Category: Auto Industry

Study: The safest driving cities in America listed for 2013

Filed under: Safety

Texting while driving

We all like to claim we know where the worst drivers in the US hog the road, but for the last nine years, Allstate has released a study telling us exactly where we can go to find the best and worst drivers in the country. After compiling crash data in America’s largest cities (with more than 50,000 residents), this finding shows that for the third time in four years, Fort Collins, CO tops the list for safest roadways. Fort Collins drivers go almost 14 years between car accidents – an accident rate that is far better than the national average of about 10 years.

Making huge strides in traffic safety, according to the study, Brownsville, TX and Montgomery, AL each soared 21 spots and are now among the top 10 cities on the list. Phoenix is 71 out of the 194 cities listed, but it has the highest safety for cities with the population of more than one million people with crashes 2 percent more likely than average and about 10 years between crashes for drivers. At the bottom of the list, drivers in Washington, D.C. are more than twice as likely to get into a crash, with that population experiencing a wreck about every five years. Big cities like Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA and Miami, FL were also some of the least-safe cities in which to drive. Scroll down for Allstate’s press release or check out the full report in pdf form.

*Note: cities in Massachusetts were excluded due to a lack of data.You lucked out, Bostonians.

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The safest driving cities in America listed for 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Nissan promising autonomous car production by 2020

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Nissan, Electric

Nissan Leaf Autonomous Drive demonstrator

Nissan will bring the autonomous car to consumers by the end of this decade. The announcement was made by CEO Carlos Ghosn at the company’s US headquarters in Irvine, CA. Nissan has already begun construction of a dedicated proving ground for the self-driving cars in Japan, with completion targeted for the end of 2014.

Teaming with MIT, Stanford, Oxford and others, Nissan has already outfitted Leaf EVs with the Autonomous Drive (Nissan’s brand name for the tech), a suite of new technologies developed from the brand’s existing Safety Shield technology. The current iteration of Autonomous Drive uses the Around-View Monitoring system and laser scanners to analyze the environment, while artificial intelligence systems have been installed to help navigate and operate in a changing environment.

While it’s easy to say that Nissan will bring the technology to market within the next six or seven years, it’s more difficult to say at what price Autonomous Drive will be available. Most remarkable about all of this is Nissan’s claim that self-driving cars will be both commercially viable and available at “realistic prices for consumers.” It’s expecting Autonomous Drive to be available across its range within two vehicle generations.

Nissan’s motivation rests largely with the number of accidents that happen on US roads alone each year – six million accidents that cost consumers $160 million and kill more people between the ages of four and 34 than anything else. Considering the overwhelming majority of those accidents are caused by human error, this tech seems like a great idea.

Carlos Ghosn demonstrated Nissan’s resolve towards bringing the tech to market, saying, “In 2007 I pledged that – by 2010 – Nissan would mass market a zero-emission vehicle. Today, the Nissan Leaf is the best-selling electric vehicle in history. Now I am committing to be ready to introduce a new ground-breaking technology, Autonomous Drive, by 2020, and we are on track to realize it.” Those are some bold words, but what Nissan is promising now is far more complex than a new drivetrain. We look forward to seeing what it comes up with.

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Nissan promising autonomous car production by 2020 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: NHTSA upgrades Corvette headlight investigation

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Recalls, Safety, Chevrolet

Chevrolet Corvette front three-quarter

It’s looking more and more likely that we’ll be seeing a recall of certain sixth-generation Corvettes, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded its initial investigation to an engineering analysis, the final stage before the Feds can request a full-on recall. The problems, which we first reported on back in May, had to do with headlights that would randomly cut out for some 2005 to 2007 Chevrolet Corvette models. NHTSA has received 95 complaints from owners of random headlight failures, while The Detroit News states that there have also been four reports from owners of 2008 Vettes.

The issue, which affects 103,374 cars, is believed to be caused by a fuse block in the engine bay. Located in a high-heat area, it can short out when exposed to increased temperatures, leading to the headlight failure. It’s not entirely clear if the issues extend to the Corvette’s Z06 and ZR1 variants.

General Motors is cooperating with NHTSA throughout the investigation, a spokesperson told The News.

