Will wonders never cease? After years of turning a blind eye to Honda owners who race their cars, Honda Performance Development (HPD), a division of American Honda, says it want to reach out to racers. HPD announced today that it work to improve private owners' access to original equipment and performance parts. If you race a Honda at the amateur or entry-level pro level, HPD is hoping you'll go its website and sign up for the Honda Racing Line club. Members of the club will apparently get expedited access to parts. "Thousands of our customers are racing Hondas or Acuras today with a need for regular access to parts," Erik Berkman, president of HPD, said in a press release. "A market has clearly been established for a service like the Honda Racing Line. We are pleased to provide that service, and look forward to expanding the roster of benefits and services available to Honda Racing Line members." Alongside this news, HPD announced its developing an open-wheel, Formula Ford-class (FF) car that will put the fuel-injected, 1.5-liter inline-4 L15A7 engine from the Honda Fit into an existing FF chassis. Approval by the SCCA is still pending, of course, and Honda will be gauging reaction to the demo car (above) at the 40th FF anniversary celebration this weekend at Road America. Honda says its FF kit should sell for under $12,000. The package would include a base L15A7 engine, FF race kit (including intake, exhaust, dry sump, restrictor plate and ECU), and a bolt-in chassis kit. Honda Performance Development See the original post: Honda Wants to Support Grassroots Racers, Develops Formula Ford Car The rest is here: Honda Wants to Support Grassroots Racers, Develops Formula Ford Car

US president Barack Obama has signed a law for a scrappage incentive for old cars based on the European model, which draws the attention of car buyers to the smart fortwo. In future, Americans who trade their old car for the two-seater will receive the maximum premium from the state. Buyers of new cars will receive a maximum scrappage bonus of $4,500 in future when they exchange a gas-guzzling old car for an environmentally friendly new one. Unlike the German system, the Car Allowance Rebate System (Cars) – commonly called “cash for clunkers” plans for a sliding scale with the amount of the bonus depending on the fuel consumption of the new vehicle. smart fortwo buyers will always receive the maximum premium – irrespective of the old car being scrapped. The innovative smart concept with its outstanding fuel efficiency therefore presents a further attractive advantage to customers in the USA. Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it. According to the American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the smart fortwo is America’s most fuel-efficient car without hybrid drive. The US authority confirms independent European studies that had previously established the clever two-seater as the most economical car. In addition, the smart already exceeds US standards for fleet consumption (CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy) that will apply from 2020 and it has been classified as an ultra-low emission vehicle by the California Air Resources Board on account of its extremely low exhaust-emission figures. Thanks to its outstanding features and its fresh design that combines functionality with joie de vivre, the smart fortwo has become a sought-after city car in many countries. smart fortwo models take up an unrivalled amount of road and parking space and yet they bring two people including luggage to their destination extremely comfortably and safely. smart provides lots of unique answers to questions concerning individual and eco-friendly urban mobility. Related Posts “Smart and the City” Marketing Campaign DCX is launching a new and very interesting marketing campaign for their Smart brand in Europe, wh… Green Car’s 2009 COTY Award- Smart fortwo among finalists Green...

Nissan announced today that they have developed a dual-injector system to increase fuel-efficiency on its small-displacement gasoline engines. “The new fuel delivery system, the first of its kind in the world, uses an injector for each port rather than one per cylinder – speeding up fuel vaporization, reducing the amount of unburned fuel and reducing hydrocarbon emissions, Nissan said in a statement. Most current gasoline engines use one injector per cylinder while Nissan’s Dual Injector system uses double the number of injectors per cylinder, which reduces the diameter of the fuel droplets by about 60 percent. “We consider it important to further improve the fuel efficiency of gasoline engines as demand for gasoline and other internal-combustion systems continues to increase around the world,” said Shuichi Nishimura, Corporate Vice President, Nissan Powertrain Engineering Division. “By widely applying the Dual Injector system on small-displacement engines, we hope to help reduce CO2 emissions and conserve rare metals.” Nissan said that it will introduce the new system in production vehicles starting early in fiscal 2010. – By: The Daily Auto Editor View original post here: Nissan introduces new dual-injector system for increased fuel-efficiency Original post:  Nissan introduces new dual-injector system for increased fuel-efficiency

