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Report: Man beats ticket on dashcam evidence, takes town to court [w/videos]

Filed under: Government/Legal

Vermont police pull over Rod MacIver

Rod MacIver wanted justice after being wronged by his local police department. He was pulled over and cited for running a red light, despite the officer’s dashcam video clearly shown that he hadn’t. When the matter went to court, the judge, after viewing the footage, threw the case out and dressed down the officer, Jason Lawton.

MacIver isn’t through, though, taking the matter to small claims court over the time and effort involved in beating his original ticket. Looking for $2,000 in damages, the 56-year-old resident argues that the department’s default attitude “was dishonesty in every encounter.”

With his day in court scheduled and Judge Samuel Hoar “looking forward to” the proceedings, neither the officer, his sergeant nor a department administrator were to be found. Only the Shelburne Police Department’s lawyer, Colin McNeil, showed up in court. Arguing that the burden of proof was on MacIver, the lawyer argued that the officers didn’t need to attend the proceedings (no joke, they were across the street at a coffee shop – insert donut jokes in three, two, one…), meaning the matter was set aside for a future date. While the matter still isn’t resolved, Judge Hoar informed McNeil that “it would be a mistake” for the officers to miss the next hearing, according to a report from WCAX.

Take a look at the full video below and the news report, and let us know what you think. Was there any reason for pulling MacIver over?

Continue reading Man beats ticket on dashcam evidence, takes town to court [w/videos]

Man beats ticket on dashcam evidence, takes town to court [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jul 2013 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Optima beats Camry, Accord in CR test, Altima still favorite; Explorer lambasted

Filed under: Sedan, SUV, Ford, Honda, Kia

2011 kia optima 2.0t

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T – Click above for high-res image gallery

The mid-size sedan battle rages on year after year. Perennial kings are dethroned while new challengers emerge boasting fresh styling and a bountiful list of standard features. Consumer Reports launches its June issue today, and the institute’s testers have put a host of family-minded four-doors powered by four-cylinder engines through a workout to determine which is the top dog. Ten vehicles were tested but, as Christopher Lambert will tell you, there can be only one.

As it has here at Autoblog Towers, Kia’s 2011 Optima draws big praise from the Consumer Reports crew. In fact, the Korean squeezes out a higher rating than the Honda Accord. It may have only beat the Honda by one point, but this represents a significant win for Kia. The opinions of Consumer Reports are highly valued by a large number of car shoppers, and this victory ought to push the Optima further onto radar of the American car buying public. Interestingly, while the Optima earned a “Very Good” rating, it wasn’t the comparison’s overall winner, however, as the Nissan Altima (a perennial CR favorite) claimed the test’s top spot, neatly trumping the Honda and the best-selling Toyota Camry in the process.

One vehicle not fairing so well in the June issue of Consumer Reports? The 2011 Ford Explorer. Nineteen mid-size sport utility vehicles were rounded up for testing, and the Explorer wound up in 17th place – well behind the Toyota Highlander Hybrid – a dismal showing for the Blue Oval brand. If you don’t have an issue of CR in your mailbox, check out the official press release after the jump for more details.

Continue reading Optima beats Camry, Accord in CR test, Altima still favorite; Explorer lambasted

Optima beats Camry, Accord in CR test, Altima still favorite; Explorer lambasted originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi has most engaged Facebook fans, beats out Justin Bieber

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Audi

Facebook is the latest big deal with all kinda of brands all over the world, as companies have spent small fortunes to bolster their social media presence. Has all that attention worked? It apparently has for Audi, as the Four-Ringed automaker has topped everyone in a key statistic.

Mashable reports that a study by Visibli shows Audi has the most engaged fans on Facebook. Better than Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and, perhaps best of all, better than any other automaker. In fact, American Airlines is the only other brand to make the list that isn’t a celebrity. To become “most engaged,” Audi managed 228 “Likes” out of every 100,000 fans; far exceeding the Bieber’s average of 181 per 100,000. This is where we’d typically work in some Bieber lyrics while rubbing it in that he lost, but we can honestly say we don’t know any.

So how did Audi manage to top every other brand and celebrity? Visibli CEO Saif Ajani is stumped for answers, adding “we’re trying to find out ourselves.” One possible explanation is that Audi has been “like-gating” certain content. Basically, you have to “Like” something to view a video, release or photos. Hey, whatever works…

[Source: Mashable via Social Car News]

Audi has most engaged Facebook fans, beats out Justin Bieber originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW 1 Series M beats M3 around Hockenheim… by a hair

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, BMW

2012 BMW 1-Series M Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

There are few things more satisfying for a younger sibling than besting their older kin. Be it a hard-fought round of Stratego or a bare-knuckle brawl, putting an elder brother or sister in their place can be more satisfying than winning the lottery. In this spirit, German magazine Sport Auto just finished pitting the new 2012 1 Series M Coupe up against BMW’s venerable M3. The pair locked horns around Hockenheim in a battle for ultimate supremacy that saw the M3 do the deed in 1:14.2. The M Coupe, meanwhile, managed to lap the track a hair quicker at 1:14.1.

That gave the newcomer to the game the overall win and put it just one tenth of a second behind metal like the Porsche Cayman S on the famous track. Is this conclusive evidence that the 1 Series M Coupe is the better performance buy than the legendary M3? Not necessarily. After all, this is just one comparison with one magazine. Still, the fact that the baby BMW can get within striking distance of its predecessor with two fewer cylinders is a testament to the vehicle’s prowess.

