Car Blog

Atlanta Prepares for Nissan LEAF 100% Electric Vehicle

Volvo Cars of North America announced the start of its upcoming Naughty Volvo Tour to launch the All-New 2011 Volvo S60.  The Naughty Volvo Tour, which will stop at Volvo retailers across the U.S. and in Canada, will arrive in the Twin Cities – appearing at Borton Volvo Friday, October 29th between 5pm and 7pm.

“The 2011 Volvo S60 is really going to make an impression in the midsize sedan segment,” said Doug Speck, VCNA president and CEO.  ”Not only is it the most dynamic Volvo we’ve ever produced, but it also introduces the world-first Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake technology, which will automatically stop the car if it senses an impending collision with a pedestrian.  We’re excited to show the S60 to consumers so they can judge for themselves.”

“The sportiest Volvo ever,” the All-New Volvo S60 is equipped with a turbocharged T6 engine, which puts out 300 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft. of torque, and comes standard with all-wheel-drive.  Its breathtaking new design, captures the imagination and sets the heart racing like no other Volvo sedan, with the C-pillar stretching sensually all the way to the taillights – giving the impression of a 4-door coupe.

The All-New Volvo S60 is also available with Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, a groundbreaking technological solution that actively helps the driver avoid accidents.  Volvo’s radar- and camera-based system can detect pedestrians in front of the car, warn the driver if someone walks out into its path, and then automatically activate the S60′s full braking power if the driver fails to respond in time.

The Naughty Volvo Tour is a series of retailer-hosted experiential events, which allow attendees to preview the All-New Volvo S60 before it goes on sale.  Utilizing multimedia interactive displays to emphasize the car’s design, performance and safety attributes will heighten the sensory experience.  Demonstrations of the Pedestrian Detection system in action will also be available.

To register to attend the Borton Volvo event, please visit http://naughty.volvocars.us.

Land Rover announced the launch of ‘Pulse of the City’, an iPhone app that anticipates the launch of the new Range Rover Evoque. The ‘Pulse of the City’ app lets users create a unique and stunning data visualisation of their journeys across ten cities worldwide and can be downloaded at http://itunes.apple.com/uk/app/range-rover-pulse-of-the-city/id398471586?mt%1f=8

In a world first, the ‘Pulse of the City’ app, launches on iPhone (android available from mid November) and uses GPS tracking to record the collective movements of people within the ten cities. Users will be sent a graphical representation of their journey which they can display on the helloevoque.com website.

Users will be invited to join 40+ ‘City Shapers’ including influencers Daisy Lowe, Henry Holland, Georgina Chapman, George Lamb, Jessica Schwarz, Josh Rubin and Dylan Jones to download the app for free. City Shapers will be able to add comments about their favourite places, hot spots and journeys, creating a real time, evolving pulse of each city.

As the ‘Pulse of the City’ grows, Range Rover will be asking its ‘City Shapers’ and users of the app about their connection to their city. Questions including ‘What inspires you about your city?’ and ‘What are people talking about in your city today? will be posed each month, with the information from each city gathered to build a portrait of each urban landscape. City Shaper journeys can already be viewed at www.helloevoque.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Dozens of journalists representing the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) spent two days driving the industry’s newest sport-utility vehicle lineup late last week, over a variety of on-road and rugged off-road terrain. When the dust settled and ballots were counted, the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was named “SUV of Texas” by the influential group of automotive journalists.

The automotive industry’s new benchmark, premium SUV was also named “Full-size SUV of Texas,” and the 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara – complete with an all-new interior, body-color hard top, and legendary Jeep capability – took home the “Mid-size SUV of Texas” crown.

“It was an honor to represent Jeep at the Texas Auto Writers Association ‘Truck Rodeo,’ and we are thrilled that this opinion-leading journalist organization has recognized the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee as the ‘SUV of Texas’ and the ‘Full-size SUV of Texas,’ and the iconic Jeep Wrangler Unlimited as the ‘Mid-size SUV of Texas,’ said Mike Manley, President and CEO — Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “This new generation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers the perfect blend of on-road refinement, superb craftsmanship, world-class design, improved fuel economy, innovative features, and legendary real-world capability.”

“At the same time, the iconic Jeep Wrangler keeps getting better, and we’re thrilled the Texas Auto Writers recognize this,” Manley added. “While retaining unmatched, legendary capability, the 2011 Jeep Wrangler boasts an all-new interior that delivers a host of comfort, convenience and versatility features. In addition, Sahara models now feature a stunning, all-new body-color hard top, for customers looking for a Jeep Wrangler with a more premium appearance.”

More than 40 TAWA members were given two days of on- and off-road evaluation time with the Grand Cherokee, Wrangler and their competitors. Consideration is given to everything from exterior styling and off-road capability, to the entrant’s overall utility, value and fuel efficiency.

“Jeep has proven itself in the toughest SUV market in the country,” said Mike Herzing, TAWA President. “Jeep Grand Cherokee is the nicest SUV out there, and still true to its Jeep DNA.” Read the rest of this entry »

National search also finds 12 of the earliest models sold in America

As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, Porsche Cars North America embarked on a quest to find the oldest Porsche sold in America.  The Porsche Classic Search, conducted online at www.Porsche60Years.com, encouraged individuals from coast to coast to submit documentation that his or her Porsche was one of the earliest in its category to be retailed on American soil.  With awards and bragging rights at stake, the call for entries yielded an impressive collection of finalists, including the oldest U.S. – retailed model found, a lovingly restored 1952 Strawberry Red 356 Cabriolet.

Launched in August, the My Porsche Classic Search received hundreds of submissions from Porsche owners across the country.  Among them was a rare 1952 356 Cabriolet owned by Dr. Robert Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla. Wilson’s car was imported in November of 1952 by Austrian businessman, Max Hoffman, in New York, who brought the first Porsche cars to the U.S. beginning in 1950.  The 1.5 liter, 60 horsepower gem was discovered in a salvage yard by Wilson years after arriving on U.S. soil and meticulously restored.

The My Porsche Classic Search also yielded the discovery of another distinguished and even rarer Porsche – a blue 1950 356 Cabriolet owned by Richard Brumme of Annapolis, Md. This car is one of the very first series production 356s built in Stuttgart, after the company relocated from Gmund, Austria. Impeccably restored with original parts sourced from around the globe, the 1950 356 Cabriolet was also recently honored with the 2010 Best in Show and Best in Class Awards at the 356 Registry’s annual gathering in Cleveland, Ohio. While Brumme’s car is unique and special, it was not the oldest Porsche actually retailed in America. This distinction goes to Wilson’s 356 Cabriolet of 1952. Read the rest of this entry »

The 911 GT2 RS, the fastest and most powerful road-going sports car Porsche has ever built, is not only an ultra-high-performance car on the road, but it is also just as fast from a sales standpoint.

With its worldwide debut less than two months ago at the Moscow Auto Show, this limited-edition  620-horsepower 911 has already secured customer commitments for all 500 units to be built.

In the U.S., Porsche has pre-sold 133 911 GT2 RS cars, all of which will be delivered to eager owners in February 2011.