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Cadillac announces comprehensive warranty, scheduled maintenance program for 2011

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Cadillac, GM, Luxury

Cadillac Crest

Cadillac is stepping up its customer service game. The General Motors luxury nameplate has announced the introduction of Cadillac Shield – an extensive warranty service scheduled to hit the ground this month. Buyers can now look forward to Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance, which includes oil changes and tire rotations for the first four years or 50,000 miles, as well as the company’s five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and four-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage. Pile on five years of 24/7 roadside assistance with courtesy transportation and you’ve got the basic groundwork for the new warranty program.

And to quote every infomercial ever made, “but wait, there’s more.”

OnStar is part of the party with one year of the company’s Directions and Connections plan and its own smart phone app. The app monitors oil life and fuel levels as well as allowing owners to manage simple vehicle tasks (like locking and unlocking the doors) from their phone.

Speaking of apps, Cadillac is rolling in its own smartphone program as part of the deal, too. The Caddy app allows users to locate their vehicle in a parking lot, schedule maintenance, locate dealers in the area and call for roadside assistance. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

[Source: General Motors | Image: Drew Phillips/AOL]

Continue reading Cadillac announces comprehensive warranty, scheduled maintenance program for 2011

Cadillac announces comprehensive warranty, scheduled maintenance program for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan announces return to Le Mans with Signature LMP2

Filed under: Motorsports, Nissan, Racing

Signature Nissan LMP2

Signature Nissan LMP2 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Could this be the first encouraging sign of Japanese automakers returning for international motor racing? The past few years saw such giants as Toyota and Honda pulling out of Formula One and Subaru withdrawing from the World Rally Championship – their places taken up by rivals from outside Japan and independent privateer teams. But now Nissan has announced plans to return to Le Mans and its associated series with a new LMP2 program.

The effort involves Nissan providing Nismo-tuned VK45V8 engines to Signature. The French racing team will be running the engines in an LMP2 prototype in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, including the headline 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as Sebring. Although the driver lineup isn’t due to be announced for a few weeks yet, the team has already retained Formula 3 driver Franck Mailleux for the job.

Nissan and Signature aim to finish at Le Mans and hopefully score a podium finish sometime during the season. To check out the computer renderings of the car with which they hope to do so, click the thumbnails below to skip to our high-resolution image gallery, and scope out the official announcement after the jump.

Gallery: Signature Nissan LMP2

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan announces return to Le Mans with Signature LMP2

Nissan announces return to Le Mans with Signature LMP2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CEC announces Lexus LFA customization program

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Lexus

CEC Wheels Lexus LFA

CEC Lexus LFA – Click above for high-res image gallery

Los Angeles-based tuner CEC has announced a new partnership with Lexus North America to create a tuning program for the Lexus LFA. Limited to just three vehicles, these unique supercars will feature a variety of enhancements created specifically for each customer. “We believe these three CEC Tuner Edition LFAs will be the most expensive and rarest of all the LFA supercars that Lexus will manufacturer and sell worldwide,” said Sherif Yassa, Vice President of CEC.

Thanks to the technical innovations that went into building the LFA, the CEC upgrades will mostly be limited to aesthetics. “We looked at the LFA and what Lexus engineers had done, and knew it would be crazy to try and improve it from a performance or engineering standpoint,” said Claus Ettensberger, founder of CEC. Even so, the tuner has managed to squeeze an extra 10 horsepower from the 4.8-liter V10 and trimmed shift times to .15 of a second.

While we don’t have any photos of the trio of custom LFA supercars quite yet, CEC did have an LFA on display featuring their lightweight forged wheels. You can see high-res photos of the car in the gallery below.

Gallery: CEC Lexus LFA

CEC Lexus LFA

CEC announces Lexus LFA customization program originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: BMW announces 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo for U.S.

Filed under: BMW

BMW 2.0-liter Turbo

BMW’s four-cylinder turbocharged engine – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW has been teasing us with little factoids here and there about its new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and we finally have official confirmation that it will, in fact, be coming to the United States later this year.

This new four-cylinder engine uses the same twin-scroll turbo technology found in the larger N55 3.0-liter engine. Maximum power is rated at 240 horsepower at 5,000 rpm, and peak torque – all 260 pound-feet of it – is delivered at 1,250 rpm. By switching to a smaller-displacement, turbocharged, direct-injected engine, we can expect that cars with this new 2.0-liter four will get a healthy bump in fuel economy over the current six-cylinder models.

