Car Chute

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The Vel Satis was an embarrassing failure for Renault in the luxury market.

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It is a perception amongst buyers of expensive vehicles that “proper” luxury cars have rear-wheel drive or, sometimes, all-wheel drive, but never front-wheel drive.

Whether that is true is immaterial; it is sufficiently widely held that Renault, which does not have a rear-wheel drive platform, has struggled in recent years to sell its range-topping Espace, Laguna and, especially Vel Satis models.

That’s not the only reason (frankly, the Laguna is boring and pretentious, while the Vel Satis was just plain horrid, and unreliable to boot) but it’s an important one.

So it made sense when Renault/Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn commented during an interview on France Inter radio last week that he would use Renault’s tie-up with Daimler to collaborate on a new luxury sedan.

SHARING THE GOOD STUFF

Renault (and, with it Nissan) formed their strategic partnership with Daimler, agreeing to share platforms and powertrains, in 2010 and, as far back as the Frankfurt show in September 2011, Ghosn said Renault was considering using a Mercedes platform for a future premium model – although he wouldn’t say which one.

Renault has said it plans to replace is Espace, Laguna and Vel Satis models from 2014, starting with the Espace.

Now, given the French flair for stylish yet practical MPV interiors and smooth, wind-cheating exteriors, allied to solid Stuttgart B-Class underpinnings, frugal Renault diesel engines and reliable Japanese electronics, the result is likely to turn the premium MPV class on its ear – and could possibly put a dent in VW and Peugeot/Citroen market shares.

A REAL WINNER

Take that two steps further: a Laguna replacement on a C-Class platform would undoubtedly out-style the German donor car and, with the right combination of strong diesels and rear-wheel drive, could conceivably outsell it – in France if nowhere else!

Certainly it would be a quantum-leap improvement on the underwhelming Laguna.

But the cherry on the top would definitely be the Vel Satis replacement – and such is the reputation of that temperamental mechanical mistress that we would urge Renault not to use the same name.

Based on the sophisticated E-Class platform, using the best of Daimler’s fully-developed V6 engines

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Think odf it as a 185kW fridge with an attitude.

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The Kia Soul, successful as it is, has all the sex appeal of a refrigerator – or it did, until now.

At this week’s Chicago auto show Kia pulled the covers off this three-door Soul coupé concept, called the Track’ster, hinting at what could possibly be the future of the Soul family.

Designer Tom Kearns said in his presentation: “The idea was to make the Track’ster tough looking, like a bulldog – but it had to be approachable as well.

“We wanted to base the car in reality so people instantly knew it was a Soul, but with a lot of attitude. It had to be a bold interpretation that would change people’s conceptions of what a sporty Kia could be.”

CARVED FROM SOLID ALUMINIUM

Bold starts with the orange and white colour scheme and carbon-fibre grille trim, while deeply recessed headlight lenses, accented with LED’s, echo the Track’ster’s trapezoid theme.

The Track’ster concept is a runner and, with 185kW, quite a serious one.

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But the front end is dominated by a huge lower intake, between big LED driving lights with carved-from-solid aluminium bezels, above a road-skimming carbon-fibre spoiler.

The extended front doors have smooth push-style handles – machined from solid aluminium, to match racing-style fuel filler cap – while the carbon-fibre side skirts are accented in orange, with rear-brake cooling ducts that actually work.

Also carved from solid aluminium are the 19” rims, made by HRE to a Kearns design, wrapped in 245/40 front and 285/35 rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 gumballs.

MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE

The concept’s wheelbase is 2570mm, about 20mm longer than the production Soul, its track 125mm wider, and it runs on lowered, stiffened suspension tuned for the track.

Now this is where it gets interesting: the Track’ster is more than just a pretty face. It’s a runner, with a turbocharged, two-litre engine pushing 185kW (66 percent more than the standard Soul) through a short-throw six-speed manual ‘box to an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system.

Grey leather interior has lots of orange highlights.

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Ventura, CA, February 09, 2012 –(PR.com)– Santa Paula Chevrolet is proud to offer Chevrolet’s newest Certified Pre-Owned Advantage: Owner Care. The Ventura County, California area is now eligible to receive the benefits of Owner Care by purchasing a Certified Pre-Owned Chevy car from Santa Paula Chevrolet.

Through Owner Care, Santa Paula Chevrolet will uphold a new two-year/ 30,000-mile vehicle maintenance plan, which includes oil changes, tire rotations, and multi-point vehicle inspections.

In addition, buyers will receive a 12-month/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. This warranty covers repairs to the Certified Pre-Owned Chevy during this time period, ensuring that the car runs at its optimal level. Normal wear and maintenance appointments are not covered.

