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December 27, 2004
The Great Auto Race of 1908
Imagine driving in an auto race from New York to Paris in 1908, when horses were considered more reliable than cars. The Great Auto Race began in the bitter cold of winter and traveled westward to Alaska, across the Pacific Ocean to Siberia, then on to Paris; traversing areas where roads were rare. Competing teams from around the globe included France, Germany, Italy, and the United States. George Schuster Sr. from Buffalo, N.Y., won the race and still holds the world record. Follow the American Thomas Flyer on its winning journey across more than 22,000 miles and three continents in 169 days. Learn about the restoration of the Flyer in 1964, with the
help of a 92-year-old George Schuster. Then sit back and enjoy the highlight of this site -- its video collection. Stay tuned for the centennial celebration in 2008.
December 24, 2004
2005 Lotus Elise
Expert Rating
Dan Jedlicka's Rating:
8 out of 10.
Expert Review
British sports car builder and Grand Prix racing champion Lotus has come up with the small, wild-looking Elise sports car, which is a blast to drive with its race-car performance.
As with a good sports-racing car, the Elise almost seems to know what a driver wants to do before he makes a move. There is no hesitation when the mid-engine two-seat convertible is given steering, braking and throttle commands, making it fun to drive even to the local 7-Eleven.
The Elise is perhaps the closest thing to a modern sports-racing car that can be legally driven on roads. But it has standard air conditioning, leather-wrapped steering wheel, anti-lock brakes, dual front airbags and an anti-theft system.
December 23, 2004
Swede dream?
Volvo's new S40 saloon will go on sale next March with prices starting at just over £16,000.
The new model is packed with equipment and features a unique 'floating' backless centre console.
Opening the range is the 125bhp 1.8-litre petrol model at £16,113, followed by the 2.0D 136bhp version at £17,388. The top of the range, high performance T5 is £23,763.
Entry level S models have Electronic Climate Control, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control, Emergency Brake Assist and 16-inch alloy wheels.
The more luxurious 'SE' specification offers leather upholstery, cruise control and a trip computer as standard.
Customers can place orders for the S40 from today, and first deliveries are expected from March 2004. Models will be on display in dealer showrooms from late-February next year.
December 22, 2004
Ultra low emissions car
An ultra-clean hybrid car is being developed with the lowest ever levels of C02 emission.
PSA Peugeot Citroen is behind the vehicle, which will be based on a Citroen Berlingo Multispace (pictured).
The £3 million project is designed at producing a car which still retains good levels of performance and refinement.
Branded EFFICIENT-C, it's a joint collaboration with Ricardo and QinetiQ in a bid to win the Government's Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge.
06:08 AM in Citroen C4 | Permalink
December 21, 2004
Panda is budget award winner
Fiat has today announced prices for its new Panda range - the 2004 European Car of the Year.
Panda goes on sale in Britain in six versions, all with high levels of equipment - but still no sign of a diesel option.
The entry level 1.1 Active starts at £6,295 and comes with twin airbags, central locking, power steering, 'intelligent' windscreen wipers and electric front windows.
The 1.2-litre models start at £6,895 and come ABS and Brake Assist, body-coloured bumpers and trip computer.
The Panda beat an all-star line-up to take the European Car of the Year title, including the BMW 5 Series and new Honda Accord.
December 20, 2004
2005 Suzuki Forenza Wagon

Give Suzuki credit. Not for them a "Sport Wagon," "Avant," "Sport Cross," or some other hoity-toity moniker for the extra cargo capacity formerly called a station wagon, the preferred transportation of the Norman Rockwell generation. Nope, none of that for Suzuki.
While Suzuki is indeed introducing a station wagon version of the Forenza sedan, new last year, it has tuned down the rhetoric. It's simply "Forenza Wagon." Admittedly they lost the "station" somewhere along the way, but really, it's been some time since resorts retrieved guests and their luggage from the train station in a "station wagon."
