There’s a beautiful brutality about a land speed record car. They are like a switchblade or a shark: They need no explanation. You could show either of those to, say, an Aborigine hanging out around Uluru, and they would know just what they were about: Death. Here is a vehicle, generally speaking a car, something very close to what you and I drive around in. But someone, in this case, the Dauernheim / Biglow / Davis racing team, has taken the concept of automotive transportation and carved it down with a very sharp blade and honed it in one direction at one speed: Forward and Fast. This is the automotive answer to a question that includes the variable, “but remember, the track is essentially endless and smooth”. It is not an automotive endeavor that is unique to Americans, lord knows the British have paid in blood for an obsession with all out speed, but it IS something we seem to have perfected. Sure, America has had the luck of the draw to come up with a place like the Bonneville Salt Flats (and sure, you could throw in the genocidal pulverizing of the Native Americans in with the term “luck”), but we also have a gift for creating high power machinery AND waterheads that’ll pipe up: “HELL YEAH I’LL DRIVE!!” Look at what we can do with airplanes, given the budget. Hell, we invented the airplane. Now, if you were to unbolt the wings from a late WW II fighter, you might come up with what we see here. This is a particular kind of LSR ride, something that can loosely be termed a “Lakester”. Traditional Lakesters are not this sculpted. They were just aerodynamic enough because that was their initial job in life. Lakesters began life as drop tanks from (who’d a thunk) WW II fighters that were being tested at places like Muroc (now Edwards) Dry Lake in SoCal. It was as if God had given you both a car factory and a racetrack at the same time. Your average sized drop tank had more than enough room for (in order of importance) an engine, a gas tank and a driver. Wheels, suspended on straight axles (we’re not going to corner much (hopefully)) could just be hung out the sides and with a big enough engine, you could cleave the whole thing through the air at frighteningly high speeds....

Ten years ago, Cadillac was an American luxury car brand barely receiving the respect its history established. Once renowned across the world on the same level as Rolls-Royce when it came to luxury, the General Motors luxury car line-up consisted of a collection including several outdated sedans, an unexciting mid-sized vehicle based on a European car and a full-sized sport utility vehicle with no identity. Faced with the reality their brand was fashionably uncool, Cadillac underwent a structural reshaping and image makeover. Led by the Cadillac CTS, the American luxury car company stood proudly as a rival to European and Japanese premium vehicles. Expansion of Cadillac’s renovated image will include two new vehicles destined for dealership showrooms for 2012. Through a presentation delivered in the Center of Automotive Research, some vague details on a large as well as a compact car was outlined. First announced is confirmation on the long-awaited replacement to the Cadillac DTS. Deriving inspiration from the Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept vehicle, the production XTS will be sold with what General Motors calls an “advanced front-wheel drive” or an all-wheel drive layout. Rumours continue to swirl whether the Cadillac XTS will feature a V-8 or a just a high-output six-cylinder powerplant. Late last week, General Motors already declared construction of the XTS (in time for a spring 2012 release) will be directed from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Cadillac has eased the drop cloth covering the plans for their newest intentions for a premium compact sedan. Referred to as the ATS, the car has been revealed in a teaser photo as a four-door sedan. In 2009, a Cadillac ATS concept was shown to press as a sports coupe. Getting ready for sale in summer of 2012, Cadillac insists the ATS will be targeting the sales of other entry-level luxury cars including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the BMW 3 Series. Initially, the CTS was meant as Cadillac’s BMW 3 Series fighter but trends in automotive downsizing and the popularity of the mid-sized product (currently offered as a sedan, wagon or coupe configuration) has caused GM’s luxury brand to realize there is indeed room in the line-up for a smaller car. The Cadillac ATS is set also to compete with an already-announced...

