Motoring: Trendy Japanese Flock to Hybrids
Jul 31, 2009 Object
In June, the Prius was the best-selling car in Japan, replacing the Insight, which in March became the first hybrid to ever hold the top spot.
The rest is here:
Motoring: Trendy Japanese Flock to Hybrids
Tags: a-bad-little, best, conclusion, ever-hold, first, first-hybrid, hold-the-top, hybrid vehicles, img-alt, insight, japan, replacing-the, sales, unchecked-optimism-, willys
‘Cash for Clunkers’: A Car Buyer’s Guide
Jul 31, 2009 Object
As the White House and Congress move to replenish the funds, here are some answers to questions about the program.
See the rest here:
‘Cash for Clunkers’: A Car Buyer’s Guide
Tags: about-the-program, automobiles, funds, here-are, img-alt, law and legislation, program, replenish-the, replenish-the-funds, some-answers, the-program-, white-house
News & Rants: Momosphere: 7.31.09
Jul 31, 2009 Object
Down, Down, Down; Shindig
I got to go to BlogHer ’09, which was held in Chicago last weekend. I had a wonderful time meeting bloggers of many different stripes at the conference. It’s been interesting to see what other attendees thought of BlogHer and Chicago, which has been my home for six years. One of my favorite takes on BlogHer and Chicago is this post by Zakary of Shindig.
Upon Exiting the Shower; Pancakes and French Fries
I have two busy boys who like to get up at the crack of dawn — every single day. Mornings are a crazy, hectic time for me and my husband. We’re trying to get ready for work, feed the boys and get them dressed in between the meltdowns (the children’s, not mine). The blogger at Pancakes and French Fries gets it. She chronicles her attempt to take a shower and the chaos that ensues. It’s a delicate dance, to say the least.
How to Build a Great Blanket Fort; SimpleMom
Is there anything better than a blanket fort? I remember building them as a girl with my best friend, Angie, in my living room. We’d attempt to build these monstrosities that would collapse if you dared to breathe on them. It’s probably good that neither of us chose architecture as a career. I plan on putting these construction tips to work at my house this weekend. I figure it’ll keep my boys occupied long enough for me to enjoy a cup of coffee in relative silence.
View original here:
News & Rants: Momosphere: 7.31.09
Tags: a-shower-and, chicago, children, conference, feed-the-boys, french-fries, home, house, plan-on-putting, shower, stripes-at-the
Switzer Performance P800 997 Twin-Turbo: The world is never enough
Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Porsche
Switzer Performance P800 997 Twin-Turbo - Click above for high-res image gallery
You know what the biggest problem with Porshce’s 997 Turbo is? Too slow. They’re like German desert tortoises. Just kinda clumsy and always in the way. 480 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque rotating all four wheels might sound fast on paper, but it just isn’t. Understanding this, Porsche came out with the more powerful GT2. However, 530 horsepower is still like standing still and rear-wheel drive is for drag racers. You need the traction of AWD, and something with more power than some dirty old Cadillac. A lot more power.
Meet the Switzer Perfomance P800 997. Here’s the quick stats: 800 hp, zero-to-sixty in less than three seconds and the quarter-mile in just a smidge over ten seconds. Now that’s fast. Oh yeah — the P800’s AWD, too. No one is going to mistake you for a Mustang with a blower. Where does an extra 320 hp vs. stock come from? Custom GT30 turbochargers, Switzer MONSTER intercoolers, electronic boost control, fancy headers and exhaust, plus a carbon clutch pack. We’ll take it. In yellow. Full press release and video of a P800 on a Dynometer after the jump.
Gallery: Switzer P800
Continue reading Switzer Performance P800 997 Twin-Turbo: The world is never enough
Switzer Performance P800 997 Twin-Turbo: The world is never enough originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-clumsy-and, a-smidge-over, after-the-jump, entry, porsche 911, porsche gt2, porsche997turbo, switzer gt2, switzer-p800, switzer-performance, twin-
Great July, but get ready for a market correction
Jul 31, 2009 Object
Filed under: Economy, Earnings
What a month! In July, the Dow Industrials were up more than 8.5 percent, the best month on record since October 2002. The Dow Transports gained more than 10.5 percent for July, and both averages are trading at their highest levels in at least six months.
Have we left the bear behind? We turned to Richard Moroney, editor of Dow Theory Forecasts, to get his perspective on why July was such a good month and whether this could be a positive signal for the market.
Continue reading Great July, but get ready for a market correction
Great July, but get ready for a market correction originally appeared on DailyFinance on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Here is the original post:
Great July, but get ready for a market correction
Tags: a-good-month, a-market-correction, dow jones, economy, entry, great-july, highest, perspective, richardmoroney, stock-market, transports
Matching Camaros commemorate 40th anniversary of 1969 Yenko 427
Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet
Matching Chevrolet Camaros built by OER - Click above for a high-res image gallery
2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the legendary 1969 Yenko Camaro. The king of classic Camaros, the Yenko was the clever creation of Don Yenko, owner of a Chevy dealership in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, who figured out Camaros could be ordered with an L-72 427CI V8 through GM’s Central Office Production Order program, originally intended as fleet vehicles for police cars and taxi cabs. Each car came equipped with power disc brakes, a 4.10 rear end, upgraded suspension, a heavy duty radiator, front and rear spoilers, a cowl-induction hood, and plenty of Yenko badges and graphics. Just over 200 ‘69 Yenko Camaros were built, making them some of the most rare and valuable muscle cars in existence today.
