Auto Briefs
Museum exhibition examines parking structures; Land Rover to rerelease a classic
National Building Museum Parking structures as works of art Think a parking garage is just a utilitarian space? Think again. The National Building Museum in Washington D.C. last month opened...
Larger Prius to go on sale next year and Subaru has Motor Trend's top SUV pick
Paper: Bigger Prius set for sale next year Toyota is planning a larger version of its popular Prius hybrid, which will be powered by a lithium-ion battery, a Japanese...
Ford introduces seat belt air bags; Barbie gets her own rental car
Associated Press Front, side and now seat belt air bags Ford plans to introduce seat belt-mounted air bags in the back seat of the 2011 Ford Explorer SUV, which will...
Chrysler's plan for new lineup unveiled and childhood racer gets top toy honor
Carlos Osorio / Associated Press Chrysler's plan for new line-up unveiled Chrysler unveiled details of its five-year plan last week to boost sales and return to profitability with a "soulful"...
Ford F-150 keeps top seller spot in October and Volvo may go to Chinese automaker
Associated Press Ford F-150 keeps top seller spot in October The top-selling vehicles and the total number sold last month, with September's rank in parentheses: 1. Ford F-series, 39,496 (1)...
Electric bike named 'Most Fun' at Tokyo Motor Show and carmakers extend guarantees
Yamaha The best of the Tokyo Motor Show The 2009 AutoWeek Editors' Choice Award winners for the best of the Tokyo Motor Show, which closed Nov. 4, are the Honda...
Seattle Auto Show tickets go on sale and limited-edition Jaguar is a holiday hit
Fisker Seattle Auto Show tickets now on sale The Seattle Auto Show, one of the most popular automotive events in the Puget Sound region, will feature 250 all-new 2010 vehicles,...
Get spooked by the scariest-looking cars and help name a Chevy Volt exterior color
Ford Get spooked by the scariest-looking cars In honor of Halloween, the editors of Kelley Blue Book chose the 10 new cars with the most sinister-looking faces. Among those listed...
Hybrids dominate new EPA ratings and Fiat mulls a sporty model for the U.S. market
Ford Hybrids dominate EPA ratings for 2010 Nine of the top 10 vehicles in the government's fuel economy rankings for the 2010 model year are hybrids, coming from six different...
A pioneering woman driving champ dies and buzz grows around Nissan's electric Leaf
Associated Press Driving champion Donna Mae Mims dies Donna Mae Mims, the first woman to win a Sports Car Club of America national championship in 1963, died Nov. 11. She...
Tesla mechanics to make house calls and the Michelin Man returns in a super new ad
Tesla Tesla mechanics to make house calls Tesla Motors is launching a maintenance plan where mechanics travel to owners' homes or offices to perform repairs and tune-ups. Tesla, which makes...
VW steers away from iconic Beetle and Ford bests Toyota in September sales
Volkswagen VW wants to look beyond the Beetle Volkswagen is considering a bold change: steering the brand away from the iconic Beetle and cars aimed at young, trendy buyers toward...
Honda takes a cue from Segway and General Motors may extend its return program
Shizuo Kambayashi / AP Honda unveils small 'mobility' device Look out, Segway. Honda recently unveiled a new "personal mobility" device that looks like a unicycle, but all you need to...
Competition to buy Volvo heats up and Dodge Journey is named a top safety pick
Ford Volvo has another possible buyer The race to buy Volvo from Ford is heating up. Swedish and American investors are discussing a joint bid for the line, according Swedish...
Chrysler rejoins the leasing game and Toyota prepares a billion-dollar ad blitz
AP Chrysler brings back leasing after year off Chrysler is getting back into the leasing business after a year of virtually none. All 2010 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models will...
China's BYD aims to overtake Toyota and Lamborghini sees profit in its future
Eugene Hoshiko / AP Chinese automaker aims for global lead Fast-growing Chinese battery and automaker BYD aims to overtake Toyota to become the global auto leader in under two decades,...
Ferrari, Porsche make AutoWeek's list of favorites from the Frankfurt Auto Show
Ferrari 458 Italia. (Ferrari) The best of the Frankfurt Auto Show The 2009 AutoWeek Editors' Choice Award winners for the Best of Frankfurt: Best in show Ferrari 458 Italia (other...
Ford expands C-Max line in Europe and General Motors launches new ad strategy
Ford Ford announces two new C-Max models Ford plans to offer two new versions of its C-Max vehicle that contain its most advanced EcoBoost engine, starting with 2010 European releases....
Biopics to bring DeLorean back to the future and Japan addresses hybrids' silence
DeLorean Motor Company Moviemakers vie for DeLorean biopic Hollywood is eyeing an epic pileup over three separate projects featuring the renegade automotive entrepreneur John Z. DeLorean (right), who died in...
