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There’s a place just outside Houston where the vinyl siding and attached garages thin out and recede into grasslands.

The Katy Prairie, one of the country's last remaining natural grasslands and an important bird habitat, may be replaced with a highway and sprawl. Image: Houston Tomorrow

In this place — one of the country’s few [...]

Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears

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Attack of the killer Koups: We prod, poke, ride in, and drive Kia?s Forte Koup race car. Kia? Racing? Odds are you?ve never heard those two words employed in the same sentence. Nevertheless, the Korean automaker is now in its second season of track combat. Kia?s starting point for this venture?the Forte Koup?is the brand?s [...]

Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett

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Renault team principal Eric Boullier believes Formula 1 teams need to consider only what is best for the sport - rather than what suits their own interests ? when it comes to deciding what to do about future engine rules. Amid concerns from some teams that the move to 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engines from 2013 will lead to an unnecessary escalation in costs, and Bernie Ecclestone doubtful that the new power units are good for F1, there has been talk that the switch of engine formula could be delayed. With opinions between teams on the matter split, even though the new rules are already written into the regulations, Boullier, who was recently voted vice-chairman of the Formula One Teams' Association, thinks that careful thought needs to put into sorting out where the sport goes from here.

Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

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Casey Stoner is confident that Honda has fixed the clutch problem that blighted his Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez three weeks ago. After being taken down by Valentino Rossi's Ducati while the pair battled for second place, Stoner was unable to get his machine re-started as he attempted to engage the clutch while he and a marshal pushed it up the incline between turns one and two

Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney

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Mike Rockenfeller topped the opening free practice session of the DTM season at Hockenheim, leading a 1-2-3 result for the Abt Audi squad. Rockenfeller, who has been promoted to a current-spec A4 by Audi for 2011, set the benchmark time of 1m35.085s in the final minute of the session, beating his team-mates Timo Scheider and Mattias Ekstrom by just under half a second.

Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V

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The Powell's lives are in danger when a super-villain with animal-like powers is tasked by Mrs. X (Lucy Lawless) to eliminate the family.

Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle

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Buddy Rice has joined Panther Racing for an assault on this year's Indianapolis 500. Rice, who won the race for Rahal-Letterman Racing in 2004, will join team regular JR Hildebrand for the IndyCar Series' blue riband event and is delighted to be back. "I'm pumped to be at Panther, and the intention is that we'll be able to run more than Indy, but this is the first step, and I'm here to help JR and help the team," Rice said

Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines

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Watch the Video: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe – Video

Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

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Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

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Zizzo Racing O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals BAYTOWN, Texas Fri, 29 Apr 2011 After sitting at home since the Winternationals in February, TJ Zizzo and his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner NHRA Full Throttle Series team were ready to race. After...

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison

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Ducati is unlikely to debut its new MotoGP chassis at this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix, despite testing the heavily-revised frame at Mugello this week. Neither Valentino Rossi nor Nicky Hayden have proved competitive in dry conditions this season, with Rossi's ninth place on the Spanish Grand Prix grid the team's best qualifying position so far and the Italian complaining of severe understeer from the Desmosedici GP11. Team manager Vito Guareschi believes that with only three days to go before the start of free practice at Estoril, time constraints will prevent an immediate change of chassis

Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot

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Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss

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Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been urged not to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix to the world championship calendar until the Gulf State's political situation has returned to normal. With ongoing conflict between the authorities and pro-democracy activists, and the island under a State of Emergency, there already appears little chance of this year's Bahrain GP getting rescheduled.

Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch

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Team Lotus can set it sights on delivering its first points finishes from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards thanks to the major update of its car planned for that event, reckons technical chief Mike Gascoyne. The team is on course to deliver a major overhaul of its car for Barcelona, which will include the team's version of the exhaust-blown diffuser that a number of other teams have already introduced this year.

Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie

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For those who pooh-pooh four-wheeling, we suggest you send your high horse off to the glue factory and give off-roading a go?it?s simply some of the most fun one can have between a horizontal state and 15 mph. That said, there?s something mildly preposterous about saying, ?I?m gonna drive over this thing! Watch!? Of course, [...]

