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Top 5 Hottest Hatchback Cars in the U.S.
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Editorial, Features, Transportation,
Europe always seems to get the best of breed when it comes to cars. Regardless of the make or model, Europe takes delivery of vehicles we can only dream of over here in America. Here in the States we’re often left with slightly bland, dumbed down, and unappealing vehicle selection. Even Ford, an American company, offers vehicles in Europe that we can’t get here at home like the Ford Falcon and Focus RS, which we’ll zone in more later in the article.
Europeans have a knack for the ultimate driving experience, and one thing we noticed during a visit over the Atlantic during the summer was their love of hatchbacks. No, we're not talking about some hokey-puck cheap car that you'd find a teenager racing around town in. These vehicles are actually pretty awesome. We've put together our list of five hot hatches to look out for and consider if and when you’re in the market. Read on!
Click to continue reading Top 5 Hottest Hatchback Cars in the U.S.
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Tesla Model X electric crossover coming in 2014
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,
Tesla has announced the Model X, an all-electric crossover vehicle that it says will be put into production by 2014. Key features include rear Falcon Wing doors, which fold out Delorean-style (but how practical are Falcon doors inside a parking garage), and an average of 300 miles per charge. The plug-in CUV is based on the same platform as the Model S sedan, which also has yet to see the light of day, but should go into production this summer.
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Nissan NV200 set to take on Ford Transit
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,
Along with Chevy, Nissan is aiming to take a stab at Ford this quarter. Among small business owners that need some sort of work van, the Ford Transit has been the van of choice since the 1970s. Heck, even thieves loved choosing the Ford Transit due to its peppiness and reliability. Nissan believes its new van, the NV200, could provide to be some friendly competition for Ford.
The Nissan NV200 features a 2-liter four-banger with a mounted CVT gearbox. Loading and unloading is simple, due to a low floor, and it can haul 1500 pounds. The cargo area can easily accommodate your standard pallet, if need be.
All that said, I’d still choose the Ford over the Nissan. Why? Well, while driving the Ford, I’ll know its legacy is laced in high-speed car chases, bank robberies, and solid reliability. However, if that’s not important to you the price might be the deciding factor. The Transit currently runs for a little over $22,000 and the Nissan is projected to be within that price range.
Read More | Autoblog
3 ways to avoid speeding tickets that won’t cost you a thing
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Features, Transportation,
Each day I commute about 60 miles and I see a lot of things on the road. Some things are just gorgeous, like the snowcapped Olympic Mountains, while the other stuff I see is sheer stupidity, like the lady who decided to go against the flow of traffic today. These a pretty much non-issues in the world of driving, while we think that the real threat are the boys in blue. Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against our task force, but getting dinged for going 5 mph over the speed limit is a bit too ridiculous in my book. Over the years, I’ve noticed ways of how to avoid tickets at little or no cost to you. Continue reading for some tips!
Click to continue reading 3 ways to avoid speeding tickets that won’t cost you a thing
Chevy calls out Ford in Super Bowl ad
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation, Videos,
Last week we showed you a few sneak peaks at Super Bowl ads focused on cars. Now that the Big Game is over, we wanted to hand it to Chevy GM for making a commercial worth viewing.
The spot takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The Chevy rises from the ashes, unscathed, and drives away. The end of the commercial is what made us laugh. Chevy had the guts to take a blatant stab at Ford. Though that’s a ballsy move on its behalf, I’d suggest they take a closer look at the competition before calling them out. I’d like to draw your attention to the Ford video below. You can watch a Chevy drive away from a CGI apocalyptic hell, or you can watch a Ford drive away after being tossed around in a hurricane. You be the judge.
Click to continue reading Chevy calls out Ford in Super Bowl ad
Cherry offers car washes anywhere in the Bay Area
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Internet, Misc. Tech, Transportation,
I’m very picky when it comes to how my car is washed. I’m not a fan of the drive-thru carwashes that seemingly miss many spots, and sometimes even scratch it. That's why I'm envious of those folks who are lucky enough to live in the Bay Area, as you now have a new option—Cherry!