But back to the point, the new Forenza Wagon. It follows in the tradition of taking a family sedan and giving it a trunk with a view. Like the Forenza, styling is still fromItaly's Pininfarina studios, and the Forenza Wagon trim levels match those of the Forenza sedan.
The base level S is well equipped down to heated power outside mirrors and a standard audio system that plays CDs and also caters to those with an extensive collection of cassette tapes. Nope, no eight-track player, though it does have steering-wheel-mounted audio controls that admittedly look like J.C. Whitney add-ons but they do the trick.
The LX level adds fog lights, keyless remote entry, alloy wheels, and cruise control. Leather trim and upholstery distinguish the top of the line EX.
Four-wheel disc brakes are standard on all Forenza Wagons, while anti-lock braking is optional for all trim levels. The ABS includes electronic brake-force distribution to optimize the wagon's braking regardless of load.
Of course load is what a wagon is all about. The cargo area holds 24.4 cubic feet of stuff. With the rear seat that jumps to 61.4 cubic feet, compared to other wagons: the Focus (35.6), Jetta (49.3) or Impreza (61.6). The wide hatch makes the cargo area fully accessible for loading big stuff and tie down points to keep stuff from sliding around.
It a cliché, but the Forenza Wagon driving experience is noticeable only through the rearview mirror. There's no cargo area boom that many wagons have. Wind noise is also subdued for a vehicle in this price range. Even 80 mph produced no whistle or roar from the standard roof rack.
The '05 Wagon's NVH is significantly reduced from the '04 Forenza sedan's. The ride is cushy without being flaccid, and the engine is almost Honda-like in smoothness, even at higher revs. With 126 hp, it's no screaming bolide but it's stout enough for any reasonable load.
The S trim model tested was sufficiently well equipped for long highway jaunts, though one might miss the cruise control included only on the LX and EX. All in all, the Suzuki Forenza Wagon is a comfy and serviceable hauler. It's certainly a more economical choice than a compact SUV for those who don't need all-wheel drive, don't want the handling compromises, and do want better fuel mileage. All that, of course, requires the courage to drive something called a wagon. Who need the fancy labels?
2005 Suzuki Forenza Wagon
Base price: $13,949 (plus $545 delivery)
Engine: 2.0-liter in-line four, 126 hp/131 lb-ft
Transmission: Five-speed manual or four-speed automatic; front-wheel-drive
Length by width by height: 179.7 x 67.9 x 59.1 in
Wheelbase: 102.4 in
Curb weight: 2849 lb
Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy): 21/28 mpg manual; 20/26 automatic
Safety equipment: Dual front airbags, side airbags for front seat, seat belt pretensioners and shoulder height adjustment; anti-lock brakes with Brake Force Distribution optional
Major standard equipment: Air conditioning with micron air filtration, power doors and windows, AM/FM/CD with eight speakers, heated power outside review mirrors, tilt wheel, 12-volt auxiliary power outlets, variable intermittent wipers, rear window wiper/washer, driver manual seat height and lumbar adjustment, remote fuel door release
Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles; seven years/100,000 miles transferable powertrain
06:21 AM in Suzuki | Permalink
December 17, 2004
2005 Maserati GranSport
There is often a fine line between perception and reality, and for the carmaker that can blend a bit of both, buyers are often willing to hand over a hefty premium.
That's clearly a motivating factor behind the design of the new Maserati GranSport, the latest addition to the marque's expanding line-up. The Italian automaker starts out with its eponymous Coupe then makes a variety of exterior and interior changes and a few subtle tweaks under the hood. The result is a $98,172 sports car that's likely to appeal to those who want what almost nobody else has, whatever the price tag. The question is whether the new car is more than just a high-priced poseur.
To find out, TheCarConnection.com headed over to Modena, Italy , for a couple days of driving prior to the lavish celebration of the long-struggling Maserati's 90th anniversary. Our foray allowed time on the track as well as on some challenging Italian highways and byways.
