Tag: cars

Video: Adorable Russian toddler knows her cars

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor, Russia

Russian toddler names car brands - video screencap

This Russian two year old is sharp as a tack when it comes to knowing her car brands. Over the course of this video, she names nearly every brand she passes; impressive when there are plenty of adults who don’t know an Audi from a Nissan. Another thing that’s clear from the video, Mazda, BMW (all in a row!) and Hyundai are pretty popular brands in this little automotive whiz-kid’s neighborhood.

Check out the video below for nearly three and a half minutes of full-on “awwwwww” – it’s a welcome dose of cute from the land whose car culture is too often associated with wacky and/or ghastly dashcam videos.

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Adorable Russian toddler knows her cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Jul 2013 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW, Mini aim to sell million cars off new FWD platform

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Wagon, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW, Mini, Luxury

Mini sold 301,526 cars in 2012; BMW sold 1.54 million of its own models. According to a piece in Autocar, analysts say the coming UKL1 platform that will form the skeleton of the third-generation Mini Cooper and coming front-wheel drive BMW 1 Series could be responsible for “more than 900,000 cars per year” all by itself.

That sale fire is fueled by the UKL1 wearing up to twenty-three bodies in total between the two brands, 11 for Mini and 12 for BMW, rendering hatchbacks, sedans, coupes, convertibles, wagons, crossovers and people-haulers from about 12.5 feet to 14.5 feet. In April the VP of Mini USA said we might find some current models don’t make it to a next generation, but a graphic accompanying the Autocar story has them all there. If it’s correct, then those 23 models will only base model lines and don’t account for different engines and four-wheel-drive options for each model.

The big changes that would perhaps mean big sales for the Mini line are a five-door hatch with two smaller rear doors for children, the sedan talked about last year for Asian markets and an MPV perhaps wearing the “Traveler” name that could send the Countryman in a more SUV-like direction.

BMW, Mini aim to sell million cars off new FWD platform originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: More EU states may block Daimler cars as refrigerant battle heats up

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

The last time we checked in on the battle of refrigerants, France had enacted a registration ban on some Mercedes-Benz vehicles because their air-conditioning systems were loaded with R134a, which was found to be harmful to the environment by EU tests. Now, other EU states are considering banning the substance, according to Automotive News, as they push for a new refrigerant, R1234yf, to be used in new vehicles across the board.

EU testing has shown that the new chemical refrigerant, R1234yf, is safe to use in automobiles and less harmful to the environment than R134a. But after testing it independently, Daimler claimed that R1234yf could be the primary source of a vehicle fire in certain crash scenarios, if the pressurized refrigerant line broke and leaked onto the hot exhaust system. Germany, going against the EU ban, still allows vehicles with R134a to be sold within its borders.

In a meeting in Brussels with the EU’s Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles on Wednesday, representatives from the 28 member states discussed the issue and agreed that all vehicles sold within the EU must conform to the law. They stated vehicles that have already been sold with R134a must be withdrawn, just as France did by not allowing the registration of Mercedes-Benz A-class, B-class and SL cars built after June.

More talks between France and Germany will be organized to find a solution to the problem. But in the meantime, according to Automotive News, Daimler said that the vehicle ban in France alone could detract two percent from its global sales. Read the official EU press releases from the meeting in Brussels after the jump.

Continue reading More EU states may block Daimler cars as refrigerant battle heats up

More EU states may block Daimler cars as refrigerant battle heats up originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Jul 2013 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: UK to begin testing driverless cars in bid to ease congestion

Filed under: Safety, Technology, UK

Google, Stanford University, and a few other institutions have been testing driverless cars on American roads for some time now. Soon, though, the autonomous vehicle will go across the pond for their first tests on the wrong side of public roads.

The BBC reports that the British government has approved testing of driverless cars, provided a real human being is riding along in the event that things go wonky. The okay came from the Department of Transport, which included the testing as part of a 28 billion pound ($42.5 billion at today’s rates) investment to combat the notorious congestion on British roads.

