Telematics For The [Insurance] People
Our own Jonathan Locker has wondered aloud whether big brother-like aspects of remotely-monitored telematics systems make them worthwhile. But even the Gadse…
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Banking Crisis Guts Successful Supplier
Does anybody need a reminder that the credit crisis is hurting our economies? Case in point: German car-industry supplier Schenk Plastic Solutions. Schenk is…
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Auto Club Offers Married Gay Couples Free Memberships
The Better World Club differentiates itself from other roadside/travel services by dint of its "dedication to preserve the environment." We're talking disco…
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Analyst Predicts $12 a Gallon Gas
The Wall Street Journal reports: "The world's premier energy monitor is preparing a sharp downward revision of its oil-supply forecast, a shift that reflec…
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Smart Deemed Safe. Kinda.
According to the AP , the diminutive 2008 smart fortwo received an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS) rating of "good" in both front- and side-i…
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Obama: Ford Granada "Worst Car Detroit Ever Built"
Barack Obama is something of a car guy. According to The Detroit News, one of Obama's (likely numerous) regrets about running for President: the Secret Servi…
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BP Surprised by $7.2b Q1 Profit
BP makes $7.2b in Q1
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Beijing Auto Show Reflects New World Order
China is set to become the world's largest automotive market
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Tesla Motors Sues Fisker for Stealing EV Secrets
Tesla Motors sues Fisker Automotive for stealing EV secrets
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IIHS Rates Malibu, Avenger, G35, Optima, Galant, Aura and Altima Safety
The IIHS rates five midsize sedans' safety
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Britain Orders Industry Report
The Financial Times reports that the UK is following former colony Australia's lead in ordering a government investigation into its flagging auto manufactur…
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Smart Car Crash Tested

YouTube has carried some hilarious footage of smart fourtwo crash tests (including hitting a concrete wall at 70mph) for a while now. Well, the NHTSA has finally crashed a few smarts in the name of insurance ratings safety and the verdict is in: the smart is safer than you might think. The diminutive German car gets four stars for driver safety and three stars for the passenger in the frontal crash test. Side impact testing revealed five-star performance, although a door did open during the test, "increasing the likelihood of passenger ejection." Granted, "starflation" has been an issue for the NHTSA, but like an underachieving politician, the smart is simply playing the expectations game. The fact that the tiny ride didn't explode into a million pieces of wound-irritating fiberglass is probably enough to surprise the average American consumer, who likely sees the smart as a small step up from a Segway scooter in terms of safety. Bring on the Hummer side impact test!

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Chrysler Cutting Life Insurance
It's one of those stories that makes you remember it's April Fools Day. The Free Press is reporting that Chrysler has cut life insurance to 14,000 white-coll…
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Oil Prices Are Falling. Really!
Is the oil bubble about to burst? Oil prices have fallen below $100/barrel and my dad, who is an oil engineer for Occidental Petroleum, has said prices will…
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Safety Advocates Accuse NHTSA of "Starflation"
NHTSA needs to revamp its safety ratings
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IIHS Call for Stronger SUV Roofs Could Increase Roll-over Risk
Current federal regulations require that car and truck roofs support 1.5 times their vehicle's weight. According to The Detroit Free Press, the Insurance Ins…
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Ford Drops $2.72b, Finance Unit Stumbles
Ford's latest financial reports show they still suck, just not as bad
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Chrysler, Plastech Extend Interim Agreement
Chrysler and Plastech have extended their short-term agreement through March 3.
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V8 Death: Edmunds Gets It Half Right
Why buy a V8 when a V6 will do?
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Allstate Comes Up Empty-Handed
Allstate has been suspended from selling insurance in Florida until they hand over some documents.
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UK Hearts Crushing Cars
The UK government is crushing uninsured motorists' cars. LOTS of them.
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AFA: Ford Pays for Sex Change Ops
The American Family Association says Ford pays for sex change operations.
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Parents Buy In-Car Spy
According to Tecnoride, Safeco Insurance is prototyping a black box which will rat out young drivers who run afoul of their parents driving rules. Safeco's "…
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  • ToolGuy 9 miles a day for 20 years. You didn't drive it, why should I? 😉
  • Brian Uchida Laguna Seca, corkscrew, (drying track off in rental car prior to Superbike test session), at speed - turn 9 big Willow Springs racing a motorcycle,- at greater speed (but riding shotgun) - The Carrousel at Sears Point in a 1981 PA9 Osella 2 litre FIA racer with Eddie Lawson at the wheel! (apologies for not being brief!)
  • Mister It wasn't helped any by the horrible fuel economy for what it was... something like 22mpg city, iirc.
  • Lorenzo I shop for all-season tires that have good wet and dry pavement grip and use them year-round. Nothing works on black ice, and I stopped driving in snow long ago - I'll wait until the streets and highways are plowed, when all-seasons are good enough. After all, I don't live in Canada or deep in the snow zone.
  • FormerFF I’m in Atlanta. The summers go on in April and come off in October. I have a Cayman that stays on summer tires year round and gets driven on winter days when the temperature gets above 45 F and it’s dry, which is usually at least once a week.