Now that Top Gear America has started into their second season, we can take a look back at the first season to see how they did, what they did right, and what they did wrong. For that, I’m looking to you to give me some comments and feedback on your thoughts. Be sure to leave your comments below. If you did like it, BBC recently released the first season on DVD and Blu-Ray. BBC sent me a copy of the DVD to take a look at, and since I happen to really the show, I was happy to receive it. The disc includes all ten episodes as well as a couple bonuses like a podcast and a series of “poolside chats” in which the hosts discuss airline travel and other pointless trivia. In my opinion, they did a great job porting the show over to the States. Most of the negative reviews I read mention how they’re copying the UK version – of course it’s very similar. After all, it is officially Top Gear, it’s just the American version. We have to keep in mind that most Americans haven’t ever even heard of the UK-based Top Gear, and this show will appeal to them. To enthusiasts of the Jeremy, James, and Richard version, that’s where the criticism comes in. In my original Top Gear America review , I had a lot of comments saying the show simply wasn’t good or that the presenters didn’t have the same chemistry as the Brit boys. True – but take a look back at the UK version’s first season and tell me they started off with that chemistry. If you did like it, you can head over to the official BBC store and pick it up or go over to Amazon and save a few bucks. © %FIRST Burdick – visit Automoblog.net for more great content. Related posts: One Week Left to Win Top Gear Season 10 DVD Win a Copy of Top Gear Season 10 on DVD Winner of the Top Gear Season 10 DVDs Announced Originally posted here: Top Gear America Season 1 Now on DVD & Blu-ray

The plot thickens, as they used to say in the film noir days. There have been rumors and innuendos and the fluttering of little birds about Toyota (worlds biggest car company until Japan got drilled by an earthquake and then a tsunami and then a quadruple reactor melt-down) wanting to do something (be more than friends?) with Tesla, manufactures of the only all-electric sportscar out there. And let me just fire this preemptive shot before any of you out there get your anti-EV hackles up: Shut up you stupes! Shut up and drive a Tesla. Seriously. These things are very, very quick. And they have more than enough range for your daily driving. Sure, they go for into the six figures new (although the used prices are down in Porsche territory (i.e. around 70 – 80 K)). But it’s hard to fault them on anything other than price. And now comes word that Toyota and Tesla might be up to something, and the bottom line (literally) is a billion dollars. The two companies have been flirting with some sort of deal making, initially a $60-million deal that then ballooned into a $100-million affair and now reports of the deal reaching the billion-dollar level. According to Tesla’s ebullient CEO Elon Musk, the electric car company is currently in talks with the Japanese auto giant to sign a deal that would see $1 billion landing in the California car company’s coffers. The benefits for Tesla are obvious. The EV car company’s concerns about capital would hastily vanish, and, thanks to this serious cash cocktail, Tesla could quickly become a major player in the automotive industry. And what would Toyota get out of the deal? For one thing they would get access to the off the shelf technology that Tesla would bring to the table. Tesla’s batteries are known to be the best in the EV world, and their motors are also ultra-trick, boasting of proprietary winding techniques. But Toyota would get more than that. If this deal were to hasted along the building of the Tesla Model S sedan (which it most likely would) it could possibly mean that Toyota could use at least the platform (of not an outright rebadging) and come out with their own 100% EV in next to no time. Take that, Nissan Leaf. It has been common parlance in the gearhead world that Toyota has been smarting...