Mercedes, logically, slowly and methodically, is getting into the green game more and more. Check out the latest example, the S-Class S 400 Hybrid. The boys from Stuttgart aren’t doing things half way, they’re not trying things out on lower range models, and then moving things up the corporate food chain. Nope, Mercedes is starting right at the top, with the S-Class. When this press release first landed on my desk, the first thing I thought of was the top of the line Lexus hybrid (probably not what Mercedes would have liked), and the enviro-boondoggle they found them selves in when they sent copy number one to Paul McCartney via air freight (think about it for a second). Anyway, Mercedes won’t be making that sort of mistake, I’m sure. The press release starts off in the most bombastic fashion: “Exclusive design, the greatest possible comfort and trailblazing innovations … ” Good God, I hope it calms down or I won’t be able to read much more. Luckily it did, and some hard data is contained within. For example, not only is Mercedes interested in what a hybrid drivetrain can do, but they also looked at the entire car’s life cycle, and how to maximize environmental benefits. The S 400 HYBRID (and yeah, Mercedes uses all caps for some annoying reason that is never made clear) is made to have as little impact on the planet as possible from production to operating the car and eventual the recycling/disposal of the ride when its time is done. As a matter of fact, Mercedes so worked the environmental aspect of the cars life cycle that they received an environmental certificate by the independent examiners at the technical inspection authority TÜV Süd. The 2005 S-Class was the first automobile worldwide to get this certification, and now Merc has added the hybrid S-Class to the list. The new S 400 HYBRID is the world’s first series production car to feature a hybrid drive system with a lithium-ion battery. Under the hood there’s a V6 petrol engine and a compact hybrid module that cranks out a combined 299 hp, with a combined maximum torque of 385 Newton meters. The S 400 HYBRID hits 62 from a standstill in 7.2 seconds and tops out around 250 km/h. Talk about having your cake and eating it too. The S-Class...

Did you expect Vortech to just lie down and cede the market for Camaro supercharger to arch rival Magnuson? Nope, the centrifugal supercharger maker is readying it's first volley in the Camaro blower wars. Inside Line tested the Magnusson system as part of Hennessey Performance Engineering's HPE550 package for the 2010 Camaro SS. And it was impressive, even if the fuel was an exotic blend that cleaned out your nose like a whiff of ammonium carbonate. Original post: Vortech’s Supercharged 2010 Chevy Camaro Hits The Web More here: Vortech’s Supercharged 2010 Chevy Camaro Hits The Web

It’s official. Honda plans to launch two new hybrid vehicles next year: a sporty coupe based on 2007′s CR-Z concept car and a hybrid version of the compact Fit. Including the current Insight and Civic hybrids, Honda’s tally of the gasoline-electric vehicles will be up to four but there are plans for even more of the fuel-efficient models just .. View original post here:  Honda Confirms CR-Z And Fit Hybrids For 2010

