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Last Updated: Jul 7th, 2014 - 22:01:23 |
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Super Car Shootout - Ferrari 458 vs. McLaren vs. Audi R8
We take the Ferrari 458, Audi R8, and McLaren MP4-12C for a flogging.
SUPERCAR SHOOTOUT VIDEO - YOUTUBE
It's difficult to explain just exactly why there is such a mystique around supercars. Maybe it's the dream for most. But the reality of owning let alone driving these cars are much different.
The long and short of it is that we went in expecting to be blown away. Don't get me wrong these are the pinnacle of "street" super cars.
But they are not race cars. I thought these cars would have been more hard core. But they just feel like bigger and faster versions of lower priced sports cars. (Cough Cough S2000, FRS, Miata, Vette) I would take a seasons worth of competitive kart racing over owning a super car any day. It's just impossible to justify on any level the price tag.
However the experience was worth even a few grand if you can swing it. I ran about 30 laps. If you know the track and get a chance to run these cars I'd highly recommend it as it helps put things into perspective and of course its fun too.
Jul 7, 2014, 21:36 - [ Discuss this story ]
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GM Debuts Hummer H3
General Motors officially took the wraps off its successor to the surprisingly popular Hummer H2 this week at the California Auto Show in Anaheim. The Orange County city home to such things as Mickey, Goofy, Angels, and Mighty Ducks welcomed an entirely different kind of beast to their convention center: the Hummer H3, the smallest Hummer to date. With gas prices ever-threatening to skyrocket and H2 sales all-but collapsing as its “fad period” passes, the new “baby Hummer” could not have come at a better time. And with all of the large SUVs seen lumbering around “the OC,” the debut location could not have been more appropriate.
Oct 29, 2004, 22:42 - [ Discuss this story ]
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August a Tough Month for Automakers
The nation’s top two automakers reported down sales for the third straight month today, according to Reuters. General Motors and Ford both saw demand for their aging lineup of cars slip 7 percent and 5.9 percent, respectively, as consumers continued to shift toward rival Chrysler and the foreign brands.
Sep 2, 2004, 11:54 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Ford’s Luxury Brands Down, Saturn Vue Upside Down
The strength of European currencies compared to the US dollar appears to be having a very negative impact on the financial health of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group, also known as Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover, and Volvo. The UK-based company has reported substantial losses thanks to the exchange rate of the pound sterling, substantial development costs at Land Rover, and labor costs at Jaguar. Also... GM has announced a recall of 246,433 Saturn Vue SUVs because of a defect in the suspension that could cause a rollover.
Aug 6, 2004, 01:20 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Sales Up in July, Imports Continue to Grab Share
After an unexpectedly slow month in June, new car sales in the United States rebounded sharply in July. Seasonally adjusted sales for the month came in at 17.3 million units compared to 15.4 million in June, though still slightly behind May’s 17.8 million. Like months past, the biggest winners were import brands while domestic brands continue to watch their collective share of the market slip. According to Autodata Corp., Asian makes boosted their collective share to 35.3% of the market in July, a 2.1-point improvement and just .1 point away from a monthly record.
Aug 4, 2004, 01:22 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Honda Plays Incentives Game
As American car companies continue to up their incentives per vehicle to draw in customers, many automakers thought to be immune from the incentives cancer are being drawn into the game. The latest example is Honda Motor Company, which not long ago laughed at the idea of paying people to buy their cars as people lined up outside dealerships for such hot models as the Odyssey minivan and Acura MDX luxury-SUV.
Aug 2, 2004, 23:46 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Ultra-Luxury Lexus
Not content with its status as America’s top luxury brand, Toyota’s Lexus division is currently on a drive to extend its presence worldwide and defend its position in the United States. Part of that plan includes putting some distance between itself and parent Toyota, with more distinct designs and engineering resources.
Aug 2, 2004, 01:31 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Aussie Inspired Ford?
After General Motors turned to its Australian unit, Holden, for the new Pontiac GTO, Ford is thinking of tapping the talents of its division down under for the next generation of some of its established nameplates. In this case, according to Automotive News, the models in question are the Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis. Currently based on the Panther platform that has been in existence since 1978, the Crown Vic and the Grand Marquis have a loyal owner base ranging from police departments to retirees.
Aug 1, 2004, 00:20 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Chrysler Profits Up Thanks to New Models
Earlier, we reported the rising profits of General Motors and Ford; now it’s Chrysler’s turn. DaimlerChrysler’s American division (excluding Mercedes Benz) reported a second quarter operating profit of $614 million, up from over a billion dollars lost last year, according to the Associated Press.
Jul 31, 2004, 19:19 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Redesigned Sentra Delayed
According to media reports, the redesign of one of the only vehicles not yet touched by Nissan’s “revival plan” has been delayed because it came out “too bland.” Automotive News quotes sources from within Nissan and its suppliers as saying that the Sentra redesign could be delayed after focus groups have given the company the impression that “It just doesn't go far enough in terms of appeal.”
Jul 28, 2004, 00:42 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Mitsubishi to Retire Montero Sport and Diamante
The trials of Mitsubishi Motors continue as the company confirmed that the Diamante luxury sedan and Montero Sport SUV will both face the axe at the end of the 2004 model year. Automotive News also reports that the larger Montero will be discontinued after the 2006 model year unless Mitsubishi can find a way to come up with the cash for the retooling needed to allow the Montero to meet 2007 emissions and safety standards in the United States.
Jul 28, 2004, 00:36 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Mercedes, Lexus Fighter from Hyundai?
Rumors have persisted for the past year that Korean carmaker Hyundai is planning on introducing a luxury line to fight the likes of Lexus, Mercedes Benz, and BMW. According to the latest issue of Automotive News, those rumors may come true as soon as 2007. Sources tell the newspaper that executives have gained the confidence following strong quality results from the latest JD Power studies and continued sales growth.
Jul 28, 2004, 00:27 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Mitsubishi to Cut 1,200 US Jobs
Tough times continue for Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors as the company announced a plan late Wednesday night to cut 1,200 jobs from its Normal, Ill. manufacturing plant. The layoffs are part of Mitsubishi’s plan to pull itself out of the financial instability that has been hanging over the company for the past year.
Jul 23, 2004, 00:27 - [ Discuss this story ]
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GM, Ford Report Profit; Honda Won't Chase Scion
The world’s largest automaker, GM, announced a $1.3 billion profit for the second quarter. This beats Wall Street expectations by about $0.12 per share, and is a 48% increase over last year’s results. The financial news out of Ford was similar, with FoMoCo posting a quarter profit of $1.2 billion. Honda will build an entry-level vehicle priced below the Civic in the $12,000 market.
Jul 21, 2004, 23:03 - [ Discuss this story ]
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Toyota Launches Special Edition Scion, Kills Celica and MR2
Signaling Toyota’s continued plans to attract the youth market with its Scion brand, word came down last week that 2005 would be the last year of production for the Celica and MR2. In related news, Scion announced a new special edition version of its xA wagon.
Jul 20, 2004, 22:28 - [ Discuss this story ]
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