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Prince William borrows father’s vintage Aston Martin for Royal Wedding cruise [w/video]

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Performance, Government/Legal, Videos, Aston Martin, UK, Celebrities, Luxury

Prince William and Kate Middleton leave Royal Wedding in Aston Martin

Prince William and Kate Middleton leave Royal Wedding in Aston Martin – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kings and princes aren’t generally in the business of driving themselves… well, anywhere. More often than not, such dignitaries can be found ensconced in the lap of luxury known to us mere mortals (or at least non Royals) as The Back Seat. Then again, it’s not every day that a prince finds himself a brand new princess to call his very own, as is the case with the newly crowned Duchess of Cambridge.

And so it’s refreshing to see Prince William drive himself and his bride around London following the Royal Wedding in front of a massive swarm of onlookers. The best part, though, is that the Royal Couple chose to drive away in a perfectly appropriate Aston Martin. Not just any Aston Martin – this Seychelles Blue DB6 MKII Volante actually belongs to William’s dad, Prince Charles, and was gifted to him by his mother (that’d be The Queen, naturally) in 1969 on Charles’ 21st birthday.

A few details worthy of note: This droptop DB6 has been converted to run on Royal Grapes. Well, sort of. Aston Martin retrofitted this car’s engine with a kit that allows it to run on alcohol fuel, which is created using grapes grown on a vineyard owned by the Royal Family. So it’s green… -ish: it can only manage about eight miles per gallon. Also, take a gander at the big L on the front of the car. That stands for Learner; apparently even for Royal Learners. Also, the rear plate is a special one: JU5T WED. Clever.

And finally, are you wondering what William and Kate actually choose to drive when nobody else is looking? William reportedly owns an Audi S4, and Kate drives an Audi A3 hatchback.

Check out our high-res image gallery of the Royal Lovebirds in the Aston Martin DB6 Volante below, and feel free to check out video of the event after the break.

Gallery: Royal Wedding’s Vintage Aston Martin

[Images: Getty]

Continue reading Prince William borrows father’s vintage Aston Martin for Royal Wedding cruise [w/video]

Prince William borrows father’s vintage Aston Martin for Royal Wedding cruise [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz reportedly recalling 136,000 M Class models over cruise control problem

Filed under: SUV, Recalls, Safety, Mercedes-Benz

2000 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Mercedes-Benz is issuing a recall for its 2000-2002 M-Class and 2000-2004 M-Class AMG models after reports that hitting the brakes may not automatically turn off cruise control. The recall affects 136,751 vehicles built between August 1999 and June 2004.

The recall follows a preliminary investigation the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started in December, 2010. The root of the problem is reportedly a failed brake lamp switch, which can cause not only the cruise control issue, but also prevent the vehicle being shifted out of park and a failure of the brake lights.

Though the investigation by NHTSA is only a few months old, Daimler AG issued a technical service bulletin in May, 2005 to replace the faulty brake lamp switch. According to Daimler, the problem can be solved by pumping the brakes to disengage cruise, but the automaker admits that it may require an “unusually high” amount of pressure on the pedal.

Mercedes dealers will replace the switch for affected customers when the recall begins in September.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz reportedly recalling 136,000 M Class models over cruise control problem

Mercedes-Benz reportedly recalling 136,000 M Class models over cruise control problem originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We obsessively covered the Woodward Dream Cruise

Filed under: Classics, Misc. Auto Shows

Image Galleries

Muscle Cars	Classic Cars	License Plates
Close-up Details	Import Cars	Weird and Wonderful Cars

Also of Interest

	Chrysler represents! First thing we did after arriving at the 2010 Woodward Dream Cruise was head out to the various automaker displays on Woodward Avenue. And, as you can see, that includes Chrysler.
	Ford display takes over 9 Mile and Woodward Ford always comes strong at the Woodward Dream Cruise, and this year the corner of 9 Mile and Woodward is a packed as ever with a slew of Mustangs in tow.
	2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 makes its Motor City debut After first appearing in Monterey, Ford quickly hot-footed the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 back home to Detroit for a showing at this year’s Woodward Dream Cruise.
	Smoke on the Woodward What does a PT Cruiser need to do to attract our attention at the Woodward Dream Cruise? It could overheat and die, needing to be pushed to the side of the road. Kinda like this one here.

We obsessively covered the Woodward Dream Cruise originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Woodward: I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. Dream Cruise

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows

Close-ups: 2010 Woodward – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Woodward Dream Cruise is all about classic, unique and nostalgic vehicles spanning over 100 years of automotive history, but sometimes even more can be seen by zooming in and studying the details of these fabulous machines.

We scoured Woodward Ave. with a magnifying lens looking for those special angles that make you appreciate good automotive design. These are the close-ups of the 2010 Woodward Dream Cruise. Check ’em out in the high-res image gallery below and let us know your favorites.

Gallery: Close-Ups: 2010 Woodward

2010 Woodward: I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. Dream Cruise originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Woodward: Classics make Dream Cruise worth the weather

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows

Old School at Woodward

Classics: 2010 Woodward – Click above for high-res image gallery

There’s no doubt that classic cars make up the bulk of what keeps us coming to Detroit to cover the Woodward Dream Cruise year after year. But what makes a car a classic?

That question is as debatable as ever, but for the purposes of our coverage this weekend, we’re calling a classic anything built before 1964 or so. That’s around the first year you could buy a Pontiac GTO – what many consider to be the first true muscle car – and the end of what we’re calling our classic car era.

