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Subaru offering more powerful WRX STI for UK buyers

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Subaru, UK

2011 Subaru WRX STI

2011 Subaru WRX STI – Click above for high-res image gallery

For a limited time, Subaru UK is offering customers a slightly more powerful version of its Evo-battling WRX STI. Between April 1st and June 30th, buyers can fit their four- or five-door STIs with a power package, good for an additional 20 horsepower and 32 pound-feet of torque.

This means the turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four now puts out 320 hp and 332 lb-ft of twist. What’s more, the torque punch is now delivered at 3400 rpm – 600 rpm sooner than in the standard car. According to AutoExpress, these upgrades are enough to shave three-tenths of a second off of the STI’s 0-62 mile-per-hour time.

In addition to more power, Subaru will be fitting its STI with a standard Pioneer navigation system at no extra, complete with Bluetooth connectivity and iPod integration. Pricing for the upgraded STI starts at £32,995 (a whopping $53,572 based on current exchange rates).

Gallery: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI: First Drive

[Source: AutoExpress]

Subaru offering more powerful WRX STI for UK buyers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia offering you the chance to name your own rest stop?

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Virginia freeway rest stop The beautiful state of Virginia is reportedly looking to offset some of the $20 million it costs to operate and maintain its 42 rest stops, and perhaps you can help. NBC Washington reports that the state is selling the naming rights to each of the stops to help raise revenue needed to keep the facilities open.

Former Governor Tim Kaine apparently closed 19 of the facilities back in 2009 as a cost-cutting measure, but current Governor Bob McDonnell re-opened the structures eight months ago, promising to find other ways to raise the needed money. Also being discussed is the idea of using prison labor for maintenance. Somewhere, somehow Warden Norton is pleased.

Meanwhile, we’re wondering whether “Autoblog: Obsessively Covering This Rest Stop” has a ring to it. Let us know what you’d name a Virginia rest area in Comments.

[Source: NBC Washington | Image: Virginia Department of Transportation]

Virginia offering you the chance to name your own rest stop? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: EPA now offering used car window stickers

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Government/Legal

1995 honda civic window sticker

Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency, new car buyers always have the ability to read fuel economy numbers on the window sticker of any car on the lot. But if you’re looking at a used vehicle, the same efficiency info isn’t always readily available.

Consumer Reports reports that the EPA has changed that little problem by posting the fuel efficiency information of used vehicles on its fueleconomy.gov website. These aren’t new fuel economy numbers, but the EPA did apply the updated fuel economy logic that was instituted in 2008. So if your original 1995 Honda Civic was once quoted at 40 miles per gallon, the new fuel economy number is 33 mpg. The EPA is tracking fuel economy dating back to 1984, too, so car buyers can go back before many Autoblog readers were even born.

The EPA is hoping that anyone selling a vehicle will use the tool as well. Dealers, for example, can print up the window sticker and place it on the window of the vehicle being sold, giving the “sold as is, no warranty” caveat some competition on the passenger-side window.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

PSA: EPA now offering used car window stickers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar offering Crisis Assist services to tsunami victims

Filed under: Etc., Technology, GM

OnStar customers who live in areas affected by the tsunami warnings are getting help from their cars. General Motors has announced that those who live in affected areas can push the OnStar button their vehicle and be connected with a Crisis Advisor, who will help them get through the situation as safely as possible.

The Crisis Advisors can contact emergency services; provide points of contact for assistance, including food, shelter and hotel accommodations; help subscribers without power to access the internet or charge phones so they can stay in contact and receive weather and incident updates.

According to GM, OnStar can also be used to funnel information from subscribers to federal emergency management agencies to get assistance to people in need. Feel free to scope the press release for all the details.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading OnStar offering Crisis Assist services to tsunami victims

OnStar offering Crisis Assist services to tsunami victims originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Lamborghini offering new Gallardo leasing program

Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini

2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4

2011 Lamborghini LP570-4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lamborghini has finally bitten the bullet and started a leasing program for the Gallardo. According to the DuPont Registry, there was enough demand for an alternative ownership program that leasing Lamborghini’s smallest offering made sense.

Gallardos eligible for lease include the 2010-2011 LP560-4 Spyders, 2011 Gallardo LP560-4 Coupe, 2011 LP570-4 Superleggera, and the brand-new LP550-2. The leases are on a 27-month term, and customers are limited to 3,500 miles a year. The program began in January and stops at the end of this month, so you’d better hurry.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera

[Source: DuPont Registry]

PSA: Lamborghini offering new Gallardo leasing program originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Test Drive Unlimited 2 offering free downloadable content to make up for buggy launch

Filed under: Toys/Games

test drive unlimited 2

Test Drive Unlimited 2 – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you jumped right into the Test Drive Unlimited 2 world, you may have been disappointed to find a slew of bugs and server issues. Atari and Eden Games have been working hard to rectify that situation. A new update has been made available and it includes a variety of fixes, as well as a thank-you bonus item. The first batch of downloadable content for TDU2 thrown in the mix for free.

Called the Exploration DLC Pack, the downloadable add-on features new wrecks to find. The two new wrecks, once found, will put a rally-version Lancia Stratos and 1969 Dodge Charger in your garage (or garages, if you are progressing through game more quickly).