I currently own a 1991 Nissan 300ZX. My next “weekend fun” car: I’m looking at a 93 300ZX Twin-Turbo, and I’d like to pick up a 1983 280ZX Turbo some day. What I’m trying to say is that if you own a Nissan Z-car, you’ve probably owned 2 or 3. They were a true enthusiast car, ever since the 240-Z was introduced 40 years ago. Unfortunately, this also means that there is a limited audience for such a car. Sadly, Nissan stopped production of the Z car in 1996 (2000 in Japan) with the second generation 300ZX due to waning sales. The Z car instantly became a collector. In 2003, Nissan revived the Z by releasing the 350Z – an everyday sports car aimed at a much larger market than previous Zs. Fortunately for Nissan, they sold gobs of them. Unfortunately for Z-car lovers, the 350Z lacked much of what the Z was about. It was good at being a sports car, but something was missing. The styling inside and out was bland, even boring in some parts; a properly tuned 300ZX TT could still blow the doors off of it, and it was missing the personality of the old Zs. The 350Z was meant for the regular Joe who said “I want a sports car” – not the enthusiast. For 2009, this has all changed… Nissan unveils the 370Z, and Z lovers rejoice. This is what we were looking for; a raw, in-your-face, aggressive, mean, loud, and brutal Z that can embarrass Porsche owners off the line, around the track, and back home for half the price. Everything about the 370Z is better than the 350 – it’s faster, looks better, feels better, handles better, has more features, a nice modern interior, and has more storage space. Needless to say, I love this car. Yeah, it might look funky from certain angles, and I don’t like the “boomerang” shaped headlights, but part of it was styled from Nissan’s GT-R supercar, and it even has hints from the original 1970 Datsun 240-Z. It’s a good-looking car overall, sporting a muscular stance, which is something the 350 was lacking. The 5-spoke wheels on the Sport package are some of the best looking non-aftermarket wheels I’ve seen. The Z badges on the sides of the car now blink along with your turn signals. The weird “fangs” in the front are off-putting, and can even...

Is clean diesel the fuel of the future? Well, according to Audi it is. This article at Business Week sums up the vision that Audi has for automobiles: ” Clean Diesel Is Coming! Clean Diesel Is Coming! ” According to Audi of America: “Diesel is no longer a dirty word. If one-third of Americans drove clean diesel, we’d reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 1.5 million barrels a day.” In the video below, America’s dependence on foreign oil is chronicled from the 1960′s crisis to modern day. Diesel makes a comeback with the introduction of Audi’s TDI clean diesel engine. Find out more about TDI technology by visiting www.audiusa.com/tdi or join the conversation at Facebook: www.facebook.com/audi View post: "Diesel Is No Longer a Dirty Word"

After a five-year legal battle, the Environmental Protection Agency yesterday granted California permission to set the nation’s first greenhouse-gas emissions standards for cars. This paves the way for as many as 15 other states that have endorsed California’s proposal to follow suit. The state’s victory is mostly symbolic at this point, because it already agreed to follow new federal regulations through 2015. But it provides a final resolution to years of legal wrangling over CO2 limits on tailpipe emissions. Since cars emit carbon dioxide in direct proportion to their fuel consumption, the issue had been mired in dozens of lawsuits and countersuits among automakers, the various states, the EPA, and non-profit environmental organizations over whether the rule was an emissions or a fuel economy regulation, whether it was practical, and who had the right to enforce it. This action ends the long saga. Under the 1968 Clean Air Act, California is allowed to set its tougher emissions standards than the rest of the country, but it can’t set fuel economy standards. Other states are allowed to sign on to the California standard or the national standard, but only with the permission, or “waiver” from the EPA. So 15 other states, including Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Arizona, which had signed on to the California standard were waiting for the ruling. In May, EPA administrator Lisa Jackson put the issue to rest by passing the first national carbon dioxide emissions standard for cars, modeled after the California standard. The national CO2 limits would effectively require cars to average 35.5 mpg by 2015. In return, California agreed not to pass its own rules until after 2015. This new ruling will allow California to again take the environmental lead after 2016. The state’s original standards, which started the flurry of lawsuits, calls for CO2 limits that would require cars to average almost 40 mpg by 2020. — Eric Evarts Go here to read the rest: EPA grants California CO2 emissions waiver