Car buyers warm to U.S. makes and local Zipcars get fitted for the great outdoors
Paul Sancya / Associated Press Survey: Car buyers open to U.S. brands An overwhelming percentage of new-car buyers said they would consider a vehicle made by Detroit's Big Three, according...
With the Solstice, the sun sets on Pontiac and Toyota boasts August's top sellers
General Motors Pontiac's final model wraps up production The Pontiac Solstice coupe is assured a place in automotive history as Pontiac's last new model, and the stylish roadster could become...
Tom Cruise narrates a NASCAR documentary and Ford's new commercial van takes off
Hendrick Motorsports Tom Cruise to lend voice to documentary Tom Cruise will narrate an upcoming documentary about the history of Hendrick Motorsports, the New York Yankees of NASCAR. "TOGETHER: The...
General Motors will phase out logo on vehicles and Hondas are hot with car thieves
General Motors GM vehicles will lose the company logo General Motors Co. will begin removing its "Mark of Excellence" logo from its products, leaving just the GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac or...
Americans hit the road for Labor Day and Smart cars earn props for roof strength
iStock Millions head out for one last road trip Cheaper gasoline and an abundance of special holiday deals promises to make it a busy Labor Day weekend at airports and...
Driver satisfaction with U.S. cars jumps and a classic ride sets an auction record
Cadillacs, such as the STS, were top-ranked in a customer satisfaction survey. (General Motors) Satisfaction up with American auto brands General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all posted significant gains in...
The top choices of 'clunker' traders and the European union of two popular brands
A "Cash for Clunkers" sign is displayed in front of a dealership in Portland. (Rick Bowmer / AP) Top vehicles bought after trading clunkers Two weeks before the program's end,...
U.S. auto plants step up production and Lexus places first in buyer satisfaction
Workers assemble Ford Focuses in May 2008 in Wayne, Mich. (Gary Malerba / Associated Press) Automakers begin boosting production After the best month for auto sales in almost a year...
Toyota plans an affordable sports car and GM gets government green for its Volt
Toyota Toyota injects a sports car into lineup Toyota recently announced it will introduce an affordable sports car in the U.S. Toyota executives say the vehicle will be built in...
'Cash for clunkers' program draws buyers and small repairs mean long-term savings
Customers view the cars for sale at Commonwealth Motors in Lawrence, Mass., in July. (Charles Krupa / AP) Dealers get 'clunkers' sales jump in July The government's "cash for clunkers"...
Nissan turns over a zero-emission Leaf and Ford's F-150 remains the top seller
The Nissan Leaf. (Itsuo Inouye / AP) Nissan's electric car takes center stage Nissan debuted the zero-emission electric car it will bring to the U.S. next year at its headquarters...
Harley-Davidson reveals a new lineup in 2010 and drivers fear texters on the go
Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson revamps for 2010 Harley-Davidson will release nine new or retooled motorcycle models for 2010 across six model platforms. The most expansive new-product introduction in the history of the...
A crime-fighter's ride gets revamped and buyers consider cars from China and India
Sony Pictures 'Green Hornet' car gets updates for film Seth Rogen dropped by Comic Con in San Diego last month to debut the Black Beauty, a modified 1965 Chrysler Crown...
Ford Focus is named a safe ride and a Wash. teen designs his 'truck of the future'
Ford Ford Focus is named Top Safety Pick The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently tested four 2009 coupes -- the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Scion tC...
Chrysler competes with 'clunkers' and a truck dealer launches a bold promotion
David Zalubowski / AP Chrysler to match 'clunkers' incentive Chrysler recently announced it's offering $4,500 in cash toward the purchase of a new vehicle as it seeks to match a...
Porsche nabs top spot in satisfaction survey
J.D. Power and Associates' survey of how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive found that average ratings for all models in 2009 improved considerably from 2008,...
Toyota and Ford top the 'most American' list and your clunker may be worth cash
Photo by Toyota Camry, F-150 named 'most American' The Toyota Camry and Ford F-150 are the "most American" vehicles according to the Cars.com annual American-Made Index, which ranks vehicles based...
Drunk driving fatalities down and Kirkland dealership honored by Ford
Drunk driving, overall fatalities drop in 2008 The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this month that the number of overall traffic fatalities reported in 2008 hit their lowest level...
GM stays true-blue to its logo and Ford comes out on top in June auto sales
Photo by Carlos Osorio / Associated Press CEO says GM logo will stay the same CEO Fritz Henderson denied reports last week that the company was considering changing the background...
Buy a Hyundai and fill up for $1.49 a gallon -- half the threshold for car buyers
Hyundai Hyundai offers $1.49 gas guarantee Hyundai has announced that customers who buy or lease its vehicles by Aug. 31 will receive a gas card that lets them buy fuel...
