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| Saleen RC2 Concept based on the Ford Focus Posted: 20 Aug 2008 08:24 AM CDT  Based on the Ford Focus, the RC2 Concept was created by sports car manufacturer Saleen in order to attract customers without without the financial power to buy an S7, for example. Planned to be sold at somewhere around $20,000, the RC2 features a body kit with custom front fascia, mesh grille, aggressive side skirts and small rear spoiler for added stability. Under the hood, it’s powered by Ford’s 2.0 liter four-cylinder Duratech engine, which has been received a minor upgrade and now develops around 158 hp (117 kW). Upgrades include dual-tipped exhaust, hood scoop and an updated suspension package (stiffer springs and larger sway bars). We were used with more important upgrades from Saleen, but they explained that the upgrades are not that impressive because the RC2 is designed to be sold as a 'starting point' for tuners to build on. Check out one more photo after the jump.  Source: MotorAuthority  | ||||
| 2009 Honda Civic facelift announced Posted: 20 Aug 2008 08:01 AM CDT  Yesterday, Honda announced the 2009 Honda Civic facelift, which boast redesigned exterior styling features, including a new front bumper cover and grille design and new headlight and taillight color combinations, featuring clear turn indicator lenses with amber bulbs. New alloy wheel designs are introduced on the Civic EX, Civic EX-L and Civic Si models, along with the addition of fog lamps for the Civic Si model. Interior enhancements include Bluetooth HandsFreeLink added to Navigation-equipped models, USB Audio Interface added to Civic EX, EX-L, Hybrid and Si models, leather-trimmed seating surfaces with heated front seats and side mirrors for the Civic Hybrid and new cloth materials and patterns on seats, door linings and armrests. Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), also known as electronic stability control, is now standard on the Civic EX-L and Civic Hybrid, in addition to the Civic Si. “The Civic lineup uniquely embraces traditional gasoline, hybrid, high performance and natural gas technologies like no other vehicle in the world,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor. “The exterior styling enhancements and newly-available features help strengthen Civic’s position as one of the best-selling vehicles in a market that’s embracing small cars more than ever.” Too see more details about the 2009 Honda Civic facelift, read the full press release. And check out more photos after the jump. Photo Gallery: 2009 Honda Civic Facelift
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| Volkswagen Passat CC Gold Coast Posted: 20 Aug 2008 07:06 AM CDT  At this weekend’s Pebble Beach event Volkswagen presented the VW Passat CC Gold Coast. The special edition Passat CC is powered by the 3.6 liter FSI petrol engine that produces 280hp (206kW) and 266lb-ft of torque, mated to a six-speed DSG dual-clutch Triptronic gearbox. Extra features that equip the Gold Coast include a special grille, premium tri-coat paint finish with a mix of gold, brown and silver tones, new spoiler and 19 inch propeller style wheels. The interior features ergonomically formed sport seats wrapped in leather, a three-color combination of Latte Macchiatto and Cornsilk with Bronze Piping on the seats and matching accents on the dash and door trim. The standard Passat CC will hit US showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2008, so the Gold Coast will probably be available at the same time. No clues so far on the pricing, but the standard CC will be priced at around $28,000, so expect the special edition’s price to be considerably higher. I never thought I’d say that, but this Passat CC I like. I still hate the rear, it looks like the designers got drunk when they got to that part, but still, I’m convinced it will be a success for Volkswagen. Check out more photos after the jump. Photo Gallery: Volkswagen Passat CC Gold Coast
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| The bright side of fuel prices? Less car crashes Posted: 20 Aug 2008 06:26 AM CDT  Sure, the high gas prices have really taken a toll on people around the world, they started traveling less or have started practicing some really weird methods to drop the fuel prices. But according to the NHTSA, there might be a positive aspect to the high prices, their statistics show that the number of people killed in car accidents has dropped with about 1,600 as opposed to the last year, and was the lowest in the last 10 years. If until now, american drivers were more agressive, they addopted more economical and calmer driving methods, only to improve the fuel efficiency, and as a secondary result, the number of accidents has decreased. This was also reflected in the number of injuries from these accidents, from 2.58 million in 2006 to 2.48 million last year, numbers that will continue to drop, according to the NHTSA. Source: MotorAuthority  | ||||
