street. The reality is this competition may fuel enthusiast passions, but the companies are racing to extremes. Both coupes, and soon convertibles, represent the height of the American muscle car. It is hard to imagine where they go from here, but I recall having a similar thought back when these models produced half that power. For typical performance-minded drivers, both lines offer enticing, far more affordable variations. And in the end, driving that awareness may well justify pushing the boundaries on the exclusive models. Each offers an entertaining V6 with over 300 horsepower and a compelling base V8 model with more than 400 horsepower. On the street, that is more than enough. We have driven these on our test track and others, and truly, there is generous power available to challenge...

The $54,995 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will have 662 hp and 631 lb-ft of torque according to SAE ratings released by Ford today—eclipsing the 650 hp and 600 lb-ft the company originally estimated. We’d love to make an analogy to demonstrate what an obscene amount of power and torque this is, but the GT500 is the analogy. Should you ever find yourself swatting flies with rocket-propelled grenades, you might say, introspectively, “Gee, I really did a GT500 on that one.” Let’s just stick to other cars for context, then. Ford says that the GT500′s supercharged 5.8-liter V-8 is now the most powerful production V-8 in the world. We’ll leave it to you to decide if you want to stretch the definition of “production” to include some of the European tuning houses that work over and rebadge German sedans. But there’s this: The GT500 tops the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG by 99 hp. It beats the mighty Cadillac CTS-V by 106. For heaven’s sake, the GT500 has 232 more horsepower than does the base Corvette . Even the gladiatorial Vette ZR1 falls shy, at 638 hp and 604 lb-ft. Besides the ZR1, these cars aren’t really the GT500′s intended competition, but the extent to which the GT500 tops these cars, rightly thought of as extremely powerful, is shocking. The most direct competitor to the GT500 is the Chevy Camaro ZL1 , which has a supercharged V-8 good for 580 hp and 556 lb-ft. We’ve said it before and it bears repeating: Horsepower numbers are impressive, but ultimately not as important to a performance car as braking, steering, suspension tuning, and the myriad other chassis settings that separate the good from the great. This is a large part of the motivation behind our annual Lightning Lap track showdown. But right now, we’ve got numbers and only numbers for the GT500. And in the manhood-measuring contest that is muscle-car building, the Ford has the crown. First Ride: 2013 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Prototype Instrumented Test: 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Instrumented Test: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Of probably nominal importance to GT500 shoppers, Ford also announced that its monster Mustang will get an EPA rating of 15 city mpg and 24 on the highway. A run-of-the-mill Mustang GT , with a 420-hp...

The coasts haven’t been an area of strength for American manufacturers. California in particular is a very difficult market for the domestics. Toyota, Honda and Nissan have been dominant for years. Lately, a focus on small cars and more stylish vehicles has improved fortunes for General Motors and Ford. Also, models like the Chevrolet Volt are seen as trendy and environmentally-conscious. A particular effort has been put in at reaching these markets, and it make takes years to get where they need to be. At Chrysler, the situation has been worse, because the Chrysler Group doesn’t have the same product breadth that GM and Ford do. Wards Auto says the situation is improving though – dramatically, in fact, as sales are up by 222 percent. We’ve been seeing a lot of the stunning 300 around, but that isn’t a very scientific analysis, is it? But let’s admit it: Chrysler brand sales have been absolutely pitiful in California. Last year, just 2,470 Chryslers were sold in the Golden State during the first three months of the year. That accounts for just 1 percent of the pie – and Cali is the largest market United States. Yikes. But, for 2012 Chrysler sales are up to 7,955 units. We don’t have figures about which model is powering ascent, or if it is fleet sales. Anyhow though, it is welcome news in California for a brand clearly needing it. The California New Car Dealers Association reports that the overall market is up by 17.7 percent, and car sales account for 62.7 percent of the total, versus 24.4 percent for SUVs. Thank crazy gas prices for that result. We imagine Chrysler’s figures will improve even more so once small cars like the Lancia Delta (we can hope…) arrive here, along with the next-generation version of the 200. Despite being much better than the Sebring, 200 doesn’t cut it in today’s cutthroat mid-size sedan market. Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Go here to read the rest:  Looking Up From Bottom: Chrysler Sales Up Dramatically In California

Volkswagen, and by extension, Audi has been a bit behind in the pure electric and extended-range electric vehicle race. They expect these cars to account only for a small percentage of sales going forward. Being all about choice though, these models are being developed. Audi’s moniker for its tech is e-tron. Up until now it has mostly been used on roadsters and performance cars that have been said to preview models like the R4 and next-generation R8. In Beijing Audi is showing off the A6 L E-Tron concept, a stunning sedan that Audi says is its first “luxury class e-tron concept car.” Beijing was chosen for launch of the car because the A6, as Audi’s best-selling vehicle, is highly popular in China. The proportions work really well on the A6 with the extended-wheelbase model. It looks designed this way, not like an afterthought in the least. This is about as close to perfect as you can get with front-wheel drive proportions. Got to love those gigantic wheels too. The technology underneath is more important though. Audi calls it a plug-in hybrid. A6 L e-tron can be a pure electric, hybrid or gasoline vehicle. Under the hood is a 211-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four serving as a powerful generator. Audi quotes an electric range of about 50 miles at an average of 37 mph, which is about what you would be at in city driving. City driving is where the biggest benefits with these cars are seen. We’re eager to see these systems trickle there way down across the luxury segment. Cadillac has its Volt-based ELR in the works, but no plans right now to use Voltec in a standard sedan format. Right now, A6 L e-tron is just a concept but Audi says it is a preview of what could be approved in the near future. If given the greenlight, the car wouldn’t be sold just in China, but around the world. Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Read the original post:  2013 Audi A6 L e-tron Is A Look at (Not Too Distant) Luxury Future