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US Driving Continues to Brake
 US Driving Continues to Brake 
Jul 28, 2008 2:57 PM CDT

US Driving Continues to Brake

Americans drove 29.8B fewer miles through May '08 than same span in '07

(Newser) - Driving in the United States continued to drop, the Washington Post reports, with May marking the steepest dip in vehicle-miles traveled for that month in the 66 years statistics have been tallied. Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May 2008 than May ’07; in the first five...

NASCAR Fans Sneer at Toyota
 NASCAR Fans Sneer at Toyota 
Jul 24, 2008 9:51 AM CDT

NASCAR Fans Sneer at Toyota

Japanese automaker's success comes as American firms are in slump

(Newser) - In an effort to curry favor with millions of American NASCAR fans, Toyota joined the league’s top circuit 2 years ago, but fans aren’t warming to the Japanese automaker, the Wall Street Journal reports. Many fans felt betrayed last year when champion racer Kyle Busch traded in his...

Beijing Forces Half of Drivers Off the Road

Move to clear noxious air in countdown to Olympics

(Newser) - Half of Beijing's drivers left their cars at home today and took public transportation on the first workday under new restrictions meant to clear the city's notoriously polluted skies before the Olympics. Under the plan that kicked in yesterday, half of the capital's 3.3 million cars will be removed...

At $68 Per Day, London Parking Obscures Gas Prices

Sydney ($54.50 a day) and New York ($40) relative bargains by comparison

(Newser) - Besides skyrocketing gas prices, there's another reason to ditch your car: the steep cost of parking. The Economist breaks down the cities with the most expensive spots:
  1. London—$1,167 a month, $68 a day
  2. Sydney—$774.76 a month, $54.50 a day
  3. Hong Kong—$742.40 a month,
...

Toyota Will Make Prius in US
 Toyota Will Make Prius in US 
Jul 10, 2008 5:00 PM CDT

Toyota Will Make Prius in US

Swap at SUV plant shows how fast industry is adjusting to fuel costs, demand

(Newser) - Toyota plans to start producing its super-popular Prius hybrid in the US, Wired reports. With inventories overwhelmed by demand, the firm will move production lines to a Mississippi plant intended to produce SUVs. The factory won’t make its first Prius until 2010, but with no sign of abating gas...

Sticker Shock: Calif. Puts Emissions Rating on '09 Cars

Law forcing makers to show vehicles' carbon footprint goes into effect in Jan.

(Newser) - A state-mandated sticker showing vehicles' global-warming rating is starting to show up in California showrooms, the San Jose Mercury News reports. "We are forced by the nature of our economy to drive vehicles to work and play. This gives people a tool to lessen their carbon footprint," a...

US Auto Sales Off Big, But GM Holds Top Spot

21.4% drop keeps Toyota from No. 1; Honda manages gain

(Newser) - Sales for General Motors, Ford and Toyota all fell by double-digit percentages in June compared to the same month last year, while Honda managed an 11% gain, the Detroit News reports—with GM holding off Toyota as top US seller. In general, consumers passed over big, fuel-guzzling vehicles and luxury...

Audi Aims to 'Outsnob Mercedes'
 Audi Aims to
 'Outsnob Mercedes' 
glossies
Jun 24, 2008 7:13 AM CDT

Audi Aims to 'Outsnob Mercedes'

Luxury car maker amps up prestige with R8 supercar

(Newser) - Prestigious Audi seeks to turn its nose even higher and “outsnob Mercedes” by 2015, Esquire reports—not in sales, but in swanky elements, including:
  1. Over-the-top bells and whistles: A Bang & Olufsen stereo system has tweeters popping out of the dash, which aim to silence the nearest BMW.

GM, After 16% Sales Dive, Eases Finance Options

No-interest loans, for up to 6 years, on models including pickups and SUVs

(Newser) - General Motors is offering no-interest financing for up to 6 years on a selection of its 2008 automobiles in an effort to boost US sales, which plummeted 16% in May, Bloomberg reports. Soaring gas prices have hurt sales across the board, and falling trade-in values and general tightening of purse-strings...

When a Wealthy Jock Needs a Ride...
When a Wealthy Jock Needs a Ride...
Jun 22, 2008 12:28 PM CDT

When a Wealthy Jock Needs a Ride...

