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Read This: PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota, Ram

2013 PickupTrucks.com Light Duty Challenge

PickupTrucks.com has gone and thrown the latest batch of half-ton pickups into a cage match to see who would come out on top. The site put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2013 Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan through a battery of tests. Those included 0-60 miles per hour acceleration, 60-0 mph deceleration, fuel economy, a hill climb, and payload and towing. They even threw the rigs on an autocross course to evaluate overall handling. Each truck was given points based on how it scored in each evaluation.

Who came out on top? Somewhat surprisingly, the 2013 Ford F-150 walked away with the gold, though fewer than 50 points separated first and fourth place. Head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full evaluation and the final results. You may be shocked to see exactly where some of the segment’s newest additions placed. You can also watch a video on the test below.

Continue reading PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

PickupTrucks.com’s latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Stay a Hero, Stay Safe campaign for motorcycle safety hits a familiar note

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Videos, Motorcycle

sussex safer roads motorcycle safety

Stay A Hero, Stay Safe ad – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Remember the Embrace Life seatbelt advocacy ad? The spot, which was created by The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, featured a man driving an imaginary vehicle, and when he braced for impact (in his living room), his wife and daughter rushed to form a seatbelt. The safety ad went viral almost immediately, with over 13.7 million YouTube views to date, while at the same time really driving home the fact that safety belts saves lives. A truly beautiful effort.

The Sussex team is looking to strike gold once again with a new spot, this time taking aim at motorcyclists in a new commercial about motorcycle safety. The ad, titled “Stay a Hero, Stay Safe,” doesn’t have quite the same impact as the Embrace Live commercial, but it’s still worth watching. Hit the jump to see for yourself.

Continue reading Stay a Hero, Stay Safe campaign for motorcycle safety hits a familiar note

Stay a Hero, Stay Safe campaign for motorcycle safety hits a familiar note originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sounds Familiar: Millionaire drops big bucks to build Lotus-based EV sportscar

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Technology, UK, Electric

Ecotricity Nemesis

We’re beginning to think that the real difference between a millionaire and a billionaire is simply whether or not one succumbs to the idea of building your own sports car. The latest to fall victim to that money trap is Dale Vince – a man with a vision for an all-electric, 330 horsepower beast capable of ripping off the 0-60 mph sprint in 4.4 seconds on its way to 100 mph in 8.5 seconds. Like a few other specialty racers we’ve seen surface recently, the Nemisis uses a Lotus chassis for its bones, while a pack of lithium-polymer batteries supplies the juice. And according to Vince, the cells can be topped off in 8-10 hours using a trickle charge.

All told, the car has a range of somewhere between 100 and 150 miles and boasts a theoretical top speed of 170 mph. Ecotricity, the company that builds the Nemisis, has its eyes set on besting the UK’s electric vehicle top speed record of 139 mph soon. So, how much would you have to pay for a car like the Nemesis? Vince isn’t saying, though considering that it cost around £25 million to develop (including a £400,000 investment from the British government), chances are it won’t be cheap should it ever hit production.

[Sources: Inventorspot, The Daily Mail]

Sounds Familiar: Millionaire drops big bucks to build Lotus-based EV sportscar originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: BMW X3 is new yet familiar

Filed under: Paris Motor Show, Crossover, BMW, Luxury

2011 BMW X3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW has whisked the sheets off of its 2011 X3, and the second-generation crossover looks suspiciously like its predecessor. Beyond a seemingly endless parade of spy shots over the last couple of years, that’s predictable, as the Spartanburg built X3 has been a considerable sales success for the German automaker.

While the sheetmetal stays largely the same, the lineup receives new engines and an eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s set to spread like kudzu throughout the automaker’s offerings. The X3 also becomes the first model in BMW’s growing X franchise to adopt electric power steering (the automaker’s controversial variable sports steering rack is optional), as well as optional Damper Control and Dynamic Drive Control (as seen on its range of sedans and sports cars).

In addition to the new sheetmetal, BMW promises added rear seat room, addressing one of the vehicle’s key shortcomings for the North American market.

Power will come from BMW’s Twinpower Turbo (Bimmerese for twin-scroll turbo) inline six-cylinder that gives the XDrive35i model 306 brake horsepower at 5,800 rpm with max torque of 295 pound-feet of torque at just 1,300 rpm. That’s good enough for a 0-62 mph time of just 5.7 seconds and a top whack of 152 mph, though it’s not clear if that figure will be governed when it reaches us Yanks. An entry-level xDrive28i model will also receive I-6 power, with 240 hp and 230 pound-feet of torque. Naturally, diesel mills will also be available in other areas of the globe, but as of yet, BMW officials haven’t committed to bringing an oil burner to the States. The petrol model, however, should be in showrooms before year’s end.

Check out our gallery of live shots below, and hop the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: Paris 2010: BMW X3

Gallery: 2011 BMW X3

[Source: BMW]

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Paris 2010: BMW X3 is new yet familiar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rendered Speculation: 2012 Porsche 911 to look strangely familiar

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Porsche

If ever there were a single car that could be said to embody the Japanese concept of “kaizen”, or continuous improvement, it is the Porsche 911. Over its nearly half-century run, the range-topping sportscar from Porsche has been in a state of continual evolution, and with the possible exception of the 1998 transition from the air-cooled 993 models to the water-cooled 996, it would be hard to argue that any of the variants were truly all-new.

Nonetheless, a heavily reworked 911 is expected to be launched next year as a 2012 model that will still be instantly recognizable as a 911. Autocar is reporting that the new car will continue to share its front structure with the new Boxster, but the multi-link rear suspension will be revised and the rear-engined machine will get longer overall.

Like so many other modern cars, the face of the new 911 will likely incorporate a row of LEDs to function as daytime running lamps while the mirrors move back from the A-pillars to the doors. Despite the racing debut of the 911 GT3R hybrid this year, a similar setup for the road car still seems to be a ways off. The first hybrid 911 we see for the road will likely be a mild adaptation of the system in the Cayenne Hybrid with a smaller motor and lithium ion battery similar to the one used in the Mercedes-Benz S400.

[Source: Autocar]

Rendered Speculation: 2012 Porsche 911 to look strangely familiar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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