Contest 1 Ever wish you had a Mustang RTR to call your own? Well, with a bit of luck you just might. Champion drift-driver Vaughn Gittin Jr. is designing a custom Iridium Edition Mustang RTR, and Bosch is going to give it away to one of their lucky Facebook fans! Fans can enter the giveaway simply by “liking” the Bosch Facebook page and filling out the form. Vaughn Gittin Jr. is also documenting the process in four online webisodes, the first of which can be watched right now on the Facebook page . All sweepstakes entries must be received by October 16th so be sure to get yours in today. Contest 2 In addition, we are partnering with Bosch on Automoblog.net to give away a prize pack, including a Bosch car battery-charger ($70 value), a Bosch spark plug gapping tool, and a set of the new Bosch Iridium Spark Plugs. Employing OE design and manufacturing techniques, new Bosch Iridium Spark Plugs provide exceptional ignitability, meet or exceed OE requirements, and offer four times the service life of a standard copper core, nickel plug. Check out the article below to get all the details on these new plugs. You can view a video on the new Bosch Iridium spark plug on Bosch’s new YouTube channel . Bosch has also launched LightEmUp.com , a one stop shop with tons of technical info. To enter that contest, just do the following: Step 1: “Like” Automoblog.net and Bosch on Facebook: Step 2: Head over to Bosch’s Parts Finder to find out which Iridium spark plugs you need in your car, the fill out this form to complete your entry: [contact-form] That was easy! This contest will be ending September 19th and the winner will be chosen at random. Check out the images of the Bosch parts in the prize pack below, and good luck! © %FIRST Burdick – visit Automoblog.net for more great content. Related posts: Contest: Win a Top Gear Prize Pack from Automoblog.net Mustang Parts Website has Everything a Stang Fan Needs BMW Owners Rejoice – Motorsport Parts are Now Available for the US Go here to see the original: Win a Ford Mustang RTR – and a Bosch Parts Prize Pack!

The interesting thing about the VW Jetta is that it’s perceived as a base-level compact car (along with the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Hyundai Elantra, etc,) but with a premium price tag attached thanks to its German roots. It’s true – the Jetta has a more premium and solid feel than the aforementioned compacts – and yes, it hails from Germany. But truth-be-told, the damn thing doesn’t cost any more than the other rides in the compact sedan segment. In fact, you roll out in a new Jetta for as little as $16,500 nowadays. Now, that’s not to say you’d want to. The S (base) trim, while not particularly poorly-equipped for a base trim (after all, it does have auto up/down on all four windows and heated side mirrors,) is fitted with a 115 hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that I won’t even waste space writing about. And 15-inch wheels, VW? C’mon, it’s 2011. Start considering the car at the SE trim-level, which jumps up to $18,200. Worth it? Let’s see…it has 2.5-liter inline-5 cylinder engine producing 170 hp. That’s better. Still four-cylinder territory in terms of power, but at least it has enough oomph to not drive me crazy. Add to that 16-inch steel wheels, cruise control, floor mats, fake leather (which actually feels pretty good,) center console storage, turn signals in the side mirrors, and a few other niceties, and you have yourself a pretty decent car. If you stick with the SE, a couple packages allow you add alloys, sunroof, leather steering wheel, bluetooth, iPod connectivity, and a nicer touchscreen audio system. The Jetta SEL is the next trim up ($21,400) featuring the same 2.5-liter I5 engine but adding 17″ alloys, navigation, push-button start, fog lights, chrome accents, and four-wheel disc brakes. Wait a minute, they’re still using drum brakes in the rear? Indeed… You can’t get a car that looks and drives this nicely without sacrificing some things, and apparently that means paying $20k for a car with drums brakes in the rear. The interior isn’t quite as nice as last year’s either, but it’s still ahead of its competitors in terms of quality feel and appearance. And the engines…that crapling little four-cylinder should be ignored entirely,...