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV

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Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon

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Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt

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The cars and stars of the iRacing.com NASCAR Tour Modified Series headed to Thompson International Speedway this past week to close off their third successful season. Over 90 of the best sim racers in the series has to offer took to the track for the final time in 2011 Season One and when the final checkered flag flew it was sim racing veterans Herbert Engelhart and Robert Sandt celebrating in victory lane. Engelhart had a winning week at the Connecticut track by scoring five wins on the high banks from a six-pack of starts. The biggest win came in the final race of the season on Saturday when the Mid-South Club driver topped a 2444 sof race over Troy Talman, Joe Gauthier, Sandt and David Chmura. Sandt and Engelhart split [...]

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison

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To keep the masses gasping between the Aventador?s March debut and its first deliveries in August, the Lamborghinis have offered up some video of a pair of LP700-4s gallivanting about the Italian countryside. Well, gallivanting some of the time. At other points, the red and white Italianate superdupercars are fairly tear-assing it for the cameras, [...]

Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss

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Filed under: Etc., Videos, Toys/Games

Driver: San Francisco - Click above to watch video after the jump

Get excited, kids. The Driver franchise is back with a new chapter, and this time the story takes the damage to San Francisco. Our good friends over at Joystiq got to spend a little time behind the controller of the game ahead of its launch. The storyline picks up after the conclusion of Driv3r, which means we're done playing around in the late '70s. Ubisoft Reflections has gone through the trouble of rendering a fair portion of down town, Marin County, East Bay and Treasure Island for our tormenting pleasure, though according to Joystiq, that's not the most interesting part of the gameplay.

Early in the action, our hero Tanner winds up in a coma and spends the rest of the story line haunting San Francisco and possessing random drivers to track down the infamous Jericho. Apparently players can snap up any vehicle they see simply by lining up a reticle and pressing a button. It sounds a little shaky to us, but that doesn't mean we won't light a few hours of our life on fire by flopping down on the couch with Driver: San Fracisco when it lands this August. Hit the jump for a video.

[Source: Joystiq]

Continue reading Tanner returns in Driver: San Francisco

Tanner returns in Driver: San Francisco originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki

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Launches New DrawTiteRacing.com Website For Race Fans Key Motorsports LogoMooresville,NC (April 27, 2011) Key Motorsports announced Wednesday morning DRAW?TITE with its line of ?TESTED TOUGH? hitches will sponsor the No. 40 Chevrolet with driver Scott Wimmer in Friday night?s BUBBA burger 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway. DRAW?TITE, part of Cequent Performance...more»

Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney

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By HANK KURZ Jr. AP Sports Writer

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison

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Mercedes GP can target a repeat of its strong Shanghai performance in next week's Turkish Grand Prix, providing it can once again make the most of the speed that it believes is locked away inside its W02 car. That is the view of Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug, who thinks that what the team delivered in China - when Nico Rosberg led the race for many laps and fought for a podium finish ? is achievable on a regular basis now. However, with the team having endured mixed fortunes in the first two races of the year, Haug believes that delivering such form consistently will be down to whether the Chinese GP performance is proof the outfit now understands how to get the best out of its car.

Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth

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Watch the Video:�2012 Chrysler 300C SRT8 – Video

Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

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Abu Dhabi Grand Prix organisers plan to widen the entry to the main hairpin and radically alter the cambering on another corner as part of changes to improve overtaking at its Yas Marina circuit, AUTOSPORT has learned. With the track having come under fire for a lack of passing last year, race chiefs have agreed to revamp some of the corners to improve matters for this November's penultimate round of the Formula 1 championship.

Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III

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The protected bike lane on First Avenue will extend north to 49th Street, where it will become a shared lane for eight blocks. Cyclists hoping to reach the Second Avenue bike lane from the north will have to ride in heavy Midtown traffic to get there, with only a shared lane for protection. Photo: DNAInfo
The [...]

Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt

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Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo thinks the next few weeks will be 'crucial' for his team's hopes of fighting for the world title this year. The Maranello-based outfit is currently working flat-out on much-needed improvements to up its 2011 challenger's qualifying pace, as well as trying to get to the bottom of why recent car updates have not delivered the increase in downforce expected.

Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs

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Williams has the qualities it needs to turn around its disappointing start to the year, believes shareholder Toto Wolff, once it has found the answers as to why its promising pre-season form has not delivered results so far. The Grove-based outfit has experienced its worst ever start to a Formula 1 season, and the team is currently evaluating what changes it has to make to improve the situation.

Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

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Go on and let your fresco flag fly: The 500 Cabrio is here. The second Fiat 500 model has hit America: The 500C, an open-air version of the relentlessly adorable three-door hatchback. Its beachhead is the New York auto show. Keep Reading: 2012 Fiat 500C Convertible – Auto Shows

Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte

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Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

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Team Lotus Enterprises has confirmed the purchase of British sportscar maker Caterham Cars, as reported by AUTOSPORT last week. The deal will enable the lightweight sportscar manufacturer to "expand its brand profile and product family," according to Team Lotus

Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III

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Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle

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Annual motorcycle charity ride one of Petty?s great passions?

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon

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Only a minority of the placards on the street are being used legally, according to a new Transportation Alternatives report.
What happens when you put a police station, a courthouse, and borough hall in one place? Utter lawlessness.
In a new report [PDF], Transportation Alternatives looked at the dashboards of the vehicles parked in the civic centers [...]

Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

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MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta says there will be no replacement for the Japanese Grand Prix if local organisers decide it's not possible to race there. The event, which was scheduled for this weekend, was moved to October in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country. The race, however, is still in doubt because of the difficult situation in Japan.

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison

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Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr

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It’s not just twin-turbocharged V-12s that demonstrate the hunger for power that gnaws at AMG engineers?it’s also the way Mercedes-Benz’s performance sub-brand massages virtually everything the company makes. Even the Gel�ndewagen and its humble, militarized 1970s-era architecture is turned into the G55 AMG. With Benz’s A-class concept presaging a production model, we’ve received confirmation from [...]

James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya

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Perhaps you read in this week’s Financial Times that Jaguar is looking at building a new factory for engine construction in the UK. What the company hasn’t said?but thanks to our sources, we can now confirm?is that the added production capacity will allow the Jaguar to begin construction of a brand-new six-cylinder engine. The engine [...]

Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 20, 2011) ? NASCAR has announced dates and sites for its 2011 postseason championship celebrations. Riding the momentum of 2010?s highly successful awards shows, all of this year?s events will return to the same sites. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will again be held at Wynn Las Vegas. This [...]

Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr

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It’s Monday, and that means it’s time to present this week’s shifter. You’ll have until mid-day Wednesday to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence this shifter came. The first person to respond correctly in the Backfires section below will win a Save the Manuals button and sticker. Good luck!

Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

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Carl Edwards was coming in for his postrace news conference when a race official remarked that he now has enough guitars to start a band.

Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot

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Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been urged not to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix to the world championship calendar until the Gulf State's political situation has returned to normal. With ongoing conflict between the authorities and pro-democracy activists, and the island under a State of Emergency, there already appears little chance of this year's Bahrain GP getting rescheduled.

Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte

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SAM HORNISH, JR. No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger Richmond International Raceway ? Bubba Burger 250 No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Team News and Notes � Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger, will make his fourth start of the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season Friday night in the...more»

Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte

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Rob Huff led a Chevrolet lockout of the front row in World Touring Car Championship qualifying at Zolder today. The Briton's 1m38.458s lap proved beyond the reach of his rivals, with team-mate Alain Menu best of the rest courtesy of a late flying lap that left him just 0.14s short. It could easily have been a Chevrolet 1-2-3 when reigning champion Yvan Muller set out on his final run with a clear track ahead, but his hopes were dashed when he ran wide at the exit of Turn 4

Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte

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Felipe Nasr extended his lead at the top of the British Formula 3 championship by winning this afternoon's 40-minute 'feature' race at Oulton Park.

Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth

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Alvaro Bautista is aiming to return to MotoGP at this weekend's Portuguese Grand Prix after almost six weeks out through injury. The Suzuki rider broke his left leg after crashing in practice for the season-opening grand prix in Qatar, and was replaced by John Hopkins in Spain earlier this month

Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt

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British F3 racer Jazeman Jaafar will compete in the inaugural FIA F3 International Trophy this year, which gets underway at Hockenheim this weekend. The Malaysian will compete for an F1 Superlicence in the six-race series, which will also visit Pau, Spa, Zandvoort, Macau and Yeongam.

Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs

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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Safety, Hatchback, Chevrolet, GM, Nissan, Electric

Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf Crash Tests - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has completed its first test of mainstream plug-in vehicles, and both the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and the 2011 Nissan Leaf have were named "Good" for their front, side, rear, and rollover crash protection. Testing procedures for these plug-in vehicles were exactly the same as for any other automobile the IIHS tests, as they should be.

The two plug-in pioneers join 80 other 2011 vehicles in earning the Top Safety Pick title, thanks to their fine performance in instrumented crash testing and their standard electronic stability control. For what it's worth, other fuel sippers like the 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Honda Insight have also been named Top Safety Picks in the past. That said, the IIHS has taken issue with some plug-in electric vehicles in the past, specifically the not-quite-a-car NEVs like the Gem e2 or the Wheego Whip.

Of course, we all know how much fun it is to watch brand-new cars being smashed to bits in the name of safety, so we've gone ahead and embedded a video of the two plug-ins undergoing the crash testing process. Hit the jump to see for yourself and to check out the official press release.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Volt crash tests

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Leaf crash tests

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Continue reading Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf earn Top Safety Picks in first IIHS electric vehicle crash tests

Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf earn Top Safety Picks in first IIHS electric vehicle crash tests originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida

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NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR 2012 NASCAR HALL OF FAME CLASS Earles, Isaac, Owens, Richter and Leonard Wood Join List Of Legends DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 19, 2011) ? NASCAR announced today the list of 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame?s third induction class to be enshrined in January 2012. From that list, five inductees [...]

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV

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Jason Plato has praised his RML squad for fixing his Chevrolet Cruze to allow him to score points in the third race at Donington Park this afternoon, despite his massive race two crash. Plato's Cruze rolled after contact at the Craner Curves earlier this afternoon, but the RML team was able to repair the car in time for the final event, albeit with reduced aero.

Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard

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2011 SHOWTIME Southern 500DARLINGTON, S.C. (April 22, 2011) ? The Darlington Raceway ticket office has extended their operating hours to allow fans additional opportunities to purchase tickets. From now until the SHOWTIME Southern 500, the ticket office will be open Saturdays and Sundays, excluding Easter Sunday. The extended hours include Saturdays from 9:00am until 5:00pm...more»

Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III

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Former World Rally champion Petter Solberg has advocated drawing lots to solve the running order issue which is currently dividing opinion in the sport. For the first day of a WRC round, the drivers run in championship order and then competitive order for the following two days. The drivers are eager for the system to be changed on gravel events, where the car first on the road is forced to sweep the road clean of the loose stones

James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman

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Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani

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While most have their sights on the end of 2011 Season One, some drivers of the NASCAR iRacing.com Class C Series (NiCCS) are building momentum to carry them to the end of this season and onto the next. While Tyler Hudson looks poised to lock up the overall title after the previous two weeks of sim racing competition, the third place slot is wide open for the taking ? and only one of a handful of sim racers will have the chance to take that coveted podium position after the dust settles. Speaking of Hudson, he was the one who topped the field two weeks ago at ?the Paperclip.? Martinsville Speedway played host to Round Ten of the NiCCS schedule and it was Hudson who sent the statement that he [...]

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil

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Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage

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NASCAR announced the latest five names for consideration for the 2012 class of the Hall of Fame Tuesday night. They joined the 20 names not chosen in last year?s class. Driver Bobby Isaac, driver/owner Cotton Owens, crew chief/co-owner Leonard Wood, NASCAR executive Les Richter and Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles were announced as the...more»

James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman

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Andrew Jordan took his first win of 2011 in Donington Park's second British Touring Car race this afternoon. The Eurotech Racing Vauxhall Vectra driver, who has been on the leading pace since pre-season testing, jumped the polesitting Honda Civic of Matt Neal at the start. He was followed by the similar Triple 8 Engineering machine of James Nash

Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin

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Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte

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The Honda Civic goes mainstream?and leaves us behind. Honda sells so many Civics that if the car were counted as a brand, it would be the 12th largest in the United States. More Civics went to new homes in the U.S. last year than did Volkswagens or Mazdas. With sales numbers like that, it?s not [...]