In addition to the extra vehicles, this update addresses the following issues:

Casino performance has been improved
Log-in time has been improved
Game is more stable across the board
Saved games are no longer corrupted
Friend lists are now populated
Invites work correctly
Clubs are now online

It’s clear that Eden Games and Atari have been listening to the masses, and are working hard to provide an enjoyable gaming experience. The update is being provided to PC users first, then it will filter over for console gamers.

Gallery: Test Drive Unlimited 2

[Source: Joystiq, Test Drive Unlimited 2 Forums]

Test Drive Unlimited 2 offering free downloadable content to make up for buggy launch originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW offering M Performance exhaust for M3 range [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, BMW

BMW M Performance Exhaust

BMW M Performance exhaust – Click above for high-res image

BMW has released a new exhaust system for the current M3 coupe, sedan and convertible. This new M Performance system is crafted from lightweight, heat-resistant Inconel, and when combined with the current M3’s high-revving 4.0-liter V8, the end result is a much more throaty, powerful sound.

The M Performance exhaust is approximately 20 pounds lighter than the standard setup, made up of perforated inner pipes and polished titanium tips with the BMW M logo. What’s more, this flow-optimized exhaust reduces overall back pressure, allowing for more aurally stimulating sound.

But the truth is, words don’t do this new exhaust system justice. Thankfully, BMW fitted the M Performance exhaust system to an M3 coupe and created a video, which you can watch after the jump. If you like what you hear, BMW even offers the M Performance exhaust note as a ringtone (seriously), available at bmwusa.com/news. Hit the jump for the details, including the price: a steep $4,374, not including installation.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW offering M Performance exhaust for M3 range [w/video]

BMW offering M Performance exhaust for M3 range [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar offering free services to Super Bowl attendees

Filed under: Technology, GM

OnStar

Thousands of football fans will soon converge on Arlington, Texas for Super Bowl XLV. Those visitors will fill area hotel rooms and jam eateries and pubs. That’s good news for local businesses, but thanks to impossible traffic it’s a bum deal for anyone who travels through town. And since the Super Bowl also brings massively increased security, many streets will be closed so police and private security details have fewer avenues to inspect. Thank goodness for GPS, right? Not so much.

Super Bowl organizers have asked that game attendees skip the GPS in favor of the directions printed on their parking passes. That’s an awfully analog process for our digital world, but owners of OnStar-equipped General Motors vehicles can still receive turn-by-turn directions. Subscribers will be have “special access” to routes and road closures relayed by specially trained OnStar advisers during the event. You won’t need to have the turn-by-turn subscription package to receive this service, either; GM is providing it free of charge just for the big game. Hit the jump to peruse the official OnStar press release.

[Source: OnStar]

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OnStar offering free services to Super Bowl attendees originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 15:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Two Chevy dealers offering special 700-hp Camaro models – just like Yenko and Berger [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Car Buying, Videos, Chevrolet, GM

NeSmith Chevrolet Camaro

The COPO Camaros are back (sorta) – Click above for image gallery

There was a time when dealers utilized General Motors’ Central Office Production Order to the fullest, giving us some truly terrific muscle car options. By judiciously picking hi-po OEM performance parts to augment some already formidable performers, COPO Chevrolet Camaros from the late ’60s put a few dealers on the national map, and today, we know about Berger, Nickey and, of course, Yenko. Well… the Camaro is certainly back, but where are the modern COPO versions? If you live near Albany, New York or Claxton and Jessup, Georgia then the cars are right down the street at your local dealerships.

DeNooyer Chevrolet of Albany has dipped into GM’s Performance Parts catalog and come out with an LSX454 engine. After stuffing it into a Camaro, they know have a 620-horsepower coupe prowling their lot. In Georgia, NeSmith Chevrolet also took a look into the catalog and put in an order for supercharged LS9 normally found in a Corvette ZR1. Their NeSmith Storm Camaro puts out nearly 700 horses. In other words, the COPO is back! Check out our gallery below and then hop the jump to see video clips of both cars. Thanks for the tip, Tony!

Gallery: COPO Camaros for the 21st Century

NeSmith Storm Camaro DeNooyer Camaro

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: DeNooyer Performance Division]

Continue reading Report: Two Chevy dealers offering special 700-hp Camaro models – just like Yenko and Berger [w/video]

Report: Two Chevy dealers offering special 700-hp Camaro models – just like Yenko and Berger [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen offering lockable sat-nav system abroad

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Navi Lock – Click above for high-res image gallery

Volkswagen has come up with an unconventional solution for a rash of navigation thefts afflicting Dutch vehicle owners. From what we can gather, thieves are particularly fond of the company’s RNS 310 and RNS 510 navigation systems, resulting in an apparent break-in epidemic. To help get the situation under control, VW is now offering its customers an RNS Navi Lock. The system locks a large metal plate over the entire navigation system, theoretically obscuring the hardware and making it more difficult to steal in the process. When owners are ready to use their nav screen, they simply unlock the plate using a key and go about their business.

The system is available for the Golf, Passat and CC in Europe, but it’s not exactly cheap. Buyers hoping to protect their precious navigation systems can expect to shell out around 219 euro for the armor plating. Pricey? Sure, but it’s likely less than the cost of repairing break-in damage and replacing the whole system.

Gallery: Volkswagen Navi Lock

[Source: Autoblog.nl]

Volkswagen offering lockable sat-nav system abroad originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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