Macky Dancy has a Rolls or Lamborghini, even for a Mets pitcher

(Newser) - Macky Dancy has a deal for you, if you're a millionaire athlete with $200,000 to drop on an upscale ride, the New York Times reports. The 31-year-old salesman, based on Long Island, has delivered Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis to athletes like Allen Iverson and Zab Judah—yet admits he's...

Roger Clemens Takes Swing at Used-Car Sales

Beleaguered ex-big leaguer hawks his Bentley to pay bills

(Newser) - It’s hard to imagine, but apparently Roger Clemens is a little short this month. The former pitcher has sold his Bentley to Bret Michaels to help pay his legal fees, the New York Post reports. “Clemens is apparently selling his lavish goods,” an insider said. “Bret...

High Gas Prices Are Good for Detroit
 High Gas Prices
 Are Good for Detroit 
ANALYSIS
Jun 9, 2008 12:25 PM CDT

High Gas Prices Are Good for Detroit

Demand rising for electric alternatives, so makers, legislators must seize moment

(Newser) - Sky-high gas prices are finally pushing top US auto-makers to turn out fuel-efficient vehicles, and both Detroit and Washington should keep the pedal down to make a permanent change in how, and what, Americans drive, the US top car salesman tells the Wall Street Journal. "You have to tell...

S. Carolina Raises a Fuss With Religious Vanity Plates

Critics say they endorse a religion

(Newser) - South Carolinians will soon be able to put Jesus on their bumper. A new law went into effect yesterday requiring the state’s Motor Vehicles Department to produce cross-adorned “I Believe” license plates, the New York Times reports. But the plates aren’t kosher with the American Jewish Congress...

Under the Hood, Size Does Matter
Under the Hood, Size Does Matter
May 31, 2008 2:39 PM CDT

Under the Hood, Size Does Matter

Even in SUVs, Americans opt for smaller engines to conserve on gas

(Newser) - Instead of saving on gas by getting smaller cars, many Americans are buying cars with smaller engines. Four-cylinder autos have been zooming off lots nationwide, leaving six-cylinder rides in the dust: Three quarters of mid-size cars sold in May sported the smaller engine, a swerve away from a trend in...

Gas Prices Drive Americans Off the Road

Motoring takes record drop: 11B fewer miles in March

(Newser) - The summer driving season that kicked off over Memorial Day weekend will see significantly fewer Americans hitting the road, reports CNN: Figures from March released yesterday show the biggest decline in driving since the federal government began keeping records in 1942—down 4.3% or 11 billion miles from last...

US Can Drive 55—and Should, Greens Say

Call to lower limit claims better mileage, lower emissions

(Newser) - Escalating fuel prices and fear of global warming are rekindling debate over the nation's maximum speed limit—and environmentalists are urging Congress to slow the US back down to 55 mph, Wired reports. Advocates say going back to the speed limit set during the oil crunch of the 1970s will...

Mercury Line May Hit the Scrap Heap

Sales have slipped from half a million annually to 168K last year

(Newser) - Once a four-wheeled icon of cool, Ford's Mercury brand is steadily losing traction and may soon be parked for good, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ford has not yet announced a plan to scrap the line, but one key stockholder is urging the company to let it go.  "...

GM's SUVs May Get Smaller
 GM's SUVs May Get Smaller 
May 9, 2008 2:55 PM CDT

GM's SUVs May Get Smaller

Firm considers switch to car chassis

(Newser) - General Motors has long used truck chassis as the foundation of its largest SUVs: the Escalades, Tahoes, and Yukons. But with fuel costs going nowhere but up and stricter fuel standards on the horizon, GM is considering switching those models to lighter car-sized underpinnings when they come up for redesign...

Small Cars Surge Amid Sky-High Gas Prices

1 in 5 vehicles sold in April was compact or subcompact

(Newser) - Facing ballooning gas prices, many Americans are turning to smaller cars, with about one in five vehicles sold in April a compact or subcompact, the New York Times reports. That compares to one in eight 10 years ago. “It’s easily the most dramatic segment shift I have witnessed...

Toyota Overtakes GM in Q1
 Toyota Overtakes GM in Q1 
Apr 23, 2008 1:29 PM CDT

Toyota Overtakes GM in Q1

US giant's worldwide sales off 0.6% as overseas growth mitigates domestic dip

(Newser) - GM’s vehicle sales fell 0.6% in the first quarter, helping Toyota, on 2.7% growth, take the global sales lead, the Wall Street Journal reports. Toyota sold 2.41 million vehicles worldwide to 2.25 million for the American giant, which was hurt badly by a 10.2%...

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