Cherry is a mobile car wash service. You can schedule the car wash from anywhere, using the Cherry Web site or handy mobile app. Within 20 minutes or so, someone will come by and start washing your car. Payment of $29 is accepted through the app or website as well. Your vehicle is tracked using geotags, so (in theory) you don’t even have to meet the person washing your car. Convenience? I think so.
Cherry says that the company only uses 3 gallons of water to wash up to six cars. We’re not sure how that works, but it seems to be a viable business venture in a state such as California, which has implemented car-washing bans. Cherry plans to expand its services beyond the Bay Area in the future. For 29 bucks we’d be more than happy to have them wash our cars here in Seattle.
Mecedes-Benz Actros used as a taxicab
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation, Videos,
Here in the U.S., we’re familiar with the semi-trucks we share the highways with during our commutes and rely on to deliver our goods...but seeing a semi as a taxicab, that’s something unheard of. Europe’s semi truck manufactures take pride in their products, and one brand in particular is out to prove they’re the best. That brand is Mercedes-Benz. It's have won Truck of the Year for its newly redesigned Actros. However, that wasn’t enough for the Mercedes. So someone got the bright idea of using an Actros as a taxicab. However, the Actros was set to pick up customers from competing manufactures such as Volvo and Man. Watch a video of their reactions after the jump!
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Read More | Autoblog
Lexus GS growing into a family of vehicles
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation, Videos,
Along with the likes of Volkswagen, Honda, and Cadillac, Lexus is heading to the Super Bowl. The Lexus ad features the newly redesigned GS series, which is aimed to compete with the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class; to which we say good luck. That said, the new redesign is rather sexy.
The commercial (which can be seen after the jump) is rather sci-fi-ish and features the GS locked in a container. The Lexus eventually breaks free, and at the end of the commercial there are four container boxes lit up while the narrator states, “this is just the beginning.”
This leads us to ask the question ‘what next up from Lexus?’ Toyota recently expanded its Prius family, which led us to believe the GS family will be expecting new additions. Lexus announced on its website that there will be a hybrid option along with an F-tuned option (which is geared to compete with the BMW M5.) This being so only accounts for three containers of mystery, that is if you include the GS 350 apart of the four. So what remains to be answered is what will be the forth family member in the GS line-up?
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Bleeding Edge TV 420: OnStar API, FMV, RelayRides at CES
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2012, Features, Podcasts, Software, Transportation, Videocasts, Videos,
We chat with Vijay Iyer of OnStar to talk about how the OnStar FMV mirror add-on is performing at retail, as well as the new announcement of the OnStar API. The OnStar API allows third-party developers to write code and apps that tap into OnStar's cloud of user information. The first announced partner is RelayRides, which allows the average user to lend out his or her vehicle when they aren't using it, all controlled by a RelayRides app that taps into OnStar. We get a rundown of what OnStar users can expect from developers going forward. You can purchase the OnStar FMV from Amazon. This was recorded at CES 2012.
Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.
JAC 4R3, the pirated Ford F-150, set to debut at Beijing Motor Show
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation,
Last summer I finally had a chance to return to my motherland, Ukraine. I grew up hearing stories of the place, but never got to experience it for what it really was, despite being born there. Apart from that fact that most of the stories I heard growing up were true (such as the mob “security personnel” running everything) I was shocked at the counterfeits I saw everywhere.
Now I’m not talking about computer software, as that's inevitable. What surprised me most were the vehicle counterfeits. Yes, you’d have your legitimate Benz here and there, but the general public mostly drove knock-offs from China. I saw countless fake vehicles everywhere, Toyotas to Dodge vehicles each having a Chinese cousin.
Chinese manufacturer JAC will be debuting the 4R3 at the Beijing Motor Show. The 4R3 is essentially a Ford F-150 copy. JAC is aiming to release the 4R3 in South American and African markets as an inexpensive work vehicle. The truck is powered by a diesel propelled four-banger, set to generate a little over a 100 horsepower and 177 torques. Though we’re not sure on what Ford has to say about this, we've gotta assume that it’s only a matter of time before JAC hears from Ford legal!
Read More | Car News China