Fiat's retro hatchback comes to America and India makes inroads with pickups
Fiat 500 coming to America next year Fiat has officially announced its retro-styled 500 hatchback will be coming to North America in about 18 months. The car will be...
Lexus named best in quality and AAA launches iPhone application for discounts
The study found that the Lexus LX has the fewest quality problems in the industry. (Toyota) Quality study lauds Lexus, Porsche Lexus, Toyota Motor Corp.'s luxury line, was the top...
Independence Day loses some road warriors and Kent opens an outdoor karting track
July 4th travel cools despite cheaper gas AAA says it expects 37.1 million travelers -- 12 percent of the U.S. population -- to take a trip of 50 miles...
Riversimple unveils a hydrogen-powered car and F-150 is May's top-selling auto
Associated Press British firm debuts hydrogen power car Britain-based Riversimple, a company founded by former race car driver Hugo Spowers and backed by Porsche scion Sebastian Piech, last week unveiled...
Honda marks 50 years in the U.S. and the Hughes Speedster auction is a slam dunk
Honda At 50, Honda is still fuel-efficiency leader Honda is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the U.S. this month, as the industry turns toward the small cars it's been selling...
Motorcycles star in summer movies and state auto dealers group gets new president
Kirk and his Buell in "Star Trek." (Industrial Light & Magic/Paramount) Hot summer movie trend: motorcycles The summer movie season is here, in all its action-packed and, increasingly, motorcycle-enhanced glory....
Buyers reconsider U.S. cars and Team Seattle pulls a McDreamy finish at Le Mans
Would you consider a 2010 Cadillac CTS? (Photo by GM) Buy a GM? More say maybe, survey finds Kelley Blue Book recently announced the results of its survey of in-market...
Little Tykes 'car' inducted into auto museum and street sweeper helps fight cancer
Little Tykes Best selling "car" makes auto museum In 2008, it outsold every other car in America with more than 457,000 units sold. Now, the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe has...
Hughes car goes on the block and Porsche earns a hearty recommendation from owners
hughes36.com Hughes car expected to set auction record Howard Hughes' Aero-Mobile -- recently on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Ore., -- is expected to a...
Study finds support for red-light cameras and Infiniti G37 named top upscale sedan
Admit it: You support red-light cameras A recent national survey found that 69 percent of Americans support the use of red-light cameras at the most dangerous intersections in their...
Beware of invincible texting teens and get set for rising rental car prices
Young drivers know the risk, text anyway A recent survey of 16- to 20-year-old drivers found that even thought they know it's risky, 83 percent talk on a cell...
Costs to own a car level with last year
Despite lower fuel prices, AAA reports that the costs to own and operate a vehicle have remained constant due to increases in areas such as insurance premiums, depreciation, finance...
Keep pets safe from hot cars in summer and see how far a day's drive can take you
As temps heat up, watch for pets in cars Even with Seattle's mild summers, pet owners should be aware of leaving pets in the car as temperatures rise. To...
Memorial Day weekend: More are expected on the roads and Indy's track turns 100
More expected on the roads this weekend An estimated 32.4 million Americans are expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend -- a 1.5-percent increase over last year -- with...
Honda pioneers robotic research, and Porsche and Volkswagen get cozy
Honda's non-invasive headgear that reads electric currents and blood flow. (Koji Sasahara / AP) Another space-age driving development Honda Motor Co. has developed a way to read patterns of electric...
India flips for bargain-priced Tata Nano and Zipcar goes to college
Customers book a Nano in Mumbai, India. (Rajanish Kakade / Associated Press) Tata's supercheap Nano a hit in India More than 203,000 people bought the ultracheap Nano car in India...
Los Angeles makes hailing a cab easier and the three-point seatbelt turns 50
Los Angeles attempts to boost its cab culture The next time you go to Los Angeles you may have an easier time hailing a cab. Unlike most other big...
Los Angeles tunnel is a media star; aggressive drivers are closer than they appear
And best supporting tunnel goes to ... Sure, Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx are the stars of "The Soloist," which opened last week. But those attending the movie...
Consumer Reports names RAV4 its top small SUV and we celebrate five cool Pontiacs
RAV4 takes top seat in small SUV rankings The freshened four-cylinder Toyota RAV4 was named top small SUV in April tests by Consumer Reports. The RAV4 was praised for...
MyKey sets limits, student-built racers go off-road and I-90 lane closures begin
MyKey system lets you set speed limits Ford's MyKey -- a system that allows owners to program their cars to limit the speed and music volume -- has been...
Get to know the Chinese automakers
The Shanghai Auto Show was once a venue for the West to show off its cars to a country still relying on bicycles. This year, last week's event was a...
Ward's Auto World recognizes best interiors and Keanu Reeves speeds to victory
Kia Awards say it's what's inside that matters Exteriors get the most buzz, but Ward's AutoWorld recently announced its Interior of the Year awards, naming 11 winners. Included were the...
