As we spent January and February preparing for a winter that never quite did arrive, our 300C continued to consume miles at a steady pace. In the seven months since the sparkly gray Chrysler arrived on our doorstep, we’ve managed to push the odometer a few ticks beyond the 20,000-mile mark, largely via trips close to home. One staffer did test the 300C’s reputation as a capable highway cruiser with a 2600-plus-mile trek to Florida and back, the car’s longest journey to date. (more…) View post: 2012 Chrysler 300C Update One: Miles, Smiles, and Some Minor Confusion With the Dials Continued here: 2012 Chrysler 300C Update One: Miles, Smiles, and Some Minor Confusion With the Dials

On Tuesday, a car crashed into a Pennsylvania couple’s home, but the residents weren’t surprised. It was the third crash in six months. Now they want to protect themselves, but they’re afraid to do so. More » Go here to see the original: House Hit By Cars Three Times In Six Months [Car Crashes] Original post:  House Hit By Cars Three Times In Six Months [Car Crashes]

While LeMons organizers make no secret of the fact that their hearts are with the cars that never belonged in the same time zone as a race track and machines that aren’t even cars at all , there’s still a contingent of hard-core racers bent on getting the most laps in the race and spraying $1.99 bottles of “champagne” on their teammates in the winners’ circle. As any driver who has competed in a LeMons race will tell you, taking the overall win is tough as hell; make even one small mistake in a typical race and you’ll lose the lead forever. I’d say that we have perhaps a dozen teams across the country that have the requisite combination of professional-grade drivers, reliable car, and crew discipline to contend in every race they enter. Here’s a selection of some teams to watch this year. Read full story » See more here: LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week: Consistent Contenders; Or, A Look at Teams to Watch See more here: LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week: Consistent Contenders; Or, A Look at Teams to Watch

When Chrysler dropped the Sebring and replaced it with the new Chrysler 200 in 2011, the car went from just being a rental car choice to a legitimate contender in the mid-size sedan segment. The new Chrysler 200 uses the same platform as the Sebring, but engineers changed and strengthened everything on the new car.  It was an impressive piece of work considering Chrysler pulled off the transformation in just 12 months. Just about every new Chrysler comes with an updated interior as does the 2012 200. On the inside, the first thing that is noticed is the one-piece soft-touch dash, a new gated shift lever, fine chrome accents, and low-gloss plastics. The cheap look of the Sebring is gone and the new 200 is much classier. The interior should wear better with the new materials according to Chrysler’s interior designer Klaus Busse. The fit and finish of the 200 interior is much better now with the use of a soft dashboard skin because it allows for a much smaller tolerance between dash pieces. Inside, Chrysler has managed to provide a reasonably upscale experience. The cabin isn’t up to the level of a Lexus ES350, but it’s now competitive in this class. The 200 is extremely quiet, thanks to a substantial revision of the suspension, engine mounts, and insulation materials. The 200 Limited gets leather trimmed front seats that are comfortable and the eight-way power drivers seat and tilt/telescoping steering wheel makes it easy to find the right driving position. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather with mounted audio controls and along with the heated front seats they add a luxury feel to the new 200 Limited model. This Chrysler 200 Limited tester ($24,070) also gets upgraded interior trim, remote start, touch-screen display, compass, outside temperature reading, 430-watt sound system Media Center CD/DVD with 40-gig hard drive, iPod input, Bluetooth, U-Connect hands-free phone, fog lamps, and 18-inch polished aluminum wheels. The V-6 is optional ($1,795). Navigation is optional ($695) and comes with Sirius Real Time Traffic and Sirius Travel Link. This Chrysler 200 Limited came with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 that’s been around two years and continues to get rave reviews.The peppy V-6 makes 283 horsepower and 260 foot-pounds of torque, and is mated...

