Consumer Reports Tells about American Automakers
Consumer Reports magazine has made it very clear that Ford has excellent reputation among customers while Chrysler needs to get back on its feet and fight for the shoppers’ trust all over. The research was done under “buy American” motto. The results have come rather positive: 81% consumers are ready to shop for a vehicle made by the native manufacturers and Ford is the leader in this group. Consumer Reports claims Ford’s success was built on the company’s aversion to accepting any federal...

Rapper Ludacris gives away cars to contest winners | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- Talk about a one-man stimulus package: Grammy-winning rapper Ludacris has given away 20 cars to people who wrote about their struggles to keep their jobs for a lack of wheels of their own. Ludacris said he was taken aback after reading thousands of essays by people struggling or unable to buy cars needed to get to and from work or find jobs. The 31-year-old rapper felt he could step in and move them ahead, partnering with a suburban Atlanta dealership for Sunday's giveaway. "People are getting laid...

No chaos emerges as Samoa changes driving side | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- Car horns and sirens sounded, church bells rang out and roads were crowded with vehicles and smiling drivers Monday as Samoa became the first country in decades to officially switch from right-side to left-side driving. Hundreds lined streets in the capital, Apia, to witness the early-morning switch on the country's highways as police manned scores of checkpoints and warned drivers to keep their speed down. The government is bringing Samoa in line with Australia and New Zealand to encourage some of...

Obama fuel rules may tilt field | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- The Obama administration's long-awaited proposed regulation setting fuel efficiency standards at 35.5 miles per gallon by the 2016 model year will be rolled out as early as this week. But the rules may give some automakers a competitive advantage. The regulation is expected to mirror a California provision that gives less-stringent tailpipe emissions requirements to automakers with annual U.S. sales of no more than 400,000 vehicles, mainly German and Asian manufacturers. Reducing emissions is best...

Ban on Texting while Driving
The laws against using cell phones while driving are getting strict. Governors Highway Safety Association has signed a new policy which calls all the states to ban texting behind the wheel. This new policy came right before the summit on distracted driving which will take place in the U.S. Department of Transportation on September, 30 and October, 1. It will be available live by Webcast and anybody is allowed to submit questions for the discussion at the summit. Mainly the talkers will be considering...

Mustang Is the Best Sport Car Again
The 2010 Ford Mustang won the new test of sporty cars and coupes held by Consumer Reports. It showed to be better than Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. The Mustang was qualified as “an even more balanced and satisfying driver's car than ever before.” The pony car was rated “very good” by scoring 78 points at the overall road test. It was praised for “strong suspension, communicative steering and the most agile handling”, according to the senior director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test...

Auto Tuning: Irmscher Astra at 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show
Manufacturers are not the only ones who present their designs at auto shows: German tuner, Irmscher Automobilau is going to the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show with the upgrade package for the 2010 Opel Astra. The trim is done so well, that it seems all the details belonged to the model from the very beginning. In fact, Irmscher really has advantage over other tuners: since it is a semi-official in-house Opel tuner, many components for the upgrades are closely integrated with the new vehicles. The same goes to...

Clunkers' ripple effect creates winners, losers | detnews.com | The Detroit News
"Cash for clunkers" gave the struggling auto business a big lift in August, but the federal rebate program touched many other industries as well -- helping some and hurting others. Consumers who traded in gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient models got as much as $4,500 cash back, leading to the first year-over-year gain in monthly auto sales in nearly two years. The impact of the program, which ended Aug. 24 when government funding ran out, continues to be felt across other parts of the economy. Scrap...

FJ Cruiser: Only for serious off-roaders | detnews.com | The Detroit News
The M1A2 Abrams tank has better visibility than the 2009 FJ Cruiser. It's not really a fair comparison -- the tank includes high-tech optics to operate its 120 mm smooth bore gun and the FJ Cruiser has a windshield slightly larger than a basement window. Having had the opportunity to ride in the tank recently, I can tell you that it can spin its turret in a few seconds, providing 360 degrees of vision, and that it would never be parallel parked. The FJ Cruiser, meanwhile, now comes with a backup camera...

Auto czar to take manufacturing helm | detnews.com | The Detroit News
-- President Barack Obama will announce today that he's tapping his chief auto adviser to try to revitalize the struggling U.S. manufacturing sector. Ron Bloom will assume the title of senior counselor for manufacturing policy, in addition to his role as senior adviser on the President's Task Force on the Automotive Industry. Obama said in a statement Sunday that the manufacturing sector expanded in August for the first time in 18 months and had the highest monthly output in two years. "It's a sign that...