Just days after creating an uproar on the Internet after announcing it would be pulling $10 million from Facebook ads, General Motors has announced it will no longer be advertising during the Super Bowl. The reason? It’s too expensive. The Wall Street Journal reports the move as part of GM’s major overhaul of its global marketing operations. GM’s… Read the original post: GM Punts Super Bowl Advertising

Progress in technological advancements, easy and instant access to information and entertainment, and a host of other new and better items to make everyone’s life more convenient on-demand: It’s all good, right? Who really longs for the good old days anymore—the days when kids played stickball and kick-the-can and jump rope in the… Read the original:  Kids Who Grow Up Around Traffic: Less Functional Members Of Society?

Filed under: Vauxhall , Latest News Vauxhall has announced that it will be introducing three new engine families in the next year to boost both power and economy. First to arrive will be a 1.6 turbo petrol with up to 197 bhp – that is one in the eye for Ford, whose 1.6 petrol currently goes up to 177 bhp. Vauxhall is promising a 13% improvement in fuel economy for the new 1.6 litre engine and the highest specific torque output (pulling power) of any engine it its class. Details of the other engines are yet to be released, but at least one is likely to be a new diesel design. Vauxhalls predominantly use Fiat diesel engines, as a result of the now-dissolved joint venture between General Motors and Fiat. Some of those designs are getting quite long-in-the-tooth and Vauxhall probably now wants its own diesel engines. The only other concrete news is that the next Astra VXR will have a 2.0 turbo with 276 bhp – again a bit more than the next Focus ST , which will have to make do with “only” 247 bhp. Car companies do not usually make a big song and dance about engines that have not yet been released, so why is Vauxhall making a lot of noise about these? The reason is that Vauxhall wants to show that it is investing in the future at a time when all the publicity surrounding the company is about losses and likely factory closures. Telling people that advanced new Vauxhalls are just around the corner is a good way of saying that the company does have a future.   Continued here: New engines for Vauxhalls The rest is here:  New engines for Vauxhalls

The new 2013 Cadillac ATS is a highly anticipated vehicle positioning General Motors in a head-to-head competitive battle with the likings of BMW’s 3 Series and even the Benz C Class. Set to hit dealership showrooms this summer, the 2013 Cadillac ATS will sport rear wheel drive, optional all-wheel-drive, 3 different engine choices and a starting price tag of $33,990, including destination charges. To remain quite competitive among enthusiasts and purists, the new 2013 Cadillac ATS will have many different trim levels and the availability of a six-speed manual transmission. Engine choices will start off with a 200 horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The next powertrain will be a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, also found in the new Buick Regal GS , making 270 horsepower and paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox at a price starting at $35,795. The top-of-the-line ATS model will sport a starting price tag of $42,090 with the 3.6-liter V6 engine from the CTS making 320 horsepower coupled with an automatic transmission and the availability of all-wheel-drive. Already, the battle between the BMW 3 Series and Cadillac ATS has heated up. We won’t know how the new baby Caddy stands in terms of value when it comes to equipment because the complete list of options and packages have not been revealed. For now, knowing the powertrain levels in the new 2013 Cadillac ATS, we have a good glimpse of how this battle will at least start. The ATS has already undercut the BMW 3 Series’ starting price of just over $35K but with a sacrifice of 40 horsepower in the ATS’ base engine. Cadillac has additional plans to make the ATS stand out by introducing a bigger and more luxury-appointed CTS. Putting the CTS deeper into its midsized segment will hopefully gain those consumers who may be on the fence about paying the nearly matched CTS starting price of $36,810 or opting for a smaller mid-level-trimmed ATS. Hit up the full press release below for additional information on the new 2013 Cadillac ATS. 2013 Cadillac ATS Priced from $33,990 New luxury sport sedan launches this summer DETROIT – The all-new, rear-wheel-drive Cadillac ATS compact luxury sport sedan with a fuel-efficient 2.5L engine and next-generation six-speed transmission...