Santa Paula Chevrolet wants to protect the future of their Certified Pre-Owned cars. That is why they offer Owner Care’s five-year/100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, which comes with 24-hour roadside assistance. This Powertrain warranty is transferable, meaning it can be used by subsequent owners of the Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. During the warranty period, owners will also receive courtesy transportation and reimbursement of certain transportation expenses while their vehicle is being serviced.

A Certified Pre-Owned Chevy delivers reliability and value not just through its warranty plans, but also through its vehicle history and inspection. Every Certified Pre-Owned Chevy must undergo a thorough, comprehensive 172-point inspection. If the vehicle does not meet factory standards, then it is reconditioned. Santa Paula Chevrolet will also provide a vehicle history report to further prove the value of the car.

In order to ensure that buyers have made the correct choice of which Certified Pre-Owned Chevy to purchase, Owner Care also features a three-day/150-mile satisfaction guarantee. This way, if a buyer decides that they are not satisfied with their Certified car, they can easily exchange it for a different one during this three day/150-mile period.

Santa Paula Chevrolet believes in the value of their Certified Pre-Owned cars and is happy to offer Owner Care to its customers. Stop by the dealership, call 877-459-2755, or visit http://www.santapaulachevrolet.com/CertifiedVehicles for more details about the Certified Pre-Owned Advantage.

Find and connect with Santa Paula Chevrolet on social sites in order to stay current with dealership events, sales, and announcements. Santa Paula Chevrolet is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/santapaulachevrolet and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/SantaPaulaChev1.

About Santa Paula Chevrolet
Santa Paula Chevrolet, http://www.santapaulachevrolet.com, of the Ventura area carries an extensive inventory of new and used Chevrolet vehicles. In addition, the California dealer provides auto service, Chevy parts, and auto financing. Santa Paula Chevrolet strives for 100 percent customer satisfaction every time.

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Williston, ND, February 09, 2012 –(PR.com)– Lake Motor Company is excited to announce its new automotive detailing service: Detail Plus. This is a professional detailing service performed right at the dealership by detailing experts. Detail Plus is meant to thoroughly clean and polish the entire vehicle, both inside and out.

The Detail Plus full detailing service includes a full exterior car wash followed by a buff and wax. This will remove anything stuck to the exterior body of the car, from sap to tar. Next, the detailing team will clean the vehicle’s windows, both inside and out.

Whether they are chrome or aluminum, the Lake Motor Company staff will shine your wheels and rims. They will also take the time to thoroughly clean the tires. They go the extra step and clean and buff all other exterior aluminum parts, such as bumpers, tanks, and more.

Next, the detailing team moves to the interior of the car. They vacuum and shampoo the front and rear areas, from the seats to the floors and floor mats. They also clean and shine the rest of the interior, including the dash and console.

Once Lake Motor Company has the interior and exterior looking like new, they move on to the engine. Detail Plus comes with a degreasing of the engine compartment. Having a clean engine means that not only will it look better when the hood it up, but it will also be easier to locate parts and perform maintenance in the future.

Lake Motor Company is excited to offer this service to cars, trucks, and SUVs as well as semi trucks, trailers, RVs, tractors, and even boats. No matter what vehicle you need cleaned, Lake Motor Company is happy to perform Detail Plus on it.

Schedule a Detail Plus appointment at http://www.lakechevy.com/ServiceApptForm. The Lake Motor Company service department is open from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday and 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday.

Stay up to date with all dealership news, specials, and events by liking Lake Motor Company on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LakeChevy and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/LakeChevy.

About Lake Motor Company
Lake Motor Company, http://www.lakechevy.com, of the Devils Lake area carries an extensive inventory of new and used Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles. In addition, the North Dakota dealer provides auto service, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC parts, and auto financing. Lake Motor Company strives for 100 percent customer satisfaction every time.

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Olympia, WA, February 09, 2012 –(PR.com)– Titus-Will (http://www.tituswillcars.com/), the Olympia car dealer, has announced exclusive leasing plans for new cars, trucks and SUVs. Titus-Will’s leasing program allows buyers to get their vehicle at a much lower price than when they go for financing and loans. To find out more about the benefits of leasing at Titus-Will, visit: http://www.tituswillcars.com/page/all_about_leasing

The Washington car dealer houses a large inventory of new cars by leading manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Hyundai. Titus-Will’s used car stock consists of popular models by Honda, Chrysler, Dodge, Toyota, Mercedes, Mazda, Kia, Volvo, Volkswagen and others.