Those familiar with the basic Maserati Coupe will recognize the GranSport immediately. The most notable exterior changes are focused on improving aerodynamics, including a larger mesh grille meant to improve engine breathing, a revised front spoiler, and a small lip spoiler in the rear. A new front bumper gives the car a more aggressive looking snout, but also improves downforce. So do the oversized rocker panels that are the most distinctive differentiators with the new Gran Sport.
Read
06:20 AM in Maserati | Permalink
December 16, 2004
2005 Hyundai Tucson

In the fine tradition of naming vehicles after places in the American West - Cheyenne, Colorado, Sequoia, Silverado, Sedona, and Tacoma come to mind - Hyundai's new compact sport-utility vehicle, now on sale, is called the Tucson. Never mind the fact that it's also a college town with a progressive and quirky - albeit outdoorsy - edge. And near the famous Sonoran desert and its distinctive saguaro cacti, which I once saw almost mythologically covered in snow.
Well, Tucson the vehicle isn't exactly the edgy standout, but it rather lands Hyundai smack in the middle of the compact SUV market on the first try, and of course with a value equation that will knock your Tevas off.
The Tucson is in a very competitive vehicle segment. Some of its many competitors are the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Saturn VUE, and Subaru Forester. Like all of these other class competitors, the Tucson is car-based. The compact SUV is built on a "heavily modified Elantra platform" (Hyundai's small sedan/hatchback), though it is a new vehicle and offers a V-6 engine that's not offered in the Elantra. And it also fills a product void left open a few years ago when the Elantra wagon was discontinued.
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06:16 AM in Hyundai | Permalink
December 15, 2004
Benz Released First M-Class Pics
Mercedes-Benz has released these first pictures of the new 2006 M-Class sport-ute, due to be shown at theDetroit auto show in January.
According to a release, the new M-Class sits 5.9 inches longer, 2.8 inches wider and 0.4 inches lower on the road than the first-generation vehicle, with a 114-inch wheelbase that's 3.7 inches longer than before. The new M-Class switches from a body-on-frame design to a unibody platform - more like the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Benz's new seven-speed automatic transmission is standard, as is full-time four-wheel drive. A height-adjustable AIRMATIC air suspension is option. A revised four-wheel traction control system now incorporates functions such as a downhill driving aid and Hill-Start Assist.
As expected, the new M-Class offers up two engines at launch. The ML350 is powered by an all-new 3.5-liter, four-valve-per-cylinder V-6 engine delivering 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The ML 500 sports the Benz 5.0-liter V-8 engine with 302 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque.
Major improvements to the M-Class' interior have been made, according to Mercedes, with richer materials, a more sporting instrument panel, and more interior room for all five passengers. The new M adds more than two inches of additional front leg room, and rear-passenger knee and leg room have also been increased by 1.4 inches and 1.3-inches. Front, side and side curtain airbags are standard.
The M-Class will be built at the Mercedes-Benz factory near Tuscaloosa, Ala. A seven-passenger version of the same architecture, possibly badged as the new G-Class, is expected in a year. The crossover R-Class, based on the same architecture, is also expected within the year.
06:12 AM in Mercedes-Benz | Permalink
December 14, 2004
BMW sales keep on rising
German carmaker BMW has posted its 10th consecutive month of rising group car sales in November, helped by demand for new models like the compact 1-Series, remaining a nose ahead of arch-rival Mercedes in 2004.
BMW group car deliveries increased 7.3 percent versus the year-earlier month to 104,425 units, while sales for the first 11 months totalled 1.09 million vehicles, up 8.6 percent from a year ago and nearly matching its total for all of 2003.
"With these figures, our goal for the year of increasing our sales by a high-single-digit percentage at group level is now within our reach," sales and marketing chief Michael Ganal said in a statement.
Shares in BMW rose 2.3 percent in morning trade on Wednesday making it the second biggest gainer in the DJ Stoxx European autos index after Porsche, which added 3.2 percent after it reported higher sales for four months.
Sales of the sleek and muscular core BMW brand models rose 7 percent to 89,715 units, while deliveries of its urban chic Mini brand compacts increased 9.4 percent to 14,630.