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Video: Razor Crazy Cart may be the coolest kid-size drift car money can buy

Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games, Humor

It might as well be a fact that if you want to get ahead in the world of motorsports, you need to start young. And since most toddlers can’t see over the wheel or reach the pedals in an actual car, karts are the most logical option. Unfortunately, big league karts are not cheap.

Enter the Crazy Cart, from Razor. Somehow, we doubt there’s ever been a better way of teaching a small child about car control. With four corner-mounted castors and a single electrically powered wheel below the steering column, the Crazy Cart can make any pre-schooler a drifting master. That central wheel can turn 360 degrees, which blesses the Crazy Cart with sublime agility and ease of control. A tiny handbrake is also available, for even more lurid sliding.

Of course, there are concerns. One Autoblog staffer called it “a pediatrician’s nightmare,” and while it does look stable, we’d be inclined to agree. And then there’s the $400 asking price. While it’s expensive, it’s probably a lot cheaper than dropping money on a kart, only to find out that your kid isn’t all that into it. And besides, as the video shows, it can handle an adult.

In that case, we’ll take seven. Check out the video below for the full rundown of the Crazy Cart’s abilities.

Continue reading Razor Crazy Cart may be the coolest kid-size drift car money can buy

Razor Crazy Cart may be the coolest kid-size drift car money can buy originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jul 2013 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Porsche-Piech buy 10% stake in VW’s holding company

Filed under: Europe, Porsche, Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials, Middle East

F.K. Piech

In August, 2009, as the scuttled merger of Porsche and Volkswagen had gone bad and Porsche was backed up against the ropes, Porsche Automobil Holding SE (PAHSE) relinquished a ten-percent stake in itself to Qatar Holdings as well as options it held on 17 percent of VW shares. The sale meant that, for the first time since the founding of the company 61 years before, an entity outside the Porsche and Piech families had a say in the running of PAHSE.

Buying that ten-percent stake back returns full ownership to the two families, the holding company’s sole possession being ownership of 50.7 percent of VW’s common shares. The price paid wasn’t disclosed, but at market rates the purchase would be worth close to $1.25 billion. Qatar intends to hold onto the 17-percent stake it has in Volkswagen.

Porsche-Piech buy 10% stake in VW’s holding company originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy considering EV sales?

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Electric

According to Automotive News, Best Buy has its eyes on jumping into EV sales and service. The consumer electronics giant has been peddling Brammo electric motorcycles for years now and has recently parleyed that experience into garnering contracts to be a distributor and installer of EV chargers for the likes of the Ford Focus Electric and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Now the suits in charge apparently want to take the next step by offering full electric vehicles alongside Blu-Ray players and big-screen TVs.

The chain has over 1,000 stores that could effectively educate buyers on the products and service them should anything go awry. Right now, Best Buy is said to be in talks with a few EV startup companies, though the retailer hopes to expand those discussions to larger automakers, as well. The idea is that some dealers would rather outsource the hassle of instructing buyers on the intricacies of EV ownership rather than go through the trouble of educating their entire sales process on tasks such as pairing a smart phone.

Is this just another step in the inevitable march of the vehicle from transportation to appliance? Maybe, but it could also be a move toward a genuinely educated and capable sales staff that’s invested in your comprehension of the product.

Best Buy considering EV sales? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Want to avoid the flu? Buy an old car

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Australia

rusty old car with patina

We know the scientists of the world spend an awful lot of time making our lives better, but the guys and gals in white coats sometimes study topics that aren’t all that exciting. Case in point? The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand announced at their annual meeting that owners of newer vehicles are more likely to catch the flu than those with old beaters.

The reason? Older vehicles have dried out, cracked and broken seals that help circulate fresh air through the cabin. Meanwhile, newer vehicles, with their fresh and uncompromised seals, let in less fresh air when air circulation is set to lower levels. As a result, the owners of the newer vehicles are more likely to catch cold or flu from a sick passenger inside the vehicle.

Dr. Scott Bell, Director of Thoracic Medicine at the Prince Charles Hospital, wants drivers to know that “high risk people should be cautious of who they travel with in passenger cars during outbreaks of influenza.”

That makes sense, but what if you’re in a beat-up old jalopy? We’re guessing you shouldn’t have sick passengers in old cars, either, but what do we know? Dr. Bell says you’re at least less susceptible to illness if you crank the air on high and thumb off the recirculating air button.

[Source: Drive | Image: Flickr KB35 via CC 2.0]

PSA: Want to avoid the flu? Buy an old car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Would you wait to buy a Japanese car? [w/poll]

Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota

Honda Civic Si

It may be some time before consumers in line for a new Japanese car get their hands on their new ride.

Besides killing thousands of people, shocking the nation’s infrastructure and setting off the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, the Japanese earthquake disaster has halted car production on the island indefinitely. Added to that, the tsunami resulting from the quake destroyed thousands of cars and trucks awaiting export.

With production halted and parts supplies drying up, waiting lists for new Japanese cars are mounting. According to CNW Research, those in line for new Japanese cars are, on average, willing to wait 90 days for the delays to end.

Only eight percent of Honda buyers would look elsewhere after a 90-day wait, with the figure climbing to 13 percent for Subaru, 14 percent for Toyota and 19 percent for Nissan.

Those may not seem like huge numbers, until you compare them to comparable American brands. Ford would only lose six percent after 90 days for its cars, and a scant 2.8 percent of truck buyers would bail. Jeep buyers proved most-loyal, with 97.2 percent of their customers sticking around after 90 days.