Titus-Will is one of the leading auto dealers in Washington and provides the best financing deals and leasing plans. The exclusive lease plans introduced by the new/ used car dealer feature lower monthly payments, a chance to lease a better car at a lower price, shorter lease term – three years or less, sales tax savings, and GAP protection which pays the difference between a settlement from an insurance company and the actual pay off on a vehicle that has been totaled or stolen along with better cash flow during ownership of the lease period.

Buyers can also compare financing and leasing plans and know how leasing is different from other vehicle financing options, at: http://www.tituswillcars.com/page/all_about_leasing

Trevor Will from Titus-Will while confirming the advantages of leasing a vehicle added, “Leasing carries a dubious reputation for no reason when it’s one of the best ways to get a new vehicle for yourself. When you have 93% of your lease customers coming back for leasing again, you know it’s making them happy! We’d really want more people to know about the leasing plans available at Titus-Will and choose a more pocket-friendly option rather than blindly going for financing or credit approvals.”

“Leases are extremely useful, especially if you want to go for one of those high-end slick machines like Hyundai, Chevrolet, Cadillac or GMC come out with year after year. A lot of times, buyers are not able to get the new vehicle of their dreams as they are still paying off their previous purchases, which is not the case when you have leased a car. At the end of your lease, there will be no outstanding bank loans. So the next time you’re looking to purchase at Titus-Will, consider the liberating option of leasing instead of other financing options.” concluded Trevor.

Titus-Will is rated among the top most auto dealers in Washington and carries a large selection of fuel-efficient and high performance new cars, trucks and SUVs by Hyundai, Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC Buick. Special savings deals and discounts are applicable on new 2012 vehicles.

The current inventory of

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Revolutionary New VW Transporter With Electrically Extendable Rear Pod; the DoubleBack Launches 9th Feb 2012

PR Newswire — February 9, 2012

CARDIFF, Wales, February 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

- With Photo

- Revolutionary campervan based on the VW T5 Transporter – A truly spacious, comfortable camper with all of the advantages of a compact vehicle – Rear Pod technology creates almost 2 metres of additional usable space – The Pod extends electronically, deploying two legs that self-level on uneven terrain – DoubleBack retains functionality of a load carrying/ day to day van

“Stunning” Peter Gange, Head of Sales, VW Sinclair, Cardiff

Twice The Van

Based on the popular VW Transporter, the DoubleBack literally brings a new dimension to the Camper Van.

This represents the first true innovation in the market since the advent of the elevating roof over thirty years ago.

Perfect for either leisure or sports, the DoubleBack is suitable for young families and couples, carrying 2 or 3 passengers in either’captains chairs’ or benchseat configurations.

The DoubleBack fuses the practicality of driving a compact Transporter with space levels approaching that of a full motorhome. The vehicle is fitted with a luxury elevating roof with fold out bed, a kitchenette and all the usual refinements.

The DoubleBack is priced at GBP54,995 on the road. The base vehicle is the VW Transporter 2.0TDI 140PS Long Wheelbase.

The DoubleBack is available for public viewing and enquiries at our preferred supplier, the VW Sinclair dealership in Cardiff. This will be from the 10th February 2012. We are also holding a Public Viewing Day at the same location on Saturday 24th March 2012.

“The DoubleBack has been inspired by a desire to see a truly spacious, comfortable camper with all the practical advantages of a smaller vehicle” Craig McCormack, Founder

Press Launch

We are holding a ‘Meet The DoubleBack’ Day for interested Journalists on 9th February 2012 at VW Sinclair in Cardiff between 10am and 4pm. Location details can be found here [http://www.sinclairvolkswagen.co.uk/Find-Us/Sinclair-Volkswagen-Cardiff/1250226/DealershipDetails.aspx ] .

Please contact Ed Brooks should you wish to join us on the day.

Brochure/Website

To find out more about the DoubleBack (including video and brochure) please visit us at http://www. doubleback.co.uk/ [http://www.doubleback.co.uk ]

NB Website password protected until launch on 9th Feb

DoubleBack is a trading name and trademark owned by

OVERLANDER MOTORHOMES LIMITED

Note to Editors:

Pictures accompanying this release are available through the PA Photowire. They can be downloaded from http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or viewed at http://www.mediapoint.press.net or http://www.prnewswire.co.uk.

Further Info and Contact Details

Sales: VW Sinclair Cardiff +44(0)29-2049-2100 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Wharf Road East Tyndall Street, Cardiff CF10 4BB

Subject Codes: PC/t.120209030105054, PR/dest.Public, PT/lang.en, RE/United_Kingdom, IN/AUT, IN/TRN, IN/TRT, SU/PDT

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This all-American Pony Car has what Ford claims is the most powerful production V8 in the world.