NHTSA upgrades Corvette headlight investigation originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Quartet of classic Chevys stolen during Monterey week

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Government/Legal, Chevrolet

stolen 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS 409

The weeklong festivities that take place in Monterey, CA for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance draw in some of the finest cars from around the world. Unfortunately, these events also seem to be drawing in some opportunistic lowlifes looking to score to some high-dollar hardware the easy way. In this case, four classic Chevy cars were stolen over the weekend of August 17th.

According to Hemmings, an extremely rare ’61 Impala SS 409, a ’61 Impala resto-mod and a one-owner, unrestored ’57 Bel Air all went missing after failing to sell at various auctions. The article states that the Impala SS 409 – worth an estimated $220,000 – disappeared from the Russo and Steele auction, while the other two cars vanished from the Mecum auction. In addition to these thefts, Jalopnik is reporting that a customized 1962 Corvette was also stolen around the same time only instead of being stolen from an auction, this classic ‘Vette was snatched up as the owner was enjoying dinner. Hemmings points out that the cars were most likely targeted to be stripped for parts, but check out both reports and keep an eye out for these beautiful rides.

Quartet of classic Chevys stolen during Monterey week originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Read This: Chrysler ‘at war’ with world’s largest Viper club?

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge, SRT, Read This

Viper Club of America is alleged to be operating illegally as a for-profit business.

The situation was bound to boil over at some point. Grumblings from former and current members of the Viper Club of America, and letters sent from Chrysler to VCA president Lee Stubberfield, allege that the non-profit club is being run illegally as a for-profit business, Jalopnik reports.

The trouble reportedly started in 2007, when VCA member and former club national president Chris Marshall is alleged to have taken a paid position at the club courtesy of the acting board members at the time. By 2010, with the demise of the Dodge Viper looming, the VCA reportedly made a deal with Chrysler to to acquire a stash of old parts and tooling for the Viper. The stash would then be sold by the newly formed Viper Parts of America, a company that was supposed to be run by Marshall, Jalopnik reports.

This sounds like shady business to us – at the very least a conflict of interest. And it’s said that the VCA will not hesitate to suspend – for a year or more – the memberships of those who oppose it.

Read the article and the accompanying letters from Chrysler to find out how the drama unfolds. But it isn’t over yet; we’ll be staying tuned to this one.

Chrysler ‘at war’ with world’s largest Viper club? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Jersey rejects ‘ATHEIST’ vanity plate for being offensive

Filed under: Government/Legal

New Jersey, United States, North America

Every state has different rules governing what can and can’t be displayed on vanity license plates. Not only do they vary, but many are vague about what combinations of letters and/or numbers are acceptable, which forces the state to determine acceptability on a case-by-case basis. Remember the ‘ILVTOFU’ controversy of 2011? Or what about Georgia’s rejection of gay-themed license plates?

New Jersey resident David Silverman has published a tale on Twitter regarding his application to the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission for a personalized license plate that reads “ATHEIST.” Silverman says in his tweet that the reason given for the state’s rejection of his godless vanity plate was that it’s offensive.

We don’t have much insight into how New Jersey decides which vanity plates are acceptable, but we did find this report published earlier this year on NJ.com that reveals a list of 1,085 words banned by the MVC for use on vanity plates. ATHEIST is not on the list (nor is THEIST, for that matter), but MVC spokesman Mike Horan told the reporter that applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, so the list has probably grown since then.

New Jersey’s got another problem: David Silverman isn’t just any atheist, he’s the President of American Atheists, a group that’s been around since the ’60s with a track record of taking cities and states to court to uphold the rights of non-believers. It doesn’t sound like Silverman was looking for a fight, but the Garden State just gave him one. He’s already filed his first appeal.

New Jersey rejects ‘ATHEIST’ vanity plate for being offensive originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Dirt track driver escapes fiery wreck, finishes fifth

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Videos, Racing

Dirt Modified crash and fire video

Dirt Modified racer Mike Stofflet was running in a pre-feature heat at the Mahoning Valley Speedway in Pennsylvania, when things went quite wrong. It’s difficult to tell what happened exactly, but we’re guessing he made contact with another car, which sent him skittering up the track with his vehicle tipped on its side.

While that might be scary in and of itself, the part that had us cringing was the stream of fluid that wound its way down from the top of the screen – gasoline. It didn’t take much after flipping Stofflet’s car over for the gas to ignite, leaving the 27-year-old strapped into the flaming racer.