Acura ZDX, Volkswagen GTI among the hit debuts at the New York auto show
Top debuts at the New York auto show The New York International Auto Show closes its doors tonight after two weeks. Here are four of the most-lauded debuts from the...
Oregon plans an electric-car charging network and the Element goes to the dogs
Rick Bowmer/Associated Press Need a charge? Head to Oregon Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (shown above, test driving a Nissan electric vehicle) announced in early April that Nissan and the state...
World Car of the Year winners named
2009 World Car: VW Golf VI. (Photo: AP) World Car of the Year awards were given in three categories last week at the start of the New York International Auto...
A free motorsports documentary and a 12-day concert to support the auto industry
NFL Films Racing film "Truth in 24" free on iTunes The motorsports documentary "Truth in 24," which chronicles the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France, was...
A racecar legend cooks up a new hobby and popular hybrids heat up their rivalry
Can Shelby lap Newman in the food business? (Ford) Shelby Cobra, Shelby Mustang, Shelby salsa Former racecar driver and automotive legend Carroll Shelby plans to walk in the footsteps of...
BMW's art cars tour Mexico and Mercedes-Benz USA honors a Lynnwood dealer
PR Newswire BMW Art Cars take to the road once again Four of BMW's famous Art Cars, used as canvases by the artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella and...
Flying car takes off on a wing and a prayer; World groups set fuel-efficiency goal
The Transition's wings fold up for driving. (Terrafugia) "Flying car" makes successful air debut Aiming to make an airplane that can be driven to and from a runway and parked...
German grocery sells cars online and Israeli scientists link fast music to speeding
German grocery selling cars online Could Costco and Wal-Mart be next? A German discount supermarket known for low-priced groceries and household goods has begun selling cars on its Web...
Software ensures teens hang up and drive; Honda tops list of most-stolen cars
Products shut down moving cell phones Parents looking for a way to prevent their teenagers from using cell phones while driving have some new options. WebSafety's $10-a-month software can...
Europe's big auto show picks its favorites, from best in show to most fun
AutoWeek picks best of Geneva auto show Europe's big auto show wrapped up on Sunday after a week of world debuts. AutoWeek's editors picked their favorites in four categories. Infiniti...
India releases the world's cheapest car and the Fiesta enjoys global popularity
Associated Press India's super-cheap car finally released The Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car, will launch Monday after months of building excitement, says its manufacturer, India's Tata Motors. The...
Hybrids join San Francisco's Zipcar fleet; green technology resurrects Ford plant
Zipcar San Fran Zipcar fleet gets a little greener Zipcar has added a plug-in hybrid vehicle -- a converted Toyota Prius with a Hymotion L5 PCM battery -- to its...
Obama license plates, green measures for yellow taxis and VW's roadster
Those Obama plates aren't just for Illinois Illinois residents have just over a month left to display their temporary commemorative Barak Obama license plates. The plates sell for $50,...
Buses move America; Financing tips and tools can help when you're ready to buy new
Buses provide most passenger trips in U.S. More than planes or trains, Americans take commercial buses for their intercity travel, according to a recent census by the American Bus...
Honda tops Consumer Reports' annual rankings; NASCAR star pulls into daytime TV
The Honda Accord was named top family sedan, and Honda the top automaker. (Photo by Honda) Consumer Reports honors Honda again Honda Motor Co. was named top automaker for the...
Germany's next top models, Gen Y buyer expectations and Cadillac's Converj
Model Julia Stegner poses with the SL 63 AMG Edition IWC. (Photo by Newscom) Fashion models meet new Benz models Last week's New York Fashion Week wasn't all about clothes....
Mustang gets a spring makeover; Vespa leads the scooter renaissance
Updated Mustang gets back in the race Ford's response to the Dodge Challenger and upcoming Chevrolet Camaro is to update its Mustang for spring of 2009. Although the physical...
Ford Sync technology tricks out your ride; aficionados flock to Detroit's Auto Show
Ford lures tech fans with Sync upgrades Ford executives say that starting this spring the Ford Sync -- a voice-activated in-car entertainment and communication service -- will use GPS...
The benefits of diesel, a local dealer's historic honor and Audi's new concept car
Weigh the benefits of buying a diesel To buy a diesel or not to buy a diesel; that's the question these days. The modern diesel is durable, quiet and...
Chrysler's new concept, wiper wisdom and corn cobs for fuel
Concept car: Chrysler 200C EV The torpedo-shaped 200C EV concept car is lovely inside and out. But its top feature is an electronic instrument panel controlled by touch, like...
Peek in the presidential limo; predicting auto sales growth for China
Take a peek inside the presidential limo Wondering about the features in President Obama's Cadillac Presidential Limousine? Cadillac touts the executive compartment filled with mobile office gear and the...