High Intensity Discharge headlights, popularly known as HIDs, have become all the rage amongst car enthusiasts, and for good reason. HIDs have plenty of substantial performance and style benefits that many drivers can take easy advantage of, but at the same time, these headlight upgrades certainly aren’t for everyone. To help you decide whether an HID conversion is the right choice for you and your car or not, we’ve broken down several major areas of consideration, so you can be properly informed before making your final installation decision. Installation If you drive a more recently purchased new vehicle or you have advanced automotive and technological know-how, installing HIDs should be pretty simple for you. The process may take a little bit of time, but HIDs are far from the most complicated pieces of automotive equipment to install. However, if you’re closer to a novice-level car enthusiast, deciding whether to install HIDs is really a toss-up. On older cars, you may need to make several wire harness adaptations, and if you don’t understand what ballasts are, you may have to figure that out first. The process is pretty straightforward though, so if you’re a thorough follower of directions, you should be able to get HIDs installed in under two hours (depending on the model of vehicle you own). Performance HIDs aren’t called headlight upgrades for nothing. Compared to the standard halogens included on most models of cars, trucks, and SUVs, HID headlights are significantly more powerful. You can expect up to 3x the brightness of conventional halogens, and light emissions that appear significantly more natural to the eyes as well, resulting in reduced eye strain. Combine that with improved peripheral vision during nighttime driving, and there really isn’t an area where HIDs don’t improve upon their predecessors. So unless your attempting to match the exact stock appearance of your vehicle’s headlights when replacing them, HIDs are an easy choice in this category. Durability and Longevity If your vehicle’s stock halogens are still shining brightly and haven’t had any problems, there’s no particular reason to toss them away before their time. When it comes to replacing them too, you can simply unscrew old halogen bulbs and screw new ones...

  Living in a wonderful era where even the most basic piece of technology can be tailored to capture personality, part of this expression has included a growing series of celebrity and character voices available for in-car GPS devices from TomTom and Garmin. For the Garmin devices, the superiority of the electronic navigation marketplace was thrown to the path of the galactic empire. Introduced in July, the evil lord of the Star Wars universe Darth Vader voice app  has been seducing motorists to the dark side of the Force. Led by the Imperial march theme and the deep tone of emperor’s top servant, Spot It Out, Locutio Voice Technologies Limited as well as the principals of Lucasfilm Limited delivered avid Star Wars fans with one-half of the conflict captured in the film series. For those seeking the saviour of a Jedi Knight against the Galactic Empire presented through Garmin devices, a new hope is brought to market with the Yoda premium voice app. The second premium voice app provided to the popular personal navigation unit, manager of Global Hardlines at Lucas Licensing Kristina Anderson announced “Owners of Garmin navigation products can now be guided by their favorite Star Wars voices. Having Darth Vader or Yoda as your co-pilot will ensure that users of Garmin devices can now share in the magic of Star Wars,”. From the same corporate partners involved with the Darth Vader voice app, the long-time Jedi protector Yoda has been brought to compatible Garmin units as the ultimate balance to the Force after first being sold only on competitor TomTom devices. Downloadable for $12.99 on the Spotitout.com and Garmin.com, the Yoda premium voice app presents the prospective of heroes relating to the Jedi Knights as well as the Rebel Alliance. Guided by the Star Wars character’s unique speech pattern, the Garmin Yoda premium voice app leads with phrases like “After 200 yards turn right… then bear left…but not to the dark side” and “When 900 years old you reach, navigate as well you will not“. When a motorist reaches their location, the Yoda premium voice app will reward the driver with the John Williams composed Star Wars theme and Yoda speaking in the foreground saying “You’re destination you have reached. Powerful you have become”....

It was 50 years ago that a book authored by lawyer and public safety activist Ralph Nader caused people to observe the automobile as a risky piece of everyday life. Titled Unsafe at Any Speed, Nader’s book shined a light on various issues of vehicle safety including the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair. Though the Corvair’s stability was actively disputed by the auto manufacturer and even in court, Ralph Nader did shine light on other aspect of unsafe automotive design practices. Since 1966, NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has committed itself to assure automotive safety standards would be enacted and policed. For those involved in a serious car accident, survival of all is the desired outcome. According to a 2009 Traffic Safety Facts Annual Report, the measures to protect road users appears to be making a massive impact on what has been a very mobile public in the United States. In 1980, there was an all-time high total of 51,091 deaths measured in United States car crashes leading to a fatality rate of 35.16 per 100,000 motorists. In 2008, the fatality had dropped by almost 28 percent even while there are 50,000 more licensed drivers on the roadways compared to 1980. While the survivability rates in United States car crashes allows more and more individuals to handle post-collision such as a compensation calculator , the loss of lives is still a solid reason why the NHTSA has continued to press safety for vehicles and roadway. Already successfully pushing the mandate for electronically stability control to be fitted to all production vehicles, the NHTSA is now assessing other electronic technologies. Testing the effectiveness of lane departure and other crash detection assist systems, the newest line of vehicle occupant protection is going to involve more active roles for computer-aided accident avoidance. Lane migration and crash avoidance systems are becoming the latest step forward in on-board, high-tech automobile safety. One of the more monumental systems introduced to production is was the Full Auto Brake system available on the Volvo S60. The NHTSA will be studying the effectiveness of this or similar collision avoidance systems in order to create standards and testing criteria which can be used to evaluate future vehicles. With...