The appeal of driverless cars is rather easy to see on the overused UK road network. As the DoT report states, driverless cars “maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front at a set speed and without deviating from their lane – all without the driver’s input.” That means a smoother flow of traffic and a lower chance of accidents.

The cars will be operated by the brains at Oxford University, which had previously tested an autonomous Nissan Leaf. It’s unclear whether Oxford would continue to use the Leaf, or switch to the Toyota Prius favored by Google.

And before our British readers start worrying about driverless EVs hurtling down the M1, the testing will be done on lightly used roads, only.

UK to begin testing driverless cars in bid to ease congestion originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: F1 2013 game to feature ‘classic’ cars from ’80s and ’90s

Filed under: Videos, Toys/Games

Codemasters’ series of Formula One games focus heavily on realism, both in terms of physics and appearance. Every team, every car and every driver are represented, with every track recreated in high definition and exacting detail.

This attention to detail is only reflected if you’re looking at modern F1, though. The market for video games that show the sport’s past is disappointingly bleak. For F1 2013, the latest installment in the yearly franchise, that’s set to change.

For the first time, Codemasters will explore F1’s past with cars, drivers, and tracks from the 1980s and 1990s. This is, of course, in addition to the modern content the game is known so well for. The content from the 1980s is available regardless of which version of F1 2013 is bought, giving gamers access to five cars from Ferrari, Williams and Lotus. Ten drivers will also be added to the game, including greats like Nigel Mansell, Mario Andretti, and Gerhard Berger. Finally, Circuito de Jerez and Brands Hatch, former homes of the Spanish and British Grands Prix, respectively, have been added.

Believe us, though, you want to spend however much extra is demanded for the Classic Edition of F1 2013. The 1990s content, which is standard with the Classic Edition, adds new cars from Ferrari and Williams, along with seven legendary drivers, like David Coulthard, Alain Prost and others (that being code for Ayrton Senna, we think). Two extra tracks have been added, as well. Estoril, former home of the Portuguese Grand Prix, joins the legendary Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the track more commonly known as Imola.

F1 2013 hits stores the fall, and will be available for Playstation 3, XBox 360, and PC. There’s no word on whether it will be ported to the next-gen systems. Scroll down for the official trailer of F1 2013 Classic Edition, as well as the official press release.

Continue reading F1 2013 game to feature ‘classic’ cars from ’80s and ’90s

F1 2013 game to feature ‘classic’ cars from ’80s and ’90s originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: RON Automóviles shows off RXX and R7 sports cars for Mexico

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Specialty, Racing

Occasionally we learn about a new car manufacturer starting up in Mexico, but usually the country’s most significant involvement in the auto industry is relegated to building vehicles and parts for other auto companies. RON Automóviles de México hopes to change that with its new line of sports cars. The flagship model, the RXX, resembles an Ariel Atom with bodywork, while the R7 was inspired by the Lotus 7.

The RXX will be built and sold in three different versions, the RXX, RXX-S and RXX-R. The company states on its Facebook page that the model variants will be differentiated by their finish, equipment and power, but their specifications haven’t been released yet. Not much else is known about the RXX except that it is expected to be a lightweight, high-performance roadster with two tandem seats (that’s right; the driver sits in front of the passenger), an aluminum chassis with carbon-fiber bodywork and a carbon-fiber interior. RON states the RXX will be a street-legal machine that brings the excitement of driving a Formula One car to the masses.

The R7 will follow a more traditional mold, as it was inspired by the Lotus 7 and is based off of the 7’s chassis; no tandem seating here. From the photos, we can tell the R7 retains features that would be found on an old Lotus 7, such as rear drum brakes and a live rear axle. Let’s just hope that third-generation Volkswagen Jetta parts don’t find their way into the build.

RON Automóviles shows off RXX and R7 sports cars for Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Jul 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Ford F-150 bumps Camry from top of Cars.com American Made Index

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota

2013 Ford F-150 XLT

With July 4th just around the corner, what better time could there be for Cars.com to announce that the Ford F-150 is the Most American car of 2013? This may be especially true since it was the Toyota Camry, a car produced by a company based in Japan, that had held the top spot from 2009 to 2012.

