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With the economy improving, GM to begin paying back government bailout loan

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Posted in Auto Industry News, General Auto News

As the nation continues to slowly recover from the economic recession, it seems that the auto industry is beginning to show signs of life. Late last week, General Motors CEO Ed Whitacre announced that the automaker should be in a position to repay roughly $8 billion in debt to the U.S. government by June 2010.

Furthermore, Whitacre indicated that the government would be able to sell all of its equity in GM for a profit, according to Automotive News. Currently, U.S. taxpayers own 61 percent of General Motors stock.

“For the first time in over a decade, General Motors has a healthy, clean balance sheet,” said Whitacre. “We are not being crushed under mountains of debt. We have a cost structure that works.”

Meanwhile, GM’s new CEO has completely reorganized the company’s sales and marketing teams, a decision that he believes has contributed to the U.S. car manufacturer’s 20 percent market share.

With the economy improving and unemployment rates stabilizing, new and used car sales are expected to significantly trump last year’s numbers.

Nissan’s design chief to retire after 30 years of service

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Posted in Nissan

Officials with Nissan recently announced that the automaker’s U.S. design chief, Bruce Campbell, will retire at the end of March and will be replaced by Alfonso Albaisa, who is currently the vice president of Nissan Design Europe.

Campbell, who has worked for the carmaker since 1980, is credited with designing some of the Nissan’s most influential models, including the Pulsar NX, the Gobi small truck as well as the Maxima and Xterra production vehicles, according to Auto Week. He also played a prominent role in the design of Nissan’s new North American headquarters, located in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The era of designing cars just for North America is coming to a close,” said Campbell, quoted by Automotive News. “The job today is to make global cars work. That makes good business sense, but it can be a challenge for a designer.”

The Japanese auto manufacturer has said that Campbell will continue to work as a part-time consultant over the next few years.

Meanwhile, Albaisa will soon begin his second stint with Nissan America. The first time around, he was credited with heavily contributing to the redesign of the Altima and the Rogue.

2006 Buick Rendezvous: A well-rounded family vehicle

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Posted in Buick- DO NOT USE

Prospective car buyers interested in purchasing a used family vehicle may want to take a look at the 2006 Buick Rendezvous, which has the look and feel of a sport utility vehicle and the interior space and safety features of minivan.

For 2006, Buick equipped its crossover SUV with a more powerful engine and numerous additional standard features. The base model comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine capable of producing 201 horsepower and 216 pound-feet of torque. An upgraded 3.6-liter V6 is also available.

The ’06 Rendezvous comes standard with OnStar, an innovative alarm system, rear parking assist and sound-reducing QuietTuning technology, according to Edmunds.com.

Possibly the most acclaimed aspect of Buick’s hallmark SUV is the expansive cabin space and extensive cargo capacity. It delivers 109 cubic feet of cargo volume, while maintaining the elegant upscale look that Buick is known for.

Sharing a basic platform with Buick’s Terraza minivan, the Rendezvous seats up to seven passengers and has split-bench seats that can fold away.

While the 2006 Rendezvous is an excellent family car, it is, however, not a capable off-road SUV. Buick’s fuel-efficient crossover was bred for the highway.

Report: Woods to return to the PGA in two weeks

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Posted in Cadillac - DO NOT USE, Celebrity Auto News

Nearly four months after crashing his Cadillac Escalade outside of his home in Windermere, Florida, Tiger Woods has begun planning his return to the golf course.

On Thursday, the New York Post reported that the world’s number one golfer will begin his comeback in two weeks at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando.

The paper quoted two unnamed sources that said Woods has hired former presidential press secretary Ari Fleischer, who worked for George W. Bush, and most recently helped Mark McGuire orchestrate his return to professional baseball.

“[Woods and Fleischer] were in his living room this week going over a strategy for how to handle Bay Hill in two weeks,” said one source. “I would be shocked if he didn’t play the Arnold Palmer.”

Woods, who publicly admitted his multiple infidelities last month, has spent the last few weeks at a sexual rehabilitation clinic, and has only been seen on the golf course a handful of times since Thanksgiving.

Many commentators have speculated that Woods would return to the PGA at Bay Hill, as he has won the tournament six times since 2000.

How to prepare your car for warmer weather

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Posted in How To

Even though there are still a few weeks left of winter, it is never too early to begin thinking about preparing your vehicle for the next season. When the days get longer and the temperature begins to rise, there are several car maintenance procedures that should be implemented.