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil

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Mitsubishi took the occasion of the New York auto show to announce that U.S. pricing for its i-MiEV electric pod will start at $27,990; the $7500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles drops the price to $20,490. (Destination charges for the vehicle are still up in the air; it isn’t included in these numbers.) In [...]

Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott

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Carl Edwards claimed his fifth career victory at Nashville Superspeedway, holding off Kyle Busch to win the Nashville 300 on Saturday.

Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Maserati, Luxury

2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale - Click above for high-res image gallery or click here to watch video

The 2011 Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale is the regular GranTurismo's crude, hairy-chested brother. It's loud, muscle-bound and doesn't make any apologies. With a 450-horsepower version of Maserati's 4.7 liter V8 under the hood, its got the brawn to back up its big talk.

Despite its unruly demeanor and aerodynamic tweaks to the body, the fastest Maserati also manages to be as drop-dead gorgeous as its tamer stablemate. Now, there's video of Maserati's wild child tearing up the race track. The car looks poised and right at home, and sounds like Lucifer's personal symphony at full blast. For the full five-minute immersion, check out the video after the jump.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL
[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale gets on track

Video: Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale gets on track originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett

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Infiniti sketches out the roadmap for a seven-passenger crossover. We appreciate Infiniti?s forthrightness in announcing a sixth model for the American market. The company is using the occasion of the New York auto show to tease us with a sketch of the seven-passenger JX crossover, while a concept will appear at the Pebble Beach Concours [...]

Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett

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Williams has the qualities it needs to turn around its disappointing start to the year, believes shareholder Toto Wolff, once it has found the answers as to why its promising pre-season form has not delivered results so far. The Grove-based outfit has experienced its worst ever start to a Formula 1 season, and the team is currently evaluating what changes it has to make to improve the situation.

Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt

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Red Bull Racing plans an upgrade of its KERS for the Turkish Grand Prix, as it hopes that the changes will prevent a repeat of the issues that have dogged the team in the early races of the campaign. Both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have encountered problems with their KERS at every race held so far this season - with the issues almost certainly playing a part in preventing Vettel extending his winning streak in China last weekend

Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte

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STEVE KINSER & DONNY SCHATZ INDIANAPOLIS (April 20, 2011) The World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series has fans all across the globe. But, as of late, Mother Nature hasn't been one of them. After last weekend's WoO doubleheader was washed...

Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison

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Filed under: Etc., Japan, Technology

The internal combustion engine for automotive use is highly engineered and run by advanced electro-mechanical systems that have been refined over a century of development. That fact hasn't stood in the way of breathless reports about laser spark plugs being the next big thing. Fast Company goes as far as to disparage the gasoline engine as antiquated and filthy while calling exotic and expensive laser ignitors "the gas engine's last gasp before the electric revolution comes."

Laser spark plugs do sound pretty neat. In Japan, researchers at the National Institute of Natural Sciences have cooked up an exceptionally compact laser that's robust enough for automotive use. With lots of strong ceramics and two different yttrium-based laser elements, one doped with neodymium and the other chromium, the lasers are capable of being pulsed more quickly and more accurately than current spark plug technology allows. Another benefit of lasers in the combustion chamber is the ability to ignite the air/fuel mixture with more power than a spark plug can reliably dissipate.

Modern engine management systems and direct fuel injection are capable of exceptional efficiency and more complete combustion than ever before, and gasoline contains a lot more energy per pound than any current automotive battery technology. While spark plugs might seem antiquated, they're far cheaper than fitting lasers for ignition, and the ignition systems attached to those plugs continue to get more and more sophisticated.

None of this research work has been applied to an actual engine yet, making any claims of superiority mere academia at this point. The NINS work will be presented at the 2011 Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics that's happening in early May. While there's great potential for small lasers that can stand up to harsh environments, and the developers are working with suppliers and automakers, it's not likely that your engine will be lit off by an Nd/Cr:YAG any time soon, despite what the car-haters who skim over engineering facts might have to say.