First they come for our nuts, but where will it end? Where will it end I ask you!?! Because I can tell you right now, that this God-fearing Murican will give up his nuts when you pry them from my cold dead hands. Wait. Oh. You mean Truck Nutz? Well that’s different. You know, there’s a lot of reasons, a whole lot of reasons for someone not to have a pair of these hanging from the hitch on their truck. Primary among them is that it’s just a highly visible way to announce that all of your aesthetic sense is in your mouth and you’ve most likely got the mental horsepower of a Trabant. All that said though, the only people who come off looking more like knuckle-dragging proto-hominids are the members of the Bonneau, South Carolina court and law establishment. For that is the town (most likely comprising a line of hollowed out earthen mounds) which is under the watchful eye of Police Department Chief Franco Fuda, who recently spotted the offending, um, ornaments dangling from the rear of 65-year-old woman’s pickup truck. Said 65-year-old woman is one Virginia Tice, who faces a hefty $445 fine for her choice of aftermarket adornments. It seems that in South Carolina, something becomes legally indecent “when it describes, in an offensive way as determined by contemporary community standards, ‘sexual acts, excretory functions, or parts of the human body.’” Now, anyone with a brain capable of a cursory understanding of the ambiguous nature of words like “offensive”, “contemporary”, “standards”, and “parts” knows that Officer, sorry, Police Department Chief Fuda, couldn’t just throw the ticket at her and say pay up. So, in a premeditated act of fiscal responsibility, Fuda requested a frickin’ jury trial to acquire some lucidity on this staggeringly important legal issue. To add to this Keystone-esque application of “justice”, there is this quote from Police Department Chief Fuda: “I went to (a) few websites that said, excuse the expression, ‘show your nuts’ … I didn’t see anywhere it said support your local proctologist or farmer.” Let me just gently pull an excerpt here: ” … support your local proctologist...

    Presently the leading news story transpiring in the United States is a political battle in the nation’s capital. Attempting to concoct a working plan to control federal government spending, the ability to best manage the taxpayers’ money is placed into question. While managing government finances has proven to be a difficult and contentious issue, the Obama administration gathered an agreement providing savings of a different kind. Assisting motorists of American roads, a plan to mandate fleet fuel economy of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 has been approved by auto manufacturers and government agencies. Since 1975, the United States government have policed the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the region by requiring automakers uphold a fuel mileage benchmark. Called the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), vehicles produced by an auto manufacturer must produce average fuel consumption above a set number. First set at 18 miles per gallon in 1975, the passenger car CAFE standard had stood at 27.5 miles per gallon since 1990. As erratic gasoline price hikes damaged the global economy and caused a hardship for many drivers, the United States government under President Bush pushed meaningful improvements for the CAFE regulated number in 2007. Among the biggest adjustment was a crackdown on the light truck vehicle category. The 54.5 mile per gallon mandate for 2025 also includes for massive improvements in light truck fuel consumption. Rising from a 2016 CAFÉ target of 35.5 miles per gallon previous set by the President Obama government in 2009, the 54.5 mile per gallon benchmark will be reached through a gradual fuel economy improvement of 5 percent from 2017 to 2025. The 2025 fuel economy improvements will also provide a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from future vehicles lessening environmental impact. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) applauded the new agreement. “This is another important step toward saving money for drivers, breaking our dependence on imported oil and cleaning up the air we breathe,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P Jackson citing also American demands for cleaner vehicles that does not increase the cost of motoring. The EPA and the Department of Transportation had previously lobbied for a...