Sometime within the next six weeks, every car owner living in the Northeast should check their tires. After taking off your winter chains, take out your pressure gauge and make sure that your tires are inflated to the level recommended by your owner’s manual. Tire pressure changes with the rising temperature and should be monitored accordingly.

An under-inflated tire will bulge outward and will put harmful pressure on the sidewalls of the tire, according to HowStuffWorks.com. On an especially hot day, a low tire can unexpectedly blow, creating an extremely dangerous driving situation.

Beyond being a safety concern, an improperly inflated or misaligned tire can cost you money at the pump. Appropriately inflated tires can increase your car’s fuel economy by as much as 3 percent, Kiplinger reports.

After de-winterizing your tires, get out your hose and thoroughly clean the undercarriage of your car. We have all seen what salt can do to the exterior of an otherwise well-maintained automobile, but it can be even more damaging to the underside of a car if not properly removed. Salt with slowly eat away at the essential parts of your vehicle and will make your engine and transmission run hotter.

Overall, the best way maintain the health of your automobile through the spring and summer is to keep your engine as cool as possible. After changing your radiator fluid and coolant, be certain to check all the hoses and belts that connect your car’s most vital components.

Visually check all your belts for cracks and damage, and make sure that the rubber material is firm and hasn’t started separating into different layers, according to the news source. The risk of belt failure tends to increase after 36,000 miles.

Finally, check and clean your battery. Although dead batteries are commonly associated with winter conditions, summer heat will accelerate the chemical reaction inside the battery, causing it to be overcharged. Cleaning your battery with a paste of baking soda can significantly add to its life.

Carl Edwards gets a slap on the wrist after wrecking Brad Keselowski

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News, Dodge - DO NOT USE

On Tuesday, NASCAR veteran Carl Edwards was placed on three weeks probation for deliberately wrecking Brad Keselowski’s number 12 Dodge at last weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In the NASCAR world, Edwards’ punishment is actually being looked at as rather light, as he admitted to purposefully spinning out Keselowski as an act of retribution.

Early on in the race, the four-time Atlanta champion was bumped from behind by Keselowski, sending Edwards’ car careening into the wall, essentially ending his day.

However, after sitting in the garage for over an hour, and falling 153 laps behind the leaders, Edwards drove his car out of the shop and back on the racetrack with vengeance on his mind.

Edwards spent over a lap attempting to chase down Keselowski, who was running in the top ten at the time of the “accident.” After Edwards made contact with Keselowski’s Dodge, the car went airborne and smashed into the catch-fence while inverted. Fortunately, no injuries occurred, but the harrowing scene made some commentators believe that Edwards would be suspended.

Keselowski’s Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch won the race, his first victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Florida woman arrested for driving while shaving – her bikini line

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Posted in Ford, General Auto News

In a criminal case taken right from a movie script, a Florida woman was arrested last week after crashing her car into another vehicle while shaving her bikini line in traffic.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 37-year-old Meghan Barnes was on her way to Key West to visit her boyfriend when she decided to shave her pubic region. While driving approximately 45 miles per hour through Cudjoe Key last Tuesday, Barnes handed the steering wheel over to her ex-husband – who was riding in the passenger seat – so she could finish the job.

Unfortunately, the plan fell apart when an SUV slowed down in front of Barnes’ Ford Thunderbird and she crashed into the back of it, causing minor injuries to the occupants of the other vehicle.

“If I wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have believed it,” arresting officer Gary Dunick told the local newspaper, The Citizen.

The police report indicates that Barnes and her ex-husband drove for another half-mile after the accident and switched seats to make it look like he was driving. She was charged with driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and driving without valid insurance. Police also told the Citizen that Barnes had been arrested for a DUI the day before and had her car impounded.

Did Tim Tebow’s entourage steal Darrell Waltrip’s car?

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News, Lexus - DO NOT USE, Mercedes-Benz

Last Sunday, retired NASCAR driver and current Fox Sports analyst Darrell Waltrip flew home to Nashville to discover that his black Lexus sports utility vehicle had been stolen – sort of.

When Waltrip made his way out to the parking lot of the private Tennessee airport, he noticed that a similar looking black Mercedes SUV was parked right next to the vacant spot that had once held his automobile.