In the mountains of central Asia, yak racing is a hairier, but no less entertaining twist on horse racing. It’s kind of like building and running the world’s fastest naturally-aspirated SRT8 Jeep. More » Excerpt from: World’s Fastest N/A Jeep SRT8 Is Like A Yak In Racing Flats [Video] See original here:  World’s Fastest N/A Jeep SRT8 Is Like A Yak In Racing Flats [Video]

One of the most hotly anticipated cars from the new General Motors is the 2013 Cadillac ATS, and it has just been priced from $33,990 including destination charges. The based model ATS has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 200 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission will help achieve over 30 mpg on the highway… View post: 2013 Cadillac ATS Priced From $33,990

Today at High Gear Media, the 2013 Kia Rio gets an optional stop-start system and we wonder if Hello Kitty is a good permanent addition to your car. Toyota is moving more production to America and we show you the largest muscle car collection you probably will never get to see in person. All this and more in today’s car news, right here on The Car… See the original post here: Chrysler 300 Recalled, Kia Sedona Axed, GT500 On The ‘Ring: Car News Headlines

BMW's headquarters in Munich, Germany. Image: BMW New engines are needed to meet ever-tightening global fuel economy and emission standards, and engines are incredibly expensive to develop, test and put into production. The cost to develop a new engine family can range between $1.3 and $2.6 billion dollars, and no automaker wants to pay that tab alone if they can split the cost with another partner. BMW already has cooperative relationships in place with PSA/Peugeot/Citroen, Toyota and Daimler, and is allegedly in discussion with General Motors as well. Now comes word from Automotive News , citing German source Automobil Produktion , that BMW may also be in talks with Hyundai over future engine development. Speculation surfaced after Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo’s son, Chung Eui-sun, allegedly met with top BMW managers in Munich, although the purpose of the meeting (if it actually took place) wasn’t clear. While both BMW and Hyundai could benefit from sharing powertrain development costs, Hyundai could have been in Munich to pitch other business opportunities (like the use of its high strength steel) as well. In typical German fashion, BMW denied comment on the report, saying only that “further co-operation partners are currently not foreseen.”   The rest is here: BMW And Hyundai Consider Sharing Engine Development Costs: Report View original here:  BMW And Hyundai Consider Sharing Engine Development Costs: Report

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 » View original post here: GM Pays No Federal Income Tax, Jeep Wrangler Sales Boom, And BMW, Hyundai May Make Sweet Engine Love [The Morning Shift] More: GM Pays No Federal Income Tax, Jeep Wrangler Sales Boom, And BMW, Hyundai May Make Sweet Engine Love [The Morning Shift]

Chevrolet Caprice Police Interceptor – GM Zeta Platform From recent reports, it seems Chevrolet has something up their sleeves hinting towards a new “SS” branded name potentially for an upcoming rear-wheel-drive performance sedan. We already know of a new Holden Commodore being the basis for Chevrolet’s new Caprice police interceptor , but what about a consumer version of what may be a new Chevy SS model? New repots have surfaced about the a trademark application made for the “SS” name , in addition to OnStar accidently confirming a “SS Performance” name on their Mobile App RemoteLink site. Now, the rumor mill is spinning faster than ever with new speculations from Car and Driver stating that a new Chevrolet SuperSport Sedan will have the underpinnings of the Zeta platform powered by the 6.2-liter V8 from the Camaro. Moreover, GM’s new 3.6-liter V6 engine found in the new 2012 Buick LaCrosse is rumored to be part of this new Chevy SuperSport Sedan’s lower trim levels with 320 horsepower.  As you may already know, the Zeta platform is the basis of the current Camaro . A sedan from Chevrolet based on the Zeta platform will most certainly be rear-wheel-drive and a true competitor against other performance sedans. In a way, you can think of this as the return of the Pontiac G8 … and most enthusiasts know how much of a prize vehicle the G8 was and still is today. To further support the mysterious Chevy SS Sedan speculations, a new model from Chevrolet is expected to compete in the 2013 NASCAR season, which happens to be the same year that this new “SS” model should be launched. Sounds like we have it all figured out, at least for now. See the rest here: Rumor Mill Stirs Up More Chevrolet SS Performance Sedan Details See original here:  Rumor Mill Stirs Up More Chevrolet SS Performance Sedan Details

When you think of James bond and Aston Martins, no doubt the iconic and gadget-laden DB5 comes to mind. Truth be told, when Ian Fleming wrote the novel Goldfinger , he drove a DB Mark III, just like today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe contender. But the question is, will this one’s price make it easy to bond with? More » See the original post: For $135,000, That’ll Leave A Mark III [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe] View post: For $135,000, That’ll Leave A Mark III [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

