General Motors Corp. said Friday it was recalling about 313,000 passenger cars and crossover vehicles to fix a fluid leak that could lead to the driver losing control of the vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »

The fellas at Top Gear are at it again. This time, with R/C Cars. In one corner they’ve got the miniature gas powered R/C race truck and in the other a smart car made to act like an R/C car. Take a peek to see who wins. Enjoy!

Chip Foose, the designer of the Plymouth Prowler, sees his sixteen year dream realized in his own Foose Coupe. Also dubbed “The Hemisfear” for it’s 392 HEMI crate motor, the coupe is Chip’s vision of a completely uncompromised modern hot rod. Hit the jump to watch the video, or head on over to the full-resolution player. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s not much news on days like today, however we did run into a couple of nice user submitted videos over on the WebRidesTV.com webpage…  Enjoy this video about a souped up set of chainsaws!

The main reason why people these days are buying hybrids is because they save baby seals. Maybe that statement isn’t 100% true. Some people are duped into buying hybrids to save money on gas. They just use the baby seal connection so they have a good reason for owning such a goofy looking car.

On the other hand, it can be argued that these little struggling creatures helped our economy. They are part of the reason why people purchase the new and more expensive hybrid models vs. just the standard model. Both sides win right? Seals get more ice to slide around on, people feel all fuzzy inside, and our dependence on foreign oil is lowered. Heck, everything should be a hybrid! Hybrid scooters, hybrid lawnmowers, or how about a hybrid chainsaw?

Thats the mentality I see coming around when I see a company like Ferrari developing a hybrid. All Ferrari should think about is how to make their cars faster on the track. They are known for applying Formula 1 technology to their cars, but today it feels like they are falling into political hype. Are they genuine or just trying to get less paint thrown on their fur coats?

‘Tis the season to give the kiddies what they want, and that’s exactly what Chevy did at the Detroit Auto show. We’ve obtained images of the beast, and you can view them right over here.

In an earlier post, I ranted about how CARB’s stringent emissions regulations could (should?) be adopted across the entire United States. That was my reaction to the signing of the new CAFE standard. Apparently, there are some happenings between the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the state of California (home of CARB, California Air Resources Board) that’s causing quite a ruckus.

Automakers have balked at a new CAFE standard for quite some time now, as elevating miles per gallon figures for their cars costa just a tad more (I’m joking, of course) in R&D. Throw in California’s demand for vehicles that meet CARB standards - considering the Golden State is the biggest automotive market in the country, it exercises quite a bit of leverage - and you have the OE’s having to produce variants of the same vehicle - one for 49 states and one for California. That’s just the way it has been. Read the rest of this entry »

So it’s that time of year again. After the big first tier shows, like the LA auto show, and Frankfurt, and SEMA, come the stragglers. The second tier and smaller shows that get little, if any, coverage. One of these little gems is the San Diego show at the convention center. I go yearly, because it’s the closest and even though a lot of the stuff has already been shown elsewhere, its easy to forget how much more impressive it is to actually SEE and FEEL and SIT in these cars than it is to see a few pictures or a video. Now don’t get me wrong, a lot of people just cant find the time or the money to travel and visit these things, so I’m here to let you guys in on some of the smaller stuff every so often with my running blog; Auto Adventures with Dr. VW. Read the rest of this entry »

Mexico’s national automotive industry association, AMIA, said Monday that it has reached an agreement to run an 11-day international auto show in Mexico City next September and October.

Cesar Flores, AMIA’s president, said the decision to stage the show followed a vote in which the majority of Mexico’s assemblers and marketers of light vehicles had voted in favor. Read the rest of this entry »

Motor Trend, the world’s most recognizeable automotive authority and part of SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, today announced the selection of the all-new Toyota Tundra as its 2008 Truck of the Year. The complete report on Motor Trend’s 2008 Truck of the Year will be published in the magazine’s February issue, available on newsstands January 1, 2008.

Toyota’s introduction of a full-size pickup truck in the U.S. was a seismic event and one of the most highly anticipated vehicle launches in recent years,

said Angus MacKenzie, editor in chief of Motor Trend.

Read the rest of this entry »