| Posted: 20 Aug 2008 06:11 AM CDT  We’ve already seen a lot of exotic car crashes, almost all of them caused by irresponsible owners which don’t know how to handle the power of their cars. But this crash is a bit special, because we’re not talking about the owner of the car, but about a regular person which asked Audi to give him the €160,000 supercar, the R8 for a test drive. Although he met the standards of a test drive with a car this powerful, the 33-year old man from the Netherlands, lost control while he was driving near a river and crashed the car into it. Police aren’t disclosing the name of the unlucky driver, and believe that he was driving at about 130 km/h (80 mph), although witnesses say that he was driving a lot faster, about 200 km/h or 125 mph, a lot above the limit on that road of 80 km/h (50 mph). Speed isn’t the only thing police are taking intro consideration, because the road was a bit bumpy, and one of these bumps could have caused the speeding driver to loose control of the 420 hp car. Still, if you want to test drive a car with lots of power, you really should check your speed and the road conditions, or you might end up like this poor fellow. Check out more photos after the jump. Photo Gallery: Audi R8 test drive goes bad
Source: Autojunk (Via CarScoop)  | ||||
| 2009 Peugeot 407 gets UK price tag Posted: 19 Aug 2008 12:01 PM CDT  Peugeot announced that the 2009 Peugeot 407 will make its UK debut in September. With a starting price of £17,295, the new 407 features a subtle redesign for the front grille and air intake, new rear bumper and body-colored rubbing strips, door mirrors and door handles. The engine range got a new member, a new 2.0 liter ‘Bioflex’ engine that operates on E85 fuel (available from November). Also, there’s a minor upgrade for the 2.0 liter HDi, which now produces 140 hp, 4 hp more than the current one. The new 407 will be available in four equipment levels, S, SR, SE and GT and several new exterior colors, Moondust, Thorium Grey, Abyss Blue, Moroccan Red and Hurricane Grey. Also, the standard equipment list got longer.  | ||||
| The first Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport sold for $2.9 million Posted: 19 Aug 2008 11:32 AM CDT Yesterday, we wrote about the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport debut at Pebble Beach and we’ve told you that the first car will go to the charity auction presented by Gooding & Company. The lucky man who now owns the first convertible Veyron had to pay a whooping $2.9 million. Is it worth the money? Check out the video of the auction below.  | ||||
| Gas prices down thanks to…prayers Posted: 19 Aug 2008 11:18 AM CDT  Ok, this is really ridiculous. I know that the rising gas prices hurt all our wallets and we’re all happy that they started going down, but claming that God is responsabile for that? A prayer group in Washington DC is claiming the credit for the recent sharp drop in the US price of petrol. Rocky Twyman, 59, a veteran community campaigner, started Pray At The Pump prayer group in Washington DC and held meetings at petrol stations starting in April and over the months since then, he has held similar prayer meetings at pumps all over the US. Since then, the average price of what the US calls gasoline has fallen from more than $4 a gallon to $3.80. “We were down in Huntsville, Alabama. We finished praying,” Mr Twyman said. “Immediately the owners came out and changed the gas prices. They brought it down. We had marvellous success down in St Louis, Missouri.” This week the group returned to the site of their first prayer meeting to celebrate. Singing “We shall overcome,” they changed the words of the well-known hymn to “We’ll have lower gas prices”. Twyman is sceptical that market forces might be responsible for the lower prices. But he and his prayer warriors have changed their motoring habits. “We believe not just in prayer - because we believe that faith without works is dead. So we’ve encouraged people to car-pool more and organise their days more, because it’s a combination of faith with these other factors.” So, what do you think, should we thank God for the gas prices drop?  | ||||
| The new Infiniti G37 Coupe Convertible Posted: 19 Aug 2008 10:31 AM CDT  Just one day after you started planning on getting the Nissan Murano Convertible, here is another one for you to consider: the new Infiniti G37 Convertible. The first official images were released today by Infiniti. The car will have a folding hard top and the same 3.7 liter and 330 bhp engine and will debut in November at the Los Angeles Motor Show and will be on sale in early 2009. No official word on whether it will be available in Europe, but there is a rumor that it might. Source: Infiniti  |
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