  For anyone who pays even the slightest attention to the sports car culture, the name Carroll Shelby could be one of the first personas that would instantly spark recollection. The master craftsman behind the Cobra sports car and the architect of the early Ford Mustang competition-caliber performance, the accomplished former race car driver’s is mourned today as the 89 year-old passed away. Born and raised in the state of Texas through the depression, Carroll Shelby held a life-long passion for automobiles. After serving in World War Two as a flight instructor and test pilot, Shelby’s name was first found inside of sports car racing programs in the early 1950s. Piloting some of the most popular post-war sports cars available, Shelby wheeled competition machines from automakers such as Austin Healey, Cadillac-engined Allard, Aston Martin and Maserati. With Aston Martin, Carroll Shelby’s racing career highlight came in 1959 when he partnered with British driver Roy Salvadori to won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Shelby also ran a handful of Formula 1 races that included a highest finish of 4th place at the Italian Grand Prix in 1958. Health problem would force him out of the cockpit from professional motorsports in 1960. One of Shelby’s two major life-changing events, the former racer’s passion for sports car racing turned towards a small British automaker.     Connecting AC Cars in 1961, Carroll Shelby first proposed finding a powerful V-8 engine to propel their Ace roadster. While Chevrolet was initially contacted about the idea of contributing to the project but they refused in fear of competing directly with the Corvette. Receiving aid from Ford Motor Company in the form of a 260 cubic-inch V-8 engine, the AC Cobra was born. The Shelby Cobras instantly became a terror against the likes of other sports cars of the era. Winning its first FIA-sanctioned sports car race at Riverside, California, the Cobra beat other established race cars including the Chevrolet Corvette. Carroll Shelby would continue to tinker with the AC-based sports car dropping bigger and more powerful Ford V-8 engines under the vehicle’s bonnet. The 289 cubic-inch V-8 powerplant was quickly merged with the AC Cobra followed later by the Ford 427 V-8 engine. Representing...

Chrysler is recalling a small number of 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans equipped with powered rear liftgate doors. About 471 of the minivans have faulty sensors that may not prevent the door from closing on a finger or other appendage says the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to NHTSA, the pinch sensor, located on the right side of the minivan’s power liftgate, may need to encounter more force or resistance before it stops the door from moving during its final closing stages. Due to the possibility of increased risk of consumer injury, Chrysler and NHTSA announced this recall of 2012 Chrysler Town & Country and 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan minivans. Chrysler is expected to begin notifying owners affected by this safety recall this month. Owners with the recalled minivans will be advised to take their vehicle to a local dealership where mechanics will replace the faulty right side rear liftgate pinch sensor for free. For more information, consumers can call Chrysler’s toll-free customer support line (800-853-1403) and reference the company’s internal recall number, M17, or visit the NHTSA website: www.SaferCar.gov . Source: Recall: 2012 Chrysler Town & Country/2012 Dodge Grand Caravan – Rear liftgate; Campaign ID #: 12V191000 [NHTSA] Read more here: 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans recalled due to rear liftgate danger

Chrysler is recalling nearly 120,000 2011-2012 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans in the U.S. The vehicles have electronic stability control (ESC) and anti-lock brake systems (ABS) which may overheat and cause loss of control, warns the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to company reports, Chrysler is unaware of any injuries, deaths or accidents due to the overheating ESC and ABS units in the sedans. The issue also affects about 8,725 Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300s in Canada. NHTSA says Chrysler will notify Dodge Charger and Chrylser 300 owners affected by this recall this month. Owners will be instructed to bring in their recalled Chrysler vehicles to dealerships where mechanics will relocate the systems’ fuse boxes for free. For more information, consumers can contact Chrysler toll-free at 800-853-1403 or visit the NHTSA website at: www.safercar.gov . Source: Recall: 2011-2012 Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger – Anti-lock brakes; Campaign ID #: 12V197000 [NHTSA] Chrysler recalls 127,350 Dodge Chargers, Chrysler 300s [Reuters] Read the original post: Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans recalled due to overheating anti-lock brake systems

Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, GM, Porsche and Volkswagen have agreed to support a single-port fast charging approach See more here:  Global Automakers Agree on Universal Charging System