The 2009 Nissan Rogue SL. Another day passes and another crossover utility vehicle appears on the automotive horizon. The market is flooded with them and I have never been much of a fan. In my eyes, a CUV is what happens when an automaker takes two useful vehicles, a wagon and a sport utility vehicle, smashes them together and calls it a day. So here I am sitting in a 2009 Nissan Rogue SL wondering what purpose this vehicle serves other than to fill a niche in their otherwise wonderful lineup. Nissan makes great entry level cars . They make a wonderful sporty sedan . They have a couple of solid sport utility vehicles in their lineup and a wonderful sports car . They make a well-built pickup truck , a good minivan , and a solid midsize crossover . They have just recently brought over their funky looking box on wheels that offers unique and fun levels of customization. They even have a polarizing supercar in the family. Why squeeze a compact CUV into this mix, when a mid-range wagon might be a better move? The rear quarter-glass, rear window, and D-pillar all work together to make rearward visibility less than ideal. I drive the Rogue and the power on tap is adequate at 167 hp but I was hoping the fuel economy would be up to par for a relatively compact vehicle. I averaged about 22 mpg during my time with the Rogue and I feel in a car this size I should be able to get more miles out of a gallon of gas, especially since this Nissan is fitted with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) mated to a 2.5L four-cylinder engine. The interior is comfortable and basic without feeling cheap. The interior of the Rogue is comfortable, and the central controls are laid out in a manner that is simple and efficient. There are no knobs and menu screens to scroll through, just the basic buttons that get the job done. This Rogue is fitted with the Premium package that includes an upgraded sound system featuring seven Bose speakers and a subwoofer for a well rounded sound regardless of whether the windows are up or down. Driving the Rogue around town, I feel like I am in a car and not a small SUV which is the whole point of a crossover. It is easier to maneuver in the parking lot of the local Starbucks compared to its larger cousins, whom I am slaloming around as they are caught...

As if buying a lemon isn’t bad enough, Chrysler is now demanding that some customers who settle lemon-law claims forfeit any future legal claims against the company. That’s the conclusion of several consumer lawyers who have clients with lemon-law claims against the new Chrysler Corp., run by Italian automaker Fiat. Consumers who take cash settlements for lemon vehicles in lieu of selling the vehicles back to Chrysler are being asked to sign a release that indemnifies Chrysler and its dealerships “from all known and unknown claims, damages, costs, attorneys fees, expenses, loss of services, personal injuries, and property damage.” Chrysler spokesman Michael Palese says the release is “a very standard waiver that is signed all the time.” However, according to attorneys whose clients have been asked to sign the waiver, the clause implies that even if a current Chrysler owner who suffers a future accident caused by a defect in the car will have no recourse to Chrysler, according to Norman Taylor, Principal at Norman Taylor and Associates in Glendale, Calif. Palese denies the form prevents consumers who sign it from taking future legal action against Chrysler. “It doesn’t prevent the signer from taking future action,” he says. “Whoever is reading that is reading the newspaper and is absolutely tripped by the debate about product liability in bankruptcy,” he says. Taylor says it isn’t clear whether future legal action would be forbidden until a court has a chance to review such a case, but it could be. In addition, the release asks consumers to certify that their car “is not a lemon, and does not qualify as a lemon under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act,” the federal law that establishes consumers’ right to lemon-law protection. That means when consumers do resell or trade in the car, the title may not be branded as a lemon, according to Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety , who is also on the board of Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. The lemons they bought go right back on the car lot to be sold to some other unsuspecting customer, he says. “When they [the consumer] keep the car, it’s important for us to declare the car is not a lemon. If we took it [the car] back, it would not reenter the...