Miraculously, not only did he get out of the burning car uninjured, but after some pit-lane repairs, he was back out for the feature race, finishing fifth. Check out the scary footage below.

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Dirt track driver escapes fiery wreck, finishes fifth originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2014 Toyota Corolla

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Toyota, First Drives

Reprising The Recipe For A Perfect Slice Of Toast

2014 Toyota Corolla

My toaster broke the other week. Halfway through the process of cooking my gourmet Pop-Tart breakfast, the thing crapped out with a small bang, leaving my delicious morning treats trapped inside. To rectify the situation, I ventured out to a big box store, located the toaster aisle, and ran a couple of questions through my mind. Do I need two slots or four? Do I need to spend more than 20 bucks on this thing? Should I just buy a toaster oven to give me a wider range of bachelor-pad cooking functionality? After no more than two minutes of contemplation, I grabbed the cheapest one on the shelf, paid and left the store. The new toaster works just fine.

This sort of unemotional shopping experience is how I suspect people decide to purchase the Toyota Corolla. It’s a perfectly fine appliance, and to a good number of people in the world, the bond between a car and a driver is no more important than the connection I feel to my toaster. Does it seat four people relatively comfortably? Does it get decent fuel economy? Is it easy to drive? Reliable? Safe? The Corolla checks all of these boxes, and because of that, Toyota managed to move just under 300,000 examples of the tenth-generation car in 2012 (though that number does include sales of the Corolla-based, now-deceased Matrix) – a vehicle that, at the time, was already six years old.

From a business perspective, that means the Corolla is a massive winner, and so to no one’s surprise, Toyota hasn’t rocked the boat too much in the creation of its eleventh-generation 2014 Corolla. It seats four people comfortably. It gets decent fuel economy. It’s easy to drive. It’s (predictably) reliable. It’s safe. And hey, it sort of looks good now. The new Corolla is actually a whole lot nicer than its predecessor. But it still doesn’t, shall we say, toast my bagel.

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2014 Toyota Corolla originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auctions: Liberace’s gilded Cadillac could be yours

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Auctions, Cadillac, Celebrities, Luxury

Liberace's gold '31 Cadillac

With their chrome grilles and oversized wheels, it’s hard not to notice a Cadillac these days. But this one is even more blingtastic on account of the 23.75-karat gold-leaf bodywork.

The 1931 Cadillac Golfer’s Drop Head Coupé is said to have belonged to the inimitable performer Liberace, who didn’t just have it covered in gold – he also had the exterior door handles plated in silver and the inside handles in 24-karat gold as well. It’s also got a white leather interior and headlights that – well ahead of their time (if you’ll pardon us, Mr. Tucker) – pivot with the steering wheel. All that bling is powered by a 5.7-liter V8 mated to a three-speed automatic transmission that pales in comparison to the seven, eight and even nine-speed gearboxes appearing on luxury sedans today.

The project was undertaken over the course of three years in the 1970s by one Jack Smith from Kansas. Smith (if that was his real name) sold it at auction in 1975, and it was most recently displayed for 12 years at a museum in Germany which claimed it was Liberace’s own. The car is now going up for sale by Barons’ at the Sandown Park horse racing track in Surrey, England, on September 17, when bidding starts at 85,000 pounds – equivalent to over $130,000 at today’s rates.

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Liberace’s gilded Cadillac could be yours originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How Porsche got Patrick Dempsey into the driver’s seat for Le Mans

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Porsche, Celebrities, Humor

Patrick Dempsey changes drivers

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. Ask Patrick Dempsey and he’ll likely tell you the same secret for landing a role on a hit TV show or, for that matter, driving a Porsche in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

That’s because, like McQueen and Newman, Dempsey has earned his place in that rarified field of actors who also race. He’s competed in Baja and Grand-Am, co-owns an IndyCar team, and this year returned to Le Mans where he and his teammates Joe Foster and Patrick Long finished fourth in the GTE-Am class behind the wheel of their Porsche 911 RSR.

It’s a grueling race, and the fluid transition between drivers behind the wheel is a key element to success. Check out the satirical video below to see how Dempsey and company got ready.

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How Porsche got Patrick Dempsey into the driver’s seat for Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Aug 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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