Earlier this month, Audi released pricing and more detailed specifications for its TT-RS model. The TT-RS is priced at $56,850 and rockets to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. It marks the return of the RS moniker for the United States market, after an absence. New performance variants are always welcomed by those of us at Automoblog. Audi has been happy to oblige – RS variants approved for the U.S include the RS5 and TT-RS. More are rumored to be on the way as well, such as an RS7. The TT-RS is the fastest production iteration of the TT yet, and Audi has announced the first U.S customer to take delivery of it – race driver Don Istook, who has a long history with Audi. Most recently he was racing TT Quattro coupes, but it began in 1985 when he was one of the first drivers to race the Quattro coupe. Istook is enthused with his car, saying: “Having raced at almost every major track in the U.S. and Canada, I’ve pushed the limits in many cars in my 34 years as a race car driver. I like my street car to give me some of that thrill. With my new Audi TT RS, I not only get that thrill, but I also get that ‘race car’ sound.” “Superb brakes and handling go right along with the magnificent power from the 2.5-liter turbo, especially the low end torque,” Istook continued. “It reminds me of the mid 80′s when we raced the original 5 cylinder turbo Audi Quattro. What is great, though, is that I get all of that, yet I have the refinement, sophistication and technology of a truly modern sports car.” The TT-RS is not yet in dealerships in full force, but deliveries are starting to arrive. Istook was one of the 15,000 people who signed up on Audi’s petition for the car. It’d be interesting to see how many of the 15,000 people who expressed interest in the car are actually purchasing it – Audi hasn’t released that information. © %FIRST Pimpo – visit Automoblog.net for more great content. Related posts: Audi Shows Off Quattro Concept and 1984 Quattro Together in New Video New Audi A8 L with 500HP 6.3-liter W12 Russian Students Build Death Race-Inspired Camaro See the original post here:  Audi Delivers First TT-RS To Race Driver Don Istook

Fiat’s reentry into the American automotive market continues apace. Even though Alfa is delayed (again) Fiat’s diminutive 500 is already here, in both coupe and convertible form. And even better news for the performance minded among us gearheads is that the Abarth addition of the toaster-sized 500 will be rolling out in the City of The Angels. Fiat, trying to be everso hip, made the announcement via twitter that its U.S. spec 500 Abarth performance model will take a bow before the klieg lights at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show this coming November. Sure, we knew the Abarth variant was coming anyway, but confirmation like this is still nice to have. The 500 is aimed squarely at BMW’s Mini line of sub-compacts (and, by extension, the upcoming Scion iQ ), so, if Mini gets the John Cooper Works performance package, then Fiat better have something to answer with in that department as well. Enter the Abarth package. Of course Fiat would go with the venerable and respected Turin tuning firm of Abarth in much the same way that Mini going with John Cooper’s outfit made sense. Both firms, back in the 60s, took unassuming commuter cars and turned them into full-blown track terrors. Abarth, with the original 500 and Cooper with the original Mini. Abarth took the first 500 and doubled the horsepower output (which is sort of damning with faint praise, since the original 500′s plant put out something frighteningly low like 32 ponies) and made it into a terror in its class. And Cooper turned the original Mini into one of the most successful and well remembered rally cars of all time. Fast forward 45 or 50 years, and here we go again. Although we here in the good ol’ U. S. of A. won’t get a lot of the real cool goodies, like the sequential semi-auto gearbox (sniff-sniff), we will get the more powerful 1.4-liter turbo with Multiair technology that cranks out around 175 horsepower. Which is not bad for a car as small and light as the 500. Yes, yes I know that’s not as much as the JCW package on the Mini puts to the tarmac, but then again, the 500 weighs a lot less – as in the order of hundreds of pounds. And why is it, by the way, that Germans still can’t figure out how to make something lightweight? Seriously, they’ve...