Winner of the 2012 DTM season opener, Gary Paffett secures second place in second race of the season Original post: Gary Paffett Lands on the Podium at the Lausitzring

A 33-year-old Utah woman crashed her 2009 Shelby GT500 with such force last month that the roof disintegrated, the front suspension detached, and the engine flew out of the car . The big V8 was then struck by an Acura causing another accident. Everyone survived. More » Here is the original: This Shelby GT500 Crashed So Hard Its Engine Detached And Hit Another Car [Car Crashes] Here is the original post:  This Shelby GT500 Crashed So Hard Its Engine Detached And Hit Another Car [Car Crashes]

This is the Morning Shift , our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that’s actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn’t your time more important? More » Read the original: Maserati’s 911-Fighting GranSport, New Ford Ads Kill Ford Logo, And Chrysler Has Best April In Four Years [Video] Read the original here: Maserati’s 911-Fighting GranSport, New Ford Ads Kill Ford Logo, And Chrysler Has Best April In Four Years [Video]

The Fast And The Furious 6 (Fast 6), the 6th installment of the Fast and the Furious movie franchise, is set to start filming this month in the U.K. We already updated you through Dwayne Johnson of the Fast 6 movie gearing up for filming where it was confirmed of previous cast members making a return to the automotive action-packed sequel. Reportedly, Rihanna will join the cast as a Villain. Rihanna is making her big screen debut in the movie Battleship. Already, one of music’s baddest girls, Rihanna is on a non-stop path to big screen star-status. With such an action packed movie franchise, we are sure to see RiRi bring a new level of automotive bliss in the upcoming Fast 6 film especially acting as a villain. We just want to know what type of cars she will be driving, or in the case of Fast and Furious 6, what type of car she will be racing. [source: The Sun ] Here is the original post: Rihanna to Star in The Fast And The Furious 6 Movie as a Villain Here is the original post: Rihanna to Star in The Fast And The Furious 6 Movie as a Villain

With the introduction of the 3 sedan and hatch, Mazda really brought back the art of fun driving to their small cars. Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Mazda3 takes that one step further, bringing actual art to the car. The question will be however, does its price paint a pretty picture? More » Go here to read the rest: For $14,000, Manet, Monet, Mazda [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe] See the original post: For $14,000, Manet, Monet, Mazda [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

The first of 500 new employees have started work at Swindon, as Honda plans to double UK production in 2012. Honda has added a second shift in order to take British production up to 180,000 per year with 3,500 workers. Last year Honda decided that the only way to deal with the high value of the Japanese yen was to increase production outside Japan. The UK is Honda’s main European production centre, and so will take more responsibility for meeting overall European demand. UK production will consist of the new-generation Honda Civic, the Jazz and the next generation of the Honda CR-V. In addition, a new small diesel engine will be made in the UK. In total, these new products and engines should make Honda far more competitive. In recent years, Honda has lost market share because it had no diesel engine under 2.2 litres, which was far too big for most buyers. Honda will also be very relieved by the prospect of a new CR-V . For the last couple of years, the CR-V has been the only Honda that has continued to sell well in the UK, but it was starting to get very old. Now it will have an answer to new rivals such as the Range Rover Evoque .   See original here: Honda doubles output at Swindon for new models Original post:  Honda doubles output at Swindon for new models

Chrysler must have a death wish, an inferiority complex, or a burning desire to stay third among the domestic Big Three. Thirty-odd years ago, Lee Iacocca begged Congress for loan guarantees to keep the Chrysler ship afloat. This company had another encounter with the Grim Reaper in the Nineties followed by a full Chapter 11 reorganization three years ago. Ownership stints by Daimler-Benz, Cerberus, the U.S. and Canadian governments, and Fiat have left the Pentastar brand feeling like a toxic orphan. (more…) See more here: 2013 Dodge Dart First Drive: Fiat and Chrysler’s First Kid is a Good One Originally posted here: 2013 Dodge Dart First Drive: Fiat and Chrysler’s First Kid is a Good One