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid NADAguides.com June Car of the Month For the past five years, one brand and one specific model line vehicle has been identified as the foundation of the hybrid movement.  Whether cruising in the carpool lane in California (single driver) or riding in a taxi in New York, the Prius has cornered just about every part of the U.S. market. Prius owners enjoy free access to the carpool lane. With gas prices beginning to rise again ($2.83 national average) and Washington continuing to press automakers to build cleaner and more efficient vehicles, hybrids are becoming commonplace. However, the truth is, just about every automaker has some form of hybrid vehicle within their model line-up. General Motors has 9 different hybrid vehicles currently for sale today. We now see full sized hybrid trucks, SUV’s, sedans, luxury and sports cars all showcasing a hybrid logo. So, it only makes sense that our NADAguides.com Car of the Month for June is a hybrid and in our opinion this hybrid really stands out. The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid gets 41 MPG and up to 700 miles on one tank of fuel. Don’t believe me? The EPA has given Ford an official mpg of 41 (Ford Motor Company). This makes the Ford Fusion Best in Class for MPG beating out both Honda and Toyota. But, to be perfectly honest, it’s not the hybrid technology that makes this Fusion such a standout, it’s the sleek exterior looks and luxurious interior creature comforts, combined with state-of-the-art technology that makes this Ford a star.    First Drive We always try to be honest with our reviews and with this Fusion it’s no different. I was really expecting to get into the Fusion and not be wowed. Let me be the first to tell you, I was absolutely wowed! The Ford Fusion Hybrid has set a new benchmark for automakers by providing its buyers with a spacious and comfortable cabin, plenty of technology, hybrid efficiency under the hood, and mated with a 2.5 liter, 4-cycliner power plant. The illuminated instrument panel was easy on the eyes and very clear and readable. The center console with navigation was also crystal clear and clutter free. Before I even stepped on the pedal, I navigated my way to the user-interface screen that highlighted when the driver was using...

China’s BYD hybrid on track for 2011 US launch The other day a new University of Michigan study found that US automakers have perpetually underestimated the importance of fuel efficiency in the American market. However, a robust change towards fuel efficiency could be a huge cash cow for US automakers. But are US automakers making the right moves? America’s most notable future product, in terms of fuel efficiency, is the Chevy Volt . Yet, the Volt’s most important piece of technology, the lithium battery, is based on South Korea’s LG Chem chemistry. Interestingly, LG Chem is also developing the cells to power Hyundai hybrids, another Korean company. Yet, if Hyundai has perfected the lithium polymer battery, Hyundai’s battery technology might already be superior to GM’s. And what of smaller, cheaper cars and hybrids? Again, there is Hyundai, but also BYD, Mahindra, Tata, and many other emerging automakers that could become very competitive within the next decade. And, many of these automakers – which have far cheaper labor costs – are building their entire business models on cheap, small vehicles and alternative technologies. Moreover, like Hyundai, BYD has a hometown lithium cell provider, itself. BYD also has far easier access to lithium than does any US company. Ultimately, I’m certainly not arguing that US automakers cannot compete, especially Ford. However, it seems US automakers need to think far beyond CAFE. If US automakers are to be successful a decade from now, don’t they have to raise and lead the fuel efficiency bar across all automotive segments? The rest is here: Is the US auto industry headed in the right direction?

Can protectionism save US auto jobs? For a few years Toyota has been toying around with the idea of a US plant to manufacture its red hot Toyota Prius . Unfortunately, the current recession crushed any such plan for the short term. Would it be wise for the US government to help bring such a plant to the US, or should the government only protect US companies, or only just UAW workers? Likewise, Nissan is now planning a US plant for electric vehicle and electric vehicle battery development, with a significant eye on US government help. Should they get it? Are incentives for transplants to bring more manufacturing jobs to the US a good or bad idea? See the original post: Incentives for a Toyota Prius plant in the US?

One of Hyundai’s hybrid concepts Aside from economic recession, fluctuating gas prices are also contributing to the decline in US auto sales, according to Hyundai’s top US executive. Because consumers don’t know whether gas prices are going much higher, or possibly much lower, John Krafcik told the AP that many consumers are left feeling paralyzed. Quite simply they are afraid to buy the wrong vehicle. Thus, Krafcik suggested a flexible gas tax to help stabilize gas prices by putting a bottom on the price of gas. More: Hyundai adds name to gas tax call