Would you stand in line for 90 days or more for your new Japanese car of choice? Let us know by voting in our poll.

View Poll

[Source: CNW Research via The Detroit Bureau | Image: Drew Phillips/AOL]

Would you wait to buy a Japanese car? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: $33M in EV tax credits went to buy unqualified vehicles

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal

Is a bicycle an electric vehicle? How about a Hummer H3? These are some of the things that Americans claimed were hybrids, alternative-powered or plug-in electric vehicles on their tax forms, reports USA Today. What’s more, the false claimants managed to get $33 million back from the federal government. According to the daily, $33 million is about 20 percent of the $163.9 million total that has been claimed under the tax credit programs so far.

The information comes from a new report, published by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (read the full report in PDF), which found that the problem lies with the IRS, which apparently doesn’t have the “adequate procedures” required to ferret out which claims qualify and which don’t. The IRS responded by saying it, “has already implemented measures to address some of the problems highlighted in the report.” Okay, that’s all somewhat understandable, but a getting money back for a bicycle? We love bikes, seriously, but we’re pretty sure that they’re not cars…

[Source: USA Today | Image: General Motors]

Report: $33M in EV tax credits went to buy unqualified vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan luring business owners to buy new van with free upgrade packages

Thanks to its new NV series of body-on-frame vans, Nissan now has a stake in the commercial cargo moving market. But how will the Japanese automaker entice fleet buyers to stop their scheduled orders for tried-and-true options like the Ford E-Series and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in favor of unproven models like the NV 1500, 2500 and 3500? The answer appears to be some clever incentives.

Instead of just dropping cash on the hood, Nissan is instead offering the choice of several no-cost options to help NV buyers convert their vehicles into a cargo-carrying juggernaut. Customers who purchase an NV can choose from a cargo management systems consisting of three 44-inch shelving units, a steel cabin/cargo partition, or an exterior standard roof utility rack or an interior rack for high roof models. NV buyers more interested in marketing than cargo enhancements can opt for a personalized graphics package from Original Wraps that spans up to 70 square feet. And if none of those options sound good, Nissan will cut $300 from the new van’s $24,590 starting price. Hit the jump to read over Nissan’s press release.

[Source: Nissan]

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Nissan luring business owners to buy new van with free upgrade packages originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar goes aftermarket, coming to Best Buy in spring

Filed under: Aftermarket, CES, Technology, GM

OnStar Mirror

General Motors’ OnStar division has been nothing short of a major success story over its 16 years of operation. But if there’s one major problem that has historically stood in the way of it becoming an automotive technology juggernaut, it’s that OnStar has always been limited to just GM vehicles. Until now.

Coming to a Best Buy near you in the spring of 2011 will be a complete standalone OnStar package housed in one aftermarket mirror. For $299 (plus an estimated $75-$100 for installation and a service plan starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year), you’ll get the whole suite of features offered by OnStar, including:

Automatic Crash Response
Link to Emergency Services
Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance
Turn-by-Turn Navigation
Roadside Assistance
Hands-Free Calling

This standalone system includes everything needed to get your non-GM (or non-OnStar-equipped older GM) car or truck hooked up to the OnStar network. Installation involves removing the old rear-view mirror, installing the new one and running a power line – which supposedly takes less than an hour and will be handled by trained technicians from Best Buy, though other retail locations seem likely in the future. Full details can be found in the press release after the break.

[Source: OnStar]

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OnStar goes aftermarket, coming to Best Buy in spring originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: China’s BAIC gunning to buy Pininfarina

Filed under: China, Rumormill

BAIC C71EV

BAIC C71EV – Click above for high-res image gallery

Beijing Automotive Industry Corp, or BAIC, is looking to buy Italian design firm Pininfarina. The Chinese automaker is already working with Pininfarina in collaboration on its upcoming models based on older Saabs.

Since mid-2009, Pininfarina’s family ownership has been looking to unload its majority stake in the company. Interest from several Chinese automakers has been piqued and BAIC is not alone in bidding for the right to purchase the design house. Brilliance and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile have put in bids, as have Indian automakers Mahindra and Bajaj Auto and Canadian parts supplier Magna International.

Regardless of BAIC submitting a winning bid, work with Pininfarina is proceeding and we expect to see the fruits of both companies’ efforts at a car show sometime in the very near future.

Gallery: Beijing 2010: BAIC Saabs

[Source: Gasgoo]

Report: China’s BAIC gunning to buy Pininfarina originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Jan 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Today is the best day all year to buy a new car

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Earnings/Financials

Car Shopping

If you’re in the market for a new car, today just might be your day. According to both Time and TrueCar.com, a perfect storm of factors have collided to make this the best day all year for consumers to get the greatest deal possible on a new hunk of sheetmetal. With a perfect mix of dealer incentives and manufacturer rebates mingling with the fact that dealers are now staring down the barrel of end-of-the-month sales targets and a stack of 2011 models coming down the pike, savvy buyers should be able to call the shots.

Time reports that some models are seeing discounts of 19-37 percent off of their retail MSRP. If you’re clever, you just might be able to snag the keys to a 2010 Mazda3 for a hair over $10,000(!) or a 2010 Hyundai Accent for just $7,341 – a savings of around 31 percent off of the Korean’s sticker price. Head over to TrueCar.com for a look at other big savers.

[Sources: Time, TrueCar | Image: Joe Raedle / Getty Images]

Report: Today is the best day all year to buy a new car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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