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NYC says taxi drivers can choose hybrids over Nissan ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’

Filed under: Nissan, Legislation and Policy

Right about now, Nissan must be wishing it had a baked-in a shorter development time for its NV200 hybrid. Nissan started production on the taxi version of the NV200 about a year ago and has previously stated it will offer a hybrid version out by 2015.

But that’s late enough that the Japanese automaker’s foothold on future New York City taxi sales is looser than it otherwise would have been. Last week, New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission voted to allow cab drivers to buy their own hybrids as an alternative to the NV200 minivan cab, the New York Daily News reports. Two years ago, the gas-powered NV200 was named by the city government as NYC’s “Taxi of Tomorrow” because of features including available features like a glass roof and on-board cell-phone rechargers, not to mention its roominess and relative fuel efficiency.

The city was set to start pushing for the taxi-fleet switchover in October but has faced legal opposition in recent months from the state’s Supreme Court, which now says the city’s mandate is unenforceable, in part because it doesn’t offer fleet owners a hybrid alternative.

NYC says taxi drivers can choose hybrids over Nissan ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 27 Jun 2013 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook users choose “Mayhem” as name for new Mustang V6 performance package

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ford

The Ford Mustang name is among the most iconic in the world, and performance variants like the Boss, Shelby and Bullitt are almost as memorable in the eyes of enthusiasts. While those names were no-doubt spawned by committee, the newest Mustang variant was given its name on Facebook.

Ford opened up a competition on the Mustang Facebook page to name the new V6 Performance Package, and “Mayhem Mustang Package” won out. The winning submission, which came from Jeremy Marler in North Carolina, was chosen from over 3,000 entries. Marler’s entry wins him a three-year lease on a 2012 Mustang with his Mayhem designation.

The Mayhem package features a 305-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6, front and rear stabilizer bars, suspension and brakes from the Mustang GT and a 3.31 performance rear axle. To help differentiate the Mayhem Mustang from its less capable siblings, the variant will be given unique 19-inch wheels wrapped with Pirelli performance rubber and Mayhem badging throughout.

The Mayhem package sounds like a performance bargain to us, and the name isn’t too shabby, either. Hit the jump to read over the Ford press release.

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Facebook users choose “Mayhem” as name for new Mustang V6 performance package originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Choose Your Own Cam with 2011 Subaru WRX STI rally car

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Videos, Subaru, Off-Road, Racing

Subaru WRX Rally Car in-car camera view

Subaru Canada’s version of Choose Your Own Adventure – Click above to watch video after the jump

Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books? The series, which sold over 250 million copies between 1979 and 1998, allowed you to choose your path through the story, but not every path led to a happy ending. The rally team from Subaru Canada must have read a few of these books yet decided to make any and all choices lead down the same awesome path, just from a slightly different viewpoint.

Strapping a gaggle of HD cameras onto a 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally car, the team was able to load all the footage up to YouTube, where the viewer can select the viewing angle of his or her choice, be it the dash cam, bumper cam, clutch cam or side cam.

The driver is Pat Richard, the navigator is Alan Ockwell, and the quartet of camera angles is the Choose Your Own Adventure book we wish we could have read as a kid. Slide over the crest to view the clips.

[Source: YouTube]

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Video: Choose Your Own Cam with 2011 Subaru WRX STI rally car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lamborghini would choose four-door over SUV

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Lamborghini, Rumormill, Luxury

Lamborghini Estoque concept

Lamborghini Estoque concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lamborghini remains intent on adding a third model to its range. This, straight from the proverbial lion’s mouth – that of the company’s affable CEO Stephan Winkelmann, who would like a new model to attract new buyers to the brand. The question is, what form will that new model take?

According to a new report from Autocar, the most likely scenario is a production version of the Estoque concept sedan unveiled in Paris a couple years back. Previous reports suggested a successor to the LM002 sport-utility vehicle could be in the works. But while either model could borrow underpinnings from within the Volkswagen Group (the Porsche Panamera or Audi A7 for the Estoque or the Porsche Cajun/Audi Q5 for the LM00X), enabling a faster and more cost-effective development process, Winkelmann seems to like the idea of the Estoque better.

Building the Estoque could also potentially lead to more variants as well, including a front-engined coupe and convertible, while the LM002 would, in all likelihood, be a single-model proposition.

Us? We just hope that the new model (whatever it is) gets built soon. In the case of the Estoque, there’s nothing worse than a painfully slow gestation of an already aging concept car to kill buzz.

Gallery: 2008 Lamborghini Estoque Concept

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Lamborghini would choose four-door over SUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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