Yes, it’s a bit arbitrary to divide all these vintage vehicles into two groups, but there’s just too many for one gallery! So here’s the first, our gallery of pre-1964 (or so) classics. Post-1964 (or so) muscle cars will follow, so get through the gallery below and we’ll bring the muscle a little later.

Gallery: Classics: 2010 Woodward

1938 Chevrolet Coupe 1955-1957 Ford Thunderbird 1930s Ford Roadster Unidentifiable Rat Rod Custom Hot Rod

2010 Woodward: Classics make Dream Cruise worth the weather originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Woodward Dream Cruise: Livestream!

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows

2010 Woodward Dream Cruise Livestream – Click above to watch Livestream after the jump

Check it out! We’ve got the 2010 Woodward Dream Cruise on Livestream after the jump.

We’re shooting a portion of Woodward Ave. right before a stop light, so the cars will slow down and give you a great view every minute or so. The Livestream will be going all day, so feel free to keep the window open and watch the Dream Cruise traffic as we’re out taking pictures.

Fair warning: There’s an obnoxious commercial that comes on right before the Ustream player starts playing. Mute is advised.

Continue reading 2010 Woodward Dream Cruise: Livestream!

2010 Woodward Dream Cruise: Livestream! originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Woodward Dream Cruise: Autoblog’s Livestream starts Saturday, 10AM EST

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows

Woodward Dream Cruise

1.5 million people. 40,000 cars. 16 miles of famous Woodward Ave. It’s that time of year again to cover our favorite event near the city of Detroit (we love the Detroit Auto Show, but c’mon, it happens in the dead of winter): the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Like years prior, we’ll be on-hand for the official cruise day tomorrow, though Detroiters have had their classic cars out on Woodward Ave. all week before the thousands of classic car gawkers show up on Saturday and slow things down to idle on the street.

In a nutshell, you can expect Autoblog to make you feel like you’re there even if you choose not to make the trek to D-town.

We’ll be covering the 2010 Woodward Dream Cruise on three fronts:

Livestream: Come to Autoblog.com at 10AM EST on Saturday to watch the cruise all day via livestreaming. Our setup this year is the best it’s ever been.
Twitter/Facebook: Follow therealautoblog on Twitter and Like the Autoblog Facebook page for cool car tweets and updates throughout the entire day.
Galleries: Like always, we’ll bring you plenty of high-res image galleries of the best cars cruising on Woodward. And we’ve made a promise to ourselves this year to label each and every image so you know what you’re looking at.

Make sure to check us out this weekend so you don’t miss a minute of coverage!

2010 Woodward Dream Cruise: Autoblog’s Livestream starts Saturday, 10AM EST originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #189 – Flex sunsetting, NHTSA stars, saleable Sebrings and a cruise in the Cruze

Filed under: Podcasts, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai, Lincoln, Rumormill

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan Roth are back for Episode #188 of the Autoblog Podcast. Topics this time around include rumors of a Ford Flex/Lincoln MKT phase-out after 2013, changes to the way NHTSA crash rating scores are given, patent images that could be the next Chrysler Sebring and the Chevrolet Cruze. Your feedback is incorporated throughout this hour and twenty minute extravaganza, too. Thanks for listening, see you next time!

Autoblog Podcast #189 – Flex sunsetting, NHTSA stars, saleable Sebrings and a cruise in the Cruze

In the Autoblog Garage:

Ford F250 Super Duty
Ford Mustang GT Convertible
Hyundai Sonata SE

News:

NHTSA updates its crash-test procedure
Chrysler 200C patent drawings and Sebring plant staffing boost
Ford Flex/Lincoln MKT being phased out
Chevrolet Cruze first drive

Hosts:
Dan Roth, Sam Abuelsamid, Chris Shunk

Runtime: 84:26

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #189 – Flex sunsetting, NHTSA stars, saleable Sebrings and a cruise in the Cruze originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz channel their inner Stig on Top Gear

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Kia, UK, Celebrities

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz on Top Gear – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have been all over the world pushing their not-so-blockbuster movie Knight and Day, and while moviegoers haven’t exactly filled local theaters, enthusiasts should most definitely witness the Hollywood A-listers on the latest episode of Top Gear. The two stars appeared on our favorite BBC show to compete against other celebrities in “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car,” and their performance far outshines their recent box office receipts.

Hit the jump to watch as the two push hard around the Top Gear track in a KIA Cee’d. We won’t ruin the results for you, but we will reveal that Diaz shows that she can swear like a trucker while looking good with a helmet on, and Cruise proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a very competitive guy. Seriously, the man literally finishes the race on two wheels, nearly giving Clarkson a heart attack in the process. Who got the better part of their co-star? You’ll have to watch to find out.

[Source: Top Gear via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz channel their inner Stig on Top Gear

Video: Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz channel their inner Stig on Top Gear originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz to be the stars in Top Gear‘s Reasonably Price Car

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Etc., Kia, UK, Celebrities

According to The Sun, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz will take to the infamous Top Gear track in an attempt to topple the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car leader board. Evidently, Cruise contacted the show about a stint behind the wheel of the infamous Kia c’eed while in the UK. Both he and Diaz were in country for the debut of their new film “Knight and Day.”

So far, we don’t know how either of the two stars did on track, but we’re betting Cruise managed to hold his own. It’s no secret that the guy has a penchant for sports cars of just about every flavor. Besides, he starred in Days of Thunder.

The crew at Top Gear hasn’t said exactly when we can expect to see the two go around the track, but we’re betting it won’t be too long before the segments air, possibly this Sunday.

[Source: The Sun]

Report: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz to be the stars in Top Gear‘s Reasonably Price Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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