Automotive News
Ford has announced its plans for a new version of the F-Series Super Duty for the year 2011. The Ford F-Series line has been one of the top selling lines in the United States for a number of years, especially the F-150. The Super Duty is one of the largest and most powerful trucks made by the Ford Motor Company. One of the biggest visual differences between the Super Duty and the standard F-150 pickup is the presence of an enormous front end which is plastered with chrome. The large Ford emblem in front is over one foot long by itself. I fell like the Super Duty is best described as a small mobile home rather than a large truck. The care will be available with most of the normal luxuries that are available in the standard truck models. Ford also claims that there redesigned console will have the largest capacity in its class. The wheel for this massive truck range from 17-inches to 20-inches, all depending on the trim you get it in of course. Ford hasn't released any data on the new horsepower but they will come with either a new 6.2-liter gasoline V-8 or a new 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel, both engines should put out enough power to satisfy the neediest customer. It is reported that there will also be an EcoBoost engine available as well. There is no doubt that the new Super Duty will be a hard sell after recent spikes in gas prices and increasing demand for fuel efficient cars. But the Super Duty will rely on sales to businesses for a great deal of their sales, they will of course have no choice in the matter and demand these type of vehicles. If Ford can also make these cars more fuel efficient in the near future than that will really help them increase their market share for large trucks. |
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Chevrolet Tahoe Add Ons to Increase Horsepower and Gas Mileage Chevrolet has perfected a huge selling success with its Tahoe and Suburban SUV. With a wide array of trim packages and powertrain choices, there's a little of everything for folks of all walks of life. But as gas prices start to climb and more people looking for more fuel efficient alternatives, owners are looking for cheap ways to enhance what they've got without going to the extreme of trading or downsizing into something less favorable. The aftermarket world for performance enhancing parts is huge with the Chevrolet Tahoe and is certainly worth the research to find the right products for your SUV. Here is a brief list of inexpensive do-it-yourself items you can buy and install in an afternoon. First, an easy to find item is a higher flowing performance air filter. Manufactured by well known companies such as K&N, airaid and AEM, these products can be purchased at any auto retailer like Wal-Mart, AutoZone and Pep Boys. What a performance filter does is replace your existing restrictive stock filter with a higher flowing unit. The better the engine can breathe, the more horsepower and better gas mileage. Tests have shown a 8-10 HP increase and a 1-3 mpg upswing in a 5.3 V8 Tahoe. Aside from the gains, maintenance will be cut down as well as these filters are cleanable and reusable too. In essence, don't leave this cheap part off your list, they only retail for $35-55! Next, a performance exhaust system is another cheap way to free up some more of those HP's and overall gas mileage in your old or new Tahoe. Kits are available from manufacturers like flowmaster, borla, and Bassani for all engine size Tahoes from the early 1995 models to the newer 2010's. Kits come complete with all the hardware and instructions. All you have to supply are basic hand tools and an afternoon's amount of time to get it all together. Your Tahoe will thank you because the engine will dispel all of the burnt gases easier and you will get that nice deep throaty sound once made popular in muscle cars. Gain more power and a few more mpg's with this must have modification. And lastly, no Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC Yukon will come complete without a performance chip from Hypertech or Superchips. Performance chips retail at around $80-100 and only take about 20 minutes to install using basic handtools. What a performance chip does for your ride is that it will enhance your transmission's shift points for better efficiency and less wear and tear. A good performance chip will also enhance your truck or SUV's fuel curve to gain more mpg's too. A performance chip will compliment the other performance parts and won't void any existing warranty.And so, that is a brief list of some of the most popular and tested parts one must buy for their Tahoe or Yukon. Altogether, you should see about a 30-40 horsepower increase and about a 5-7 mpg gain with all the mods. With summer just around the corner, motorists could use more of their hard earned bucks toward more important activities. But if you want to take modifications a step further, drivers have been converting their truck and SUV into hybrid type vehicles. I've seen water/gas conversions and the popular electric/gas hybrid conversion made popular by Toyota and Honda. |
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California Remains a Hot Spot for Hot Cars
Thefts Cool But California Remains a Hot Spot for Hot Cars. Border Areas Show Mixed Results.