Saab devotees are a loyal bunch. The crew at Saabs United has kept tabs on every development surrounding the future of the Saab brand. So far they’ve made phone calls, flooded General Motors’ Facebook page and organized an effort to save the Saab Museum. Out of nowhere, Saab’s administrators announced all the vehicles in the historic collection would be auctioned off. This included cars of historical value. They made up a list of the most valuable in the group, with the intention of purchasing them for a future museum. Thankfully, the City of Trollhattan (tourist revenue!) and SAAB AB (the airplane manufacturer) along with The Wallenberg Foundation coughed up the $4 million needed to purchase the collection of 120 vehicles. In March, the museum reopened to the public. When Saab production stopped last year, many cars were still left on the line. Slowly they are being completed. One of them was a Saab 9-3 Griffin; the very last one to ever be produced. It is scheduled to be finished off at the end of May. Saabs United has rallied fans to give enough money to purchase the car. A deal has been worked out with Saab’s administrators to reserve the car. Following that, SU intends to place the car in the recently-saved Saab Museum. The amount needed to purchase the car is 28,500 euros (about $37,500). Currently they have raised about 20,000 Euros (about $26,249 USD at current exchange rates) with nearly 16 days left. If the amount needed to purchase the 9-3 isn’t hit, the funds will be donated to the Saab Museum. Want to donate? Head over to Saabs United to learn more . There is a ticker on the right hand side that lets you know how much is left. As for Saab itself, administrators are still going over the bids they have received. A decision is said to arrive sometime before this summer. Hang tight. No related posts. Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts The rest is here: Saab Fans Donate To Save Last 2013 Saab 9-3 Griffin

General Motors sees a growing need for rear-wheel-drive cars in its product portfolio, and such an influx requires either an unimaginably flexible platform or a series of rear-drive component sets. Since “unimaginably flexible” isn’t something GM does well, the company is in the midst of dropping, reworking, and creating rear-drive architectures. General Motors currently sells rear-drive cars built off of one of three architectures: Y-Car, Sigma, and Zeta. The first underpins only the Corvette—an anomaly in the company’s platform strategy. But the latter two volume platforms grew from a program dating to the early 1990s called Global Rear-Wheel Drive (GRWD in GM-speak). The plan was to use GRWD to build some Cadillacs plus a slew of Holdens for Australia. GRWD was doomed to failure because the Cadillac models required significant cost increases that couldn’t be absorbed by the Holdens, which are sold in vast numbers as razor-margined company cars. The project then splintered and evolved into Sigma and Zeta. Here is the original post: Chevrolet SuperSport Sedan Coming in 2013, Wagon and Ute Body Styles Possible for Next Gen on Zeta II More:  Chevrolet SuperSport Sedan Coming in 2013, Wagon and Ute Body Styles Possible for Next Gen on Zeta II

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]

As toll-collection agencies have moved to automated payment systems that use car-mounted transponders in place of traditional tollbooths, many drivers have found the technology to be a real convenience and time saver. But some are also finding unexpected violation notices in their mailboxes because of how they are used and in which vehicles they are mounted. Driving too fast through a toll is one sure way to get a ticket and possibly loss of transponder privileges. Holding a transponder out the window is another, because the systems scan a very specific range to identify individual vehicles and which lane they are in. Drivers who prefer to hold their transponder rather than attaching it to the vehicle are called “wavers” by some in the toll trade, and officials say they are more common than you might think. Some wavers are concerned about cluttering up the look of their car with a transponder, and others say they use the device in more than one vehicle—as is the case for everyone who drives CR’s test cars. Others become wavers because of their vehicles. Our Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is equipped with infrared-blocking glass that may help keep the cabin cool, but unfortunately, it means a windshield-mounted E-Z Pass transponder won’t work. And not to single out Land Rover, the same is true of models from a number of manufacturers that have used various coatings on their windshields over the years, including BMW, Ford, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz. The solution, according to a Land Rover representative, is a license-plate-mounted transponder, something a Pennsylvania E-Z Pass spokesperson told us is offered at no extra cost by any of the 14 various agencies in eastern states that use the system. Pennsylvania shared with us a list of vehicles that may pose a problem; others can be found online. But no list we’ve seen appears to be completely current, and none include the Evoque. If you’ve owned your vehicle for any length of time, chances are you already know whether a transponder works with your windshield or not. But if you’re new to the routine or have just traded to a new vehicle, check with your dealer or toll agency before cruising through your first toll. You may save yourself a ticket. View original...