To commemorate the anniversary, Chop, Cut, Rebuild teamed up with Original Equipment Reproduction (OER) and D&P Classic Chevy to build a Yenko Camaro tribute car. The goal was to create a new pony car that Don Yenko himself would have built using today’s technology, and it looks like they did an incredible job. Starting with an all new ‘69 Camaro body shell from the OER parts catalog, the team of builders dropped in a brand news LS7 crate motor from GM Performance Parts and added a six-speed transmission, rack and pinion steering, six-piston brakes, 18-inch wheels and tires, and more. To boot, they got their hands on a 2010 Camaro and painted it to match complete with the OEM body kit and upgraded Stoptech brakes. You can read more details on the tribute Yenko Camaro after the jump, and we snapped a few pictures of the cars at OER’s shop that you can view in the high-res gallery below.
Gallery: Matching Yenko Camaro Tribute Cars
Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Original Equipment Reproduction]
Continue reading Matching Camaros commemorate 40th anniversary of 1969 Yenko 427
Matching Camaros commemorate 40th anniversary of 1969 Yenko 427 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-4-10-rear, a-clumsy-and, after-the-jump, camaro, cars, chevrolet-camaro, entry, matching-yenko, pennsylvania, sports, switzer-performance
Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 7.31.09
 |
2009 X Games Rally Car ride along We get (passenger) seat time with some of the cars and competitors ahead of this weekend’s 2009 X Games to see how it feels to have our kidneys given a one-two punch inside Mirra’s STI or Brack’s Fiesta rally car. |
 |
House approves $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers, Senate votes next week Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 316 to 109 in favor of H.R. 3435, a bill that will infuse the Car Allowance Rebate System, or Cash for Clunkers program, with an extra $2 billion after it reportedly ran out of cash last night. |
 |
Quick Drive: 2010 Acura MDX gets new nose, powertrain improvements For the 2010 model year, Acura has updated the style and substance of the MDX, revamping the exterior to tie-in with the rest of the automaker’s line-up and making a few upgrades to its powertrain to keep up with the competition. |
Other news of import | |
Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 7.31.09 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-4-10-rear, a-friend-via, and-competitors, clunkers, games, img-vspace, matching-yenko, switzer-performance
Would you like your Ferrari 458 Italia in brown? What about purple?
Jul 31, 2009 Object
Filed under: Performance, Ferrari, Design/Style
Ferrari 458 Italia color variations - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Although most Ferrari owners prefer their prancing horses in red, others maintain few things are more boring than another Maranello masterwork tinted scarlet. Ferrari will likely build you its latest 458 Italia in whatever color you chose, provided you’re willing to pay for it, but it stands to reason that when a model is introduced, it’s rolled out in Ferrari’s traditional Rosso Corsa.
Ferrarichat user JimF is apparently afflicted with a heavy case of Red-Ferrari-Ennui. Rather than just complain about the lack of chromatic variation, Jim fired up Photoshop and set about using the power of paths and transfer modes to show the new Italian in a variety of alternative hues. His work is nicely done, and the unexpected colors better show off the Italia’s sculpting. Hit the gallery and hunt down your favorite color below.
Gallery: Ferrari 458 Italia colors
[Source: Carscoop]
Would you like your Ferrari 458 Italia in brown? What about purple? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-heavy-case, about-the-lack, and-competitors, clunkers, entry, ferrar458italia, ferrari, ferrari italia, ferrari italia colors, ferrarialternativecolors, rosso-corsa-
Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful
Jul 31, 2009 Object
Filed under: Convertible, Japan, Mazda
20th Anniversary Mazda Miata — Click above for high-res image
Japan gets to celebrate the 20th birthday of the Mazda MX-5/Miata with a special edition for JDM buyers only. The Crystal White Pearl Mica roadster comes in two varieties: an RS soft-top with a 6-speed manual, and a VS hardtop with a 6-speed automatic. Both cars get red-and-black heated Recaros, extra cabin padding, clear front fog lights, a strut tower brace, and (of course) the requisite splash of 20th anniversary badging. You can read about it in the press release after the jump, and check out a high-res photo by clicking the image above.
[Source: Mazda]
Continue reading Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful
Mazda releases 20th Anniversary Edition Miata for JDM faithful originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: a-releases-20th, convertible-, high-res-photo, jdm, mazda mx-5, mx-5, press, releases-20th, sport-edition
REPORT: Penske talking to Renault to supply vehicles to Saturn
Jul 31, 2009 Object
Remember the rumor that Roger Penske is looking to bring Renault back to America via his recently-procured network of Saturn dealerships? Consider it a rumor no more, as the deed has been confirmed by none other than Renault’s chief operating officer Patrick Pelata, who said in a recent interview:
“He is looking for cars to sell. He has looked at all car makers, and he has seen that Renault has a nice line-up, sharing power trains with Nissan that are obviously adapted to the U.S. market… He’s asking us: ‘Do you want to sell us cars?’ and we are discussing about how to sell him cars.”
Considering that Nissan and Renault have plans to share virtually all new engines and Nissan is already well established in the U.S. market, it may make sense for the French automaker to supply Saturn-badged vehicles to Penske once GM stops producing the current Aura, Outlook and Vue models, which could be as early as 2011.
Previous reports indicated the vehicles in question may actually be sourced from Samsung, Renault’s Korean subsidiary. According to Pelata, though, “It’s an ongoing discussion,” and no deals have yet been finalized.
[Source: Wall Street Journal - Sub. Req.]
REPORT: Penske talking to Renault to supply vehicles to Saturn originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Tags: early-as-2011, entry, have-yet-been, nissan, penske auto group, penskeautogroup, renault, roger penske, rogerpenske, saturn, saturnsamsung, share-virtually