[Source: Fast Company]

Laser spark plugs: bright idea or flash in the pan? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne

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Here’s another story of how Police Commissioner Ray Kelly allows his scarce traffic safety resources to be spent. Reader Marc Norman took this picture after an encounter at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge bike-ped path this morning. He writes:
Because I can’t help myself, I got off my bike and asked the cop parked here, [...]

Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani

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Sergio Perez apologised to Adrian Sutil for their collision in the Chinese Grand Prix - though the German said his greater concern was why Force India's tyre wear had been so bad at Shanghai. The late-race clash at the first complex earned Perez a penalty and meant Sutil had to pit for a new front wing, leaving the Force India 15th and the Sauber 17th.

Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott

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Red Bull Racing technical chief Adrian Newey has labelled ongoing suspicions about his team's front wing flexing as 'a bit boring' - after suggesting one rival team was using the situation to try and help its own cause. The reigning world champion team has been at the centre of fresh comments about the design of its front wing - which appears to run much closer to the ground than rivals' - this season. However, with the FIA having found nothing wrong with the wing design despite increased load tests introduced this year, the matter appears to have died down with rival teams now pursuing their own wing concepts for introduction later this year

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil

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On Monday we presented this week?s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. You all had little trouble identifying this week?s shifter as belonging to an early ?80?s Toyota Celica Supra. The first commenter to correctly identify it as a 1982 model was grinder74, who [...]

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV

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Formula 1 chiefs are considering banning the use of the Drag Reduction System for the Monaco Grand Prix because of safety considerations, AUTOSPORT can reveal. The introduction of the DRS this year has been viewed as a great success in helping improve the racing - with Nico Rosberg even claiming last weekend that it was one of the best ideas that F1 has ever had

Mark Anthony Martin Jeremy Allan Mayfield James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya

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The car that will take Lotus back to the Le Mans 24 Hours has completed more than 1,000km of testing ahead of its public debut at Sunday's Le Mans Test Day.

Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica

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The RML Chevrolet squad is battling to get Jason Plato's car rebuilt for the final British Touring Car race at Donington Park after his roll in the second event. Plato started near the back of race two after a puncture in the morning's race, and was forced off after Gordon Shedden's Honda Racing Civic touched Liam Griffin's Motorbase Performance Ford Focus. The Ford touched Plato, sending him off at the Craner Curves, where the Chevrolet Cruze then rolled

Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil

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Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt

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McLaren's principal race engineer Phil Prew has revealed that the team went into the Chinese Grand Prix with the intention of making only two pitstops. Lewis Hamilton took his first win of the season after taking advantage of a three-stop strategy to outperform Red Bull rival Sebastian Vettel, who stopped only twice. Hamilton's three stops were crucial to the Briton catching and passing Vettel for the lead.

James Christopher McMurray Casey James Mears Juan Pablo Montoya Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman

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New V6-powered 'entry-level' version still boasts sports-car drivability and supreme accommodations in an ultra-luxury sedan.

David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton

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The RML Chevrolet squad is battling to get Jason Plato's car rebuilt for the final British Touring Car race at Donington Park after his roll in the second event. Plato started near the back of race two after a puncture in the morning's race, and was forced off after Gordon Shedden's Honda Racing Civic touched Liam Griffin's Motorbase Performance Ford Focus. The Ford touched Plato, sending him off at the Craner Curves, where the Chevrolet Cruze then rolled

Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica

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Today on the Network, a celebration of the growth of car-sharing, some thoughts on overcoming crazy anti-transit rhetoric and an innovative strategy for encouraging bike commuting.
Zipcar has gone public, sending a powerful signal that the car-sharing service is here to stay. Photo: Davis Voice
The Perfect Simplicity of Zipcar: In honor of its initial public [...]

Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss

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Team Lotus has been linked to a tie-up deal with sportscar manufacturer Caterham, with an announcement about a takeover possible as early as next week. The Hingham-based outfit has announced that it is to hold a major press conference at Duxford Airfield next week - although it has not confirmed any further details. In an invite sent to the press, the team stated that the media event would be "an incredibly exciting announcement about the future of the team"

Joseph Francis Nemechek III Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs

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Miki Monras took a dominant victory in the second Formula 2 race of the season at Silverstone. The Spaniard, who made his series debut 24 hours earlier, made a great getaway from pole position to lead into the first corner, and never looked back as he pulled away to an easy win by over 10 seconds from Mirko Bortolotti. Bortolotti actually finished third on the road, behind Monras and Will Bratt.

Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne

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New V6-powered 'entry-level' version still boasts sports-car drivability and supreme accommodations in an ultra-luxury sedan.

Charles Robert Hamilton V Kevin Michael Harvick Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett

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Robert Allen Labonte Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr

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McLaren will throw all it can into an upgrade package for its car over the next few weeks, as it eyes closing down the performance gap to main rivals Red Bull Racing at the Turkish Grand Prix. Although great driving and a good strategy call helped Lewis Hamilton end Sebastian Vettel's winning streak in Formula 1 in Shanghai, McLaren is under no illusions that it needs to lift its game.

Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney

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This week, the New York City Department of Transportation began promoting its online (and thankfully multilingual) ?Bike Smart Pledge,? asking cyclists to yield to pedestrians, stop at red lights and stop signs, ride in the direction of traffic, stay off the sidewalk, and have the proper lighting when riding at night. This will soon [...]

David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch

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It?s rescission time again, folks. That Washington lingo for ?gimme gimme.? We had a name for people who ?rescinded? gifts back in elementary school but it?s ethnically insensitive so I won?t say it. Suffice it to say, if little kids call you a name for doing something, it?s probably not a super popular thing to [...]

Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 20, 2011) ? NASCAR has announced dates and sites for its 2011 postseason championship celebrations. Riding the momentum of 2010?s highly successful awards shows, all of this year?s events will return to the same sites. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will again be held at Wynn Las Vegas. This [...]

Terrence Lee Labonte Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin

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“Michigan Company to Serve as Primary Sponsor in Debut of Third Entry for RWR” No. 64 Flatout Flatbread Toyota Camry LayoutMOORESVILLE, NC (April 20, 2011)- Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) announced today that Flatout Flatbread will serve as primary sponsor of the team’s No. 64–piloted by David Reutimann–in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event at...more»

Carl Michael Edwards III William Clyde Elliott Jeffrey Michael Gordon Charles Robert Hamilton IV Charles Robert Hamilton V

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Several years go, Volkswagen’s execs decided it was no longer acceptable to be a bit player in the U.S. market. The new Jetta and Passat, and the Passat’s factory in Tennessee, show how the company is pursuing massive growth here: cheap, boring-as-ice-cubes cars. The new Jetta is coming off of a tremendous sales month, and [...]

Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss

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When we say the face has been altered, that’s all we mean. If there were any scowls or frowns upon the introduction of the Jaguar XF in 2007, they stemmed from disappointment with the car’s front fascia. The company’s then-new mid-range luxury sedan had been previewed by the erotogenic C-XF concept, but just a little [...]

Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt

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Bernie Ecclestone says his Formula One company is not for sale, brushing off reports that Rupert Murdochs News Corp. is interested in taking over the sport.

Virgil Ernest Irvan III Kenny Dale Irwin Jr Dale Arnold Jarrett Jimmie Kenneth Johnson Kasey Kenneth Kahne

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Kia strengthens its Soul with more power, improved efficiency, and some new luxury equipment. Kia?s well-designed, well-equipped, and rather fun Soul has made a lot of friends around here. Now, two years after the boxy hatch?s launch, Kia is showing off a mid-cycle refresh for the 2012 model. Previewed at the 2011 New York auto [...]

Patrick Gaillard Divina Galica David Carl Allison Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney

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A look at the next Impreza hatchback.. Subaru has invented a word to describe the XV concept debuting at the Shanghai auto show: ?protren,? a combination of ?professional tool? and ?trendy design.? Such clunky wordsmithing was unnecessary, though, since this is simply a tarted-up version of the next Impreza hatchback. (Our choice would have been [...]

Kasey Kenneth Kahne Matthew Roy Kenseth Alan Dennis Kulwicki Travis Wade Kvapil Robert Allen Labonte

tamarasanborn

On Monday we presented this week?s shifter and asked you to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence it came. You all had little trouble identifying this week?s shifter as belonging to an early ?80?s Toyota Celica Supra. The first commenter to correctly identify it as a 1982 model was grinder74, who [...]