The majority of people buy a new or used car, that’s just how we are. We need transportation so we immediately head down to the local dealer or showroom and begin our search for some used cars for sale . But have you ever considered renting a car instead of buying one? Most will say “no,” but there are plenty of positives for renting over buying. Here we look at the pros and cons of both buying and renting a car. Renting Pros of Renting a car Lower out-of-pocket costs when acquiring and maintaining the car. Requires little or no down payment and there are no upfront sales tax payments. Additionally, monthly payments are usually lower. Pay only for the use (depreciation) of the car for the period in question. Able to drive a new car and then change it at the end of the renting period. This way, a driver can have a vehicle covered by a warranty. Most deals will offer 24-hour roadside assistance, such that if you break down help will be available. There is no maintenance cost involved in running the vehicle, and if problems do occur, it is usually possible to change the vehicle for an equivalent model at no extra cost. Cons of Renting a car Many rental companies only list the base rental price and fail to mention the hidden fees and extra charges (rental insurance, fuel fees, daily rate changes, mileage charges, early return fees, additional equipment fees, etc) Shortage of available vehicles. A reservation may include the type of car that you wish to drive but this vehicle may not be available. Must be at least 21 years of age, and some companies won’t rent to those younger than 25 years old. Requires a renter to have a decent driving record, free of DUI or DWI charges, or excessive traffic violations. The cars are never your own, the vehicles belong to the rental company. Renting a car can also be expensive in the long-term compared to buying a car outright. If you rent a car, you don’t have anything to sell at the end of the process. Buying Pros of Buying a car You actually own the car one day and be free of car payments. The car is yours to sell at any time and you are not locked into any type of fixed ownership period. The insurance limits on your policy are typically lower than if you rent. You’re free to rack up the mileage without...

As the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu was introduced to the public this past April, General Motors made it clear that the United States was going to share the bowtie badge with almost the entire world. Globalizing the Chevrolet brand started with the debut of the compact Cruze sedan last year. Premiering throughout Europe and Asia ahead of its North American launch, the short-term results for the more international presence of Chevy could be seen in two ways inside the United States. On a negative side, the loyal customers in the United States of America and Canada could feel neglected assuming Chevrolet is devoting itself away from its core market of 100 years. However, there are many positives to a global Chevrolet presented in the recently introduced Cruze. As the world acquaints with the Chevy bowtie, the North American consumer will also be treated to some international flavours for cars sold across the world. As diesel-engined vehicles remain popular in Europe (accounting for over 1/3 of the cars sold in most regions), the Chevrolet Cruze was equipped to meet the large demographic. Equipped with a 2-liter VCDi diesel engine, this version of the Cruze compact is quite a performer. Generating over 160 horsepower and 265 pounds-feet of torque, the Cruze VCDi achieves exceptional fuel economy with the high-pressure common rail diesel technology. Thanks to Chevy’s new worldwide vision, North American buyers will receive the chance to choose a diesel powerplant in upcoming Cruze models.     Officially announced by General Motors, a diesel engine will be added to the Chevrolet Cruze line-up for the 2013 calendar as either a 2013 or a 2014 model year vehicle. While the 2-liter VCDi engine would probably be the likely candidate for the upcoming Chevrolet compact car, GM is holding back exact details on the future powerplant option. This will be the first entrance presence for a diesel-powered General Motors car in North America since the 1985. Developing a diesel engine during the late 1970s in the wake of gasoline price hikes and demands for better fleet-wide fuel economy, General Motors commissioned the engineers of now-defunct brand Oldsmobile to develop two V-8 and a V-6 engine to run on diesel fuel. From 1982 to 1985, these engines were shared with Buick,...