Gallery: 2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

2012 BMW 1 Series M Coupe

[Source: 1 Addicts]

BMW 1 Series M beats M3 around Hockenheim… by a hair originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Hennessey beats 2011 Nissan GT-R again, this time with twin-turbo Escalade

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, SUV, Videos, Cadillac, Nissan, Luxury

Hennessey HPE1000 vs 2011 Nissan GT-R

Hennessey HPE1000 Cadillac Escalade vs. 2011 Nissan GT-R – Click above to watch video after the jump

The problem with being the standard-bearer for world-class performance is that you’re saddled with the burden of defending your crown at every turn. Take the 2011 Nissan GT-R, for example. This vehicle has the proud distinction of offering one of the highest performance-per-dollar ratios of any car on the planet, and as such, it’s the go-to challenger for any high-horsepower machine looking to make a name for itself.

Those would-be stars are typically low-slung tuner creations, but the team from Hennessey chose to line the big-bad Nissan up against something a little less traditional: its HPE1000 Cadillac Escalade. Whereas the 485-horsepower 2011 GT-R can dash to 60 mph in as little as 3.4 seconds, the big SUV packs two turbos, over 1,000 horsepower and 0-60 sprint of 3.3 seconds.

To be fair, the Godzilla in the video after the jump isn’t the new-and-improved 2012 model (stop us if you’ve heard this one before…), and the Caddy gets a massive jump on the Nissan, but the fact that a 6,000-pound SUV can manage to keep up with anything from the GT-R bloodline is an impressive enough feat. Click past the jump to check it out for yourself, and remember to keep your fender-to-fender shenanigans off the street.

[Source: Hennessey via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Hennessey beats 2011 Nissan GT-R again, this time with twin-turbo Escalade

Video: Hennessey beats 2011 Nissan GT-R again, this time with twin-turbo Escalade originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Breaking: Ford beats GM in March sales

Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, GM

Ford Fiesta

2011 Ford Fiesta SES – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors posted its seventh consecutive sales gain for the month of March, with 206,621 total sales. A good month, no doubt, but Ford had a better month for just the second time since 1998. Ford last bested GM in February, 2010. The Blue Oval posted sales of 212,295, thanks in part to a 21-percent jump in truck sales.

That’s a victory of 5,674 units for the Dearborn, MI-based automaker, but the real drubbing came in the ongoing battle of Ford Vs. Chevrolet. The Bowtie brand moved 148,197 units, compared to 203,794 for Team Ford. That’s a 28-percent sales jump for the Blue Oval, which admittedly amped up fleet sales for the month, but retail sales were also up 14 percent.

Ford had plenty of hot products moving off dealer lots, with 53,272 F-Series trucks sold, a record 9,787 Fiestas and record March sales for the Escape and Fusion. One factor holding back GM sales was a $700 per vehicle cutback in incentive spending, though that will probably help the automaker’s bottom line more than a few extra Malibu sedans rolling off the line.

While Ford was victorious in March, GM is still up for the year by 97,000 units. Stay tuned to Autoblog for our monthly By the Numbers update, which will lay out sales totals for all of the major automakers selling in the U.S.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Breaking: Ford beats GM in March sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turkish taxi of tomorrow design beats Nissan, Ford proposals among New Yorkers [w/video]

Filed under: Hybrid, Wagon, Etc., Work

Karsan V1 New York City Taxi – Click above for high-res image gallery

The people of New York City have spoken, and they’ve found the taxi designs from both Ford and Nissan lacking. You may remember that the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission recently set about polling residents on which of a handful of taxi designs they preferred for the future of transportation in the city. Automakers from around the world submitted their designs for a cab that was safe, offered a small environmental impact, complied with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements and was physically smaller than the tried-and-true Crown Victoria. Well, the votes are officially in, and a cab from the Turkish company Karsan is the winner.

Around 66 percent of respondents either liked or loved the design of the Karsan V1, and that was enough to seal the vehicle’s fate as the people’s choice for the Taxi of Tomorrow. The V1 boasts a number of appealing unique features, including a panoramic glass roof and wheelchair ramps on both sides of the vehicle for easy access. It’s also a hybrid, which means that cabbies can expect to save fuel in the future if the commission picks the V1 as the city’s new cab, and it is easily adaptable to other fuel sources as needed, including diesel, natural gas or fully electric.

The city is likely to take the results of the survey into consideration as it makes a final decision later this year, though popularity with the public provides no guarantees that NYC cabbies will soon be talking Turkey. Check out a video detailing the finer points of the Karsan V1 New York City taxi concept after the break.

Gallery: Karsan V1 New York City Taxi concept

Karsan V1 New York City Taxi concept

[Source: NY1]

Continue reading Turkish taxi of tomorrow design beats Nissan, Ford proposals among New Yorkers [w/video]

Turkish taxi of tomorrow design beats Nissan, Ford proposals among New Yorkers [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Chevrolet Camaro beats Ford Mustang in 2010 sales

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, Ford, GM

Chevrolet Camaro wearing 2010 sales king crown

In the American sports car landscape, the Chevrolet Camaro is the king… of sales for 2010. For the first time since 1985, the Camaro has outsold its arch rival, the Ford Mustang. In fact, Chevrolet sold 7,655 more of its sporty coupes than the Blue Oval. General Motors moved 81,371 Camaros compared to 73,716 Mustangs.

Both automakers have reasons to celebrate, however, because sales for each model are up year over year. Compared to 2009, Mustang sales climbed 10.6 percent and Camaro sales soared by 31.9 percent. Ford and General Motors are looking at positive numbers across the board, with the exception of GM’s now-defunct brands. Heck… even now-defunct Mercury sales rose one percent in 2010.

Continue reading Officially Official: Chevrolet Camaro beats Ford Mustang in 2010 sales

Officially Official: Chevrolet Camaro beats Ford Mustang in 2010 sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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