BMW has yet to point out which models will be getting the new 2.0-liter turbo, but since the automaker specifically mentions that it offers more power and torque than the current naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-six, we wouldn’t be shocked to learn that all cars with a 28i or 30i at the end of the name will now be powered by this four-pot mill. Earlier reports have suggested that the Z4 sDrive30i will now use four-cylinder power, and we’re betting both the 1 and 3 Series, as well as X1, will get the turbo-four treatment. Follow the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: BMW X1 2.0 Turbocharged Four Cylinder

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Officially Official: BMW announces 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo for U.S.

Officially Official: BMW announces 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo for U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mt. Washington’s 2011 Climb to the Clouds announces classes, opens registration

Filed under: Motorsports

In September 2010, Travis Pastrana turned our attention to the Mt. Washington Auto Road. While it wasn’t an official crack at Frank Sprongl’s record six minute and 41.99 second blast, Pastrana climbed Mt. Washington in six minutes and 20.47 seconds with his rally-prepped 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The purpose of the run was to evaluate the course for the upcoming 2011 Climb to the Clouds event. The evaluation run was a success and race organizers have announced the classes and opened up registration for the hill climb competition.

The first Climb to the Clouds was run in 1904 but the event went dormant in 2000. Now, after a ten-year hiatus, it’s back and the 2011 run will mark the Mt. Washington Auto Road’s 150th anniversary. The 7.6-mile route begins at 1,527 feet and then climbs to 6,288 feet above sea level. Our Editor in Chief was able to “blast” through the 100+ turns in about 25 minutes.

For the 2011 Climb to the Clouds, organizers have created five classes: Open, Rally, Hillclimb, Vintage and Electric. The Vintage Class is an invitation-only category for vehicles from 1961 and older. The Electric Class is for full EVs only – no hybrids allowed. The Rally and Hillclimb classes are broken out according to the standard of Rally America and the New England Hillclimb Association respectively. Finally, the Open Class is just what it sounds like but places restrictions on engine size based on the wheels driving the vehicle and whether it’s naturally aspirated or turbocharged.

The Mt. Washington hill climb competition scheduled to take place June 22nd through the 26th and organizers hope to host a field of 70 cars. With any luck, someone, will be able to arrange for Sprongl and Pastrana to duke it out on the Auto Road.

[Source: Climb to the Clouds]

Continue reading Mt. Washington’s 2011 Climb to the Clouds announces classes, opens registration

Mt. Washington’s 2011 Climb to the Clouds announces classes, opens registration originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin prices Cygnet, announces two launch colors

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Aston Martin, UK, Luxury

Aston Martin Cygnet Launch Editions

Aston Martin Cygnet Launch Editions – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’ve been wondering exactly how much Aston Martin plans on charging for the pleasure of owning its new ~~Toyota iQ~~ Cygnet, wonder no more. The company has officially released pricing details on its first sub-compact. For the lowly price of just £30,995, you can slide behind the leather-wrapped wheel and avoid the hassle of having to shell out for those pesky congestion charges in downtown London.

Seems perfectly justifiable to us.

Aston Martin is offering two special-edition version of the Cygnet to commemorate the car’s launch. The first, fittingly called the Cygnet Launch Edition White, is slathered in Snow White paint. If this is Aston Martin’s interpretation of the fairest of them all, we’d hate to see the seven dwarves. The exterior also gets plenty of chrome bright work and custom wheels, while the interior gets pearl-white leather and satin chrome accents.

If that’s just not naughty enough for you, Aston Martin is also offering up the Cygnet Launch Edition Black. The evil twin is dipped in Magic Black paint that hides shades of green. Matte-black louvers and chrome accents dominate the rest of the exterior, while the cabin is treated to diamond-pattern black leather. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Gallery: Aston Martin Cygnet Launch Editions

[Source: Aston Martin]

Continue reading Aston Martin prices Cygnet, announces two launch colors

Aston Martin prices Cygnet, announces two launch colors originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge announces 3/36 no-cost maintenance on select Durango and Journey models

Filed under: Car Buying, Crossover, Chrysler, Dodge

Dodge Durango Citadel

Dodge Durango Citadel at SEMA 2010 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chrysler has unveiled a new no-cost maintenance program for certain Dodge Journey and Durango models. Buyers who opt for the Durango Citadel or the Journey Lux will be treated to free maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles that includes oil and oil filter changes every three months or 3,000 miles as well as scheduled and recommended maintenance at 6,000 mile intervals. The program also throws in $1,000 worth of trip-interruption coverage, towing and roadside assistance up to $100 and $35/per day car rental should you get into an accident. All told, Chrysler says that the program has a retail value of around $1,100.