“I went back inside and said, ‘Guys, somebody stole my car,'” said Waltrip. “Everybody had this sheepish look. This one kid said, ‘DW, I think I know where your car is.'”

As it turned out, a few hours before the NASCAR legend arrived back at the airport, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow landed with his entourage, which included his brother, his agent and Will Bartholomew, head the Nashville-area training facility, D1 Sports,. The group had just returned from the 2010 NFL Combine where Tebow had worked out for professional scouts and coaches.

Bartholomew, who was the last one of the group to leave the airport, was told to take Tebow’s agent’s car and meet everybody back at the D1 campus.

Unfortunately, Bartholomew walked up to Waltrip’s Lexus – which was unlocked – hit the pushbutton-start ignition switch, and hit the road behind the Florida quarterback and the rest of his party.

Luckily for the Tebow clan, Waltrip found humor in the situation and even considered reporting the car stolen as a gaffe.

“I was going to call the police, have them pull (Tebow) over and scare the fire out of him.” Waltrip laughed, according to the Tennessean.

“I wanted them to tell him they knew he was a fine Christian boy, but that he just couldn’t steal people’s cars,” he added. “My wife told me that would embarrass him and that I didn’t want to do that to him.”

After Bartholomew learned what happened, he returned NASCAR analyst’s Lexus the next day.

And what lesson did Darrell Waltrip learn? “Don’t leave your car unlocked. Because you never know what celebrity might take it.”

How to drive in winter conditions

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Posted in How To

Despite the gorgeous weather in many regions this weekend, spring is not yet officially upon us. With a few weeks of winter remaining, owners of used vehicles in New Jersey and New York should know that the majority of cars accidents occur when the weather is at its worst.

Knowing how to drive during the winter months is not an innate ability – it is an acquired skill. With a few helpful tips, we can all safely get through the final weeks of March and the inevitable last few snowstorms.

The best advice for driving in poor winter weather conditions is to avoid it if possible. Waiting until the snow plows and sand trucks have done their job will drastically reduce your chances of getting into an accident.

If you must drive in snowy or icy conditions, always make sure that you are well prepared. In any conditions, but especially when it is snowing, it is recommended to carry an emergency winter car kit, which should include a flashlight, first aid supplies, a fully charged cell phone, basic tools and road flares or a reflective triangle, according to Road and Travel Magazine. Other recommended items include warm clothes, jumper cables, an ice scrapper as well as carpet strips, sand or kitty litter for traction.

Meanwhile, when driving, leave plenty of room between your car and the vehicle in front of you. Experts recommend that you allow for at least four car lengths between yourself and other vehicles on the road for every 10 miles per hour.

Furthermore, make sure to brake before you enter a turn. You always want to slow down and then accelerate out of a corner to increase traction. Applying the brake while making a turn will force you to lose grip and control of your car.

Finally, if you do find yourself skidding out of control, you need to go against your natural tendencies, says Jerry Pearl, general manager of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, according to Edmunds.com.

“Turn into the skid,” he adds. “You also need to accelerate – people don’t think about accelerating to control the car.”

Simply releasing the brake and gently accelerating while turning into the skid can help you regain control your vehicle. At that point, slow down and turn back into the road.

Jeff Bridges bounced from Hyundai ads airing during the Oscars

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Posted in Celebrity Auto News, Hyundai

Owners of used Hyundai models in New Jersey may hear an unfamiliar voice while watching the Oscars this Sunday. Actor Jeff Bridges, who has been doing voiceovers for Hyundai commercials since 2007, has been told that he cannot appear in any advertisements that air during the Academy Awards, because of a rule prohibiting nominees and award presenters from doing so.

Unfortunately for the Korean automaker, they were unaware that Bridges, who is nominated for Best Actor for his role in Crazy Heart, would be prevented from doing voiceovers for the seven different commercials that they had planned to run during the Oscars.

According to USA Today, Hyundai was forced to hire several last minute replacements to sub in for Bridges, including Catherine Keener, Kim Basinger, David Duchovny, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Madsen, Mandy Patinkin and Martin Sheen.

A 30-second spot in the Academy Awards’ broadcast is estimated to cost between $1.3 and $1.5 million, Auto Week reports. Hyundai has confirmed that Bridges will return to his usual position as spokesman following the awards ceremony.

Those interested in used Hyundai models may want to take a look at the Sonata, one of the more popular used sedans on the road today.