Cars.com compiles its Most American list by considering the amount of parts each vehicle uses that come from America, where it’s final assembly takes place and how many units per year are sold. “While the assembly point and domestic parts content of the F-150 didn’t change from 2012-2013, vehicle sales are responsible for bumping the F-150 to the top spot,” according to Patrick Olsen, Editor-in-Chief of Cars.com.

As far as automakers go (as opposed to individual models), Toyota retains the top spot it held in 2012, with General Motors, Chrysler, Ford and Honda (in that order) rounding out the list. The motivation behind this list each year, according to Olsen, is “to help car shoppers understand that ‘American-Made’ extends beyond just the Detroit three” and because “a study we conducted in 2012 indicated that 25 percent of shoppers surveyed preferred to buy American.”

It should be noted, however, that Cars.com isn’t the only group with an American-made study, and not everyone agrees on the methodology used. In fact, a highly detailed study earlier this year by American University’s Kogod School of Business found that the Lambda CUV triplets from GM are the most American-made nameplates, and there isn’t a single vehicle from a Japanese automaker anywhere near its top ten.

Feel free to browse the press release below to see how the full top-10 list breaks down.

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Ford F-150 bumps Camry from top of Cars.com American Made Index originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Jun 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Videos, Jaguar, Celebrities, Humor

Season Two of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee kicked this week in style. How much more style is there to be had than in a 1969 Jaguar XKE, after all? This time around, Seinfeld and Sarah Silverman spend some time driving around in the “slinky, sexy” Jag, talking comedy and then grabbing breakfast.

In addition to the kickoff of the show’s second season, this episode also represents the start of a 24-episode sponsorship with Acura. The original deal promised short ads at the beginning and end of each episode, but this time around, Seinfeld “stumbles upon” a 2014 Acura RLX, which is obviously – and admittedly – the work of product integration. Scroll down to watch Seinfeld and Silverman exchange banter with the Jag’s beauty as a happy backdrop.

Continue reading Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 Jun 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cars.com performs ultimate minivan shootout. Guess who won…

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen

Cars.com rounded up the year’s crop of new minivans for a comparison, the rare thrill being that minivans from every major maker are completely fresh for 2011. The entrants were the Nissan Quest (pictured), Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town & Country, Volkswagen Routan and Dodge Grand Caravan.

The testing format was also novel, in that Cars.com paired its own editors with reviewers from USA Today and the MotorWeek television show, plus the Weatherby family, an ‘average’ family of five – husband, wife and three kids.

After three days of testing and the tallying of numerous criteria, there was, of course, one 7-seater to rule them all. We won’t tell you which one it is, but its reviews included both “It doesn’t look like such a mommy car” and “Distressingly ugly in profile.” The Cars.com video review is after the jump, or head over to the link for the long-form skinny.

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Cars.com performs ultimate minivan shootout. Guess who won… originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 May 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

2011 nissan juke crash test

Small cars score big in latest IIHS crash tests – Click above to watch video after the jump

Thirteen enter, six leave … with Top Safety Pick awards. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety spent some time driving (and smashing) a big group of small cars. Six of those cars received top honors from the IIHS by scoring a rating of “Good” across the board. The 2012 Ford Focus, 2012 Honda Civic sedan, 2011 Hyunda Elantra, 2011 Lexus CT200h, 2011 Nissan Juke and 2011 Toyota Prius are all the small-car place to be in the event of an accident.

This crop of small cars are also quite fuel efficient. All vehicles in the top six offer a version that gets at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

The rest of the vehicles tested faired well. Only the older Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber received “Mediocre” ratings in some categories. Every car tested, however, received multiple “Good” ratings. Click past the jump to watch the IIHS talk about about the small car crash tests. Also, be sure to check out the breakdown of the ratings by vehicle (pdf file).

Continue reading IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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