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Ford’s in-house performance division, the Special Vehicle Team, has given itself one helluva 20th birthday present – in the shape of the Ford Shelby GT500 convertible, making its debut this week at the Chicago Auto Show.

Officially speaking, SVT was born at the 1992 Chicago show with the launch of the SVT Mustang Cobra and F-150 Lightning pick-up. Since then Dearborn’s go-fast guys have built more than 210 000 cars and trucks with names such as Ford GT, Mustang Cobra R, SVT F-150 Lightning, F-150 SVT Raptor, Shelby GT500KR and the soon-to-be-launched Focus ST.

MORE THAN 320KM/H FLAT OUT

That 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra’s five-litre V8 was good for 173kW, which shows you how far SVT has come in two decades – the GT500 boasts 480kW from its supercharged V8 and, when fitted with the optional Performance package, it’s nearly 3.5 seconds quicker around Sebring International Raceway than the previous models.

The 5.8-litre, all-aluminium engine also delivers 815Nm, taking the GT500 to more than 320km/h flat out and making it, Ford says, the most powerful production V8 on the market, thanks to a new supercharger, new cross-drilled block and heads, revised camshaft profiles, a new carbon-fibre driveshaft and upgraded clutch, gearbox and rear axle.

ELECTRONICALLY ADJUSTABLE DAMPERS

480kW and 815Nm, plus the Performance suspension package, make it 3.5 seconds quicker around the Sebring circuit than its predecessor.

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The Performance package adds Bilstein electronically adjustable dampers; at the simple push of a button on the dashboard the suspension is re-set from Normal mode (a comfortable ride over everyday road irregularities) to Sport mode, giving improved response time on the track, less body roll and reduced pitch under braking.

New Brembo brakes come with six-piston front callipers and larger discs all round, with more aggressive, softer-compound pads for more initial bite.

As with the coupé, the convertible will also be available with the Track package, which includes all the Performance goodies plus an external engine oil

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In the 1970s Cadillac saw its reputation for technical leadership gradually being overtaken by such marques as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Jaguar. It was a humiliation for the self-proclaimed “Standard of the World,” and Cadillac was determined to arrest the erosion.

In 1982 it launched its LTS (luxury two -seater) project to create a technology leader for the ultra-luxury, sporty car market. It came to fruition as the 1987 Cadillac Allante, with its main target being the Mercedes-Benz 560S Roadster.

The Allante was not only intended to showcase General Motors technology, but to inject some new spirit into Cadillac’s staid, vinyl roof, wreath-and-crest image. And since General Motors had committed to front-wheel drive in the ’80s, the Allante had front-drive. It would be the only front driver in its class.

To accommodate the limited production quantities and add some European cachet, Cadillac contracted Italy’s famed Turin-based stylist/coachbuilder Pininfarina to style and largely build the bodies. Pinanfarina responded with a tastefully crafted package that was appropriately understated, sporty without being garish or gimmicky.

The traditional Cadillac egg-crate grille was retained, the windshield was slanted sharply and the rear end was dominated by huge, flush tail lamps. Not prepared to totally abandon its wreath, Cadillac placed one in the grille, one on each wheel cover and one tastefully integrated into the deck-mounted, high-level stop lamp.

To assemble the Allante, Cadillac created what it called the “Allante Airbridge.” Eldorado platform and cowl assemblies, with the wheelbase shortened 218 mm (8.6 in.) to 2,525 mm (99.4 in.), were shipped to Italy where Pininfarina fitted the complete two-seater convertible bodies. They were then air-freighted back to Detroit for installation of running gear, suspension and other components.

Cadillac mounted its 4.1 litre overhead valve, aluminum block, iron-head V8 transversely, driving the front wheels through a four-speed automatic transaxle. With electronic port fuel injection and ram-tuned induction it was tuned to produce 170 horsepower @ 4,400 rpm, 40 more than regular Cadillacs.

Suspension was by MacPherson struts in front with an anti-roll bar. At the rear struts and control arms were used with springing by a transverse fibreglass leaf spring, a la the Corvette.

Power rack-and-pinion steering was fitted, and brakes were four-wheel discs with anti-lock. The Goodyear Eagle VL P225/60VR15 tires were initially limited exclusively to the Allante. Although it had an aluminum hood, deck and removable 23 kg (50 lb) hardtop – there was also a manual soft top – the Allante weighed a husky 1,588 kg (3,500 lb).

When the Allante bowed as an early ’87 model, it received generally favourable reviews from the motoring press. Car and Driver (3/’87) was impressed with the styling, interior and leather seats, but not with all the look-alike buttons

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