DES PLAINES, Ill., April 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported today that 2008 marked the nation's fifth consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts in the United States. Although most areas experienced a reduction in vehicle theft, there were several noteworthy exceptions in states that border Mexico.
For 2008, the 10 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) with the highest vehicle theft rates are: 2008 Ranking 2007 Ranking
1. Modesto, CA 1
2. Laredo, TX 6
3. Yakima, WA 9
4. San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA 3
5. Bakersfield, CA 15
6. Stockton, CA 4
7. Las Vegas/Paradise, NV 2
8. Albuquerque, NM 7
9. San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, CA 5
10. Fresno, CA 11 The Texas MSAs of El Paso, Laredo and San Antonio along with Las Cruces in New Mexico each saw an increase in 2008. California ranks number one in total thefts.
NICB's Hot Spots report examines vehicle theft data obtained from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for each of the nation's MSAs. MSAs are designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and often include areas much larger than the cities for which they are named. For example, the Modesto MSA includes the entire county of Stanislaus and other municipalities in addition to the city of Modesto. The Texas MSAs of El Paso, Laredo and San Antonio along with Las Cruces in New Mexico each saw an increase in 2008. California ranks number one in total thefts.
NICB's Hot Spots report examines vehicle theft data obtained from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for each of the nation's MSAs. MSAs are designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and often include areas much larger than the cities for which they are named. For example, the Modesto MSA includes the entire county of Stanislaus and other municipalities in addition to the city of Modesto.
The rate is determined by the number of vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants using the 2008 U.S. Census Population Estimates, the most current figures available.
Preliminary 2008 crime data released by the FBI in January indicates that 2008 will post a double-digit decline in vehicle theft when final numbers are released in the fall. If the preliminary figure of -12.6% holds, it will be the largest single year percent drop in thefts since 1999.
"This is a mixed bag of good news and bad news on the vehicle theft front," said Joe Wehrle, NICB president and chief executive officer. "The good news is, we're seeing steady progress in reducing the overall theft rate and that means Americans aren't shelling out as much to cover the cost of stolen vehicles in their insurance premiums. We've also seen significant decreases in key areas along the border such as San Diego, where thefts dropped nearly 20 percent.
"The bad news is that the theft rate continues to increase in areas like El Paso and Laredo where many of the cars, trucks and SUVs being stolen are being used to carry drugs, money and weapons into and out of Mexico. These vehicle thefts are helping finance the drug cartels that are waging war on the Mexican government.
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Toyota Prius Touring Tops Consumer Reports First Ever Best New-Car Value List Annual Auto Issue names the best new-car values in nine categories, from small cars to SUVs YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumer Reports names the Toyota Prius Touring as the best overall value among 300 cars according to the 2009 Annual Auto Issue.
The Prius Touring provides the best overall value because of its comparatively low owner-cost estimate of $26,250 over five years -- and a relatively high road-test score of 80 points out of 100. The Prius doesn't have the least expensive sticker price in its class, but its excellent fuel economy of 42 mpg overall and solid resale value help give it a low owner-cost. "A low price doesn't necessarily make a car a good value," said Rik Paul, automotive editor at Consumer Reports. "At a time when people need to make every dollar count, our best value list will help consumers understand the difference."
The full report on best car values as well as value lists, reliability data, and owner-cost estimates is in the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue on newsstands March 3 to May 4 or online at www.ConsumerReports.org. |
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2010 Fisker Karma - Luxury "Plug-In" Hybrid Car
Designed in California, USA, the 2010 Fisker Karma is the first luxury plug-in hybrid car 100mpg Fisker Karma Makes its World Wide Premiere at the 2009 North American International Auto Show DETROIT, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Fisker Automotive, Inc., the new American manufacturer of premium green automobiles, unveiled its first production car the 2010 Fisker Karma at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit today. The four-door, four-seat Karma fuses the traditional and timeless styling of veteran auto designer and Fisker Automotive CEO Henrik Fisker, with Quantum Technologies' clean Q-DRIVE(R) plug-in hybrid powertrain to become the world's first luxury plug-in hybrid car. |
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