Gregory Jack Biffle David Lee Blaney Michael Duane Bliss Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch

tamarasanborn

U.S. pricing for the Fiat 500C has been announced, and the diminutive droptop will start at $20,000 for the base Pop model, or a hefty $4000 more than a 500 Pop three-door hatchback. (For reference, Smart puts a $3K premium on the convertible version of its Fortwo Passion.) The top-spec 500C Lounge, the only other [...]

Randy Joseph Lajoie Kevin Paul Lepage William Ashton Lewis Jr Sterling Burton Marlin Mark Anthony Martin

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After a controversy-filled Long Beach race, Robin Miller files the biggest Mailbag ever. Botched start and restarts? Penalties? Helio? Conway? It has it all.

Ryan Joseph Newman Kyle Eugene Petty Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida

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Jota Sport AMR Wed, 20 Apr 2011 Official Aston Martin Racing partner team, Jota Sport AMR, are delighted to announce that Chris Buncombe, LMP2 class winner at Le Mans in 2007 and former Aston Martin Racing factory driver, will complete...

Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr

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Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg finished fifth in China after leading...

Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt

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McLaren believes it needs to work much harder to improve all areas of its car design if it is going to get it into a position to start overhauling Formula 1 pace-setters Red Bull Racing. With Sebastian Vettel having won both races held so far this year, and starting on pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix, McLaren faces a tough task in developing its car to close down the performance gap to its main rivals. However, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh thinks there is not one specific area where Red Bull Racing is getting its advantage from - which means his outfit will have to lift its performance everywhere

Kurt Thomas Busch Kyle Thomas Busch Jeffrey Tyler Burton Richard Allen Craven Kerry Dale Earnhardt

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ISRA ? Grand Touring Championship Season Three Review Epic.� The most over-used word in motorsports.� However, as hard as I try I cannot come up with any other word that so perfectly describes Season Three of the International Sim Racing Association?s (ISRA) Grand Touring Championship (GTC). This season had everything and then some.� It had 40+ drivers every race with a waiting list.� It had incredibly challenging racing at some of the greatest virtual tracks around the world.� It had three wonderful cars, the Late Model, Mustang FR500S and the Mazda MX-5.� It had more passes and side-by-side action than you could possibly imagine.� It brought together a vast array of talented drivers from both the real and virtual worlds.� Every race had plenty of excitement and drama.� In short, [...]

Floyd Anthony Raines Scott Russell Riggs Hiroshi Fushida Beppe Gabbiani Bertrand Gachot

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Filed under: New York Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Nissan

2012 Nissan Versa - Click above for high-res image gallery

Revealed "simultaneously" as the new Tiida in Shanghai, the 2012 Nissan Versa drove onto the stage here at the 2011 New York Auto Show spouting some impressive numbers: 33 miles per gallon (combined, and 30 city/37 highway) for the low, low price of $10,990. Sure, 33 ain't nothing compared to a Toyota Prius, but you could buy two Versas for the price of a Prius, and $10k buys a lot of gas at 33 mpg.

This is exactly the kind of thinking that Nissan wants car buyers to do, and the company is encouraging this train of thought by branding the Versa with its Pure Drive efficiency label - first applied to cars in Europe in 2008. The 2012 Versa, sporting a 1.6-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine and weighing 150 fewer pounds than the previous generation model, will be the first Pure Drive vehicle in the U.S. Speaking at the show, Nissan's executive vice-president of the America, Carlos Tavares, said that this "is a real car, complete with air conditioning, vehicle dynamic control, CD/radio with aux in, electric-assisted steering and 15-inch wheels and tires." You want more features, like satellite radio or "Fine Vision instrumentation?" They're available of course, but they'll cost you a bit more.

Tavares said the Versa is already the best selling car in it's segment, and we can see Nissan selling quite a few of these if the numbers talked about today bear themselves out on the road. Check out the details in our gallery below and read plenty more in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Nissan Versa: New York 2011

Gallery: 2012 Nissan Versa