We’re guessing that no-cost maintenance is an effort to lure buyers to deeper ends of the Durango and Journey option pools. Of course, knowing that you won’t have to shell out a dime for routine work on your vehicle is likely to be a big selling point when either the newly reworked crossovers are lined up against their competitors. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: SEMA 2010: Dodge Durango Citadel “Black and Tan”

Dodge Durango Citadel

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Dodge announces 3/36 no-cost maintenance on select Durango and Journey models

Dodge announces 3/36 no-cost maintenance on select Durango and Journey models originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Racing officially announces the 2012 Mustang Cobra Jet

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Ford, Racing

2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet – Click above for high-res image gallery

Last week it was leaked that Ford would be bringing its purpose-built drag racer, the Cobra Jet, back for another year in 2012. Today Ford made it official by revealing the car at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Florida alongside its road racing brother, the Boss 302S.

After getting an upgrade in 2010, the Cobra Jet is getting revised once again for 2012 with an updated version of the supercharged 5.4-liter V8 and modified suspension, low-drag racing brakes, new black anodized wheels and a stickier set of Goodyear racing slicks. Three colors will be offered – Race Red, Grabber Blue and Winner White – and just 50 will be available from the Ford Racing catalog. Pricing starts at $91,990 with a fully loaded Cobra Jet coming in at $103,980. Follow the jump for the press release.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford Racing officially announces the 2012 Mustang Cobra Jet

Ford Racing officially announces the 2012 Mustang Cobra Jet originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wards announces 10 best engines

Filed under: Etc.

2011 Ford Mustang 5.0 V8

Wards Auto has announced its 10 Best Engine Winners for 2011, and not surprisingly, fuel-efficient creations like the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf (the first EV to get the award) both found their beating hearts among the winners. Likewise, the 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI found favor with the judges for its green credentials, though the 10 Best list didn’t simply stick to the eco warriors of 2011 for its picks. Lumps like the 5.0-liter V8s in the 2011 Ford Mustang GT and Hyundai Genesis also made the cut. Wards said that it intentionally tried to make sure that there was an engine for everyone, and we have to admit that it looks like they’ve done a smart job of keeping the bases covered.

We’re glad to see that the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 from Chrysler is slotted among this year’s winners. The engine single-handedly managed to improve vehicles like the Dodge Avenger and Journey by leaps and bounds, throwing in excellent fuel economy and power at the same time. In fact, of all the engines on the list, we’d have a hard time finding an argument against any of the winners. Head over to Wards for a closer look.

[Source: Wards]

Wards announces 10 best engines originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda announces end of Element production

Filed under: SUV, Honda

2010 Honda Element

2010 Honda Element with Dog-Friendly Package – Click above for high-res image gallery

After a nine-year run, the Honda Element will officially be killed off after the 2011 model year. The Element has suffered from slow sales numbers over the past few years, and in the model’s death notice, Honda specifically cites that a large amount of customers prefer the better refinement and improved fuel economy of the automaker’s CR-V crossover.

Since its debut in December of 2002, more than 325,000 Elements have been sold in the United States. During its lifespan, we saw the introduction of the bolder-looking SC model in 2007, and just last year, Honda began offering the 2010 Element with a dog-friendly package (pictured). Modest facelifts over the years have helped keep the Element somewhat fresh, but newer competitors on the scene have helped expose weaknesses in refinement and power. That said, Honda’s boxy sport-ute has long been praised for its utility-oriented and easy-to-maintain interior – not to mention kicking off the modern styling trend of boxy vehicles.

Follow the jump to read Honda’s official statement. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Gallery: Review: 2010 Honda Element Dog Friendly Package

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda announces end of Element production

Honda announces end of Element production originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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